[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Stigissimo

I thought it'd be fun to compare how a much older and frequently used/battered Jetta (LA traffic is awful) looks, so I've attached a picture of mine. I think the fact that yours, at 37k, still looks brand spanking new and mine, at ~2.5x that, looks fresh despite all my college-student-shenanigans is amazing. It's really a testament to how well they build them.
Attachment 1611890

My car also comes with a rather interesting 2.5 inline 5 engine producing about 170 horse. Not much remapping potential there outside of turbocharging but I've seen some mean aftermarket exhausts. and fat rubber on a few. Watch out for your car's barometric sensor though, a lot of Mk6's have check engine lights randomly turn on because of some sort of software glitch in that. If it happens, don't panic and just restart your car.
One fun fact: I noticed that your service at 30,000 cost about Rs. 4500. My car's 60k mile (97,000 km) service, a relatively simple one involving an oil change and a few other minor jobs pretty similar to yours, cost over Rs. 20,000 ($300) NOT including labor! This is the first car I've ever been completely responsible for so unsure if that's reasonable, but it sounds frightfully expensive to me. Also my car came with drum brakes at the back, only the GLI came with discs all round in 2011.

Your car still looks as good as new. Kudos to you for maintaining it that way.

Completely agree with what you have said sir. In fact, I have seen Jettas advertised on many sites which have done 1,30,000+ Kms and still look as good as new. Jetta owners swear by the build and I never doubt that at all. It's just the scratches on the car which bother me (unavoidable in barodian traffic)

The 2.5 inline is a relatively old one in the VAG group, but hey N/A petrols have a charm of their own. For some reasons, I like the way N/A petrols deliever torque in a linear manner. The GLI is a monster in every sense. The 2.0 TFSI petrol comes second in my wishlist after the 1.8 TSI. The Germans are indeed masters at making good petrol engines.

The service bill I have attached is only for the consumables. The total cost comes to around INR. 15,000 to 16,000 (as I have listed in the review) including labour and certain other customary checks. As of now, the only two things that don't work are

-the broken rear A/C vent (They are asking me to change both vents for Rs. 800, so decided to live with it)

-Window switch wiring gone loose for the front passenger (Will get it fixed at the next check up)

Also agree to the fact that Volkswagen does charge a bomb for servicing especially once you cross the 50K mark. I am thus on the lookout for a good professional garage now. Besides, they are very inefficient and take their own sweet time in sorting out even minor issues that the car has given until now.

Do keep me updated about your car as well.

Regards,
vishy

[cunnuvila]

Nice write-up! Your way with words is good. Keep it up.

[SRK]

That was a really great review @vishy76.

You have great writing skills. Really liked the way the small details were highlighted.

Wish you lots of happy miles with your Silver Sprinter.

[R2D2]

Vishy76, your review is very good. And that too for a 15 year old. Colour me impressed. Your enthusiasm and attention to what makes a good review show up here. Well done & thanks for sharing!

[Asish_VK]

Hey Vishy76, Very nice write up of a Beautiful Car

Your review clearly shows the passion you have towards automobiles.

Such a beautiful review at this age, man that's something to be proud of.

And here I am , double the age and getting team-bhp infractions for 'poor spelling and grammer' (Envy Envy ! )

[vishy76]

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I have a small query which needs sorting out here.

I have recently noticed that the Jetta idles at about 950 rpm when fully warmed up and a 1000 before that, all of which seemed normal.

However, I have also noticed that the car has now been idling a bit rough and the rpms vary even when the engine is up to temperature.

The car first seems to idle at around 940-950 rpm which seems normal and then suddenly shoots up to 1000 rpm but doesn't exceed this limit. The engine seems to idle rough and sounds a bit unrefined at 1000 rpm. Anything to worry about here? I have especially noticed this after the recall.

It would be great if any Jetta owner or an expert could shed some light on this. I will notify the S.A at the checkup if possible.

[vishy76]

Update 40,000 Km

So here we are then. Thanks to the fact that we haven't been able to find a beater yet, the Jetta has been doing the city duty for us. This means that the 40,000 Km has been breached by the Jetta sooner than I did have imagined. There's a laundry list of things I want to say about the car, but we will first start off with what has changed in the past 3,000 odd Km.

Tyres changed from stock Goodyear to Michelin p3st 205/55 91W

By far the most substantial change of all has to be the tyres. The stock goodyears had become rock hard and were wreaking havoc in the cabin with their road noise and more importantly the vibrations. Went to the nearest tyre dealer on a lazy Saturday afternoon and drove out with a set of brand new Michelin p3st tyres. Asking price was 9K per tyre, I for the first time in my life bargained and brought the price down to 8.8K and also made alignment and balancing free!

Cost per tyre: 8.8 K for a set of 4 (wheel alignment and balancing along with nitrogen was all free)

I was most surprised with the condition of the Goodyear. Although the sidewalls were intact and the tread could last another 3,000 Km, the tyres had a total of 6 nails lodged in them

One of them was the size of a hex bolt.

Wheel alignment and balancing was about to be done, when I actually came out a bit surprised. It had been 10,000 Km since the aligning had been done but the wheels didn't need aligning at all.

Tyre dealer: " Saar your wheel alignment is spot on. No need to touch the settings at all"

Either ways, the p3st have transformed the NVH levels and the ride quality is a bit more pliant over the sharper bumps. The NVH levels have truly improved by leaps and bounds.



Issues faced till now

- the suspension seems to be a bit loose after 40,000 Km and the frequency of thudding has increased. Maybe a few bolts that need torquing here.

- the climate control sensor seems to have popped out of its housing. A known issue amongst jetta owners. Will get it fixed at the inspection.

- bonnet release lever feels slightly lose. Maybe a loose bolt or something

Apart from these very minor and forgivable gremlins, the car has been serving us very well for the past 2 years it has been with us. (Touchwood)

Coming to the service inspection, I have decided to go in for a full service in the next few weeks as the car will most probably be taken to Goa. So I will be looking to change all the consumables and also get the minor issues sorted out. Be ready for a lengthy travelogue bhpians.

After a long wait, the Jetta gets the tyres it deserved in the first place:


The valves were also changed. Look pretty cool now:


The tyres do sag a wee bit thanks to the softer sidewall:


The engine bay remains squeaky clean. All thanks to my OCD when it comes to cleanliness:

[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I have a small query which needs sorting out here.

I have recently noticed that the Jetta idles at about 950 rpm when fully warmed up and a 1000 before that, all of which seemed normal.

However, I have also noticed that the car has now been idling a bit rough and the rpms vary even when the engine is up to temperature.

The car first seems to idle at around 940-950 rpm which seems normal and then suddenly shoots up to 1000 rpm but doesn't exceed this limit. The engine seems to idle rough and sounds a bit unrefined at 1000 rpm. Anything to worry about here? I have especially noticed this after the recall.

It would be great if any Jetta owner or an expert could shed some light on this. I will notify the S.A at the checkup if possible.

There was a discussion on some other thread about shooting up rpm randomly and it seems that this has to do with DPF and its normal.

[vishy76]

It's been a long time since I have updated the thread. So, yes apologies to all for this. I was busy in prepping up another ownership review on the assembly line (more on that later).

The car is due to be serviced on Monday at the earliest or the weekend by latest. It has only done 43K, but majority of the last few km have been within the city involving frequent short journeys, so asked dad to get it serviced sooner this time. I have prepared a list of things that I am going to ask them to address:

- Thud sound coming from the suspension. Not the normal thud, but a metallic one instead. Similar to the sound of two metals hitting each other. The car still drives and rides perfectly though.

- Low pitch humming at a speed of around 50 km/hr. This might again be related to the first issue wherein a suspension linkage might be loose and need lubrication. Both the sounds can only be noticed at the rear and if you concentrate hard with a keen ear.

- Clean the brake pads and check them for life. The brakes are doing very well, but just incase.

- Change the alternator belt as it gives out a chic-chic sound on a very cold start. The sound persists for only half a second, but the car is now nearing 45K, so better to get it changed.

Michelin P3ST

I had upgraded to Michelins as mentioned in the previous post. Its been 3.5K km and I must say they are doing their job very well. The only thing I hate about them is that they are prone to catching minute stones. They are very silent and also have excellent wet grip. My dad loves them.

New member in the family

Amidst a lot of chaos in my life, Raydon arrived to join the Jetta in the garage. I am happy that the Jetta is finally freed from the constant torture that our roads throw at it. The Kwid will take car of the same.

The Jetta will be limited to highway runs and long drives, as I find the Kwid to be pathetic for the same due to its soft rear seats.

A pic of the new member and the Jetta's half brother:


I will be updating the thread once the service is completed. Until then,

ciao,
Vishy

[Varun_HexaGuy]

Hey Vishy,
Congratulations on the new K(W)ID and hope that you and your dad put some good amount of miles on it. Hoping that it's the 1.0 under the hood. Expecting an ownership report for this baby.

Varun

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

Hey Vishy,
Congratulations on the new K(W)ID and hope that you and your dad put some good amount of miles on it. Hoping that it's the 1.0 under the hood. Expecting an ownership report for this baby.

Varun

Haha. Yeah. The kwid's ownership review is coming up around early next month.

It is a 1.0 underneath there, and an AMT as well. It's primarily meant for my mom, not for highway drives. The sprinter will do that.

Regards,
Vishy

[vishy76]

44K update

It's been a long time since I have updated the thread and I apologise for that. Exams and other commitments kept me away from this thread, but not the car itself.

A lot has happened in the past 44K. So, here's a summary after around 2.5 years.

What I liked so far:
- Indestructible build. Never seems to age at all
- 2.0 TDI + 6 speed manual are a match made in heaven
- A practical runabout with loads of space
- Solid handling and excellent driving dynamics
- Safety as standard: 6 Airbags, TCS, ESP etc.

What I didn't like so far:
- RCD 300+ HU feels too damn dated now. No USB or Bluetooth sucks for a 20 lakh exec saloon
- No choice of an explosive petrol. The Octavia would have had a hard time if VW would have plonked the 1.8 TSI into this car
- No DSG Comfortline
- Feature list was too sparse and feels even worse today


Bad news first

To put it shortly, paint fell on the car when it was in its new parking spot. The link to the issue can be found here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...t-spots-3.html



44K km service

The eagle eyed ones of you might say that the scheduled service is at 45K for VW cars, but decided to get the car serviced early as it had been used extensively for short trips and there was a weird noise coming from the rear right.

Booked a service appointment with VW Automark, Vadodara. Called them on a Saturday once but no one answered at all. Either ways, dismissed it as a one off case and booked an appointment 4-5 days later. Also asked for a pick up and drop which was now available.

Following were the issues reported:

- Check rear right suspension for humming noise over rough gravel roads

- Change the pollen filter and clean the A/C vents as they were full of dust

- Do a general underbody check and change the alternator belt if required

That was it really. Didn't have any other issue, major or minor to report at all.

The mechanic came in on a Wednesday and picked the car up. He didn't seem to be keeping well and was ill actually. Either ways, he insisted that its not an issue and took the car.

My dad recieved a call the very same day with the service estimate and the expected time to be taken. He said he could return the car earlier, but didn't want them to hurry as I had the Kwid as a second car.

The car was back the next day. Interestingly, the mechanic was inquisitive to know about Team BHP and what we do, so gave him a brief while my dad completed the formalities.

I was in for a surprise when I saw that the interiors were squeaky clean. My dad had gone in for the 3M germkleen and they had done an excellent job indeed. He also got a feedback call unlike before VW's after sales is definitely improving.

He total service bill inclusive of the Germkleen at a discounted rate came to 17.1K.

Without the Germkleen, it is somewhere in the ballpark of 14.5 to 15K. One thing to note is that they waived off the pick up and drop charge.

All in all, I will give them a 4.5/5 stars. Would have given them 5 if they could have done away with certain unnecessary things.

The issue of the peculiar hum was checked and nothing was found wrong.

Enough of talking. Here are some shots.

The car had exactly 43.9K on the clock when it came back from the service:


The Engine air filter was changed...


And so was the pollen filter:


The Michelin P3St had a puncture when a nail pierced through the rear right one on a trip to Rajkot. This is the first puncture in the last 6.5K km:


The 3M germkleen surpassed expectations




Still has 140 horses and is one of the most powerful manuals around:

[vishy76]

3 years update

It's been 3 long years with the car. And yes, even I am a bit surprised as to how time has flown by. Looking back at the memories with this car, it surely has a very special place in my heart.

Nope, its not an exact 3 years though. The car was a Feb manufactured one and was bought on November 28th, 2014. So yes, I am a bit late here.

I will be summing up all that I have liked about this car in the 3 years that it has been with me. First the customary, Team-BHP summary list. Every review IMHO is incomplete without this list. You are bound to find this in every ownership review, albeit in different forms.



What I liked so far:

• Mature, understated looks along with solid build
• Safety equipment on offer: 6 Airbags, ESP, EDL, ASR etc.
• 2.0 TDI + 6 Speed manual are a match made in heaven
• Unmatched driving dynamics all thanks to the Multilink suspension
• Equipment as standard on the Comfortline: Steering mounted controls, Auto headlamps and wipers, Dual zone climate control etc.
  

What I didn't like so far:

• RCD 300 Plus HU sucks. No USB or bluetooth connectivity. Looks straight out of the 90s
• Interior design is a bit too understated. Some might find it b-o-r-i-n-g
• VW did ruin its own reputation all thanks to the Dieselgate. Many disgruntled customers as well
• Central floor hump is a bit too tall. Packaging and space is not the best in the business
• VW's after sales experience has been average at best so far
  

I will be splitting this post up into several sections (Exteriors, interiors, Engine et all.) highlighting how the car has aged and the respective problems I have had to face.

Exteriors and Build Quality

One place where the Jetta remains I repeat 'Timeless'. The mature understated yet elegant and crisp lines make sure that the exteriors are anything but a giveaway to the car's age. The Audi A4 like rear and the front with the smoked headlamps along with the two fang like protrusions form the bumper at the front are a treat to look at, even 3 years down the line.

The Quality of steel used definitely shows here. Not a spot of rust anywhere on the car. In fact, I did have a close look at the spare wheel housing, a place where the previous generation Honda City and a few other cars are notoriously known for rust. Manufacturers usually skimp out on painting these areas. But, again there was no rust to be found there. I could only find some minor surface rust on the area around the rotors.

All in all, this car has aged better than expected and I hope it stays this way.

Halogens DRLs don't do the job for me. They do have a yellow tinge which suites the car, but they don't deserve to be called DRLs. LEDs should have been offered:


The front right mud flap broke off due to continuous scraping on speed breakers. Had to take it off:




Interiors

The interior design is a drawback in today's age for some. Although I absolutely love the simplistic design philosophy, many might find it a bit too simple and boring. Volkswagen seems to have sorted that out with it's MQB platform cars which have a sense of elegance to them while also being functional. Classic case in point are the Octavia's interiors, although I have noticed that the tank like build is missing in the latter.

The interiors have aged well IMHO. I personally like the design, though some might find it to be dated. Here’s a lateral shot at night:


Although the rear seat remains a good place to be in, packaging isn't as good as the Japanese. You know VW could have done better:


The only letdown personally is that Head unit. It looks awfully dated and lacks something as basic as USB and Bluetooth although VW addressed this problem on the facelift. My 5 lac Kwid has a more comprehensive HU than this car. Looking for a capable android HU now, especially since I don't have to worry about the warranty.

HU looks anything but up to date:


The only thing which has given me a problem is the door(s). The driver side door had a slight rattle. I popped open the reflector at the bottom and discovered a piece of foam inside. Very strange. Yet to ask my dad whether it has sorted the rattle out. Another minor gremlin is that one rear A/C vent is broke. The plastic quality was flimsy and someone sitting int he centre might have mistakenly kicked it. It's impossible to make out whether it is broken or not, but still.

All the doors have a slight creak if you concentrate and this is because of the rock hard door beading hitting the frame on less than ideal roads. Will spray a lubricant and see if the noise subsides although it is not too bothersome, like on the Polo and the Vento.

I am satisfied with how the interiors look and have aged otherwise. All of the plastics (except for the A/C vents) have aged very well and a 3M Germkleen has brought the original sheen back.

Engine

2.0 TDI continues to impress. Sorry for the dirty engine bay:


The 2.0 TDI has been a victim of the dieselgate scandal, but my dad doesn't complain at all. Power delivery is again very linear and there is not much to report here. Except for a check engine light which it threw at 31K km for a loose oil pipe fixed FOC, the engine has been very reliable.

The 6 speed manual continues to impress, especially since the car is mostly spending time out on the highways. The slick shifting manual and the 2.0 TDI are a treat to use even 3 years down the line.

The only complain I have is that the engine noise levels seem to have gone up marginally, maybe by about 10%. Again, this could just be a placebo effect since the car is seldom used, but I will see if I can try a diesel additive.

They did overfill the coolant slightly at the last service. Tells me they have touched the car atleast:


6 Speed manual remains the best in business:


The new SF Sonic battery:


The old VAG branded air filter:


Suspension and handling

The multi-link suspension still remains the best in business. Taking into account the fact that no sedan below 18-20 lakhs offers this kind of a setup, the Jetta still has an upper hand.

The suspension seems to have lost a bit of damping (again about 10-20%). A suspension overhaul might be due in the next 10-15K km.

Battery replacement

Other than that pretty happy with the car itself. Swapped the battery to an SF sonic one. My dad tried to crank the Jet up one morning when it refused. Since the car was seldom used, he bump started her. He thought that the battery had discharged naturally as the car hadn’t been used for a week.

However, while he was heading to Anand, the car stalled again on a state highway when my dad accidently slipped the clutch while taking off from a speed breaker. To his surprise, the car refused to start again. He knew that the battery had gone bust.

He reached Anand, finished work, bump started the car again and went straight to the battery shop, an SF Sonic dealer. One of the cells of the VARTA was found to be severely damaged. Old age and frequency of usage had caused this. Either ways, it served me well for the 3 years and actually exceeded expectations for I had come across many complaints about premature failiures.

Here’s an image of the battery. Except for the bright blue colour, the battery gels in with the rest of the engine bay and also fits inside the OEM jacket:


Music system Lock

The battery change meant that the battery was out of the car for a good 15-20 min atleast. The ECU reset itself and while it relearnt my dad’s driving style after around 100-200 Km, the music system locked itself up. My dad tried to unlock it by trying 0000 as the code, but of course failed. The HU also locked itself for 1 hour after this happened.

The locked HU demanding a passcode, which can only be retrieved from the manual or by entering a serial no. at the back of the HU into a website. Ironically, both the serial no. and passcode fields have been left blank in the manual:


I called the S.A in the morning and he informed me that lunch would be at 1.00 PM. We reached there at 12.30 and I was in for a surprise. The technician had gone for lunch lready and it would take 15 min for him to arrive and a further half an hour for the procedure.

I was scolded at the end of this episode for not enquiring about the timings. Yup, Volkswagen’s A.S.S literally failed to cover up my a**.

As of date. The HU remains locked. Will have to dedicate an hour or two and take the car to the service centre later.

BTW, I found a new feature in the car. I noticed that the frequency of the turn indicators changes when the ignition is switched on or off. Other Jetta owners can try this too. Have recored a video and will upload it if possible by youtube.

Uncertain future

It is with a heavy heart that I say this, but the future of the Silver Sprinter remains uncertain. Low usage and the fact that the car hates to sit idle might mean that we eventually downgrade to something else.

However, one thing has to be said. If it weren’t for the build and the way this machine has aged, I can vouch for the fact that this car would have been sold by my dad.

Personally I think the car is here to stay atleast for a year. The 2.0 TDI is known to be fairly reliable and the only major service bill I see in the next 10K km is brake pad replacement.

The Jetta remains a fill it shut it and forget it kind of a machine otherwise.

Again, sorry for the late update and thanks for reading…

Regards,
Vishy

[vishy76]

48,750 Km update

Odometer reading stands at 48,838 Km:


Yes indeed. It has taken a bit of time, especially post the 43K km mark, but the car is now inching close to the half century mark. Its been a journey of pure bliss with Sprinter, munching miles and doing complete justice to the name bestowed upon him, apart from one small niggle.

Wheel speed sensor failiure

The car was throwing up intermittent faults with regards to the ABS, ESP and EPS (yellow) on the instrument cluster. It could be the ABS sensor or the module itself. I had a feeling it is one of the sensors since braking was perfectly normal and the steering was also providing assistance and feedback correctly.

Took him to the A.S.S on 19th April and it turned out that one of the rear wheel speed sensors had gone kaput. A checkup was also due this time. The estimate given was around 5.1K incl. of labour and checkup charges.

And in what was a pleasant surprise, I could also get the car back the same day! The car was dropped off at 11.00 AM and returned at 4.30 PM sharp. The final bill was also bang on target at 5.1K. The wheel speed sensor was also a reasonable 3.6K and the rest was labour (around Rs. 300) and along with pick up and drop and diagnostics charges. They also cleaned the car inside out. I was also asked to rate the service on paper. Gave them a 5/5 this time. Hope they keep up the good work.


The ABS sensor or wheel speed sensor was returned. I used judicious amounts of WD-40 to clean it as it was covered with gunk and mud:


This (circular window like part) is the part that actually detects the magnet spinning inside the hub and sends signals:


A rough diagram of the arrangement of the sensor:


The connector socket:


The mounting hole for the sensor itself:


Now that the sensor has been fixed, there are no errors now. Hope it stays this way. The car has been very reliable otherwise.

The car will now witness a road trip to Goa in the summer vacations. Mumbai is a designated stopover (forced my dad to do so). Parking however remains an issue. Still confused as to where to park the car especially in South Bombay. Hoping to meet a few bhpians as well.

Will be a proper visit to Mumbai after 3 long years. Many memories with the place for me as well as the sprinter. Its his hometown after all and he still bears the MH 02 credentials, doesn't he?

Will pen down a proper travelogue...

Until then,
Ciao

[vishy76]

55,000 km update

It's been quite a long time since I updated this thread, but it's not that the car has covered a lot of kilometers either. Sure, no news on a German car ownership thread is good news, but just to keep things lively, here's a not so boring update.

Konkan coastal run

Yes, the car did do a marathon run down the Konkan coast to Goa and back. This was the route taken while going:

Baroda ----> Mumbai ----> Belgavi ----> South Goa

This was the route taken while returning:

South Goa ----> Pune ----> Baroda

As is obvious my dad thought that a lot of time was being wasted at taking stopovers and entering and exiting cities. The traffic in Mumbai was especially maddening (as expected) and entering and leaving the city itself took around 3 hours or so.

While returning it was thus decided that night driving would also be done, but nothing beyond 9 PM. Luckily we reached Pune well before 8 (although the traffic inside the city was again a deterrent). Rested for the night and set off for Baroda the next day. Again, reached well before 9 pm which marked an end of what was one of the best road trips with the car.

The Jetta relaxing after a relatively short hop between two homestays in South Goa:

The Jetta took all of the abuse thrown at it during the trip with aplomb.

A special mention here has to be the way the car handled on the Devimane ghat while travelling from South Goa to Sirsi. The multilink supension along with the superb roads and the 2.0 TDI were just pure bliss. Triple digit speeds were easily manageable and even minor undulations on an otherwise smooth road never unsettled the car, which felt like it was cornering on rails. The Jetta is made for the corners!

The only issue was a peculiar humming sound (has also found mention in the previous post) emanating from the rear suspension. It seems to be from the suspension itself and not the wheel bearings or the hub as it doesn't increase with speed but only comes on less than ideal roads. Infact, it is almost absent at 100+ km/hr. I think the strut bearings are the culprit and am going to get them checked at the next service.

Another thing is that the car did kiss the ground twice on the trip. The first time it was a speed breaker and the second time, my dad veered off the road onto the shoulder at a high speed which unfortunately had a very deep pothole. The fully loaded car did scrape hard and a nasty sound was heard. Luckily, there was no damage to the car.

Fuel lid actuator

Another minor gremlin was the fuel lid actuator playing up. On a trip to Anand, my dad pulled into an HP petrol pump and gingerly asked the attendent to fill in Rs. 1500 worth of diesel. However, he recieved a not so usual reply.

"Saar gaadi unlock kijiye. Fuel lid kholna hai"

The car had already been unlocked. Hit the magic central locking button again, but the sucker wouldn't budge at all. The pump attendant did try to help it by prying it slightly, but it just wouldn't release. Frustrated, i suggested we try out another pump which could have the expertise required to use the manual unlocking mechanism and release the lid. The car still had a quarter of a tank left though but just incase.

It was the same story at the Shell petrol pump a few kilometers ahead as well for the first 10 minutes. Finally, one of the attendants took the key fob and hit the lock and unlock button twice in succession. And voila, the fuel lid just sprung open.

The problem seemed to be sorted for then. I came back the next morning to the car and tried to open the lid. Needless to say, it worked flawlessly. I could hear the actuator work when i hammered the unlock button on the key.

I did notice a wierd pattern though. If you tend to open the fuel lid and then lock the car without closing it the car locks without protesting. More interestingly, if you hammer the lid close while the car is locked and try to open it by unlocking the car again, the actuator won't budge. You will have to lock and unlock the car through the keyfob again to open the actuator again.

Its a wierd issue to be honest. However, the actuator has been working perfectly for the past 2 months and i can only attribute the behaviour to moisture or the fact that a pump attendant didn't shut it correctly and my dad locked the car while the fuel lid was open.

The front left drl conked off for what i believe is the second time now. Will most probably replace it with CANBUS error free LEDs:

Apart from these minor gremlins there have been no other issues with the car. It has been running flawlessly and I hope it stays this way.

Additionally, the Michelin P3STs have aged very well and 16,000 Km later, I can comfortably say I made the right decision to throw up tantrums and ask my dad to go for them. They have only suffered a single puncture and above all, the overall grip levels, refinement and the tread left on them is a testament as to why owners swear by this versatile tyre.

One of the very few neat touches I discovered. Even if you close the sun visor and leave the light inside on, it still shuts off on its own. Simply clever

Engine bay doesn't need to be cleaned very often at all, thanks to the underbody protection. A dry cloth is all thats required to get rid of the surface dust on the engine cover and air filter box:

However, the area around the bootlid and bonnet does collect a lot of leaves and dust along with cobwebs. Has to be cleaned quite often:

A parting shot:

Thats it for this update. The next one will hopefully come in sooner when i send the car for service in November.

Until then, ciao.