CTH & gti 2 week thoughts

[richycreations]

It has almost been two weeks since we picked up our new my13 polo gti and wanted to give my thoughts on the car and new CTH engine progress.

Engine: after 1200km on the clock now I have taken a few observations and wanting any new my13 CTH engine owners to confirm the following.

*oil consumption: Even though 1200km isn't much yesterday I pulled out the dipstick and it is still at the top oil line and hasn't seemed to chew any oil yet (fingers crossed). Also the oil is still crystal clear and looks like new out of The bottle.

*exhaust dust build up, this may or may not be caused from oil consumption but yesterday I washed the car for the first time and there was no evidence of exhaust dust over the back bar. Nor any black build up on the exhaust tips.

Fuel line rattle: although nothing extreme that you can hear normally. Yesterday I was driving beside and barricaded wall and in high gears 5th and 6th at low speeds under medium to high throttle I could slightly hear a feint rattle between 2k to 3.5k rpm. This can only be heard with the windows down and next to a wall with very carfull listening. The car has been booked into vw on Wednesday morning to be checked.

Thoughts on the car (good): quiet comfortable to drive for a daily driver, seats are firm and have a lot of adjustment. Interior is clean and labeled well, steering wheel is chunky but feels great. The aircon is cold as hell, dsg does its job accordingly and have had no false neutrals nor hesitations. The car is quiet to drive with the windows up and the sound system isn't to shabby even streaming music through the mfd Bluetooth. Vision is great but am not used to parking with no boot hanging out. The engine has plenty of power for a 1.4 and low gear high throttle is not necessary to climb hills with all the torque available at low rpms.

Thoughts on the car (bad): torque steer seems to be quiet servere especially when cornering and accelerating. Never though I would ever say this about a car but I feel that the car has a little too much power down low for a small car. Which is a major factor to torque steer, wheel spin/chirping at sub 4k rpm 1st to 2nd shifts at decent throttle. All of the above may factor in to high front tyre wear in the future. Also the dsg shifts are really sharp/hard in low gears with decent throttle. Although only minor I wish the passenger side mirror was bowed at the end like the driver side is, and the car seems to take so long to warm up front a cold start compared to our previous vehicles (atleast 15 mins).

That's all I can think of off the top of my head after only having the car for a very short period. Note that a lot of these things were not able to be looked at previous to purchase because at the time the dealership had no gti's in stock to test drive so we drove the 77tsi polo and the 118tsi golf and kinda put 2 & 2 together upon pre order.

[j123]

Although still early days, your progress is good to hear.
Can I ask how you've been running in the car, if you've been running it in at all?

[gavs]

What you think is torque steer, isn't really torque steer. Tell me, does it happen turning both left and right? Does it try an tug the wheel out of your hands, if so which way?

[richycreations]

Although still early days, your progress is good to hear.
Can I ask how you've been running in the car, if you've been running it in at all?

Sure, well from the second we picked it up at the dealership first and most important the car has always been warmed up before driven (water to 90 and oil a minimum of 75-80 before driven) once warmed up the car is driven 1/4 throttle until oil is at 95+. I take the same route everyday no highways on the way just 60-80 zones. For the first 500km the car was driven between 1/4 to 1/2 throttle every gear till 4k rpm. Also when coming to a stop gears are shifted down to engine break. Down gearing to keep revs between 3.5k to 2.5k with minimal breaking when possible. If I was in no traffic and maintaining a certain speed say 80km once the car car was in 7th for more then 20 seconds I'd shift down to 6th, then 5th, 4th then back to 5th, 6th and 7th continuously. Even though maintaining speed just keeping the revs and throttle varying.

Once past 500km it was mostly the same but driving a lot more in sport/manual modes doing 1/2 to 3/4 throttles once fully warmed up. I do limit 1st gear to 1/2 throttle then 1/2 to 3/4 for the rest. And down gearing a little more aggressively. Also been driving at say 80km in 7th and slowing down a little and full throttling it to put the engine under decent load in high gear. Also do this alot 6th in say a 60-70km zone.

Now that I'm over 1000km I do everything I was doing before, perhaps 3/4 throttle in 1st but still short shifting into 2nd say 5.5k rpm and do a few full throttles through the gears when possible a few times a day. Have been on the highway a few times but only short trips varying load and gears along the way.

So far so good I guess. Since I'm a smoker it makes waiting for the car to warm up less painfull. Also if it's a hot day and the oil goes around 100, once I park downstairs in the basement I will hop out have a smoke and let the oil temp cool down say to 90-92, then turn it off. Won't always be doing this just for a 1st month especially if it's really hot and I have given it a decent squirt before I get home.

[richycreations]

What you think is torque steer, isn't really torque steer. Tell me, does it happen turning both left and right? Does it try an tug the wheel out of your hands, if so which way?

It does happen both ways more to the left then the right though. Also wants to pull to the left from a stop when accelerating in 1st off the line under decent acceleration.

Is this not torque steer? Is it the "diff lock".

Also something you may know off. The traction control light it will come on once a while but not solid just flickers is this it coming on and off really fast as it needs it when it loses traction?

[gavs]

Yep, you got it

[jayc29u]

Also something you may know off. The traction control light it will come on once a while but not solid just flickers is this it coming on and off really fast as it needs it when it loses traction?

This just means traction control is being used, it flickers for safety to tell you its currently being used. When its off on the tacho side there is a similar symbol that shows an off under it.

[richycreations]

This just means traction control is being used, it flickers for safety to tell you its currently being used. When its off on the tacho side there is a similar symbol that shows an off under it.

Fair enough, never had traction control before and I'm finding it really irritating. I read that even when it's off its still kinda on.

[Lemonskin]

I used feel it had a little too much power. But you learn to drive around it a bit. It's incredible how hard the thing can kick out of a low speed corner, especially in sport mode. Mad fun!

[prcurrie]

I used feel it had a little too much power. But you learn to drive around it a bit. It's incredible how hard the thing can kick out of a low speed corner, especially in sport mode. Mad fun!

It's nice to actually read someone that is enthusiastic about the car (still)!!! I'm just bitter these days.

Fingers crossed for you mate you don't have any issues!