[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

BTW, you upgraded from 15" to 16"? Did you recalibrate the ECU/MFD for the upsize? Else, your actual FE will be better than the MFD numbers and even tank full to tank full calculations as your speedo is under-reading.

THe stock size is 195/65/15 : Outer tyre dia = 634.49mm

The size I've upgraded to is 205/55/16 : Outer tyre dia = 631.69m

THe total difference of 0.45% shouldn't matter I think.

[v.anand]

That is some great update there @Santoshbhat. We in Bangalore are surely blessed with good weather and I too haven't found Laura AC inadequate ever.

As for updating tyres from 15 to 16, I too did the same and didn't calibrate anything. The wheel radius is a near perfect match between 15 and 16. Are you sure its needed to be done @anandpadhye?

There has been one big irritating problem that has cropped up in my car, the left side dashboard rattles like crazy. I can even feel the panel a bit loose when pushed near the glove box area. I did take it to the service center and got it checked, they put some foam and tried to tighten the screws which already seemed fine. It didn't rattle momentarily but started again after a while. Any resolution to point to the root cause of this issue? The dash has not been opened for any aftermarket fitments ever and I intend to locate the origin to avoid going to the service center again and again because it is located at almost a slum area and only cars which ply there are Skodas due to its unavoidable location.

[anandpadhye]

Yes, you are right, 0.45% is negligible. My bad.

The dashboard rattle - yes, the service guys here told me "Sir, chalaa lo (please live with it). it's an issue with the new Laura and it's very difficult to troubleshoot." And looking at what's generally going on at the service center, I hate to take my car there.

If you have the heart, you should get the service guys to open the dash and debug it without giving up, but you should stand there all the time. I have no faith in them.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by v.anand

There has been one big irritating problem that has cropped up in my car, the left side dashboard rattles like crazy. I can even feel the panel a bit loose when pushed near the glove box area. I did take it to the service center and got it checked, they put some foam and tried to tighten the screws which already seemed fine. It didn't rattle momentarily but started again after a while. Any resolution to point to the root cause of this issue? The dash has not been opened for any aftermarket fitments ever and I intend to locate the origin to avoid going to the service center again and again because it is located at almost a slum area and only cars which ply there are Skodas due to its unavoidable location.

My car produces a small squeaking sound which seems to be originating from just above the glove box. If I put my hand on top of the dash and press down, the squeaking stops. The squeak is minor but is very irritating when the glass is rolled up as that is virtually the only sound one can hear. I guess these kinds of sounds are more bothersome in the TSi's than the diesels, as the engine is virtually mute.

I am in two minds about highlighting this point during service. I am really wary of these guys opening the dash and messing things up. And you are right about the service centre being in the middle of slum. Getting the car to turn inside that gate is a herculian task. Be very careful while exiting the gate as well. The last time I exited from that gate, a truck almost ran over my car.

[Santoshbhat]

30,000 Kms 2nd Service Update

Completed 30,000Kms second service last week. First service was done very close to 15,000 Kms. I have a long drive ahead of me this month hence decided to get the service done as the odo was closing in on the 29,000 kms mark. I had also got a general check up done in between somewhere around the 23K kms mark.

I was under the impression that I get two free services for my car, as this was what was told to me when I bought the car. I never bothered to check for any service coupons. Apparently the free service policy was changed in March 2011 and all cars sold after this date get one free general check up at 7,500 kms and one free service at 15,000 kms. I was not informed about this. In fact I even missed the first free general check up as I was told that I need to bring the car to the service centre for the first time at 15,000 kms for first service. So that's -1 to the dealership/ A.S.S. for not informing the customer about the right service intervals. The service booklet also contains 15,000 km service intervals with no mention about general check ups.

Barring the disappointment of this not being a 'free' service, the overall service experience was quite satisfactory. The SA, Mr. Thyagraj was very courteous and took good care of me and my car. The location of the service centre (Vinayak Motors, Okalipuram) is a pain, as a result they don't get a heavy load of cars for service. Besides I think this is just a service facility and they don't do accident repairs here. The SA said that on an average they service about 8~ 10 cars per day. The day I went for service they had about four cars to service. I was nice to NOT have to wait at the gate for entry, wait at the reception for the SA to attend to you, wait for your car to come out for delivery, wait for the bill, wait for your turn at the cash counter. It felt nice to be attended to immediately, something which never happened at Toyota / Maruti / Hyundai centres that I am used to. The service centre is well equipped and is adequately staffed. I hope they get more cars to service and don't shut it down as this location is quite near to my office and the thought of going to K.R. Puram for service is very disturbing.

The total bill came to Rs. 11,041/- which included Rs. 1,200/- for a wax polish job. Had this been a free service I would have got the foll services free of charge
- Paid service : Rs. 960.00
- VAS Scanning charges : Rs. 560.00
- Frt -Brake pad cleaning & Caliper greasing : Rs. 400.00
- Rear Brake pad cleaing & Caliper greasing : Rs. 400.00
TOTAL = 2,320.00

My good run with the car continues. I had virtually no issues to report during the service. The front brakes were grabbing a little and had become over sensitive to even slight pressure on the pedal. According to the SA that's normal once the pads have worn a bit. He said the brake pads have a good 10,000 kms of life left in them and it would be too early to replace them at this stage. The brakes are better now after 'pad cleaning and caliper greasing' , though I expect it to return to the same state after a few hunderd kms of driving.

Coming to the car, it has been an absolute joy to drive and to own so far. The Skoda has so far matched its predecessor the Toyota Corolla in terms of its reliability and niggle free run. I have racked up close 30,000 kms in about 18 months. This kind of running would have definitely justified a diesel car. But I never intended to use it so much when I bought the car! The car has been such a lovely long distance runner that I have simply ditched the train/ bus for my monthly visits to Belgaum and have grabbed the keys of my Laura. These days the car is being almost exclusively as a weekend / outstation car as the i10 AT is doing the duty of the daily driver to office. However much fun to drive the Laura TSI may be, in crawling Bangalore traffic, pressing the clutch and alternating between neutral, first and second is no fun.
The interiors have held up well and the little squeak that was coming from near the front left door has disappeared on its own and has not reappeared for the last month or so.
The car is as fresh as it was when the odo was reading 10 kms even after 29,000 kms with the engine purring like a cat. The clean filters, fresh engine oil and the cool December air are all combining to deliver a divine experience at the wheel at the moment and I am loving it!

The 205/16 Michelin PLCs have held up pretty well as well . The tyres have worn evenly, thanks to the routine tyre rotation and alignment done at Pitstop, Sanjaynagar every 7,500 kms. The tyres have not changed one bit in their nature after so many kms and the good ride, excellent grip and low road noise is just as good when they were new. I expect the tyres to last for about 50,000 Kms.

Attaching a few recent pics of the silver car gleaming in all its glory after a Sunday wash.

[Santoshbhat]

Had the first unfortunate incident with my car today.

I drove to Sirsi (400 kms from Bangalore) today via NH4. Somewhere near TUmkur I spotted an empty dump truck ahead of me spilling jelly stones on the road. I slowed immediately and tried to get out of its line. But sadly one stone manged to hit my windshield. I must have been doing about 80 kph at the time. I heard a very disturbing 'tak' sound of stone hitting glass. A quick glance did not reveal any damage , but after an hour's driving I find that there is a foot long crack starting from the left bottom of the windscreen upwards. By the end of the journey the crack seems to have extended to about 1 and 1/2 foot.

I will be driving to Belgaum from here 170 kms (bad state roads) and then after a week I plan to return to Bangalore (500 kms from Belgaum - NH 4) .

Now my worry is, will the glass hold up so much of driving? Any pointers on precautions I should take?

The only Skoda service centre in this region is in Hubli. I DON'T want to go to to Hubli for this. Not sure whether they have the glass in stock in the first place. How long does it normally take to replace the windshield at the service centres? I really hope the glass holds up and I can get back to Bangalore safely where I can get the glass replaced at Vinayak Skoda.

I have zero dep insurance from ICICI Lombard, so will be claiming insurance for this job. THere goes my NCB and there goes my 3M CR windshield film .

One other little update : Bulb error is showing up once again on the dash display. THis time its the left DRL that's acting up. A bit of tapping on the bumper and the light is working again. I don't expect it to last long though. Looks like these DRL bulbs are not able to handle long term continuous use. They are deactivated by default for all Laura's sold here. I had got it activated at the service centre. I will deactivate them if the bulb error comes up again. Too bad since they looked cool and I do believe they made my car a wee bit more conspicuous in the rear view mirror of slow moving vehicles and oncoming vehicles on the highway.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Had the first unfortunate incident with my car today.

Sorry to hear about that Santosh. From what you say, the windshield should hold, as these are laminated. But you should change as soon as you reach back Bangalore.

Get the DLR's opened up and check the contact points. Otherwise these are relatively cheap Osram bulbs which you should be able to procure easily.

[ishlinea7260]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Had the first unfortunate incident with my car today.

I drove to Sirsi (400 kms from Bangalore) today via NH4. Somewhere near TUmkur I spotted an empty dump truck ahead of me spilling jelly stones on the road. I slowed immediately and tried to get out of its line. But sadly one stone manged to hit my windshield. I must have been doing about 80 kph at the time. I heard a very disturbing 'tak' sound of stone hitting glass. A quick glance did not reveal any damage , but after an hour's driving I find that there is a foot long crack starting from the left bottom of the windscreen upwards. By the end of the journey the crack seems to have extended to about 1 and 1/2 foot.

I have zero dep insurance from ICICI Lombard, so will be claiming insurance for this job. THere goes my NCB and there goes my 3M CR windshield film .

Hi
I had also got the windshield of my Superb replaced after a similar incident.
Though my crack didnt extend still i refrained using the car till it got replaced.
PS I also had the same insurance cover.

[goutham_r]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Another observation is that within the city, the front brakes make a sort of a grinding noise just before the car comes to a complete halt. THis happens only after the brakes have heated up after constant stop and go and is not experienced on very short drives. On the highway I didn't feel any inadequacy in the braking and the brakes and did come to my rescue when a state transport bus decided to stop all of a sudden in the middle of the road for no reason.

This happened to my TDi recently. Visited the Vinayak skoda A.S.S thinking the brake pads needed changing but the pads looked to be in good condition. Mine has done 20000kms. The service advisor said it could be because of some stones getting embedded into the asbestos layer. I got the front set of brake pads cleaned but the noise is still there. Brakes work as normal though. Any one else facing a similar problem?

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

One other little update : Bulb error is showing up once again on the dash display. THis time its the left DRL that's acting up. A bit of tapping on the bumper and the light is working again. I don't expect it to last long though. Looks like these DRL bulbs are not able to handle long term continuous use. They are deactivated by default for all Laura's sold here. I had got it activated at the service centre. I will deactivate them if the bulb error comes up again. Too bad since they looked cool and I do believe they made my car a wee bit more conspicuous in the rear view mirror of slow moving vehicles and oncoming vehicles on the highway.

Coincendentally, i experienced this as well with my laura. A long time back though. My left DRL bulb got shorted first and then i had to open them up and scrap out the melted solder around the base of the bulb. They worked fine after that and about 5000kms later the right one gave up. Did the same thing on it and is working fine as of now. The very function of DRL's, I thought, were to stay on the entire DAY. Surprising that they can't handle continous use.
They do make a difference though, maybe not as effective as the LEDS of audi's or passat.

[Shreyas Aterkar]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

My car produces a small squeaking sound which seems to be originating from just above the glove box. If I put my hand on top of the dash and press down, the squeaking stops. The squeak is minor but is very irritating when the glass is rolled up as that is virtually the only sound one can hear. I guess these kinds of sounds are more bothersome in the TSi's than the diesels, as the engine is virtually mute.

Just check the AC vent. I had a similar problem which Skoda *** resolved by putting some packing in the AC vent. I still hear that sound once in a while but its as good as resolved. Though as you mentioned when you roll up the windows, no music being played, I hear some noises mainly from the rear parcel tray and the doors or may be I become too sensitive to anything I hear when it comes to my cars. Its only 2 months since I purchased the beast so will get these checked when I go for oil top up or during the first free check up.

Secondly, really sorry to hear about the windshield thing. get this changed asap to avoid further complications/inconvenience. Have you enquired about the cost of the same?

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Sorry to hear about that Santosh. From what you say, the windshield should hold, as these are laminated. But you should change as soon as you reach back Bangalore.

I completed the 170 kms of 'bad road journey' from Sirsi to Belgaum today without any drama. The crack had extended by about half a centimeter overnight.

Spoke to some local taxi drivers who gave me a suggestion. They asked me get some feviquick and pour it into the epicentre of the crack. Then apply the feviquick on the point of impact on the glass, about the width of a one rupee coin and stick the coin on it. According to them the feviquick will fill itself into the voids and in conjuction with the coin will hold the glass together preventing the crack from extending further. Saw no harm in doing it, so went ahead and followed the procedure.

Some googling on windshield cracks revealed that the crack extends mainly due to contraction and expansion in the glass due to temperature variations and also the stress it comes under due to undulations on the road. It is suggested to not leave the car in hot sunlight for too long and also avoid using the AC/ demister at full blast.

Followed the above instructions and the crack has not extended today one bit. Quite surprising since the roads were pretty bad. I was quite careful and slowed down for every pothole and every little speed breaker, those which I would normally just glide over, as I did not want to take any chances. Damage controlled so far. Lets hope the glass holds up for my return journey to Bangalore in a weeks time. THe car will go off duty till then as I have got the ol Santro here. Perfect for running around small towns like Belgaum.

Originally Posted by goutham_r

This happened to my TDi recently. Visited the Vinayak skoda A.S.S thinking the brake pads needed changing but the pads looked to be in good condition. Mine has done 20000kms. The service advisor said it could be because of some stones getting embedded into the asbestos layer. I got the front set of brake pads cleaned but the noise is still there. Brakes work as normal though. Any one else facing a similar problem?

THe brakes are better after service. THe problem is that, at slow speeds whenever I hit the brakes, just when the car is about to stop, the brakes make a very bad sounding grinding sound. As if they are scratching the rotors badly. This takes away the driving pleasure somewhat. Also the brakes have become too grabby and non progressive. I have to be extra careful due to this. I wanted to replace the pads during service. I have no issues with the 30,000 kms life it has given me. But the service advisor was hell bent on extending its life. He looked at the pads (from outside) and was like "why waste money sir?. I will clean the brakes and grease the calipers and they will easily go another 10,000 kms." I bought his assurance, since at high speeds the brakes do their job superbly and I didn't think I will be comprising on safety. I am thinking of getting the pads replaced while getting windshield fixed in the interest of mental peace. The grinding sound is too disturbing and I can't take my mind off it

Originally Posted by Shreyas Aterkar

Just check the AC vent. I had a similar problem which Skoda *** resolved by putting some packing in the AC vent.
Secondly, really sorry to hear about the windshield thing. get this changed asap to avoid further complications/inconvenience. Have you enquired about the cost of the same?

The squeak has miraculously disappeared altogether. One day I made up my mind to locate the source of the sound and found that the same sound was produced when I pressed on the passenger side of the dashboard with my finger. I pressed a little hard on the same point with my full bare hands and then pressed with the finger. The squeak had gone. Its been about two months since I heard that squeak again. No squeaks or rattles whatsoever for now

No I haven't equired the cost. I guess it will cost close to 10K to replace the glass. Insuranace will cover it. But I lose my pricey 3M CR 70 sunfilm which insurance won't cover. They were good, so good that I will be getting them installed once again on the new glass, prices be damned.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

the brakes make a very bad sounding grinding sound. As if they are scratching the rotors badly.

I started to notice this on my car after I got it washed thoroughly which includes the under body and wheels wells but it happens only when the wheels are turned in some direction, not when I brake when the car is being driven straight. The car was also serviced just 10 days ago. We don't drive the same car but the problem is similar. I can feel the grinding even on the brake pedal.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I started to notice this on my car after I got it washed thoroughly which includes the under body and wheels wells but it happens only when the wheels are turned in some direction, not when I brake when the car is being driven straight. The car was also serviced just 10 days ago. We don't drive the same car but the problem is similar. I can feel the grinding even on the brake pedal.

Actually in my car it is a bit different from what you describe.

Once the brakes are warmed up they work perfectly and quietly. No grinding or screeching sounds. But after say, about 10 -15 stopping cycles the grinding noise is heard. I feel this happens after brakes have become very hot. My daily drive to office is 5 kms. During this drive the brakes don't make any sound , but if I go on a longer drive esp in stop and go traffic conditions, the brakes make the grinding noise just when the car is about to come to a halt. The grinding noise has no correlation with the steering position in my case. I am afraid I may be damaging the rotors.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

During this drive the brakes don't make any sound , but if I go on a longer drive esp in stop and go traffic conditions, the brakes make the grinding noise just when the car is about to come to a halt.

Is this felt on the pedal as well? This sounds more like worn pads. Considering the miles you have clocked, I would not call it fast brake pad fade. It would be better to replace the worn one's after a inspection. You might also want to demonstrate this to Skoda.

After I wash my alloys, the brakes do make a noise which is heard more on the inside than outside when you have the windows rolled up. This is due to the hard water in the area where I live. This noise goes away after several applications of the brakes as it scrubs off the hard water deposits on the rotors.

As you said, the problem we both face is a little different. In my case I felt it only when I turned the wheel and the grinding was felt even at the pedal.

[maheshramaling]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Actually in my car it is a bit different from what you describe.

but if I go on a longer drive esp in stop and go traffic conditions, the brakes make the grinding noise just when the car is about to come to a halt. The grinding noise has no correlation with the steering position in my case. I am afraid I may be damaging the rotors.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Is this felt on the pedal as well? This sounds more like worn pads. Considering the miles you have clocked, I would not call it fast brake pad fade. It would be better to replace the worn one's after a inspection. You might also want to demonstrate this to Skoda.

As you said, the problem we both face is a little different. In my case I felt it only when I turned the wheel and the grinding was felt even at the pedal.

I don't think it is worn out brake pad, but looks like a design issue. I have this brake noise issue from Day 1 of buying Laura and it still persists.

Likewise - when the steering wheel is turned completly to the left or right - there is a noise as described by sandeepmohan.

I have taken up the matter with higher ups in TAFE Access - they said it is common and let me test drive few cars and all of them had that noise. From then onwards - I did not bother about this noise and done about 24k on it now!

BTW - I did have the squeak noise as well and the source was some mis-alignment in the glove box cover/ door. It was fixed and no noise after that!

Overall my car is doing fantastic, except one issue on the A/c hissing noise which they are not able to trace even after going to them for almost 6 to 8 times and once even the Skoda QA engineer inspected it. Will have to find time before my 2 year warranty expires to get this resolved!