Team-BHP - VW Polo - Maintenance and Service cost and dos/don'ts

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Originally Posted by Ambersariya87 (Post 5431231)

... ... ... when I tried cleaning it, the black color peeled off from the button.

I doubt that there is any real fix, other than a new button (available as spares? Hmmm... unlikely I guess.) Until seeing your pic, I don't know what was under the black "skin." If it is a light surface, the impact on the eye can be greatly reduced using a magic marker. Quick, simple and super cheap!

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 5431400)

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Originally Posted by Ambersariya87 (Post 5431231)

Hello folks!

I have encountered a weird but very annoying and possibly expensive issue with my Polo. Few months back, I changed my car perfume and went for the diffusion type perfume which has to be hund on rear view mirror. For few weeks, everything was fine but one fine day, as I was navigating few dreaded potholes near my home, I noticed couple of droplets fell from the perfume. I cleaned up most but of them dropped on the audio system button near aux cable port. It went out of my notice and I didn't use car for next 2 days. On third day, when I went in the car, I noticed something. It appeared as oil or grease spot on the audio system and when I tried cleaning it, the black color peeled off from the button.

I am not sure how to fix this, but this has left me kind of heart broken. Kindly guide. I will post a picture once I take it.

Adding the picture.

Note to mods - I could not find out a way to edit my post, hence adding a follow up post.

I sent my 2015 Vw Polo GT Tsi (driven 30,000 kms) for a general check up at the service center in Mumbai and the guys came back with a quote of 1.6 L against a few jobs – some of which I don’t understand and some which I doubt are completely unnecessary.

Problems I was facing:

1. Noise from steering when taking semi-sharp turns
2. ABS light on (Vw check up confirms both speed sensors on LHS as problem- source) – cost approx. 14k to change all 4 +labour
3. Sometimes there would be a grating noise while braking and it would be difficult to press brakes fully

Further issues highlighted by VW:

1. Bulket damage (cost approx. 12k) – what is a bulket?
2. Oil leakage (cost approx. 18k) – though i have never found oil leak marks below the car where it has a dedicated slot in the building
3. Suspension issues - car has run just 30k mostly within the city at sub 40 kmph (cost approx. 90k incl steering noise repair)
4. Tyres worn out (cost 22k) – i haven’t found a problem with them so can wait another year atleast before changing
5.Under belly rusting (cost approx. 6-8k using Wurth products for anti-rust treatment + silencer coating)

I was also sent a few pics of problem areas which I am sharing below – if someone can decipher what is genuine and needs to be attended to it will be a great starting point for me.

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Originally Posted by amitmk (Post 5435436)

That tyre with sidewall damage: it is nothing but scrap! That needs changing. How old are the tyres? Could they be the originals? If they are more than four or five years old, change them. You will feel like you have bought a new car. Talk too any tyre dealer of your choice; doesn't have to be done by the dealer.

Bulket? Could that maybe be Bulkhead? I don't know.

Rust. Yes, this you need to attend to.

ABS sensors: Two are dead so change two. Do not change all four. The others might die in one week or five years or not at all. Don't replace a working ABS sensor. They are quite expensive for such a tiny bit of plastic. I have had two changed over the years, but the other two are still originals.

What I would do if I were you is go to a good independent garage. I think it very likely that they will fix all your issues for less cost, and will help you prioritise.

Now that my GT TDI is long-since out of warranty, that is what I am doing.

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Originally Posted by Woodspirit (Post 5307365)

I called the ASS and he said it’s 120k km. He quot3d about 12k just for the belt and 16k for the entire kit which includes the water pump I guess. I’m not sure if these figures are including the labour cost or not.

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Originally Posted by The Pain (Post 5392401)

Hi All,

Need a bit of advise regarding my 2011 Polo 1.6 petrol car. Was planning to get the coolant flushed and replaced as the car is now over 10 years old and its never been done before.
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Thanks in advance for any inputs that can be provided.

I got the coolant replaced yesterday here in Kochi, FNG, It cost me 1200. If you find sludge in the container, it's time to replace.Keep the outside of your container clean so that you can see the level easily

I have never before had a car AC stop working, but I see car-specialist AC shops around, so I guess it is not that rare.

Anyway, one day it worked, the next it did not, and even in the recent relatively-cool days in Chennai, driving in a non-AC car was horrible.

Called our local independent garage guy, who said he was out of town for a few days and gave us the number of the AC guy he uses, so we could go direct. A phone call, and the guy-plus-mate came the next day, telling that if it was just gas, they'd refill, but if anything else then it should go to workshop.

Was quizzed as to when it was last filled: never. In that case, he said, it is probably worth just filling it. Which he did. Cost, Rs.1,600.

His card said "Auto AC and Batteries," so I asked him to check out and top up our inverter batter, for which we had the water. Cost, nothing :)

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Originally Posted by VKumar (Post 5444818)

Okay, so my serpentine belt snapped and got caught into the timing thing - am I screwed?

I hope you haven’t cranked the engine after that. I did twice (as is usually the instinct before we open the bonnet and check for further issues) and resulted in a major engine seizure.

Entrust the engine rebuild job to a proper guy who knows his stuff and do it completely not just the top part limited to the engine head, camshafts, valves and stem seals. Check the pistons, piston seals, crankshaft, con rods.

TLDR - car is sold to a scrap dealer after the FNG did a shoddy job. I’ll elaborate the whole thing in my ownership thread.

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Originally Posted by Gannu_1 (Post 5444852)

I hope you haven’t cranked the engine after that.

I did :D

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I did twice (as is usually the instinct before we open the bonnet and check for further issues) and resulted in a major engine seizure.

In my case the serpentine belt broke and a warning light came with some sound, the car was with my friend, a nearby mechanic told him that all he needs is 'this belt', so they put it; when the car refused to start - they push started it! clap:

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Entrust the engine rebuild job to a proper guy who knows his stuff and do it completely not just the top part limited to the engine head, camshafts, valves and stem seals. Check the pistons, piston seals, crankshaft, con rods.

VW A.S.S. will be the one doing the job

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TLDR - car is sold to a scrap dealer after the FNG did a shoddy job. I’ll elaborate the whole thing in my ownership thread.

I too am planning the same in case its a huge bill, will get it repaired outside and get it exchanged because in the current state - it's just scrap.

https://studio.youtube.com/video/8ofVVGG_o4I/edit

Please watch the video. My 2014 Polo, newly bought, has this problem. The Odo is 76000 but I feel it's surely clocked. The car is in very good condition otherwise. There is no black or blue smoke through tailpipe and the oil levels are stable. The coolant levels are normal and the car drives like a dream. How bad is white smoke through the dipstick hole? Thanks for your very important comments

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Originally Posted by TopLiveCentre (Post 5461180)

Please reupload the video. I am unable to access it.

Before watching the video however, a few pertinent points:

- High compression ratio turbo diesels (which the 1.5 TDI definitely is) have a tendency to give out some blowby from the dipstick hole when the engine is hot and running. It's not at all abnormal. I have observed this on several TDIs done as low as 50K km and as high as 1.8L km. All samples have performed flawlessly, consumed negligible to no oil over 10-15K km and have not emitted any blue or white smoke on hot or cold start

- If the car isn't giving out any smoke from the exhaust whatsoever, isn't consuming any oil and isn't showing any performance degradation, there is absolutely no issue.

Still, do upload the video again so that I can have a look, though I am quite sure going by your description that this is completely normal.

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Originally Posted by vishy76 (Post 5461340)

Please reupload the video. I am unable to access it.
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- High compression ratio turbo diesels (which the 1.5 TDI definitely is) have a tendency to give out some blowby from the dipstick hole when the engine is hot and running. It's not at all abnormal.

Thank you very much Vishy and sorry for the late reaction. Your words and opinions have been corroborated by The VW Kochi and my FNG. The ultimate touchstone in terms of this problem remains the quantity of oil in the sump. If the engine does not burn oil, you need not worry