VW Golf Onboard Computer MPG Wrong - Fuel Economy Reading Too Low

On my Mk4 VW Golf TDI I've noticed that the fuel economy (MPG) is showing very low on the dashboard as part of the multi-function display of the onboard computer. The dashboard seems to generally be showing around 15MPG lower than the actual fuel consumption.

Initially I thought that there was a problem with the car and that the TDI was using much more fuel than I was expecting. However after a fill up it appears that the MPG fuel consumption is around the expected amount and the onboard display is wrong.

I've not yet worked out where the MPG figure is calculated from but the good news is that the car appears to be returning the expected good miles per gallon that I've seen in previous VW Golf TDI cars.



VW Golf Onboard Computer MPG Wrong - Fuel Economy Reading Too Low

VW Golf mk4 Boot tailgate Wont lock with Central Locking - Boot Opens Ok

Another issue with my VW Golf Mk4 is that the tailgate/Boot won't lock from the central locking but the lock is also seized up so won't turn to lock that way.

Using the excellent guide from BMACSVAGS on YouTube I removed the tailgate cover to gain access to the locking mechanism. It appears from first inspection that the locking mechanism is still working intermittently and will open the car - just not lock it again.

If I manually move the lever to lock the boot, the next time I open the car with the central locking it will open the boot as well as the doors. Next step is to check the wiring and a liberal dose of WD40 to lubricate any joints and remove any moisture that may have seeped in from the rear wash/wiper.

VW Golf Mk4 - Front Seat Airbag Connectors Different

The connectors on the airbag leads for the seats in the Mk4 VW Golf seem to vary between models of the same year. When I needed to change the seats on my VW Golf GTI the airbag connectors on the new seats didn't match the loom fitting on the car so I needed to cut the connections from the old seats in order to fit them. Both were 3 pin (black, blue, brown) but had different sockets so I wonder if different factories used different connections for the VW Golf Mk4.

These photos show the different connections for late 2002 MY VW Golf airbag connectors for drivers seat. Earlier airbag connectors had only 2 wires but both these connectors work on 3 wires - blue, black and brown.

Late 2002 MY VW Golf airbag connector

Late 2002 MY VW Golf airbag connector

Late 2003 MY VW Golf airbag connector

VW Golf Mk4 GTI TDI 150PD Seat Removal for Interior Cleaning

Removing the seats from VW Golf Mk4 TDI GT 150PD

As you can see from the photos below the interior of the VW Golf GT TDI 150 was absolutely filthy and with the seat bolster damaged I decided to clean and then replace the interior in one go.

First step was to disconnect the battery so that the airbag sensors didn't trigger when removing the front seats.

Removing the seats from VW Golf Mk4 TDI GT 150PD

VW Golf Mk4 GTI TDI 150PD Seat Removal for Interior Cleaning

With all the seats out the airbag connectors can be seen on the floor amongst all the debris and dirt accumulated. Having seen how easy it is to remove the seats it is something I will do more frequently to clean the car interior properly.

VW Golf TDI150PD Poor Fuel Economy - Low MPG

Since purchase my VW Golf TDI PD150 fuel economy has been somewhat erratic. Having had several TDI Golfs before I'm aware of the fuel consumption that I should be getting and on occasions it can be as high as 50+MPG. However on many journeys I'm struggling to achieve 40MPG with the Golf TDI PD150.

First job this weekend is to check the MAF sensor, EGR valve and to confirm there aren't any issues with brakes binding that may increase the fuel consumption of the TDI Diesel.

VW Golf TDI150PD Poor Fuel Economy - Low MPG

VW Golf Mk 4 Central Locking Opens Drivers Door Only

Our VW Golf TDI 130 Mark 4 has recently had a problem with the central locking where the key remote fob only unlocks the drivers door not the other doors or boot. You can open the rest of the doors using the switch on the drivers door so it is clear there is no actual fault with the central locking wiring or control unit.

Normally with a VW Golf (and indeed other VW cars such as the Passat) a single press of the key fob will remotely open the drivers door and a second press will open the rest of the doors and the boot. It appears that when the car battery is getting low a fault can develop where only the drivers door unlocks and the rest of the doors remain locked even when you press the key fob twice.


The suggested cure to fix the problem is to disconnect the battery for 10 seconds and then reconnect it. This should resolve the problem and get all doors unlocking together again. In our case the battery was nearing the end of its life and occasionally proving difficult to start the car so we also took the opportunity to replace the battery at the same time.

New battery fitted and the doors on the VW Golf are all now opening as expected with one or two presses of the key fob.

More info about the VW Golf TDi 130 available here

VW Golf Mk 4 Central Locking Opens Drivers Door Only

VW Golf TDI130 Remapping - Long Term Review

We've now had our VW Golf TDI remapped for nearly 3 years so it seems an appropriate time to write a long term review of how it is performing.

The remap was applied to our VW Golf Mark 4 TDI 130 by Angel Tuning at a mileage of 152,000 and we have now covered 190,000 so almost 40k miles with the remap fitted. Some advise that remaps should not be fitted to high mileage cars but we have not experienced any problems although we are very careful to service regularly with oil changes every 10,000 miles. Any issues at the current mileage of 190,000 could be equally attributed to normal wear and tear than any negative impact from the remap.

Probably the best thing about remapping the Golf TDI is how much more fun it makes the car to drive. The overtaking on motorways and A roads is effortless; pulling out from junctions to major roads requiring rapid acceleration is great and the whole driving experience is improved. The Golf TDI 130 is one of the most comfortable cars to seat in as a driver and the remap complements this comfort with impressive acceleration.

The fuel consumption is improved following the remapping of the Golf TDI. The long term average is approx 50mpg which is around 1-2 mpg more than before the remap. The consumption on long journeys is the most impressive and can exceed 60 mpg. Interestingly the higher MPG figures are not really dependent on moderating speed, the 60MPG is actually achieved doing 70 mph on the motorway with marginally lower MPG at 60-65mph.

The only real negative that I have found is from increased tyre wear. The front tyres are now wearing in around 20,000 miles compared to around 30,000 before the remap. At £60 a tyre this is still a very cheap replacement compared to many other cars and is a small price to pay for the improved experience and performance. The remap does encourage more spirited driving which could explain the faster wear as the engine pushes the increased torque through the wheels.



VW Golf TDI 130 Remap Long Term Review

For a period we also experienced clutch slip at around 2000 rpm with the Golf TDI which is apparently the peak torque output. However this now seems to have subsided and is currently not an issue. It may be partly weather related as higher temperatures now summer has arrived the clutch slip that was apparent during winter months does not present a problem.

VW Golf Mk4 - Fitting MP3/iPod Socket to Gamma Radio

Do you have a VW Golf Gamma Radio and want to play music from your iPod, MP3 player or Iphone through it using a 3.5mm jack socket adapter? How to Play MP3 Music via VW Gamma Radio

Video showing how to add MP3 connection to VW Golf Mk4 Gamma radio

You can buy an attachment that clips into the rear harness of the VW Gamma radio and replaces the output from the CD player so that when you switch to the CD player the line source is played through the radio speakers. I've had this fitted for a few weeks now in my VW Golf Mark 4 and it is fantastic. The fitted CD player was only intermittently working and the radio transmitter iPhone adapter was patchy with interference in many places on my journeys.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-MK4-Aux-interface-Adaptor-Aux-MP3-iPod-iPhone-/370393417268?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item563d2b0634

Do you have a VW Golf Gamma Radio and want to play music from your iPod, MP3 player or Iphone through it using a 3.5mm jack socket adapter?

Do you have a VW Golf Gamma Radio and want to play music from your iPod, MP3 player or Iphone through it using a 3.5mm jack socket adapter?

Connects2Adapter Mp3 ipod on VW Gamma radio



Control box for iphone, mP3, iPod adapter for VW Golf radio



Control box & leads for iphone, mP3, iPod adapter for VW Golf radio



3.5mm jack socket allowing music to be played through the VW Golf Gamma radio

This is a similar adapter for VW Golf Mark5 Radio MP3 Iphone Adapter
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-AUX-IN-INPUT-ADAPTER-INTERFACE-CABLE-LEAD-CAR-RADIO-IPOD-MP3-3-5MM-JACK-/360549569833?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item53f26dd529