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.