Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Nick's Two-Car Detached Vdub Garage

[Denwood]

Funny thing..your basement home theatre switch setup is virtually identical to mine With my setup, I put in a aeotec micro relay in the box, so the manual switch works, but I can override it with the automation. One thing that HUE got 100% solid is the fact that even if the lights are powered off, they never lose connection with the hub!

 

[nicholam77]

With my setup, I put in a aeotec micro relay in the box, so the manual switch works, but I can override it with the automation.

Interesting, yeah, that is a clean way to do it. I only just started experimenting with relays on some light switches in the kids rooms (sonoff zbmini). One of them is not responsive to remote commands, I need to do some troubleshooting.

I do like having the Hue Dimmers on the wall as well, as they are a nice scene control remote and easy dimming.

One thing that HUE got 100% solid is the fact that even if the lights are powered off, they never lose connection with the hub!

Agreed!

 

[jonshonda]

If you know Wisconsin, the closest town is Spooner.

Spooner Blows

 

[nicholam77]

Please not be water pump. Please not be water pump. Please not be water pump!!!





Got an alert when dropping the kids off for school this morning on low coolant. I pulled over and it was indeed *quite low*.

There appears to be fluid / residue on the plastic under plate of the bumper below the water pump. It's also raining fairly heavily this morning so it's a bit hard to tell if it's coolant or if it's leaking on the garage floor.

But I have a bad feeling about it.

 

[fouckhest]

Thats a bummer, but its a known issue with that engine.

Sounds like you may need to go see the guys at Further

 

[nicholam77]

Thats a bummer, but its a known issue with that engine.

Sounds like you may need to go see the guys at Further

Yeah, if that's what it is which I'm sure it probably is, I was expecting it to happen at some point. I'm only at 60k, but some have gone quite a bit less than that especially the earlier model years like mine.

I had an insane day at work today, but I was working from home, so I went out to the garage to take a quick look at lunch. The rain drips on the floor had dried up, but I did notice these two spots on my dirty *** concrete:



I stuck a piece of cardboard under to get a "clean" read.

Came back out around 5:30pm and nothing was on the cardboard. So either it slowed or stopped leaking.

But the reservoir was looking even lower I think? It's almost empty.



I had some G13 on hand, so I mixed some up 50/50 and topped it off.

And then ran the car for a few minutes and did some revs.



No immediate discernible drips on the floor.

After dinner, still no drips on the cardboard, and reservoir level is the same.

But... I haven't removed that plastic underbody panel that it's dripping onto on the inside. So it might just be catching on that and not spilling to the cardboard beneath.

Either way, I think it's a slower drip, and not a 'dump all the coolant immediately' situation.

I'm hoping having topped it off, I'll be able to drive it to a shop to get checked out.

Busy all day tomorrow but Sunday I might throw it up on jack stands and remove that plastic piece and see if I can get a better look from underneath.

If it is the water pump, I'm hoping an independent shop can remove the intake manifold and do a carbon cleaning at the same time, because I'm probably due for that, too.

 

[nicholam77]

Got the car on stands to check it out this afternoon.



Without much space to work, I increasingly like using the small driver + Torx bit from the Wera Toolcheck Plus to remove VW trim screws.



I could tell right away where it was dripping off the trim in multiple spots.



The Torx screw right in the center (about directly underneath the water pump) had somehow dissolved. As in the Torx "teeth" were no longer there and it was all rusty. Hmmmm. I was able to get it out with my Knipex Twin Grip. Part of me wonders if coolant dripping on the screw was what made it like that.

And yep, that trim piece has lots of residue on it. Clearly a combination of old dirty stuff and new fresh stuff.






For a moment I thought it could actually be oil because it was very dirty and black and there was residue on the oil pan as well.



However after shining my light up in there, I could see the seam where the water pump and thermostat housing mate was drippy and corroded / gunky. Everything directly below it — hoses, wires, etc had crusty gunk built up. Clearly has been leaking for awhile.

What kinda pisses me off is last time I was at the dealer for the suction pump recall, they did a "full inspection" with a video, and said everything looked great. I'm sure it was leaking at that time. It would have been obvious if that trim piece was wet. The fact that this was completely missed (and they didn't inspect anything under the engine) is annoying. They should have at least seen that the oil pan was all wet.

I myself have not been under the car in a minute. The last few oil changes I've done top side with an extractor. I guess this is a reminder to get under there once a season and take a look.

Hard to take pics of because it's really crammed in there, but the silver + black bit is the water pump / thermostat connection.

All the brown stuff on the bolts and hoses below is not rust, it's goop.




It's discolored and goopy.

The water pump part looks like this (arrow same as pic where it's probably leaking from.




Reservoir still looks good from my top off. I have to be in my work office downtown tomorrow — I might try driving the car and put some coolant mix in my trunk in case of emergency

But other than that, I need to get it into a shop asap.

I've watched DIY videos on replacing the water pump, and while it's well-documented and I would def save some money, it looks like a huge PITA and time that I don't have.

Looks like parts have gone up, too. FCP Euro has a 3rd party DIY kit for $380, and the genuine VW-Audi one is $780. Which includes the water pump, thermostat, belt, connector piece, coolant, and intake manifold gasket. I feel like I want genuine parts.

Unfortunately VW really buried it in there so it's labor intensive. Will report back, but I'm fully anticipating a quote of around $1500 or more.

I won't lie... this car is starting to drive me bonkers. This, plus whatever the rust fix ends up being (haven't heard anything on the VW warranty yet, losing hope on that), plus carbon cleaning, and a few other items like plugs etc, and I'm probably going to be looking at $5k to keep it on the road minimum. And I don't want to put it through another winter without getting the rust fixed. Or maybe ever. Oh yeah, I forgot I need to do brakes this fall, too!!

Nothing is fully formed, but I'm having strong thoughts of getting my wife get a new car, having me keep her old one (CX-5) as a winter car, and getting the GTI fixed but keeping it as a spring / summer / fall car... non-daily. Or at least non-essential as in I can decide not to drive it any given day. All of that would be a big cost, but my wife is going to *need* a new car sooner than me, anyways, and I really don't want to buy two new cars at the same time, so this would keep the GTI and once I get over the repair humps I would feel much more inclined to do something like attempt to DIY an aftermarket clutch, and go full stage 1, or even add a downpipe and go stage 2. I could actually do bigger mods like that if I didn't depend on it to get to work and drop the kids off.

All thoughts kicking around. But need to get the water pump sorted first priority.

 

[fourmotioneer]

I think you can do the water pump at home if you have a day to burn. The DIY doesn’t look that bad. Also doesn’t look that fun. And burning a day on your daily is risky

 

[nicholam77]

I think you can do the water pump at home if you have a day to burn. The DIY doesn’t look that bad. Also doesn’t look that fun. And burning a day on your daily is risky

Yeah, I've watched some videos. I think I *could* do it, but my normal experience is it always ends up being harder than I think it will be, and right now I just don't *want* to DIY. I am so strapped for time with work at the moment, still having chronic inflammation / low back muscle pain issues, and not in the mood for a big messy car project right now. We've had so many summer 'obligations', it's hard to find a day to burn, even on the weekend. I think I would need a full uninterrupted day, more if I struggle with it. I also think I'm burnt out in other areas with work and such.

The other thing I was hoping is if they need to remove the intake manifold (seems like this is common with DIY, but not sure if the dealerships do it?), I am hoping they can walnut blast the valves (carbon cleaning) while they're in there. Something I also don't want to buy tools for or tackle at home. I'm low miles, but my commute is short and I do a lot of start stop driving (rush hour, city streets). I'm basically worst case scenario for carbon build up.

But... if the shops give me too high a number, I might reconsider on DIY. Going to make some calls tomorrow morning.

That's one thing about possibly relegating the GTI to non-daily status in the future... I would be much more likely and able to tackle things like this on my own timeline, instead of relying on it for commute and transporting kids.

 

[jonshonda]

Bummer about the reoccurring water pump failure, or I guess you could maybe say that it as a shorter service life then expected? I've done a pretty good job of packing a lot of activities into my weekly schedule, and what I've found is that I am operating right at the edge of my ability to keep up with maintenance. I like my stuff very clean and in excellent working order, and it's not easy with a busy work schedule and a young family to keep up.

I've really been toying with the idea of going German for my next vehicle, and from what I gather as long as you replace things or "anticipate" replacing things ahead of schedule you should be gtg. I've also never been satisfied with dealership's serviced dept. When I had my GX470 timing belt service done at the dealership I left a $40 cash tip under the hood for the mechanic. To show his appreciation he left me a bit of a mess to clean up, leaving greasy finger prints and smudges easily noticeable in what was a very clean engine bay.

 

[nicholam77]

Bummer about the reoccurring water pump failure, or I guess you could maybe say that it as a shorter service life then expected?

Yeah, although from what I can tell it's a "when" not "if" sort of failure on this engine. Low miles, sure, but I got 10 yrs. I've read online anecdotes of people's water pumps failing after only 15-20k miles, and some having the replacements fail down the line as well.

From what I understand the heat from the engine causes the plastic housing to warp or crack over time, causing leaks.

I figure I'll get at least another 60k miles with a replacement, maybe more, which with the amount I drive should last me another 10 years.

The good news is the water pump is really the main concern on the EA888 Gen 3 engine. That and carbon build up. Aside from that, the MQB platform / Mk7 Golf is pretty reliable.

I've done a pretty good job of packing a lot of activities into my weekly schedule, and what I've found is that I am operating right at the edge of my ability to keep up with maintenance. I like my stuff very clean and in excellent working order, and it's not easy with a busy work schedule and a young family to keep up.

I hear that and I am the same way. I hardly even find time to get the car washed, which I feel guilty about.

I've really been toying with the idea of going German for my next vehicle, and from what I gather as long as you replace things or "anticipate" replacing things ahead of schedule you should be gtg.

Yeah, I would just make sure there aren't any specific failure points red flag failure points (like the Porsche IMS bearing failure for example). I know some Porsche / Audi / BMW models have some quirks to watch out for, but it just depends on what you're looking at.

VW used to have a worse rep with electrical issues and such, but I think once they moved to the MQB platform across most of their fleet, things have gotten a lot better. The engine in the GTI is in many Audi / VW products, and aside from that water pump issue is basically reliable. Aside from the suction pump recall and now the water pump, I've basically had zero issues with the car.

Overall I wouldn't be scared of German cars as long as you feed it quality oil and stay on top of regular maintenance. Yeah Honda and Toyota and Mazda are *probably* a safer bet, but I feel like all new cars have super complicated electronics and engine systems these days. I don't know that German necessarily means money pit compared to other things like it maybe used to a few decades ago.

 

[fouckhest]

***** to hear the WP is on the way out, that is NOT a fun job at all, not really difficult, just time consuming and the, "while your in there" list is certainly worth doing.

Id highly recommend farming that out, speaking from experience, by the time you get into the carbon cleaning, you are certainly locked in for more than a one day job. I worked on the CC over the period of a week, but that was mainly so I could flood the cylinders with degreaser/brake clean, etc to get the carbon softened up, then used a series of picks to scrape it all off and then sucked out with a shopvac.

Knowing your back issues, that would be a killer for the amount of time you'd be leaned over the engine.

Happy to chat about any details if you want!

 

[Denwood]

Got the car on stands to check it out this afternoon.



Without much space to work, I increasingly like using the small driver + Torx bit from the Wera Toolcheck Plus to remove VW trim screws.



I could tell right away where it was dripping off the trim in multiple spots.



The Torx screw right in the center (about directly underneath the water pump) had somehow dissolved. As in the Torx "teeth" were no longer there and it was all rusty. Hmmmm. I was able to get it out with my Knipex Twin Grip. Part of me wonders if coolant dripping on the screw was what made it like that.

And yep, that trim piece has lots of residue on it. Clearly a combination of old dirty stuff and new fresh stuff.






For a moment I thought it could actually be oil because it was very dirty and black and there was residue on the oil pan as well.



However after shining my light up in there, I could see the seam where the water pump and thermostat housing mate was drippy and corroded / gunky. Everything directly below it — hoses, wires, etc had crusty gunk built up. Clearly has been leaking for awhile.

What kinda pisses me off is last time I was at the dealer for the suction pump recall, they did a "full inspection" with a video, and said everything looked great. I'm sure it was leaking at that time. It would have been obvious if that trim piece was wet. The fact that this was completely missed (and they didn't inspect anything under the engine) is annoying. They should have at least seen that the oil pan was all wet.

I myself have not been under the car in a minute. The last few oil changes I've done top side with an extractor. I guess this is a reminder to get under there once a season and take a look.

Hard to take pics of because it's really crammed in there, but the silver + black bit is the water pump / thermostat connection.

All the brown stuff on the bolts and hoses below is not rust, it's goop.




It's discolored and goopy.

The water pump part looks like this (arrow same as pic where it's probably leaking from.




Reservoir still looks good from my top off. I have to be in my work office downtown tomorrow — I might try driving the car and put some coolant mix in my trunk in case of emergency

But other than that, I need to get it into a shop asap.

I've watched DIY videos on replacing the water pump, and while it's well-documented and I would def save some money, it looks like a huge PITA and time that I don't have.

Looks like parts have gone up, too. FCP Euro has a 3rd party DIY kit for $380, and the genuine VW-Audi one is $780. Which includes the water pump, thermostat, belt, connector piece, coolant, and intake manifold gasket. I feel like I want genuine parts.

Unfortunately VW really buried it in there so it's labor intensive. Will report back, but I'm fully anticipating a quote of around $1500 or more.

I won't lie... this car is starting to drive me bonkers. This, plus whatever the rust fix ends up being (haven't heard anything on the VW warranty yet, losing hope on that), plus carbon cleaning, and a few other items like plugs etc, and I'm probably going to be looking at $5k to keep it on the road minimum. And I don't want to put it through another winter without getting the rust fixed. Or maybe ever. Oh yeah, I forgot I need to do brakes this fall, too!!

Nothing is fully formed, but I'm having strong thoughts of getting my wife get a new car, having me keep her old one (CX-5) as a winter car, and getting the GTI fixed but keeping it as a spring / summer / fall car... non-daily. Or at least non-essential as in I can decide not to drive it any given day. All of that would be a big cost, but my wife is going to *need* a new car sooner than me, anyways, and I really don't want to buy two new cars at the same time, so this would keep the GTI and once I get over the repair humps I would feel much more inclined to do something like attempt to DIY an aftermarket clutch, and go full stage 1, or even add a downpipe and go stage 2. I could actually do bigger mods like that if I didn't depend on it to get to work and drop the kids off.

All thoughts kicking around. But need to get the water pump sorted first priority.

That is NOT cool.