I've owned 5 different Mk4 VW Golfs over the last 15 years and this blog is based on the information I've learned about maintaining them over that time. I currently drive a 2002 PD150 TDI Golf, badged as a GTI despite being diesel
I'll update this over time as I learn more about the car but so far I've been very impressed with the VW Golf MK4 with 1.6 16V engine. It obviously isn't as economical as the PD130 engine or as quick as the V5 or 1.8T GTI models but for a family hatchback it's proving to be a great car.
One of the first jobs will be to clean/replace the door trim handles as they're looking very scratched and tatty. As per previous posts this is an easy fix to improve the look of the car internally.
VW Golf 1.6 16V Owners Review
Being a MK4 the 1.6 16V has the familiar dashboard layout and the excellent red on blue lighting setup which I find to be one of the best on any car.
I'm waiting to fill the car up again to find out fuel consumption but it's looking very good at the moment and although not close to the massive MPG you can get from the PD engines it does seem to be a fairly economical car as after 150 miles and around 1/4 tank of fuel used.
As part of the major service I'm doing on my VW Golf MK4 the cabin pollen filter is being replaced. This is a really easy job to do and requires no mechanical knowledge, just 4 philips screws to remove on the panel above the engine bay to remove the old filter and fit the new. Best of all the cost of the filter is only around £5 so it's a very cheap job to do yourself at home.
This video shows the steps you need to take to replace the pollen filter
My VW Golf was making a knocking noise from the front suspension which I believed was coming from the front anti roll bar bushes. The car is 15 years old so over that time it's likely the bushes have perished. When doing the service I'll also be replacing these bushes.
Update - I've now replaced the ARB bushes and the difference is amazing, the noise has disappeared and the car handles much better.
The gear change in my 1.6 16V VW Golf is a bit loose so I've investigated the options for refurbishing the mechanism. There is a kit available that replaces many of the levers and rods for the gear change mechanism and is only £15 from reliable specialist B&B Components.
Over time the bushes and plastic parts of the gear selector will wear giving a much less precise and sloppy gear change which can be resolved with replacement bushes to tighten up the gear action.
After selling my 2001 VW Golf 1.9 TDI PD 130 and moving to another brand I couldn't resist the temptation of getting another Mk4 Golf that was being sold very cheaply due to a few minor faults. This time I've got a 2002 1.6 16V Golf SE with only 116,000 miles. The car had a broken electric window mechanism and stuck door lock and generally hadn't been advertised very well as many good features weren't mentioned along with fairly poor photos.
With a full service and a bit of TLC I think it will tidy up nicely and do as a good run around car for a few months and should turn a nice profit when I come to sell.
First jobs will be removing the door card to replace the electric window, replacing the very worn gear stick gaiter and replacing all filters - oil filter, air filter and cabin filter.
The car has full service history, 4 virtually new tyres and is in very good condition but only cost me £200. It's obviously not as economical as a PD TDI but should do the job until next year.
First step for the service is to remove the engine cover which is different on the 1.6 16V engine to the TDI PD engines that I'm more used to.
Once the engine cover is removed it gives access to change the oil and oil filter
After owning my VW Passat for the last 7 years I thought it would be worth putting a review together about my experiences of owning it for such a long time - it's the longest I've ever owned a car!
The video hopefully gives an indication of the plus points and a few negatives but overall I've been very pleased with it, I guess I wouldn't have kept it so long otherwise!
