VW Golf GT TSI 170 BHP; new owner, need some quick info :)

T4RGET

Hi all,

First time posting in this section, and first time posting on Boards, in a VERY long time.
Hoping the motoring community here can answer some quick questions I have.
I bought a Golf about two weeks ago. It's a 2006 and I love it. I bought it because I wanted the 170 break TSI but I've noticed a few things I'm hoping people here can clear up to find out if it's normal behaviour and I'm not used to it or if I need to get it looked at.

1) This is at the top of my list. This car moves, and moves well and the 6th gear is amazing for cruising but I noticed that at 80 kmh it sits at about 2.5k revs in 5th gear. Pretty normal. If i go any faster and want to go into 6th gear the car engages it fine but at 2.5k revs in 6th gear it sounds like it's way higher. As if it wants another gear to get rid of that noise. It sounds like it's at 3500+ RPM, not 2500. Has anyone got this model and tell me if this is normal?

2) Secondly, I recently replaced the spark plugs with iridium plugs. It's still boosting fine but I noticed it doesn't boost at all in 1st gear. I'm not sure if this is normal given the fact that you'd only really use 1st to get going and hit 2nd pretty soon after but again, anyone with this car confirm this is normal?

3) I'm sure people were expecting this, what is this Econ button? Seriously! I've googled and googled and from what I can gather it's economy A/C? But when the light is on, it's turned off and when the light on the button is off, it's turned on? I've been keeping it on (i.e light on) as apparently it's disengages the A/C resulting in better mpg. Again not sure.

I'm sure there's a few other things but they're my burning questions right now.

Thank you!

cnocbui

Did it do these things before you changed the plugs?

T4RGET

Unsure, it wasn't boosting properly when I bought it. The person I bought it off sold it cheap because the turbo was gone. So when I viewed it and she left, I had a quick look at the plugs and noticed they were really worn. Gave the car a drive and everything was fine so decided to take it assuming it was the plugs. Put new set in and the boost came back. but never got it into 6th gear before then...

Henry Ford III

1/. Assuming your clutch isn't slipping the revs in gear are exactly what they are. So for any given speed the engine will be turning over more slowly in 6th gear than in 5th gear. The sound isn't relevant.

Try doing a steady 100kph (on a quiet motorway). Note the revs in 6th. Then shift down to 5th. Revs should be a bit higher. If not you may have issues.

2/. If the engine is healthy it will boost in every gear (unless there's software to limit it in the lower gears?)/

3/. It's an a/c setting. Have a look at the owners manual.

T4RGET

Henry Ford III wrote: »

1/. Assuming your clutch isn't slipping the revs in gear are exactly what they are. So for any given speed the engine will be turning over more slowly in 6th gear than in 5th gear. The sound isn't relevant.

Try doing a steady 100kph (on a quiet motorway). Note the revs in 6th. Then shift down to 5th. Revs should be a bit higher. If not you may have issues.

2/. If the engine is healthy it will boost in every gear (unless there's software to limit it in the lower gears?)/

3/. It's an a/c setting. Have a look at the owners manual.

Clutch is definitely not slipping. The revs also drop and climb as they should. I did try that test and the car jumps in RPM when i drop gears as it should. The noise is more confusing me than worrying me.

I'm thinking it might be a software thing. I know that I can't get it above 4000 RPM when stationary and not in gear to prevent people red lining it and damaging the engine, so there's definitely software trickery working in the background. I got it to boost once while in 1st but don't remember the parameters

Owner's manual is useless for this

T4RGET

OSI wrote: »

The twin charged engines in those is renowned for having significant issues and it's generally considered best to avoid it at all costs. It'd be worth doing a good bit of research on that model and seeing if any of the issues line up with your symptoms.

i've been searching it for a while now but can't find anything related to them, probably more got to do with the fact that it's a strange search query though.

Henry Ford III

T4RGET wrote: »

Clutch is definitely not slipping. The revs also drop and climb as they should. I did try that test and the car jumps in RPM when i drop gears as it should. The noise is more confusing me than worrying me.

I'm thinking it might be a software thing. I know that I can't get it above 4000 RPM when stationary and not in gear to prevent people red lining it and damaging the engine, so there's definitely software trickery working in the background. I got it to boost once while in 1st but don't remember the parameters

Owner's manual is useless for this

An unusual noise at any revs should be investigated. Something might be loose and resonating?

I agree with others here - it's a complex and potentially troublesome power unit so you'll need to do more research.

mickdw

Any chance you have a whine from the gearbox in 6th that is making the noise?

T4RGET

I doubt it's the gearbox. It definitely sounds more like it's coming from the engine

mloc123

In general, get the timing chain checked on it if you can. IIRC the issues with that engine can be avoided with an upgraded chain.

T4RGET

mloc123 wrote: »

In general, get the timing chain checked on it if you can. IIRC the issues with that engine can be avoided with an upgraded chain.

AFAIK it still uses a belt, not the more recent chain that VW implemented later on. The belt also looks extremely new and I'm pretty sure there's paperwork of it's replacement

The Nutty M

OSI wrote: »

It's definitely timing chain driven.

If it's the engine you say it is then it's a timing chain as per what OSI said. No questions.

T4RGET

OSI wrote: »

It's definitely timing chain driven.

Definitely doesn't look like a chain.

OSI wrote: »

Don't these have a boost gauge on the dash? What does it show when you're experiencing the issues in 1st and 6th?

Yeah it does. Well it's boosting fine but the boost gauge doesn't really diagnose the 'issue' of it sounding like it's at a much higher RPM than it is when it's in 6th gear. I can put my foot down in 6th and the gauge climbs like you'd expect though.

The Nutty M

Have you the timing cover off or what? Or a boroscope that you are looking in the inspection plate to see the chain?

T4RGET

My apologies, would seem you guys are right about the chain. But would that effect the engine noise I'm experiencing? Especially since i'm hearing it only in 6th. There's no other abnormal noises.

Neilw

You need to get is scanned with vcds to see if any faults are logged.
A boost leak test would be a good idea too, there's a changeover valve on them that fails, it controls switching from the supercharger to turbo.

As said, a scan first and go from there.

T4RGET

Neilw wrote: »

You need to get is scanned with vcds to see if any faults are logged.
A boost leak test would be a good idea too, there's a changeover valve on them that fails, it controls switching from the supercharger to turbo.

As said, a scan first and go from there.

I'll give it a try. Thanks

Borderfox

Do the 170bhp model have a supercharger as well as a turbo, might be the whine off the charger at a particular rpm?

JoeA3

Econ button is aircon on/off.
Econ on means aircon is off and vice versa. In later models they changed it to an actual on/off button....

Notch000

you shoudent realy need to be 'boosting' in 1st gear, 1st is only really all thats needed to get the car moving and into second gear to get going properly.

dr.fuzzenstein

T4RGET wrote: »

Unsure, it wasn't boosting properly when I bought it. The person I bought it off sold it cheap because the turbo was gone. So when I viewed it and she left, I had a quick look at the plugs and noticed they were really worn. Gave the car a drive and everything was fine so decided to take it assuming it was the plugs. Put new set in and the boost came back. but never got it into 6th gear before then...

Well, i might be way, off here and this is just a thought, but, erm, wouldn't the turbo have something to do with boost?.
Just a guess...

Cee-Jay-Cee

Surely as the supercharger is running all the time then unless you accelerating hard and at high revs then the turbo wont kick in while in 1st gear?