VW designs/engineering a little... off?

[cramer]

well to answer some of your questions:

1. Yes, longer intake runners are for better torque. The design is a bit hindered since it's comes across the motor sucking up heat. What's interesting is most heat is transfered through the metal, not the air so adding a spacer (forgot the brand) of a non heat transfering material loses most of the heat being added to the intake.

2. The motor is mounted like it is for one simple reason, economics. VW produces many motors to fit into the same car. The only that changes (and not always) is the lower subframe. For example, the TDI needs that extra room by the firewall for the turbo and down pipe, however when the 2.0 or VR6 is installed, it's just extra room since the cross flow head has the intake on the front side. The motors all have the same mounting points and the transmission needs to be in the same spot.

3. yes, VR6 cooling is a mess. The thermostat housings always fail (similar to the E36 plastic radiator problems.... guess what plastic doesn't like heat over time ;)) also the "Water pipe" and upper radiator elbow fail quite often. The only reason i see for the thermostat housing as it is it so incorporate the 3 sensors in the one location... I see no other reason for it. The biggest pain on the VR cooling system is to change the pump, you have to drop the motor on the passenger side (the pump is right next to the passenger side unibody rail)

[christophbmw]

you forgot to add that on the newer ones the check engine light comes on like ALL THE TIME. pieces of shit, also the new jetta's cant hold oil worth crap after 100k. the leak EVERYWHERE. geuss thats what you get when when you make cars in mexico. :roll:

[cramer]

The check engine light is more often then not for the coil packs. VW and Audi had a bad batch and issued a recall for them. This is only on the 1.8ts, the 2.0, TDI and VR6's don't have that problem. The MAFs also have a short lifespan for the last generation for some reason... location of origin really doesn't matter since the Mk2, Mk3 and now MK4 have all been made south of the border... my bet is VW is getting a little bit cheap on their quality of parts, the guys putting the car together don't effect how long the coil packs last ;) Also the jetta is no different then the golf, while the 1.8t had a sludge problem, it sounds like you have one bad experience with a Jetta.

[christophbmw]

The check engine light is more often then not for the coil packs. VW and Audi had a bad batch and issued a recall for them. This is only on the 1.8ts, the 2.0, TDI and VR6's don't have that problem. The MAFs also have a short lifespan for the last generation for some reason... location of origin really doesn't matter since the Mk2, Mk3 and now MK4 have all been made south of the border... my bet is VW is getting a little bit cheap on their quality of parts, the guys putting the car together don't effect how long the coil packs last ;) Also the jetta is no different then the golf, while the 1.8t had a sludge problem, it sounds like you have one bad experience with a Jetta.

some of the MAF's where having prob's because a guy at the VW plant in mexico was licking the air intake hose and using his saliva to lubricate the hose so it would go on nicer, this caused his saliva to be sucked into the MAF and coat the little air flow sensor diode. no joke this really happened.
.....no i did not have a bad experince with a jetta or a golf its just that all the newer ones that i work on that have over 100k seem to be leaking oil from like EVERYWHERE. that and the check engine light is always on.

[cramer]

lmao, that's a good story :D

I guess i've been pretty fortunate for the MkIV's i've worked on have been oil leak free...though i've got one pesky check engine light on my GF's NB that I get ride of, time to replace the expensive parts next.

And if you want to see oil leaks, work on an S14 ;)

[Matt86es]

The new GTI's coming out in '06 will be made back in Germany. Hopefully this will take care of reliability issues. On another note, they are lightening the GTI back up somewhat and will hopefully return back to its roots.

[Bitburger]

The new GTI's coming out in '06 will be made back in Germany. Hopefully this will take care of reliability issues. On another note, they are lightening the GTI back up somewhat and will hopefully return back to its roots.

It's gotten rave reviews so far. Sucks that it's ugly as sin imo. Hopefully it'll at least drive like a real GTI since we haven't gotten a really good one since 1992.

[BimmerTim]

VWs are easy peasy to work on. I've done tons of work on VWs, Hondas, DSMs, BMWs, Audis.......

They all have things that work well, and things that suck to do. All of them.

[Wishno87]

How did you even find this thread?

[Adrian_Visser]

I was still in high school when this thread was new. You sir get the prize for oldest thread revival with nothing valuable to add.

[BimmerTim]

Oh god, I feel like a dumbass. On my normal forum of choice, if someone brings up an old ass thread they get the point and laugh treatment.

I think I was searching "serpentine", and this was one of the threads it brought up. I read it, walked away from the computer, and when I came back to finish reading I didn't pay attention to the date.

[E30Nova]

I think I went back in time by entering this thread.

[AndrewBird]

I didn't even notice it was old until I saw Matt's post and was like, "Whoa, Matt's back and posting again!"

[b*saint]

VW is a shitty fucking car. My mom could've told you that.

[E30Nova]

VW is a shitty fucking car. My mom could've told you that.

lol, too easy, so I'm leaving it alone. :rofl: