[Sen]

Originally Posted by 2TR-FE

The rattles were from glovebox and left front door. Although all doors were creaking on rough roads, the left front one was the most hurting.

Try this:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-rattles.html (DIY - VW Polo/Vento: Getting rid of Door Rattles)

[Rahul_]

Originally Posted by ChoosetoCruze

What in the?! That is NOT normal at all!

It seems like a sharp object has pierced the metal from inside the wheelwell, outwards. Get VW to find the cause of the damage & fix it.

Good luck & keep this thread updated.

I shall keep the thread posted with updates, on an outstation trip this week and hence will get this checked post my return.

[Bhodrolok]

Just wanted to check if there are any pointers for upgrading the headlamps.

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

Looking to upgrade the head lamps for 2015 Vento Tsi, any recommendations on lights which I can use "plug and play"? I am not looking to make any changes to the electrical connections.

[pkothak]

Originally Posted by 2TR-FE

Q2-On small ramps, I experience a violent jerk while auto-shifting from D2 to D1. This jerk is usually experienced while parking in tight spots. Is this normal?

Hello, even I am observing the same behavior with my November 2019 TDI DSG HL+, it is nearing 16K on the odo, first annual service was done in October 2020. Recently when I was trying to negotiate a Sharp speed breaker, that time my car's speed was below 20 kmph, and the gear was still at 2nd, and when it shifted to 1st, I heard a huge jerk with a sound. Two days back, I observed similar thing when I was crossing a bad patch with lot of gravel and potholes, that time also my speed was below 20 Kmph.

Please let me know if your problem was resolved, I am curious to know what your SA mentioned on this problem.

[2TR-FE]

Originally Posted by pkothak

Hello, even I am observing the same behavior with my November 2019 TDI DSG HL+.

Please let me know if your problem was resolved, I am curious to know what your SA mentioned on this problem.

Hi pkothak,

My SA successfully convinced me that this behaviour is perfectly fine with DSG. I had a long test drive with him but he didn't find anything abnormal.

He even rebuked me saying people into stuff like T-BHP don't have a peace of mind. Hearing that, I felt enraged but since I was expecting a favour from him, tried to ignore those words. I wonder why they feel so annoyed when we are asking for our basic rights.

Quite sadly, I still face those unexpected D2-D1 jerks. Besides this, the jerks are observed even when upshifting of D1-D2 at higher RPMs. For instance, when acceleration input is paused at (say) 3k RPM on D1, this jerk is observed. Interestingly, the tendency of jerks while downshifting is usually higher than upshifting.

During the service, SA assured that all softwares updates are checked and updated religiously. Whatsoever, no improvements in this regard.

Regarding the favour, he had agreed to install a skid plate from any scrapped vento. Although at the end, he charged me a whopping 3k for that 'under the table' job. I could have got a new one for 5k.

Lesson learnt: Never expect any favour from your SA.

[pkothak]

Originally Posted by 2TR-FE

Hi pkothak,

My SA successfully convinced me that this behavior is perfectly fine with DSG. I had a long test drive with him but he didn't find anything abnormal.

I don't think so, if this is the case in the last 15000 kms I never faced this problem at all. This one recently developed. I usually go to Madinaguda (between Miyapur and Chandanagar) VW Hitech City service center in Hyderabad. I am planning to visit the service center in first week of Jan. I will post my updates if I hear anything different from SA's.

[AutoInt]

I have Vento TDI 2011 Model. It has run 105075 kms. 9th service is done few days back. Regular service + Brake disc and pad replacement+Brake Fluid replacement and bleeding.

I observed an issue today while starting the engine. Not during the cold start. After driving about 10 kms, I stopped for about 10 mins and while starting the engine, there is a heavy jerking of the car or jostling. I stopped and started again still the jerk is there.

In between the 10 Kms, I filled in diesel at Shell Petrol Bunk while the tank was less than quarter tank.

I still drove back home, I did not see anything usual. Pick up and engine note are fine. After parking at home, I stopped and started again, jerking is still there.

I am planning to call SA tomorrow to check.

Can some one help me with potential cause for the same?

[sree5999]

Originally Posted by AutoInt

I have Vento TDI 2011 Model. It has run 105075 kms. 9th service is done few days back. Regular service + Brake disc and pad replacement+Brake Fluid replacement and bleeding.

I observed an issue today while starting the engine. Not during the cold start. After driving about 10 kms, I stopped for about 10 mins and while starting the engine, there is a heavy jerking of the car or jostling. I stopped and started again still the jerk is there.

In between the 10 Kms, I filled in diesel at Shell Petrol Bunk while the tank was less than quarter tank.

I still drove back home, I did not see anything usual. Pick up and engine note are fine. After parking at home, I stopped and started again, jerking is still there.

I am planning to call SA tomorrow to check.

Can some one help me with potential cause for the same?

This could be an issue with the engine mounts, please get it verified with the SA.

[achin.jain]

Hello team-bhp readers. I am long time reader and a first-time writer here. This community has helped me so much over the last 6 years that I always wanted to share my own experiences. Finally, created an account and writing my first post.

In March 2015, I bought the VW Vento 1.5 TDI with the 7-speed DSG. I believe this engine and gearbox combination was launched in the second half of 2014, so it was still relatively new when I bought it. I had a test drive and instantly fell in love with the driving dynamics of the car and the gearbox technology. I buy cars for long-term use. Previously, I had bought the trusted WagonR in 2009 which had done over 125,000 kms till 2015. It was still in great shape, but I had developed a problem in my left knee because of continuously pressing clutch in Delhi traffic. I was literally prescribed by my doctor to buy an automatic car.

I arrived at my decision to buy the Vento quickly. I had only two considerations in mind: 1) an automatic car, and 2) diesel (because I had a 40x2 kms drive to and from office every day).

My consideration set was rather limited in 2015. As far as I can remember, I had only three choices in my price range:

1. The VW Vento
   
2. Tata Zest – had a diesel option, but with an AMT transmission.
   
3. Hyundai Verna – had a smoother transmission and so much more – auto headlights, auto wipers, reverse camera, all disc brakes, more speakers, etc. – but I had a friend who was not happy with the mileage of the car. Also, there were way too many Vernas on the road already and VW DSG was technically superior, so, I rejected this.

In fact, my mind was already made up, so I did not even go for the test drive of the Zest or Verna. In 2009, I was just starting my career, so, when I bought my WagonR, I could only afford the LXi with power steering but not the VXi with electric ORVM and rear defogger. Since, I was buying the car for a long term, I decided to go for the Vento Highline model, although back then it did not come with cruise control, auto wipers, reverse camera, LED headlights, etc. My philosophy was that I am not going to miss these features because I have never used these features. Now almost 6 years have passed, and there are two things about my Vento that have fascinated me all these years. Firstly, the 7-speed DSG. Secondly, the mileage of the car.

The smooth and lightning fast DSG is an addiction to drive (as far was automatics are concerned). I love the no-torque-loss upshifts and the possibility of 7 forward gears. I have driven the City’s CVT, but, as mentioned by so many BHPians, whenever you press the accelerator on a CVT, there is a lot of roaring from the engine, but nothing seems to happen at the wheels. And the good old torque convertor is not energy efficient.

As for the mileage, I have mostly had positive experience. Once I filled the tank in Delhi, drove to Amritsar, drove around in Amritsar for 3 days, drove to Wagah Border, and drove back to Delhi. Total, over 1,100 kms for approx. 50 litres of diesel. The car was fully loaded with 5 passengers and their luggage. And the AC was on throughout the journey. I wonder whether any other engine and automatic gearbox combination can deliver such high mileage figures. Due to 7 forward gears, the engine never seems to go over 3,000 rpm (most of the upshifts happen under 2,000 rpm) and cruises under 2,000 rpm at any speed. At 100 kmph, the rev-counter needle is barely touching 1,800 rpm.



Coming back to the point of this post. My ownership experience had been a mixed bag initially, but over the years, I have learnt to deal with VW dealerships and know what to expect. I have learnt that a little patience goes a long way. One thing I am grateful to team-bhp community is the advice to buy extended warranty due to the DSG. Yes, the warranty did come into play at more than one occasion (all occasions listed below). In addition to the extended warranty, VW offers a further option to buy yearly add-on warranty package within the validity of previous warranty. On their website they mention that add-on warranty can be bought till your car is 7 years old or has 125,000 kms on the odometer. So, in theory, one can avail manufacturer’s warranty till their VW is 8 years old or up to 145,000 kms on odometer, whichever comes first. And in my opinion, you must avail every single warranty and RSA options on VW cars.

As far as owning a VW goes, I am incredibly happy with the build quality and driving experience of my Vento. The car feels planted on the road, accelerates well, handles well, brakes well, and ESC kicks-in with slightest of slips. The engine starts with ease on the coldest of winter days and AC is too cold even on the sunniest of summer days (unless, of course, the car is parked in the afternoon sun). Even after 112,000 kms, I have no complaint from the car’s driving experience.

As for the maintenance of the car, VW recommends a 15,000/1-year service interval on their cars. This is the longest service interval that I know for any car in India and contributes to low maintenance cost of the car. However, nowhere does VW mentions that the diesel engine burns motor oil also. So, mid-internal, I need to top-up with 1L motor oil worth approx. ₹960/-. I used to drive to the dealer every 7,500 kms post service for motor oil top-up but now I have started buying an extra 1L oil bottle at the time of service. Besides this, the only time I take my car to dealer is for repairs when a part conk out. And there has been many over the last 6 years.

Details of non-service related repairs between 2015 and 2020:











Disclaimer: I am fairly confident this is a complete record of my non-service related visits to the dealer, but this is limited to the bills I have saved and the bills I can recall.

Experience with VW Warranty

As you can see, Aug to Oct 2020 required multiple visits to the dealer for repairs under warranty. These multiple visits are the reason why I started to think whether it is time to change my car and started recalling my ownership experience, hence, the inspiration to do this post. So far, I have spent ₹20,304 for year 3 and 4 extended warranty, ₹21,596 for year 5 add-on warranty, and ₹27,438 for year 6 add-on warranty. The warranty claim process is simple, and the dealer takes care of all the process. However, below are a few things to keep in mind:

• Please allow 2-3 days for repairs. My dealer allows me to take delivery of the car as soon as the warranty inspection is complete, but some dealers may keep the car an extra 2-3 days until they receive the amount in their bank account.
• I have to bear the cost of consumables. Mostly bolts, washers, and fluids.
• Although it is usually a no questions ask process, the warranty inspector does review the earlier service and repair records, so make sure that the car is serviced on time and there are no outside parts in the car (e.g., battery).

One good thing about VW extended warranty is that they tell you straight away what is included and not included with the warranty. Compare this with Maruti Suzuki’s extended warranty programme where they only list what is not included. I think this way the Maruti Suzuki keeps its options open to refuse repairs of any other parts under warranty as well (I am only speculating; I would love to hear some Maruti Suzuki extended warranty experiences as well).







Bad experience 1

This was my worse experience at VW workshop. First, the service advisor at the dealer refused to acknowledge that this is a warranty problem and told me that I would have to pay ₹1,500 to diagnose the problem. While I got them to waive the inspection charges, it took them 6 days to fix the problem and returned the car. Imagine my displeasure when I noticed that the repair amount was only ₹4,800 under warranty. They kept my car as hostage for such a small amount. This is the same dealer from whom I had bought the car, bought all accessories, extended warranty, and continue to visit for service and repairs. This was the last time I visited this workshop.

Bad experience 2

I call this a bad experience because it took a second visit to the dealer to diagnose the problem. On a cold Jan night, I had gone to drop off a family member to the Nizamuddin railway station. I parked the car, went inside the station, and came back after approx. 20 mins. The time was now was 11:30 PM, and the engine would not start. The battery was alright, and I could hear the starter motor working. I kept trying for 30 mins but to no avail. So, I called the RSA at around 12:05 AM. They, at once, dispatched a crane to tow the car to the nearest VW dealer. At around 2:45 AM, I returned home after dropping the car with the security guard at the VW dealer (which was thankfully my new dealer). Next morning, I received a call from my service advisor that they have not found any problem with the car. But they will evaluate it during the day, and I can pick up the car in the evening. Till evening, the diagnostic computer could not find any problem and they charged me only ₹474 for cleaning and lubricating the battery terminals.

Two days later, I noticed that one of the headlight bulbs was blown. So, I drove to the dealer to get it replaced. When I tried to start the car after the headlight bulb replacement, 30 mins had passed, and this time again the car refused to start. Now inside of a dealer workshop is a good place to have a car breakdown. I called my SA and within minutes my car was surrounded by almost all their technicians. Again, the battery was the usual suspect, but it was fine. One of the technicians disconnected the fuel filter connectors and we all realised that the fuel pump was not sending any diesel to the engine. Apparently, the fuel pump was working fine when the engine is started from a cold state but stops working if you turn off the car after warming up. The SA apologised for not finding this problem in the last visit and agreed to adjust the ₹474 previously paid in the next bill. The fuel pump was replaced under warranty and I was able to pick up the car next day.

I find this incident a minor inconvenience but also imagine the major trouble I could have had in case the car was not already at the workshop.

Important notes

1. Battery: VW uses two different batteries for their petrol and diesel cars. The diesel one is larger and more expensive. For the first battery replacement in 2016, I bought a battery from outside for ₹4,000 but second time I got the battery from VW dealer. VW can void your warranty if an outside battery is used in their cars. This makes sense because there are so many electronic components/sensors used in VW cars.
   
2. The car suffers from rattling sounds from all doors. I ask the SA to fix this and they spray oil on various rattling parts on the doors. This has to be done at every service and takes 5 mins tops. Initially the first service centre I used to go to used to charge me ₹750 to ₹1,500 for this ‘lubrication.’ But after 2-3 times they stopped charging. The current dealer never charged me for this.
   
3. I usually get my wheel alignment done at the dealer but the new MRF and Michelin Tyre Shops have sophisticated machines as well. Anytime I get the alignment done, I insist that the steering wheel is centred properly. It is a big hassle to get this corrected and usually involves the wheels to be aligned again.
   
4. During hot summer months the radiator fan runs at the highest speed and sometimes one can feel the vibrations in the steering wheel. This is a diesel car, but the engine vibrations are hardly felt inside the car. Shows that the car was engineered in Germany where they were more worried about the diesel engine vibrations but not the radiator fan vibrations.
   
5. A set of wiper blades costs approx. ₹1,100 and I get them replaced almost every year.

Cost of service at every 15,000 kms ranges between ₹12,900 and ₹14,500 and includes all the usual such as oil change, coolant, brake oil, washer fluid, fuel filter, air filter, dust and pollen filter, service labour, washing, cleaning, etc. Wheel balancing and alignment extra approx. ₹900. Brake cleaning ₹850.

You can also buy a Service Value Pack from the dealer and prepay for two services at ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 discount. The service pack will also give you added coupons for interior dry cleaning, 50% off on labour charges, 50% off on wheel balancing and alignment, 25% discount on body workshop, etc. I used the 50% discount coupon at the time of timing belt overhaul. Below a few pictures of car’s interior after using the cleaning coupon at 106,559 kms:

Some pictures of how the interior of the car looks after 106,559 kms:







Parting Words

Overall, I am incredibly happy with my 2015 Vento. It is been rock solid and dependable for last 6 years. I hope I can get another year or two out of the car before replacing it with something new. There are not many diesel options available now a days and I am not keen on the mileage of a petrol car. Hopefully, the electric cars market would ripen in the next two years and offer many affordable models. For now, the cost of running my 2015 Vento is significantly low and it is still covered under add-on warranty until Sep. I hope this experience is of use to people who wants to know more about ownership cost of a VW. Please let me know how I did on my first post.

Lastly, my knee is alright for last 6 years.

[Achalchoukhany]

Originally Posted by 2TR-FE

Will definitely speak with the SA regarding the software update.
The rattles were from glovebox and left front door. Although all doors were creaking on rough roads, the left front one was the most hurting.

Any update on this as I'm also facing the same issue. Noise coming from left side behind the glovebox on slightly uneven roads also. Very irritating.

[speedfreak01]

My vento is almost 6 years old. It is a 1.6 highline MPI petrol. Over the past 6 years, i’ve been extremely satisfied with the car, no major expenses to report and the manual petrol is a reliable one too. However the car had suffered alot of dents and scratches due to chaotic delhi traffic. So just after the lockdown opened Decided to give my car for a denting repair and complete paintjob at my nearest FNG, with whom i’ve been getting the car serviced just after the 4 year warranty lapsed.

These are before and after pics. She looked all dented and worn off with LHS tail light also conking off due to tail light breakage.

After the paintjob, new tail lights, rims painted nardo grey, debadged and chrome delete.

[Achalchoukhany]

Ride is looking sweet. I must say the rims look really cool. Have you upgraded the tyre size?

[speedfreak01]

Originally Posted by Achalchoukhany

Ride is looking sweet. I must say the rims look really cool. Have you upgraded the tyre size?

The tyre size remains the same 15”. Original color of the rims was hyper silver.

[2TR-FE]

Originally Posted by Achalchoukhany

Any update on this as I'm also facing the same issue. Noise coming from left side behind the glovebox on slightly uneven roads also. Very irritating.

The technician who worked on my car fiddled with the marked components of the glovebox. It did reduce the rattles temporarily for a few days. As of now, I have learnt to live with it.

[PrasannaDhana]

Congratulations on completing the 6 digit milestone on thr Vento.

I can't help but notice how many non-scheduled replacements have been done and amount of each item. Volkswagen definitely are expensive to own.