GOLF MK4 1.8T GTI - Drive By Wire & Lowering.
Discussion
Hi
I'm looking at buying a GOLF MK4 1.8T GTI. I'm looking around the £4.5K-£5.5K region and will be wanting to have a remap done on the car. This is likely to be carried out by www.chippeduk.com as they have a supplier in my home town. I understand that if the car features a drive by wire throttle then the remap will give more power than the conventional throttle control supplied on earlier MK4 cars.
My question is really, (given that i'm no mechanic) what year did VW introduce the DBW model and how easy is it to distinguish from the older version? I don't want to buy the wrong type.
In addition, (and this may of may not happen!) I may well get the ride height dropped with a set of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-MK4-GTi Or if I want it to be a little more positive in the corners do I do stiffer anti roll bars first? Has anyone got experience of doing this to a MK4 Golf?
Hope the PH massive can help. Many thanks, D4V KC
I'm looking at buying a GOLF MK4 1.8T GTI. I'm looking around the £4.5K-£5.5K region and will be wanting to have a remap done on the car. This is likely to be carried out by www.chippeduk.com as they have a supplier in my home town. I understand that if the car features a drive by wire throttle then the remap will give more power than the conventional throttle control supplied on earlier MK4 cars.
My question is really, (given that i'm no mechanic) what year did VW introduce the DBW model and how easy is it to distinguish from the older version? I don't want to buy the wrong type.
In addition, (and this may of may not happen!) I may well get the ride height dropped with a set of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-MK4-GTi Or if I want it to be a little more positive in the corners do I do stiffer anti roll bars first? Has anyone got experience of doing this to a MK4 Golf?
Hope the PH massive can help. Many thanks, D4V KC
Edited by D4V KC on Thursday 29th March 18:26
D4V KC said:
Hi
I'm looking at buying a GOLF MK4 1.8T GTI. I'm looking around the £4.5K-£5.5K region and will be wanting to have a remap done on the car. This is likely to be carried out by www.chippeduk.com as they have a supplier in my home town. I understand that if the car features a drive by wire throttle then the remap will give more power than the conventional throttle control supplied on earlier MK4 cars.
My question is really, (given that i'm no mechanic) what year did VW introduce the DBW model and how easy is it to distinguish from the older version? I don't want to buy the wrong type.
In addition, (and this may of may not happen!) I may well get the ride height dropped with a set of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-MK4-GTi Or if I want it to be a little more positive in the corners do I do stiffer anti roll bars first? Has an yone got experience of doing this to a MK4 Golf?
Hope the PH massive can help. Many thanks, D4V KC
I'm looking at buying a GOLF MK4 1.8T GTI. I'm looking around the £4.5K-£5.5K region and will be wanting to have a remap done on the car. This is likely to be carried out by www.chippeduk.com as they have a supplier in my home town. I understand that if the car features a drive by wire throttle then the remap will give more power than the conventional throttle control supplied on earlier MK4 cars.
My question is really, (given that i'm no mechanic) what year did VW introduce the DBW model and how easy is it to distinguish from the older version? I don't want to buy the wrong type.
In addition, (and this may of may not happen!) I may well get the ride height dropped with a set of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-MK4-GTi Or if I want it to be a little more positive in the corners do I do stiffer anti roll bars first? Has an yone got experience of doing this to a MK4 Golf?
Hope the PH massive can help. Many thanks, D4V KC
Hi
I have a DBW Golf GTI. The DBW first come out in 2001 AUM model, also the DBW has an uprated turbo K03s which is why they produce more power with a re-map. I had my car remaped by REVO, it is producing 212-Bhp, but I have had some other mods to get it to 220-Bhp.
Edited by waynepixel on Thursday 29th March 13:44
waynepixel said:
Hi
I have a DBW Golf GTI. The DBW first come out in 2001 AUM model, also the DBW has an uprated turbo K03s which is why they produce more power with a re-map. I had my car remaped by REVO, it is producing 212-Bhp, but I have had some other mods to get it to 220-Bhp.
Cheers, What else have you done then? Induction kit and exhaust? Anything with the handling? D4V KC
Ahhh, improving the handling of a mkiv.
Check out www.uk-mkivs.net/ go and hunt around the mkiv technical forum and you'll find every piece of info you'll need.
Opinions are divided as to what you should / need to do. Along with the cost of some items.
Here's my 2p;
Fitting the Audi S3 lower front strut brace really mkes a difference. It, and the fitting kit (bolts, washers and compression nuts), is available from VW dealers for not a lot of money - aftermarket items from for example Neuspeed are much more money without any gain in performance. Although they are prettier to look at. They come up on eBay every now and again and in the Classified section on uk-mkivs.
Audi also do an S3 upper strut brace. Same comments as above.
You can buy upper rear strut braces to but they will compromise the boot space when the seats are down (Golf or Bora).
I would also renew the power steering bush with a Powerflex item and fit the Powerflex bushes into the rear engine 'Dog Bone' mount. You will need new fixing bolts to change these so get them from a VW dealer.
You should get that little lot and fitted to your car for about £150 (although I got it done for about a ton). Really improves turn in and feel through the steering - even with the standard suspension set up. They also help the car put down and use its power more efficiently too. Launching is significantly improved too.
With regards to anti-roll bars. Unless you are going to lower your car by more than 45mm then I would leave the front arb alone. It's oversized from the factory to give 'safe' understeer handling. Changing the rear for an adjustable item - Whiteline circa £125 up to Neuspeed £330 will allow you to create a more Neutral or oversteer handling to suit you preference. Changing the front arb is an absolute dog of a job and unless you're going racing you won't need to. If you lower the car by more than 45mm then the front arb rubs the driveshafts. You can buy aftermarket arb's that are modified to cure this but it is alot easier and cheaper to change the drop links connecting the arb to the wishbone. Changing the bushes on both arb's for Powerflex items can lead to a very harsh ride. Seat Leon Cupra R items are a vast improvement over standard items without being too hard.
Dampers and springs - again loads of choice and opinion. Personally the Sportline kit from Koni has served me and my friends well over the years on various different cars and models. We do fast road the odd track day. Bilstem dampers with Koni springs are also very highly regarded.
As for a sequence on what to do?
Lower S3 front strut brace is cheap and easy mod to do and really improves drivability I combined it with the Power flex bushes.
Next, the dampers and springs.
Then, front upper strut brace and rear arb. Then play around with the settings of the rear arb to find what suits you.
Hope it helps.
Check out www.uk-mkivs.net/ go and hunt around the mkiv technical forum and you'll find every piece of info you'll need.
Opinions are divided as to what you should / need to do. Along with the cost of some items.
Here's my 2p;
Fitting the Audi S3 lower front strut brace really mkes a difference. It, and the fitting kit (bolts, washers and compression nuts), is available from VW dealers for not a lot of money - aftermarket items from for example Neuspeed are much more money without any gain in performance. Although they are prettier to look at. They come up on eBay every now and again and in the Classified section on uk-mkivs.
Audi also do an S3 upper strut brace. Same comments as above.
You can buy upper rear strut braces to but they will compromise the boot space when the seats are down (Golf or Bora).
I would also renew the power steering bush with a Powerflex item and fit the Powerflex bushes into the rear engine 'Dog Bone' mount. You will need new fixing bolts to change these so get them from a VW dealer.
You should get that little lot and fitted to your car for about £150 (although I got it done for about a ton). Really improves turn in and feel through the steering - even with the standard suspension set up. They also help the car put down and use its power more efficiently too. Launching is significantly improved too.
With regards to anti-roll bars. Unless you are going to lower your car by more than 45mm then I would leave the front arb alone. It's oversized from the factory to give 'safe' understeer handling. Changing the rear for an adjustable item - Whiteline circa £125 up to Neuspeed £330 will allow you to create a more Neutral or oversteer handling to suit you preference. Changing the front arb is an absolute dog of a job and unless you're going racing you won't need to. If you lower the car by more than 45mm then the front arb rubs the driveshafts. You can buy aftermarket arb's that are modified to cure this but it is alot easier and cheaper to change the drop links connecting the arb to the wishbone. Changing the bushes on both arb's for Powerflex items can lead to a very harsh ride. Seat Leon Cupra R items are a vast improvement over standard items without being too hard.
Dampers and springs - again loads of choice and opinion. Personally the Sportline kit from Koni has served me and my friends well over the years on various different cars and models. We do fast road the odd track day. Bilstem dampers with Koni springs are also very highly regarded.
As for a sequence on what to do?
Lower S3 front strut brace is cheap and easy mod to do and really improves drivability I combined it with the Power flex bushes.
Next, the dampers and springs.
Then, front upper strut brace and rear arb. Then play around with the settings of the rear arb to find what suits you.
Hope it helps.
mk1fan said:
Ahhh, improving the handling of a mkiv.
Check out www.uk-mkivs.net/ go and hunt around the mkiv technical forum and you'll find every piece of info you'll need.
Opinions are divided as to what you should / need to do. Along with the cost of some items.
Here's my 2p;........
Hope it helps.
Check out www.uk-mkivs.net/ go and hunt around the mkiv technical forum and you'll find every piece of info you'll need.
Opinions are divided as to what you should / need to do. Along with the cost of some items.
Here's my 2p;........
Hope it helps.
My god, thanks for all the time and info you put into the reply. You've obviously been interested in Golfs a while. Great info and sounds very sensible. I'll check out the link too but I suspect you've covered everything. Very much appreciated, cheers mk1fan, D4V KC
A note about Chipped UK. I have not used him but he has been around the BMW scene for ages and for the most part is held in high regard there. Unfortunately, he didn't receive such a warm welcome on uk-mkivs when he ventured into VW's. He is a site sponsor and does run offers from time to time. There have been a few members (uk-mkivs) that have not been happy with his work - mainly due to clearing of fault codes - but there are also a lot who have been more than satisfied. He has also been upfront and open in his responses to his detractors on the site forum (again uk-mkivs).
I was thinking of using him as a mate of mine lives in Bromsgrove and I could combine a visit and tuning. But as I have a NA car there really wouldn't be much of a gain to be had.
I was thinking of using him as a mate of mine lives in Bromsgrove and I could combine a visit and tuning. But as I have a NA car there really wouldn't be much of a gain to be had.
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