Hello, you'll probably be seeing quite a lot of me!

[jetpacjimmy]

I've just bought myself a 1.6 GTD that's been standing for a year...it's been put through an MOT so I'm hoping that it's solid and it drive quite nicely but already a couple of things are bugging me.  

The glow plugs seem to take a long time to heat up...how long should I expect to sit there on a normal day (not cold) before the light goes out?  At the moment it seems to be about 15-20 seconds or so.  Does this mean the glowplugs need replacing or am I just being impatient?

When on the motorway there's quite a loud constant noise coming from the nearside, it gets louder as the speed increases but doesn't sound engine or exhaust related.  Could this be wheel bearings?  I've heard that golfs are quite bad for that.  Is changing them (or greasing them) a job an enthusiastic amateur can carry out?

I think that's about it for now...I need to change the oil and all the filters, look at the cambelt, give it a good clean, and remedy the rust (nothing compared to my MGB!)  And apart from the last two, I have no idea where to start!  Which manual would you recomend?

Cheers for any help you can give.  

Oh yeah, before I forget, hopefully it'll be running on Biodiesel in the near future...are the fuel hoses natural rubber?  Will they need replacing?

thanks  J

[cipo28]

I've just bought myself a 1.6 GTD that's been standing for a year...it's been put through an MOT so I'm hoping that it's solid and it drive quite nicely but already a couple of things are bugging me.  

The glow plugs seem to take a long time to heat up...how long should I expect to sit there on a normal day (not cold) before the light goes out?  At the moment it seems to be about 15-20 seconds or so.  Does this mean the glowplugs need replacing or am I just being impatient?

When on the motorway there's quite a loud constant noise coming from the nearside, it gets louder as the speed increases but doesn't sound engine or exhaust related.  Could this be wheel bearings?  I've heard that golfs are quite bad for that.  Is changing them (or greasing them) a job an enthusiastic amateur can carry out?

I think that's about it for now...I need to change the oil and all the filters, look at the cambelt, give it a good clean, and remedy the rust (nothing compared to my MGB!)  And apart from the last two, I have no idea where to start!  Which manual would you recomend?

Cheers for any help you can give.  

Oh yeah, before I forget, hopefully it'll be running on Biodiesel in the near future...are the fuel hoses natural rubber?  Will they need replacing?

thanks  J

...if there is no leak(re:fuel hoses) so don't worry! That noise could be the wheel bearings, or tires, or could be the break rotors.

Good luck.

[cipo28]

...oops, forgot the glow plugs, usualy takes about 5-8 sec., maybe could be one or more in fault, you can check each one by hand, take out the bar which connect them, and with a multimeter check the glow plug resistance (between electrod and engine block) - must be around 0.5-0.8 ohmi! If is bigger than this, then replace it.
Also, check the glow plugs fuse link, is located somewhere under hood, near firewall- value 50A.

have a good day!
 

[jetpacjimmy]

thanks cipo

are the glow plugs easy to change on a mk2?  is it just like replacing the spark plugs?

[Patrick]

Tough to get at is all. YOu may not need to though. Sounds to me like your car has the slow glow plugs and relay. Two different setups were used, slow glow and fast glow. YOu can figure out if they're all working with an ammeter. four slow glows at 9 amps each or four fast at 12(I think). Should have a total draw of 36 or 48 amps respectively. You can change it out for fast ones, but you need to have the matching relay too.

[toomanycars]

G'day.
Yes, the noise could be a front wheel bearing. Wheel bearing noise is often difficult to track down. In front wheel drive cars the CV joints and transmission drag make it even harder to detect any roughness in a worn bearing. You can jack each wheel and rotate it. Feel and listen for roughness. The bearings should be pressed out and in. Don't use a hammer and drift as the risk of damage is too great.  To replace a bearing you need to remove the hub. This can be done without disturbing the brake hydraulics.
The best manual to get is the "Bentleys". I bought mine on ebay and it's 1000x better than the 'Autobooks" manual I got from the UK. Your car should have fast plugs (<1981 in Oz) and your cycle time sounds OK for them. For info on how to check them go to  http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels/diesel_training/diesel_training.html
All of your questions will be answered!
You've bought a fine car. Enjoy it.

[fspGTD]

When on the motorway there's quite a loud constant noise coming from the nearside, it gets louder as the speed increases but doesn't sound engine or exhaust related.  Could this be wheel bearings?  I've heard that golfs are quite bad for that.  Is changing them (or greasing them) a job an enthusiastic amateur can carry out?

Yes but you will need to rent a special tool that can press the wheel bearings out of the steering knuckle while leaving the steering knuckle installed in the car.  That is a good way to go versus removing the steering knuckles, as you don't need to re-set your wheel alignment afterward.  A pic of the type of tool I am talking about:


source:
http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?sourceid=googletirewheel&dept%5Fid=500&pf%5Fid=58924&mscssid=A92CNGRS2VWH8GB5KNA10A9KKAW2BPB8


You also may have a tough time getting the outer wheel bearing race removed from the hub, especially if the bearing race was spun on the hub, in which case they can get really stuck.  A proper sized puller that fits into the grooves of the hub that are behind the race may work, but in a worse case scenario where the race is spun and really stuck on there, you may have to resort to using a grinder and/or oxy-acetylene cutting torch to get the race off the hub.  If all else fails and you damage the hub getting the race off, keep in mind that new A1 VW hubs are available at VERY REASONABLE prices (I found them for $25 US).  You might decide at the beginning you'd rather just buy 2 new hubs and not even bother with the old ones!  Good luck...