Hello all - looking at an mk3

[BigWillieStyles]

Name: Mr Anonymous:p
Location: Melbourne
Golf Model: None :D
How I found VWgolf: >D

Hello all,

my first car was an mk1 Diesel golf, the car just kept going>D My folks also own a new TDI.

I am now looking for a car for my wife and me to drive around. I am planning on doing a lot of highway kms. Ive been overseas for a few years and dont have a great budget. We have been checking a few different cars out. Looked at a couple of civics today which didnt live up to my expectations. I also looked at a mk3 GL golf (auto) which was definitely the stronger pick. I have a few questions.

The car seem to have a slight shake at around 100km/h on the freeway, is this just wheel balancing? The car is lowered.

Is there anything to look out for with the mk3? Are they pretty solid mechanically?

Thanks

Will

[h100vw]

MK3s are pretty solid in my experience, I have an Ibiza which is mechanically very similar. The coil is a weak link, not expensive if they do fail, just leave you somewhere miles from home usually.

Front wishbone rear bushes are made of a very special exceedingly weak type of rubber, I would be willing to bet $50 that they need to be replaced.

I'd have the balance checked or maybe swap the wheels front to back and see if it stops wobbling. Also check the tyres are actually round and not mis-shaped.

Gavin

[AP]

Welcome Will,
I've had three VR6 golfs and found them to be awesome !! You should be able to pick up a cheap one these days.. Good luck

[SUGA]

Welcome BigWillie!

[Frenchie]

Another Bigwillie ! welcome on the forum.

[Jig]

Hello. You must be BigWill's bigger brother. Welcome.

[schoona]

Plenty of big dick on this forum :p

Go with the VR6 Will, if oyu are going to be replacing/maintaing an older car, you may as well have fun too :) Can be had for good money too, as Anthony said.

[BigWillieStyles]

Thanks guys,

What ever I get, the car will have to be an auto anyway. Im looking for a daily for my wife to drive and also me, so performance isnt really number one. I want something that wont break down any time soon.

Im the original Bigwilliestyles

[VR53KS]

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=8518741&__sid=12618721B073&__Qpb=true&Cr=0&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32%7c1%7c%7cpCar_PriceSort_D ecimal%7c1%7c%7cpCar_Make_String%7c0%7c%7cpCar_Mod el_String%7c0&keywords=&__N=1216%201247%201282%201252%201246%204294962746% 204294962677%204294932694&seot=1&__Nne=15&trecs=15&silo=1011

There you go, good as gold and considerably cheap ;) Mk3s might have the occasional hiccup and speed bump in their reliability scale, but are notoriously hard to kill and won't break down and die on you. Good luck with it is all I can say, keep us posted :)

[h100vw]

If you are looking for a cheap one to run, be very choosy with a VR6. Depends what you are used to in the terms of fuel consumption but a 2 litre will be a fair bit better than a VR.

The MK3 is hard to break permanently though.

Gavin

[BigWillieStyles]

If you are looking for a cheap one to run, be very choosy with a VR6. Depends what you are used to in the terms of fuel consumption but a 2 litre will be a fair bit better than a VR.

The MK3 is hard to break permanently though.

Gavin

yeah thats partly why I thought a Golf would be a good choice, fuel consumption! Plus they also have reasonable safety features for an older car. Do these cars sit on the freeway ok?

[h100vw]

yeah thats partly why I thought a Golf would be a good choice, fuel consumption! Plus they also have reasonable safety features for an older car. Do these cars sit on the freeway ok?

They are designed to run the length and breadth of Germany, much faster than you are allowed to go in Australia. I have owned lots of VWs with the same 2 litre engine, mainly Passat wagons. They will happily sit at 160kmh as long as you can stay awake. I have had several MK3 GTIs the 8V which is the same as the GL here except the suspension goes just as well. Easy to get 40mpg at 100-110kmh, I ran my MK3 16V GTI from Manchester to London at 160Kmh one saturday morning, that still did 30mpg.

Like I said earlier, front wishbone bushes, window regulators, if you have electrics and sometime heater matrix's are about the biggest problems you are likely to see.

Gavin

[VR53KS]

They are designed to run the length and breadth of Germany, much faster than you are allowed to go in Australia. I have owned lots of VWs with the same 2 litre engine, mainly Passat wagons. They will happily sit at 160kmh as long as you can stay awake. I have had several MK3 GTIs the 8V which is the same as the GL here except the suspension goes just as well. Easy to get 40mpg at 100-110kmh, I ran my MK3 16V GTI from Manchester to London at 160Kmh one saturday morning, that still did 30mpg.

Like I said earlier, front wishbone bushes, window regulators, if you have electrics and sometime heater matrix's are about the biggest problems you are likely to see.

Gavin


Suppose I'll add to this in a more meaningful and mature manner rather than just yell out "VR6!!!" :lol:

Window regulators - VW decided that plastic was a good enough material to make them with, and as such they simply snap randomly. You've got the choice of either spending about $300 to get a mechanic to put a VW OEM item in, or it can be done for as little as $80 if you order one off Ebay and do it yourself. As such, finding a Mk3 with normal winders will be easier on your wallet, and only slightly more difficult to live with. Good compromise I'd say :)

Heater core - Also common to mess up. I'm not sure on the specifics but it's a bloody PITA to get it done. For a workshop to fix it will cost you around $1200, but most of that is in the labour. Very complicated job deep down in the engine bay, requires the removal of many body parts and the dashboard. It'll take about $200 just to buy the part needed, and about three days to do it all if you've never had a go before.

ABS - Another common fault, ABS is gone on just about every Mk3. Not really something to worry about unless you instinctively slam the brake pedal a lot, this shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Not sure on the repair costs and all but failure can be down to as little as a dud wheel sensor, to the entire module letting go.

I could continue rattling off faults and hazards for you (as I've done with someone else - hi Brendan :lol:) but that would just be mean of me. Mk3s, although oddly unreliable, have an urgency to just keep going and will be a good car! :)

[Tim]

If youre looking for a simple run about for the mrs then a Golf 3 GL is a good option.

Whilst a VR6 is a fun car and I love mine to bits they are NOT cheap, reliable, overly comfortable, or anything your wife will want in a daily driver. ESPECIALLY if you want an Auto. Those things are ticking time bombs on a VR6 with rebuilds costing thousands.

GLs like the one you are looking at are quite bomb proof with plenty of spares available at "reasonable" cost. Even consider the 1.8CL its pretty gutless but lower spec so less to go wrong. Excellent shopping trolley. As with any car that is 15+ years old. Be prepared to spend a little bit of money keeping it going as stuff will surely pop up.

[Kooki]

[QUOTE=Tim;16943]If youre looking for a simple run about for the mrs then a Golf 3 GL is a good option.

All good except if the mrs likes to have some fun too!!

[Capercat]

[QUOTE=Tim;16943]If youre looking for a simple run about for the mrs then a Golf 3 GL is a good option.

All good except if the mrs likes to have some fun too!!

Not enough room in the back seat of a MK3 ;)

[Kooki]

[QUOTE=Kooki;16955]

Not enough room in the back seat of a MK3 ;)

Naughty, naughty Capercat. Not what I meant!

[Capercat]

hehe,

[Tim]

[QUOTE=Kooki;16955]

Not enough room in the back seat of a MK3 ;)

Actually the seats fold flat in a mk3 unlike the mk5/6 so there is plenty of room :D

But yeah. Jokes aside! VR6 is a great car but they are not cheap to own.

[AP]

Now we have a lot if bigwillies on here!!!!! :)

[Kooki]

VR6 is a great car but they are not cheap to own.[/QUOTE]

Expensive repairs or fuel?? Both?

I have owned my MK3 for just 3mths I have spent nearly $2K in repairs (not including service) which is about 4 mths of monthly repayments on my previous Pug 206. I am sure it is worth it in the long run.

[Tim]

expensive repairs. Fuel isnt too bad. You can get 10L/100kms if you drive sedate. My VR6 averages about 13L/100kms but I flog the abosolute life out of the thing.

heres a couple of examples of what you can expect from a mk3 VR6 that has between 150,000 - 200,000kms on it.

* replacement clutch $1800 including labour (most places quote 8 hours labour to remove & refit the gearbox)
* replace timing chain guides $1800 including labour (gearbox out so better do the clutch at the same time which brings the price closer to $2500)
* Replacement heater core $800 (Full dash out job - if the car has no history of it being replaced it will need to be done soon. They usually last about 10 years)
* window regulators are about $130 each. (can replace yourself but expect to pay $100 for someone else to fit one for you as its a Fiddly job)
* Auto gearboxes like to shit themselves and can cost up to $4000 to repair.
* Manual gearboxes like to sheer diff rivets if the car has been driven hard $1500 for second hand gearbox plus fitting (can happen on any golf but VR6s tend to live a harder life especially as they have fallen into the hands of young hoons.)
* Ignition leads cost $400 for a set from VW or $150 for decent after market
* Spark plugs $70 - $80 for a set of 6
* many many plastic parts and hoses in the engine bay which get brittle over time as the VR6 engine generates a lot of heat. $500 for a silicone hose kit plus a constant battle to replace the plastics as they crack. VW like to charge big bucks for anything VW specific in the engine bay.
* Fuel pumps die after about 150,000 - 200,000kms $400 for OEM or $750 from VW to replace
* Coilpacks crack and leak spark $400 - $800 to replace depending on where you source it
* ABS pumps on early cars tends to fail. Can cost thousands to fix.
* Cruise control systems pack up and need to be resoldered.
* CV joints tend to wear out quicker on the VR6 as well. Most likely due to increased power, weight, track.

So yeah anyways.. Cool cars but can get expensive very quickly as some poor guy on vwwatercooled found out recently when he had an auto trans fail and then not long after had Mr Piston meet Mr Valve. Ended up having to spend close to the value of the car in repairs.

[Kooki]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get a new car. All you pay are the repayments and nil on repairs.

[Capercat]

expensive repairs. Fuel isnt too bad. You can get 10L/100kms if you drive sedate. My VR6 averages about 13L/100kms but I flog the abosolute life out of the thing.

heres a couple of examples of what you can expect from a mk3 VR6 that has between 150,000 - 200,000kms on it.

* replacement clutch $1800 including labour (most places quote 8 hours labour to remove & refit the gearbox)
* replace timing chain guides $1800 including labour (gearbox out so better do the clutch at the same time which brings the price closer to $2500)
* Replacement heater core $800 (Full dash out job - if the car has no history of it being replaced it will need to be done soon. They usually last about 10 years)
* window regulators are about $130 each. (can replace yourself but expect to pay $100 for someone else to fit one for you as its a Fiddly job)
* Auto gearboxes like to shit themselves and can cost up to $4000 to repair.
* Manual gearboxes like to sheer diff rivets if the car has been driven hard $1500 for second hand gearbox plus fitting (can happen on any golf but VR6s tend to live a harder life especially as they have fallen into the hands of young hoons.)
* Ignition leads cost $400 for a set from VW or $150 for decent after market
* Spark plugs $70 - $80 for a set of 6
* many many plastic parts and hoses in the engine bay which get brittle over time as the VR6 engine generates a lot of heat. $500 for a silicone hose kit plus a constant battle to replace the plastics as they crack. VW like to charge big bucks for anything VW specific in the engine bay.
* Fuel pumps die after about 150,000 - 200,000kms $400 for OEM or $750 from VW to replace
* Coilpacks crack and leak spark $400 - $800 to replace depending on where you source it
* ABS pumps on early cars tends to fail. Can cost thousands to fix.
* Cruise control systems pack up and need to be resoldered.
* CV joints tend to wear out quicker on the VR6 as well. Most likely due to increased power, weight, track.

So yeah anyways.. Cool cars but can get expensive very quickly as some poor guy on vwwatercooled found out recently when he had an auto trans fail and then not long after had Mr Piston meet Mr Valve. Ended up having to spend close to the value of the car in repairs.

This surely isn't a sell job on a MK3, interesting read though.

[BigWillieStyles]

VR6 is a great car but they are not cheap to own.



Expensive repairs or fuel?? Both?

I have owned my MK3 for just 3mths I have spent nearly $2K in repairs (not including service) which is about 4 mths of monthly repayments on my previous Pug 206. I am sure it is worth it in the long run.

What went wrong?


expensive repairs. Fuel isnt too bad. You can get 10L/100kms if you drive sedate. My VR6 averages about 13L/100kms but I flog the abosolute life out of the thing.

heres a couple of examples of what you can expect from a mk3 VR6 that has between 150,000 - 200,000kms on it.

* replacement clutch $1800 including labour (most places quote 8 hours labour to remove & refit the gearbox)
* replace timing chain guides $1800 including labour (gearbox out so better do the clutch at the same time which brings the price closer to $2500)
* Replacement heater core $800 (Full dash out job - if the car has no history of it being replaced it will need to be done soon. They usually last about 10 years)
* window regulators are about $130 each. (can replace yourself but expect to pay $100 for someone else to fit one for you as its a Fiddly job)
* Auto gearboxes like to shit themselves and can cost up to $4000 to repair.
* Manual gearboxes like to sheer diff rivets if the car has been driven hard $1500 for second hand gearbox plus fitting (can happen on any golf but VR6s tend to live a harder life especially as they have fallen into the hands of young hoons.)
* Ignition leads cost $400 for a set from VW or $150 for decent after market
* Spark plugs $70 - $80 for a set of 6
* many many plastic parts and hoses in the engine bay which get brittle over time as the VR6 engine generates a lot of heat. $500 for a silicone hose kit plus a constant battle to replace the plastics as they crack. VW like to charge big bucks for anything VW specific in the engine bay.
* Fuel pumps die after about 150,000 - 200,000kms $400 for OEM or $750 from VW to replace
* Coilpacks crack and leak spark $400 - $800 to replace depending on where you source it
* ABS pumps on early cars tends to fail. Can cost thousands to fix.
* Cruise control systems pack up and need to be resoldered.
* CV joints tend to wear out quicker on the VR6 as well. Most likely due to increased power, weight, track.

So yeah anyways.. Cool cars but can get expensive very quickly as some poor guy on vwwatercooled found out recently when he had an auto trans fail and then not long after had Mr Piston meet Mr Valve. Ended up having to spend close to the value of the car in repairs.

Maybe the golf isnt for me :0

The redbook claims the GL can get 6L/100km.