UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Basically im in a complete rut with the car at the moment. Keep changing my mind on whether to sell or keep it.

Just after Christmas my engine warning light came on when driving over the snow (which has turned to ice) then went out again the next day. Over the course of the next month it came on and went off occasionally although usually stayed off. More recently it started staying on and another warning light (the "handbrake one") started flashing all the time i drove it.

So took it down to Mr.Craft (VW specialist) who diagnosed it to be either the rear lamda sensor or a problem with the CAT. A couple days later the engine light went off but the other light still flashed. Got a new lamda sensor fitted a few days later and the engine warning light stayed off, so assumed that was the problem.

However this weekend the light came back on when going over a bump. So im guessing its a problem with the CAT. Will have to get it VAGCOMED for sure.

So i have that to fix and also got a price to fix a few other bits that need doing off my g/f's dad(panel beater by trade, but a good enough mechanic :

2x wishbones
new brake pads all round
new brake discs all round
new inner cv boot joint
Inner steering joint
respray rear spoiler (big scratch in it)
couple other bits sprayed up.

About £450 for those plus the cost of the CAT if this turns out to be the case, which i've heard it pretty dam expensive. Also the cambelt hasn't been changed in 4 years now roughly 35,000 miles ago.

Then I really want a nice set of wheels for it to keep my happy! And sort out the rev counter which gets "stuck" occasionally.

In the last month i've properly changed my mind about 26 times about what to do with it, and now im stuck!

I think i bought it to quickly really, was the first one i looked at and hadn't really researched that much into them. Luckily the main things, gear box/pedal recall had been done. But have spent a bit on it getting it back up to a higher standard. Bits resprayed, wheels tidied up, new suspension, loads of receipts form TPS etc....

But should i just cut my losses and sell up, or keep going with it?!!

Heart says keep. I do love my car

Head says sell up.

Just after general opinions (if it was yours type thing!) everyone will be gratefully received and considered.

Help, Chris.

Don't sell up man! We have to rep Devon's side of the GTIs on here

I have contemplated getting rid but on a sunny day, when its all clean and shining, you just can't say yes to selling it. Im in the process of getting VAGCOM sorted out on my Macbook so when its done i could run up the A38 and plug it in if you like? See what it says?

Remember, all cars are money pits and a new one will still have its issues.

Hope this helps lol,

Matt

Endi_GTI wrote: Remember, all cars are money pits and a new one will still have its issues.

Stick with it Chris. These things happen, but once all is sorted you'll be happy as larry again

Cheers guys, i don't want to sell, but if it turns out to be a problem with the cat, a replacement is meant to be a lot of money!

But then, at least i know what problems this one has, and if i bought something else it could end up having more problems and im starting all over again!

Its very very unlikely to be the cat

The fact it comes on over a bump suggests a wiring issue.

If you can get the fault codes, ill check the workshop manual...you'd be amazed what bullsh*t garages feed you sometimes.

Thanks Alex. I'll get it done.

If you were closer, id pop over and take a look lol!

I'd keep it dude,ive been temped to sell mine sometimes and looked at Edition 30 Golfs & new shape Audi A3's.I just seem to keep the Polo,they aren't bad to run once sorted thats what makes me keep it too,i save about £900 a month for a house by keeping the Polo.

As Matt said when you give them a clean and all is well they're a wicked car especially with the lack of decent ones around.As Alex mentions,it seems to be a wiring fult with what you've described,maybe a loose connection or earth fault somewhere.Get it scanned and let us all know.

Brad

I have had this dilema for ages now, I love the GTI to bits with the way it looks, the quality, the sound and attention it gets when driving to places. My heart says keep it but my head (and now wallet) says its time to move on.

Ideally I would like to keep the Polo and get a Type R but unfortunately I cant afford to do that. I personally just want something quicker for now and I dont want to try to push the Polo too hard and cause myself more problems.
With my gearbox going it kind of put into perspective that the Polo is far too nice of a car to try and modify heavily, they look at their best when they are lowered sitting on a nice set of wheels.

I was kind of on a mission to make mine faster and make it compete with some of the hot hatches but in all honesty with the cost involved I very much doubt it would have been worth it. If your happy with the power and how it looks then thats all that matters at the end of the day.

I have decided to move on simply for a quicker/more basis car in the Honda which ticks all the boxes for me.
Selling mine isnt an easy decision but I think its the right time with summer approaching, plus the cars seem to be holding relatively good value at the moment.

People are not going to like me for saying this but i think you should sell... Your old enough now to get pretty much what you want. The polo is an amzing car but you cant tune it that much without spending a huge amount on it :/ and you can get a much better car for cheap prices.
I know the dilema though, I REALLY dont want to sell my VW beetle but I know i have to

Sell now and watch the price start to rise as there are soooo many being broken now. Was talking on the weekend why my engine was coming out about the price of mk1 golfs now.

The Gti will soon be a rare classic.

Keep it! If you're umming and arring about it you don't really want to sell it.

We've all been there and had to spend some pennies on getting our Polo's right, but that's what happens when you own a car. It's a constant on cost.

Oh and like Alex said, it'll propbably be some daft dodgy wire.

Keep it, they are getting rarer by the day and your heart tells you that you love it

My engine light comes on during long motorway journeys but i do not have a CAT on mine, i reset the light myself using a Scan Gauge II on board computer i got from ebay:



I also have a hand held code reader i got from ebay for £20 that will also give you the problem code which you can look up in the book provided or on the net to find out whats causing the light to come on (giving you the chance to get it fixed and have more knowledge when taking it to a garage_

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I guessed most of you would say keep it! Im hoping too diagnose the problem which is bringing the light on before i do anything else to it. If it turns out to be something simple and cheap enough then it'll sway me to keep it.

Want to know either way in the next couple of weeks what im going to do.

If you were to sell up, what car would you have in mind as a replacement?