Starting to regret buying the GTI already!

[Garth]

Well,

I bought it about a month ago and it broke down the day after. It needed a new coil pack and spark plug which were replaced. Today the engine warning light has come on, which according to the manual is exhaust gas quality. Has anyone else had this and if so, was it something simple like a lamda sensor needing replaced?

In addition to this, the noise from the wheels is horrifc and I've already spent the best part of £500 sorting out the bodywork, glass and trim to get it looking good. Oh, and the airbag warning light is on (but that's my fault!).

Is it likely to be a painful ownership of this car??

[Poverty]

Well,

I bought it about a month ago and it broke down the day after. It needed a new coil pack and spark plug which were replaced. Today the engine warning light has come on, which according to the manual is exhaust gas quality. Has anyone else had this and if so, was it something simple like a lamda sensor needing replaced?

In addition to this, the noise from the wheels is horrifc and I've already spent the best part of £500 sorting out the bodywork, glass and trim to get it looking good. Oh, and the airbag warning light is on (but that's my fault!).

Is it likely to be a painful ownership of this car??

Was it playing up before you had the new coils and spark plugs fitted? How many miles has the car done, is it mapped?

Trouble with these cars is that one sensor can throw alot of things out. But im sure once all these little things are ironed out you will have plenty of trouble free motoring.

[Garth]

It's done 58k miles (1k by me) and it's not mapped... yet!

When the plug and coil went, the car was fine, then all of a sudden on the A1 it just started sluttering, down to 3 cylinders. Once it was fixed, it has been fine since.

The way things are going now, I'm not going to get round to modding the car as all my money will go on fixing it!

[Phil Mcavity]

What tyres are on the car Garth??

[Poverty]

also engine light can mean a series of different things, where abouts you based, might be worthwhile geting vag com plugged in to see if any worthwhile fault codes come up.

[Garth]

Front are continental sportcontact's with about 5mm tread, rears are one side sportcontact 2 (about 4mm) and one sportcontact 3 (about 6mm).

When I bought the car, the mixed set was on the front but I wanted even traction on the front so swapped them round. It was at this point the noise got MUCH worse, so I suspect that 1 or both of the front tyres have issues.

It may be down to the wheels as I can tell all 4 have been refurbed (looks like a pretty decent job) and the noise I'm getting is a constant drone but also a kind of whub, whub, whub sound which varies with speed. I thought it was the bearings until I swapped the wheels round

[bacillus]

Yes , get the car scanned with VCDS to see what fault(s) comes up.

[Phil Mcavity]

Tyres could be deformed, not sure on what the conti's go like on low tread.

Worth popping into a tyre shop and get it up on the ramps to inspect the tread etc

[Garth]

also engine light can mean a series of different things, where abouts you based, might be worthwhile geting vag com plugged in to see if any worthwhile fault codes come up.

I'm in Leeds. You know anyone round here with VAG-COM? I have the older non CAN setup that will work on mk4 but not on the mk5. It'd be worth a few beer tokens to anyone who could sort me out  

Thanks for all the speedy replies guys. Sometimes on the Beemer forums I used to use it took days to get 3 replies  

[Poverty]

Front are continental sportcontact's with about 5mm tread, rears are one side sportcontact 2 (about 4mm) and one sportcontact 3 (about 6mm).

When I bought the car, the mixed set was on the front but I wanted even traction on the front so swapped them round. It was at this point the noise got MUCH worse, so I suspect that 1 or both of the front tyres have issues.

It may be down to the wheels as I can tell all 4 have been refurbed (looks like a pretty decent job) and the noise I'm getting is a constant drone but also a kind of whub, whub, whub sound which varies with speed. I thought it was the bearings until I swapped the wheels round

could be flat spot.

If you need new tyres get some goodyear eagle f1 assys of the web. Grip like sh*t to a blanket and are quiter than most.

[Garth]

Tyres could be deformed, not sure on what the conti's go like on low tread.

Worth popping into a tyre shop and get it up on the ramps to inspect the tread etc

I gave all the tyres a good check when I had them off and they looked fine. I'm leaning towards deformed tyre as well. Maybe when they were removed and refitted for the refurb.

I had a set of michellin pilot sports removed from 1 set of wheels and put on another on my beemer and one of the rears developed some run out after this was done.

[Phil Mcavity]

Vredesteins gets my vote. Superb tyres, and relatively inexpensive £85 a hit and worth considering if your spending out on larger alloys aswell

[Garth]

could be flat spot.

If you need new tyres get some goodyear eagle f1 assys of the web. Grip like sh*t to a blanket and are quiter than most.

Could well be. I'm not replacing the 17" tyres though, I'm going to get some new 18" wheels and tyres in a week or so (after pay day!)
Are the assymetrics much better than the directionals? I had some Eagle F1 GSD3's on my old S3 and the grip wasn't quite as good as the pilot sport 2's they replaced. Also the wear rate was shocking!  

[bacillus]

PM Mortygttdi who's in Leeds for a VCDS scan.

[Garth]

PM Mortygttdi who's in Leeds for a VCDS scan.

Cheers mate, don't think I can PM yet though. Is it 25 posts needed for this? I'll have to get posting. Might start my own build thread for all the stuff I've done and ging to do