5 Biggest Problems with my MK4 VW Golf
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2024
- My MK4 Golf has some problems. This probably isn't groundbreaking. However, I haven't done any form of car review about this car in over a year, so I thought it was time to give you a bit of an update, focusing on the issues I've had over my ownership. I'm also away a lot at the moment so needed a relatively quick video, hope you still enjoy! Also these issues are specific to my MK4 Golf, everyone will probably have a different experience with their respective cars, but I though this could be interesting/helpful, especially if you are interested in buying the car yourself.
Massive thanks to @Tioram. for filming, check out his videos via the link!
Song played on radio: DIP - Connor Price, Kazuo
I'm aware this video was slightly lower effort than usual, hope you still enjoyed!
Feel free to like, subscribe etc.
Have a great day,
Rhys
#vwgolf #mk4golf #cars - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I love the algorithm sometimes. I watched your original review about half a year ago when I was looking to buy my first car and now here I am watching this one with my Golf IV parked outside :)
yoo same! I got my self a 1.6l mk4, 2002, how long have you had yours?
Ay glad to hear! Hope you and the car are doing well! :)
@MrDylanButton @RHanson. got exactly the same. I've had it for three and a half months now and everythings going well
@@piet3428 Thats awsome, ive had mine like a 3 weeks a month now, i passed 1 month and 2 days ago. Just need to fix the oxygen sensor so the engine light turns off and its good to go :)
@@MrDylanButton great, luckily I didnt have to fix anything major so far bc mine is in a very good shape with 133000km on the counter
Two things:
I. The cup holders are actually designed for standard cans, however they do also firmly hold half a litre bottles of beer. Which also plays into:
II. The air conditioning needs somewhat regular fill-ups. Most units do, but most modern cars are not old enough to be affected. The climate gas R134a leaks the tiniest bit, just like every system on your car does. Give it a fill-up and it will be ice-cold, allowing you to chill your aforementioned beer in your can holders.
Cheers
Cheers!
My Mk4 is the 2-door GTI version. No mods and its hilariously fun to drive on twisty back roads. Besides faulty warning lights, door locks that have a mind of their own, and a flywheel that resonates at 3400-3600 rpms, I love the car. The 1.8T is a very reliable engine. I have cruised at 105mph/170kph across the AZ/CA desert and it actually gets smoother and quieter without blinking an eye. And having little storage is actually a positive in my book. It means I have a small car which is always more fun to drive. The modern Golfs are oversized as far as I'm concerned. Squeezing into tiny parking spots in the city is a breeze. And I love the tiny side mirrors and visors which, in other cars, are eye sores. The seats are super comfy and the cockpit is a cozy bucket with no wasted space. The adjustable arm rest console is a wonderful feature, although the lid breaks easily, but at least its dirt cheap and easy to replace. Same goes for the lift handle on the seats.
5 Best Things About the Golf:
1. Can be turned into a house (holf).
2. Enough boot space to comfortably fit a body.
3. The best first car for teenagers.
4. Can be lived in for 24 hours.
5. Better at being a car than a kayak that's been turned into a car.
You know my videos better than I do!
I drove a mk4 Golf 1.9L TDI from 2001-2019. I put 400K miles on it. It was the most durable car I've ever had. Some notes:
1. If I were to have kept my Golf, I would have replaced the stereo with an RCN-210. It has the stock look and feel, but has bluetooth and USB. It also isn't expensive (bonus!).
2. Storage? You're right there. Mine had the pockets behind the seats, but otherwise didn't have much space. What it did have, though, was very well thought out.
3. Cup Holders: The newer Golfs in the states got cupholders by the e-brake. I purchased a used center console with those cupholders, and they worked great. As for the back, I had the cupholders and they were useless. The new center console had one that worked well.
4. I thought my Golf was a blast to drive, but YMMV.
5. My aircon worked until it had 320K miles. Then the compressor died and all the foam started blowing out of the vents. I had the compressor and the heater core replaced, and while the dash was out they fixed the blend doors. After that, cold air again. It cost around $900, but it was totally worth it.
6. As for the throttle, it sounds like you have a vacuum leak. Replace all of your vacuum hoses and you shouldn't have that issue anymore.
7. As for dash lights, the only time I ever had any lights was when the glow plug harness was giving me fits. I finally replaced it which eliminated the light once and for all.
I loved my mk4, and I still wish I had it sometimes. The only reason I got rid of it is because I found a deal on a mk7 that was too good to pass up. I sold the mk4, and the new owner still drives it. Last I heard, it had 450K miles on it.
I still have my 1.9 TDI and I can confirm that it is very reliable, I do repairs and maintenance myself, actually I learned to wrench on that car and it turned into a quite rewarding hobby! I can't emphasize enough how great the RCN-210 head unit is, after fiddling around with aftermarket products, android head units and it never really looking OEM+ I bought this thing and never looked back. Great connectivity, fantastic look, does not rattle and slides right in. Love it!
Parts are very affordable and the junkyards in Europe are still filled with MK4s so you will be able to get by on a budget.
The most annoying thing so far is that the plastics are quite brittle, so you have to be extra careful when dealing with those parts.
I went so far and removed all the soft touch from the plastic parts because it turned into a sticky mess which was always dusty, dirty and spotty. This changed the entire car.
Really love this thing.
Hi. Im from SA and also have a mk4 1.9 TDI. Has 334k km on it. So it has a new clutch in and oil filter that I know of. My dad owned it since 2009.
1. The issue is, there has been 2 occasions on which was at the same exact spot driving to work about 6km away from my home with 12km more to go. So that first 6km, due to traffic its just neutral, first gear and second. Thats when it just starting blowing smoke out the exhaust. A big STOP alert on the dashboard also appeared. Steering wheel also stiffend up.
2. Car loses acceleration and power while driving up a little bridged road that should be crossed at speeds of 80km/h. Always have to shift a gear down.
I also have no idea about its electrical state. Could it be a contributing factor as well?
Problem Nr.1 Buy good 2Din radio. Problem Nr.2: My seats have pockets since they are not the cheapest available for golf. Sport type seats feature back pockets :) Problem Nr.3 Better optioned Mk4's have cupholders in front as well in back. Problem Nr.4 Fun of driving your golf comes by having decent suspension( if yours still stock and is broken, it impairs the way car controlls. Having something better than 1.6(i.e 1.8T or 1.9TDI 150HP) would broaden the way you see "fun" in driving your Golf. Problem Nr. 4 AirCon problem is that near the heater core is film, which divides Cold air from hot(i might be wrong there). So as the car ages, the film just disintegrates and you have to re-do it :). Problem Nr.5 Throttle - this is mechanical/electrical issue. Final issue: Engine lights are not an issue if you fix it ;) If you are unsure, get VCDS cable and start to work on your car yourself. I hope my feedback will be useful for you!
I Recently got a 2001 polo with the same radio and use a Bluetooth cassette adapter it is really a good option and I have had no issues, good vid 👍
Sounds good, thank you!
yep got one also, good sound quality.. tone down bass a bit.. or tighten the speakers
Very cool, been looking on more info on this model of vw's.
Great video mate. I've got a mk4 stage 1.5 1.8T AUM let me tell you, that car is fun to drive 😂. You are spot on with most of the points and the best part about this car is that most of the problems are fixable! Long live the Golf 4
Thank you mate! And niice, you've basically got the upgrade 😂. Agreed, long like the mk4!
@@RHanson. Where are you based bro. We should do a cheeky 2 golf car meet 😂 always a pleasure to meet fellow mk4 owners
@ryanedwards1380 Haha that's true, I'm actually about to move to uni in Manchester, without the car :(
@@RHanson. That's a shame, I live in North east Hampshire atm, but I'm moving Loughborough uni soon. I can't take the car but they have car society there with garage space etc so maybe if I join that they might have parking spaces? Who knows haha
@ryanedwards1380 Ahh nice that'll be good and yeah it's difficult n expensive to bring a car - but yeah that could be cool haha!
Cant believe you only have a thousand subs your videos are great and you are very funny
Thank you, really appreciate it!
I agree with the "not fun to drive". It's great to drive but not fun simply because it's too heavy.
I own a New Beetle, which is technically a Golf mk4. It's a 2.0 L 115 hp gasoline, which was the mk3 GTI engine, a car that was kind of blamed because no more power than the mk2 gti and yet many extra kg. The mk4 put that trend to a new level. I would love to have a Beetle that would be based technically on the Golf mk3 GTI, really.
Mine is a 1.4 16V, im currently dealing with an electric issue. My Ambient lights (red ones of console) and speedo lights are allways off. The mounth before i had an Spark coil and 4th spark plug cable problem.... and before that it had water leakage inside the cabin... Its an nightmare but i kinda love it
Ahh classic Golf!! Good amount of personality...
With your throttle problem replace your Crankshaft Position Sensor, that fixed my MK4 GTI problem and engine light came off as well and now it runs better than ever. Only costs £30
I had to get a new throttle body unfortunately, quite a bit more expensive 😅
Well these are not big problems at all, you can solve them cheap and easy. I'm not sure about your engine issues cause I recently got a 1.9tdi axr 101hp.
So let me tell you what I have done to mine so far: (the car was bought from Germany roadworthy TUV approved)
I got VCDS to not work blindfolded first of all
-abs and esp lights randomly turn on and stays on until cicle ignition key - new tires, wheels alignment and recalibrate steering sensor
-soft and mushy brake pedal, vibrations and shaky steering wheel when brake - replace all brake rotors and pads, replace brake fluid, replace both rear brake pipes and hoses, replace both rear calipers, replace front brake hoses
-unstable and wobbling around corners and poke holes - replace all spring coils and shock absorbers
- brake pedal sometimes is firm as it should be sometimes is deep and feels not efficient - vacuum pump neck is loose so it loses vacuum and not helping the brake servo pump on idle, also lose a little bit of power - in this case I fix that neck with bison epoxy compound - so far so good (if it fails again I will replace the vacuum pump)
-the clutch pedal is very hard - replace clutch kit all parts flywheel, bearing, clutch disk
-the shifter won't center itself on neutral and it's difficult to change gears - replace gearbox oil, grease the cables and mounts, clean and grease gearbox levers assembly in the engine bay
-as a preventive maintenance - change thermostat, coolant, oil and all filters, timing belt kit (water pump, belt and tensioner)
-AC is not blowing cold air - check AC compressor clutch (was fine), replace refrigerant agent and change AC compressor oil
-handbrake is not holding well - one cable snapped - replaced both of them.
-motor shield underneath the car is missing - replace with metal one - this one is heavier and the front of the car is lower now - add original front lift kit 10mm (1J0412311A)
-one cv boot joint is broken - replace with silicon cv boot joint
-all plastic parts are covered with some rubber paint witch was disgusting and not looking god at all (like your rear ash tray but all over the car) - dismantle all of that including lower dash board part, central console side cover caps where the fuses are - soak them in liquid perfume for car interiors clean them with a soft brush, apply Kent plastic rejuvenatior for black plastic and put everything back
-replace obsolete car stereo - I put some sony bluetooth and usb unit but you can go with RCN210 for an oem look
-one rear speaker not working - replace both rear door speakers with Hertz kit (adaptors rins, tweeters, plugs) - good bass, great high, no voice - fix membrane on the oem one and back to oem plus dedicated subwoofer enclosure plus amp
-boot lit handle broken - fix the rust lip, replace gasket and handle
-boot won't lock - replace the actuator
-boot light don't work - replace the wires section inside rubber tube - now it works but is always on, replace the boot lock (broken switch)
-rear doors won't lock or unlock, drivers door barely locks and sometimes won't unlock - replace doors actuators with aftermarket ones cause oem are insanely expensive, unfortunately these are not exactly the same in terms of electrical circuits and the lock doors from inside is not working - cut them all open and replace the oem motors with the new aftermarket ones keeping the rest of gears and pcb original - now works flawless
-rear window washer and wiper is broken and leaks washer fluid inside boot lid area - replace motor assembly, replace broken hose and fitments
-windscreen wipers move slow even at high speed - remove entire assembly, check the motor (ok) dismantle all, clean grease replace grommets and put back all
-windscreen wipers are skipping, jumping across the glass surface - replace new wipers and clean and grease the arms joints, also tilt them slightly inwords
And that was ALL
The most expensive job was the clutch - parts and label, the rest was homework - you can find everything you need on TH-cam in great details.
Being such an old and popular car the parts are cheap, well not all OE parts are cheap but surely respectable aftermarket brands are affordable, not to mention the sh market junkyards and so on and there is a lot of documentation - for example:
A friend retrofited for me heated front seats using oem buttons (thay are actually more than on/off switches), oem plugs, and of cause oem electrical diagram but aftermarket heat mash tweaked to work with original controllers IN MY ORIGINAL NON HEATED SEATS - so we remove the seats from the car and tear them apart to the last bolt. Then we have to build the electrical harness and make all the connections in the fuse box oem style. Was not easy but it was fun and if we broke something it wouldn't be the end of the world. Yet they turn out great plus I could clean them properly and grease the rails and so on before throw them back into the car. Now I was thinking to put heated back seats also :)
Future plans, what I still want to do:
-Not very happy with brake rotors (Delphi) so I will replace all of them with Rotinger
-Underneath there are some parts that are quite rusty and worn I suspect still original ones so I will replace them all, don't know the names in English so I let the part numbers:
1J0199313A, 1J0411305E, 1J0407365J, 1J0407366J, 1J0407151A, 1J0411315E, 1J0422812B, 1J0422811B
Now all that heavy metal parts are painted by factory however I can see even the original ones have a thin layer of paint that won't last at salty and wet roads with dirt and rock and god knows what else so I will cover them with everything I can to prevent rust - chelade, eopxy 2 component paint, teroson, wax, cavity wax and where is possible sandblast and electrostatic paint cause this was and still is a weak point at vw...
Oh and having a diesel engine I will clean the intake and check the EGR valve cause yes I still have it :)
I had the same problem with my golf gl where it would go into limp mode and after messing with it a bunch I replaced the cam position censor and that solved the problem so I might have to do with a censor of some sort
Hi, what was the beep ? Mine is mow beeping with the yelow tank icon, ....looks like the same, you know how to fix the problem ?
I also recently renewed the egr valve and also the rpm sensor.
Greetz Alexander
My 2001 GT TDi has a Nokia hands free system in behind the centre console I removed it when wired 2 usb ports into the centre console
If goes into limp mode like my pd130. Normally on full acceleration in 6th gear. Was the turbo vanes. Basically car boosting to muxh and is clogged. So ecu shuts it down. Got it carbon cleaned runs like a dream
Good to know!
The 1.6 is N/A
2:52 MUST be a spec issue. My GTI has all 3🤣 seat pockets, rear door car holder, 2 rear cup holders and even a rear ash tray 🤣
Your blend door for your heat and air conditioning is probably rotted away at this point. New foam or aluminum duct tape should do the trick.. you have to take apart the dash to do it though 😅
Cup holders, air-conditioning! How decadent 😅! My golf mk4 1.4 16v E has none of this and I can't car less. A great every day hack and I love that some of the maintenance and repairs you can attempt at home.
My old golf 4 1.6 had the exact same throttle body issue, i replaced it. Never had another issue since
Glad to hear (that it's fixed)!
Great video. I had a 2001 gold 1.6 auto back in 06-10 and was my best car. The worst thing that went wrong was an oxygen sensor which caused the car to keep accelerating on its own, but also randomly cutting out all of a sudden while driving. Didn't cost much to fix thankfully, but apart from that a great car. It had the front cup holders (which are crap like you said) but none in the back. Mine did come with a cd player, but I replaced it with a Sony one so I could play MP3 files and cdr discs.
Thank you! Ahh yeah, not ideal but at least it wasn't too expensive! Agreed, they're great cars!
@@RHanson. looking back, I wish I had kept it, but I traded it on a mark 5 diesel manual. It handled so much better, so I bought it, but really my car only needed new shocks , brakes and timing belt replacement ,but otherwise was in great nick and run well with 200k (km) on it when I traded it.
@@roborbob2913 Ahh I see, nice to have the slightly newer car still perhaps.... At least you stuck with the Golf!
@@RHanson. I seem to always go back to VW's lol. I now have a 2010 Tiguan which has been good, but is well known to have problems 🤣
@roborbob2913 That'll be me in a few years 😂. Ahh I quite like the Tiguan tbf, shame about the issues tho!!
personally i'd say the cupholders are pretty good, especially compared to my e39
nr 1 put a radio din2
nr2 buy the rear cup holders ...
nr3 just get a better suspetions and make a reprogramation is fun to drive i have one 1.9 150cv i love it
nr4 ac yeh ac is broken i need to change mine too
How did you fix the motorlaamp and the 2 other alarms
Loved the Beatles CD in the glovebox
An addition from my dad, a brilliant collection of songs it must be said! Also love the vids, I've watched a good few now
hi, im currently driving vw golf 4 and the problem of having the car loose power with the throttle and get it back while on the way as you described is something im also experiencing.. Please can you tell me how you fixed the issue? I have been looking for how to resolve this issue. Please help. Playtime : 6:07 (Throttle)
Hello! For me I had to have a new throttle body put in. I had to take it to a VW specialist to get it diagnosed, if you have one near you that may be the best bet. Cheers!
awesome thanks. I will try this this coming saturday. I have a vw specialist near me. @@RHanson.
The 3rd beep took me out 💀
my mk4 tdi has ice cold a/c your needs some maintenance if it not cold
How’s the piston slap? And does yours burn oil? I really wanna get one.
Haven't noticed any piston slap and it goes through oil suprisingly slowly!
Stay away from the 1.4 16v. Get the 1.9 TDi
@@peterjesswilliams3671what’s wrong with the 1.4
@@oq_pz Most likely you will be buying it from someone who didn't maintain it properly, regular oil changes are kind of important for petrol vw
@@oq_pzvery underpowered for its capacity, poor fuel economy and they suffer with excess oil consumption
Golf 4 never out dated actually thats the beauty in it that it is 19 year old..
So there are no problems, great.
That probably should have been my conclusion lol
4:21 I mean it's really fun to drive but the with right engine like the 1.8t or any vr5 or vr6 or even the 2.0 .
Vr6 here. Love it. Im sad i didnt get a turbo, but its plenty enough for some fun!
@@connerrlee5209 it's much way better the vr6 has a special sound only made in vw , but still cleans my ears so it's much way better than the turbo , you can even get a supercharger kit or a turbo one , so win win .
I’ve got a 03 1.9TDI match
My air con is icy🥶
An icy aircon to match an icy car 🥶
Does anyone 1:54 know why my golf 4 1.8 GTI jerks and stalls, feels like petrol is not getting through, it shudders and smells bad - this is al intermittent - mechanic has replaced the fuel pump and fuel filter - didn't help
Old cars never die
The biggest problem with your Golf : The steering wheel on the wrong side...!!!!
Hahahah, not at all sir... It is very much on the correct side!!
If your ac doesnt work well maybe its empty or the pump is broken if the pump is broken buy one from a scrap yard and get it installed
And about losing power it can be your egr valve being messed up or it can be you get some oil in your coils check your coils if there is oil if there is your valve cover gasket might be done and needs to be glued again
Please Define the "Its not fun to drive" , i want to hear the options on why is that ur statment, based on what?
I was expecting this to be a video about faults/issues and not design problems or those because of lack of maintenance. Oh well.
Tragic
@@RHanson. It certainly was
There are cupholders in the back. They are just sticky. You need to get a flat screwdriver and tuck it out, or a knife.
I likey
Grazie Mille!
Mk4 golf/Bora is a great car
Agreed!
no sh*t its bad u have a 1.6l petrol one would be great if it was 1.9tdi u would enjoy it then
It isn't bad, I do enjoy it yukie. Tho yes the 1.9L is the best engine, I can't afford the insurance
Ok Nicolas Cage
Don't get it I'm afraid
Does anybody else have to keep replacing the damn transmission on this damn car :(
the last 3 problems are skill issue
Your Air con needs gasing up. You can do it yourself. Loads of vids on YT.
Thanks for the tip, will do!
@@RHanson. Youre welcome.You might get better BT reception with one that uses the cassette player. No idea thou :). You can certainly get a better on than you have.
And get a used genuine drinks holder. Can't cost much.
@@khaz606 Probably so! :)
@@RHanson. While you here, if you want a more modern feeling ride, get the largest tyres mentioned in the petrol cap. A tyre shop or breakers might swap you. And ask for a good odb2 reader for Christmas and get a cheap one in the meantime :). It could last you years, like mine. Have fun!
😊
I had a 2L version of this. Crashy suspension, drank fuel, unreliable electrics, clunky pedals. Absolute Shit Box.
Yeah that sucks, neither of us have the best engines... I'd probably get the 1.9L if I was to do it again (if I could afford the insurance).
It was only 4 years old when I bought it and I had it for 12 years. Conversely the drivetrain and engine were bullet proof and it never left me stranded. Unlike a Peugeot 308 that I have (Puretech engine, i.e Purecrap) that is great on fuel but that HAS left me stranded and drinks oil. Take your pick really. I've got no faith in Euro cars anymore.@@RHanson.
Buy a Toyota if you do not want these petty annoying problems. That's what I shall do after running a VW Tiguan MK2 for 8 years.
its a 1.6 lol what u expect hahaha
dude a PLAIN golf mk4 is indeed boring... you dont understand to have a old vag product.. lower it tiny bit, nice fitting bigger wheels.. your oem radio could fit a bluetooth dongle... no stupid fm transmitter.. iff you check mine? i asure you mind wil blow. also it was a boring golf 4. not anymore an everyting is factory oem...
I don't really have the money to do anything other than maintain it at the moment, would love to start modding it one day though!
@@RHanson. go to some scrapyards.. also content for your chanel mabe? used parst? facebook mabe? its a golf mark 4.. plus 20 years old.. new parts are indeed expencive...
@@michellehavik2023 Good idea!
@@RHanson. GOOD! mabe i could sometimes help? i am a mecannic BUT from holland.. good luck making contents
It’s also a 1.6… gutless little thing. Not like the 180hp AWP 1.8ts we got in the states.
Tell me u know nothing about cars without telling me you know nothing about cars 😅 this video is pointless
Round Sheep