Ben Allen 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Hello,Anyone know what the common problems for the VR6 engine are?I hear that earlier model timing chains have been known to fail. How often/how many miles should they be changed?Also, any other recurring problems? Head gaskets etc?Cheers,Ben Link to post Share on other sites
stu h 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 hi mate -i'm not an authority but i'll pass on what i have learnt so fartiming chains -its the tensioners that tend to wear out, making the chain sound rattly -usually at around 100-120k dependant on how hard a life the engine has had. oh, and its not a cheap job to have done by all accounts roughly £500 as the gearbox needs to be dropped/ come outi've been told that headgaskets tend to go due to ancilary things like thermostats sticking -just need to keep an eye on engine temp i sposethe engines themselves are bloody tough -my mechanic races them and thinks they are pretty bomb-proof. it seems to be things like abs that can be a pain in the ass with these cars!i'm sure people have a lot more to say that'll help....are you loooking at buying then?[ Edited Tue Mar 01 2005, 01:04PM ] Link to post Share on other sites
shail 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I found the following post very helpfull...http://www.vr6golf.co.uk/forum_viewtopic.php?2.40042Should cover most things. Link to post Share on other sites
badboyV6 4 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 VW recommend 100k Personally id be paranoid and change them at 90k.....I have heard a few stories of head gasket failures on Cylinder 6. Apparently the gasket is slightly thinner. But it is not a common problem IMO.Wheel bearings ( althiugh not engine related) seem to be a problem although it is cheap to sort- i think ive replaced at least 2 on each of the 4 Mk3 Golfs (2 x GTI 16V's and 2 VR6's) i have owned. Clutches tend to need replacing at around 70- 80k. And if the car has cheap leads prepare to replace them as they are shite. The red OEM ones or blue Magnecor are best and are £100. I think thats all i can think of. Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Allen 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Thanks for the replies. I assume all the bodywork problems apply to theVentos aswell then? Link to post Share on other sites
briscoe 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 the mk3 golfs tend to suffer slightly with the rear boot lid for rust. this is because the water sits in the grove with the rubber seal around the rear window. Link to post Share on other sites
stu h 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 vento bootlids tend to start to rust at the edge too. my '92 vr has more rust on it than my '87 mk2 valver ever did!! just need to look in all the corners, the quality of the mk3 seems to be quite poor generally, well, for vw anyway. couldn't compare it to an escort of similar age!!! Link to post Share on other sites
badboyV6 4 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Only the early boot lids rusted as the later ones are galvanised :-) Do get some rust on the golfs- the inner sills (underneath the platic trim as you open the door) Ive had that on both mine! and sometimes on the lower part of the door. Occasionally on the arches but this is only surface rust usually. Stone chipt are a real killer as well- especially when its lowered and doing motorway driving!!!! Link to post Share on other sites
apd 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 belt tensioner bearings,fuel pumps,water pumps,coilpacks tend to fail as well. Link to post Share on other sites
goodboy1451 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 the electrical bits: like the window switches. Link to post Share on other sites
goodboy1451 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Oh yeah, I need to plan for a timing chain replacement. The quotes I got is 650 quids and if I change the clutch as well will be 750. Any recommendations as to where can I do it cheaper ?? Link to post Share on other sites
badboyV6 4 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Thats not a bad price TBH m8- would probably expect around 550 to 650 for chain replacement and 100 quid is good for a clutch (they cant charge you much as they are taking the box out anyway) I thought youd be looking at least 120 for a clutch unless you mean just 100 labour??? in which case thats taking the piss!! Link to post Share on other sites
goodboy1451 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I guess so. The most important thing is that the mechanic knows whats he is doing. The last thing you want is a shoddy job with a timing chain replacement!!! Link to post Share on other sites
badboyV6 4 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 oh yes - ive heard lots of horror stories about monkey mechanics. Ive also learnt from that. My old mk3 16v went into the Garage i bought it from to have a new timing belt fitted- as it was agreed before sale. When i got it back after about 2 weeks it started to lose power then wouldnt start. Anyway went into a friends garage. It turns out the monkey didnt do up the crank pulley tight enough and it slipped on the key way fooking it up- only problem is the keyway is on the crank- hence new crank and labour- lots of money!!!! and the garage closed down a week later with no compensation to be had...... gutted Link to post Share on other sites
goodboy1451 0 Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I had a bad experience with a local monkey garage as well, though a minor one. My side trim has partially come off and I reqiuested the mechanic to fix it bacj with clips. When I collected the car, the bill clearly list the part lists with trim clips etc. After a week, the trim came off again and guess what I have found....double-sided tape in place of clips!!!Well, what comes round goes round... they have lost a couple of potential new customers due to bad word of mouth. Link to post Share on other sites
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