[PearlJam]

Hi, had a question regarding the Polo 1.2 TSI's ability to climb steep roads from standstill.

Recently encountered a situation where there was an extremely steep road (just 200 metres though, and fully tarred) that I had to take in Madikeri. My diesel Verna made it with full load, though I did have to half clutch it. It was a bit of an anxious moment, though. The higher torque definitely helped.

I was wondering how the Polo would handle this. Especially on full load, a not-so-high torque of 175Nm, and the DSG. The hill hold is not the issue - it gives you 3 seconds after which it starts rolling back. But how do I know if the car will actually make it? I heard that the DSG is capable of half clutch, but does it really have enough juice in such a case?

[JishD]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Hi, had a question regarding the Polo 1.2 TSI's ability to climb steep

The Tsi will easily do it if you move to manual mode for this - D mode will not work if the slope is too steep. Be prepared for a lot of noise from the normally civilised engine though

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Hi, had a question regarding the Polo 1.2 TSI's ability to climb steep roads from standstill.

Recently encountered a situation where there was an extremely steep road (just 200 metres though, and fully tarred) that I had to take in Madikeri. My diesel Verna made it with full load, though I did have to half clutch it. It was a bit of an anxious moment, though. The higher torque definitely helped.

I was wondering how the Polo would handle this. Especially on full load, a not-so-high torque of 175Nm, and the DSG. The hill hold is not the issue - it gives you 3 seconds after which it starts rolling back. But how do I know if the car will actually make it? I heard that the DSG is capable of half clutch, but does it really have enough juice in such a case?

Works well, no issues. I've even climbed steep mall parkings all in creep mode. And if it is too steep, just press on the throttle and it climbs.
There is no need for manual mode either

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

But how do I know if the car will actually make it? I heard that the DSG is capable of half clutch, but does it really have enough juice in such a case?

I think that if you're planning on overloading the car so frequently you ought to look at a remap to increase the power so as to ensure that you can make it up the hill. Just to ensure that the DSG doesn't give up, you can look at a TCM tune as well. You best be careful, because if you roll back down the hill the DSG may be a goner too.

But seriously, this is quite a ridiculous thing to worry about. The Polo GT TSI has a respectable power to weight ratio (95 bhp/ton) and the Verna 1.6 diesel stands at 109 bhp/ton, not a huge amount over and above. I don't think you have much to worry about.

[manish84]

Hi, my GT petrol is now 5 years old. About couple of months back, I started hearing a bit of noise from rear brakes when I fully press the brakes at lower speeds (at higher speeds it's more of a gentle press and no noise). There is no reduction in braking capability. The noise is not loud either. It's just mild scraping noise.

I took my car for 5th year service and the SA told me this is the second most common issue after ABS sensor failure. He told me he has seen this issue in 4 GTs recently and that cleaning the brake line would solve the noise for couple of months. In the evening he told me that there is no reduction in the brake noise and that these needs to be replaced. VW did not have the brakes in stock. The est cost for this is 7k.

Just wanted to check if anyone else had faced this issue? Is replacing disc brakes the only solution? Is 7000/- justified cost? I have been driving around the city in weekends with this noise. Would that damage something bigger?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by manish84

The noise is not loud either. It's just mild scraping noise..

Do you hear this noise only when you creep to a slow stop with light braking - like approaching a traffic light or toll gate, etc.? Can you rule out that there is no noise/vibration/decreased braking performance under heavy braking?

This is a fairly common issue attributed to brake pad material and seem to happen with certain production batches of brake pads across many car brands. Better to live with it till next brake pad change.

You can avoid creeping very slowly to a stop and try to stop a bit abruptly (but not spook the guys behind).

[manish84]

Originally Posted by androdev

Do you hear this noise only when you creep to a slow stop with light braking - like approaching a traffic light or toll gate, etc.? Can you rule out that there is no noise/vibration/decreased braking performance under heavy braking?

Yes, this is the exact time when I hear the noise. The noise is coming from rear brakes. Front brakes discs and pad were changed in Nov 2019.

In Aug 2020, on my way back from lockdown Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai road trip, I got heavy shudder while braking. My fng in hometown corrected it by skimming the brake discs. I am not sure how they got warped in less than 7k km post getting new ones from VW. Nonetheless the shudder issue was resolved but rear braking noise started. I noticed it only after leaving hometown and so did not bother with it until annual service. Not sure if he messed up the rear brakes while repairing front discs. Braking is as usual but the noise is worrisome as I don't want to damage anything else. By the way, all this coincided with my upgrading stock 185 tyres to MRF 195 Perfinzas. Could these be culprits in any manner? Any suggestions on how to resolve it?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by manish84

Yes, this is the exact time when I hear the noise. ... Any suggestions on how to resolve it?

If noise comes only when creeping to a slow stop and no other issues, you can live with it. I had this problem with my S class with one batch of brake pads and nothing the dealer did made any difference. I found out this is a very common problem with certain brake pads. Changing brake pads is the only solution and you can still get unlucky with new brake pads being noisy as well.

One thing I can assure you is that it doesn't damage anything else if the symptoms are as described (noise when you creep to a slow stop and no other issues).

[manish84]

Originally Posted by androdev

Changing brake pads is the only solution and you can still get unlucky with new brake pads being noisy as well.

Pardon my lack of knowledge, but do drum brakes also have brake pads? The noise is coming from rear and VW is suggesting replacing the drum brakes. Where do the pads figure in this?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by manish84

Pardon my lack of knowledge, but do drum brakes also have brake pads? The noise is coming from rear and VW is suggesting replacing the drum brakes. Where do the pads figure in this?

Oops, I am sorry. Didn't realise You can ignore my posts. I have no idea about drum brakes. They are supposed to last very long, which means you will have to live with the noise for too long, so I would go with the dealer recommendation. I thought you were talking about disk brakes which get replaced more often and hence the suggestion to live with the noise till next pad change.

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by manish84

I started hearing a bit of noise from rear brakes when I fully press the brakes at lower speeds

Is 7000/- justified cost?

Can you please advise the mileage which your car has run in 5yrs?

The cost for OEM VW rear brake shoes (1 set, both left & right) in your Polo GT is 1751 + labour - https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-brake_shoe_set-6225870/

Can you ask your ASC to give you a price breakup for the 7000?

Originally Posted by manish84

By the way, all this coincided with my upgrading stock 185 tyres to MRF 195 Perfinzas. Could these be culprits in any manner?

Wider tyres have almost no influence on brake wear. If anything, they aid in braking & probably marginally reduce brake wear.

Originally Posted by manish84

Pardon my lack of knowledge, but do drum brakes also have brake pads? The noise is coming from rear and VW is suggesting replacing the drum brakes. Where do the pads figure in this?

Drum brakes have brake shoes, which squeeze against the brake drum & create friction. Just like brake pads, they will wear out, however, they usually last much longer than the front brake pads as the majority of the braking happens in the front of the vehicle.

When the rear brake shoes start to wear, they may make a metallic grinding/screeching sound which is noticeable at low speeds, however without any loss in performance. 7 times out of 10, cleaning the rear brakes will fix the issue if the shoes still have some life in them. However, if they are worn out below the manufacturer’s minimum limits for brake shoes, it’s time to change them.

Ask your ASC for pictures of the worn out brake shoes & measurement reading of the remaining friction material left on the shoes. Compare the image with a set of new brake shoes from the ASC or the boodmo link (above).

Again, ask your ASC for a price breakup of the 7000 which they have quoted. That should give you a clue if you are being ripped off, or not.

A video showing how brake shoes of drum brakes can be replaced -

https://youtu.be/aaJ6X-uxMGM

[GrandTourer]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Hi, had a question regarding the Polo 1.2 TSI's ability to climb steep roads from standstill.

Recently encountered a situation where there was an extremely steep road (just 200 metres though, and fully tarred) that I had to take in Madikeri. My diesel Verna made it with full load, though I did have to half clutch it. It was a bit of an anxious moment, though. The higher torque definitely helped.

I was wondering how the Polo would handle this. Especially on full load, a not-so-high torque of 175Nm, and the DSG. The hill hold is not the issue - it gives you 3 seconds after which it starts rolling back. But how do I know if the car will actually make it? I heard that the DSG is capable of half clutch, but does it really have enough juice in such a case?

It is perfectly capable of doing it. I have taken my TSI to a lot of steep hills in Coorg and it climbs without any fuss. Last year, I was in Munnar and took a wrong turn which led me to a very steep gradient (steeper than any mall parking or anything I encountered in Coorg so far). I just slot it into M, left foot on the brake and swiftly dumped the brake and depressed the A pedal more than halfway. With a lot of noise, the car pulled itself up the incline without drama (read: no wheelspin, or rolling back).

Having said that, I would avoid doing it frequently, keeping the health of the DSG in mind.

[manish84]

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

Can you please advise the mileage which your car has run in 5yrs?

The cost for OEM VW rear brake shoes (1 set, both left & right) in your Polo GT is 1751 + labour - https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-brake_shoe_set-6225870/

Can you ask your ASC to give you a price breakup for the 7000?

My mileage is about 48k. Issue started at about 46.5k km
Thanks for the advice. I should ask for a detailed breakup and evidence of the need to replace instead of repair. Will follow it up.

[manish84]

Got my 6th year Add on warranty for GT petrol. My car is in stock condition and a daily runner for me - this makes warranty as an imperative.

I had bought 2+2 years warranty at the time of new car purchase in 2015. Last year I got the 5th year warranty for approx 5000/- as they were offering 60-70% discount. This year the cost of add-on warranty was much higher at about 12.5k. VW did an inspection of the car before issuing the warranty. I clubbed the inspection along with the annual car service.

Also VW made a mistake in the warranty certificate last year and the same mistake this year too. They specified my car as 1.6 Vento Diesel. Got it changed both times and finally received an updated certificate today. So far I have availed warranty only once to replace 1 ABS sensor.

[vkr15]

[quote=manish84;4934786]Got my 6th year Add on warranty for GT petrol. My car is in stock condition and a daily runner for me - this makes warranty as an imperative.

Elsewhere in this very forum there was a discussion that Add on warranty can be done only once (upto 7 years of purchase). This sets mind to rest as there were doubts whether VW would honour its commitment of 7 years warranty.