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Old 31st January 2012, 09:29   #31
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

The tyre experince I mentioned in my earlier thread , well here is what happened -

I was doing about 90 kph on NH-9 Pune to Hyderabad (which was and still is infamous for potholes not deep but wide with edges). The road has these notorious depressions in the road on the side. I avoided them to a large extent but finally I could not avoid one. It was not felt by the suspension all that much but after a couple of minutes the car swerved to the left. I realised the car must have a flat tire. So I stopped changed the tyre went into Solapur. When the person fixing the puncture decided to fix he we noticed a gash on the sidewall which was as clean as a knife cut. So it was not reparable and I purchased a new tyre.

Last week when I was going home to Pune from Hyderabad in the night due to the very bright headlights of an oncoming truck I slowed down but in the process the right front tyre hit a pothole , which made its impact felt. I slowed down from my speed of about 70 kph and stopped to see if there was any damage to the underbody. However there seemed none but my tyre had gone flat. I replaced it and reached Pune. Next day the puncturewala told showed me that the tyre had been cut on the wall and was not repairable. So I had to replace this tyre as well.
I complained to VW for the tyres they provided and why they had given me JK Vectras.

On my Honda City earlier I had Michelins. I have taken multiple potholes especially in Kerala (which had very very bad roads in 2010) but my Michelins did not puncture even once. Well here are a few questions which come to mind -

1) Are the JK Vectras really that bad ? If so then why is VW putting them on ?
2) Are the tyres prone to punctures at the walls ? Especially gashes ? Aren't they supposed to be stronger at the walls ?
3) Are these happening to due bad fitting of tyres over the alloys ? My earlier car did not have alloys but conventional rims.
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Old 31st January 2012, 13:15   #32
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

@ambi,

Consider yourselves lucky on both the occassions that the car didnt swerve or else the result could have been catastrophic. JK tyres are known to be soft and less costly, hence the preferred choice for mor manufacturers. I would suggest you to replace them with Michelins XM1+ at the next available oppurtunity. By any chance can you post the pics of the tyres gone bad?

Surprisingly VW does not feature in the car manufacturer list for the tyre selector option in their website.

Also was there any damage to the alloys? I was told that the alloys are normally a bit softer than the steel rims.
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Old 31st January 2012, 13:26   #33
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

@ghodlur
No damage to the rims. I should have photographed it. As I think about it and as you have right pointed out it is a bit scary. However my lucky stars nothing much happened. I am planning to replace the JKs at the earliest. Also I see that most VWs that were in servicing that day had Apollo Acceleres. I think my case would be an exception.
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Old 31st January 2012, 13:31   #34
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

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Originally Posted by ambivalent_98 View Post
@ghodlur
Also I see that most VWs that were in servicing that day had Apollo Acceleres. I think my case would be an exception.
I guess it might have to do something with a specific batch of Vento's that came with JK. Some whims and fancies of the manufacturers.

Did you bring this issue to the dealer's notice or mail VW for that matter? I guess the tyres too would have been under warranty, try arm twisting the dealer. If you still have the tyres, try to look at the manufacturing date if possible, this might give you an idea.
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Old 1st February 2012, 13:34   #35
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

1 - No two ways about it, they are BAD. Apollo aceleres arent that good either, I encountered a similar instance and lost one of my tyres, what's worst is that my alloy was also damaged in the incident. more information in my ownership thread.
2 - They are supposed to have stronger sidewall, but I have heard someone comment, softer tyres flow into a pothole, compared to the stronger one's which hit against a pot hole. I dont know how true this is though.
3 - Nothing to do with the alloys. The same would have happened even if it was on a steel rim.

Invest in a good set of tyres, if you do frequent highway travelling. Most of the OEM stock tyres are not really upto the mark.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ambivalent_98 View Post
1) Are the JK Vectras really that bad ? If so then why is VW putting them on ?
2) Are the tyres prone to punctures at the walls ? Especially gashes ? Aren't they supposed to be stronger at the walls ?
3) Are these happening to due bad fitting of tyres over the alloys ? My earlier car did not have alloys but conventional rims.
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Old 7th May 2012, 11:55   #36
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

UPDATE AFTER 1 YEAR AND AFTER 20000 kms in the Black Knight -
1) Driven on horrid highways like Pune to Hyderabad multiple times in different weather over the last year.
2) A couple of fast drives to Bangalore and back from Hyderabad.
3) Miscellanous City driving around Hyderabad in ill-mannered traffic.

What I liked -
1) Amazing pick up and accelaration when needed.
2) Very affordable as for highway conditions I am able to get averages of 19 kpl (a/c on all the time and speeds averaging 120+)
3) A/c quite impressive especially in the oppressive Hyderabad summer.
4) Call centre whose number is listed has very helpful folk and are quite good in support. Actually after one of my drives from Pune to Hyd which was done is about 7 hrs I reached home. As I was driving down the basement parking I noticed a really loud noise. My first instinct was something broken. When I listened more carefully it was as though at a particular angle of the steering turning the noise would be the loudest. I was quite spooked and parked immediaetly and called the VW call centre to get the closest address of the service station. I was scared owing to the fact that it was a Sunday afternoon. But the very calm call centre chap asked me what the problem was and paid attention to what I was saying. Apparently he asked me to check the wear on the brake discs and also to drive around some distance and call back ASAP if there was some unsymmetrical scratches on the brake pads. There weren't and after driving around in the parking lot like a F1 driving zigzagging the noise stopped as suddenly as it had started. Well lucky for me that it was probably a stone stuck somewhere which fell off. So the call centre guy was knowledgable and fairly polite and a good listener.
Well I also had a feedback call if all was well. And I was happy by the customer service gesture.

4) So far I have driven so far 350 kms without a break ( on my highway runs) and I don't feel any fatigue / back ache indicating that the seats are quite well ergonomically.

What I didn't like -
1) Sometimes in a parking lot the Black Knight seems like a Plain Jane. (Of course this depends on who the neighbors are). However I know what it is capable of and so I tend to ignore this.
2) When at low RPM but higher gears , the gear change indicator shows to switch to lower gears the speed actually increases as the electronics in the car try to boost the speed to a certain extent. If unaware this can be a tad dangerous as you find that your car is actually speeding up a bit. I am used to it so I am kind of OK but my wife complains as she rarely drives this car and has to be alert to this type of change.

So far overall I have been completely satisfied that my 10.5 lakhs has been well invested in a vehicle which is really great for Indian roads and a worthy mile-muncher. Hope to have many many more kms and memorable journeys in my VW Vento TDI.
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Old 11th May 2012, 13:58   #37
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

Congrats for completing one year with Black Knight .
Very good to know it kept smile on you for those 20k odd kms.I too enjoying my Black TDI ,yes the real fun with the car is only on highways. I find it very easy to overtake and maintain speeds. My earliar drive is stantro so a big jump on highway experience.

i completely agree on your "plain Jane" observation. Black Vento does look stunning after a good polish/wash,but keeping that in that state is a challenge.
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Old 26th May 2012, 11:46   #38
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

Great to read your thread and very good to know that your experience have been great so far, I too got a Black Vento, any suggestions on keeping it clean?

Wishing you many happy miles ahead on the Black Knight!
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Old 16th October 2012, 10:50   #39
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

An update on this thread after a long time , 30,000 kms later to be precise. I have now relocated to Bangalore after a brief 1 yr stint in Hyderabad. Throughout this time my Black Knight has been a trouble free workhorse by my side in thick and thin. It has become one the precious things in my life. In rain , heat , bad roads , smooth roads in the multiple trips between Pune -Hyderabad and Hyderabad and Bangalore.
My latest experience here that I will document as it unfolds is getting my steed serviced in Bangalore. I know it sounds easy. But so far I have been calling around the VW dealerships. Here is what has happened so far -
I took the layman's approach. Opened the website and located a workshop in Bangalore. It lists three. VW Palace Cross is the furthest from my house. I prefer going to VW Bangalore which is on Magrath Road. There is a third one listed called Elite Motors which is on Hosur Road.
Now I called VW Bangalore and they said "Workshop closed". When I called Elite Motors the phone number did not exist. Now the only option is Palace Cross which is very far from my house. So I called VW Toll free. Guess what they told me , Elite Motors is one and the same as VW Bangalore and no workshop exists on Hosur Road. Friends staying in that part confirmed there is a VW showroom.
So there is a total disconnect on the VW Website and the actual details of the dealers or workshops which is very disappointing.
There is one VW showroom who is opening a workshop soon (VW Whitefield). Again no details on the website or with the call centre folk. So my search goes on . I wrote to VW highlighting the problem they threw it at VW Bangalore and I got an apology (inspite of the fact that I had no complaint) but no solution for me where I wanted to take it a workshop to get servicing. Right now looks like Palace Cross is the only option for a newcomer like me.
Let me see what turns up this week. Will write in.
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Old 16th October 2012, 12:47   #40
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

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Originally Posted by ambivalent_98 View Post
So there is a total disconnect on the VW Website and the actual details of the dealers or workshops which is very disappointing.
There is one VW showroom who is opening a workshop soon (VW Whitefield). Again no details on the website or with the call centre folk. So my search goes on . I wrote to VW highlighting the problem they threw it at VW Bangalore and I got an apology (inspite of the fact that I had no complaint) but no solution for me where I wanted to take it a workshop to get servicing. Right now looks like Palace Cross is the only option for a newcomer like me.
Let me see what turns up this week. Will write in.
It is good you've put it up here. I'd say stay away from VW Bangalore and their service center as far as possible! Take a day off and go to Palace Cross workshop that is on Hasserghatta. Also try to be present near your car when they are servicing it

There simply are too many horror stories about VW Bangalore here. One of our mods ( I think Samurai ) has also documented his Jetta repair woes in his ownership thread. I hope the new service center (VW Whitefield) comes up soon and they have some good people. I bought my car from that dealership and at least the new building is coming up quite nice. It is also conveniently located for me (only about 1Km from my office). They were supposed to start the workshop in Aug, thats what they told me when I bought my car (2 months I was told! But anytime anybody asks them about the workshop this answer has remained the same - 2 months!)

Last edited by joslicx : 16th October 2012 at 12:50.
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Old 16th October 2012, 15:34   #41
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

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It is good you've put it up here. I'd say stay away from VW Bangalore and their service center as far as possible! Take a day off and go to Palace Cross workshop that is on Hasserghatta. Also try to be present near your car when they are servicing it

There simply are too many horror stories about VW Bangalore here. One of our mods ( I think Samurai ) has also documented his Jetta repair woes in his ownership thread. I hope the new service center (VW Whitefield) comes up soon and they have some good people. I bought my car from that dealership and at least the new building is coming up quite nice. It is also conveniently located for me (only about 1Km from my office). They were supposed to start the workshop in Aug, thats what they told me when I bought my car (2 months I was told! But anytime anybody asks them about the workshop this answer has remained the same - 2 months!)
I guess you are right. VW Whitefield has slipped the deadline by a week. Starting on 16th was the earlier update. NOw it is starting on 24th.
I was on the phone right after the post. VW Bangalore told me flat out that they won't accept cars.
Palace Cross is booked for a month with no empty slots till Nov 15th. But this is pathetic on VW's part for a city as big as Bangalore that it has all come to one workshop. I am wondering if I can get the servicing done from Mysore. I did see a showroom on Hunsur road. I don't know keeping my fingers crossed that VW Whitefield opens its workshop on time else my car is showing me 300 kms to go for servicing. I can drag on but I don't like doing that. Also if I go beyond the recommended limit of servicing I don't know VW will put that as a factor and charge me extra for parts replacement. I don't know and I don't intend to find out.
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Old 16th October 2012, 15:48   #42
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

Welcome to Bangalore, @ambivalent_98

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I guess you are right. VW Whitefield has slipped the deadline by a week. Starting on 16th was the earlier update. NOw it is starting on 24th.
Great to know VW Whitefield is starting soon! It would be much closer for me than Palace Cross's Hesarghatta workshop. I too would suggest you to avoid VW Bangalore like the plague.

Quote:
I don't know keeping my fingers crossed that VW Whitefield opens its workshop on time else my car is showing me 300 kms to go for servicing. I can drag on but I don't like doing that. Also if I go beyond the recommended limit of servicing I don't know VW will put that as a factor and charge me extra for parts replacement. I don't know and I don't intend to find out.
A couple of hundred kms above the prescribed service interval should be fine. AFAIK, there have been a few TBHPians who serviced their cars a little late and had no such problems.

Last edited by nileshch : 16th October 2012 at 15:50.
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Old 17th October 2012, 08:58   #43
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

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Welcome to Bangalore, @ambivalent_98



Great to know VW Whitefield is starting soon! It would be much closer for me than Palace Cross's Hesarghatta workshop. I too would suggest you to avoid VW Bangalore like the plague.



A couple of hundred kms above the prescribed service interval should be fine. AFAIK, there have been a few TBHPians who serviced their cars a little late and had no such problems.

THanks buddy (I do hope no sarcasm was intended in that welcome). Well I am really hoping that before my 1800 kms drive home and back I can get my car serviced.This happy drive is before DIwali when I am going home to Pune. Hopefully VW Whitefield's workshop will be up and running. I called them and asked if I can book up in advance for the appointment but they said that till the workshop opens it would be tough to say.
Anyway I have a little time on my side. I will update the service experience with VW Whitefield. I think people's purchase experience has been good with them so far.
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Old 17th October 2012, 09:25   #44
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

OT Question - are you still having the MH12 number plate, or you changed to AP/KA numbers?

Trivia Question - How does the (general) city traffic fare when you compare Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad? Junta in all three cities keep telling me their city traffic is the worst - you should have a fair idea.

P.s. When I meant Pune traffic, I am not referring to Hinjewadi traffic
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Old 17th October 2012, 10:54   #45
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Re: My Black Knight - Vento TDI Black. The saga after 1500 kms

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Anyway I have a little time on my side. I will update the service experience with VW Whitefield. I think people's purchase experience has been good with them so far.
Looking forward to your experience with them, and I think I am not the only one. Lot of people have to drive all the way to Hasserghatta for every small thing which is such a big problem in itself. I can only hope VW Whitefield will have some good SAs and technicians and people do not have to go thru the problems that plague VW Bangalore.
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