GTI+ Concerns

[Jonesy]

Hello - I’m new to the forum - thanks for the add.

Just taken delivery of a late 2019 GTI+ from a UK main dealer, 17” wheels, 6700 miles. Car looks mint and is absolutely brilliant, but I’ve noticed a couple of things: it’s already had a new pair of tyres and is now wearing Michelin Primacy 3 on the front and nearly new Falken Z1 EX on the rear. Seems very low mileage for a car to have worn out a pair of tyres? Should I be concerned?

Additionally, there’s a low level ‘tappety’ sound at idle - not particularly loud, but clearly audible. I can’t tell if it’s coming from the engine or gearbox. Is this normal?

Many thanks for any help and advice.

[lancslad1985]

I can’t comment on the tappity sound, mine either doesn’t do it or I haven’t noticed.

For the tyres it could be it was just driven hard - was it an ex demo by any chance? I’ve done 7000 miles in mine since august and still have 6.5mm tread on the front tyres so it comes down to how someone drives it. I’m pretty sure the primacy three are the standard tyres on 17”, as mine has Michelin’s on. They could also have had a puncture at the back and decided to replace both tyres.

[SRGTD]

I can’t comment on the tappity sound, mine either doesn’t do it or I haven’t noticed.

For the tyres it could be it was just driven hard - was it an ex demo by any chance? I’ve done 7000 miles in mine since august and still have 6.5mm tread on the front tyres so it comes down to how someone drives it. I’m pretty sure the primacy three are the standard tyres on 17”, as mine has Michelin’s on. They could also have had a puncture at the back and decided to replace both tyres.

I suspect that the front tyres were worn sufficiently low through ‘enthusiastic driving’ to need replacing, and the new tyres were fitted to the rear and the rear wheels with the original tyres moved to the front.

Some tyre places will put new tyres on the rear (I think Costco insist on this), as there’s a view that it’s easier to control the front wheels of a vehicle than those at the rear. Having more tread on the rear tyres would give greater grip on the rear and help prevent oversteer & loss of control in wet conditions.

As for the tappety noise at idle; this is likely to be the fuel injectors and if it is, then it’s fairly common (and normal). Not all cars do it though; some cars’ fuel injectors are more tappety than others, and like @lancslad1985 car, my GTI+ is also pretty quiet at idle.

[Stuart_Rendall]

The chances are its had a puncture and the person has done the recommended thing and replaced the tyre on both sides. The Michelin Primacy 3's are standard on the 17" Parkers so i'd imagine they are the tyres that came with the car.

In terms of the ticking noise, the 4 cylinder does make a very quite and slight tick noise, almost like a faint sound of a diesel but not quiet. I've heard this noise on a few GTI's and seems normal and fairly common. I wouldn't worry too much but if it gets worse send it back for a check as the car will still have warranty.

[Andy Beats]

The chances are its had a puncture and the person has done the recommended thing and replaced the tyre on both sides. T

If it's only done 6500 miles, only a proper fool would replace both tyres just because one had a puncture and needed renewed.
I get the argument for replacing both if the tread is really low, to avoid a somewhat 'lopsided' performance, but not at only 6500 miles.

[monkeyhanger]

The chances are its had a puncture and the person has done the recommended thing and replaced the tyre on both sides. T

If it's only done 6500 miles, only a proper fool would replace both tyres just because one had a puncture and needed renewed.
I get the argument for replacing both if the tread is really low, to avoid a somewhat 'lopsided' performance, but not at only 6500 miles.

Falkens are the replacement tyres of choice for VW/Audi dealerships - my A4 bought 10 months old had a new pair of Falkens on the front with only 10400 miles on the clock. When I questioned why, I was told the Conti 6 had worn below 3mm and they won't sell a used car with less than 3mm on the tyres (the Contis on the rear were just above 3mm).

Seems most likely that the previous owner has burned through at least 4.5mm of rubber on the fronts (Michelin Primacy have 7.4mm tread when new), they've been replaced (swapped backs to fronts, put new Falkens on the back) because they have less than 3mm. 6500 enthusiastically driven miles could easily take 4.5mm off the fronts.

Ticking noise will almost certainly be attributable to the engine running in port injection mode when cold and under low load, as opposed to direct injection mode the rest of the time, and fitment of a timing chain rather than a belt could ontribute to the hushed diesel "tick" noise too.

[Stuart_Rendall]

The chances are its had a puncture and the person has done the recommended thing and replaced the tyre on both sides. T

If it's only done 6500 miles, only a proper fool would replace both tyres just because one had a puncture and needed renewed.
I get the argument for replacing both if the tread is really low, to avoid a somewhat 'lopsided' performance, but not at only 6500 miles.

I agree, but i've had a puncture recently and spoke with VW and they said their safe practise is to replace both so the previous owner of the car might have been suckered in by the dealer. Obviously in my situation I used blackcircles for just the one tyre but others aren't so confident when being bullied by a dealer.

[Andy Beats]

I agree, but i've had a puncture recently and spoke with VW and they said their safe practise is to replace both

Regardless of mileage?
Bin a perfectly good tyre, just because the other is knackered?
Good grief, I wonder how that fits in with their 'enviromental policy'

Funnily (or not funnily) enough, the wife's Evoque has a screw through one of the tyres and it can't be repaired.
Getting one replacement tyre the same brand/size is a pain, they're at least a week away with any supplier - and she needs her car.
So at only 4500 miles I've had to take the decision to fit a pair of new Michelins, as I can get them fitted tomorrow.
I'll sell the non-punctured low mileage tyre, or keep it as a spare.

[lancslad1985]

The chances are its had a puncture and the person has done the recommended thing and replaced the tyre on both sides. T

If it's only done 6500 miles, only a proper fool would replace both tyres just because one had a puncture and needed renewed.
I get the argument for replacing both if the tread is really low, to avoid a somewhat 'lopsided' performance, but not at only 6500 miles.

I agree, but i've had a puncture recently and spoke with VW and they said their safe practise is to replace both so the previous owner of the car might have been suckered in by the dealer. Obviously in my situation I used blackcircles for just the one tyre but others aren't so confident when being bullied by a dealer.

I had a puncture on one of the rear tyres but as the other side was at more than 7mm I just changed the one. Most of my driving is motorway and even when I give it a fling it’s normally when it’s bone dry.

[Jonesy]

Many thanks for the replies. On reflection, the tyre question was probably a bit dim of me - they were obviously replaced due to being worn. I think I was just surprised to see new tyres on the rear that soon and they being a brand I hadn’t heard of. monkeyhanger’s comments re. VW’s liking for Falkens and the tyre wear being perfectly reasonable for the mileage was reassuring.

Re. the engine noise - ‘faint sound of a diesel’ is absolutely right - and by the sound of it not unusual.

Absolutely chuffed with the car - I bought it based purely on reviews and reading through the forum posts here and it’s everything I hoped it would be.

Again, thanks all.

[stevereeves]

I'm no expert mechanic but at low such miles the chances are it's perfectly ok, I was also initially surprised how much noise is made by injectors, very 'tappety'. You could always have a mechanic listen to it for peace of mind, but it really does seem like "they all do that"....