Readers’ Motors
Rob Slater’s VW Eos 2.0 TFSI.
Rob Slater enjoys open-air motoring.
My wife and I have always run a company car as our main vehicle, along with something more functional to transport kids and shopping round town. Just over four years ago, the option arose to try something a bit different as the kids were now independent. My wife decided that a VW Eos would fit the bill, so a 2007 2.0 TFSI with 40,000 miles, one owner and a full service history was duly bought.
As an avid reader of CM for more 20 years and a keen amateur mechanic, I had maintained our previous cars with a relatively simple toolkit and multimeter, along with help and advice from Steve Rothwell. More in-depth jobs that couldn’t be tackled on the driveway, or required the purchase of specialist tools, were farmed out to a local garage. I was somewhat apprehensive at the prospect of maintaining an Eos, which is based on the VW Golf MKV, given the complexity of its Can-bus and folding roof systems.
I needed to come up with a maintenance schedule that fitted with the car’s much lower annual mileage (approximately 4000) and age, hopefully addressing any known weak points with the roof or running gear. The idea was to keep the Eos safe and reliable for many years to come, while expanding my skills and, where necessary, my toolkit to work on a modernish car.
With some help, advice and insight from Steve, I sourced a service manual, a VCDS scan device and a few special service tools. These have cost around £400, which is a reasonable amount spread over the last four years, as we plan to keep the VW for as long as possible.
Although the VCDS cost £300 at the time of purchase, it has been invaluable on numerous occasions and has more that paid for itself, although it did take a bit of getting used to if you’ve not handled such tools before. I have also joined the Eos User Forum (vweosclub.com) which is very active and is a great source of knowledge. The car is treated to an annual service at a garage, with an extra oil change undertaken at home.
Given the car is now 10 years old and has covered an extra 12,000 miles, there have been a few problems that have needed attention.
Leaking roof
The Eos roof is an amazing piece of kit, but is prone to leaks around the A- and C-pillars. The roof needs a special Ptfe-based lubricant applied at least every six months (around £40 per year) and the owners’ forum has workarounds and fixes for just about every leak you might encounter.
Climate control system
Like most systems, the climate control relies on flaps/control motors to direct air around the cabin and these can fail over time and require replacing. If you’re having problems with the system, VCDS can be invaluable in identifying the climate control motor and using live data to see what’s going on. Be warned: replacing parts can be very fiddly!
Dipstick/oil filter housing
Due to the constant cycling between hot and cold, the dipstick top seal can break off and the plastic oil filter housing can leak – these are well-known Golf MKV weak spots and easily fixed.
Pcv/diverter valve and handbrake cable
The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) and turbo diverter valves are common failure points. The PCV took five minutes to replace and the car seemed to idle better afterwards. The diverter valve releases pressure in the intake system on turbocharged engines when the throttle is lifted or closed. Although not split, it did show signs of wear and took around 30 minutes to fix as the car needed to be jacked up and supported on axle stands. The handbrake cables are prone to rubbing on the body so require checking and renewing, but this is an easy DIY job.
Airbag pressure sensor
When the airbag warning light illuminated, the faulty sensor was easily identified using VCDS. Once the doorcard was removed, the sensor contacts were cleaned and reconnected before erasing the error code.
Clutch
The slave cylinder failed and leaked fluid all over the engine bay, but this was beyond what I could undertake on the driveway and required special tools, so it was handled by a local mechanic.
Bodywork
The front wing has had to be replaced due to a poor design which traps water, salt and mud in the metal, although the problem can be avoided if you remove the inner wing and mudflaps each year and give them a clean. A few other spots of rust have been touched up with a spray can. Although it might seem we have had more than our fair share of problems, most of these are common to the Golf MKV and are merely signs of age. Overall, the Eos has been great fun for open-top motoring in summer and, due to the metal roof, it’s good in winter, too. As a bonus, I’ve also picked up new skills along the way.
Would I recommend one? If you’re prepared to put in the additional effort over and above that required for an equivalent Golf, then yes!