VW Owners...maybe some Audi Owners too

[Mr. Clean]

Didn't hear from many New Beetle owners, so I'll take this route. How many of you have 1.8T engine? What issues (good and bad) have you had with this engine? How many miles do you have on your vehicle?

I drove a new '03 NB GLX 1.8T and a new '03 Turbo S today. Short demo drive only, but very nice. I like the tail-end styling of the S model.

[reconbyfire]

I had a 2003 passat 1.8T. Great motor..faster then the V6...kickass gas mileage......I put 23000 on it in 6 months ..never an issue except for a speaker went out.
We needed a truck and my wife had new car so I traded it in for a Tundra...
I would by another again in a heartbeat.....

[YoSteve]

that engine has one serveral awards for being one of the best engines out there. tried and true, it's not a "new" engine. it has a good history and is reliable.

[BW]

We have a 2002 Passat GLS with the 1.8T engine. I'm a fan of that little motor - lots of power at all altitudes, five-valves per cylinder, good fuel economy - but it can be rough idling in Drive during cold mornings. If you choose the Tiptronic like we did, there's a degree of nonlinearity to the drivetrain that you get used to. My initial throttle is greater to compensate for the turbo lag common in even the best turbos. That said, our experience with VW reliability has been exceptional. In fact, the only repair we've needed were for the engine... we went through quite a few ignition coils before the recall. The Passat has nearly 30,000 miles and it's free of rattles.

The 1.8T is a very versatile engine. It's on everything from the Jetta to the TT and A4, and is easy to modify (you can gain 40 horses from just a chip). The main differences is that the Passat/A4 1.8T is mounted lengthwise while the Beetle/Jetta/GTI/TT 1.8T is mounted sideways.

[urban1.8t]

The 1.8t is a great engine which will give you years of service.

Have a look at www.vwvortex.com for more info.

Hope this helps

[TurboCat]

I have a 1999 Passat with 1.8T turbo and I gotta tell ya, the thing kicks a$$! On a recent sunny day I was on the interstate and accelerated to get around a cluster of cars. When I looked at the speedometer I was going over 90 (approaching 100) and it felt the same as going 70! It was effortless. I'm not normally a speed demon, so I slowed it back down to 70 (good thing, because there was a state trooper about 1/4 mile after that!).

I bought the car as a Certified Pre-Owned (came off of a lease) with about 49,000 (highway) miles and have had NO problems with the engine, and NO major service issues. Just the regular scheduled maintenance, replacing some hoses, etc. My car went over the 100,000 mile mark about 2 months ago!

I have heard some people complain about VW reliability - but I wonder how well these people maintain the car. Like anything it requires regular maintenance to run well. My Passat has had all scheduled maintenance, never missed an oil change, and runs like a top!

I do agree with the comment about the cold weather and transmission - seems like when it gets below 30 it will do that...

But the engine? Great performance, great gas mileage. I would buy another one (or an Audi) today.

[zilla]

be aware that some of the earlier 1.8T's had their quirks:

MAF sensors prone to failure

Coilpacks, coilpacks, coilpacks.

Also, if you're chipped, you'll most likely need to get a new diverter valve or N75 valve and the stock ones will slowly fail and you'll get surging.

Not sure how regular this one is, but apparently the coolant sensor in some engines was a bit faulty. it's a $10 part to replace and a DIY job.

1.8T's are great enthusiast engines - spend less than $1000 and you can get a reliable ~200 hp and 200 tq!

edit: also be aware that if you get the 5 speed 02J 5 speed that you'll most likely be getting the infamous 2nd gear grind. I don't think that the new 6 speed tranny suffers from that.

[Mr. Clean]

Originally posted by reconbyfire
...kickass gas mileage......I put 23000 on it in 6 months ..never an issue...I would by another again in a heartbeat.....

What kind of mileage were you getting? 23K in 6 months Where did you go? We put about 20K in a year. More than many, but... Would buy again, that is good to hear.

Originally posted by YoSteve
that engine has one serveral awards for being one of the best engines out there. tried and true, it's not a "new" engine. it has a good history and is reliable.

I have not read about the awards, yet. Nice to hear that it has a good history. The engine is less of a concern though than the turbo. I have heard those are about $3K to replace

Originally posted by BW
We have a 2002 Passat GLS with the 1.8T engine. I'm a fan of that little motor - lots of power at all altitudes, five-valves per cylinder, good fuel economy - but it can be rough idling in Drive during cold mornings. If you choose the Tiptronic like we did, there's a degree of nonlinearity to the drivetrain that you get used to. My initial throttle is greater to compensate for the turbo lag common in even the best turbos. That said, our experience with VW reliability has been exceptional. In fact, the only repair we've needed were for the engine... we went through quite a few ignition coils before the recall. The Passat has nearly 30,000 miles and it's free of rattles.

The 1.8T is a very versatile engine. It's on everything from the Jetta to the TT and A4, and is easy to modify (you can gain 40 horses from just a chip). The main differences is that the Passat/A4 1.8T is mounted lengthwise while the Beetle/Jetta/GTI/TT 1.8T is mounted sideways.

Excellent info. We will probably opt for the 5 spd or 6 spd (Turbo S) manuals. I like reading the words "good fuel economy". $1.60 for regular unleaded here in the DF/W area (I know I shouldn't complain, but...) I have not doubted the reliability of the VW build. The recurring complaint I read and hear is the fact that they just can't comprehend the electrics of their otherwise well built cars.

urban1.8t, thanks for the referral. I have been reading over at vwvortex and at newbeetle.org. Very friendly and informative folks.

Originally posted by TurboCat
I have a 1999 Passat with 1.8T turbo and I gotta tell ya, the thing kicks a$$!

...My car went over the 100,000 mile mark about 2 months ago!

I have heard some people complain about VW reliability - but I wonder how well these people maintain the car. Like anything it requires regular maintenance to run well. My Passat has had all scheduled maintenance, never missed an oil change, and runs like a top!

I do agree with the comment about the cold weather and transmission - seems like when it gets below 30 it will do that...

But the engine? Great performance, great gas mileage. I would buy another one (or an Audi) today.

TurboCat, congratulations on the 100K mile mark. Honestly, I rarely have judged any of my vehicles until they hit 100K. My feelings are if the car won't go 100K without major repairs then it really wasn't much of a vehicle to begin with.

Luckily we don't get that much cold weather here. I had always thought that when you could feed a turbo cold air it would perform better not worse

Thanks for another confirmation on the engine's reliability and gas mileage.

Zilla, Am I right in assuming that the ’03 models don’t have the coil pack problems? That evidently was a nightmare for those early owners. In the U.S. I read that VW finally recalled all and replaced whether they were failing or not. I doubt that a “chip” would be in my future as I’ve read those will put out a code identifying their presence and can invalidate the warranty. I’m really digging the 6-spd and the Wife loves the styling of the S right now.

[zilla]

You can get a REVO chip which reprograms the ECU through the OBD2 port - no need to open the ECU at all.

I'm not too familiar with the 03 models. your best bet is to check out the 1.8T forums on www.vwvortex.com

[reconbyfire]

I was getting @ 32mpg..did lots of cross country driving....
My wifes Saab gets 35mph+

I failed/forgot to mention that I did have to get the throttle sensor replaced within the 1st 100 miles...all ignition coils were the new ones and didnt need the recall....

The throttle sensor was bad...if it<sensor> got wet the engine went into safe mode were u cant drive over 40mph and it had like no acceleration....it happened right at the light where the dealer was...fixed..in n out in 20 minutes,,,Great service


No issues other then that....great motor...
I called a few friends and people at german autohaus's...they all recommended the 1.8t but not in the or the Audi A4.

The Audi A4 is one of the top 5 most complained about cars in the world based on service reports, and manufacturer received complaints.

[TurboCat]

Originally posted by Mr. Clean





Luckily we don't get that much cold weather here. I had always thought that when you could feed a turbo cold air it would perform better not worse

Mr Clean,

What I meant to say was during extremely cold mornings, I notice a kind of thud between 1st and 2nd gear in the transmission (I have an automatic). But I have no problems with the engine idle or performance at all!

The manual says to not let a turbo "warm up" before driving - just start it and go, which is what I do. It has never had a rough idle or failed to start.

One thing I do though, is after driving let it idle for around a minute before shutting it off. I don't remember the specifics of it, but it is not good to just shut a turbo engine off. If I have been driving for hours on the highway, I actually let it idle for around 3-4 minutes.

I have heard the Car Talk guys talk about turbos as a 3BP (as in, Triple Boat Payment) for mechanics if you ever have to replace one! But so far so good.

Even though my car is a 99, I have not had coilpack or MAF problems.

[Santatime]

Have 2001 Golf GLS with 1.8T Aww engine code, very impressed with this engine, currently have approx 42000 KM, problems, had a pin hole in my DV, replaced under warr, oem Diverter valves have had there share of problems, also during the extreme cold last winter i had my Throttle Body replaced, under warr as well, As for the coilpack, mine were replaced before i had an issue, vw recalled all coilpacks to be replace in certain model years, newer vw's have had this problem rectified, other than that, its been clear sailing, next year ill prob chip and replace DV with metal type(Forge 007). If your getting an 03 1.8T you'll have 180HP vs mine 150 or maybe a tad more with AWW, but ive heard nothing but good things from the 1.8T very pop and well liked choice of engines, they've been around for a while too, vw decided to offer the 1.8T from the Audi line a few years back great move. Although in 05 the 1.8T may be cut, for a 2.0T 200HP?