So You Want To Modify Your Volkswagen Mk7 GTI?

The VW Gti or “Golf GTi” is known as the “Gold Standard” of Hot Hatchbacks. So you want to modify your mk7 GTI? Stay tuned as Charlie goes over the Pros and Cons of modifying this car.
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[@maperformance]

Looking for parts for your Mk7 GTi? bit.ly/3zbs3Cx

[@deadpoolwithsti4249]

No I have an sti but love me some MAPformance

[@tredfxman]

Why didnt you recommend a DSG TCU Tune to make your clutch last better on the higher clamping pressure..? Like the legendary one from Racingline (that were ex owned by Volkswagen Group themselves!) Its the only TCU tune in the industry iv found that work together with ANY ECU tuner brand on the market! 👍

[@NVmk7]

Haven’t seen any mk7s with wiring issues 🤔 and I work at a VW dealership. If anything the biggest issue I’ve seen with this platform is the thermostat housing leaking. I’ve had my mk7 for 4 years on an is38 turbo on full E85 and have had zero issues!

[@sirmontecristo2808]

I am close to the 80k and thinking maybe carbon clean up and water pump replacement. Do you have any recommendations?

[@NVmk7]

@@sirmontecristo2808 if you haven’t done carbon cleaning I strongly recommend it and since you’ll be pulling the intake manifold for that might as well change the thermostat housing and water pump all in one go! Other then that give it its regular maintenance and change the spark plugs if you haven’t done that yet! Plugs are supposed to be changed every 40k depending what year your mk7 and if your dsg that would also be coming up due for service as well. I can provide with you a maintenance card on it if you’d like! Just gotta know what year the car is 😅

[@sirmontecristo2808]

@@NVmk7 Good deal man, thanks for the advice, I did the DSG maintenance at 60K and spark plugs have been replaced twice. I usually change the oil every 5K but every 20K I like to take it in to the dealer. It is a 2017 GTI S. My previous car was a 2010 CC and at 90K the water pump broke, they installed (private shop) new injectors, a nightmare, $3500 and I didn't even know what was wrong.

[@brydev7730]

That’s the only issue I’ve had , no wiring issues ever

[@vwgti8091]

Not sure if you'll see this I know this is a late response but I just went stage 2 with dp, cai, turbo inlet and turbo muffler delete and getting ready to put in a ic soon. 2016 gti manual. I noticed a click noise when giving it a little bit of gas or let off. Never happened before the tune/mods. Anyone ever heard of this happening to any other ones? Sounds like it's under the car somewhere more towards the engine area

[@wheelerdealer2105]

My 2017 MK 7 Sport DSG has 29K+ miles and is so far a zero defect (knock knock) car. In my town a rare car, I might see one or two others a month and no Sport models. I absolutely love it. No mods yet.

[@y0dilan]

How does it hold up atm? Have you done any mods? Any major issues?

[@Blando7887]

I own a 15’ autobahn with the DSG, bonestock. I’ve notice Im older than most other Golf GTI drivers, so I guess I don’t feel the strong desire to soend thousands of dollars, I just keep mine detailed and beautiful

[@masterrc123]

How many miles does your autobahn have If you wouldn't mind sharing? I'm looking at getting the same GTI and I'm just curious about the long term reliability?

[@GodStang03]

I am an older gentleman looking to get a GTI Autobahn as a DD. How do you like yours?

[@keithelizondo4404]

@@masterrc123 can’t speak for the OP but from my experience with my 2016 Autobahn, only problem I had was a slow water pump leak over 4 years of ownership. Owned it from 36k - 94k miles. Tuned on 93 from 45k-60k & tuned on full e85 with an is38 turbo from 60k - 94k. They’re incredibly well built machines. Edit: should be noted mine was a DSG. I didn’t want to mess with clutches in the manual because the comment of the stock ones being weak is true

[@JacesOwnWorld]

Real world MK7 GTI user here: I just want to have to chime in about the fuel economy. From the factory it shows 24city/32hwy. I bought my MK7 GTI brand new in April 2017, and went on a 2000 mile road trip a well after I bought it. I got 26city/42hwy. Not kidding! And no, this was not going by the cars computers MPG system. This was me doing the math from one gas station to the next. Now I am IS38 turbo, with a custom tune, and I get 27city/41hwy. So practically the same, but with 430 crank hp and 400ft/lbs-tq. Whatever the factory numbers show, they are wrong. This car gets a lot more than what VW states!

[@maperformance]

Glad you've found it to be more efficient and not the other way around!

[@josegdelgado112]

Im planning to get a GTI soon, what mods do you have that makes it run 430HP?

[@g_webb21]

@@josegdelgado112 I'd guess upgraded clutch (especially if it's a manual), intake/exhaust, IS38 turbo instead of IS20 as he said, upgraded intercooler and probably an upgraded high pressure fuel pump. I might be wrong or missing some stuff though.

[@bjjbrawler1]

I now own a MK7.5 GTI,... coming from a Jeep JK with a TON of electrical, oil burning problems. I think I can handle this car, time will tell. Good video thx.

[@karvapea50]

I have 2015 Gti with performance pack and i have few mods - ecu and dsg remapped (236kw/443nm), racingline lowering springs, 15/20mm whee spacers, gti clubsport S rear muffler, maxton rear lip spoiler. Car runs great and milage is 80000km.

[@maperformance]

Very nice!

[@WaveDashZoom]

“A few mods”

[@tredfxman]

Why didnt you recommend a DSG TCU Tune to make your clutch last better on the higher clamping pressure..? Like the legendary one from Racingline (that were ex owned by Volkswagen Group themselves!) Its the only TCU tune in the industry iv found that work together with ANY ECU tuner brand on the market! 👍

[@kevchristxpher4477]

Hey that’s me!! Thx guys! 🙏🏽

[@maperformance]

🤝🤝🤝

[@jaxxone4907]

Most reliable platform, i never heard anyone with electric problems, but: clutches, dv and water pump problems yes. I been pushing close to 400whp for the past 20k miles now i have a big turbo pushing 550whp for the past 5k miles. Great all around car!

[@dannymartinez8522]

How many miles on your mk7?

[@aurimasnarkevicius1457]

Have you done smth inside motor to get 550whp like forged parts ?

[@doloresberry3144]

Wow that's impressive.

[@brekdown29]

I’ve owned a Mk5, Mk7 and 7.5 all DSG and modded and only issue I encountered was the water pump on the mk5.

[@billynguyen710]

I have a modified. 2018 GTI stage 1 tune w/ a manual transmission at 26k miles and haven’t had any check engine light issues nor is my clutch slipping. In regards to the clutch, driving habits play a role in the lifespan. But yes, I went ahead and purchased a performance clutch and have it ready to go on when the time comes. For me, the biggest pro of the Mk7 GTI is the purchase price of the car when I bought it brand new.

[@lacrosse4higher]

Are you concerned at all with voiding the warranty? I just got a 2018 GTI and it only has 23k miles so I’m unsure whether or not to spend money on power rn or do aesthetics first

[@billynguyen710]

@@lacrosse4higher my advice would be If you are hesitant to flash a tune because of your warranty, don’t do it. For me personally, I was willing to take that risk for a stage 1 tune after doing research on this matter. My research has led me to believe that stage 1 tunes are relatively “safe” after seeing countless examples of mk7 GTIs going stage 3 with a bigger turbo, custom fueling, etc. and these engines seem to be able to handle the increased power. A stage 1 tune is relatively tame when compared to the other power options available for these cars. It is a risk, and to you, may not be worth losing the warranty. For me, I’ve accepted the fact that if something breaks in the future, I’m going to have to pay to have it fixed.

[@limitededition3278]

Mine is a 2018 with 10,000 miles I have done upgrades to mine still no void on warranty. Or TD1. It all depends what the failure vehicle has. It also depends on what part you buy if it is directly OEM for VW it should not be a problem. If problem with car can be associated with your performance upgrade then yes it can void your warranty. However, the dealer should prove to you that it is directly related to you upgrade(s). Also even if one dealer won't honor warranty others might and do. One example I can use if you do an IS38 upgrade from Golf R to a GTI and all other modifications that go along with that and it is done at the dealership or you do it yourself and you have proof that all is direct replacement of VW OEM. I cannot forsee a dealership denying any problem with vehicle unless it was something you installed wrong.

[@limitededition3278]

I also had mine flashed with stage 1 APR with only 2000 miles at the time dealership never TD1 my car. Or voided warranty. But again it depends on dealership.

[@lacrosse4higher]

All really solid advice. I’ll probably wait to do power until I can financially risk a retarted malfunction or failure out of the blue

[@limitededition3278]

I have had mine since 2018 none of these problems. I went with the manual now I will agree to add more power you will need a stronger clutch.

[@dailydrivensedans4875]

The water pump problem is really only on the earlier mk7s. The later years being mk7.5s do not suffer from it

[@shadymf]

8:32 The wastegate being stuck open would prevent the car from making full boost, not overboosting.. the turbo itself would be working harder and probably fail prematurely if left unchecked.

[@limitededition3278]

I approve ☝ this message 👏

[@SILVERBACKGTI]

Pretty much what’s happening to my GLI right now. About to fix it tomorrow finally

[@brickson98m]

Yeah. He also kept saying "turbos". There's only one turbo in a GTI.

[@mattjingles5758]

How would you know if it's stuck open?

[@shadymf]

@@mattjingles5758 Your car would fail to make any or very little positive boost pressure.

[@santi8751]

Can we get a "so you want to modify your hyundai Veloster N" pros and cons video!! Please

[@charltonmoore452]

Get the Graf metal water pump, and upgrade the coils and plugs. Also do a carbon clean as soon as you get it regardless of miles, then you know its done. Just my 2 cents.

[@windscar008]

I literally went through all of the cons lol....water pump, oil pan, wastegate actuator, clutch....

[@Giligonzalez]

Im pushing +500 whp on my seat leon cupra wich is MQB same 2.0 liter is38 stage 3 by ttf full bolts on by ttf and running snowperformance watermethanol 50 k kms and runs just great

[@RandySchouteere]

Is there a difference between european and US/Canadian GTI's? In Europe I've never heard of electrical issue's with the mark 7 GTI?! Especially issue's where there is a need to replace a complete wiring harness?!

[@shevagoal69]

Yes, euro gti have port injection while NAR have direct injection only

[@samerbayoumi6378]

you missed the biggest con for the manual version of the gti..... You need to be careful which AM clutch you go for..... One most of them require a SmF conversion. Which creates clutch noises. Also cause the DMF is gone now your gears in the trans will rattle a bit under 3k rpm which unno if it will cause some gears to fail over time.... Also you need to make sure the clamping force is not crazy because you can get crank walk. This is not a issue for the DSG cars. Only for manual.... If you upgrade your thrust barings then you may be good. Pretty surprised you missed that con. Its a pretty important one to mention.

[@maperformance]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, this is great advice! Sometimes we all need a little help covering all the bases. 👍🏻

[@jamstersmith4625]

Replaced mine with a helix clutch and dmf,very quiet and feels great

[@RevlistheReviler]

just use sachs or southbend. many ppl pushing easy 400tq+ on those clutches in the golfmk7 forums. the points where people have cw problems is mainly cheap dkm clutches, and even then on those the issue is extremely rare and hard to replicate.

[@bonnorbassidy8198]

@@RevlistheReviler just broke in my southbend stage 2 endurance. My gti pushin around 400+ torque rn

[@itspabbs]

I love my MK7! With less than $2,000 invested in upgrades this car scoots! A Con that I would add is that these cars struggle to put the power onto the road being FWD. If anyone has any advice (besides tires obviously) let me know!

[@kickstart5093]

I have a mk6 and I know for mine if your experiencing wheel hop upgraded dogbone and motor/trans mounts make a big difference. Likely the same for mk7 cause stock ones are soft for comfort but suck at putting power down. Otherwise not sure if the mk7 has a lsd or not, I would look into that aswell.

[@rxmcord2392]

@@kickstart5093 if im not wrong in Belgium atleast the performance models come with lsd

[@kickstart5093]

@@rxmcord2392 depends on the year. The mk6 i don't think ever had it but the mk7 and 7.5 and 8 do depending on options. Some come standard too.

[@spencer1320]

MK7, MK7.5 and MK8 will have the LSD on the SE and autobahn models it does not come on the S model. SE and Autobahn have the upgraded breaks and comes with the LSD also upgraded headlights / upgraded radio

[@bravosava]

I got a 2015 gti, with 305.000km on it. Not tuned, first engine & first gearbox. I never expected a golf to go past 300k km. I had 0 issues. Biggest cost was to replace the turbo once. Other then that, no big costs. Just the normal things, oil changes. Brakes, injectors etc.

[@shannonmcatee9610]

17' full apr2 n a southbend 2 clutch.. well worth it

[@landroverSV]

The only thing I would do is a VR6 swap! Nothing beats the awesome music 🎶 from that awesome engine 😎

[@Jose_bello_Jr]

Boi short answer is hell yes. Look at my Gti 😂

[@shawnreems493]

Only have had a misfire issue and the sunroof leaking other then that great platform to play on.

[@eppyz]

Must be an old video didn't even mention the 7 speed DSG 🙄

[@Frisky_Panda]

Only 1 year or 2 so idk if they really know about this car lmfao

[@TENNESSEETRACKHAWK]

Put an RS3 motor and drivetrain in it like I did....... Well, Golf R that is. These platforms hit the ceiling at like 650 whp.

[@mattjingles5758]

That's insane lol

[@teppens71]

Oddly enough I have a 2015 mk7 with 123k miles and I've never had an issue with check engine lights or electronics. And I heard 2015 was the worst year for the mk7 because it was brand new. Lucky I guess

[@teppens71]

Still stock clutch as well. No slip

[@Maxuto43]

"If you ain't rubbin you ain't dubbin" this is what I say everytime someone drives with me and says "whats was that"

[@danielcofield7195]

spot on with the shitty water pumps.. I'm going on number 4 in a 2016 gen.

[@jiffjifferson5365]

I'm getting like low 20's mpg on my mk7.5. Highway around 30ish Flashed it to stage 1 a year later. Now I'm getting less

[@danielbarrera6559]

I feel like my mk6 gti gained mpgs after I flashed to stage 1

[@jeremywatts2768]

It's not the car you drive. It's the driver who's driving the car that's doing the driving. -Vin Serento

[@domiggy4455]

I gained 2 mpg after stage 2 Uni

[@jiffjifferson5365]

@@domiggy4455 then ur not driving it like the way it was intended . Jokes

[@domiggy4455]

@@jiffjifferson5365 oh I only get that when I'm trying for mpg 🤣 my oil temp is my main gauge if that says anything

[@domiggy4455]

I have heard that the DSG transmissions can hold ballpark 400 tq and hold up. Anyone have their dsg go to crap after tune?

[@lennyu9064]

Never heard of anyone's going to crap at all...just tune the dsg

[@domiggy4455]

@@lennyu9064 mine is tuned and holding fine. I think the trans being referred to in the video is only manual?

[@lennyu9064]

The manual trans won't hold up being tuned....even on stage 1...thats the advantage to dsg

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

@@lennyu9064 mine is stage 2 on the stock clutch and is fine. The clutch will go eventually but the trans should be OK unless you're stupid with it.

[@von6164]

I’m pushing 400tq and no issues 🤞🏽

[@Frisky_Panda]

The GTI is 100% a tuner car... I want to trade my veloster n for one... I love my veloster but to make power on this you have to spend 1500 for a turbo and expensive tune that doesn't have data logging features... all for over 3k plus 1k for turbo install. The gti I did 1 hour of research and found amazing tuning companies unlike my veloster.

[@mattjingles5758]

Facts I'm about to switch from my 2015 genesis sedan to a gti with the dsg

[@sergioherk4433]

mk7 GTI just hit 100k miles only thing that’s gone wrong is water pump no electrical issues lol VW is rated pretty high in terms of reliability it isn’t 2003 anymore

[@dannymartinez8522]

How's your timing chain no rattle? What maintenance have you done on your ride?

[@axelognar8034]

I noticed that you didn’t talk about crankwalk. From what I gathered from online forums, it’s an issue for the manual transmission GTI that leads to engine failure. It haunts me because I own a MT MK7 GTI that has a stage 2 tune and stage 3 clutch and 82k miles on the odometer. I would really appreciate anyone’s insight on crankwalk as I honestly have no idea how likely it is to happen and if it’s really a big issue or not.

[@axelognar8034]

@@Ayeitsscott I saw. His documentation of the problem is what really freaked me out.

[@axelognar8034]

@@Ayeitsscott At this point I’m just hoping it’s not as common of an issue as I think

[@charltonmoore452]

Get the 15-20$ clutch stop from ECS this will help prevent the over pressing of the clutch that causes crank walk. Lots of info out there for this.

[@JohnDoe-xw1jk]

It is an issue that is widely overblown online and the odds of it happening are very slim. Just think about the mass amount of manual gti's that are produced and that some of them will have problems.

[@itspabbs]

My 2017 is MT and has just shy of 70k miles now. It's modded and I have never had an issue with this car.

[@josephgelske2582]

I’m at 40k miles and have no check engine lights The car is a mk7.5 2018 gti with a map performance down pipe, ecs cat back valved exhaust, eqt ecu tune, ( stage 2 91 octane) and Cobb tcu tune both ots

[@inspireSKZ]

Do you pass emissions?

[@shindigfreak5277]

why did you mix the ecu and tcu tunes... thats messed up imo...

[@deadpoolwithsti4249]

Boys we need a map stage 3 for the sti loving my stage 2😘

[@oriogames9506]

electrical problems of both my mk6 and mk7 but everything else is good

[@opadilla123]

Was the hot hatch up 2017 honda is the hot hatch world now

[@dannymartinez8522]

I haven't seen many type r on the street

[@christopherlowrance8606]

The GTI is our times modern tuner, not the same as the early 2000s but also not a ricer, inbetween

[@Nirvash24]

I had my GOlf R since new. 5 years 65k miles. Never once has a CEL.

[@samerbayoumi6378]

gti mk7 def a tuner car.

[@TheDoXiZ]

How he prononce Volkwégun

[@Mk5lyfstyle]

Or flex fuel on stock ecu

[@FacetiousUsername]

Seemably isn't a word lol

[@shinymike4301]

Yes, the GTI is a tuner car. I mean, does the Pope shit in the woods??

[@ernestpaniagua1210]

I have a 2018 VW GTI SE MK 7.5 and no problems what so ever knock on wood.

[@dorkultra]

seems odd that you have a huge number of friends that have had to replace entire wiring harnesses. I haven't heard of anyone doing this on a mk7, perhaps it was the earlier models

[@NickC-ej9of]

That’s what I’m saying Ik it was an issue with mk5’s and some mk6’s but not mk7

[@colewilmoth246]

@@NickC-ej9of never had a single light come on in my mk7 and im at 70k miles. its been flawless

[@NickC-ej9of]

@@colewilmoth246 I have a 2015 jetta se with the 1.8t and have had zero mechanical or electrical issues with over 115k miles on it

[@NickC-ej9of]

@@colewilmoth246 bought it at 42k miles

[@jefft5175]

electrical issues?? wut

[@clueless3398]

Welp I guess I’m going Honda…

[@HamiltonProvonsha]

Seemably

[@brickson98m]

From what I've heard, the 6 speed DSG can handle quite a bit of power over stock, reliably. It's the 7 speed DSG in later years that doesn't like it as much. I haven't heard much about anyone having issues with the 6 speed manual trans running well over stock figures. Only the stock clutch. The water pump is definitely the Achilles heel of this car. Luckily, mine had it's water pump replaced just about 11,000 miles ago. It was a California car, so I'm sure the extra heat down there didn't help that poor plastic water pump. Now she's up in cold ass Wisconsin, so I'm hoping I won't have to replace it again for a good while. I wonder if anyone makes a metal water pump replacement to prevent the problem. Also, having an OBDEleven or VCDS helps a lot with nailing down electrical problems. Of course, just like any German car, when it gets older and has more miles on it, sneaky gremlins can start popping up, forcing you to have to start replacing wiring harnesses.

[@charcoaledlife7096]

its not 220hp to crank ill tell u that rn

[@c0Ld]

yup, more like 220 to the wheels

[@stevo5976]

Yes they Dyno 220-230 whp. 250 some wtq

[@charleshuston3751]

I don’t mean to be rude but this video was presented with a bunch of Garbo opinions. Not informative as a stock gti owner and honestly just felt like a view grab. Better luck next time

[@lincolnk.1964]

800th like yay

[@herchellescholtz4782]

Dont tune the gti😂, trust me Mine blew up with a stage 2 and leaky injector🙂

[@romariosmith422]

Seems you're the anomaly.

[@Plupx]

@@romariosmith422 yeah this, im 30k miles stage 2 and runs smooth as when i picked it up.

[@Jose_bello_Jr]

Boi I been tuned for like 30k miles (at70k now) and we Gucci

[@herchellescholtz4782]

@@Jose_bello_Jr must be nice🥲

[@JohnDoe-xw1jk]

What tune were you running? you dont even list a year or engine so you cant just claim that any gti will blow up

[@benbrockton]

Short answer Not worth modifying.

[@Frisky_Panda]

I don't even own one and know this video is full of misinformation. Stick to wheels and tires guys!