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Common Problems with the VW Golf V

Our Engine Guard for the Golf 5!

Bartek Bartoszewicz

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by
Bartek Bartoszewicz Tuning Professional

The Classic Problems with the VW Golf 5

While opinions may differ on its rounded appearance and the harmony of its design, one indisputable fact is that the Golf V also has its share of typical flaws. Although some of the teething problems of its predecessors were ironed out, the Golf 5 has brought its own set of quirks to the table.

The fifth generation was also offered with a wide variety of engines and configurations, ranging from the classic 75 PS gasoline engine to the sporty R32 with a 3.2L displacement. To help you know what to expect with the Golf V, we’ve listed the most common issues here and will also tell you what you can do about them.

CONTENT

1. Timing chain stretch
- 1.1. Symptoms of a bad timing chain:
- 1.2. Solution: Readjusting the chain tensioner or installing a new chain
2. Typical Mk5 Golf: cracked cylinder head
- 2.1. Signs of a blown cylinder head gasket:
- 2.2. Solution: Upgrade for the cylinder head gasket
3. Extremely high oil consumption
- 3.1. Solution: dedication and possibly higher quality oil
4. Defective ignition coils on the Golf Mk5
- 4.1. Typical signs of ignition coil problems on the Golf V:
- 4.2. Solution: New set of ignition coils
5. Defective O2 sensor
- 5.1. Symptoms of a bad O2 sensor:
- 5.2. Solution: Rule out causes and replace the O2 sensor
6. Worn dual mass flywheel
- 6.1. This is how you can tell your dual-mass flywheel is bad:
- 6.2. Solution: Upgrade to a single mass flywheel
7. Other typical weak spots on the Golf V
8. Conclusion

Platzhaltergrafik im Seitenverhältnis 3:2 für eine derzeit nicht verfügbare Produktabbildung

Timing chain stretch

A phenomenon that especially affects the 1.2 and 1.4 engines: a stretched timing chain, where the teeth on the sprocket are partially skipped and the timing is altered, can quickly lead to a major engine failure. If you hear rattling or clacking noises from the engine bay when starting that disappear after a short time, it’s worth taking a look at the chain. Sometimes just a small fine adjustment is needed and everything runs again. If you wait too long, in the worst case you might not even make it to the shop anymore.

The symptoms of a damaged timing chain:

Various noises from rattling to banging
No response anymore (the timing chain may already have snapped here)
The check engine light comes on

Solution: Readjusting the chain tensioner or installing a new chain

As long as the chain hasn’t snapped yet, it may still be possible to save everything by readjusting the chain tensioner. If the chain is broken, it has to be replaced.

Typical Golf V: cracked cylinder head

If white smoke suddenly starts coming out of the exhaust, the cylinder head on the Golf V is most likely cracked. This problem mainly affects the 2.0 TDI engines with engine codes BKD and BMN. The cylinder head gasket connects the engine block and cylinder head and is responsible for proper circulation of engine oil and coolant. It also seals both parts against each other. If these functions are disrupted by a crack, severe damage up to total engine failure can occur. Tuned engines are especially at risk here when the boost pressure is increased.

Signs of a blown cylinder head gasket:

White or blue smoke from the exhaust
Loss of coolant and/or oil
Engine oil leaking
Coolant leaking
Engine oil and coolant mixing
Engine temperature rises quickly
Loss of power

Solution: Upgrade for the cylinder head gasket

Not only on the 2.0 TDI engines is an upgrade for the cylinder head gasket worth it. We recommend everyone who has increased boost pressure to use our cylinder head gaskets for VW and especially the High Boost gasket. It can handle any pressure, which is why it’s also used in motorsports.

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Extremely high oil consumption

With the Golf V, drivers often complain about extreme oil consumption. One or even two liters per 1000 kilometers are not uncommon. What is sometimes a symptom of other causes, such as a defective cylinder head gasket, can also be a weak point in itself.

Signs of increased oil consumption:

You can’t go very far anymore without topping up oil.

Solution: dedication and possibly higher-quality oil

As long as there’s no underlying cause in the form of hardware defects, there’s not much you can do here. It might be worth switching to a higher-quality oil.

Defective ignition coils on the Golf V

Although this was already an issue on the previous model, the Golf V has even more problems with failing ignition coils and the resulting misfires. The ignition coil converts the low battery voltage into the high voltage at the spark plug where the spark is created. With the weak stock coils, misfires and complete failure happen pretty quickly.

Typical signs of ignition coil problems on the Golf V:

Poor, rough engine running
Engine won’t start at all
Misfires
Check engine light comes on
Loss of power

Solution: New set of ignition coils

When one ignition coil fails, most of the time the others follow sooner or later. That’s why you should replace the whole set as soon as you have a defect. To make sure you don’t have issues with the weak stock parts anymore, we recommend our high performance ignition coils.

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Defective O2 sensor

The oxygen sensor is actually a classic wear part, but in the Golf V it causes more and more problems. It regulates the ratio of fuel to air and thus has the important job of ensuring the correct mixture. Tuning fans in particular know how much this affects performance. If the sensor fails, performance drops massively. In the Golf V this mainly affects the 1.6 FSI engine.

Symptoms of a bad oxygen sensor:

Check engine light comes on
Power drops
High fuel consumption
High emissions
Rough start
Smoke from the exhaust

Solution: Rule out causes and replace the O2 sensor

A look into the fault memory will quickly show you a problem with the O2 sensor, but this fault itself can be wrong. For example, if a richer mixture ends up in the engine because of a defective injector. That’s why it’s always a good idea to take additional measurements to rule out other causes. If the sensor is defective, it has to be replaced. Take a look at our TFSI O2 sensor from Bosch for this.

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Worn dual mass flywheel

A typical diesel problem on the Golf V is a worn dual mass flywheel. The opening in the clutch bleed valve is faulty, which can damage the dual mass flywheel. Sometimes this causes confusion about the root cause, since the problem can affect both the transmission and the clutch.

This is how you spot a bad dual mass flywheel:

Vibrations and jerking, especially in the low RPM range
Noise at idle and at low RPM
Noise decreases at higher RPM

Solution: Upgrade to a single mass flywheel

You can keep driving with a bad dual mass flywheel, but you should get the problem checked and fixed as soon as possible. In the worst case, the damage can spread to the transmission – and you really don’t want that. If your Golf V is tuned, you should think about switching to a lighter and more robust single mass flywheel.

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Other common weak spots on the Golf V

Besides the more serious issues, the fifth-gen Golf also has a few weak spots that are annoying but don’t necessarily lead to engine failure. These include, for example, rattling noises caused by a faulty A/C control unit. Squeaking when accelerating is also one of them (affects models with Twincharger and was fixed with a revised water pump). The comfort function sometimes caused the windows to open by themselves, and, in typical Golf fashion, the soft-touch coating peeled off quickly and left the interior looking grubby.

Get our repair guide for your Golf V

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Conclusion

The Golf V comes with some new weak spots that were often fixed as part of recall campaigns. Just like with all manufacturers, the typical teething problems were sorted out over the production years. Even though the Golf V wasn’t as big a bestseller as its direct predecessor, it’s still popular among tuning fans.

Bartek Bartoszewicz

Tuning Professional

His first car was a Polo Mk1 with a 40 Weber twin carburetor and 129 hp (95 kW). His second was an Audi 50. Today Bartek tunes Lamborghinis to 1000 hp (735 kW). Even as a young boy, Bartek disassembled vehicles and put everything back together better. He wrote his high school diploma with oil on his fingers. The trained automotive mechanic with a focus on engines and gearboxes was determined to go into motorsports. In his 10 years in Formal 1, he supervised 73 races, including as engine mechanic for Ralf Schumacher at Toyota. Since 2010, he has dedicated himself fully to his company BAR-TEK® and helps his customers to bring VW and Audi engines to peak performance.

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