What did you do to your MKIV today?

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Since the pandemic started I've been going on long(ish) runs for coffee on Saturday or Sunday AM so I can get out and drive somewhere. So today I drove the '99.5 Golf down through RI into Mystic CT and back home, about 250 miles. Last week I drove up to Littleton NH, just past Franconia Notch near the Vermont border, where I think I'm not allowed to go.

The Golf is driving beautifully. I put the summer wheels from IBW on it with the General Altimaxes, which are much quieter than the older Bridgestone Ecopias that were on the car. I miss the Golf having the rear bar that's on IBW. Not having it makes the steering heavier, but the car is very stable and solid. I chased a new GTI through some back highways in CT near Foxwoods. With the Golf being all stock except for RC3, it's noticeably slower than IBW, but I don't mind, I just stay on the pedal more. I filled it Friday and got 45 MPG on the last tank, and 700 miles range, so I'm not complaining.

Oh, and yesterday I dug an engine cover out of my collection, covered the underside with heating duct foam insulation, and installed it. I know few people use them, but I like engine covers.


Later this afternoon I got the ice out of the hose and washed IBW.
 
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Judson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
TDI
2001 Jetta
I like engine coves as well! I got the push on/pull off mod, and soundproofed it as well.

i don’t ever floor my car either from a stop or at very low revs. In fact, I’ve been very nervous just doing WOT in 3rd from 1800 rpms. Of course after destroying two VNT17s in short order doing just that, one might be a little nervous....
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Let's see if my image upload worked... and it did.
I also swapped out my now worn leather wrapped steering wheel I picked up about 100K-ish miles from @BleachedBora, so driving home felt so much more like my 2004 Golf.
If I'm charging people to do an alignment then I try to get everything as close as possible and recommend parts as needed. That said you can loosen the rear axle mounts and shift it to balance the rear toe (zero the thrust angle). And that caster is enough I would question if something is bent or not setup correctly. Rarely see it under 7*, so 5.9* is a red flag to me. I was going to say something about the front toe being off, but then realized its probably like that to compensate for the rear toe.

And little pet peeve - I hate shops that leave the settings in degrees in decimal instead of minutes and seconds.

Jason
 

dkline87

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Location
MARYLAND
TDI
2005 MKIV Jetta 5spd
moved this from my other thread, I think the MKIV forum is a better fit.

Recently hit 100k miles, so I decided to give the old girl a wash/clay/polish. Wet sanded the headlights and polished those as well. Garage is a mess, still trying to get organized after the move.



Also picked up a nice set of BBS Montreal 2 wheels (new center caps inbound):




While I had time off from work, I decided to tackle the HVAC blend door foam issue:




Then while I had that all apart, I got the bright idea to run all the wiring and add heated seats, along with an updated console:







I need to replace the tie rods (on order) before getting an alignment. I've really been going back and forth if I want to add a cup kit and new control arm bushings before I get an alignment. Not sure if I should go down the slippery slope of modifying a 20 year old car...
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Not sure if I should go down the slippery slope of modifying a 20 year old car...
Of course you should! Honestly, these cars are good enough that they're worth the investment. I'm planning a major suspension refresh on IBW in the spring, 19 years and 425K miles. Seems like a good time to me to do it.
 

Rapid Transit

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Location
SF Bay Area
TDI
03 4dr Golf GLS
Recently hit 100k miles

Also picked up a nice set of BBS Montreal 2 wheels (new center caps inbound):

Not sure if I should go down the slippery slope of modifying a 20 year old car...
100k? She’s never even been kissed. Good choice of wheels. Freshening up the interior is underrated considering its where we are spending our time, when we aren’t rubbing it with a cloth diaper. Upgraded seats is still my favorite mod. I think our cars were separated at birth. Although at 320k miles, I think mine might be the older of the twins.

 

MelG

New member
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Location
Quebec City
TDI
Golf Wagon 2015, Jetta 2002
Hi IndigoBlueWagon (or anyone else),
I have a question for you regarding engine covers. I recently noticed my engine cover is cracked. I get my Golf Wagon 2015 mostly serviced at the dealership. How does one ended up with a cracked engine cover? I feel it got broken at the garage and they dried to glue it back but the glue did not hold. I'm sorta disappointed. In my books, my car is still brand new! And now it's not pretty anymore under the hood. :( When you do an oil change do you need to remove the engine cover? Thanks for your input !
 

hey_allen

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Location
Altus, OK
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
I just put a set of Michelin CrossClimate tires on my car, after the right front tire ate a large nail over the weekend, and I'd already found small staples in both rear tires.

I've only had them for ~10 miles so far, but even with mold release still on the tires, and soaked roads, these have much more grip than the old tires I finally got rid of.

(On a related note, Costco currently has a $150 instant rebate on sets of Michelin tires, if anyone is in the market.)
 

Nuje

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Location
Island near Vancouver
TDI
2015 Sportwagen; Golf GLS 2002 (swap from 2L gas); 2016 A3 e-tron
Hi IndigoBlueWagon (or anyone else),
I have a question for you regarding engine covers. I recently noticed my engine cover is cracked. I get my Golf Wagon 2015 mostly serviced at the dealership. How does one ended up with a cracked engine cover? I feel it got broken at the garage and they dried to glue it back but the glue did not hold. I'm sorta disappointed. In my books, my car is still brand new! And now it's not pretty anymore under the hood. :( When you do an oil change do you need to remove the engine cover? Thanks for your input !
Mk7 oil change does not require removing the cover. Filter and drain are both underneath the car. Only thing you do topside is dump in the oil through the cap that's plainly accessible with the cover in place.
(By the way, just as an FYI, this is the Mk4 sub-forum; easy enough to not notice if you're doing a search - but just pointing it out that you'll get better (more) answers and information on your 2015 in the Mk7 sub-forum.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Someone broke the engine cover when servicing the car. Probably dropped it or stepped on it. I'd see if you can find another in a wrecking yard.
 

dkline87

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Location
MARYLAND
TDI
2005 MKIV Jetta 5spd
Of course you should! Honestly, these cars are good enough that they're worth the investment. I'm planning a major suspension refresh on IBW in the spring, 19 years and 425K miles. Seems like a good time to me to do it.
That's my train of thought as well. Easy to work on, and I only drive it 10k miles a year now. I just know that once I start, I'll need a bigger turbo, injectors, clutch, etc. and will have quickly doubled my initial purchase price. But, that would still present a great value for a fun, quick, and economical car.

100k? She’s never even been kissed. Good choice of wheels. Freshening up the interior is underrated considering its where we are spending our time, when we aren’t rubbing it with a cloth diaper. Upgraded seats is still my favorite mod. I think our cars were separated at birth. Although at 320k miles, I think mine might be the older of the twins.
Looks good! I agree, I love interior mods for that reason. Plus, German cars always have a great fit/finish, so OEM+ mods are always a clean addition. Is your car lowered? Looks like you are running a larger (wider?) tire than I am, but my car could definitely use springs/shocks.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Actually a lot of people complain about poor materials quality of VW interiors. Soft touch surfaces that peel, small parts that break, glove boxes and console armrests are notorious for breaking on MKIVs, and seats in some cars smell like crayons. I've taken care of the interior on IBW and it still looks pretty good, although not new by any means.

dkline87, do some reading here about mods before you dive in. I've come full circle in my years of TDI ownership to the point where on an ALH I think the best setup is a good tune and perhaps mildly upgraded injectors. But just the tune is enough, in many cases. I have a lot of mods on my Wagon, and I enjoy the power. But my Golf has a tune only and it's still a lot of fun to drive. And I'm not taxing the stock turbo or clutch.
 

Rapid Transit

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Location
SF Bay Area
TDI
03 4dr Golf GLS
That's my train of thought as well. Easy to work on, and I only drive it 10k miles a year now. I just know that once I start, I'll need a bigger turbo, injectors, clutch, etc. and will have quickly doubled my initial purchase price. But, that would still present a great value for a fun, quick, and economical car.



Looks good! I agree, I love interior mods for that reason. Plus, German cars always have a great fit/finish, so OEM+ mods are always a clean addition. Is your car lowered? Looks like you are running a larger (wider?) tire than I am, but my car could definitely use springs/shocks.
Stock height but recently refreshed suspension. Lowering these cars can make it look pretty but kills the ride and takes the oil pan from bad location to stupid location, even with the armor installed. Tires are slightly over stock at 215/55R16. In a different post I stated I thought it was the perfect setup (for the roads I drive). Still feel the same after 1k miles. Mileage did not seem to suffer going from 195/65R15 to the updated.
 

Rrusse11

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Location
PA Deutsch Country
TDI
2002 Golf, 5spd; 05 Jeep CRD
"Lowering these cars can make it look pretty but kills the ride and takes the oil pan from bad location to stupid location, even with the armor installed. Tires are slightly over stock at 215/55R16. In a different post I stated I thought it was the perfect setup (for the roads I drive). Still feel the same after 1k miles. Mileage did not seem to suffer going from 195/65R15 to the updated."

I'm a touch lifted with my HD springs on my setup, but love the slightly bigger tires, GMTA on the other mod details.
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
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.
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dkline87, do some reading here about mods before you dive in. I've come full circle in my years of TDI ownership to the point where on an ALH I think the best setup is a good tune and perhaps mildly upgraded injectors. But just the tune is enough, in many cases. I have a lot of mods on my Wagon, and I enjoy the power. But my Golf has a tune only and it's still a lot of fun to drive. And I'm not taxing the stock turbo or clutch.
This

A tune only is ~$300 - best power and economy improvements that can be had for the least $ spent
Once you go with injectors + tune, now you need a clutch and gauges are a really good idea and you're $1500+ into it for about the same (again) increase in power.

Yes there's are stories abound with someone who put in a G60 clutch and some incrementally bigger injectors and did it all for $500, but the time/effort spent vs the power gained (and future capability) is much worse and you end up doing one or both again which wipes out any potential cost savings.
 

PakProtector

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Location
AnnArbor, MI
TDI
Mk.4's and the Cummins
hey_allen, love those Crossclimate too. Got 205/60-16 on my Jetta, and since my son needs new shoes, he'll get the 195/65-15 on his Momo wheels. Sticks like glue( well, proper glue, on specified substrate, not like Elmer's on teflon...LOL ). When these finally go, it will get the 65 aspect ratio Plus version.
cheers,
Douglas
 

pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2003 Jetta Ute, 2 x 2002 Golf, 2000 Golf
What did I do today? Totally making use of photos now. Around lunchtime, I installed my rebuilt junkyard injectors, with Wuzetam .230/764 nozzles. @Franko6 did the work on these injectors.

Holy crap this car feels better AND fuel economy for my quick test drive went to 43.5mpg (whereas my trip to get an alignment done yielded like 34mpg, when even the BEW would've got better).







About 45 minutes ago, finished putting on my 28mm Neuspeed rear swaybar (that was previously on the BEW). Still need to finish up my towing electronics, rear springs, rear brake pad/rotor, and of course, my timing belt, and the car should be all done, except for the usual 10K service.



Oh yeah, and I fixed a small exhaust leak, by installing cap nuts that Darkside Developments sent me, along with some Gibonta nozzles that were paid for with warranty store credit (.240 for my Ute project ALH).
 

pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2003 Jetta Ute, 2 x 2002 Golf, 2000 Golf
moved this from my other thread, I think the MKIV forum is a better fit.

Recently hit 100k miles, so I decided to give the old girl a wash/clay/polish. Wet sanded the headlights and polished those as well. Garage is a mess, still trying to get organized after the move.



I need to replace the tie rods (on order) before getting an alignment. I've really been going back and forth if I want to add a cup kit and new control arm bushings before I get an alignment. Not sure if I should go down the slippery slope of modifying a 20 year old car...
Your garage is NOT a mess. You should see my driveway (no garage here, yet). Nice looking Golf, btw.

I just did tie rods and lower control arms. You could do the bushings, but I just opted for the complete deal with Audi TT bushings already pressed in from IDparts. The install, for the most part, was easy peasy. I still can't get over how tight steering feels on the car!

Of course you should! Honestly, these cars are good enough that they're worth the investment. I'm planning a major suspension refresh on IBW in the spring, 19 years and 425K miles. Seems like a good time to me to do it.
Haha, you're just saying that, because you sell this stuff!

But no, seriously @dkline87 , you will NOT be sorry changing out the front stuff. So IDParts/ @IndigoBlueWagon 's lower control arms also come with ball joints, which is another plus. I also went in and installed new front swaybar bushings. The old ones weren't terrible, but were certainly showing their age. My Golf is at 196K, and some of the things on it look like they've NEVER been changed.
 

03TDICommuter

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Location
So. Cal
TDI
01' NB, 5spd
Can you trust the MPG number with the bigger nozzles or is the ECU computing that based on what it thinks was in there before?


Holy crap this car feels better AND fuel economy for my quick test drive went to 43.5mpg (whereas my trip to get an alignment done yielded like 34mpg, when even the BEW would've got better).
 

pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2003 Jetta Ute, 2 x 2002 Golf, 2000 Golf
Can you trust the MPG number with the bigger nozzles or is the ECU computing that based on what it thinks was in there before?
I guess time will tell, once I refuel the whole tank. On my BEW, my gauge was actually off by ~1-ish mpg. So if it said 37mpg, it was more like 38.3mpg or something. I'm only convinced the old injectors, or at least the nozzles anyways, were worn out and well beyond their service life. Now, they'll serve as cores for the nozzle installation for my other ALH.

EDIT - just took the car for a test drive with the swaybar install. Mind you, it took several miles to warm up the engine, given it's 37 outside (according to the temp sensor on my JSW, that I had to move out of the way first).





This is honestly why I bought an ALH to replace my BEW (among another big reason). Even the idle consumption is lower. The BEW was around 0.27, whereas the ALH is around half that, and add about 0.1 to the BEW when the AC is engaged (and about 0.04 to the ALH). The test drive was about 14-16 miles, give or take (one nice advantage of living rural and having FAST speed limits).
 
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Judson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
TDI
2001 Jetta
I spent so many years with wheezing turbos (I think my stock one wasn't working properly either), that I got used to the horrible off-idle responsiveness and performance. Now she pulls like a truck from just off idle. Yay!

Last night I accelerated to pass an SMV (slow moving vehicle) and went from 60 to 85mph in fifth in almost no time at all, and she wasn't even floored. And 85 felt like nothing. (Slow back down of course - I ain't no speed demon.) Savannah's starting better, and even a friend of mine heard the engine at idle last night and commented on how happy she sounded!

Headlights are on the way, a new no-rattles center vent is on the way. Sunroof is rattling like crazy when closed, so at some point I have to figure that one out, and the foglights aren't turning on, so my wiring needs to be investigated.
 

Nero Morg

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Location
OR
TDI
2014 A6 TDI, 2001 Jetta TDI, 2014 Passat TDI
I guess time will tell, once I refuel the whole tank. On my BEW, my gauge was actually off by ~1-ish mpg. So if it said 37mpg, it was more like 38.3mpg or something. I'm only convinced the old injectors, or at least the nozzles anyways, were worn out and well beyond their service life. Now, they'll serve as cores for the nozzle installation for my other ALH.

EDIT - just took the car for a test drive with the swaybar install. Mind you, it took several miles to warm up the engine, given it's 37 outside (according to the temp sensor on my JSW, that I had to move out of the way first).





This is honestly why I bought an ALH to replace my BEW (among another big reason). Even the idle consumption is lower. The BEW was around 0.27, whereas the ALH is around half that, and add about 0.1 to the BEW when the AC is engaged (and about 0.04 to the ALH). The test drive was about 14-16 miles, give or take (one nice advantage of living rural and having FAST speed limits).
Nice cluster, I assume ColorMAF?
 

hey_allen

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Location
Altus, OK
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
I guess time will tell, once I refuel the whole tank. On my BEW, my gauge was actually off by ~1-ish mpg. So if it said 37mpg, it was more like 38.3mpg or something. I'm only convinced the old injectors, or at least the nozzles anyways, were worn out and well beyond their service life. Now, they'll serve as cores for the nozzle installation for my other ALH.
FYI, I found that my ALH was indicating ~10% low high on the speedometer, but the odometer seems to track correctly. Verified against mile posts over 20+ miles, and it was rolling over the same 10th each time I hit a mile post.
I've also watched the ECU's speed as well as GPS speed on the Torque app, and the ECU was reporting 10% higher than the speedometer was reading, pretty regularly. GPS data varied a little up and down with turns and precision errors, but was fairly close as well.

Edit: it was indicating high, not low. The actual was lower than indicated...
 
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pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2003 Jetta Ute, 2 x 2002 Golf, 2000 Golf
FYI, I found that my ALH was indicating ~10% low on the speedometer, but the odometer seems to track correctly. Verified against mile posts over 20+ miles, and it was rolling over the same 10th each time I hit a mile post.
I've also watched the ECU's speed as well as GPS speed on the Torque app, and the ECU was reporting 10% higher than the speedometer was reading, pretty regularly. GPS data varied a little up and down with turns and precision errors, but was fairly close as well.
Interesting. Odometer was correct for me as well, but I don't think any speedometer on ANY diesel I own is 100% correct. That includes the mk4s, the JSWs and my 1995 F-450. But fuel economy has always been more on the conservative side on all the Mk4s here, whereas the Mk6's are pretty spot on (and I do fill up to the brim).
Nice cluster, I assume ColorMAF?
Yes sir, ColorMFA. I think a ColorMAF would just be a mass airflow sensor in a pretty color. ;-)
@gmenounos built it for me, and I love it. I just ordered an FIS cluster with replaced LCD from him for my Ute project car.
 

Rrusse11

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Location
PA Deutsch Country
TDI
2002 Golf, 5spd; 05 Jeep CRD
German regulations give heavy fines for speedos that read low, ie if you're going faster than indicated.
My 215/55 R16 tires, IIRC, are 25.3 OD vs 24.9 for stock tire size. This brings the speedo to within +/- 1mph at speed,
referenced with GPS. My odometer IS off a bit, and reads a couple of % low. I'm not fussed about that, I'd rather know my real speed.
 

hey_allen

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Location
Altus, OK
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI
German regulations give heavy fines for speedos that read low, ie if you're going faster than indicated.
My 215/55 R16 tires, IIRC, are 25.3 OD vs 24.9 for stock tire size. This brings the speedo to within +/- 1mph at speed,
referenced with GPS. My odometer IS off a bit, and reads a couple of % low. I'm not fussed about that, I'd rather know my real speed.
I realized that I'd switched the direction of error, and corrected it, but the reply already showed the original.
Mine still has ~10% error, but the ECU and Odometer are accurate, and if I care to link my phone to the OBD2 port adapter, the Speedometer in torque shows the correct info.

I wasn't too fussed about the exact precision of the gauge, as long as I know what the offset is.
 

MukGyver

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2020
Location
Sierra Ca
TDI
2004 Jetta PD
I have not owned a vehicle that did not report the mph high by 5 - 10%. Always chalked it up to some sort of Auto or insurance industry influence to keep overall driving speeds down some
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
I have not owned a vehicle that did not report the mph high by 5 - 10%. Always chalked it up to some sort of Auto or insurance industry influence to keep overall driving speeds down some
The ECU reported speed (on scanguage) in my 6-speed ALH is always within 1 km/h of GPS reported speed, speedometer is about 5 km/h higher at my normal highway cruising speed. I guess the ECU lies to the speedo :)

Simon
 

MukGyver

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2020
Location
Sierra Ca
TDI
2004 Jetta PD
The ECU reported speed (on scanguage) in my 6-speed ALH is always within 1 km/h of GPS reported speed, speedometer is about 5 km/h higher at my normal highway cruising speed. I guess the ECU lies to the speedo :)

Simon
Ha! the ecu is pschitso. Tells the truth to the auditor. I think it gots its priorities backwards. Try slowing that odometer down and tell me how fast I'm really going please.. That would be a good ecu. :rolleyes:
 

PakProtector

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Location
AnnArbor, MI
TDI
Mk.4's and the Cummins
Long ago, the makers let the ODO read what ever. Then some rental folks got sued for charging for more miles than got traveled...and the ODO got as accurate as possible. Speedo? nobody cares if that is reading off( for the most part; and I present consumer idiocy proof: nearly no manual cars, and even fewer that are geared to parity with their self-shifting cousins ).
 
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