[Sam Kapasi]

What the heck is he doing here you may ask.

Ask.

I am here to tell a little tale about my new car. While it may not be entirely technical, you can pick out some important points that I am sure will benefit other people and those points are technical.

SO he said defiantly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It started last week. I had an unexpected appointment in Ranjangaon.

Apne ko kal subah Ranjangaon jaaneka hai.
Kidhar?
Ranjangaon. Pune ke aage.
OK kab aaoon?
6 am.

And so there we were. Akbar driving the superb as I was dozing in the back seat. It is truly a wonderful place to doze in.
I open one eye sometimes.

The speedo is at 150.
AKBARRRRR I growl in a sleepy voice.
He slows down to 120 without skipping a beat. I can see him grinning in the mirror.

It's an uneventful drive to Ranjangaon. Smooth and wonderful.

[Sam Kapasi]

It all started a week earlier.

We were on our way to town and I heard a long beep from the car. It sounded like a warning beep.
Akbar cannot read too well. By the time I bent over to check the display I just saw a yellow exclamation mark and a fleeting glimpse of the word "PRESSURE" and it was gone.

Kya tha?
Kya tha?
We're both asking each other the same question. But the warning is gone.

I ask Akbar to shut down the car and restart. Windows logic. The warning does not appear again.

We continue driving. Neither of us knows what just occurred. It does not happen again.

----------------------------------------

We had stopped for lunch on our way back. A nice 30 minute stop where we were chatting and talking about all kinds of stuff, my driver and I.

Then it happens.

It starts with a long BEEEEEP.
I quickly look at the display.
REFILL OIL it says. My heart sinks.
Oil level low? In a brand new car? What the hell? Probably leaked out eh??

We stop the car and peep below at the ground where we were parked. No, no leak, not a drop of oil.

Oil level low?

The display goes off. We begin to drive.

BEEP!! Oil pressure low. I now recognise the same warning I saw last week while in Mumbai.
My heart is sinking more. Could it be that this gorgeous car has failed?
Kya karu? asks akbar.
Umm gaadi chalao, slowly.

I call Normally Crazy.

[krish3]

It looks like one of the common oil drinking problems of Skoda. Heard too many new Lauras and Superb drinking oil in the first 10k or so.

[prateek99]

And my first experience

And my first experience to a live YetiBlog.

Now I will know what F5ing is.

[jaguar.runs]

It's always the way your stories unfold keeps all of us your lifetime fans.

Typical YetiBlog beginning!

Waiting for more

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I call Normally Crazy.

Normal? What do you mean NORMAL?
Dude this variant of the engine consumes oil for the first 5000kms.
How much oil?
I think it's about 500ml per 1000kms or something like that.
Toh abhi?
1 litre daal de. Shell Helix Ultra.
Synthetic?
Haan synthetic oil hai shaayad.
How to find out?
Call them.
Should I just put any oil? I ask as we pass the HP pump.
Better not to mix. But in an emergency I guess...

As we continue driving (slowly) through Pune city, the BEEPs are visiting us every 5 minutes or so.
I reach for the Skoda owner's manual. The binding has a fancy "We recommend Shell Helix" tag. OK so that much is right. But is it Helix Ultra or just Helix? It doesn't say.

I call Moral Fibre who promises to find out and call me back.
Do you want Synthetic or not?
I dunno dude.
He disconnects and then I call Skoda service.

How many kilometres done? asks the Engineer
More than 3000.
Petrol 1.8TSi right?
Right.
Please put 1.5 litres of Shell Helix Ultra Oil in the engine.
Synthetic?
Yes Synthetic. There is Synthetic oil already in the Engine, do not mix with anything else. Put the same oil only.
But why was I not told earlier??? I am getting irritated. If I KNEW that I'm supposed to put this oil, I would have carried it with me!
It's written in the book.
I freeze. Is it?
Yes.
Is this an emergency or can I continue driving to Bombay from Pune?
No you should put this oil as soon as possible. Have you checked the oil level.
Yes I have. It is on minimum.
OK so you need to get 1.5 litres of Shell Helix Ultra immediately.
OK thanks.

Moral has asked me to get in touch with Shrivz. Shrivz knows where to get this oil.
As I make the call, I go through the book. It's there. The 1.8Tsi engine can consume upto 500ml of engine oil every 1000 kms for the first 5000kms.

Well why didn't anyone TELL me??

[hvishwanathan]

I understand for every 1000km your car runs, 393ml engine oil is consumed. This stops after the first 5000km.

I have had problems both with the laura and superb TSi engines.

Please make it a point to top up your engine oil before you set for a long distance drive especially if it is the TSi engine clocking less than 5000km.

[Sam Kapasi]

Shrivz knows someone who sells Shell Helix oil in Pune City. We almost turn the car around when he says

You should also get it at any Shell pump.
Well is there a shell pump around here?
You're going to Bombay na?
Yeah.
There's a Shell Pump on the Mumbai-Pune bypass road.
Uhh where?
The road that goes from Hinjewadi to the expressway.
Yeah I'm on my way there now.
Yes, so you just drive for a km or two and you'll see the big shell sign.
Sorted.

We continue to drive slowly. The BEEPs come regularly, every 5 minutes or so and each time we look with alarm at the display to see if something new comes.
Aisa kaisa? Asks Akbar.
Normal hai. I repeat Gautam's words. Normal hai I say, reaasuring myself. Normal hai.
Injun seej toh nahi hoga?
Matlab?
Haan bina oil ke seej hota hai.
Nahi, aaste jao, bhagana nahi. Sirf 2 kms jaana hai.

10 minutes later, we spot a large shell sign, ahead of Indira College and Joshi Vadewale. As I point it out we both grin with relief and enter the pump.

Namaste Sir, welcome to Shell. Straight out of a TV ad. Nice. He's pointing towards a pump.
Petrol nahi chahiye, shouts Akbar. Oil chahiye, oil. Clicks oil.
Clicks nahi Helix I correct.
Hellkicks oil chahiye he now says. I roll my eyes and roll the window down.
Helix Ultra hai?
He frowns.

Helix hai. Ultra nahi.

[jkdas]

This why people join/browse team-bhp

You should have too, its documented here too

All praise the engine.

[planet_rocker]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Oil chahiye, oil. Clicks oil.
Clicks nahi Helix I correct.
Hellkicks oil chahiye he now says.

- Hellkicks - LOL!


But is this 'normal', normal? Is it only for 1.8Tsi engines or for all cars?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Petrol nahi chahiye, shouts Akbar. Oil chahiye, oil. Clicks oil. Clicks nahi Helix I correct.
Hellkicks oil chahiye he now says. I roll my eyes and roll the window down.

ROTFLMAO! <I am laughing hard as I type this>

Another fantastic write up by The Yeti. Thanks Sam..you just made my day. Keep it coming!

Cheers!

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Aisa kaisa? Asks Akbar.
Normal hai. I repeat Gautam's words. Normal hai I say, reaasuring myself. Normal hai.
Injun seej toh nahi hoga?
Matlab?
Haan bina oil ke seej hota hai.
Nahi, aaste jao, bhagana nahi. Sirf 2 kms jaana hai.

Hats off to Akbar's knowledge
..seej hota hai

[ElantraGT]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

It's there. The 1.8Tsi engine can consume upto 500ml of engine oil every 1000 kms for the first 5000kms.

Well why didn't anyone TELL me??

Very true that these small things needs to be informed by the Sales Executive during the time of delivery of the vehicle. On the other hand, we guys need to go through the user manual once within the first 2 weeks of ownership. This is also one of the reason why we are discovering so many new features after a good 2 -3 years of ownership of the vehicle.

[bblost]

I am curious.
How does the engine know that it must consume more oil in the first 5k kms.

Is there some sort of a tap that is closed once the odo crosses the 5k mark.
By either the ECU or the Service center.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by bblost

I am curious.
How does the engine know that it must consume more oil in the first 5k kms.

Is there some sort of a tap that is closed once the odo crosses the 5k mark.
By either the ECU or the Service center.

I think it probably has the equivalent of a float level in the Engine. The engine just consumes more oil as it is new and when the oil reduces it beeps.

Oh wait I understood your question now. I don't know.