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Old 12th April 2021, 09:28   #31
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
Everything is now fixed however my dashboard is in a bad shape and those parts apparently cannot be procured without an airbag. The lower variants were without airbags however their parts apparently don't fit as per SA.
If you're really keen into keeping the car, I would suggest you to scan the scrap dealers yard along with your trusted FNG guy, chances are you may find a complete dashboard in good condition from a salvaged car. Which, in my opinion is a better alternative to downgrading to a lower variant without airbags.
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Old 12th April 2021, 09:42   #32
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
I have never done any repairs nor fixed a scratch or a dent yet and hence am not aware of the options in the market. I want to explore. It's important to know the other side of the world as well and this Polo helps me make some friends outside the regular vendor market that I am so used to.
Hi, it shouldn't cost more than 40000 to restore with used original unused airbags including coding and labour.

Last edited by Aditya : 12th April 2021 at 19:31. Reason: Quoted text trimmed
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Old 12th April 2021, 10:34   #33
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

Another instance of paradoxical advice in TBHP.

A lot of reasons were provided on why it is ok to drive a poorly rated city car here,

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...iver-only.html (GNCAP: So, would you use an unrated / poorly rated car as a city driver only?)

A person has a crash at 30 kmph and claims he'll use it in the city. He gets coached and trolled on the need for airbags.

Interesting isn't it? There's no minimum speed limit for safety people.

Obviously, the OP has decided on what he'd like to do and just wants to know how to get it done. So I'm not going to talk about why it's a bad idea to begin with. I hope some FNG and a bit of googling for VW parts will help to achieve that.

It's things like these that make me nervous of the used-car market in India. Imagine the horror of getting a VW variant that should supposedly have airbags but actually don't. Would the instrument console show the Airbag error or would the FNG be able to turn it off?
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Old 12th April 2021, 10:43   #34
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
I have chosen to ignore a few comments that tried to ridicule my decision. I get your perspective on safety and as I mentioned before I value it too. I will not try to justify this again
Please understand no one has the intention to ridicule you. Members here are only trying to make you understand the technicalities of your decision. However, if you do not want to listen to other people's opinions and advice, I don't see a reason why this thread should exist.

Quote:
- I don't need a Jetta or a 1.6 or a Vento. I want a city car that can help me go to the market with busy/narrow streets, can be easily parallel parked and can help me avoid being on 2 wheels. I find my decision to be a safer one from that perspective.
You will find some used hatchbacks for about 5 lakhs or so which will fit the criteria and in general be far more hassle free and safer. Possibly even cheaper to maintain too.

Quote:
- My office commute is Whitefield to MG Road and for everyone who is aware of this route know that during the office hours, it's almost impossible to drive at speeds > 40 kmph with average speeds of < 10kmph. Hence if in cases where I can use my Polo as an alternate to Ola/Uber specially during Covid I do not see a challenge.
Quote:
Safety is the reason you earn and you should spend on it but if you look at the other end of it then it is not safe to walk on the streets, it isn't to swim in the water on a beach, it isn't safe to sit in a roller coaster, it isn't to sit in a flight etc etc. Please understand the perspective and the use case before posting sharp comments. I have made this decision based on some conditions which justify it.
Remember why you bought the highline trim in the first place? Safety. I cannot stress enough on how important it is. And if the logic that you aren't safe doing anything else is to be believed, then I think life or health insurance is absolutely unnecessary too because let's face it, you are going to die one day.

Further, just see how the accident happened in the first place. You were cruising at 30 only which will be your use case anyways but the moron biker came and hit you. What makes you think a similar or worse situation won't occur once more and god forbid its a truck instead of a bike this time?

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Originally Posted by chaudh2s View Post
I mean it almost feel like verbal diarrhea these days on this forum.
I feel this statement of yours is grossly disrespectful to the sanctity of this forum and the moderators. Please take back these words


Quote:
People used to live before air bag days, people don’t die the moment they sit in a Maruti or non airbag car. Other people also have brains and can take decisions based on their personal situation and buying an ncap 5 or airbag car is not always a must.
People were also living before the advent of western medicine and vaccines. Do you mean to say we should completely shun these? Just because you can doesn't always mean you should. Progress happens for a reason

Quote:
If VW is not selling you trendline steering, you can source a steering from Maruti or other manufacturers who sell over the counter spares. The dashboard part doesn't look that bad and can be fixed by using glue or something, or maybe get it leather wrapped. Contact those Stanley guys.
You are surely joking right? If you would have known even an iota about technicalities and how airbags work, you wouldn't say this. It is not a plastic toy to be just pasted with some glue. Secondly, going to stanley for a job like this would be absolutely foolish. Spending half price of the car just to leather wrap the dash is foolish if not worse. Your posts signal to me that you are either misinformed or ignorant about actual facts and the engineering behind making cars. Also please don't be rude and spoil the atmosphere on the forum.


Lastly, I would like to tell the OP that it seems the chassis has gotten damaged and hence the insurance company wrote it of as TL. It means the damage is beyond repair and would only serve to make the car grossly unsafe. It is infact in the insurance company's best interest to not write it off as TL and fix the car for cheaper if it was possible even. And Insurance is made for cases like these. What is the point of bragging about never having used it if you come to a situation like this?

I understand the car must hold sentimental value for you and your family but see this incident in a positive light that the car gave up its life to protect you and cherish the memories. Sometimes its better to let go for the car's sake

Last edited by sodapop : 12th April 2021 at 10:45.
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Old 12th April 2021, 10:54   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiku007 View Post
It's things like these that make me nervous of the used-car market in India. Imagine the horror of getting a VW variant that should supposedly have airbags but actually don't. Would the instrument console show the Airbag error or would the FNG be able to turn it off?
Very true, hence I want to be with the known devil and continue with my car.

I will not be getting the Airbag light turned off however I know that when I sell it to any of the dealers later they will get that jugaad done which would have also happened had I decided to scrap my car.

I will try to Google for parts and contact some local friends who can probably point me to some good repairmen in Bangalore who can help me with the current problem at hand.

There are basically 2 options

1. Plastic Welding
2. After market/scrapped Airbag cover

If any of you have any knowledge in the above 2 and can point me to a trusted set of people who can do it, I would really appreciate it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sodapop View Post
I understand the car must hold sentimental value for you and your family but see this incident in a positive light that the car gave up its life to protect you and cherish the memories. Sometimes its better to let go for the car's sake
Really appreciate your concern but this is not that "sometime". Safety is important and I cannot agree more but I know what I am doing here and I am the best judge of my situation.

My logic is simple you don't put airport level security in a shopping mall. It would definitely make life much safer but the experience of going to the mall wouldn't be very appealing.

Sorry for the back to back posts. Wish I could delete it.

Last edited by Rudra Sen : 12th April 2021 at 11:29. Reason: back to back posts merged
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Old 12th April 2021, 11:22   #36
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

I completely relate to the OP here. Few years ago, I was in a similar situation, stuck with a choice between keeping my i10 to avoid using my Activa for short distances.

Safety is relative and an endless pursuit albeit important one. One has to also balance practicality. End of rant.

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
I have never done any repairs nor fixed a scratch or a dent yet and hence am not aware of the options in the market. I want to explore. It's important to know the other side of the world as well and this Polo helps me make some friends outside the regular vendor market that I am so used to.
Again, I was in a similar situation as you with my Polo (not a road accident but one at a parking place - damaging the bumper pretty badly).

I gave my car for repair via Wheels Wisdom and got competitive quotes for repair, although I finally ended up getting it repaired at ASS.

I am in no way associated with them, but as a fair review, they did a good job of getting me quotes and then got of my way in making the decision. Thorough and professional.
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Old 12th April 2021, 11:59   #37
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

There is a page on Instagram which sells old spare parts. The page name is 'oldsparepart'. They have a lot of spare parts for Volkswagen vehicles. Give it a try. Some self-proclaimed safety experts on this page who don't even wear seatbelts while driving are giving 'gyan' on safety. It's your vehicle and you are free to do whatever you want to do with it.

Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags-screenshot-2.png

Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags-screenshot-3.png

Last edited by pawank : 12th April 2021 at 12:12.
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Old 12th April 2021, 12:17   #38
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

Quote:
Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
I will try to Google for parts and contact some local friends who can probably point me to some good repairmen in Bangalore who can help me with the current problem at hand.

There are basically 2 options

1. Plastic Welding
2. After market/scrapped Airbag cover

If any of you have any knowledge in the above 2 and can point me to a trusted set of people who can do it, I would really appreciate it.



Really appreciate your concern but this is not that "sometime". Safety is important and I cannot agree more but I know what I am doing here and I am the best judge of my situation.

My logic is simple you don't put airport level security in a shopping mall. It would definitely make life much safer but the experience of going to the mall wouldn't be very appealing.
Agree 100%. Your car is immaculately maintained and I can see the logic in retaining her. You are definitely doing the right thing in sticking with her rather than selling her as scrap and buying a tin can.

While I am a proponent of airbags, it is true that you know your requirements best, and are the best judge for what is appropriate for your needs.

I think the next steps would depend on how much would you like to spend on fixing the dashboard. You can put a simple dashboard cover if you dont want to spend more than about 1500 bucks. See link here. https://www.amazon.in/s?k=dashboard+...f=nb_sb_noss_1

Olx Bangalore also has a Polo steering wheel with airbag listed for approx 19k, if that helps. https://www.olx.in/en/item/polo-stee...iid-1631397814

Also do look for FNG's which may be able to do the repairs at a much cheaper cost than the quoted 3 lacs, by importing the parts or buying them from scrapped cars. See this youtube video of the process of repairing a similar Baleno.
It kind of helps you understand what all needs to be replaced. You can also call bharat motors to get an idea of the costs involved to get a comparision.

Hope this helps. Wish you luck with your ride.

Drive safe and wish you many miles of driving pleasure in your lovely ride.

To the others who had nothing worthwhile to contribute to the specific questions posed by the thread opener: I wish some of the indignation I see on this thread, is also re-directed at VW for its ridiculous pricing. 3 lacs for this repair is criminal. It simply cannot be justified.

Last edited by Lalvaz : 12th April 2021 at 12:21.
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Old 12th April 2021, 12:30   #39
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund View Post
Although the best option would be to get new airbags fitted, but if you are keen on driving the car without airbags, then you can take it to any garage that deals in accidental repairs. They will just cut the airbags out and then seal the horn pad and dashboard.[/ATTACH]

This looks reasonably neat. I am not a big fan of after market option and would like to go for the welding. I hope I find a good garage in Bangalore. If anyone has any options do share. Thanks.
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Old 12th April 2021, 12:33   #40
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

Good to hear that all passengers and the biker were safe posts the accident.

The risk of repair/replacement has already been discussed, and I am sure you are well aware of that. And yes the car will be still safer than an Activa.

I hope the usage will be restricted to the city and local errands post the repair and the car won't be used for road trips. And regarding the steering cover and airbag, I just found one seller (+91 890 777 2094) in OLX who is selling used parts for all the cars, just try to reach him and check whether he has the part which you are looking for.

(PS: I am not associated with the seller and I have no idea about the authenticity, just OLXing.)

Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags-capture.jpg

I also found one used car parts seller
https://www.instagram.com/buy_used_car_parts/
https://www.shriramtraders.com/
Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags-s.jpg

Last edited by kamilharis : 12th April 2021 at 12:39.
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Old 12th April 2021, 12:53   #41
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
Please help me with the contact of a garage in Bangalore where this can be done neatly.
Damage seems manageable, hence you can definitely go for a repair.

When I had hit my polo to back of a truck at 10kmph, needed to get the headlamps, logo and grill replaced.

I got it done(via Insurance) at Carsmith motors, Agara Lake and they did a neat job with original parts. Do check them out.
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Old 12th April 2021, 12:54   #42
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

Well I honestly cannot believe that you are driving around with blown airbags.

Don't try any temporary fixes as it would lower the safety of your car and even if you don't get in a crash, it will be a huge issue when you need to renew your RC and forget selling it off after that. Nobody would buy a vehicle involved in an accident that has been properly fixed to safety standards in the first place and that too without airbags, no doubt that you won't be able to sell it.

The only options are to sell it off and upgrade to a nicer pre owned car or source the parts from a scrap yard or something. The chance of the airbags being intact in scrapped cars is low, but still, mechanically totalled cars might still have their airbags. But make sure to check that the vehicle was scrapped recently.

Please don't delete the airbags.

Cheers
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Old 12th April 2021, 13:08   #43
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

I'd take the cash being offered as total loss and buy a new car! I think it isn't worth the time and money needed to restore it without airbags.
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Old 12th April 2021, 13:27   #44
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by abhatt View Post
Recently met with an accident that led to airbags getting deployed and an estimate of 3l which was called out for a Total loss (2.3l). Decided against it as I wanted to keep the car and went ahead with repairs without airbags.

Attachment 2142804
Hi Abhatt, good to know everyone was safe (or escaped serious injuries).

Apologies, I dont have any suggestions, rather a query:

Am I understanding this right - that the insurance firm is not supporting the cost of repair (~3L) as the car is valued at 2.3L? Had the cost of replacing with airbags been ~2L, would the insurance still foot the bill? even in those cases, would you have to pay a portion from your own pocket?
What would happen to the insurance for the subsequent years if you get the car repaired without the airbags (FNG approach you are thinking of)? Will they continue supporting even with such "jugaad"?

Dear other members: are airbag costs equally expensive for other OEMs? I read someone mention an expected cost of ~1.5Lacs; Is the cost of 3L here because of VW? That might mean Skoda would also cost similar.

Sorry for too many questions. I just feel its a learning opportunity for me.
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Old 12th April 2021, 14:12   #45
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Re: Crashed my VW Polo | Want to restore dashboard without airbags

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Originally Posted by aayusht View Post
Apologies, I dont have any suggestions, rather a query:

Am I understanding this right - that the insurance firm is not supporting the cost of repair (~3L) as the car is valued at 2.3L? Had the cost of replacing with airbags been ~2L, would the insurance still foot the bill? even in those cases, would you have to pay a portion from your own pocket?
What would happen to the insurance for the subsequent years if you get the car repaired without the airbags (FNG approach you are thinking of)? Will they continue supporting even with such "jugaad"?
For me, all this was new and lot of learnings came from reading a large number of threads here. I wish there was an easy way of extracting gold mine of information here. It's like a huge book with Index. You need to read all the chapters or many chapters for information which can certainly be improved with Technology at hand today.

To your query, the usual rule is that if cost of repairs exceed the 70% IDV then the insurance company goes for a Total Loss. Therefore, lowering your IDV is not a good practice. Also, you get a lower value for your car.

The cost of repairs is tricky as well. AFTER 5 years of using the vehicle, insurance companies do not provide full coverage (atleast this is what I was told my multiple people I got in touch with). It is not "Zero Dep" even though comprehensive hence you pay a partial amount for the parts which equals to (40, 50 or 60% depending on whether it's metal or fiber etc etc). Labor is covered under insurance.

So, since my repair cost was 3l (2.4 l parts + 65k labor), insurance had to pay 1.2 l for parts + 65k labor which takes the price to Total Loss region (>70% of IDV).

Out of 2.4l for parts, 1.7l (I wish I could use a word here) is Airbags. This is day light robbery by VW group. Imagine in a 6.5l rupee car where the taxes are around 30% thereby in a 4.5 l rupee car the cost of airbags is 1.7l. It's unreasonable and a way of minting money. For a 7.5 year old car this cost was not acceptable to me and I had already booked a newer car for my highway urges.

Hence some important learnings are

1. Never decrease the IDV of the car. It's a very small price you pay for bigger returns.
2. Very careful with German/Europeans brands post 5 years usage as insurance covers a partial amount of their expensive parts only.

The reason I want to get my hands dirty with the after market world is that some day I would love to buy a 2-3 year old used BMW/Mercedes/Audis of the world and will have to be a pro at getting these jewels repaired in these shops especially post it's warranties.

Last edited by abhatt : 12th April 2021 at 14:31.
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