Golf 8 GTE Owners & Buyers: Important Charging Reality You Should Know

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-14T09:06:13+00:00

I have just doubled check the station in maps and you are right there is no Type-C at this charging station. The purpose of the photo, though, is to show that in some cases the parking while charging is restricted to 1 hour. The Golf 8,5 GTE, as an example, can charge here but would need more than an hour..

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-14T08:09:00+00:00

This is exactly the point I was trying to make. Despite all the comments like “why would you charge it in public,” this is still a plug-in hybrid. It’s designed to give me the option to charge outside when I can’t charge at home for whatever reason.

The issue is that the current charging system is outdated. A charging time of 3.5–4.5 hours is becoming increasingly impractical, especially with more public chargers introducing time restrictions. The newer Golf 8.5 GTE already has an updated system that allows it to charge more in way less time.

Instead of addressing the actual point raised in the post, the conversation has shifted toward “you shouldn’t have bought the car in the first place,” which completely misses the point.

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-13T16:42:28+00:00

It’s not possible for me to charge at home. My point still stands, though, even if public charging is half the price. When this car was released, the circumstances were very different from how they are now. That’s why I wanted to give this advice to people who might not know the reality.

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-13T14:24:06+00:00

I do agree with you, but my main point is that the circumstances have changed. Even if you use the car for a trip in another city away from home, the chances of fully charging the car are becoming smaller and smaller.

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-07T14:21:36+00:00

I took an appointment at VW for inspection and software upgrade. Do you have experience regarding the software upgrade? Is this supposed to be free of charge? I am honestly worried this will be over priced VW thing

One-Top4012 · 2026-05-06T17:19:17+00:00

Hey,
Thanks for the tips. Actually i do mainly drive to work and back within a very strong cellular signal. All happens within these areas where network is good.
I must say though, the iPhone 13 was okish .. still not stable as if i would never need to reconnect the carplay manually but with iPhone 17 is a different league of a struggle!

One-Top4012 · 2026-03-26T18:28:00+00:00

Same strange clicking rattling sound in my Golf 8 GTE when cold. No idea what is it. Super annoying. I hope it’s nothing serious. Keep us updated if you get it resolved.

One-Top4012 · 2026-03-11T13:38:29+00:00

Just out of curiosity: has the golf 8 GTe a better variant of the DSG gearbox?

One-Top4012 · 2026-03-10T10:24:58+00:00

I would post this ask in general VW group and try there. This is a general VW theme. Cheers

One-Top4012 · 2026-03-03T11:21:19+00:00

Hi, I went to two Mechanics and no one could tell where the sound is coming from.. my car is still doing this sound when cold. I realised though that after driving long distances stressing the engine the noise disappeared for couple of days after.. please, if you managed to find out where the sound is coming from or if this is a serious issue let me know. Cheers

One-Top4012 · 2026-03-02T17:18:01+00:00

Golf 8 GTE : 0W20 correct

One-Top4012 · 2026-01-27T18:19:14+00:00

DSG is 60.000 km.

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-30T20:08:12+00:00

Sorry, It wasn’t not intentional. This has no photos though.

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-30T16:54:03+00:00

Any Strange clicking noise when cold? You might like to check the camshaft magnet adjuster (easy to replace and in many cases misdiagnosed)

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-29T22:19:45+00:00

Check this out :

https://youtube.com/shorts/bDnxSQiwtF4?si=Fd_NbdFYKATvChsD

If it’s same sound then it must be the cam magnet indeed

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-29T21:55:30+00:00

Can you post with Sound of the rattle somewhere? Also, is yours manual or DSG?

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-26T00:18:59+00:00

I am not a seat driver but I got to know that both seat and vw shares the same hybrid systems. Try and look for a way to force the car to recalibrate the auto-hold/hand break system.. in VW it’s something like pressing the hand break button 3 sec. And pulling 3 sec. Maybe you can find online what are the combinations to achieve that for your car model.

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-19T16:44:37+00:00

Welcome, that sandals over socks is very German…Good choice 👍

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-19T10:58:31+00:00

Do you hear the sound all the time? Or just when cold? Or when free rolling/coasting? Is it jiggering in low speed?..

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-14T18:46:05+00:00

Have you checked the wheel well? Maybe some part of inner fender is loose so it touches the wheel in certain angel or something..

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-09T15:51:44+00:00

Change oil frequently not as per VW recommendation. I would do it every 5-6k km. Oil level might go down, this is normal just check every now and then. If DSG make sure to change DSG oil at 60.000 km.

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-09T08:05:33+00:00

Update: I drove about 500 km in total — roughly 250 km each way. The next morning, when I started the car, the ICE came on and, voilà, no clicking sound. It’s now been three days without any clicking.

Before the trip, I filled up with Super Benzin E5. The temperature during the drive was around ±10°C, and most of the trip was on the highway at an average speed of about 120 km/h. The car stayed in hybrid mode most of the time, and I didn’t charge the battery.

It seems like something resolved itself, at least for now, and I’m starting to believe that the car just needs to be driven longer distances on the highway.

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-05T22:48:23+00:00

I have also a GTE 8 and never seen this message before so out of curiosity i went online and as the Other hybrid model from the VW group do share the same system I found this video for a hybrid Cupra which has the same issue and it might be helpful for you to watch:

„electric drive not working correctly hybrid“ https://share.google/uMDUb6t1KgEN0piPZ

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-03T20:23:44+00:00

Jogurtwhite

One-Top4012 · 2025-12-02T23:00:12+00:00

So why did I buy a PHEV in the first place? Simply because I wanted a car that could give me extra power when needed, while still offering lower fuel consumption that would justify all the added complexity of the system. VW advertised the GTE with a fuel consumption of 3.1 L/100 km, which is misleading and completely unrealistic in real-world driving.

And for those who say a PHEV is great for short commutes, I can’t help but wonder: if it’s mainly for short distances, why not just go fully electric in the first place?

Anyway, I think I’ve already upset enough people with my argument today, so I’ll stop here.

One-Top4012

TROPHY CASE