November 11th, Veteran’s Day, marks my GTI’s ninth anniversary! I wish I could tell you that I’ve added more cool modifications to the car. After all, my car’s early years of adding stereo, software, turbo, and exhaust upgrades played a part in drawing most of you to my website or YouTube channel. The trailers, towing, and cargo content may have been attractive, too. But my car mods ended years ago. I tend to make my cars into what I want and then drive them until they’re worthless. As a result, I haven’t shared any CAR mods with you in a few years. The car is where I want it and it’s been great! Ham radio mods, yes; car mods? Not so much. However, I did mention that I’d share any problems that I may encounter as my GTI ages. So, let me share some things that happened in 2025:

First, the mileage: I drove less over the past year, mostly because I made fewer road trips. My GTI averaged around 30,000 miles (48,000 km) per year for its first eight years. I had wondered if it might reach 300,000 miles (483,000 km) by the ten-year mark. I no longer wonder about that! It currently has ~256,000 miles, which calculates to just 23,000 miles (37,000 km) driven over the past year. At that rate of travel, I should reach 300k by the 11-year mark. Time will tell if mechanical challenges get in my way.

Let’s talk about that! In 2025, two small but long-term issues came to a point to where they needed to be addressed: A slow refrigerant leak and oil seepage into the coolant reservoir. I replaced the oil cooler and its associated gaskets; as well as the AC compressor. Thankfully, the labor involved with addressing each problem could be combined into one large effort. I’ve shared details in this post; so, I won’t bore you with the specifics here. What’s next? Well, NOTHING in the immediate future. The car has been running great! I went quite a while without the intermittent warm-start issue that I had shared in previous posts. It appeared to have magically resolved itself. However, the engine recently struggled to start a few times if conditions were “just right.” I’m fairly certain that it’s a misbehaving high-pressure fuel pump. I’ll get around to replacing it eventually.

I continue to monitor the timing chain “stretch” via OBDEleven software. All indications show that the timing correction is well within acceptable limits at just -0.7° (screenshot in the album below). I also inspected the timing chain tensioner and it appears to be adjusted to around mid-range. Although the computer readings and tensioner correction may be good, I have to wonder about the condition of the plastic timing chain guides. I don’t hear any strange sounds, but a worn or cracked guide could lead to big problems! I’ll replace the timing chain next year regardless of the timing correction. Can things really be that perfect? 😉

I’m also keeping an eye on the alternator. I’m frequently asked if my auxiliary LiFePo4 battery and its charging system add extra strain to the alternator. The answer is “yes and no.” Yes, it adds extra load when compared to driving without it; but, NO, I don’t think it’s more than the alternator can handle. Think of all the amenities in the car that we don’t use regularly such as the motorized seats, power windows, seat heating, defrosters, high-beam headlights, fog lights, and even the Fender audio system in the upper trims. The 150-amp factory alternator is sized to handle all of that at the same time since it’s possible that passengers may actually activate any or all of them at once. Since I don’t do that, I think the extra load from the aux battery charger is fine.

I mentioned in a previous post that my charging current pulls back from 50 amps to around 35 amps when the alternator gets hot in the summer months. One of my YouTube viewers commented that my alternator’s brushes are probably worn; and that’s a very reasonable assessment. As a result, the car may see a new or rebuilt alternator in 2026. Or maybe not! 😀 I don’t see any fault codes; so, it’s not creating any issues. Even with 50 amps going into the Victron charger, the maximum load on the alternator is ~50%, which is alleged to be the preferred limit for extended periods.

My battery’s specifications state that it can accept a maximum of 100 charging amps. I’ve read that most LFP batteries last longer when charged at 0.2C. Since my LFP battery is 100-Ah, 0.2C is 20 amps. So, I set my charger to 30A to account for other loads, which leaves around 22-25A for charging the LFP battery. The slower charging rate after heavy battery use could lead to me needing to supplement charging at home. I installed an AC-DC charger in the car as well as a NOCO GCP1E extension cord receptacle on the antenna feed line pass-thru port to meet this need.

I’m still fiddling with various ham radio setups, the most recent change being the addition of motorized vertical antenna mounts. I recently switched back to my old Rhino-Rack because of internal damage to my Yakima roof rack for the second time. For the record, nothing broke or was even close to falling off the car! I conduct routine inspections of the rack and found bent internal components after two years of use. To be fair, NO roof rack is designed with carrying radio towers in mind. I could’ve removed the tower and just given up as a VHF Rover, but I’m no quitter! HAHA! Instead, I redesigned the tower as a lighter setup and shaved over 45 lbs from the roof. I’ve shared details here, if you’re interested.

With this done, my ham radio station is at a bit of a standstill. Sure, I’d try some new equipment if money was no object, but (again) I’m too pragmatic for that. I have a great setup and will probably roll with it for a while. We’ll see how long it keeps me happy. In the mean time, I’ll do my best to keep you informed of any setbacks with my GTI as it continues to age. After all, I said years ago that my content would transition from GTI mods to that of a “geriatric GTI.” As a result, GTI-specific content will come more slowly since the car is just living its best life instead of trying to prove anything.

Steady as She Goes,

Scott

I do still tow my trailers. Here, I was taking a break from a VHF contest to move my daughter’s tool box to her new place of employment.

Here’s how the car sits today.