VW Golf battery replacement
Fit the type the car was built with. AA New Zealand says putting a non-AGM battery in a start-stop car impairs the fuel-saving system, and that cars with a battery management system need the new battery registered so they charge it properly. Ask whether your Golf needs that step, and have the battery type written on the invoice.
Test before you buy. A load test and a charging check show whether the battery or something else is at fault, and after a flat battery the AA suggests a diagnostic check to find out why it went flat. Car battery replacement covers the rest.
Which Golf engines have a cambelt?
| Engine family | Camshaft drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Mk7 1.2 and 1.4 TSI petrols | EA211 | Toothed belt (a cambelt) |
| 1.8 and 2.0 TSI, including the GTI and R | EA888 | Chains |
| Diesels and other engines | TDI and others | Confirm from the engine code |
When is a Golf cambelt due?
On an NZ-new Golf, when Volkswagen's schedule for that engine says, by kilometres or years. For grey-imported Volkswagens, Volkswagen New Zealand recommends a cambelt change every 6 years or 120,000 km, whichever comes first, which is a sound line to use when an import arrives with no history.
Don't stretch it. A worn belt gives no warning, and on an interference engine a failed belt can leave the valves bent. The quote should cover the belt and the parts that wear with it, and the cambelt page lists what to look for.
NZ-new or imported Golf: warranty and servicing
Read the booklet before you choose a garage. The MTA's general view is that an independent mechanic should be low risk when servicing follows the maker's specifications, but Volkswagen New Zealand's own terms are stricter. Its 5 year/150,000 km warranty covers only cars it imported new, and excludes claims on a car not serviced by an authorised Volkswagen dealer or service centre, with Volkswagen's parts, at the set intervals.
The DSG gearbox warranty works differently. Volkswagen New Zealand covers factory-fitted six and seven-speed DSGs for 5 years or 150,000 km whether the Golf is NZ-new or imported, but not if the servicing or repairs were done in a way it hasn't approved.
Outside those warranties, a mechanic who works on Volkswagens week in, week out is a good fit. Volkswagen New Zealand recommends a service every 12 months or 15,000 km. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
Questions to ask about a Golf with a DSG
- Is it the six-speed wet-clutch DSG or the seven-speed dry-clutch one?
- If it's the wet-clutch type, when was the gearbox fluid last changed?
- Is the car still inside Volkswagen New Zealand's DSG warranty, and will this work keep it valid?
- Does the VIN show any open recalls on NZTA's recall site?
Our take on a Golf
We'd sort out the battery type and the cambelt history in the same visit. On a start-stop Golf, ask for an AGM battery and the registration step on the invoice. On a belt engine with no proof of a change, book the cambelt before anything optional.