[bosporus]

Originally Posted by Doge

To all Vento 1.6 MPI owners, how is your car holding up?
I am getting a new Vento MPI with good discounts, thinking of trading the 2012 City Ivtec which has been a pain to own and get the MPI.
Not going for the explosive TDI thanks to the NGT ban. I want a safe and reliable car, I believe that the simple 1.6MPI should be bulletproof and the Vento should be trouble free after years of being here. Also, how is the ASS?
Looking forward to your inputs.

Go for the 1.2 TSI if you want a petrol. It's a stellar engine, awesomely good to drive, both in traffic and enthusiastically and more economical than the 1.6. And the DSG problems are history.

To give you perspective, we have both the Vento 1.6 TDI and the 1.2 TSI in the family, and I would pick the TSI any day over the TDI. Also, zero problems over the nearly four years of ownership.

[Crank]

Originally Posted by Crank

Did a wheel rotation, balancing & alignment recently as I found some discomfort in the drive. When doing the alignment, they didn't correct the camber and caster deviations. Only the Toe adjustment was done. When asked about this, they said they will only do Toe alignment and camber/castor cannot be done for Vento. Moreover he mentioned that as they are slight deviations, it is fine. Otherwise, suspension may have to checked and fixed.


However I am concerned as the discomfort in the drive has not changed much. Attaching the photos from wheel alignment. Request fellow Vento owners to help me with their experience.

Dear All,


Any comments on the above based on your experience?


Thanks

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by Crank

Dear All,


Any comments on the above based on your experience?


Thanks

It'll be a good idea to try another tyre shop.

The other reasons for discomfort are
1) Tyres must've hardened
2) Shock absorbers must have worn out.
3) Rubber bushes might've hardened.

Nothing like getting the suspension components checked by a competent FNG

[nexus]

My Vento 1.6 Highline Petrol is now five and half years old. Odo has ticked more than 82,000 kms and has seen all almost sorts of roads. Recently, I went on a trip from Pune to Nagpur. When Google maps drive time was 14 hrs, car managed to do the trip in mere 11 hrs. Fantastic drive! Roads were not great all the way. Crossed few bad patches too. From Nagpur, we had planned a trip to Mahur. There are multiple road options.

[ATTACH=NagpurMahurRoute.JPG]Nagpur-Mahur-Routeoptions[/ATTACH]

I chose to take Nagpur - Hinganghat - Pandharkawda - Mahur. Road was butter smooth (barring occasional potholes) from Nagpur till Hinganghat. It's a 4 lane road (2 lanes on each side). Car was fully loaded with 5 adults & 2 kids (on lap). With 82K kms already done on stock suspensions, I a bit careful. We were doing it decently with extra care on speed breakers and pot holes. Unfortunately, incidents on this trip put all my faith on the car to question.

Incident #1
Car was about to cross a bridge on the way from Hinganghat to Pandharkawda. Generally, the joints between the road and bridge start / end is a problem. That's what I have seen all over the places. This time also I had anticipated and slowed down the car from 90 kmph to roughly 60 kmph. When car approached the bridge, I realized that start of the bridge has a trench like structure. Not deep though. However, it was too late to realized and the car went through it. As soon as car passed, there was a thud noise. Also, a weird sound like ttrrrrrrr .. I stopped the car immediately and took it to the side of the road. I was afraid if the oil sump is damaged. Hence checked under the car. What I observed -
- Oil sump showed no signs of oil leakage.
- There were few drops on the right (very much in line to the sump) where the gearbox resides.

Didn't notice anything else. I waited for around 20 mins and checked the oil level. It was perfectly fine. Though, topped up another 100 ml as the oil level was just lesser than max. I was skeptical about cranking the car, however, after after checking with TUP, Pune I started the car. As soon as AC was switched on, trrrrrrr ... noise started. I thought that it's coming from the fan. Hence, I opened the bonnet and checked. Didn't notice anything rubbing against the fan. After consulting TUP, I started the onward journey without AC. Also, without music as I wanted to be able to hear any different noises coming out. After driving a bit, noticed that there is more noise coming from the front bumper. I thought that as the car would have got an impact, the bumper might have loosened up a bit. Hence, continued to drive. Further when the car crossed a very small speed breaker at 30ish kmph, heard a loud noise of fibre. I climbed down and saw that the whole panel which covers the bottom of front bumper has come down on the road. Side contact was intact however, the front part came down. By then I was almost near Mahur. Hence, tied it up to the front grill with the help of metal wires and continued. Did the return journey in the same condition. As suggested by our relatives, we took another route i.e. Mahur - Yewatmal - Nagpur. It turned out to be a bad decision as road work is going throughout the route and there are at least 50 diversions in that 240 kms patch. Truck marks have made big, slushy trenches and car can easily hit the middle portion. Overall, the drive was horrible as it was raining outside, bad roads, unable to speed because of car condition. Only good thing was that after tying the bottom part with metal wires, the trrrrrr .. sound had disappeared and AC was working fine. Somehow completed the journey. Immediate thing on the next day was to hit the VW Service Centre.

Called up the VW Nagpur number which appears on google. The guy who picked the phone gave me another number. Had a talk and told them the problem. They asked me to get the car to Service Centre. I reached there by 1030. I was warmly welcomed and the guy sitting on customer desk immediately recognised me after I told the problem. He assigned a service adviser and asked him to inspect the car. Without any delays, the car was elevated and service adviser started inspecting. We noticed that the Lock Carrier is broken and the radiator has come down on one side.

[ATTACH=IMG_20180818_110045.jpg]LockCarrierBroken[/ATTACH]

Further, also noticed that the AC pipe had some bruise. That probably has resulted from the rubbing against alternator belt. That was the reason behind trrrr... noise. Fortunately, AC pipe wasn't damaged much. Else, it would have been a bigger damage.

[ATTACH=IMG_20180818_110026.jpg]ACPipeBruise[/ATTACH]

Inspected the other things like Oil sump, Gear box area, Battery. Everything was fine. I insisted on detailed inspection around gearbox. But he said that it's fine as there are no marks of oil. So now the only problem remains about Lock carrier. It has broken badly.

[ATTACH=IMG_20180818_121751.jpg]BrokenLockCarrier[/ATTACH]

There is no fix for it. It has to be replaced. However, they did not have it available in stock. They gave me an ETA of 2 days. But as I had to leave for Pune the very next day, I couldn't take that option. So they agreed to do a temporary arrangement (jugaad). They said that they will tie it up the lock carrier assembly, radiator with the help of metal wires so that it holds up for 500 km travel. Hitting the ground another time and everything will fall apart. Fix was done like this -

[ATTACH=IMG_20180818_122433__01.jpg]Fixed Left Member [/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=IMG_20180818_122416.jpg]Fixed Right Member[/ATTACH]

The workmanship was good and hence I travelled 500 Kms and reached Pune safely. Next thing now is to get things fixed.

I still don't believe that lock carrier was broken with such a small impact. I have heard that it's a flawed design. By the way this would be for the second time, the lock carrier on this car will get changed. Earlier it was changed because, while parking, the car ran down on a small left over of the cut tree. Thanks for the parking assistant (old man!) who was guiding me and even when I was reluctant to move further, he pushed me to do so.

Hoping to get the things fixed soon. Will post another update on my dilemma.

[nexus]

In the above post, I mentioned about dilemma. Would like to elaborate that.

- Where do I get the lock carrier replaced? VW service centre or local garage? Cost is the point here. Earlier, I had got the lock carrier replaced at 40% of the cost that VW quotes. However, the VW service adviser said that there is a big difference in local and VW quality. He insisted in getting it replaced from VW instead of local garage. The other point is that even VW lock carrier gets broken easily. My stock lock carrier got broken after a leftover from cut tree stuck under it. So is it really worth spending more on this part?

- Suspensions have weakened for sure. I am willing to get them changed. Have 2 options here. Option 1 is to go ahead with stock VW suspensions. It's a cheaper and safe bet. Option 2 is more interesting. How about Bilstein B6s? This will definitely improve handling with some compromise on comfort. But again, it will cost more as compared to stock suspensions.

Some background
Vento has done 82,000 + KMs so far. I haven't done that bad considering an average of 14,000 kms per year. Car is now 5.5 years old and it's a petrol vehicle. So often thoughts come across my mind about ageing that car is showing and the fuel cost. I am not yet sure when should I sell it off but these thoughts run in my mind.

Considering the background, my mind says not to spend much on the car. But heart says to go with the best. Need views.

By the way, is it possible to get both lock carrier and suspensions changed under insurance? I doubt about suspensions but will definitely check with VW.

[VWAllstar]

Anyone has any information on the TRW struts and lowering of Vento by 5 mm in Mumbai? Need help as I find the ride is like a boat and too soft. Any other suggestions are welcomed.

[anandbangalore]

Question on the Vento's Child Lock feature - In a friends 2017 Polo, if the driver uses his panel button to lock all doors from the inside, then the back seat doors do not open from the inside, unless the driver unlocks them. Expected behavior for a Child Lock.

In my much older 2011 Vento, if the driver locks all doors from the inside, the back seat doors will open from the inside by simply using the door open lever. To stop this from happening, I have to manually engage the Child Lock and keep it that way....which protects my 'lil one but is a bit of a bother for adult back seat passengers. Is there a way to update the 2011 Vento so it uses the 2017 Polo's behavior?

[VWAllstar]

Ownership Experience Post -

Vento All Star MPI

The only difference between the All Star and the comfort line is all black interiors, a new 7 spoke diamond cut alloy wheels and scuff plates with All star badging.

Coming from a wagon R it is definitely an amazing feeling to drive the MPI. But as very rightly said and known, if you wish to put your money on the Germans then better be it in TSI or TDI. MPI is no enthusiasts and has a boat like ride. Initially I really enjoyed the drive and still do on the open roads. But, Mumbai traffic and my increased kms have made me re think of my decision.

Service center experience has been good and it is due for its first service in the coming two weeks. Standard warranty of 2 years but may extend it for another year as I plan to upgrade to a diesel or TSI post 3 years of ownership.

The suspensions are soft and hence I call it a boat ride. Apparently Rapid has a better driving feel than Vento. The seating is very low like other Germans and it has started hurting my back now. Pillows have come to my rescue. If there is an alternative to this then let me know.
The fuel efficiency is a surprise. For a 1.6 ltr engine I have managed to get a best FE of 24 kmpl and the lowest as seen on the MID is 4 kmpl. Over all on a monthly drive with 70-30 city- highway spilt I do get a mileage of 11 kmpl which isn't really bad. Refinement is no where close to the ivtec but better than the fiats 1.3 LTR engines. Drove the new ciaz 1.5 ltr petrol and still feel MPI is better from the engine perspective.
Handling is decent but not much feedback from the steering wheel. But it is adaptive and light for city errands. HPS would have been good but troublesome in Mumbai.

Overall I am fairly happy but not overtly excited to drive my vento. She will be loved and cared like no other.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by anandbangalore

Question on the Vento's Child Lock feature - In a friends 2017 Polo, if the driver uses his panel button to lock all doors from the inside, then the back seat doors do not open from the inside, unless the driver unlocks them. Expected behavior for a Child Lock.

In my much older 2011 Vento, if the driver locks all doors from the inside, the back seat doors will open from the inside by simply using the door open lever. To stop this from happening, I have to manually engage the Child Lock and keep it that way....which protects my 'lil one but is a bit of a bother for adult back seat passengers. Is there a way to update the 2011 Vento so it uses the 2017 Polo's behavior?

What you are describing in first para is central lock, not child lock. Central lock is activated through 1. Button on driver door, and 2. When Vehicle exceeds 20 kmph. On activation, rear doors can be opened from inside by pulling the lever twice.

In my 2016 Vento as well as Getz 2008, child lock is implemented exactly as described in your second para. By manual mechanical intervention on the rear doors. Each door has its own lock.

[XLR8]

Folks,

This morning, when I slotted my car into reverse, I got an unusually loud & long beep from the reverse sensors and complete silence after that. Restarted the engine and same situation. So, my sensors aren't working. Reverse lights work though.

Any one has any thoughts/idea as to what might be wrong?

[rauldsouza]

Originally Posted by nexus

In the above post, I mentioned about dilemma. Would like to elaborate that.

- Where do I get the lock carrier replaced? VW service centre or local garage? Cost is the point here. Earlier, I had got the lock carrier replaced at 40% of the cost that VW quotes. However, the VW service adviser said that there is a big difference in local and VW quality. He insisted in getting it replaced from VW instead of local garage. The other point is that even VW lock carrier gets broken easily. My stock lock carrier got broken after a leftover from cut tree stuck under it. So is it really worth spending more on this part?

- Suspensions have weakened for sure. I am willing to get them changed. Have 2 options here. Option 1 is to go ahead with stock VW suspensions. It's a cheaper and safe bet. Option 2 is more interesting. How about Bilstein B6s? This will definitely improve handling with some compromise on comfort. But again, it will cost more as compared to stock suspensions.

Some background
Vento has done 82,000 + KMs so far. I haven't done that bad considering an average of 14,000 kms per year. Car is now 5.5 years old and it's a petrol vehicle. So often thoughts come across my mind about ageing that car is showing and the fuel cost. I am not yet sure when should I sell it off but these thoughts run in my mind.

Considering the background, my mind says not to spend much on the car. But heart says to go with the best. Need views.

By the way, is it possible to get both lock carrier and suspensions changed under insurance? I doubt about suspensions but will definitely check with VW.

I recently had to replace my lock carrier and it costed me 6549 + 1239 labour at VW Bangalore Service Center.

[Flyer]

Injector failure - 2011 Vento TDI - 1,16,000 KMS

Last week while driving, my Vento suddenly became sluggish on performance. Took it straight away to the VW workshop and they said the injector (No.4) have gone kaput and needs to be replaced. Estimate cost Rs. 25,000.

This is the second injector failure for my Vento. Now that I had already replaced one injector (No.2) before, this time I wanted to first try with an FNG and see if they could repair it rather than straight away replacing it spending 25k.

So transferred the car from VW to a nearby FNG. They inspected the car and said that 2 injectors (No.3 & No.4) are having issues and needs to be looked at. They said they will try to repair it and if it's not repairable then both will need replacement. Sounded fair to me, so I left the car with them.

After two days I get a call from them, that my car is ready. Both the injectors were overhauled. No replacement required now. Went and checked the car. All looks good. Total cost: Rs. 4500 only. I couldn't be more happy.

[nexus]

Originally Posted by rauldsouza

I recently had to replace my lock carrier and it costed me 6549 + 1239 labour at VW Bangalore Service Center.

That's strange. I had been to B.U.Bhandari VW service station. They quoted me 10500 + labour for lock carrier. I don't understand the reason for price difference in different cities. Did they give you only lock carrier or the complete assembly including engine guard etc. Anyways, I got it done from a local workshop. Costed me around 6500. This doesn't have engine guard, oil sump guard.

[rauldsouza]

Originally Posted by nexus

That's strange. I had been to B.U.Bhandari VW service station. They quoted me 10500 + labour for lock carrier. I don't understand the reason for price difference in different cities. Did they give you only lock carrier or the complete assembly including engine guard etc. Anyways, I got it done from a local workshop. Costed me around 6500. This doesn't have engine guard, oil sump guard.

I just had to replace the Lock Carrier, and didn't have a need to replace the entire assembly.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by anandbangalore

Question on the Vento's Child Lock feature - In a friends 2017 Polo, if the driver uses his panel button to lock all doors from the inside, then the back seat doors do not open from the inside, unless the driver unlocks them. Expected behavior for a Child Lock.

In my much older 2011 Vento, if the driver locks all doors from the inside, the back seat doors will open from the inside by simply using the door open lever. To stop this from happening, I have to manually engage the Child Lock and keep it that way....which protects my 'lil one but is a bit of a bother for adult back seat passengers. Is there a way to update the 2011 Vento so it uses the 2017 Polo's behavior?

Interesting, even in my 2013 Vento the behavior you mentioned (2011 Vento) is seen. Door can be opened from inside by pulling on the lever even if central locked. To prevent it, one needs to enable child lock. This was a quirk of all the VAG group cars if I am not mistaken.

So looks like for the 2016 cars, it was changed to 2 pulls on the lever to open and now for 2017 cars the behavior is same as the other manufacturers? If centrally locked, can be opened when centrally unlocked only? I don't think the VW cars still have individual door locks.