1.8 TSI engine whooshing?

[GumbyGTI]

My new 1.8 TSI Golf SE seems to have a whooshy sound coming from the engine area while I'm driving. I know this is a turboed car, but the 2016 GTI I drove didn't seem to make the same sound. Is this normal? Performance seems to be good and I get about 28 mpg.

 

[PLF8593]

Yes that woosh is the turbo. It is working as intended. The reason you didnt hear it in the GTI is because it has something called a soundaktor which amplifies engine noise in the cabin so the car sounds more throaty, when from the outside of the car it sounds like an economy car. That sound more than likely drowned out the turbo woosh on the GTI you drove. Congrats on your purchase, and enjoy[emoji41]

 

[Ton]

Yes that woosh is the turbo. It is working as intended. The reason you didnt hear it in the GTI is because it has something called a soundaktor which amplifies engine noise in the cabin so the car sounds more throaty, when from the outside of the car it sounds like an economy car. That sound more than likely drowned out the turbo woosh on the GTI you drove. Congrats on your purchase, and enjoy[emoji41]

I don't hear a woosh with my 1.8. At stage 2 power levels and no woosh. I wish I had a woosh.

 

[MurDocINC]

I only heard it faintly with windows down. Now with APR intake, I hear it all the time.

 

[Sandman GTI]

My new 1.8 TSI Golf SE seems to have a whooshy sound coming from the engine area while I'm driving. I know this is a turboed car, but the 2016 GTI I drove didn't seem to make the same sound. Is this normal? Performance seems to be good and I get about 28 mpg.

If performance and MPG ok, I would ask VW on your next service visit to check all connections related to the turbo supply side and exhaust side. Not in a MK7 but I recently found an issue on my wife's 1.6L turbo which ended up being a badly fitted hose clamp. I think it has been leaking but up to know could not hear it. Once clamp came off and pipe/hose came almost apart I could for sure hear the air rush. In my case at the end power went way down but MPG still stayed high and actually was better due to having to drive on much less power.

Just a thought and if under warranty should not cost anything.
Until they do, follow all piping and see if you see any issues. For those pipes you can see.

 

[GumbyGTI]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I didn't even think about there not being a sounddaktor. I assumed it was in all Golf/GTIs. So it's only in the GTI? I'll have the dealer check it out whenever they call me back to fix my dash (there appears to be a long split on the dash pad under the passenger side A/C vent). It's not a strong whooshy sound but I can definitely hear it when pulling away from lights and such.

 

[PLF8593]

The Golf is an economy car, not marketed for its "sportiness." No reason to make an economy car sound like a sports car. And it makes sense the sound isnt very loud, the turbo on the 1.8 is tiny

 

[GumbyGTI]

I guess a little choo-choo is better than no choo-choo.

 

[buyingconstant7]

Is yours manual? I remember in my 2015 1.8t when I let the clutch go when the engine was cold, after I had selected a gear, the turbo would make a blow off valve noise like what a modified Supra would make. Not one word of an exaggeration. I thought there was a problem but talked to other owners and they said that the turbo is boosting many PSI when the engine is cold, to warm it up quicker and warm the cat up quicker, so when the turbo is boosting, you interrupt it by selecting a gear and depressing the clutch, the engine stops the turbo from boosting so much, and it loses pressure, and makes that noise. Maybe this isn't the noise you're talking about.

 

[GumbyGTI]

Nope. Mine's an auto.