[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

I got rid of the stock Pirelli tyres (215/55/R16) after 32K on the ODO, and replaced them with Yokohama tyres (225/55/R16). I find the Yoko's to be much more durable and quiet. Haven't faced any issues with the tyres after the change.

Mine is a Sept 2012 Passat. Now out of warranty coverage and it has been as useless extended warranty benefit on par with that of M&M. ABS sensor has gone bad 3rd time in 44000kms( on an average 1 at end of each year). So now only 4th ABS sensor is yet to be changed.
Fourth service- I put in 100% synthetic oil ( mobil).
Bracket & rubber bushing of rear suspension changed. Front left link rod , there is slight play which has been tightened and greased and should last feew more thousand kms. Overall ownership experience has been mixed specially due to erratic ABS sensor which kills all other electronic aids like auto start stop, auto hold, reverse camera, ESP, etc.
Experience at authorised service centres has been far from satisfactory. Even for simple service (oil, filters change) it takes them 2 days is beyond my understanding. For changing the ABS sensor ( speed sensor- common for Skoda/ Audi as well) and rubber bushing and bracket of rear suspesion - it took them 6 days.

I would like to change tyres. Pirelli Cinturato(OEM) - each one has been punctured at least twice. I have been quoted Rs13.5 K per tyre ( Pirelli). Michelin (215/55 97W R16 ) is not available is with dealer as of today. I would seek your advise if I should go ahead with Pirelli or Michelin?

I think it is time to consider changing battery also. I have choice between Amaron and Exide - sealed maintenance free ( approx. 9k price with exchange of existing battery). Please, let know your views - how long does the OEM battery last and whether Amaron or Exide should be preferred.

I am finding headlight Bi-xenons not sufficient on highways specially in twilight hours or rainy season and would prefer to change to LEDs . Is it adviseable. Is the bulb used in bi-xenons is H7 size / shape or any other spec- if you are aware.
Thanks in advance.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

ABS sensor has gone bad 3rd time in 44000 kms. Experience at authorised service centres has been far from satisfactory.

I've had this problem 3 - 4 times as well. Thankfully, they seem to have changed all the sensors and fixed it for good. These occurred during the first 2 years of ownership.

As for the service centers, they can be erratic. My last visit was very good. Can't say the same for some of the earlier visits. Hopefully they will continue to improve, though I doubt they will ever achieve Toyota/Honda levels (based on my experience).

Originally Posted by shatrughna

I would like to change tyres. Pirelli Cinturato(OEM) - each one has been punctured at least twice. Michelin (215/55 97W R16 ) is not available is with dealer as of today. I would seek your advise if I should go ahead with Pirelli or Michelin?

While I don't have any experience with Michelin on my Passat, I would still pick them over the Pirelli Cinturo (based on my experience with the stock tyres). The stock Pirelli Cinturos are very fragile IMHO. I have lost count of the number of punctures I have had. I too was looking to replace the stock tyres with Michelin, but the store didn't have them in stock. So I went with Yokohama instead. I upgraded the size from 215/55/R16 to 225/55/R16. Been very happy with them and have zero complaints. The bigger tyres give the car a slightly beefier stance (see the attached pictures).

Originally Posted by shatrughna

I have choice between Amaron and Exide. Please, let know your views - how long does the OEM battery last and whether Amaron or Exide should be preferred.

The stock (Varta) battery that came with the car, lasted me for a little over 3 years. That battery got crushed when I was rear-ended by a truck. Hence, I ended up with a new Varta unit that the dealer fitted when the car was being repaired. I have an Amaron unit in my Altis and Exide units on both my Citys. No complaints from either of them. You could probably decide on the basis of price. Both these brands are good and well known. Sorry for being unhelpful!

Originally Posted by shatrughna

I am finding headlight Bi-xenons not sufficient on highways specially in twilight hours or rainy season and would prefer to change to LEDs . Is it adviseable. Is the bulb used in bi-xenons is H7 size / shape or any other spec- if you are aware.
Thanks in advance.

Coincidentally I drove on the highway last night! This is the first time I used the Passat on the highway at night. I had to drive with my dipper on the full time (this isn't something I would do normally) to see where I was going. The low beams are adequate for driving within the city, but need an upgrade for the highway. I am not sure about the type of bulbs used in the stock setup, as I haven't thought of changing them. Haven't really looked into this.

[baskar]

Hi Fordfreak - Thanks for your updates and insights. I am now in a situation to change my car tires urgently. Would you be able to tell me the Sub-brand within Yokahoma - Advan or Earth-1 series that you have? Not that it matters much but I can go for the same set of tires.

Yokahoma tires are not 97W specification. should it really matter?

I also have couple of other problems - My electric sun-blind is not working. when I press the button, there is sound of motor whirring but there is no movement of screen. Have any of you faced this problem?

Also my rain sensor and intermittent wiper function are not working. If I operate manually, it works fine. Is this modifiable thru VCDS?

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by baskar

Hi Fordfreak - Thanks for your updates and insights. I am now in a situation to change my car tires urgently. Would you be able to tell me the Sub-brand within Yokahoma - Advan or Earth-1 series that you have? Not that it matters much but I can go for the same set of tires. Yokahoma tires are not 97W specification. should it really matter?

Anytime! Always happy if I can be of any help.

I have the Yokohama dB Decibel series on my car. I've attached a screenshot of the tyres I got. 97W denotes the load index (first 2 digits) and speed rating (last digit) of the tyre. Please refer to the chart below, which explains the speed rating (W or whatever it is for that type of tyre) parameters. My Yokos are 94V, which is absolutely fine.

Check out the website: www.tirerack.com (I found it very helpful in explaining the various parameters to consider & understand when selecting new tyres for your vehicle.

Originally Posted by baskar

I also have couple of other problems - My electric sun-blind is not working. when I press the button, there is sound of motor whirring but there is no movement of screen. Have any of you faced this problem? Also my rain sensor and intermittent wiper function are not working. If I operate manually, it works fine. Is this modifiable thru VCDS?

I haven't faced the exact same issues you described in your post, but I'm going to hazard a guess and see if it is helpful.

Is your sun-blind stuck in the down or up position?

If down - The blind may have come off the guide rails. This has happened with me before. The motor will drive the guide points (I don't know the correct word for this) up, but the actual blind will remain down. Press the button and see if you can spot two (one one either side) guide points going up or down when you hear the motor working. Look at the rail along which the blind travels to spot these (located on the C-pillar). If this is the case, then it is just a simple 2 min fix.

If up - I am guessing that the mechanism that guides the blind up/down has broken or come lose (since your motor seems to be working fine). They would need to open up the car to diagnose this.

How does the sensor/wiper behave that brought you to conclude that there is something wrong? Sorry, I didn't understand the issue here. A little more detail would help.

A visit to the service center would help diagnose & fix these issues.

[baskar]

Thanks Fordfreak for your guidance. My local Yokahoma dealer is not very responsive to my queries. Guess I have to go to other dealers in the city (there are plenty in Chennai) fo r the swap.

On the wiper - If I put the wiper in the intermittent wiper position, it wipes once and then stops. If I put the small knob to "more frequent swipe" mode, it swipes once more and then stops. If I bring it back to "less frequent swipe" mode again, it swipes once more and then stops. Essentially the intermittment wiper function works once and I have to operate it every time to make it work. Not really useful. If I put the wiper to "regular wipe" mode or "fast" mode, it works fine.
Rain sensing is related but slightly different problem - The car doesn't sense the rain and operates the wiper automatically. I have to operate it manually. These are definitely not show stoppers but we expect these things to work flawlessly. Will take it to service station once and get it checked.

thanks again. I will put an update after updating my tires. I guess you would have done both wheel balancing and alignment at the time of replacing the shoes.

[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

.

Thanks for your responses. It has been helpful. I got my car's OEM battery checked - surprisingly the electronic report generated by the battery tester- shows it as a good battery and I have so far had no issues. Was keen to change it considering it is already 4 years old. So now, will get it re-checked after few months.
I have placed orders for OEM tyres ( Pirelli) 2016 manufactured and hopefully, get them today. Dealer was suggesting Yokohama tyres, so just in case, I don't get Pirelli, I will settle with Yokohama tyres based on your feedback. Michelin tyres are not available with any of the dealers I spoke, so I guess its not available in the specifications( 215/55 97W R16) we need.
I searched online for replacement bulbs for headlights and read few reviews on LED bulbs , however, based on advise of one of the well known on TBHP automobile enthusiasts who is very reliable , plan to go for better HIDs. Will update further.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by baskar

On the wiper - Will take it to service station once and get it checked.

I guess you would have done both wheel balancing and alignment at the time of replacing the shoes.

Your wiper problem sounds like an issue with the sensor (just a guess). Service center should be able to sort it out. Yup, I got the balancing & alignment done when the tyres were replaced.

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Dealer was suggesting Yokohama tyres, so just in case, I don't get Pirelli, I will settle with Yokohama tyres based on your feedback.

plan to go for better HIDs. Will update further.

I would say choose between Michelin or Yokohama. The OEM Pirellis are comfortable, but very fragile. Not suitable to the conditions we find on our roads, IMHO. I would like to hear what you do with the HIDs. I may follow your lead

[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

I would say choose between Michelin or Yokohama. The OEM Pirellis are comfortable, but very fragile. Not suitable to the conditions we find on our roads, IMHO. I would like to hear what you do with the HIDs. I may follow your lead

I scouted with 4 dealers with open mind - Michelin was not available anywhere including two authorised dealers that I spoke to. Yokohama tyres were available but in a different spec. I was pretty sure that I wanted OEM specification 215/55 R16 97W only. I was getting 215/55 R16 easily everywhere but 93V or something. So finally I got Pirelli P7 Cinturato - exact OEM specification. I too experienced that these tyres have a tendency to get punctured too often but I could not help it much. One its OEM specification and secondly, it served me very well despite so many punctures.
I too got complimentary tyre balancing and alignment service on replacement of all 5 tyres. Alignment job was below par- steering in not centred properly and I am not very happy about it. Planning to visit a better alignment centre on weekend if the problem does not get rectified.

I am waiting for an update on HIDs from my source. Will surely update.

[baskar]

Even in Chennai Michelin tires are not available, both OEM size and 225/55/16 . One dealer is suggesting continental and other is suggesting Bridgestone T0. (A new pattern)

Heard from dealers that Michelin have stopped new tires shipment and it will take 6 months to have the new model to be launched. Don't know what to believe. Will wait for a couple of days and if nothing works out, will go with the Yokohama tires.

[baskar]

A quick update on my tire replacement.

After much deliberations, went with the same combination of fordfreak. Yoko DB 501, 225/55/16.
It certainly looks a little beefy and great. There is total silence. In fact I couldn't believe this, I switched off the music while driving and could hear only traffic sounds, there is no tire noise. Michelin is not available in this size and even the OEM size Michelin is old stock (year 2015). My tires are manufactured in Feb-2016.

These tires come with 3 years warranty and the dealer is giving 2 free wheel alignment checks.

Overall happy with the tires

[fordfreak]

Update:-

I drove the Passat last night after atleast a month of being stuck to my City (yes, I love that very much too). Took me a couple of minutes to get used to the larger sized Passat after a long break. I have been noticing a significant drop in the fuel economy. Earlier the car would show 9 - 10 km/l as per the MID. Now it shows 8.5 - 8.6 km/l. Ignoring the MID readings, the distance traveled on each fill-up has definitely gone down.

Can anyone advise me regarding the possible causes that I could investigate (apart from sending it to the dealer)?

As the car closes in on the 40 K milestone (currently at 39,700-ish) on the ODO, I have a little present planned for it. I have taken an appointment with my trusted body-shop for the 17th of October. Have planned to give the car a well deserved spa-treatment, you can say. Quite a bit on the to-do list which has been getting delayed for some time now.

Firstly - Small dents need to be removed from both left hand side doors and the boot.

Secondly - The interior is going to get the vacuum, shampoo and polish treatment.

Thirdly - Both bumpers need slight touch-ups on the corners. The front bumper needs to have it's chin re-done thanks to the numerous times it has kissed the ground.

Lastly - One of the parking sensors on the front bumper has been mysteriously pushed in slightly. No clue how this happened, but it is still working fine. Will get this rectified too.

I just can't wait to have the beast looking her best once again!

[baskar]

a long shot - but most likely not a problem - is there a fuel leak?
is new tires a cause of problem? since you have up-sized it recently.

For your car spa treatment - There is a company - http://ceramicpro.co.in/ who specialize in ceramic coating. this is mostly present in south india. perhaps you could check if they have a franchise in Kolkatta. I don't have any experience but one of my colleague has found it very useful.

You could also look at putting 3M black film on the roof - it will look very sporty with your silver color car. Though I feel , it suits for a white color car lot better. I have seen a few Ventos / Jettas with this and they look great.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by baskar

a long shot - but most likely not a problem - is there a fuel leak?
is new tires a cause of problem? since you have up-sized it recently.

For your car spa treatment.

You could also look at putting 3M black film on the roof.

I will check for a leak. Hadn't thought of this, but neither have I noticed any obvious signs or smells. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the new tyres. I have driven around 8 K on the new tyres and the fuel economy has fallen only over the last 2 - 3 months. I will get the balancing & alignment checked though.

As far as I know, we have nothing like this in Kolkata. And the company you mentioned doesn't have an outlet/franchise here. :(

I like the current stock look. Moreover, my Dad uses the Passat a lot too. I doubt he would like it.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

I will check for a leak. Hadn't thought of this, but neither have I noticed any obvious signs or smells. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the new tyres. I have driven around 8 K on the new tyres and the fuel economy has fallen only over the last 2 - 3 months. I will get the balancing & alignment checked though.

There could be a couple of things you could look at:-

1. The engine air filter could be dirty, try having it cleaned or replaced
2. You could have got poor quality diesel in your tank. Try going to company owned outlets.

Btw, I checked the price of a new Varta battery from the VW workshop and they quoted a whopping 15k. I have had great experience with Amaron and the replacement for the Passat is < 8k. The only thing when replacing the battery is to do it with the car running; that way you do not have to use the scanner to update the battery change. If done when engine is not running, you have to go to the VW workshop to have the scanning done.

[Mohan Mathew A]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

There could be a couple of things you could look at:-

1. The engine air filter could be dirty, try having it cleaned or replaced
2. You could have got poor quality diesel in your tank. Try going to company owned outlets.

Btw, I checked the price of a new Varta battery from the VW workshop and they quoted a whopping 15k. I have had great experience with Amaron and the replacement for the Passat is < 8k. The only thing when replacing the battery is to do it with the car running; that way you do not have to use the scanner to update the battery change. If done when engine is not running, you have to go to the VW workshop to have the scanning done.

To keep the car running with no battery (while you swap it) maynot be a good idea as with the battery missing the voltage can spike and fry the electronics. Please switch-off the car before you swap the batteries.