9n3 GTI, cylinders need replacing?

[diarx]

Trying to make a little sense of this only having been given a bit of info just now.

My partners GTI was playing up/running rough yesterday and the exhaust system check light came on. She'd taken it to the mechanics today and they've said two of the cylinders need replacing (going to replace all four just to be safe). Unfortunately that's all she could remember the mechanic explaining to her.

The car is an '08 model, 75,000k's, always filled with 98, always serviced at the set intervals and she never pushes the car to it's limits. I'm at a loss to why she'd have a major engine problem like this before the car has even gone through it's first clutch change?

Is it a common problem with this engine at all?

[kaanage]

How do they intend to replace a cylinder???

[diarx]

guessing the pistons or rings.. just repeating in her words (and partly what I'm trying to make sense of)

[VWindahouse]

Perhaps coilpacks?

[diarx]

Could be, she may have missed the recall considering she doesn't dealer service and our details with the vw dealer probably haven't been updated since we moved last year.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/forums/f127/9n3-gti-recall-ignition-coil-packs-64101.html

[csimpson]

DEFINITELY talk to the mechanic before authorising any work on it. Get a detailed run-down and take down notes, you don't want them screwing you over for a problem that doesn't exist.

[diarx]

she just got it back.. her work agrees to pay for car maintenance so it's not too much of a biggie.

she'd left her car at work last night and I'd told her to see if she could take it to a veedub specialist in the morning, but it may have been too much of a trek in it's undriveable state so she just took it to their usual mechanic down the road.

I'd actually warned her to drive the car very gently after she called me up saying she was having problems last night, had coil pack issues with my old Astra last and know it can potentially lead to a fried ECU or oil in the manifold if you put too much stress on the engine.

Emailed me a receipt, doesn't look too expensive (compared to my old Astra!)



I'd noticed when driving the car on weekends the past few months the car felt a little less eager than usual. But had just put that down to being used to the QV's extra power and her clutch being towards the latter part of it's life.

[insanekiwi]

This May be done free as part of recall programme. Why spend money?

[diarx]

This May be done free as part of recall programme. Why spend money?

Car was near un-driveable and unsafe for a main road, vw dealer was a little too far from where she was. I'll get her to chase up vw and see if they can somehow cover it.

[AUC-05L]

i have an 08 gti and it isnt covered for the coilpack recall. There is an airbag recall happening atm. did the car have any symptoms before the coil packs went?

mine has a fluctuation in idle of about 50rpm.....but it drives fine.

[noone]

that seems cheap for new coilpacks, the plugs seem to have a normal markup.

[diarx]

Yeah, was pretty surprised at how cheap the packs were compared to my Astra.

did the car have any symptoms before the coil packs went?

Not really, she thought the car may have been a bit sluggish the weeks before it happened, but only noticed after feeling the difference post replacement. Then again new spark plugs could have given it a bit of a kick too.

Was lucky the problems started quite soon after leaving her work, she wouldn't have been in a position to turn around once in the cross city tunnel - not a good place to be stuck.