1997 Volkswagen Golf
Summary:
A fun car that thrives on curvy roads at high speeds, with annoying electrical issues
Faults:
Speedometer/Odometer works sporadically.
Gas gauge works sporadically.
Bad fuel injector.
Erratic sensor lights.
Molding falling off.
Broken automatic door lock.
Broken head gasket cover.
General Comments:
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the way my Golf drives and handles. It's fun and it has some kick to it. It's almost seven years old and it still drives well.
I bought the car when it was three years old. Most of the above problems were covered under a used car warranty and were fixed by the dealership at which I bought the car.
However, there are still a few outstanding annoyances which I cannot seem to get fixed, no matter where I take the car for service. The speedometer, odometer, and gas gauge continue to give me problems. They only work sporadically, literally working one minute and then not working the next minute. It's very frustrating. I will watch the gas gauge go from half full to empty to full within seconds. I never really know how much gas I have or how fast I'm going. Somehow, I've learned how to mentally gauge approximately how fast I'm going and have never gotten a ticket for speeding. I've become paranoid and obsessive about filling up my gas tank as often as possible and so have only run out of gas twice (totally embarrassing).
Every time I've taken my car in to be looked at for these problems, the gauges start working, and therefore the problem cannot be diagnosed.
The sensor lights (check engine/airbags/etc) are constantly going on and off. I've grown tired of taking my car in every time the "check engine" light comes on. They diagnose my car and tell me nothing is wrong. And sure enough, a couple of days later, the light will shut off.
I really wish someone could figure out the problem.
I don't even want to talk about the side molding that keeps falling off and I've re-glued about 100 times.
Other than these extremely annoying inconveniences, the car has been pretty reliable. I've spent money mostly on general maintenance (tires/brakes/battery).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 26th January, 2004
1st Mar 2005, 14:21
I have had good success getting the molding back on and staying on with 3M double sided tape. I don't have the model number handy, but it is 1" wide and 1/16" thick, and has a green and white plaid pattern on the peel away covering. Clean off all old glue and tape from both the doors and the molding. A utility knife razor blade is OK with the molding if you are careful not to gouge the plastic (pretty soft stuff). A green dish scrub pad works great on the doors, although it will scratch the clear coat, so stay within the part that will be covered by the trim. Wash the molding and the car with warm water and dish soap, rinse thoroughly and dry. When all the gunk is off of both surfaces, wipe lightly with denatured alcohol to remove any residual grease and soap. I cut the tape in half (width) and use 1/2" strips on top and bottom of molding. Place the molding back on the car starting at the hinge side of the door, and working back towards the latch. If the molding is twisted from being stored in a weird configuration (like under some stuff in your trunk for several months), leave it out in the sun prior to applying the tape. It will be more manageable. A friend is good to have around to hold the molding firmly to the door's surface as you work down it's length. I've done this to all the door molding, and the tape held up even after my neighbor sideswiped the passenger door. Tape works best when ambient temperature is above 65 degrees farenheit. Good luck.
24th Feb 2005, 21:45
I have similar problems with my Golf's speedometer. Has anyone replied with suggestions for repair?