When buying a GTI

[CarlW]

Few questions as I'm ready to buy a GTI now.. Finally

From what i have read over the last few months i've took in that there is a few niggily common faults with the Golf GTI's so just want to go over a few things to make sure I'm right even though some of you people will hate me for doing "another post" but i have so if you want to winge then help yourself.. Seen as though a lot of these problems have been found out by now and you enthusiasts have been the guinea pigs if you like and can direct me in what is best to get the best possible life out the next car I'm going to buy.

I plan to buy a GTI / ED30 with between 35k -  50k miles on. 06 - 08 Not sure if there's any particular ages to stay away from as of yet and it will be most likely manual.

I know the cam belt / water pump / tensioners should be changed at around 40k i believe? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Next thing.. 

Cam Follower
Is there something like this (link below) GTI owner's can buy in the UK as this is an American company i believe and fit this to fully solve the cam follower issue as i know cam follower should be checked at least every other oil change and know that if it appears to have a hole in then its likely to have caused damage to lobes and High Pressure Fuel Pump?
Done a bit of reading on this but never actually seen in person a cam follower / lobes or HPFP YET as i've never really been mechanical or had one to change therefor not clued up on it all so if there is something out there that can solve this issue meaning there's less to worry about.. Great.. if not then i guess it's just check it every 10k or so

LINK: http://www.h2sport.com/solutions/fuel-pump/

Second thing. The PCV valve fix.. Is this worth doing especially on a car thats done 35 - 50k miles, does it fix the problem or can it create problems as i've just read somewhere on the forum that in the winter months that apparently they can freeze up therefor stopping the fix from fixing the PCV valve issue choking up..

Other things on the list to check for
Steering rack - noise when turning left
Rusty wings, possibly side skirts and boot lid. Heard stories of people getting these fixed under 12 year paint warranty if theres more to learn about then do tell
Diverter valve - Known for tears in the rubber diaphragm - as you can't really ask to pull someones car apart before buying to check this "DV" Is there anything to feel or listen for when test driving to solve this as i've never drove a GTI so don't know what to expect as of yet so don't know what to look for if it needs changing or not.. orrr.. is it a matter of if everything else ticks okay then change this asap to rev G i believe when i get it home then rest is assured..
Look in service history for regular oil changes.

Apart from that is there anything i can/should check for when looking to buy a GTI besides what i have mentioned?
I think i've pretty much covered everything.. i hope. If i've missed anything then let me know and i can then read up to get a basic knowledge of what it is.

[Homer]

Hi,

Belt, tensioner and water pump should be changed at 60k. The replacement OEM cam follower and PCV valve is a cheap fix And I would go to a reputable Indy to get them done.

The diverter valve is also a cheap fix and I would replace for definite, go for revision G model.

You have covered a few other points of what to look for and this is wise.

Not sure what you drive at the moment but the GTi is not a maintenance free car and your fuel costs will be high. Plus a lot of them have a thirst for engine oil. Not trying to put you off but you should be aware of all these things before you buy.

That being said when working fine it is a great car to drive!

[skard]

I would say the cam follower is just something to include in a maintenance schedule, certainly not something I would panic about as it is so cheap and easy to swap out.

Same goes for the latest PCV, again cheap and easy to DIY.

The DV on an ED30 is situated right at the front of the engine, again a doddle to swap. All three of these are about £120+ at a dealer and can be DIY'd in an hour, so not worth worrying about.

Rusty wings applies to all higher powered diesels and petrol mk5's - I've had it done on both my mk5's free of charge but it is a misconception it falls under the 12 year warranty, it is goodwill to a mechanical defect when VW pay up but ere are plenty threads about that on here.

Cambelt kit schedule is similar to most cars on the market - four years or 60k miles.

They are actually fairly low maintenance cars, but the key is buying one that has been cared for.

[xjay1337]

I would say the cam follower is just something to include in a maintenance schedule, certainly not something I would panic about as it is so cheap and easy to swap out.

Same goes for the latest PCV, again cheap and easy to DIY.

The DV on an ED30 is situated right at the front of the engine, again a doddle to swap. All three of these are about £120+ at a dealer and can be DIY'd in an hour, so not worth worrying about.

Rusty wings applies to all higher powered diesels and petrol mk5's - I've had it done on both my mk5's free of charge but it is a misconception it falls under the 12 year warranty, it is goodwill to a mechanical defect when VW pay up but ere are plenty threads about that on here.

Cambelt kit schedule is similar to most cars on the market - four years or 60k miles.

They are actually fairly low maintenance cars, but the key is buying one that has been cared for.

No it applies to all Mk5s.
And it is corrosion however it's VW's excuse to avoid paying out (about it being a mechanical warranty).

[CarlW]

Might sound daft but is there any particular age cars to stay away from? 06/56/07/57 as these are whats in my price range from what i've found. Or if not age of the car then any particular engine code to stay away from as i keep seeing engine codes popping up all over on the forum but i don't have a clue what or where the engine code is