As the Km's kick on...

[noone]

I'm looking at buying a used Polo GTI and interested in what age the Polo GTI's need replacement parts: Clutch, timing belt, other parts etc (I don't know a lot about cars).

Looking at a GTI tomorrow with 80,000 kms and am a little hesitant about the high kms and the saving I will make (in the short term, bout could be a loss in the long term).

i'm going to Chip and Drop the vehicle, so likely put it under a bit more pressure.

Any feedback from those who have put a lot of Kms on the vehicle would be appreciated.

[mikepologti]

the 1.8t engines are very very sturdy, the clutches arnt to bad providing the car hasnt been chipped already in which case take it for a test drive, if its slipping a little you know its on its way out. if your dropping the car suspension isnt a issue. and if it has a up to date service history book (the final check after 60000 kms) most other componants should be in relativly good order. check under carpets and look for odd marks (cuts or other ) in chasis , these little beasts do get used on the tracks, so check for any resemblance if a roll cage has been welded in. though taking a page out of own book here, when im buying second hand i always bring someone whos knows there stuff with engines along. sure they maybe expensive but it could mean saving the cash in the long run. my personal preferance would be aiming for something under 80ooo, kms but then again it depends what savings your makeing.

[h100vw]

Clutches seem to be the weakest thing and there have been some bad gearbox experiences documented on the site too.

Uprated clutches which convert to a solid lightened flywheel cost about a $1000 plus fitting. These can cope with big turbos so will have no problems with a chipped K03.

As Mike said take someone with you who knows their Polos. A VAG-COM scan for faults is a good move too.

Have a look and see if there's someone in your area on the thread in the tuning and performance section.

Gavin

[Petrina Polo]

80,000km in how long?

Maybe just need to be comfortable that the servicing has been done upto date and on schedule..

Also inspect general wear and tear and maybe compare it to a lower km car and see how it measures up...

The lower price might reflect the less life it has??

My car has 19,000km on it now.. feels like new. Ive banged on all the mods, so far so good.. Car feels awesome...

depends on your budget. If the car is comparable to a low km car and you dont plan on putting too much km on it it might be a good buy.

[NickZ]

Make sure they have done the servicing on the kms as well, not just the time frame. Considering the kms, this means it would go for 2 services a year.

Other than that, find out if it has been chipped already (advantages and disadvantages of this), keep an eye on the clutch, and for any weird gearbox noises particularly when changing from first to second or second to third. If under 3 years old, consider buying an extended warranty from VW for peace of mind as well, which I think will cover you up to 6 years and 160000km.

[PeterHBne]

Yeah - from my experience with clutch and gearbox I will DEFINATELY be getting the extra 3 year warranty.

Apart from the known faults (which some get, some don't), great little car.

[Ralfi]

Yeah - from my experience with clutch and gearbox I will DEFINATELY be getting the extra 3 year warranty.

Yeah same. The extra 3y warranty has been pushed to top of my list of extras.

Anyone know roughly how much it is?

[FL00DY]

I'm now at 108,000km and have had the following go wrong.

2 different oxygen sensors die, caused a engine warning light on the dash which still allowed me to drive around with no problems. From memory this happened around 50K-75K km.

Had the radiator replaced, there was some leaking coolant found. This was hard to find as it was very small and didn't always leak. Happened at about 75K km.

Early on I had the noisy gear box from 2nd to 3rd. It used to do it every gear change on the track and every now and then on the street as well. It went away and I never had it replaced. My mechanic Seb has said maybe need to replace clutch at 120,000km.

I'm not chipped but have done lots of hard driving and maybe a dozen track days. Only mods are RSB, front strut brace, CAI. Hope that helps

[gregozedobe]

Yeah same. The extra 3y warranty has been pushed to top of my list of extras.

Anyone know roughly how much it is?

I think this has been discussed a few times (maybe in other sections ? )

Prices seemed to vary from dealer to dealer, most were in the $1,600 - $2,100 range (for the same car, so it obviously pays to shop around).

[FL00DY]

hhhmmm to add to my previous list of problems my GTI was towed yesterday morning from the M7 to VW Parra where it still sits Wipers stopped working, burning smell ... pulled over and when I got out there was an oil slick all over the road and from where I'd come off the M7.

So I had to renew my VW roadside service for $99 a year, and because I had to use it on the same day as renewing it I had to pay a $100 extra

So to all those close to 3 years, RENEW YOUR ROADSIDE SERVICE

[Ralfi]

So to all those close to 3 years, RENEW YOUR ROADSIDE SERVICE

Damn. Bad luck eh.

Just thinking, if I buy a new GTI, & opt for an extended 3 years VW warranty, the roadside assistance side of things will also automatically be extended right?

[FL00DY]

Damn. Bad luck eh.

Just thinking, if I buy a new GTI, & opt for an extended 3 years VW warranty, the roadside assistance side of things will also automatically be extended right?

Depends, most extended warranties aren't offered by VW but by the dealers. So you would have to speak with the dealers to find out if roadside service is included in the extended roadside service.

[seangti]

so VW assist is a cost option, not just part of the warranty on the vehicles?? I may need to read the manual again...

[FL00DY]

so VW assist is a cost option, not just part of the warranty on the vehicles?? I may need to read the manual again...

no no VW roadside service is included in your 3 year warranty. Once you come to the end of that, they send you a letter asking if you'd like to renew your VW roadside service.