[souravc]

Wanted to share an experience with fellow vento owners , actually it should be applicable to any car with disc brakes. My car's brake pads get shot on cue every 20K odd kms and it again happened this time so rather than wait for the 45K kms servicing which is still around 1000 kms to go I went to a trusted workshop (Premji's at Thane) to change the pads. Usually at the VW workshop if one changes brake pads at 40K+ kms they would change the disc too ( have seen that in a few of the paid service reports) however this workshop suggested that I get the disc machined instead as its thickness is good to go for many thousand kms more .
During normal use the pad scratches against the disc ( that's where the braking force comes from ) and ridges gets engraved on the surface of the disc - its akin to dragging a pumice stone over a bar of soap. In case of my disc, which is approx 44K kms old , the ridges were around 1 mm deep. With the help of machining the grooves are machined/chiseled off and the disc surface again becomes smooth like a new disc. Every machining would reduce the thickness of one side of the disc by approx 1.25-1.5mm so one can safely do a couple of machining runs prior to discarding the disc i.e. last the original disc for anywhere between 70K - 80 K kms . The machining cost me INR 800 , i would presume that a disc would be far costlier than that . Has anyone done this ? Would be good to hear views on pros/ cons . This activity should also be warranty neutral given that pads and discs are not covered under warranty anyways

Originally Posted by evilshantanu

Shadowfax standing tall on the upgraded shoes!
P.S: The tyre upgrade happened sometime back, posting the photograph now

Looks great Shantanu , shadowfax is always pleasing for the eyes . Given your annual mileage you should be getting ready to change tires within a year

[sameerg001]

Originally Posted by souravc

Wanted to share an experience with fellow vento owners , actually it should be applicable to any car with disc brakes. My car's brake pads get shot on cue every 20K odd kms and it again happened this time so rather than wait for the 45K kms servicing which is still around 1000 kms to go I went to a trusted workshop (Premji's at Thane) to change the pads. Usually at the VW workshop if one changes brake pads at 40K+ kms they would change the disc too ( have seen that in a few of the paid service reports) however this workshop suggested that I get the disc machined instead as its thickness is good to go for many thousand kms more .
During normal use the pad scratches against the disc ( that's where the braking force comes from ) and ridges gets engraved on the surface of the disc - its akin to dragging a pumice stone over a bar of soap. In case of my disc, which is approx 44K kms old , the ridges were around 1 mm deep. With the help of machining the grooves are machined/chiseled off and the disc surface again becomes smooth like a new disc. Every machining would reduce the thickness of one side of the disc by approx 1.25-1.5mm so one can safely do a couple of machining runs prior to discarding the disc i.e. last the original disc for anywhere between 70K - 80 K kms . The machining cost me INR 800 , i would presume that a disc would be far costlier than that . Has anyone done this ? Would be good to hear views on pros/ cons . This activity should also be warranty neutral given that pads and discs are not covered under warranty anyways

I too got the same done with my accent's discs few days back. In my case, i was getting steering and brake pedal judders, while braking at speeds above 60.

I paid 200/- for machining the both discs and another 100/- for labour. So, i got the kinds new discs for fraction of amount of new discs. And yes, machining can be done twice, thrice depending upon the thickness of disc.

Here's the pic of my machined discs:



Cheers,
Sameer

[nawabnabeel]

Originally Posted by souravc

Wanted to share an experience with fellow vento owners , actually it should be applicable to any car with disc brakes. My car's brake pads get shot on cue every 20K odd kms and it again happened this time so rather than wait for the 45K kms servicing which is still around 1000 kms to go I went to a trusted workshop (Premji's at Thane) to change the pads. Usually at the VW workshop if one changes brake pads at 40K+ kms they would change the disc too ( have seen that in a few of the paid service reports) however this workshop suggested that I get the disc machined instead as its thickness is good to go for many thousand kms more .
During normal use the pad scratches against the disc ( that's where the braking force comes from ) and ridges gets engraved on the surface of the disc - its akin to dragging a pumice stone over a bar of soap. In case of my disc, which is approx 44K kms old , the ridges were around 1 mm deep. With the help of machining the grooves are machined/chiseled off and the disc surface again becomes smooth like a new disc. Every machining would reduce the thickness of one side of the disc by approx 1.25-1.5mm so one can safely do a couple of machining runs prior to discarding the disc i.e. last the original disc for anywhere between 70K - 80 K kms . The machining cost me INR 800 , i would presume that a disc would be far costlier than that . Has anyone done this ? Would be good to hear views on pros/ cons . This activity should also be warranty neutral given that pads and discs are not covered under warranty anyways

Looks great Shantanu , shadowfax is always pleasing for the eyes . Given your annual mileage you should be getting ready to change tires within a year

Vw serive center did this for me free of cost at my 15k service.

[bala80]

Happy to see Souravc back in action again!

Picked up a 2010 VW Jetta 2.5 SE last month. Dreamt of the shadow blue shade on the vento eventually got hold of one on the Jetta!

The german connection continues...

[souravc]

Originally Posted by nawabnabeel

Vw serive center did this for me free of cost at my 15k service.

Which service centre do you use in Mumbai ? Good to hear that and dare I say quite unlike a VW workshop. Since i also stay in Mumbai I would love to know about this kind hearted service centre. Usually they charge even for getting things enabled on VAS , this I am talking from my experience with both KSM Nerul and VW Downtown.

Originally Posted by bala80

Happy to see Souravc back in action again!

Picked up a 2010 VW Jetta 2.5 SE last month. Dreamt of the shadow blue shade on the vento eventually got hold of one on the Jetta!

The german connection continues...

Congrats Bala on the Jetta , I knew that you would be itching for a german car once you settled down

[nawabnabeel]

Originally Posted by souravc

Which service centre do you use in Mumbai ? Good to hear that and dare I say quite unlike a VW workshop. Since i also stay in Mumbai I would love to know about this kind hearted service centre. Usually they charge even for getting things enabled on VAS , this I am talking from my experience with both KSM Nerul and VW Downtown.

Congrats Bala on the Jetta , I knew that you would be itching for a german car once you settled down

I use ksm navi mumbai. At the time of my 15k service i was getting shudder and vibrations whenever i used to brake at speeds above 80. So the a.s.s. Guys kept my vento overnight at their workshop and got the disk machined. Now my car has completed 28k and that same shudder and vibration from the brakes is back

[newtonMeter]

Originally Posted by evilshantanu

Yup, these are Yokohama A-Drives 195/60 R15 91H

speedometer error? ride quality improvements? thuds?

also, you had apollo or mrf stocks? How many KMs were done on stocK?

And finally COST?

[khoj]

For all insurance claims whether under 0 dep or otherwise file charges have to be paid. For vehicles equipped with engines bigger than 1500cc these are Rs.2000/- and for those up to 1500 cc the are 1500/-. With zero dep policy that is all one has to pay. The figure of 2500 definitely includes an illegal add on by the dealership.

If you have not used up your 0 dep claims it would be prudent to make use of it as per my experience unless one is really unlucky or has a rash driving style even 2 claims are more than sufficient.

Originally Posted by saaicon

since I have NIL DEP insurance, I checked with VW Deccan on claiming insurance and changing the bumper . Surprisingly the SA told that I still need to pay 2500 as "processing fees" to get bumper replaced under nil dep. Bumper cost is 4500 + 6000 for painting+ labour. Since u can claim under NIl Dep only twice per year, if u decide to claim under regular insurance u need to pay 50% of the cost which comes to around 4500

I decided not to claim it for now and am driving with the cracked bumper. I have some concerns on safety through as the bumper will be able to do its job of absorbing a impact in this cracked state.

This is a common practice and the operation is called facing. The least allowable thickness figures for a disc for specific vehicle model are available in every vehicles TSM (technical service manual). This can be referred to at your A.S.C. As long as this figure can be maintained after machining one can safely get the discs faced.

Originally Posted by souravc

In case of my disc, which is approx 44K kms old , the ridges were around 1 mm deep. With the help of machining the grooves are machined/chiseled off and the disc surface again becomes smooth like a new disc. Every machining would reduce the thickness of one side of the disc by approx 1.25-1.5mm so one can safely do a couple of machining runs prior to discarding the disc i.e. last the original disc for anywhere between 70K - 80 K kms .

[saaicon]

Hi day before yesterday evening , immediately after starting the car I saw the symbol of the glowing coil / wire ( cant draw it here, looks like two loops of a wire which glows) flashing in the dashboard . It went away once I switched off and restarted the Engine. My Vento is just 3 months / 2000 Kms old and I have always filled Diesel from a single BP Company owned outlet.

Upon referring to the users manual, it seems that if the coil flashing sysmbol comes, it is a problem of Engine Managenent System and I should take it to a authorised SS asap.

Any Vento owners has faced this problem ? Why does this happen ? The warning symbol has not reappeared till now , hence do I really need to visit service centre?

[coolboy007]

Went in for tyre rotation, alignment and balancing yesterday and noticed a peculiar thing with the brake pads. There is a separation/crack like thing in the middle of the pads.

Asked my uncle who owns the tyre shop and he said it is normal but am a bit wary as just a few pages back saw a member posting images of cracked brake pads.

Should i contact VW? I would be really furious if this is a manufacturing defect and they expect me to pay for it, going out of country next week and dad will be driving this car, dont want anything wrong with brakes.

Car has done 9300 kms, 8 months old.

[saaicon]

Originally Posted by khoj

For all insurance claims whether under 0 dep or otherwise file charges have to be paid. For vehicles equipped with engines bigger than 1500cc these are Rs.2000/- and for those up to 1500 cc the are 1500/-.

Why is this not mentioned in my uinsurance document . This is called a "co payment" or "compulsory deductible" I guess.

[souravc]

Originally Posted by nawabnabeel

So the a.s.s. Guys kept my vento overnight at their workshop and got the disk machined. Now my car has completed 28k and that same shudder and vibration from the brakes is back

Did you check the disc after being machined or did you trust the guys at KSM ? If after machining the surface is not picture perfect shiny then its not done properly . Further, if the machining is not done properly and the disc surface is not perfectly plane there would be barely perceptible undulations which would affect braking and would likely cause severe shudder.

Originally Posted by saaicon

Upon referring to the users manual, it seems that if the coil flashing sysmbol comes, it is a problem of Engine Managenent System and I should take it to a authorised SS asap.

Any Vento owners has faced this problem ? Why does this happen ? The warning symbol has not reappeared till now , hence do I really need to visit service centre?

The engine coil glow means you should visit the workshop asap - the problem can be a complex one or even simple stuff like low battery , dirty fuel , etc . Quite a few vento owners have experienced this early in their owners , most of them for not so serious causes . Don't take a chance.

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Went in for tyre rotation, alignment and balancing yesterday and noticed a peculiar thing with the brake pads. There is a separation/crack like thing in the middle of the pads.

Frankly I am not sure whether I got you right but are you referring to the line that runs midway through the pad ? That's the separation line between the metallic body of the brake shoe and the asbestos pad which provides the actual braking force ( the black dust that dirties our wheels are generated there) . You have to change the pad once it reaches close to the line else the metal will fail in a similar fashion as highlighted by nileshch

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by souravc

Frankly I am not sure whether I got you right but are you referring to the line that runs midway through the pad ? That's the separation line between the metallic body of the brake shoe and the asbestos pad which provides the actual braking force ( the black dust that dirties our wheels are generated there) . You have to change the pad once it reaches close to the line else the metal will fail in a similar fashion as highlighted by nileshch

You are right, i was referring to that line only. Does that mean that only the part which is towards the upper side of the crack/separation provides the braking power and once it reaches that separation we need to change brake pads.

In that case the pads look too worn out for a car which has done 9300 kms and i drive sedately, dont see them lasting more than 20-23k kms if i need to change the pads when i reach that separation mark. Used to change pads in my cars when the pads are near the black metal part - extreme right part in the picture. Changed the pads for my Linea at 36k kms and it still had life left, would have expected Vento to last atleast the same if not more.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by saaicon

Any Vento owners has faced this problem ? Why does this happen ? The warning symbol has not reappeared till now , hence do I really need to visit service centre?

Are you referring to this symbol? Pic taken from google.


Just browsed some VW TDi forums abroad and mostly every one says that flashing of this symbol has nothing to do with glow plug system.

A flashing glow plug light can be attributed to several conditions, most likely a burned out brake light or two and a defective brake light switch. (There are recalls for those switches, depending on the model year, but it can't hurt to check it and replace - definitely a do-it-yourself project, as the dealers have been known to mess this up... there are instructions here on the board...)

If you don't have a Check Engine Light, then the other possible causes of the blinking light can be dismissed

It could be a simple issue or maybe some sensor has blown which would be replaced, which sensor can only be told at VW ASC when they connect the scanner to read error codes. Wont hurt to pay VW a visit to be on the safe side.

[souravc]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

You are right, i was referring to that line only. Does that mean that only the part which is towards the upper side of the crack/separation provides the braking power and once it reaches that separation we need to change brake pads.

In that case the pads look too worn out for a car which has done 9300 kms and i drive sedately, dont see them lasting more than 20-23k kms if i need to change the pads when i reach that separation mark. Used to change pads in my cars when the pads are near the black metal part - extreme right part in the picture. Changed the pads for my Linea at 36k kms and it still had life left, would have expected Vento to last atleast the same if not more.

Since I was getting a bit confused on the directions , I took your picture and added my bits - hope that makes things clearer . The pad portion , i.e. the width left prior to the red line in the diagram should always have some meat left for proper braking because thats the material which provides the friction. I try to change the brake pads before the layer is down to 5mm . Under no circumstance , the disc should touch the metal. The brake pads on my Vento do not last for more than 20K kms - I can't say that there is not much braking as I drive in Mumbai but I definitely do not ride on my brakes. The interval is less compared to other cars I know but I guess its down to the material