[kalpurja]

Originally Posted by sam_boy

My first service ( Check Up ) update.

One word ... Yahooo !!!! The car's handling has become lot better. The suspension has become too good. Its not very hard now and even the home ministry liked it ( she hated it before). The steering feel has become awesome. I need to mention the name of the Service Advisor Pradeep from Vinayak Skoda here. He did a very good job. He insisted on keeping the car for a day as he had to follow the procedures as per the Skoda advisory for my car as my car was manufactured in that period. But the result has turned out to be awesome.

The service experience is many times better than Advaith Hyundai where I have been servicing my i10. Discussing problems with Skoda guys are much easier and I personally feel the attitude is good. Will I recommend this service ?

A BIG YES !!!

Great!!!. Even I have to give my car for service next month. Could you please explain about skoda advisory. Mine is Mar12 model. Is advisory applicable for my car as well.
Thanks in advance

[torque18]

Hi

As I had mentioned before in the thread, my car's rotor's might have to be replaced under warranty when the car goes for service this weekend. However, I have been wondering whether the brake pads will also need replacement with the rotors?
Last time when I had reported this problem and the rotors were taken out, my brake pads had more than adequate life left and the service guy even asked if i had got the brake pads replaced as they did'nt look like they were 13k kms old.

[santoshr]

Originally Posted by torque18

As I had mentioned before in the thread, my car's rotor's might have to be replaced under warranty when the car goes for service this weekend. However, I have been wondering whether the brake pads will also need replacement with the rotors?
Last time when I had reported this problem and the rotors were taken out, my brake pads had more than adequate life left and the service guy even asked if i had got the brake pads replaced as they did'nt look like they were 13k kms old.

During my 7500 check the service adviser suggested the steering shudder was being caused because of incorrect wheel balance and alignment. I am going to take car the Udaipur this weekend and that should give me opportunity to test again. He said the replacement of the rotor was not necessary. I insisted and tried to make an argument about the advisory but he suggested that it was not required. Lets see, if I still see the shuddering then I will take it back to him after coming back.

[torque18]

Originally Posted by santoshr

During my 7500 check the service adviser suggested the steering shudder was being caused because of incorrect wheel balance and alignment. I am going to take car the Udaipur this weekend and that should give me opportunity to test again. He said the replacement of the rotor was not necessary. I insisted and tried to make an argument about the advisory but he suggested that it was not required. Lets see, if I still see the shuddering then I will take it back to him after coming back.

If the shuddering is at the time of applying the brakes then I in all probability it is the rotors. However, if you can feel the vibrations even in the normal course then the SA might have some substance in what he says. Also in case of rotors, you will feel juddering sensation at the pedal too.
The experts can clarify it but that is what I feel.

[santoshr]

Right, my juddering is only on the steering wheel and not on the wheels. But it is only felt during braking, so that contradicts the situation. However I was like I can always come back to him with the same problem, because i would still be under the 10k kms and the 6 month cut-off.

@kalpurja - March-2012 model, ya sure its possible. However its not just for the models, only if you feel juddering at medium-high braking at around 80-120 kmph then get it checked by Skoda.

[prraghun]

Had my first unfortunate moment with the Rapid during the second week of January. Was the victim of a minor accident in one of the least probable areas I did imagine..the parking lot of my office!
Was headed straight for the exit ramp, when an Alto bumped into the Left side section of the Rapid at close to 20+ km/hr. Apparently, he missed seeing me completely, thanks to a Blind zone created by a parked Innova.



It was all over in a jiffy….by the time I realized what had happened, the damage had been inflicted. I was behind the wheel & there was hardly any impact felt inside the cabin, was assuming it would be a minor dent, but when I examined the damage on stepping out of the car, was dismayed.
I was one among the many Rapid owners, who would take some time to admire the car after parking it, the sight after the accident was too much to digest...there was clearly more damage than what met the eye.







I was too numb to confront the driver of the Alto, plus, all those years of erudition that seeks to make you a well behaved soul kicked in instantly, just like a new-gen turbo beyond the 2000 rpm.
So, after exchanging names, mobile numbers, I drove on to be on time for a meeting at a different facility. Whatever was remaining of my Friday was scarred, dented & cloaked in gloom.

Called up TAFE access on Saturday morning to check if they can take an appointment, was informed that for accidents, we could drive in directly to the service center.
Good, but my mind was conjuring up all the things that could go wrong….
A. How many of my friends had advised me to stay clear of Skoda..
B. Those haunting stories on Team-Bhp about the infamous Skoda ASS
C. Worst of all, why did I not take a zero depreciation policy?
Both my mom & wife decided, I was not in the right frame of mind to drive that day…so called up the service & updated them to expect me on Monday morn.

Initial assessment at the Skoda Service Center:
My first service experience had been pleasant, felt the car was put together much better after the service, the revised suspension set up made the car more joy to drive.My mind was playing the devil's advocate by now - not all Skoda owners necessarily go through a horrid experience, or, may be I would be blessed to endure something harsh of a lesser degree.
After 20 minutes of surveying the damage, the body shop manager said the prelim work order could be billed in the range of 23K to 25K. All my internal struggles & muddled thinking was instantly over…it translated to bewilderment & frustration writ large across my face.
The Job card had the following :
Replace left Head lamp
Replace front bumper
Remove dent on left front fender
Tinkering & painting charges
Thankfully, the fog lamps were intact!

Insurance::
The car was insured with Bajaj Allianz, and it was not a Drive assure policy. The surveyor was very professional and the claim was processed within a day.
Bajaj Allianz were prompt in communicating vide sms, the various time lines from the time of initiating the claim till the time of assessing the car after the repair work had been completed.

The "Skoda service Experience":
After a week's time, was intimated that the Rapid was ready to be driven back home. The final repair bill was 19,642 out of which 13,298 was covered by Insurance. My mind was not on the money, wanted to check if the car was subjected to any inferior workmanship, anything botched up that could diminish the joy of owning the car…when I got to inspect it, the relief was immense, it was a job well done!

Incidentally,during the first service,a couple of weeks before the accident, Skoda had advised on changing the engine bedding free of charge under warranty, that was taken care of as well.The service adviser accompanied me for a short drive to ensure I didn't have anything to complain, one thing that deserves a mention here is the problem with the rattling was drastically reduced after the engine bedding was replaced.
On the way back home, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat!
I hope the Rapid helps to change the perception of the Skoda service, its not too bad after all!

[torque18]

So i finally took my car for the first service today. Well, actually more than service i was concerned about the brake vibrations issue!

As was informed to me earlier, they checked the rotors with their newly acquired gauge which showed a variation of .6 which according to them should be .2. The rotors were at fault and it was confirmed now but who would bear the cost was still unknown. While the inspection was on, the workshop manager came by and suggested that the new rotors be installed first to see if the problem is gone because whoever may bear the cost, THE ROTORS NEEDED REPLACEMENT! I couldnt agree more to the logic and i was already irritated with the problem so i had made up my mind to pay for it if they are not covered by warranty.

However there was a new question now, what about the brake pads? The head mechanic insisted that with the new rotors, the brake pads should also be replaced. The manager suggested that there was no need because the pads had ample life left in them and that they would adjust to the new rotors. I suggested that the pads be replaced and i will pay for the pads (to put to rest the manager's doubt whether i was claiming warranty with respect to the pads too). They checked the pads with their store and it was not in stock! Shocking as it may sound, but i was left with no option but to have the old pads installed back. They used sand paper on it and installed it.

I took the car for trial with the head mechanic and the issue was resolved. I am glad the car is back to normal but I am equally worried about the effect of the old pads on the new rotors.

Would the old pads again cause the rotor's surface to become uneven or affect it in any way?

As of now, the car is driving silky smooth!

[webblescott]

Originally Posted by cgbhat

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share the following experience I had while inspecting the Skoda Rapid allotted to me in Tafe Access yard, here in Bangalore. I had specifically requested for a Jan 2013 vehicle and was told the one allotted to me is so. But when I went to check out, the VIN came up as Aug 2012 (thanks to the VIN thread on TBHP). However, the interiors had leather wrapped steering wheel, gear knob and hand break - which are 2013 (model year) features. Apparently Skoda had introduced these since Nov 2012 itself. What confirmed my suspicion was the permanent marker type inscription on the inside radiator grille "22/08/2012". Finally was able to get a Jan 2013 (6th digit A and 10th D) vehicle allotted after arguing for 30 min.s .

Hi there you should have asked for a decent discount. Two days back i took delivery of my Rapid 1.6 TDI Elegance Plus MY13, the model which is meant for 2013 with leather wrapped steering , Gear knob and Hand Brake. Infact the vehicle was manufactured in 05-2012. I was offered a silver colour MY12 model with a cash discount of 75000 INR on ex-showroom price (Not on on the road price). Mean while i happened to see the MY13 model and bargained for the same offer on that. Finally i made them say a big YES.

[drbabuanand]

Hi guys
I had booked a cappucino beige rapid.it is a 2012 sept make.it came with a cash discount of 70,000.on road with zero dep insurance is 10,97896.along with this comes a free(?) mat and mud flap & teflon polish.i rejected these freebies and asked for cash discount but gurudev motors insists.is this a good deal?

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by drbabuanand

Hi guys
I had booked a cappucino beige rapid.it is a 2012 sept make.it came with a cash discount of 70,000.on road with zero dep insurance is 10,97896.along with this comes a free(?) mat and mud flap & teflon polish.i rejected these freebies and asked for cash discount but gurudev motors insists.is this a good deal?

It is not a good deal. Period. In Bangalore the sales guy tells me that the official discount is 70K but you can talk to our GM for more?? And there guys here who have managed to get 100K discount even on MY 13!! If you have another alternative dealer go to him or show this dealer that the other dealer is giving much more. Or else just walk away and remain non interested for some days, then he will come around. Everytime they call tell them the discount is not enough.

[drbabuanand]

@zulfi hansi
Thanks zulfi.
There is no other altrrnative at my place.the offer you quote is mind boggling.here they say the vat differs from state to state and final on road price will be almost similar.BTW what is My13!

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by drbabuanand

@zulfi hansi
Thanks zulfi.
There is no other altrrnative at my place.the offer you quote is mind boggling.here they say the vat differs from state to state and final on road price will be almost similar.BTW what is My13!

It is 2012 manufactured but with some additional features that will come in 2013 manufactured cars. If the discount comes to 1 L on OTR price then it good enough.

[motorworks]

Okay, my Rapid TDI completes one year 2 weeks from now and it's then time for the first service. Wanted some feedback from fellow Rapid owners on the below queries:-

1) A lot of people seem to have mentioned that brake pads are being changed during the 1st service. When I spoke to the service guy during my free check up, he did mention that the brake pads were prone to quick wear and tear. So is this something that I should insist up on? I have not driven much though, just at 9k. I havent done many highway runs so didnt really face any braking issues per say.
2) Did any of you stay in the work shop the whole time of this first service? I ask this since many of us are apprehensive about skoda's service levels. Secondly, when I went for my free check up 4-5 months ago, I was disappointed by their approach. I waited for 2-3 hours, my car was not even touched. When I highlighted this to the manager, they just checked the fluid levels and that's it. I thought they would at least plug the car to the system and check for any issues, but even that was not done.
3) I also saw some posts stating engine bedding replacement, rotor replacement etc. Anything that I need to watch out for?
4) Any of you changed your mudflaps from the original one to newer ones which is supposedly based on the vento's revised mudflap design?

[satyamkaushik]

Cant finding any post regarding Rapid TDI's efficiency.

I bought an Ambition Plus recently, and it doesn't have the MID display of average fuel consumption.
I am yet to test the efficiency by the tank full method. The sales guy told me that it gives around 18-20 in city.
Is that true ?

[jessie007]

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

Cant finding any post regarding Rapid TDI's efficiency.

I bought an Ambition Plus recently, and it doesn't have the MID display of average fuel consumption.
I am yet to test the efficiency by the tank full method. The sales guy told me that it gives around 18-20 in city.
Is that true ?

Don't understand why manufacturers skimp on features which are not so premium or expensive to put in first place and make it as a point of differentiation between variants. MIDs with fuel average display, distance to empty, journey time, etc are available even in hatchbacks costing around 5-6 lakhs viz. Swift, Punto & Micra and that also in their base variants!

In the Rapid I can't understand why the MID is there only in the top-end Elegance variant. I was shocked to learn that even though the Elantra has a MID, it doesn't display the above mentioned figures. That for a car costing between 12-16 lakhs.

With respect to the fuel efficiency the VW group twins (Vento & Rapid) should have a similar average, considering they have the same engines and similar kerb weight, though the ECUs might be tuned a bit differently.