GT owners how reliable are these 1.4 turbo super charge engines

[nomodlowkmgti]

Hi i was thinking about getting a new polo gti when vw gets them avaliable .I was thinking how strong and how reliable is the engine and dsg ? I think it may be the same as the one in the mk5 golf gt .

[BarneyBoy]

The Polo's TSI has 10 more kW and the DSG has 7 speeds and is the dry clutch version vs the wet plate 6 speed used in the GT/GT Sport.
VW do a ridiculous amount of long term testing and the TSI is no more or LESS reliable than any other engine in the current range.

VW used the same criteria that apply to all power units from Volkswagen. More than 250 prototype and pilot series engines have been put through their paces in all necessary test cycles. Endurance runs corresponding to a mileage of 300,000 km were successfully completed without failure.

You'll always have folks telling you that "oh...it's real complex, therefore it's unreliable". Bulldust. They said the same about injection vs carbies, drums vs discs, etc, etc... Let them show you how many failures there's been. Any niggles that either I or other owners have had have been purely software or ancillary items (the same as other models). The actual TSI engine appears bullet-proof.

Can't say (from experience) about the 7 speed DSG, but as explained above, VW can't afford an item used on so many of its range to be flakey.

Don't forget - the twin charge motor is their mainstream motor (in Australia) - would they risk a hand grenade in such a car?

[hooba]

There was a recent recall related to a software change to cope for Australian fuel / conditions (there are different theories). Some Mk6 owners have required a full engine rebuild under warranty, which on here popular opinion is what caused the recall. Do a search in the MK6 forum for more info. That said, the number of cars with this problem have been very small when you consider the number of cars running around with that engine.

[MariusGT]

Agree completely with barneyboy.

Personally have had ZERO mechanical issues so far- running like clock work as I would expect from VW and engine of the year award (among others) winner.

It's a cracker of an engine. Go find a GT/GT SPORT or mk6 118TSI and drive one. Prob give a similar surge to what you might expect from polo gti (polo will be a little rocket...!!)

[BarneyBoy]

It's a cracker of an engine. Go find a GT/GT SPORT or mk6 118TSI and drive one. Prob give a similar surge to what you might expect from polo gti (polo will be a little rocket...!!)

Gawd knows how the Polo GTI will go with the extra kWs and a couple of hundred less kilos... (hoo, baby!)
I mean, the Mk5 GTI weighed about 1360 kg with 147 kW (9.25 kg/kW) while the Polo weighs 1184 kg with 132 kW (8.9 kg/kW) - that's a handy power to weight advantage. Depending on how they gear them, they could be A Really Rapid Thing.

Mildly OT: I just spent a couple of days in a Mk6 TSI with DSG, and did notice that the engine felt 'duller' than the GTs, also the DSG didn't seem as urgent either. It was much quieter than the GT however. Didn't get as good economy as the GT either - maybe I was nailing it harder to get it to perform the same?).

[triode12]

Gawd knows how the Polo GTI will go with the extra kWs and a couple of hundred less kilos... (hoo, baby!)
I mean, the Mk5 GTI weighed about 1360 kg with 147 kW (9.25 kg/kW) while the Polo weighs 1184 kg with 132 kW (8.9 kg/kW) - that's a handy power to weight advantage. Depending on how they gear them, they could be A Really Rapid Thing.

Mildly OT: I just spent a couple of days in a Mk6 TSI with DSG, and did notice that the engine felt 'duller' than the GTs, also the DSG didn't seem as urgent either. It was much quieter than the GT however. Didn't get as good economy as the GT either - maybe I was nailing it harder to get it to perform the same?).

Your finding doesn't surprise me. I have the same experience with the Mk6 GTI compared to the Mk5 GTI. The extra refinement in the Mk6 chassis dulls the driving experience some what - it is less "raw" hence less fun to drive.

[triode12]

Agree completely with barneyboy.

Personally have had ZERO mechanical issues so far- running like clock work as I would expect from VW and engine of the year award (among others) winner.

It's a cracker of an engine. Go find a GT/GT SPORT or mk6 118TSI and drive one. Prob give a similar surge to what you might expect from polo gti (polo will be a little rocket...!!)

The weird thing is that autocar.co.uk reviewed the Polo GTI and said that it was not exciting to drive. Perhaps they didn't want to make such a big fuss about it, lest sales of the mk6 GTI get affected (VW probably is an advertiser and they didn't want to get them offside). The same was done with the previous Polo GTI, the reviews were not that crash hot but when I tested one out, I found it more fun to drive that the MKV Golf GTI.

I guess we will have to see for ourselves once they appear in the showrooms to be sure.

[julesski]

I had a MK5 1.4 GT for three years without any issues, great car. Just replaced with a MK6 118TSI which is just as good although it drops 7KW, not sure if one would notice. I would agree with the comment above that it does not seem quite so "urgent" or "raw" to drive but this may be because of the better soundproofing etc. I believe ours is 10% more fuel efficient so far. I have noticed that the new DSG software appears to insist on egnaging lower gears (engione braking) as you go down steep hills, which I find quite annoying, I am unsure whether this a setting one can change, anyone know?

[MariusGT]

yeah i'd expect the 118 and the GT to feel a little different. mostly due to the DSG change from 6sp wet clutch to 7sp dry and maybe improved soundproofing robbing you of that great upper rort!

as for preference when it comes to feel.. that's a very personal thing. don't rely on journo's to dictate the actual pleasure you may or may not feel when you drive the car yourself.

when i was test driving golfs last year with a mate (GTI, GT SPORT TSI and TDI, and standard 103 TDI Pacific) i enjoyed the linear power delivery of the TSI, my mate ended up buying a MK5 GTI early this year as he fell in love with the GTI.

will take the new POLO GTI for a test drive when available just to see... and i am looking forward to it!!!!

[Greg Roles]

Well Polar hasn't blown his up as yet, I'd rate that test!

[MariusGT]

Well Polar hasn't blown his up as yet, I'd rate that test!

yeeeeeaah--

he has replaced half the engine bay though any bits that MAY have blown up - have been upgraded!

i suppose the engine itself is all good. so that is an endorsement.

[OraQube]

I've had mine for just over three years now and whilst its been running solid most of the time, over the recent months it has encountered a slight issue which continues to baffle me and the techs. The problem occurs whenever you put your foot down, something causes it go into limp mode, cutting all boost and limiting it to 3000rpm. The strange thing is, it only happens randomly and not all the time. Furthermore, the check engine light rarely shows up on the dash.

I've taken it back to the dealers on numerous occasions, where I've had little bits and pieces replaced such as, turbo cut-off solenoids, various valves as well as the potentiometer regulating air flap which has been replaced twice already, all under warranty of course. However, just the other day it decides to go into limp mode again! So I limped straight back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. Hooked it up to VAS and it was still reporting a fault relating to the potentiometer, which had only been replaced a few days before. So it seems as though it's not the part but something else that's playing up. Got it booked in again at a later date for further testing. So annoyed right now! If anyone can shed any light on this, it would be much appreciated.

But yeah, apart from this irritating issue, it's one fabulous engine, as you fellow GT/GT Sport owners would know. I do agree with what others have mentioned about the mk6 118tsi engine being less punchy than the GT's. Though, the instantaneous torque and linear acceleration is superb (when it's working haha).

[triode12]

I've had mine for just over three years now and whilst its been running solid most of the time, over the recent months it has encountered a slight issue which continues to baffle me and the techs. The problem occurs whenever you put your foot down, something causes it go into limp mode, cutting all boost and limiting it to 3000rpm. The strange thing is, it only happens randomly and not all the time. Furthermore, the check engine light rarely shows up on the dash.

I've taken it back to the dealers on numerous occasions, where I've had little bits and pieces replaced such as, turbo cut-off solenoids, various valves as well as the potentiometer regulating air flap which has been replaced twice already, all under warranty of course. However, just the other day it decides to go into limp mode again! So I limped straight back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. Hooked it up to VAS and it was still reporting a fault relating to the potentiometer, which had only been replaced a few days before. So it seems as though it's not the part but something else that's playing up. Got it booked in again at a later date for further testing. So annoyed right now! If anyone can shed any light on this, it would be much appreciated.

But yeah, apart from this irritating issue, it's one fabulous engine, as you fellow GT/GT Sport owners would know. I do agree with what others have mentioned about the mk6 118tsi engine being less punchy than the GT's. Though, the instantaneous torque and linear acceleration is superb (when it's working haha).

Have you hooked it up to VCDS/Vagcom yet? Vagcom might pick up things that VAS might not (depending on how updated their version of VAS is).

[macdoc]

I've had mine for just over three years now and whilst its been running solid most of the time, over the recent months it has encountered a slight issue which continues to baffle me and the techs. The problem occurs whenever you put your foot down, something causes it go into limp mode, cutting all boost and limiting it to 3000rpm. The strange thing is, it only happens randomly and not all the time. Furthermore, the check engine light rarely shows up on the dash.

I've taken it back to the dealers on numerous occasions, where I've had little bits and pieces replaced such as, turbo cut-off solenoids, various valves as well as the potentiometer regulating air flap which has been replaced twice already, all under warranty of course. However, just the other day it decides to go into limp mode again! So I limped straight back to the dealer, demanding an explanation. Hooked it up to VAS and it was still reporting a fault relating to the potentiometer, which had only been replaced a few days before. So it seems as though it's not the part but something else that's playing up. Got it booked in again at a later date for further testing. So annoyed right now! If anyone can shed any light on this, it would be much appreciated.

But yeah, apart from this irritating issue, it's one fabulous engine, as you fellow GT/GT Sport owners would know. I do agree with what others have mentioned about the mk6 118tsi engine being less punchy than the GT's. Though, the instantaneous torque and linear acceleration is superb (when it's working haha).

Your brake pedal sensor/switch may be at fault - with your foot on the brakes isn't engine speed limited to 3000 rpm?

[OraQube]

Have you hooked it up to VCDS/Vagcom yet? Vagcom might pick up things that VAS might not (depending on how updated their version of VAS is).

Not yet. Might have to look into it.

Your brake pedal sensor/switch may be at fault - with your foot on the brakes isn't engine speed limited to 3000 rpm?

Possibly. Are you referring to LC?