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I mentioned in the dog-bone mount insert thread that I'd post a thread about an issue that has emerged with the Polo GTI, and which all owners -- especially those who track -- should watch carefully.
Rob (PoloGTi) was the first to alert us about this with his 'blown gasket' thread. At the time I thought it reflected poor VW dealer service rather than a technical problem with the car. That's not the case.
A few weeks ago, another Polo and I tracked at Winton. After about half a day, the other Polo came in, cooled down and then on restart, sounded like a truck! We located the problem to a leak at the joint where the exhaust manifold connects to the turbo inlet (at the back of the motor, about the centre of the firewall -- see the attached diagram).
As the other Polo owner -- a man of great virtue -- was dealing with the issue, I ran a few more laps (the language was too rich to stay and help him!!), came in, cooled down and....my car did the same thing. This was no coincidence! My turn to swear!
Long story short, two of the three 17mm bolts were loosening....and while you could tighten them (a bastard of a job! If the heat doesn't get you, the sharp edges of clamps and clips will), they would soon loosen.
Getting back home, I had the three bolts replaced (they are single use, anyway) -- this needs to be done by your dealer (assuming you have one who has a clue -- mine didn't) or a specialist VW shop. I also purchased a replacement gasket from APR (thanks Alex). Subsequently, all seems well, and that is the case with the other car, too.
However, I was worried this was simply treating the symptom and not the cause. Some research (search the 1.8T engine technical sub-forum on vortex with the terms loose, turbo, bolt) showed this was by no means rare for owners of cars with this motor -- Audis, Mk IV Golf GTI, Passats etc all reported problems. Just fixing the bolts did not seem always to resolve the problem permanently, even if crush washers, wired bolt heads or super hi-temp Loctite was used.
Loosening bolts usually indicate vibration and movement, and there's plenty of scope for that, especially with the Pog. So I am hoping the new APR dog-mount insert reduces this...and stops the bolts loosening.
Obviously, it's too early to confirm, but I would suggest fitting the dog mount insert is good insurance agaist the problem, especially if you track your car.
PS: Oh yes, a prize for the first person who finds their official VW dealer is aware of this issue and has something constructive to say about solving it!!
Rob (PoloGTi) was the first to alert us about this with his 'blown gasket' thread. At the time I thought it reflected poor VW dealer service rather than a technical problem with the car. That's not the case.
A few weeks ago, another Polo and I tracked at Winton. After about half a day, the other Polo came in, cooled down and then on restart, sounded like a truck! We located the problem to a leak at the joint where the exhaust manifold connects to the turbo inlet (at the back of the motor, about the centre of the firewall -- see the attached diagram).
As the other Polo owner -- a man of great virtue -- was dealing with the issue, I ran a few more laps (the language was too rich to stay and help him!!), came in, cooled down and....my car did the same thing. This was no coincidence! My turn to swear!
Long story short, two of the three 17mm bolts were loosening....and while you could tighten them (a bastard of a job! If the heat doesn't get you, the sharp edges of clamps and clips will), they would soon loosen.
Getting back home, I had the three bolts replaced (they are single use, anyway) -- this needs to be done by your dealer (assuming you have one who has a clue -- mine didn't) or a specialist VW shop. I also purchased a replacement gasket from APR (thanks Alex). Subsequently, all seems well, and that is the case with the other car, too.
However, I was worried this was simply treating the symptom and not the cause. Some research (search the 1.8T engine technical sub-forum on vortex with the terms loose, turbo, bolt) showed this was by no means rare for owners of cars with this motor -- Audis, Mk IV Golf GTI, Passats etc all reported problems. Just fixing the bolts did not seem always to resolve the problem permanently, even if crush washers, wired bolt heads or super hi-temp Loctite was used.
Loosening bolts usually indicate vibration and movement, and there's plenty of scope for that, especially with the Pog. So I am hoping the new APR dog-mount insert reduces this...and stops the bolts loosening.
Obviously, it's too early to confirm, but I would suggest fitting the dog mount insert is good insurance agaist the problem, especially if you track your car.
PS: Oh yes, a prize for the first person who finds their official VW dealer is aware of this issue and has something constructive to say about solving it!!
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