Cam Follower

~57000 miles

The 2.0 T FSI has had a couple of issues with the high pressure fuel pump failing.  The problems can mostly be traced back to either a worn cam follower, worn cam or both.  The issue seems to be hit or miss with the BPY engine.  This follower here has approximately 57,000 miles on it and has no abnormal wear.  Other cars have have much higher wear rates at lower mileages.

There are two cam revisions, A and B. The A cams supposedly received incorrect hardening. Having the B cam reduces the risk of wear, but having the revised cam does not make you immune to the issue either.  Volkswagen has issued a TSB for it and if your engine is affected, they will replace the cams, fuel pump and follower with updated parts as long as you are still under the warranty. If your car is affected, symptoms include a possible check engine light, fuel cuts, and loss of power.  Some dealers will not check until a check engine light appears.

The 2008 and up GTI has a revised engine known as the 2.0 TSI.  This engine uses a roller follower for the high pressure fuel pump and the issue is no longer a problem.

Cam follower information links:

Cam follower check

Maintenance Page

Troubleshooting

PSA: Oil Changes

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(Disclaimer: These comments are my educated opinions!)

DO NOT skimp on the oil changes on this car.  A direct injection engine is very hard on engine oil.  The TFSI motor chews up most oils by the 5000 mile mark.  The factory recommended oil change interval is 10,000 miles, although they may have changed that after the advent of cam follower problems.  In my opinion, the oil will not protect the motor past 5000 miles.  The oil required is a VW 502.00 approved synthetic oil.  Many dealerships do not put the appropriate oil and throw in Castrol 5w-30 instead of the approved 5w-40.  Castrol 5w-40 is not that great of an oil to begin with.  If you can get it, I recommend Lubro-moly 5w-40.  The BMW guys love it and it has shown promise in protection against fuel dilution.  Many NAPA parts stores stock it.  Amsoil Euro 5w-40  is a popular performance choice although not 502.00 approved.  Some guys love it.  I tried it before but my motor ran through more of that than any other oil.  I don’t see anything wrong with using it though, it seems like a tough enough oil.  Mobil 1 0w-40 is another popular one and should serve you well.

If you don’t do oil changes yourself, pick the oil and bring it to the dealer.  At least you know what is going into the engine.

In short, change your oil at 5000 miles max in this motor.  For a forum full of oil junkies, go to this site!

5/25/2011

Lubromoly 5w-40 has since changed their formula and I no longer think it is as good as it once was.  Lubromoly 0w-40 is an alternative.

Cheaper Oil Filter

Part Number CH9911

Oil filters from the dealership are getting pricey.  The closest dealership (Century Volkswagen in Glendale) now wants 20 dollars. Ridiculous.  So an ever helpful woman at Kragen shows me some filters and to my surprise, a Fram Extra Guard she opened up is exactly the same as the OEM filter.  And it’s only 13 dollars.  I don’t know if it’ll always stay that way so check to make sure.  The part number is CH9911 and says “made in Germany”.  Napa has filters for the BPY engine but they look horrid.  They have no weight and seem poorly made.  Pleating is also half of the German filters.

If you choose to order online, you can find oem or equivalent for a little bit cheaper, but that depends on the shipping.

Here’s a link to the DIY if you need it.

ECS Tuning Dog Bone Mount Insert

The dog bone mount insert is a fairly cheap mod that stiffens up the stock mount.  It reduces engine movement a small amount.  On manual transmission cars, it is supposed to help provide crisper shifts.  I can’t attest to this though as I have the DSG transmission.  On a DSG car, it does reduce the rubber band effect that happens when you let off the throttle at higher rpms.  Installation is pretty easy if you have a decent jack.  Fitting the the insert requires a little force, maybe a little bit of lube.  Use a rubber safe lubricant.  I used the jack to shove it in.  A plastic mallet may also work.  If you are not looking to replace the mount itself with something stiffer, it’s worth the 30~40 bucks I spent.  I bought it at ECS tuning.  Full replacement mounts currently go for ~200 dollars.   The golfmkv.com folks have found a way to diy for about 13 bucks.

5/25/2011

I don’t recommend just purchasing the insert alone anymore.  The BSH Pendulum Mount is a complete modification and does a lot more than just the insert alone.  I’d advise you to go with the full pendulum/dog bone mount.

European Spec Projector Fog Lights

Overview

Switching to the Euro spec projector fog lights was one of my first modifications.  The US spec MKV GTI comes with reflector fog lights.  They throw out a scattered beam pattern compared to the European units.  The Euro versions have a sharp cutoff line and a higher quality lens assembly.  They did require me to fit H11 plugs because the car originally came with 9006 spec bulbs.  I originally bought the pair for 300 from oemplus.com.  They are now available through various outlets for about 200 or less with the proper 9006 to H11 adapter plugs.  ECStuning has them for a decent price with the correct adapters.

Quick Review

The projector fogs feel much more substantial than the reflector units. The lens / cover is all glass. This makes it a little more susceptible to impact damage. I’d recommend purchasing some kind of protection film, maybe Lamin-x or the equivalent. The beam pattern has a sharp cutoff and the light is focused well. The height is fully adjustable. The projector lens looks better than the reflector unit but that shouldn’t be the sole reason you purchase these. Now that the prices are lower and the proper adapters are included, these are a nice upgrade to the fog light system.

There are cheaper alternatives to the OEM version floating around eBay and various other vendors now. The DEPO lights are of excellent quality and I can actually recommend them. The Ziza brand lights are reputed to be poorly built and have no cutoff. Avoid them.