Golf TDI

Cerberus

Hey,
I'm thinking of buy a 00' Golf 1.9TDi Comfortline. I have a problem though. The current owner insists the car is only 90bhp. That's what the garage man who sold it to him said it was as well. So I presumed it was just an ordinary TDi. However, I took a look under the bonnet yesterday and the engine cover says its a 1.9TDi red i. I thought the red i means it is 110bhp. But yer man insists it is the 90bhp model and that it says this on the log book (I didn't think the bhp was wrote on the log book -thought it was just the cc of the engine). And to make it even harder to tell, this car has been performance tuned (claimed 135bhp). I've always driven pertrols, so i don't know what a 'fast' diesel drives like. Last night I clocked it doing the 0-60 in 8.9 seconds which would be putting it a bit ahead of a BMW 318
To me, 90 to 135bhp seems unlikely. 110 to 135bhp would be more like it.

So what i'd like to know is if there is anyone here with a similar type Golf that could tell me whether it says the bhp of the car in the log book? Or maybe someone knows how I could easily find out what bhp the engine is. Or maybe I'm wrong and the red i means it is 90bhp? Was contemplating finding out the original garage to sell it but the car has had 3 owners. Must be an easier way? Any help appreciated as I'm planning on buying in the next day or so and I want to know the base spec for the insurance company. Thanks.

JohnBoy

90 to 135 is perfectly achievable.

possibly not just on a chip, but with some fuel pump tweaks and more importantly a change to 110 or 130 injectors it is very feasible.

a 90 can be taken up to 150 with relative ease (I say relative, as in relative to getting similar gains from a 90bhp petrol).

What is the badge on the boot saying?

also if it goes like you want it to go and the log book says 90 how much does it matter to you? do you have further tuning in mind? or is it just curiousisty?

I know it'd bug me, but I'm a bit odd on things like that.

John

Cerberus

Yea, he said it was just the chip that was modified. From what I've read, 10-15% seems to be max increase from just modifying the chip, no?
There was no badge on the boot. I presume the original owner thought he'd get no kids in scobered up tuna cans to race him if they saw a red i on the back
Anyways, I found the original garage who sold it from new and asked them and they confirmed that it was a red i 110bhp to start with. The reason I wanted to know was for insurance reasons. If I told them it was 90bhp instead of 110 and I had a crash then I wouldn't get a penny out of them. They'd say I gave incorrect retails on my form and they'd be right. Now, I realise that it being tuned to 135bhp would void my insurance contract anyway but there are means to get around that in the event of a claim. But I don't know how you would go about changing the original spec of the engine. I presume them sort of details tie in with the serial number of the engine.
Anyways, I've decided not to buy it. I think the mileage has been clocked on it, the seven colours of sh1te have definitely been driven out of it and I've heard that the car is wanted in all good garda stations in Connaught . I test drove it twice and was followed by the law on both occasions. Never did anything to catch their attention. Kept to 30 in the 30s, no wheel spining or revving etc. Maybe it was the string of Civics and Puntos revving up behind me It seems to be a cop magnet AND a boy racer magnet. As well, it being a red i increases my insurance by nearly a grand. Probably better off without it.

Could ya really tune a 90bhp tdi to 135 with relative ease? Is there many people in Ireland that do that type of modifications? And at what cost?

JohnBoy

yup.

you basically need 2 things

1) a set of 110 or 130 injectors

2) a chip that is aware that you are running oversized injectors that can tweak some basic parameters of the ecu.

then bang.

my basic understanding is that the 90 and 110 are almost identical bar the injectors and ecu, and the 110 injectors alone with a 90 ecu will give around 105, then the chip needs to be added to the mix.

I'd have to say that if you were the type that didn't tell the insurance everything then it would take a very conciencoius assessor to realise that you had changed the injectors as they are externally identical varying only in a part number stamped into them

(not advocating lying to the insurance man nor do I lie to the insurance man)

take a look at http://www.tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ

now I need to start looking into peugeot td tuning..........

Better have a chat with fbd first though

Borzoi

Originally posted by Cerberus
I think the mileage has been clocked on it, the seven colours of sh1te have definitely been driven out of it and I've heard that the car is wanted in all good garda stations in Connaught .

3 Big reasons to stay clear of it.

Actually, I'd assume the middle one from any modded car, and would be very hesitant about buying. This in no way detracts from the countless modders who tastefully change their car and improve performance and drive like concientious nuns - but I woudn't trust a modded car