This can lead to the back of the valves getting badly coked up as there is no longer any fuel 'washing' the valves. The GTI's engine features direct fuel injection, so instead of fuel being injected into the manifold/inlet tract and passing over the valves, it's injected straight into the combustion chamber. Timing belt kits can be bought from about в‚¬180,В It's good practice to change the water pump at the same time It's quite an awkward job on the GTi as the exhaust downpipe has to be removed forВ access, which is fine if the bolts come out easily, if not, they may need drilling out. Here's a 'How To' video we made when changing the coils on our GTiДЄs with any car you should check when the timing belt is due to be changedВ (the interval is every 70,000 miles or four years). Ignition coil packs are another known weak point and tend to go in groups, so listen out for a misfire, especially under load as it could be a telltale sign that the coilsВ are on their way out. While this doesnвЂ™t affect performance,В a replacement cover can be expensive. The engine cover houses the air filter and as such will have been removed and replaced numerous times for servicing, as a result the mounting grommets are often broken. The sound of leaking air when you turn off the engine would indicate the PCV engine breather one-way valve has split, this would go hand in hand with a rough idle. VW specialists recomend changing the fuel pump cam follower every 20k miles as a precaution This could indicate a problem with the camshaft-driven high pressure fuel pump, which is a known weak point. Noises to listen out for are a rattle that disappears soon after start-up but reappears a couple of miles later. This canВ be an issue as it makes 'problem noises' harder to hear. While the engine is generally regarded as very reliable, it does make a fair old racket, especially at idle. With that in mind we compiled a comprehensive buying guide. Launched in 2004, you can now pick an early one up very cheaply and while largely a very reliable, robust car, there are of course things to look out for. When we were looking for a project car here at MicksGarage the mk 5 GTi was the obvious choice. ItВ can show up at a race track one day and your mates flashyВ wedding the next day and fit right in at both. It's quick, reliable, practical and easily modified for extra go! On top of all that, and the ace up the Golf's sleeve is that it's classless. The Mk 5 Volkswagen Golf GTi is one of the best selling hot hatches of all time and with good reason.

Best boost gauge for mk5 gti