GTi Power...doesnt feel right...

[peteon2wheels]

I have wondered for some time what the power if my Gti should be like. I just bought a Polo Gti for the missus (06 racing red) and to get out of the Polo in the the Mk4 is just disappointing. There is no turbo rush, and the engine just doesnt pull like a turbo should.

I figure the Gold should be a liittle slower being heavier but i had 4 people in the Polo the other day and still it pulls hard.

Should there be this much of a difference..? Anyone been in both? I just cant tell, it pulls okay, but it feels more like a naturally aspirated. I'm wondering if it is making boost properly - just put a POD on it and can hear the induction a little more, can hear the DV heaps more (actually when i didnt really think it should be going off in terms of not having enough boost) but i can hardly hear the turbo spool up. i need someone to take me for a drive in one that is definetly normal...

What you guys think...?

[Golf Houso]

Are you sure you don't have a vacuum leak? My mother's 1.8t Passat had one, and really wouldn't go anywhere until about 4500. Also don't forget its a 150hp motor in a 1300 odd kilo car, its never going to be as fast as the polo stock for stock...

[peteon2wheels]

yeah, i expect it not to be as fast - there is just no turbo rush. the Polo feels like a fast car - or at least it feels like it is a turbo. The golf doesnt seem like a turbo...

[h100vw]

Pete, has it ever had a MAF replaced? You could see how it runs with the MAF disconnected. If it runs better, then you probably need a new one. If not then something else could be amiss.

Do you know someone with VAG-COM that could scan it for you? That would be the best thing to start with.

Gavin

[peteon2wheels]

Gavin – I disconnected the MAF this morning and there was absolutely no difference. Didn’t run better or worse. What does that mean..?

I have a theory though – listening to the car once the POD was on the DV was a lot more noticeable then I expected. It seems to release at lower boost then I would expect. What I notice is that I can here the turbo spool up at low revs and then once I get to just under 3k rpm, the boost whistle goes away and is replaced by induction sound. I would have expected that at around 3 is when it would boost up more…? Is this correct? If so, the DV may be leaking the boost.

Also, when the DV releases I have paid attention to that noise. I can sit on around 3k rpm, back off the throttle to get the DV to release and then hold that throttle to keep the DV blowing – this is not normal is it…? This same sound is what seems to replace the turbo whistle as it moves up towards 3k rpm…

Any thoughts on this???

[Bug_racer]

Any thoughts on this???

Block your dv and see if it boosts more

What boost is it running ?

[gavs]

Alot of motoring magazines mentioned that the Mk4 was seeming down on power and sluggish, whereas the Mk5 golf and polo were supposedly more akin to the original GTi principles and theories. This is the opinions of journalists though, but they seem to echo the same responses.

Maybe you're just experiencing the unfortunate thing that is development of technology. Having not driven a GTi I couldn't tell you how it's supposed to go or what to check though.

[BL33SU]

buy a MBC and wind it up heaps

[qsilverza]

I went to a dealer with the intention of looking to trade my bora in on a Polo GTI and it was no where near as nice to drive as the Bora V6. Probably quicker stock for stock and could be made a hell of a lot quicker but I just couldn't do it for lack of comfort/space ameneties.

As has been said, maybe it's just the extra weight of the GTI ? Slightly different power outputs depending on model ?

Have you tried chipping yours ?

[h100vw]

Gavin – I disconnected the MAF this morning and there was absolutely no difference. Didn’t run better or worse. What does that mean..?

I have a theory though – listening to the car once the POD was on the DV was a lot more noticeable then I expected. It seems to release at lower boost then I would expect. What I notice is that I can here the turbo spool up at low revs and then once I get to just under 3k rpm, the boost whistle goes away and is replaced by induction sound. I would have expected that at around 3 is when it would boost up more…? Is this correct? If so, the DV may be leaking the boost.

Also, when the DV releases I have paid attention to that noise. I can sit on around 3k rpm, back off the throttle to get the DV to release and then hold that throttle to keep the DV blowing – this is not normal is it…? This same sound is what seems to replace the turbo whistle as it moves up towards 3k rpm…

Any thoughts on this???

Could be it's broken but that's not guaranteed. I'd check out the DV, if you can stand it, suck on the vacuum pipe connector. You shouldn't be able to suck any air out. If you can the diaphragm has gone and it's new DV time.

If you could borrow a MAF to check that out it might be more indicative of a duff one being fitted now.

VAG-COM would let you look at the airflow being sent to the ECU. There is a basic calculation that allows you to work out hp based on airflow, I can't find it just now. If you run the car hard somewhere quiet and note the airflow near the redline you can see if it is producing 150hp.

Gavin

[qsilverza]

Which vag-com code are we looking at for air is it AFM ? AMF ?

It is somewhere on the vag-com site

[jays_088]

i must say when i was looking for my gti golf i was pretty dissapointed with the peformance and was going to definetly modify it - I then found one with the k04 turbo and giac computer and it absoloutly flies! leaves the stock one behind, it is a costly excersize but definetly worth the $$$.. however i bought mine already done and loved it!!

[qsilverza]

Did you find out what this was ?

[SoVeReIgN]

Alot of motoring magazines mentioned that the Mk4 was seeming down on power and sluggish, whereas the Mk5 golf and polo were supposedly more akin to the original GTi principles and theories. This is the opinions of journalists though, but they seem to echo the same responses.

Maybe you're just experiencing the unfortunate thing that is development of technology. Having not driven a GTi I couldn't tell you how it's supposed to go or what to check though.

Ah I've driven both the Polo and the Golf(And my car) and there isn't that much difference.

In the UK the 2L was also called the GTi so you should really disregard any reviews out of the UK.

[gavs]

Ah I've driven both the Polo and the Golf(And my car) and there isn't that much difference.

In the UK the 2L was also called the GTi so you should really disregard any reviews out of the UK.

Hmm, that's interesting. Why confuse people like that???? Would this drop the re-sale value of a genuine GTi I wonder?

VW Polo GTi = I4 1.8 Turbo (2006)
110kw @ 5700rpm
229Nm @ 1950rpm
1230kg
0-100km/h 7.8secs
0-400m 15.6

VW Mk4 Golf GTi I4 1.8 Turbo (1998, not sure when GTi started being built for Mk4)
110kw @ 5700rpm
229Nm @ 1850rpm
1324kg
0-100km/h 8.9secs
0-400m 16.7 secs

Remember that the Mk5 golf came to Australia in 2005, so the youngest Mk4 GTi is still going to be older than the Polo GTi.

Did you find out if there was a problem pete?