VW EOS - Smart or Stupid?
Discussion
I seem to get through lots of cars but for the last 7 years there has been one constant, a 2005 MK5 Golf GT TDI which has been the main family car that the wife usually drives. We bought it at 90,000 miles and it's now at 160k and at the end of it's life, the MOT is running out in a week and it's not worth putting through again, it's got a cracked windscreen (from a wooden ball air freshener), one of the rear doors is locked closed and will require cutting open and a few days ago the starter motor packed up. I've always had issues with it in one form or the other, it was a bad example, with dodgy mods, this is how it looked when I bought it (got rid of the headlights and wheels). I was seduced by the rare red leather and overlooked lots of stuff. The Alpina B3.3 next to it was mine at the time also.
Once the starter motor packed up it had made it's final voyage. So the hunt was on for something else, I'm not really wanting to commit much money to a replacement at the moment. We don't need a car as practical as the Golf was as I've recently bought a Audi A6 Allroad so this can take care of the family/practical duties, the wife loves driving it (mainly as it's automatic and quick off the mark) but as it's big I know she'll ruin it given enough time (the current condition of her Golf is testament to that).
Looking through the classifieds, I noticed you can pick up a VW EOS really cheap, there are plenty with roof issues and that seems to knock about 1k off the value generally. The wife liked the look of it and the idea of a convertible. There was one on Facebook marketplace which caught my eye, it was local, younger and lower mileage than all the others with broken roofs i'd seen. This was a 2009 with 91,500 miles, 2.0 diesel with a DSG box (was looking for an automatic). It was silver with black leather and black wheels, not a colour scheme i'm fond of but beggars can't be choosers, it was up for £1500 accompanied by terrible photos and a poorly written advert. In the photos I could see it had plastic door protectors, a dodgy steering wheel cover and a transformer badge stuck on the boot, that alone should be enough to make someone of sound mind walk away. I'm not of sound mind so got myself there to see it, in the dark during a storm so good it had been given a name. These photos I took the next few days after I bought it.
As a comparison the cheapest Golf this age and mileage on Autotrader was up for £3500. In my opinion an EOS with a broken roof is basically a Golf anyway so if i've bitten off more than I can chew with regards to sorting the roof it's not the end of the world. I snagged this for £1350. The good points are the condition is very nice, I haven't noticed any dents, scratches or marks on it, interior is good, nothing looks worn or broken. It drives spot on, feels tight, no suspension noises, the engine is much quieter than the one in my Golf and oil leak free (unlike the Golf). It had 2 keys and service history (mainly VW dealer) up to 86,000 miles (2017). In 2018 it had a water pump and cambelt done at the cost of £540, none of this was mentioned in the advert. It's clearly been a cared for car.
The negatives are it's soaking wet inside, the passenger side carpet is wet. The roof doesn't work which is down to the water ingress. I doubt it'll be a quick fix, the owner told me a mechanic had a look at it (in between other work type of job) and suggested replacing a load of parts but he wasn't really sure. VCDS diagnostics isn't coming up with much other than a temperature sensor fault on the pump which won't clear.
The electrics in general on this car are a bit iffy due to the damp. The fog light icon is glowing on the dash when the car is first started but the fog light isn't on, this goes once warmed up. Also when indicating left the hazard lights and ECU light flash on the dash (indicators are fine on the outside). I feel like once the car is dried out these problems will disappear but maybe i'll have to repair or replace a few things. The ignition switch is also dodgy, the windows bounce up and down if they key is turned to start the engine slowly.
Hydraulic pump in the boot with a little puddle of water under it.
The boot lid doesn't latch properly on this side.
Pulled off the lovely steering wheel cover and it's left marks and indentations on the leather which are annoying so i'll look to replace the steering wheel in the future.
The first job is to clear any blocked drains and try to dry it out as driving a wet car in the winter is pretty bleak.
Smart or stupid?
I'm going to break the Golf for spares once this EOS is sorted out so I expect to get pretty much all my initial £1350 outlay back and i'll have replaced it with a car that's got 70k less miles and is 4 years younger = smart.
These cars needs constant attention due to the roof seals being less than adequate and water leaks can wipe out a load of electronics. I need the wife to drive a car that's not a perpetual pain in the arse as she'll be on my case to sort it out and I never seem to have any spare time as it is. Throw that on top of all the usual VW reliability troubles I had with my Golf (blown turbo, dual mass flywheel, leaking caliper, limp mode issues, coolant and oil leaks) and add some DSG into the mix = stupid.
Will it last 7 years like the Golf or be punted on within 7 weeks like my Touareg? Time will tell.
Once the starter motor packed up it had made it's final voyage. So the hunt was on for something else, I'm not really wanting to commit much money to a replacement at the moment. We don't need a car as practical as the Golf was as I've recently bought a Audi A6 Allroad so this can take care of the family/practical duties, the wife loves driving it (mainly as it's automatic and quick off the mark) but as it's big I know she'll ruin it given enough time (the current condition of her Golf is testament to that).
Looking through the classifieds, I noticed you can pick up a VW EOS really cheap, there are plenty with roof issues and that seems to knock about 1k off the value generally. The wife liked the look of it and the idea of a convertible. There was one on Facebook marketplace which caught my eye, it was local, younger and lower mileage than all the others with broken roofs i'd seen. This was a 2009 with 91,500 miles, 2.0 diesel with a DSG box (was looking for an automatic). It was silver with black leather and black wheels, not a colour scheme i'm fond of but beggars can't be choosers, it was up for £1500 accompanied by terrible photos and a poorly written advert. In the photos I could see it had plastic door protectors, a dodgy steering wheel cover and a transformer badge stuck on the boot, that alone should be enough to make someone of sound mind walk away. I'm not of sound mind so got myself there to see it, in the dark during a storm so good it had been given a name. These photos I took the next few days after I bought it.
As a comparison the cheapest Golf this age and mileage on Autotrader was up for £3500. In my opinion an EOS with a broken roof is basically a Golf anyway so if i've bitten off more than I can chew with regards to sorting the roof it's not the end of the world. I snagged this for £1350. The good points are the condition is very nice, I haven't noticed any dents, scratches or marks on it, interior is good, nothing looks worn or broken. It drives spot on, feels tight, no suspension noises, the engine is much quieter than the one in my Golf and oil leak free (unlike the Golf). It had 2 keys and service history (mainly VW dealer) up to 86,000 miles (2017). In 2018 it had a water pump and cambelt done at the cost of £540, none of this was mentioned in the advert. It's clearly been a cared for car.
The negatives are it's soaking wet inside, the passenger side carpet is wet. The roof doesn't work which is down to the water ingress. I doubt it'll be a quick fix, the owner told me a mechanic had a look at it (in between other work type of job) and suggested replacing a load of parts but he wasn't really sure. VCDS diagnostics isn't coming up with much other than a temperature sensor fault on the pump which won't clear.
The electrics in general on this car are a bit iffy due to the damp. The fog light icon is glowing on the dash when the car is first started but the fog light isn't on, this goes once warmed up. Also when indicating left the hazard lights and ECU light flash on the dash (indicators are fine on the outside). I feel like once the car is dried out these problems will disappear but maybe i'll have to repair or replace a few things. The ignition switch is also dodgy, the windows bounce up and down if they key is turned to start the engine slowly.
Hydraulic pump in the boot with a little puddle of water under it.
The boot lid doesn't latch properly on this side.
Pulled off the lovely steering wheel cover and it's left marks and indentations on the leather which are annoying so i'll look to replace the steering wheel in the future.
The first job is to clear any blocked drains and try to dry it out as driving a wet car in the winter is pretty bleak.
Smart or stupid?
I'm going to break the Golf for spares once this EOS is sorted out so I expect to get pretty much all my initial £1350 outlay back and i'll have replaced it with a car that's got 70k less miles and is 4 years younger = smart.
These cars needs constant attention due to the roof seals being less than adequate and water leaks can wipe out a load of electronics. I need the wife to drive a car that's not a perpetual pain in the arse as she'll be on my case to sort it out and I never seem to have any spare time as it is. Throw that on top of all the usual VW reliability troubles I had with my Golf (blown turbo, dual mass flywheel, leaking caliper, limp mode issues, coolant and oil leaks) and add some DSG into the mix = stupid.
Will it last 7 years like the Golf or be punted on within 7 weeks like my Touareg? Time will tell.
Well I'll be watching with interest as I have one here on my drive that I can't get going! It starts fine but just dies immediately so I'm led to believe either fuel pump relay or the actual fuel pump itself. But I cannot for the life of me locate where the fuel pump relay is on this car...
srappy said:
Well I'll be watching with interest as I have one here on my drive that I can't get going! It starts fine but just dies immediately so I'm led to believe either fuel pump relay or the actual fuel pump itself. But I cannot for the life of me locate where the fuel pump relay is on this car...
Sure its not the immobiliser? I fully support the idea.
I'd not bother fixing the roof though.
Just use it as a snotter. Wet vac the carpets and get out as much wet as you can then leave a portable dehumidifier in the car via an extension cable from the house.
Then get busy with clear silicon sealant where you think leaks maybe coming from.
Cheap, fairly stylish car to do a job.
Another idea for the golf would be to mot then you have a failure sheet to show potential buyers rather than having the hassle of breaking it.
I'd not bother fixing the roof though.
Just use it as a snotter. Wet vac the carpets and get out as much wet as you can then leave a portable dehumidifier in the car via an extension cable from the house.
Then get busy with clear silicon sealant where you think leaks maybe coming from.
Cheap, fairly stylish car to do a job.
Another idea for the golf would be to mot then you have a failure sheet to show potential buyers rather than having the hassle of breaking it.
There's a guy in Leicester who fixes all the convertible roofs across vw and Audi. You can look up this vag pro on Google.
I know he can fix the Eos but it's more complicated and time consuming than the normal cabriolet hoods. the earlier you catch a troublesome roof the better though I think it's a new parts kit most of the time for an eos.
I know he can fix the Eos but it's more complicated and time consuming than the normal cabriolet hoods. the earlier you catch a troublesome roof the better though I think it's a new parts kit most of the time for an eos.
Edited by tvrfan007 on Saturday 18th January 10:32
Agila b 6yr 6k said:
I fully support the idea.
I'd not bother fixing the roof though.
Just use it as a snotter. Wet vac the carpets and get out as much wet as you can then leave a portable dehumidifier in the car via an extension cable from the house.
Then get busy with clear silicon sealant where you think leaks maybe coming from.
Cheap, fairly stylish car to do a job.
Another idea for the golf would be to mot then you have a failure sheet to show potential buyers rather than having the hassle of breaking it.
I'm sure i'll be able to fix the roof. I don't mind breaking the Golf, it gives me a chance to recover all the money i've dropped down the side of the seat over the years I'd not bother fixing the roof though.
Just use it as a snotter. Wet vac the carpets and get out as much wet as you can then leave a portable dehumidifier in the car via an extension cable from the house.
Then get busy with clear silicon sealant where you think leaks maybe coming from.
Cheap, fairly stylish car to do a job.
Another idea for the golf would be to mot then you have a failure sheet to show potential buyers rather than having the hassle of breaking it.
tvrfan007 said:
There's a guy in Leicester who fixes all the convertible roofs across vw and Audi. You can look up this vag pro on Google.
I know he can fix the Eos but it's more complicated and time consuming than the normal cabriolet hoods. the earlier you catch a troublesome roof the better though I think it's a new parts kit most of the time for an eos.
Thanks for the recommendation, I haven't taken a car to a garage since I was 18 and that was only because I had an injury and couldn't physically do it myself (snapped cambelt on a XR3i 16v). A purchase like this doesn't work if you can't fix it yourself. The guy I bought it off was quoted between £600 and £1000 for a repair. I know he can fix the Eos but it's more complicated and time consuming than the normal cabriolet hoods. the earlier you catch a troublesome roof the better though I think it's a new parts kit most of the time for an eos.
Edited by tvrfan007 on Saturday 18th January 10:32
CoolHands said:
Why would anyone of sound mind put one of those steering wheel covers over the steering wheel? <baffled>
Not got a clue, i think he had a blue theme going on. I initially thought it might be hiding something but the wheel underneath was mint other than damage caused by the cover. I have always liked the look of the EOS since they came out.
if you have the patience to sort it out it would then be a cool car IMO.
As someone on PH once said, it's just nuts and bolts, a man put it together etc etc...!
Hope you succeed... pity it is in the middle of winter though.
Will follow with interest.
if you have the patience to sort it out it would then be a cool car IMO.
As someone on PH once said, it's just nuts and bolts, a man put it together etc etc...!
Hope you succeed... pity it is in the middle of winter though.
Will follow with interest.
I'll try rubbing some leather conditioner into the steering wheel.
Last night I picked up a hydraulic pump and ecu that was advertised locally. This was before i'd even looked at my car. They were a good price so worth getting.
I took the boot trim carpet out and it was all wet, you can see where water has been running down the corner as it's dirty. I removed the ECU, there is some sound deadening behind this what was soaked, lucily the ECU sits above the water, not in it. I opened up the ECU casing and it's not corroded, it has been coated in a resin.
This is the sponge that's wrapped around the hydraulic pump, it was soaking and you can see where the pump is rusting.
When the pump is plugged in, it shows a fault for the temperature sensor on the hydraulic pump, this fault wouldn't clear. I tested the wires for the temp sensor ohms and the reading was correct (matched my spare pump). I then tested for continuity between the wires going from the ecu to the pump, they were good. Plugged it all back together and now the fault was gone. Tried the roof and it started working but only gets as far as this photo shows. After looking at a youtube video that shows the sequence for the various sensors on VCDS i've worked out the problem but not the solution yet. The roof folds up like in the picture, the next step is the boot lid tilts back out of the way, mine unlatches but straight away after the front latches above the windscreen release and the roof starts to move back, this causes a interference issue and the whole lot stops. I've tried both ECU's and it makes no difference.
Simple job was to replace the faulty ignition switch. This went smoothly and has fixed the windows bouncing.
Unfortunately when testing the roof operation the passenger window was starting to move slowly. It then packed up so I stripped it out but i'll need to buy one so the car is out of action already. I had to use the car cover I have for the Boxster, you can see the EOS has too much booty for it.
Last night I picked up a hydraulic pump and ecu that was advertised locally. This was before i'd even looked at my car. They were a good price so worth getting.
I took the boot trim carpet out and it was all wet, you can see where water has been running down the corner as it's dirty. I removed the ECU, there is some sound deadening behind this what was soaked, lucily the ECU sits above the water, not in it. I opened up the ECU casing and it's not corroded, it has been coated in a resin.
This is the sponge that's wrapped around the hydraulic pump, it was soaking and you can see where the pump is rusting.
When the pump is plugged in, it shows a fault for the temperature sensor on the hydraulic pump, this fault wouldn't clear. I tested the wires for the temp sensor ohms and the reading was correct (matched my spare pump). I then tested for continuity between the wires going from the ecu to the pump, they were good. Plugged it all back together and now the fault was gone. Tried the roof and it started working but only gets as far as this photo shows. After looking at a youtube video that shows the sequence for the various sensors on VCDS i've worked out the problem but not the solution yet. The roof folds up like in the picture, the next step is the boot lid tilts back out of the way, mine unlatches but straight away after the front latches above the windscreen release and the roof starts to move back, this causes a interference issue and the whole lot stops. I've tried both ECU's and it makes no difference.
Simple job was to replace the faulty ignition switch. This went smoothly and has fixed the windows bouncing.
Unfortunately when testing the roof operation the passenger window was starting to move slowly. It then packed up so I stripped it out but i'll need to buy one so the car is out of action already. I had to use the car cover I have for the Boxster, you can see the EOS has too much booty for it.
The replacement pump I bought turned out to be in quite a state, the guy that sold me it assured me it worked but felt bad about the state of it (I should have removed the sponge insulation when I went to pick it up), as I needed a window regulator short notice (on a Sunday), he gave me the complete door which happened to have a recently replaced window regulator fitted to it.
Regulator fitted into my door. I couldn't actually work out what was wrong with my old regulator, the cable was fine, no broken pulleys but it seemed to get to a bit certain bit and jam up.
Interior stripped down and a dehumidifier was running in the car for a few days to dry it out.
Success on the roof, it now works perfectly. I swapped the hydraulic pump over to the scabby one and I heard the locks at the front engage, I don't actually think my old pump was faulty, I believe the process of disconnecting and reconnecting the hydraulic lines reset it all. I should have been sorted at that point but i'd had the sunroof open (fully back in the attempting to open the roof position rather than the normal sunroof open position) when I disconnected the battery to do all the work as it was sunny and I wanted the car to dry out. Once the battery was reconnected the car couldn't see the sunroof position and there would be a roof opening error. The sunroof worked on it's own separate switch and doing a calibration of the sunroof didn't help. I ended up disconnecting the battery and removing the body module which has some condensation on it. Plugged it back in and the roof now works as it should. It took me all weekend messing about to get it to work but I don't actually think the car needed any parts to fix the roof, it seems like a case of just disconnecting and reconnecting various things sorted it out.
Regulator fitted into my door. I couldn't actually work out what was wrong with my old regulator, the cable was fine, no broken pulleys but it seemed to get to a bit certain bit and jam up.
Interior stripped down and a dehumidifier was running in the car for a few days to dry it out.
Success on the roof, it now works perfectly. I swapped the hydraulic pump over to the scabby one and I heard the locks at the front engage, I don't actually think my old pump was faulty, I believe the process of disconnecting and reconnecting the hydraulic lines reset it all. I should have been sorted at that point but i'd had the sunroof open (fully back in the attempting to open the roof position rather than the normal sunroof open position) when I disconnected the battery to do all the work as it was sunny and I wanted the car to dry out. Once the battery was reconnected the car couldn't see the sunroof position and there would be a roof opening error. The sunroof worked on it's own separate switch and doing a calibration of the sunroof didn't help. I ended up disconnecting the battery and removing the body module which has some condensation on it. Plugged it back in and the roof now works as it should. It took me all weekend messing about to get it to work but I don't actually think the car needed any parts to fix the roof, it seems like a case of just disconnecting and reconnecting various things sorted it out.
PGNSagaris said:
Please don’t.
Probably one of the least appealing cars ever made. Look at a V70 instead
C70 you mean? That was a folding roof convertible done right, I enjoyed mine enormously and you very rarely see them with roof issues and never with leaks.Probably one of the least appealing cars ever made. Look at a V70 instead
The EOS could be the poster child of why the "quality German engineering" myth is, and always has been, b
ks. Good luck OP 
I briefly had a C70, nice enough but they have a strong whiff of old man. My wife prefers the EOS. A Volvo C70 the same age and mileage as my EOS would be around £3500.
I agree on the German reliability myth but Volvo isn't much better. I bought my C70 with a faulty auto box and a roof problem.
I agree on the German reliability myth but Volvo isn't much better. I bought my C70 with a faulty auto box and a roof problem.
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