[vishy76]

Hi Gannu,

The Polo has aged beautifully.

Just wanted to point out that the service bill mentions your car as a 1.2 cr tdi and not a 1.5 cr Tdi. Please ask the S.A to get this rectified.

The variant listed is the Trendline and not the GT as it should be.

Regards
Vishy

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The SA was quick to identify the cause and advised lubricating the strut bearings. This labour charge is attributed to it.

- The battery is weak because it takes a bit longer than usual to crank and start the car (especially on those 2-day off weekends when the car is lying idle). I'll have the voltages checked this weekend. Will report back.

Kindly get the CCA(Cold cranking ampere) checked too. The workshops usually have a hand-held Bosch Battery tester, which compares all parameters and gives out the verdict.

- Belts and pulleys - I am not sure since one cannot say until it gives up! The usual practice is to replace it at recommended intervals.

The only thing which can be a bit worrying is timing belt, and this should be changed proactively IMO. Rest all other belts can be ignored for the time being.

Not going to touch it since its expensive at some 7k odd as conveyed by the SA. I'd rather have a sump guard fabricated out of Aluminium with that kind of pricing!

I believe the aluminium sheet sump guard will cost a bit cheaper. Some of the VW spares are funnily priced.

Regards,
Shashi

[palace35mm]

Hi Gannu congrats on reaching the milestone of 91k. Wanted your thoughts on the new LED lamps on the Vento and would it fit the POLO TSI?

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by palace35mm

Hi Gannu congrats on reaching the milestone of 91k. Wanted your thoughts on the new LED lamps on the Vento and would it fit the POLO TSI?

I am not sure about the performance of the LED lamps in terms of intensity and throw of the beam. Best to take a test drive of the new Vento in the evening and judge. As for the fitment, it's a straightforward swap dimensionally. There are 2 ways to go about with the wiring part:

a. The proper way by swapping the BCM to the top end BCM and change the complete harness. The LED headlights (and the OEM bixenon headlamps sold on the models overseas) are powered by the BCM directly not from the fusebox.

b. Hack the wiring by keeping the stock BCM, provide the connections to the respective bulbs from the stock connector.

Both ways work without affecting the performance. But you lose the beam's vertical adjustment since the LED headlights have automatic adjustment.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Got the 6th scheduled service done from Sundaram VW, Chennai last week and was charged Rs. 11,102. Here's the copy of the bill:

And so, that's perhaps the last time my car will see a VW service center for the scheduled services (extended warranty expires after 1L km). I'll source the parts and do it myself from the next time. Looking forward to switch the engine oil to Liqui Moly or Mobil Delvac 1. Have heard good things about them.

Coincidently I used Mobil Delvac 1 for my oil change this time. Was using the regular Mobil 1. Been only a short while (500 odd kms) since the change but so far things look good. From the data sheet Delvac 1 is a bit more viscous and handled more power at the crank (which might explain why it is recommended for heavy vehicles). This might be just a feeling but its feels that the engine revs a bit more freely with Mobil 1 compared to Mobil Delvac 1 and takes a bit more time to warm up. There is quite a difference in price though 4.5k for a 5 litre can of Delvac 1 compared to around 6.5k for 5 litres of Mobil 1.

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

There was a creaking noise when the steering was rotated which started after some 85k km. Turns out the strut mounting bearings were running dry and the Bosch service center (from where I had swapped out the stock struts for the Bilsteins) failed to lubricate the strut bearings. The SA was quick to identify the cause and advised lubricating the strut bearings. This labour charge is attributed to it.
========
As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! The other good thing is, they didn't do the software update to the ECU to resolve the emissions issue. So the monstrous pickup from the stop and the acceleration continues.

Good tip on the bearing lubrication. Will keep that in mind when I swap out the top mounts on my car.

I was recommended replacing my entire front suspension for 30K the last time I turned up at a service center complaining about suspension noise. Tightening a link fixed the noise and the car has done 40K since then. As you said if it ain't broke...

Drive on,
Shibu.

[palace35mm]

Hi Gannu I have the new Polo TSi. I wanted to know if I can get the side mirrors to close with the key when I lock it? Right now I have to turn the knob to do that? Can this be done via vcds or do I need to change any part for this feature? I have seen a few cars that vagtune has worked on and they have done that. Your valuable feedback is needed on this. P.S. Love the work you have done and the time you have spent on your car. You were the reason I changed my polo 1.2 to the GT TDi and now to the GT TSi due to the heavy traffic in Hyderabad. Happy driving.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by palace35mm

Hi Gannu I have the new Polo TSi. I wanted to know if I can get the side mirrors to close with the key when I lock it? Right now I have to turn the knob to do that? Can this be done via vcds or do I need to change any part for this feature?

There're 2 ways to go about with the auto-mirror-folding-upon-car-lock (and unfolding with unlocking):

a. Change the window regulators to the models that support it = expensive but a straightforward swap and your warranty is intact. You will have to import the regulators since none of the Indian models have this part.

b. Buy a module from China that does it (like this) and do the wiring at an FNG that is experienced in electrical works. Safe to assume your warranty is void.

Both give you the same result.

On a different note, the car has done 93k km. Looks like the GJ > KL registration change has gone through and she will be getting the new number soon. As much as I wanted to retain the last 4 digits (9759) of the current registration, looks like it isn't going to happen since they haven't reached the 9XXX series under the current set. I'll take whatever number they allot her.

During the last 2 drives, we left Chennai at 4 PM and reached Palakkad at 1 AM (3 breaks including a dinner break at Krishnagiri). Felt like a better drive compared to the departure at 9 PM. I think I'll stick to this hereafter.

[palace35mm]

Hi Gannu thank you for the information. With regards to your number you can always book the number in advance and you will get the same number. I have always done that with all my cars.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by palace35mm

Hi Gannu thank you for the information. With regards to your number you can always book the number in advance and you will get the same number. I have always done that with all my cars.

We inquired with the RTO. They said it can't be done. Usually numbers close to the currently running series are permitted to be booked and they charge a premium of Rs 3000.

[palace35mm]

Hi Gannu wanted to know if an amplifier can be connected to the RCD 330G or 330G+?

[Immix]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Also got my HU changed to the RCD 330G + MIB 2 unit. ... And the integrated Bluetooth (supports connections to two devices simultaneously so one can be for streaming music and the other can be for mobile network) and an onscreen dialer also helped

Hey Gannu,

IIRC, you had a RCD510 with 9W7 bluetooth module and a separate mic in the cabin light cluster. The RCD330g plus that replaced this setup in your car has bluetooth and microphone integrated. So you definitely must have removed the 9W7 bluetooth module but what did you do with the mic in the cabin light cluster and its wire harness? Were you able to connect it to the RCD330g plus? Because that's what I want to do. I think that the mic in the cabin light cluster is a much better setup than the one integrated in the ICE on the left side, given the cabin light's proximity to the driver's voice. Thanks

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Puddle lights:

Got this done just for fun. I’ve always been intrigued by the puddle lights below the mirrors. The new gen. Bimmers take this one step ahead by providing these lights below the door handles - looks uber cool! I had sourced these flush mount LED bolts sometime back in July 2014 (shared the purchase experience here) and they were stashed somewhere. They are made of Aluminium, has an IP68 rating and does not have a lens so it sits flush with the surface. I had some spare time during the last weekend and decided to install them. It was a slightly tedious procedure because the door cards need to be removed to route the cables. Securing them back can be slightly tricky due to the plastic clips which are prone to breakage. A clip costs Rs. 28 from the service center so I had sourced some extra spares before working on them just to be on the safer side. Connected them to the footwell lights which light up when the car is unlocked or the ignition is turned off and the key is removed from the slot. Will pen down a DIY thread on this later.


Source: Oznium.com (Flush Mount LED Bolt)

I am about to embark on installing the puddle lamps on my Suzuki S-Cross. I didn't find a separate thread for this DIY. Can you help spot it? I find the puddle lamps very useful feature since you can see the ground around the front doors when you are walking up to your car in the dark.

I also have a few questions

a. One option is to tap the power from the turn indicator wires in the mirror housing (I saw this approach for puddle lamps for Ford Mustang) and believe this should do it. How have you tapped the power?

b. Ideally I'd prefer if these are enabled only when cabin lights are set to power up in the door open position, but that will defeat the purpose of installing it in the first place. In other words, it would be best if the puddle lamps turn on when the car is unlocked AND the switch for cabin lights is synched with the door open. This would ensure that the puddle lamps can be controlled to not turn on during day times when it is not required. I am not sure how to go about this. Thoughts?

c. What is the size of the drill bit you used to make a hole in the mirror assembly to install these lights?

I am also planning to install foot well LEDs at the rear. My approach is going to use quick splice connectors (Link below) and tap the power from the door sil lights.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pc...608.0.0.qEv9ZL

Have you used these quick splice connectors? They seem to be used in many kits but many have suggested against using them since they do not last very long. If you have used these, can you share any experiences? I am not in favour of lustre terminals since they don't have a strong connection either. They are completely useless for higher gauge wires.

[Gannu_1]

Man, I haven't had a more hectic work schedule in ages! Been putting 12-14 hours at work over the last 2 months and it just doesn't seem to end!

*sigh*

Anyways, sharing a few updates that happened over the last couple of months.

- She's inching closer to the 1L km milestone:



- The stock battery (Exide, locally made) was replaced last month. The car was taking a wee bit longer to crank during Monday mornings after an idle weekend. Checked the voltage using a DC voltmeter and it showed 12.5 V when the car was turned off and 13.9 V when the engine was idling. Decided not to take a chance especially with these night drives to home and got a replacement battery from batterybhai.com.





Amazing experience with the website! Placed the order in the afternoon and the replacement battery (Amaron Flo 60Ah, AAM-FL-566112060) arrived in the evening. Headed to the apartment's parking lot and the bhai replaced the battery in less than 10 minutes. He tested the voltage of the new battery using a DMM, took the old battery, smiled and left. I so wish we had an oempartsbhai.com and caraccessoriesbhai.com - life would have been so much simpler!

- From being a Gujju to a Mallu! Her base-of-registry is officially changed to Palakkad from Surat.



Screengrab from the Kerala MVD database (FWIW, anyone can search for any car with the registration number):


(No. of cylinders - 3!)

Man, what an incredible 95k km journey she has had under the GJ registration! I am definitely going to look back and cherish the good times I've spent with her, back when I was posted in Gujarat. I got the laminated RC delivered by post to my home few weeks back. Got to apply for a refund from the Surat RTO now.

- A couple of snaps with ICGS Shaunak - a new offshore patrol vessel built for the Indian Coast Guard which was commissioned during February.





- The spare tire was used for the first time in the last 3.5 years!

Returned to the office's parking lot one day to find the rear left tire flat - I had a puncture repair kit with me but no pliers to take the sharp object out. Regretted that very moment! Luckily I had my colleague-friend with me around that time but after spending 14 hours at work, swapping a tire is the last thing in my mind! We had no go but to swap it out. Swapped the tire and drove home. Removed a small piece of a sharp flat metal plate and patched it up. Replaced the tire that weekend and the spare tire went back to its where it belonged. But inserting the tire back in that slot in the boot, was really really hard! Had to twist and turn the tire several times while I held the boot cover up. This was the third puncture in the last 55k km that these Michelins have run over - the present condition is alright for another 5-7k km but I may have to renew them shortly. Might buy the tires online this time over a B&M shop. Lot of discounts going on at PayTM.

Originally Posted by palace35mm

Hi Gannu wanted to know if an amplifier can be connected to the RCD 330G or 330G+?

No clue on that.

Originally Posted by Immix

So you definitely must have removed the 9W7 bluetooth module but what did you do with the mic in the cabin light cluster and its wire harness? Were you able to connect it to the RCD330g plus? Because that's what I want to do. I think that the mic in the cabin light cluster is a much better setup than the one integrated in the ICE on the left side, given the cabin light's proximity to the driver's voice. Thanks

I've left the mic with the cable running through the left A-pillar as it is (disconnected). I was too lazy to remove it back when I swapped the HU. I don't suppose there is a provision to connect an external mic; might be wrong though. But do you really need one? The RCD 320 had a pathetic mic! But this one is far better despite being located at the same place on the HU. The reception is very clear and no one has complained of noise or low voice clarity from the other end.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

I am about to embark on installing the puddle lamps on my Suzuki S-Cross. I didn't find a separate thread for this DIY. Can you help spot it?

Sorry man, I haven’t penned it down yet. I did the writeup some time back and I am yet to finish it.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

a. One option is to tap the power from the turn indicator wires in the mirror housing (I saw this approach for puddle lamps for Ford Mustang) and believe this should do it. How have you tapped the power?

From the cabin light.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

b. Ideally I'd prefer if these are enabled only when cabin lights are set to power up in the door open position, but that will defeat the purpose of installing it in the first place. In other words, it would be best if the puddle lamps turn on when the car is unlocked AND the switch for cabin lights is synched with the door open. This would ensure that the puddle lamps can be controlled to not turn on during day times when it is not required. I am not sure how to go about this. Thoughts?

While this is ideally how the puddle lights should turn on, unless the ambient light sensor is used, they won’t work this way. How would it matter if they turn on during the day time? Nobody would notice it. I am not sure how they work on the Superb and the Octavia. Do they turn on during the day time?

Originally Posted by sudeepg

c. What is the size of the drill bit you used to make a hole in the mirror assembly to install these lights?

I made a pilot drill hole using a 2 mm drill bit. And used a 10 mm drill bit.

Originally Posted by sudeepg

Have you used these quick splice connectors?

No. I am against these quick splice connectors since they seem to shear some strands of the wire while splicing. And the metal contacts rust over time. I prefer twisting, soldering and using a heat-shrink sleeve or a butt-splice crimp.

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

I made a pilot drill hole using a 2 mm drill bit. And used a 10 mm drill bit.

....

No. I am against these quick splice connectors since they seem to shear some strands of the wire while splicing. And the metal contacts rust over time. I prefer twisting, soldering and using a heat-shrink sleeve or a butt-splice crimp.

Thanks for all the information Gannu. I'd love to catch up with you sometime during my trip this month end, now that you are posted in Palakkad. I will be around for a while and would love to see you and your car.

The S-cross has an ambient light sensor which controls the auto-headlamps. I just don't know how to tap it. Honestly, it shouldn't really matter if the lights come on during day time. I just felt doing it that way if at all possible. That would have been pretty cool. I do not know how it works on Superb though, will have to find out. I have ordered the part, but will need some time to install them.

A few trips are coming up this month and next month with the vacations. I'll be mostly shunting around Palakkad, Thrissur and surrounding areas.

I hope your hectic work schedule eases out soon. Cheers!

[F150]

Hey Gannu bhai ,
What was the cost of the replacement battery ? I can see it a Amaron Flo. Did you consider high current battery from the Amaron pro series ?