First VW and first diesel engined car. Learning lots and some regrets already.

[robmeister]

Hi all,

I'm an Aussie moved to North Macedonia (for a few years) and purchased a 2012 Golf 6 Variant with TDI 1.6 CR engine 220,000kms.
Technically not my first VAG if you count my 1986 Porsche 944 which I've had since 1998 and was daily driven until 2018 when it was retired to weekend sunny days only(before I rebuilt brake system and sealing up oil leaks in the front of engine (crank, cam, balance shafts) and steering rack rebuild).

I'm quite handy with most mechanical stuff but I've been on a steep learning curve with the Golf TDI. Looks like I will need to replace the injectors and DMF/clutch in the next 12 months or less. DPF seems ok, EGR will probably need replacing too. Just did a oil change, water pump, timing belt + all filters. Timing belt & pump were original VW at 228,000kms. Car was imported (this year) direct from Germany with service records for most of its life except last 5 years. It's been on a long service interval and had done approx 30,000 kms per year until 2018 (170,00kms) , until now.

Regrets i have already is that I did not know about the dodgy injectors on this model and it looks like they are extremely expensive to buy.

[Roverfan]

Welcome, I am too a mk6 1.6tdi driver for the last seven years. I was also shocked at the precarious nature of the parts used. However of the feared failures only the egr has been changed on mine, and that too recently at over 200k miles.
The unexpected failures were clutch master and slave cylinders, also a broken injector clamp bolt just out the blue. That was weird because it hadn't been touched. If you have to remove injectors you will need injector resealing kit. It's had plenty of the usual suspension parts replaced some of them more then once.

Its important to use vw504/507 oil, but not to follow the extended service schedule (credit Crasher). Ive decided to go with 14k miles or 18 months max.

Also since the 1.6 does not have the added inline electric fuel pump, the high pressure pump is susceptible to being run dry and self destructing - this lead to requiring to change all the injectors and pipes. So after work you will need to prime the fuel system preferably with a diagnostic program like vcds. I even cycle the ignition twice before starting to make sure the system is primed. I've been meaning to check in tank pump with a scope for a couple years and been too lazy to have done it yet. Ideally to catch the pump failing before it fails although I've not come across chatter that they have failed on other 1.6tdi's yet. It's a fear I have nonetheless. The hpfp failure is not limited to VW, other manufacturers vehicles also use similar design and suffer from this due to the required pressures to meet emission standards

[robmeister]

Thanks for the reply Roverfan,

I've been sussing out all the things that go wrong on this model and the basic service requirements re oil, fuel, HPFP, filters, injectors, etc. I am now going through and draining all fluids, it had the wrong anti-freeze/coolant, I am assuming everything else is overdue, replacing manual transmission fluid, brake fluid flush, and will look at the clutch fluid too. I would do all this myself but all my tools are in Australia. Is the HPFP that fragile? I'm looking to purchse VCDS soon.

[Crasher]

The CAYC engine fuel pump is just about reliable as long as nothing is done to upset it, if handled unsympathetically in the slightest, it throws its toys out of the pram and eats itself whilst filling the high pressure system with aluminium filings and blocking the injectors. The required system cleanup is extensive.