The V2

Hi @X42 Sorry for the delayed reply! Long story short, I am no longer a Golf R owner so therefore don't drop in on the forums very often. Sold the Golf via Motorway, was a very striaghtforward experience and it went for over the initial estimate but that's a whole different story - the Golf is now listed with a dealer up in Newcastle! In the end I replaced the R with a Mercedes approved C43 estate, I ruled out the Audi after p*ss-poor customer service at the Tetbury dealership which I took as a bad omen if I was going to buy used/approved Audi as they are my nearest dealer. I ruled out the E-class on the basis that I felt the car was just too big for what I need and I preferred the C-class interior. Very very pleased with the C43 so far, had to schlep across the country to test drive and then pick it up a week later, but worth the effort in order to find a car with the spec/colour i wanted. Just a few minor niggles so far but nothing serious - I fully accept that it is used car with a previous life and even brand new cars can have gremlins. Car has 2 years AMG warranty, 2 years MOT cover and 2 years roadside assistance - if I service with MBUK the roadside assistance will continue beyond the 2 years and potentially for the life of the car. C43 is very nice to drive, but quite different to the Golf - 385bhp is plenty and the sound from the performance exhaust is amazing. Great performance, plenty of gadgets, loads of room for the other-half + a golden retriever + a baby that is on the way! Interior is a really nice place to be and the exterior is nicely understated so the car doesn't draw attention to itself. I see what you mean about fuel and short trips, but it's not a serious issue. I've always had a soft spot for a V6 engine - having had a MK4 V6 4motion, I know what it's like to get hit in the wallet on fuel economy - ultimately it is what it is, the little red light comes on, you put more fuel in!

Hi All I will soon need to swap the Golf R for something a little more practical as it is a 3-door and we have a baby on the way! I think I have managed to narrow my options down to a C43 estate (facelift) or an S4 Avant (newer V6 oil-burner) - I have ruled out BMW or R estate. A bit of trawling around on the internet would suggest that this is a fairly common dilemma!! Does anybody have any experience of either or both of these cars? I am also looking at the relative difference in cost between buying approved used v's from a non-approved dealer (not a private sale) - there is a significant difference in price, and quite a bit of difference with the MB! MB will offer a 2 year warranty as it's an AMG, and I think Audi are 1 year for approved used - but does anyone have any experience of 3rd party used car warranties? I'm trying to decide if there is any sense in buying non-approved, with an AA/RAC vehicle inspection for peace of mind and then take out a 1-2 year warranty with somebody like motoreasy. I'm quite happy to buy main dealer approved, but the supply of cars is just a trickle and I may have to wait a long time for the right colour/spec to appear on the approved network! Thanks!!

Hi - I need to try and source a rear bench seat for a 2015 Golf R - 3 dr, there is a bit of a scuff/mark on mine that isnt repairable and tbh it's annoying the hell out of me. I can get the whole rear bench from ebay but it seems a bit of a waste when I only need the fabric bit - Is it possible to just get the fabric cover and does anyone have a part number? Possibly a silly question, but it the rear bench in a 3dr exactly the same as in a 5dr? Thanks!

Out of interest, has anyone here DIY'd this? There is quite a bit of info online about how to do it - as far as I can tell it can be done either with or without removing the intake manifold, i'm just curious if any members here have actually rolled up their sleeves and done it!?

Thought i'd post this here because I suppose it applies to lots of cars, not just Golf R's - (DSG) what if the start/stop button develops a fault and you can't turn the engine off? Is there anyway to stop the engine, other than waiting to run out of petrol!?

Thanks Dan, much appreciated - can you DM with a list of info you need to provide a quick quote?

Thanks all for the advice so far. The car wil be kept outdoors on a drive - unfortunately on a hill, so no way I can leave the hand brake off. My very patient otherhalf who will be driving me around for the next few months, refuses to drive the R - too big, too powerful and doesnt like the DSG - theres nobody else I would trust to drive it any any case! I am considering changing the insurance to 3rd party, fire & theft in case anything happens to it whilst parked up over the winter. I am planning to start the car once or twice a week and run it for 15-20 mins at a time to get it up to temperature. Will also roll it back and forth (without going on the road!) and drop the windows & run the air-con to keep the compressor running and change the air in the car to try and prevent mould. Was going to give it a damn good clean inside & out too - as far as a car cover is concerned, i'm tempted but dont want to draw attention to it as it is in quite a visible area and some little scrote will inevitably f**k with it if there is a cover over it. I have also read mixed views on what to do regarding the fuel - other than fuel spoiling, the main concern seems to be condensation in the tank - reducing the headspace by keeping the tank full obviously limits room for condensation but maximises the amount of fuel that can spoil!

Hi - My 64 plate 70k R is freshly MOT'd & serviced but now will sadly have to be SORN'd for 5-6 months due to health issues. What should I do/not do to the car over the next few months to keep her in tiptop condition for when I get back on the road in April? Thanks!!

Hey - for some time i've had the annoying clicking coming from one of the HVAC actuators under the dash, sometimes it lasts literally a split second, other times its 2-3 seconds. I have managed to track it down to the drivers side - with my head very uncomfortably in the drivers footwell I am condident that it is not the lower one as I can see & hear it up close. The sound seems higher up and only happens when I toggle the defroster/windscreen setting - suggesting that it's the defroster actuator (aka V107) A quick scan produced 329989 - B109054: Defroster flap motor. So my questions are: 1) Is this a full dash-out scenario as the maintenance docs suggest? 2) Has anybody either done this themselves or paid a garage to do it? 3) Any other options/suggestions/fixes? Car is well out of warranty and it's just plain annoying, thinking of selling soon and don't want a prospective buyer to be put off by this annoying issue! Thanks in advance all.

Spent Saturday morning trying to get to the bottom of this - wheel off, wheel arch liner out and front bumper off = leaking headlight washer! I have ordered a replacement and will spend next Saturday morning fitting it.

Hi all Has anybody got any tips for locating a screenwash leak? I noticed that the wash bottle was empty yesterday (which is odd because I top it off every week or so with screenwash I "acquire" at work) anyway, I topped it up today and it was empty by the time I got home from work half an hour later - no level warnign light on and still screenwash coming out the nozzles - therefore I assume not 100% empty (?) I've had a very quick look under the car and around the wash bottle with a torch - can't locate an obvious leak/wet spot, also absolutely zero water in the boot/tailgate etc as per the usual washer leak that was common from the mk4 onwards. I'm thinking of putting a very slow hose pipe in the top of the wash bottle and then watching for leaks.......other than this being karma for stealing screenwash from work, any suggestions? Hoping I don't have to go the whole hog and remove the wheel/arch liner etc in order to get to it! Thanks

I did mine a few months ago, without using ODB. I'm assuming you want to use OBD to wind the automatic handbrake motor back in order to fit the new pads? I did mine by removing the small motor that's fitted to the back of the caliper and rewinding them manually using a socket - there are a few youtube videos that can point you in the right direction - I think I have one bookmarked on my home PC - let me know if you struggle to find one. I was a little nervous doing it, but it really was a piece of p*ss! All you have to do then is reset the rear brakes by using the handbrake manually - there is guide on hear somewhere - again, let me know if you struggle finding it, I think I have it bookmarked somewhere (sorry, between my work PC, home laptop and 2 phones I struggle to remember which bookmarks are where!)

darcygr - Pretty sure the garage said that the housing is a genuine VW part as they cannot source a pattern part. The pump could go either way I suppose, there must be pattern parts available for this. It's quite involved work (I would suggest at the top-end of DIY), the intake manifold has to come out - there is a youtube video of a dude removing the intake manifold for cleaning/repair - he doesn't tackle the actual housing/pump, but you can see it all sat there once the manifold is out - after that it's just replace and rebuild!

Cheeks50 - I was very recently quoted about £500 +VAT by an indie that I trust......this was for pump and thermostat housing replacement (£67 & £216 respectively) + 3hrs labour. He says they do quite a few of these. I spoke to another local indie who absolutely insisted that this was also going to be a cam belt job at the same time(!) - needless to say I wont be using them. I top mine up every 4-5 weeks.

The fronts can be re-used, the rears are stretch bolts and should be replaced each time!