Car taking an age to warm up

[xjay1337]

Sounds like a stuck thermostat, my R gets to 90 degrees (water) after about three/four miles (winter driving). The oil on the other hand.. when my water reached 90 degrees, I checked the oil temp via highline computer and it was a mere 56 degrees... and to think a lot of people think its safe to 'boot it' once the water's up to temp  

Your R is a TSI engine, very different.
And who boots it the minute the temp gauge gets to 90.

Nope.... The R is TFSI mate... Same (roughly) lump as ED30/S3

Thought I was going mad thinking it was a TFSI.  IIRC the brand new 300bhp S3 is TFSI too... they aren't putting a lot of confidence in TSI are they...

Well that makes me out to be an idiot doesn't it!!

[Itguy]

I thought stuck thermo too.

Oh goody, time to look for a DIY thread then. I know it's not a quick job.

[Scottymon]

It's a long job.

Overview: http://volkswagen.workshop-manuals.com/golf-mk5/index.php?id=5050

Removing Alternator: http://volkswagen.workshop-manuals.com/golf-mk5/index.php?id=1467
Removing Coolant Pipework: http://volkswagen.workshop-manuals.com/golf-mk5/index.php?id=5049

It's definitely the last thing I would try.

[xjay1337]

I thought stuck thermo too.

Oh goody, time to look for a DIY thread then. I know it's not a quick job.

If your temp gauge hits 90 and stays there it's not a stuck thermo.

[rob-gti]

My temp gauge hits 90 in stop/go traffic in town, but always goes back down to 75 on the open road...
I picked up a new thermo from the stealers but im reluctant to go fitting it after seeing the DIY threads, it looks like an awful job 

[xjay1337]

Then it could be that, or the Temp sensor
From reading it, it doesn't sound too bad.
Remove alternator and some pipes, takes 20 minutes to swap alternator. 

[Scottymon]

Then it could be that, or the Temp sensor
From reading it, it doesn't sound too bad.
Remove alternator and some pipes, takes 20 minutes to swap alternator. 

I'm going to take the 20 min challenge when my alternator arrives.

[Itguy]

On my way to work it did get to 90c but on the way to it got to 90c the  dropped to 85c then climbed back to 90c and was solid there.

I can see this is ok as that's what you'd expect the thermo to do but I wondered if it's just not fully closing or something silly like that meaning it's taking ages to warm up?

Sounds like coolant temp sensor first though as it's easy, presumably I won't need vcds to reset anything once I fit a like for like replacement (I've got no Engine light or anything).

I haven't checked to see what coolant it has in it either. If it's got blue (ie wrong) stuff in, could that cause the problem too? I wonder if a g12 coolant change may help too??

[Scottymon]

Then it could be that, or the Temp sensor
From reading it, it doesn't sound too bad.
Remove alternator and some pipes, takes 20 minutes to swap alternator. 

I'm going to take the 20 min challenge when my alternator arrives.

I failed miserably Jay!  But in my defence the new Alternator was a Bosch item and the loom needed to be faffed about with to get it to fit properly... all good now though, gave it a some nice new oil too.

Noticed that the Wishbone bushes looked fecked :( Is that a difficult job?

[xjay1337]

Wishbone bushes is 15 minutes a side to remove , total side for both jobs an hour if you can get it up in the air.

How long did it take you on the alternator bud?
Glad you got it sorted haha

[OSB]

On my way to work it did get to 90c but on the way to it got to 90c the  dropped to 85c then climbed back to 90c and was solid there.

I can see this is ok as that's what you'd expect the thermo to do but I wondered if it's just not fully closing or something silly like that meaning it's taking ages to warm up?

Sounds like coolant temp sensor first though as it's easy, presumably I won't need vcds to reset anything once I fit a like for like replacement (I've got no Engine light or anything).

I haven't checked to see what coolant it has in it either. If it's got blue (ie wrong) stuff in, could that cause the problem too? I wonder if a g12 coolant change may help too??

I have 'timed' mine over the last week or so. The warm up time is dependant on ambient temperature. It has been taking about 2 1/2 - 3 miles to get to 90 with outside temp of 11 - 12 deg. This morning it was 5 deg and took 4 miles. Warmish air coming up to the screen after about 1 mile.
MUCH quicker than before I had the thermostat changed though.
I don't know what the blue coolant is, but if its not G12 you could be letting yourself in for longer term internal  corrosion problems. Best to get that flushed and changed. I doubt it is causing any warm up problems though. The VW G12 is 'supposed' to contain a wetting agent that can affect the heat transfer properties for the good.

[Human Joist]

G12 has been replaced by G12+ then again by G13 I think. Left work at midnight yesterday and I drove gently (cold engine job) and it took nearly 9 miles to get to 90. Every VW or Skoda or Audi I have had does this. The newer the car the longer it seems to warm up. But once it's reaches the appropriate temp it does not move again. At all.

[Scottymon]

Wishbone bushes is 15 minutes a side to remove , total side for both jobs an hour if you can get it up in the air.

How long did it take you on the alternator bud?
Glad you got it sorted haha

Probably an hour in the end if I'm truthful, the Bosch item has a raised wiring retainer thing so you can't swap the post over from the Valeo unit; it fits but makes it's too wide so the wiring won't stretch to plug in - so had to dig around for a 5mm bolt for the retainer and cut the cable ties off the wiring so that it could be routed from beneath for the Bosch unit then re-cable tie... blah blah, faff, faff, lol - if it was a direct Valeo replacement I could probably do it in 30 mins now.  I'd defo consider doing the thermostat when and if it goes.

For a VW Tech who's skilled in doing these jobs, to bill 4 hours for the thermostat seems like robbery... a lot of of tea drinking there me thinks.

[Human Joist]

Checked mine on the drive to work just. 4 degrees outside. Drove gently asninalways do when cold. 9 miles to work. Not full warm got to about 75-80. I would say this is usual and not worry.

[Itguy]

Ok I've decided I'm going to change ours as it just doesn't seem right to me and there are too many conflicting reports of people saying "5 mins" to people saying it's the same as mine.

A fresh new thermostat will at least rule it out if it's still slow to warm up.

I'm particularly concerned as the car is for my wife and her commute is only about 4 or 5 miles and 10-12 minutes so I really don't want the car to be still really cold when she gets there as it will drink fuel and be forever running rich.

I'm going to read the docs posted above but any practical tips in doing this job? Someone mentioned removing the inlet manifold might help??