TOWING with a 1.8 FL1

Hi new to the forum.

I have a 2002, 1.8 GS, and am thinking of getting a caravan. I have recently bought the vehicle, which has done 74,000 miles and has been regularly serviced.

Because of the known cylinder head problems, does any one have any suggestions as to ways of safeguarding the engine for towing.

Many thanks.

Gee10 said:

Hi new to the forum.

I have a 2002, 1.8 GS, and am thinking of getting a caravan. I have recently bought the vehicle, which has done 74,000 miles and has been regularly serviced.

Because of the known cylinder head problems, does any one have any suggestions as to ways of safeguarding the engine for towing.

Many thanks.

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keeping it cool, regular services, plenty of antifeeze, dont rag it, avoid heavy traffic(if only it was that easy), regular prayer and everyone else will suggest getting a td4....:welcome2:

get an uprated gearbox intercooler fitted.

does this only apply to autos???

no real safeguards but you will use a lot of fuel.

Burn it :mad2:

freelance said:

no real safeguards but you will use a lot of fuel.

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My TD4 will only just do 300mike to a tank with the caravan on the back, whereas it does around 340-350 without it. Not much difference, but its the TD4 not the 1.8.

Even the TD4 isn't great at towing. I had to tow 600kg the other day and I definitely noticed it on the back and had to work through the gears much more than expected. Dread to think what it would be like with a 1000-1500kg caravan on the back!

Can I just point out someone I know tows a big (single axle) caravan with a 1.6 focus and keeps up with every other tow car. There really is no excuse not to be able to tow it Rich

khaos said:

Can I just point out someone I know tows a big (single axle) caravan with a 1.6 focus and keeps up with every other tow car. There really is no excuse not to be able to tow it Rich

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yeah i can tow it but useless when things go tits up towing is not the problem the stopping and control are

RichM said:

Even the TD4 isn't great at towing. I had to tow 600kg the other day and I definitely noticed it on the back and had to work through the gears much more than expected. Dread to think what it would be like with a 1000-1500kg caravan on the back!

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my caravan weighs 17ookg full'y loaded and my td4 will tow it at 60 with out any proplems at all ,the only mods done to it is the egr blank'd off and new silcone turbo intercooler pipes .i have to say it tow's my caravan a lot better than my old 300 tdi discovery which was a bit of a shock .

My caravan is over 1700kg fully loaded, plus what we put in the boot and it tows it almost without problem, the only thing I can pick up is I need to drop down to 4th on long motorway uphills!
The trailer I just built is around 300kg unladen, it makes almost no difference to the car!
Think about it, if you had 4 100kg+ passengers, that would be the same as the trailer, you wouldn't notice that weight as easily, would you?