GTI not an autox car?

[Duckydos]

Without getting too worked up... I took my 20th Anniversary GTI (27,000 miles. APR chipped, Stratmosphere DV, otherwise stock) to a trackday event in August. I only got 4 laps into it when the motor started making a whining noise, very similar to the sound of a supercharger. After another 2 laps, I pulled over, opened the hood, and saw the motor was BUCKING wildly. The car ended up at a dealership where they diagnosed 'clutch and pressure plate started to move around inside tranny, rounded off end of crank, replacing crank+clutch+pressure plate, etc' In other words, $5000 worth of work.

So I get the car back after many problems with the dealership(s) and I think I am good to go. Today I go to an autox event and on my 3rd run, the tranny started to make the same noise. It was very loud in first gear and started started to show in 2nd gear. The noise was loud enough that the announcer said 'it sounds likes this GTI may be having some transmission problems' I quickly got off the gas and brought the car home (without further incident).

Why is this happening to my car? I would hope that GTIs should be able to handle an occasional autocross. I see pics of other GTIs at the track all the time. I don't drive like a dousche (downshifting to first or bouncing it off the rev limiter, etc) Does it have anything to do with my 6-spd transmission has closer gears? Oil starvation? que que?

Either way, I had big plans for this car to be my weekend racer but it looks like today was it's last time on the track. I just wish I knew why my car is having problems.

[SirWillett]

My cars has 23 autocross events on it, tens laps around Summit Point at speed not over 100 mph and 77K miles and zero problems but I have the 5 speed. Well, I lied I have had a front strut get loose and a front wheel get loose but they were all easily handled. Another guy on here autocrosses and spends many days at the track with very few problems ( I think) also.

I know that is not much help........

[infinityman]

I have raced 3 autocross events, and my car has been absoutly fine. sometimes my clutch feels wierd after beating on it. It never slips, but it feels almost like when you are pushing it down/letting it out, it clicks, and sometimes it squeeks. stock clutch.

any info on that?

but my car has been fine.

[SirWillett]

The more that I think about it -------- after 2 different events I had a knocking noise in my "axles??" during and after the races. The sounds started after hard and improper launches. Both times the noise stay around for a week and then just stopped. The driveline is all stock and again has 77k on it.

[NOVAdub]

I have a VR6 with the same 6 speed you have in your car and Ive done 15 autocrosses and 9 track days and no problems at all.

The 6 speed is not your problem. It is a muich stronger driveline than the 5 speed. It sounds to me like you have a bad tranny.

[wuzilla]

I wouldn't go so far to say the GTI is not an autox car - it sounds more like you're having issues with reliability. Evo 8s were advertised as track cars and I've heard lots of tranny stories come from those guys! As with any new car you buy, sometimes you get a good one, and sometimes you get the one where the guy fell asleep at the controls. As NOVAdub says, you probably have tranny problems. If the car wasn't modded, you might've been able to get a warranty and a new tranny.

PS: Let's not get into the whole VW's make junk debate. Go to the Car Lounge for that.

[jamesb]

Heh, my trans has 86k miles on it, over 100 Autcrosses, and many miles spent around summit point and VIR. I have never needed a clutch (other then when I upgraded from stock to a VR clutch due to the chip) and the trans was fine till I missed a shift on the street under 30mph and now cannot get into 1st gear (I know what it needs.)

So yes, I would have to say you are running into another issue that has nothing to do with the abilities of the car in AX and the track.

[chewy'sjetta]

Sounds like a bad trannie to me.
I've done 20+ autox events and havn't had any problems. Some of the events speeds of nearly 100mph have been reached. I also use R compounds and heat them before some runs. 1 of the days i did 3 back to back hard runs and the only problem i had was the power steering fluid was boiling.

[enginerd]

OT: how do you heat your R-comps between runs??

My car eats trannys, 5 spd's though. The 6spds should hold 300+ wheel with no problems. I would say whatever caused your early problems was not repaired properly, and is still causing problems. perhaps whatever failure was bad enough to cause crank damage has damaged your tranny and it was not identified.

[genxguy]

I have a 337 that I autox'ed for 1 yr and took to track events for 2 yrs. Had trans issue @ 48k, diagnosed with faulty 3rd gear(from factory), replaced. No problems since then or before that. I now have 68k, 3 track events on the new trans. Held up fine so far. FWIW, I always rev-match and have no reservation about downshifting whenever I need to.

Sometimes, with the notoriously notchy VW trans, it can be hard to shift at high rpm. Maybe you've had that problem and accidently forced it couple times?

I'd change the trans fluid, take it real easy afterwards for a while, then try autoxing again. You don't have to shift as much and you're not reaching the high speeds that you would at the track.
Also, when you change your trans fluid, save the old fluid and get it analyzed or at least run a magnet through it to see if any metal bits came out


Modified by genxguy at 1:14 AM 12-13-2005

[Racewagon]

My wife and I have put over 3,000 miles on our 337 on the track, most of them chipped, and the last 500 with an APR stage 3 system, all on a stock cutch/driveline. We have dogbone mount inserts, and replaced the stock A-arm bushings with AudiTT style ones because the stock ones were starting to let go. We also fractured an aftermarket (Zimmerman) rotor. No other problems in all that track time plus dozen's of autocrosses, and 42,000 miles. We change oil every 3,000 with Mobil One, and that's about it. And we do drive the car hard - several autocorss FTD's, and 1st place at high speed autocrosses. We've run 1:37's at Gingerman. The motor and tranny are very tough. It sounds like you got a defective one through.

[genxguy]

Quote, originally posted by Racewagon »

We also fractured an aftermarket (Zimmerman) rotor.

I've heard that happens a lot with Zimmermans.. Don't think they're designed for track use.

[Sonar1.8T]

I have auto-xed in 26 events in the last 14 months, and other than replacing tires every 6 months, my car has been perfect. I am chipped and exhausted too. I also have the Tiptronic. I have noticed that after 3 or 4 back to back runs, the tranny/ diff will be whining a bit. Heard it on a R32 also. But we are in 92 degrees with 80% humidity too.

[DIAF]

My tranny made some noise on Sunday, but I didn't think too much of it. 05 1.8T GTI w/5speed.

Did sound like a dog box whine to me though.

No adverse effects yet though...and this was the 3rd or 4th event on this car (just got it)

[vw4gti2]

my '01 gti has 70,000 km and probably 75 AutoX events behind it. 1.8t with apr 93 octane program. Still on original clutch. No problems at all.

[Duckydos]

Like someone else said, it looks like I may have a problem that wasn't diagnosed the first time.
I will be driving an '95 240SX for the next autox season.

[SirWillett]

DID you get rid of the 20AE?

[Duckydos]

No, no. I still have it. It just isn't going to be seeing the track this season.