gazlaa72

Thanks Neil, Yeah I know what you mean about the OCD of services etc. It is a nice day up here today to wash the car I suppose to free up the boredom.....social distancing from neighbours of course on the next drive

Hello all, I know there is more important things going on in the world right now. I get my car serviced every year around April time (this will be my third service but not the major one) by a local independent VW specialist. Due to the COVID-19 issue and 'stay at home' my service light on the dashboard has been showing the past week and states 'Inspection 14 days' and counting down. I had been aware of this and knew it was around April I get the service and also wanted to get the Haldex serviced this time round but probably to late to book one now and can't take the risk. Just want to know what happens when it hits 0 days? Can i just reset it as i think it can be done via the menu option and then just get a service etc booked in when all this has blown over. Also, I have only driven around 3k since last service in April 2019. My MOT is due in May and have just read on the GOV site that all cars, vans and motorcycles get a 6 month exemption if their MOT is due after 30th March. Thanks, take car and stay safe

Hey all, Not posted in a while and this maybe a good topic to discuss or not? So, have we all 'shot our selves in the foot' so to speak when we purchased our current Golf R? One of the questions is..... 'What do we buy next'? Do we take a step back and buy a new two wheel drive hot hatch with obvious less power but as stated 'a great drive' from the press journalists, albeit a used rear wheel drive m140i in which some of us may ponder or have done? Also, If you have a DSG currently would you stick with another auto or go back to manual box or if you currently have a manual R, stick with another manual box? If you do own a manual R like myself is it worth upgrading to a mk7.5 R with a DSG box from a mk7 manual? I don't think it is worth upgrading from a manual mk7 R to a mk7 DSG now but depends on peoples circumstances i suppose. To many questions i know but i have this dilemma as I would like to upgrade my current R soon but the questions i keep asking myself are, is it worth upgrading to a mk7.5 and to a DSG gearbox as stated above? Don't get me wrong i still love my car and still love driving it but I haven't owned a car this old as my R will be coming up to 5 year old end of May and I have owned it for nearly 3 years now. I also feel that the mk7.5 DSG's are holding their value more as they always have but for some reason there are some still at a high value especially at main dealers and i know the mk8 is due soon but not sure when the mk8 R will arrive or if they be a one and I can't really afford a new mk8 R. I have recently test driven a 2016 (facelift) AMG 45, basic spec but still a £26k and around 30k miles. A Ford Focus RS, again a 2016 basic spec at around £24k and 30+k miles. And lastly an early 2017 Golf R 7.5 DSG, good spec £24+k with around 30k miles. You can see the pattern evolving here as I now love all wheel drive and less than 5 seconds 0-60 . All good cars to drive but couldn't really test the difference or the full potential of the Golf R DSG as it was a first drive and yes it still felt like i was still driving my current golf to a degree. You probably noticed I have not mentioned an Audi S3 as they are the premium brand and at a premium cost still and do prefer the look of the Golf R to the S3. Oh, and I would love a post 2016 RS3 (if i am aloud to say that on here) but they way out my budget. Also, I did consider the new BMW M135i or the AMG 35 are £30k+ cars but again still out of budget. My other dilemma is i have an ongoing PCP deal (nearly 1 year left to go) and my budget is to really keep within a PCP deal with a similar cost each month as not sure if i could afford brand new currently (just recently bought a new house) and I do not really want to get a new PCP deal on the above mentioned cars that are 3 to 4 year old with relatively high millage for their age. I have leased cars in the past but i can't seem to find a good lease deal (not that i have looked much) without putting the norm 6 or 9 months down up front which puts me off slightly and then be at around the £400+ per month i guess.......or I think! Anyway, as per usual i am going on a bit, soooo........Yes, I would love to upgrade to a Golf R 7.5 DSG at the right age/spec and price/budget but would you make a sacrifice or consider a downgrade of power/auto/AWD and lets say look for a 2018/19 hot hatch like a Golf GTI, Focus ST, Hyundai i30 N, Peugeot 308 GTI instead of a 2016/17 hyper hatches? I have probably answered my own questions but as i thought what you guys/gals do? Thank you for your time and please be nice and don't bite.

Hello there I have exactly the same issue when selecting reverse as been like this for a while now and no idea why its happening but at least someone else is experiencing it like me as i didn't know whether to post this a while back but didn't know how to put it? I take it you have a manual like myself and not DSG and also a 2015 model?

Hello, I have hit the stage where i need a service done i think and need some help and advice please. My first telephone call to my local VW servicing garage quoted me £400! I had looked at my servicing book and it appears my R (MY2015) was serviced in November 2016 at 20,000 miles. I got the R in August 2017 at round 25,000 miles thinking it may of had an interim service done at least but looking at the service book it hasn't so think it has been scheduled in for the two years or 40,000 mile service? Confused as have a warning on my dash showing 'change oil in so many days' and had 13 days left. Do i have to get the service done at main VW or can i shop around to get it cheaper who specialise in VW parts? I can see on VW main website that their major 20,000 or 2 year service starts from £329 so i am robbed striaght away there. Just want to know if anyone has used or would recommend a VW specialist in the North East of England for servicing etc? I would also like to point out that i need new front disks and pads which i also got a quote from VW and was for £472.17 fitted and labour costs included and would be OEM. Is this a good price or should i shop around for another brand like a performance if anyone can recommend prices and fitting places also? I just want to try and keep the cost down as only owned the car for 6 months and have already purchased a full set of tyres in January at £100 a corner so being an owner of a Golf R has albeit very pleasing but very expensive in the last 6 months and think i was robbed a little especially with the servicing or how it works when buying second hand! Any help much appreciated. Thanks

Hello, I know probably a touchy subject but i will be needing new tyres for my R soon especially the front as starting to wheel spin now. I got Bridgestone Potenza s001 (on 18" Cadiz Wheels) currently and want to keep to the same 'probably' as i do like them as an all round kind of tyre and had no complaints with them. My question first is are there any good tyre centres/fitters in the Newcastle (north east) area? The reason i ask is on my last car I replaced two front tyres on pristine alloys wheels only to have seen the aftermath of what they had done to both wheels in the respect of damage to the centre caps as if they prised the caps off with a screw driver as it took away the coating and scratched/gouged where the centre caps fit to my pristine alloys!! I obviously complained and argued to be told they will refurbish one alloy only not both or would effectively pay half as i needed the two wheels done. Anyway, I sold/part ex'd the car before i got round to the refurbs. As you can imagine i do not and will not be taking my R back to the same garage and hope someone can recommend a good quality specialist centre and that the name doesn't start with a K 😤 Also, I have seen lots a different threads about types and brands of tyres compared to the Bridgstones (within £100ish budget and not winter tyres) and happy to swap all as i am sure the rears only got a little left on them now so be wise to change all. Cheers

You can't go wrong with a K&N air filter albeit a bit pricey around £57 but that's what i done when researching like you and looked at the ramair and pipercross for cheaper options but thought they are sponge and may not be as durable and will they last as long as a K&N and 100k claimed guarantee. Yes, I know they probably all do the same thing but i have always used a K&N filter in my cars so its probably down to my loyalty and i think if you are going for more mods on the cold air intake then they all serve a purpose.

Hello, Just done a random check on exhaust tips on my R by cupping with my hand on each tip in different modes as I had read about the difference between open valves and closed valves on the four tips especially in Eco mode having only two open and would of expected race and normal driving modes to have all valves open as it appears so. What I noticed when checking in normal and race mode that all tips where extracting (if that's the right wording) fumes by cupping each tip but when in Eco mode I was expecting only two inner tips to be extracting fumes but confusingly there was actually three out of the four??? It was the far left one which appeared to be closed when checking but the other side was open although a little weak compared to the inner ones? I am not sure if this is an issue with the valves opening and closing and I need to get it checked out as I don't know much about them and just need to know if it is normal or not? My R is manual and pre FL. Cheers

Thanks I am sure the drive home tonight will be more pleasurable and hope the time passes by quickly for you. It be worth the wait

I was going to post a thread on why there is a kickdown (click) on my accelerator pedal? Well, I thought i would search first on 'kickdown' and found loads of threads relating to DSG and a different style of kickdown but sounds good on the DSG but i have not driven a DSG to feel this. However, I did find one thread on why there is a 'click' on the accelerator pedal on a manual R whereby you press the accelerator down where it stops but if you press harder it clicks and there is more 'accelerator' give. In this thread there was a comment to do with when you are in Eco mode VW has given the driver this little bit of extra pedal click to get you out of any 'tight tricky spots' whereby you get all the power of the R in this range when in Eco mode........ WOW....... i say you got to try this mode on a B road like i just have this morning its a totally different driving experience and fun fun fun when you get that little bit of extra pedal to the medal to obtain 'all the power'! You can also, like i did, put it in individual mode, set everything to sport and put engine in Eco if you want sporty settings etc. Plus, you lose the growl from the Soundaktor inside the cabin which adds a different feel to anyone driving around in Race mode all the time (like me). Please forgive me if you manual R owners are already aware of this but just wanted to share for any new R owners with a manual box. Anyway, if you haven't done so already then give it a try and stay safe.

Is that the BMC panel filter? I want to do the same but the BMC and K&N are coming in at £52 and £57 but I might go get the pipercross one as its only £37 and if people are saying not much difference on their own and a slight turbo noise then might save myself £20 or even get a ramair as think its cheaper still. I think both pipercross and ramair are foam filters though hence the price difference but not sure if they have the same affect as i have always used K&N in the past. Did you remove the 'snow gate' too?

Thanks all for the positive feedback. It's been two weeks today so I am still in my 30 days but i would agree that returning the car is a bit strong and doubt I would have much look anyway, yes everything has now been sorted now ( both dealers have been great to be fair) but in my opinion a bit shoddy and its more superficial I know but I am a principle kind of guy and it's got to be perfect. My car is still a dream to drive and I have made it look like it's just come out of the showroom with how many hours I have cleaned and polished it and it has now got my official stamp of approval and still gets the looks and people commenting on how nice it is and I must admit the wife and kids have said I'm overreacting a little now and the fact it is two year old it's bound to have 'some issues' and never be perfect so will just see how it goes from now and maybe book it back in in a few weeks time to get the scratches around the sensor and have it put back flush like the others so I can live with it for now.

A bit of a nip-pick but ok manner not manor 🙄 Thanks for the grammar correction 😊

This is getting beyond a joke now unfortunately. started my first positive thread in the welcome section and then had a few negative issues with my car which you may have read and now I thought I had reached the end today but no still disappointed. i love the car to bits to drive wise etc and looks amazing now since I properly detailed it all round and looks so much better than when I picked it up but all the issues since I did pick it up have been rectified but some in a 'tatty' manor in my opinion and this is done by a VW approved dealer! firstly the window seal had been replaced but not in a professional manor as its a bit of a tacky repair which people who knew about the window issue before have pointed out the repair as a bit of a bodge! So, had the sensor issue repaired today and had a new 'painted' rear sensor fited and a new bracket but the repair was again 'shoddy' as when I came to collect it I thought I best check the work carried out first but found there were some scratches around by the sensor and the bumper to my annoyance and I reported it straight away to VW as I know they weren't there before which the dealer had apologised for and agreed the mess and then to get it booked in and sorted by their paint master but they are only available on tuesday or thursdays and can't do tomorrow as short notice and I am on holiday all next week so can't get it sorted until 5th September that's if I can get it booked in for then and to make matters worse the sensor was still not flush like the others and pushed more into bumper and it had a dirty grubby rim around the sensor which I have now found out is glue or something because when I got it home I wanted to rectify and clean around the issue with the scratches and the dirty look around the sensor but to make matters worse the paint on the sensor after I tried to remove the dirt marks inside the housing/rim, I had removed some of the paint! i can't understand why there was a replacement sensor ordered in the first place as it looked fine to me but the new sensor had to be painted to match car hence the reason why I may have removed the outer edge of the paint trying to rectify what they done in first place! here we go again then after two weeks of ownership and pointing out all the issues since day one the car has been at VW for a total of 4 days getting things sorted and I have been without a car for that time and looks like it's going to go back in because of shoddy work on what I think is still a premium car and +20k of finance ahead of me which is why I am getting stressed out about it as still not happy with my purchase and feels like I have been robbed! Its even affecting my relationship now too with my fiance as she thinks I am being a bit paranoid but my issue is I have bought second hand cars before and my last one which was of similar age to this one (2 years old) and there was nothing wrong at all with it from start to finish and during ownership and at part exchange it was in immaculate condition after nearly 3 years of ownership and to be honest was in better condition than what I got now albeit it looked fine visually! Not sure if I am still in a position to reject the car cos I am not sure I can now and now I can also see better R's out there at the same price or less and same spec to mine but I am so disappointed with the dealer who sold me the car and to top it all off the main VW dealer to have done shoddy repair work but is that why because I didn't buy from a main dealer and they treated me as a secondary customer because I didn't but from them and why did I have to go to all this trouble to get the work done from an approved VW dealer instead off them doing it for me and maybe giving me a courtasey car until everything was done to a satisfactory condition? i am sure i put into another thread that I want to write something positive about my R as I have lots of plans but it's just putting me off doing so until it's all sorted and thought today was the day. i hope I don't encourage any hatters as I am being genuine and hope no one is suffering the same on a used R.

Just ignore me lol i tried it it again this morning and the VW showed up but no R logo then I after stopping for a bit I got back in after picking a friend up and then I noticed the R showed up on startup. Not sure if it's a random thing but it is there when it feels like it lol

Thanks for the replies guys but unfortunately I don't have either vcds or obd11 and quite a distance away from Ayrshire but appreciate your offer and instructions as I have also see the method via vcds on YouTube. oh and I heard you need an android phone or tablet for obd11 and I am an iPhone/iPad man, sorry.

It's nothing major but just noticed the other day watching a YouTube video of an R that the infotainment boots up with a VW emblem and an R logo just below this and thought I not seen that on my R so started it up to check and it only shows the VW logo? i done a bit of research (YouTube) and can see the logo can be tweaked via vcds as you can have GTI, GTD, and even R-Line logo as well as the R of course. Is this only possible thru vcds if I was to get the R logo on screen as I would of thought it would be standard feature on all R's. i do have a 2015 model with MIB1 if this helps. i have not got vcds or obd11 but wondered if it's a firmware/software upgrade to the MIB1 system thru an SD card? I have attached an image on what the MIB1 is set too via software/firmware cheers

Here's the rub! Car is still in garage until Thursday! Will get to the point why soon. VW have kindly done their free 'Health Check' yesterday and has come back with 2 advisory's. First, is the tread on the front tyres are both at around 3-4mm which to me is ok for now isn't it? However, second one is to do with the both front brake disks being worn or 'scorn' is what the technician said with a lip on the both disks which will need replacing 'soon' or in the next 3-6 months 'his words'. Now, is the dealer responsible for this issue and should they of replaced the front disks before advertising the car i.e. to me as i did know the rear disks and pads had recently been changed by the dealer when i purchased the car and I asked why wasn't the fronts done at the same time but i think they said it was new pads all round?? To be honest I don't really want to pay for new front disks and pads at this early stage of ownership in the next coming months as i can only imagine there going to get worse by the day and they wont be cheap to replace!! Is this normal for an R to have replacement disks all round on a two year old car with 20+k on clock? Anyway back to the point. With regards to the warranty work VW have found what the vibration issue was which was caused by a defect or missing wheel balance on the rear wheel which is what i figured initially and slightly relieved but there is another however! The wheel in question if it is buckled VW said I will have to pay for a new wheel! This is worrying as it is now adding more cost to the ownership of my R which i wasn't banking on if you pardon the pun! With regards to the window issue it is being paid for by the dealer as promised to do the repair of the seal and the the labour costs but they will not pay for replacement OEM glass. The dealer is also paying for the removal of the rear bumper (i think anyway) for the sensor issue but that may come under the warranty but will have to see? Also, I think the dealer is also covering the cost of cleaning the brakes/disks at £59 but that doesn't sort out the potential 'scorn' disks with a lip on them! With regards to the window glass i am going to have to pay VW £76 as i want an OEM window and not a cheap third party piece of glass with some foreign writing on it! My car has been off the road now since Tuesday and I will not be picking it up till sometime on Thursday which means i have been without my car for three days and so far it is going to cost me nearly £80 for the privilege and maybe a new alloy wheel but my main worry is the for the cost of new front disks and pads in the very near future, im not to bothered about the tyres as they look ok for now and have 3mm left on them? Do you think the dealer i bought it from should be offering me more of a substantial compensation for my troubles and issues with the car as this is surely not right and I have never experienced this before when buying a used car and a car that is only two year old. In reality yes the car is going to get sorted out in the end but at a cost to me and I got the worry of replacing front disks and pads soon which can't be cheap. I am considering about contacting the dealer to ask if they would cover the cost for the disks while it is still in the garage or to come to some kind of agreement to either pay half and half but doubt i will have much luck? I know, yes another long read to add to the already many long chapters in this thread but i hope one day they will many be positive ones and shorter too!

Thanks Leo - I must admit I do like to replace the paper filters with a K&N filter on performance cars I have owned in the past and just wanted to know if it is still worth it on its own as I am sure a little induction noise is better than none 😉 With regards to the 'snow grate' is this the plastic tray that's inside the air box what the current filter sits on? I had seen a video on how to remove the tray and still keep the standard filter so the car can breath better.

Thanks JaseW - you are right i am sure my old car will be gone now and think the dealer is being kind to get the issue sorted so fingers crossed. Thanks LouCyffer - just read your reply also, and thanks for the info and 'pick me up' reply and wow it puts my R into a desirable R compared to what you went through with yours and granted you do make sense with regards to the wear and tear of my car and what the dealer is trying to do for me and yes I think the window issue would have to be just the seal repair. You have put a bit of smile back on my face cos like I said I love my R and it's my R to enjoy. Oh talking about daughter, I had my daughters in it on first day and the youngest was in the back, I reluctantly bought them a macdonalds happy meal and just as I was turning to say be carful how you eat it she dropped the tomato sauce on the seat! You be surprised how much ketchup is in them cartons from macdees...........better than puke I suppose lol thanks Mike R - yeah you right I have told all the issues with the dealer and they have been great to me so far and will see how tomorrow goes with the warranty issues and other things. I haven't asked about the 30 day return as they are not VW dealers but I am sure there was something like that they said, also they said if I find another R cheaper with same year and less miles they give me the difference and double it which funny enough I have seen three that are cheaper but I am now frightens to call them back again and ask this for it to get rejected but I will look through my docs.

I need some help and reassurance guys and gals! You have probably seen one of my threads about enjoying the car but I am having some issues ongoing and don't know what to do as its getting me really down but trying to keep smiling at the same time. The car is going into my main VW dealers on Tuesday for a suspected warranty issue that i had 'queried' since getting the car on that day Which was not noticed in a test drive with the dealer in car but will explain this below. I just want to give a list of issues on the car currently and what i should really do about it as i am sure not all R's are in this state! Yes, I agree i may have bought the car in a rush and could live with the odd stone chip or a curbed alloy and at the time of looking it was one of the cheapest (if you call just under £20k for a 15 plate R with around 25k millage) around my area for a standard spec model and it did fall within my budget too. Here is my list so far: 1. A vibration noise in cabin when driving at 70 mph. 2a. The rear Window rattles due to (so i found out later) a window being smashed and replaced with third party glass (not OEM) albeit the same tint and colour match. 2b. Also, The rear window seal has been cut away and not resealed (only half the window frame) resulting in the window rattle and the window being loose and not secure in my opinion, there is also wind noise in cabin as a result of no seal. 3. There are a mutlitude of stone chips on bonnet, some have been touched in the past which i did notice at the time but others are bare. 3b. A couple of stone chips around the rear door where the suspected window was smashed and the broken glass may have done this. 4. One of the rear sensors is loose on the bumper and not secure as the other ones are secure but this one is pushed deep into bumper, yes i did this only because i found it to be loose! Will this be covered by warranty?? 5. I had noticed there is a loud squeak from perhaps front suspension (think on each side) when going over speed bumps at slow speed but not sure if this is normal? Again will this be covered by warranty?? 6. Curbed alloy wheels on both fronts which i admit i didn't see at first because of the black around the cadiz wheels. 7. Finally for now and maybe a bit picky but there is a smell of stale smoke in the cabin as others have pointed out and i didn't notice at first so obviously previous owner was a smoker! To make me feel a little bit better and keep my mind off things i gave the R a proper wash/waxed and detail as i do with all my cars as the car was relativity clean when i picked her up but there were a load of tar spots swirls and water/bird marks oh and the engine bay looked like it had been submerged in a lake it was filthy! As stated above i am getting VW to have a look at the vibration under warranty and the dealer is paying VW for the seal around the window, however i did ask my dealer for a VW branded window and they said no they would not cover for this as the window is fine and will only pay for the seal! Also, at this stage i think the dealer is now feeling a little sorry for me as i had pointed out the chips and he said that their body shop will touch up the stone chips free of charge but not sure if this is good idea or not or if i would make a better job myself? I need to make a decision today or soon on whether or not i can decline the car and send it back to the dealer i bought it (PCP finance) from but I need to know what rights i have so do i call the ombudsmen for advice first? I might even pay for a full HPI check as i was assured at the time that all their cars were HPI'd but its got me thinking now. What does an HPI check give out apart from the obvious if stolen or crashed? I am sure you will all agree that surely this is not right on a two year old car and i have been taking for a bit of a ride but this car in its current state is not worth the money i paid for and if you can imagine in 2 or 3 years time whats it going to be worth to me then?? I had part ex'd a 4 year old car to get this R and in the 3 years of owning it there wasn't a thing wrong with it and whoever buys it i am sure will have no issues at all. Oh and to top it all off someone nearly crashed into me this morning pulling out of a junction when i was stopping for traffic ahead and if i hadn't of reacted quickly to swerve out the way to avoid him there would of been a large dent along the passenger side! Let me know if you have a similar aged/millage R you got recently and if you are suffering with similar issues to me as i need plenty of positive feedback please to keep me going and hopefully get some kind of compensation. Anyway, I am sorry in advance of this very lengthy thread or if you have read my previous threads as i feel like im having a right moan and I don't mind if the moderators moves it to the correct area if there is one for the above and appreciate if it gets 'lost in the bin'. Just as a bit of warning that I do not want to name and shame just yet as to be fair they have been good to me for the moment anyway and just wanting some real advice off you guys and gals if i have something to go on or what you would do in this position? Cheers

Is it worth getting a panel filter like a k & n? I have read that it's not worth it because there are no gains. I'm not really interested in performance gains as of yet anyway and not sure if it is a bit of a myth if they do but surely the sound will increase or you may feel something or is it just a placebo effect?

Well I spent most of the day doing a full detail to my R. Yes, I still love it even though things are wrong with it but they getting sorted. I managed to get rid of all the tar spots on the car which is pretty much wear and tear but then again I don't even think it's had a good wash/polish in a while. After the detail I think I have pretty much added a 'couple of grand' on the value at least lol 😊 I spoke with the dealer again today or he called me and I mentioned the window issue (going in Tuesday) and that there were a few stone chips around the window frame where bits of glass must of chipped the paint and he told me that he would get their paint people to touch them up including all the other stone chips on the car (there's not that many and it saves me trying to do it) which is nice of them as I'm sure they do a better job than me. I did find another issue though when cleaning today and there is a rear sensor loose as I noticed it was set different to the others and more pushed in and when I went to press it with my finger there doesn't seem to be any support behind it where as the rest are solid! Not the end of the world but it's there and will tell VW on Tuesday. i just checked to see how many miles I done since Thursday afternoon and it's coming up to nearly 400 miles already and on the second tank full. I can't keep away from it at the minute lol and not sure if or when the honeymoon period will ever end???

I just got the standard 18" Cadiz wheels

I found something interesting relating to the vibration issue perhaps? just giving my car a quick wash this morning and noticed on the rear wheels the hubs are sort of a blue/grey colour like new and the front hubs are rusty (I have seen a thread about common rusty hubs on R's). I remember the dealer saying it about service history etc that the brake disks/pads were renewed but didn't go into detail plus I haven't got any documentation relating to this and at the time i thought it was just a routine thing like wear and tear on brake pads but whatever they have done either this dealer or previous owner that this may be the cause of this vibration? Should I have this in my documentation as proof f what has been done to the car?