VW TDI 140 or 170 bhp ?

[SiC]

Another thing - I think the 170 will have a DPF especially at that age. Iirc all 170 had them.

PD is shit with DPFs and never work properly with them.

The 140 golf may not have one but do check.

[FatherJack]

My instant recommendation is to simply drive one of each in a spirited manner and see which one pisses you off the least!

My Ex had a rented 2005 Golf delivered to my house, her card was still registered to my house and the guy handed the keys over like it was the Ark of the Covenant or something.
He muttered about it being the the GTDi or the GTDi there was apparently some significance to how many letters had red paint on.

The cheeky bint of an Ex asked me to fill it up for collection, out of curiosity I did take it for a thrash and fill up.
Power delivery was lumpy, you are off boost so 90Bhp, but for the next 700 RPM you have 150Bhp then 61Bhp.

Amusingly, if you put it in 6th gear far too early then floored it until it hit the power zone it would spin up the clutch.
I may have done this until smoke came out of the dashbard air vents.
Several times

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Mark 5 Golfs - rotten front wings, rotten sills plus VAG nonsense. Such as the cambelt tensioner stud that due to fine thread and shallow depth will either break off after a belt change if not changed, or will pull the threads of the head if replacement is attempted. ABS pump failure can be a nightmare as you can’t just fit a used pump. It’s that kind of shit that makes VAG stuff such a pain in the arse.

The Astra diesel is a better car.

[SiC]

Astra H is a pretty damn grim place to be sat though. Plus they have their own set of issues irt steering column electrics, PAS failure and gearbox.

I mean Honda 2.2CTDI all the way.

But they're all getting pretty long in the tooth now anyway.

[SiC]

VAG ABS pump you don't have to replace as you can just do the valve block. If you get the same model numbers it should have the correct coding. Even if it doesn't, most diag tools can do it and knock-off VCDS is cheap to get.

That age Vauxhall (and Saab) is far more a pain to change modules as you need a Tech 2 (££££) to divorce/marry the modules. Some need the car code too, unless you have another aftermarket tool to pull the code out the modules.
Even more hassle than just a quick recoding.

[christine]

Fucking hell , i'm glad i run old shitters that don't go wrong ! The new car is for my daughters partner ....not me . He's running about in the £40 roffle win Micra for the last 8 weeks after crashing his polo blue gt . .. now written off and paid out .. i'm amazed it's stood up as a high mile daily, but i drove it last week and its still rattle free and tight ! Just gutless .. and its a Micra ...

[SiC]

Everything is a liability. Even a Micra with rust and PAS (depending on age). Just pick the poison that you're prepared to deal with.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

VAG ABS pump you don't have to replace as you can just do the valve block. If you get the same model numbers it should have the correct coding. Even if it doesn't, most diag tools can do it and knock-off VCDS is cheap to get

Not quite. Lots of VAG ABS modules have the same ATE part number - it means little. You’ll find a Golf GTI unit has the same part number as an Octavia or a Leon. You try fitting a used module and you’ll find it won’t work. The dash will light up like a Christmas tree and the warning gong will go off repeatedly. Each ABS ECU is given an option code and you must input this - if not it won’t work. Sometimes the valves in the block stick, sometimes the ECU fails.

Most diagnostic tools can’t do it unless you have the option code. On VAG shit it’s normally on the vehicle option sticker in the boot.

[SiC]

On this age it'll be that common Mk60 problem the vast majority of the time - good ol' G201 brake pressure sensor...
https://m.autodoc.co.uk/ate/12770131
Garages up and down the country would all have done several at least by now. Tbh I suspect most have been changed by now anyway.

I did sort a colleagues mate a few years ago after he replaced his ABS module in his Golf Mk6 with my VCDS (I have a genuine one and agreed to help sort). Never recalled any issue in sorting it. Just copy/pasted the old coding into the replacement unit and did a bunch of the basic settings and adaptations to keep it happy.
Ross tech have a page dedicated to that module covering most stuff:
http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.ph ... MK60EC1%29

If the old module is dead, they can generate the coding config for you providing you have a genuine tool.
Or post it off to someone like ECU Testing and let them rework the existing control module.

Genuine VCDS can be had second hand for £200 to £300. Easily get your money back selling it on afterwards. I know mine has gained in value since I bought it as it's the more desirable unlimited VIN unit.

I certainly wouldn't be avoiding a VAG PQ35 based car purely because of the ABS module. While plenty in one to make one a pia, they're a decent steer and most of the engines drive well. Working on it isn't an issue as I just chuck it at a mechanic to spanner on and let them suffer instead...

Everything automotive has it's poisons. PQ35 had a wide range of drivetrains - some awful but many decent. 1.9TDI, 2.0TDI 140, 2.0TFSI and 3.2 VR6 are the ones I'd be picking personally.

[DodgeRover]

Christ after reading all this I think you should insist he go out and buy a Sierra in either 2.0i pinto flavour or 2.3D
What the Golf costs him in stress will pay for a lot of Sierra repairs.
Even better a Bluebird diesel, a million taxi drivers can't be wrong.