[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

It is not so much the bright lights as the AWFUL DRIVING ETIQUETTE and badly adjusted headlamps. This is no excuse for manufacturers to give us low quality bulbs. What about a scenario on a deserted road with no street lighting? Isnt there more potential for an accident to be caused due to poor lights? There is no question of blinding oncoming traffic with any sort of bulbs if you dip your lights, and have the beams adjusted from time to time. There are also levelers in all cars now.

Yup. Poor driving etiquette and lack of awareness is what is the concern if car makers started providing extra bright headlights. There are users on the road not aware that there exists a 'dipper switch' let alone the HLD.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

I also love the way the thermostat knob really works in steps. In many cars you can practically feel only COLD, warm and HOT.

I agree with you regarding the thermostat working in steps. But my 2006 Alto also has this thermostat with steps.
Also I would like to ask all techies how these car thermostats work. Unlike the home ACs where the compressor cuts off when the set temperature is achieved, car ACs dont seem to cut-off. Instead, I feel the compressor works all the time but temperature is controlled by mixing hot (read ambient) air with cold. Correct me if I am wrong. But if I switch the AC off, then why I get warm air when the knob is out of the blue zone (but not in the red zone)? The moment I turn the knob to blue zone, the air immeidiatly cools down without the AC on!

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

-Well apart from looking the part the innards, software and interface are totally different from the VW unit i would imagine. There are a few touchscreen models VW offers with/without BT and NAV. Just look at the "high end" touchscreen on the new Jetta highline..NO BLUETOOTH! It is pathetic for a car costing 20L OTR! VW has some beautiful HUs on the international Polo but dont offer them here.
-Some say it doesnt because no wires are cut but i am sure they will find some way of voiding warranty!
-It is as safe as any camera that is mounted over the license plate i guess. The only other option is bumper mounted?
-HU + Camera + DHL Shipping + Duty + 6% for Paypal ~ 22000
JBL front components ~4500
JBL rear coaxials ~3000
Sony 4 channel amp ~5400
Installation Charge ~ 7000
total - ~41900

That is indeed a shocker! No Bluetooth on the Jetta is If the Punto can come with it, what's stopping VW from kitting the 20 lakh Jetta with it. 20 lakhs is a lot of money, so how would it hurt them if they throw in this kit, even at an option?!

I guess one can drill the camera into the rear bumper. And since your car is black, it wouldn't even be noticed. Although, I've heard of thefts taking place, even though the camera is drilled neatly into the bumper. The pains some hooligans take to rip you off.

42k for the entire kit is a great deal, if you ask me. Especially considering that no other HU suits the Polo this well.

Would you happen to know if the original 'Polo-spec' HU is available, perhaps in Europe? I'm sure it'll be quite a bomb.

[Chethan B G]

Congratulations Hossdoc! Head unit looks very good. Looks like Witson have changed the Skin. Happy and safe motoring!

[hossdoc]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Poor driving etiquette and lack of awareness is what is the concern if car makers started providing extra bright headlights.

Somehow i dont QUITE think that is the reason why they give us poor bulbs, just penny pinching. The bulbs on the Vista are FANTASTIC IMO. As for road etiquette, it is just getting worse every day. I think our country has tipped over the point of no hope.

Originally Posted by KkVaidya

Also I would like to ask all techies how these car thermostats work. Unlike the home ACs where the compressor cuts off when the set temperature is achieved, car ACs dont seem to cut-off. Instead, I feel the compressor works all the time but temperature is controlled by mixing hot (read ambient) air with cold. But if I switch the AC off, then why I get warm air when the knob is out of the blue zone (but not in the red zone)? The moment I turn the knob to blue zone, the air immeidiatly cools down without the AC on!

Interesting observation. I really dont know how these work. I do remember an AC wallah checking the cooling and compressor cut off in my Maruti 1000 a long time ago, so I think the compressors do cut off. He had inserted a probe in the vents to check temp and was checking at what temp the compressor cut off. They surely cannot be that inefficient that they run all the time. TECHIES HELP PLEASE?

Originally Posted by suhaas307

That is indeed a shocker! No Bluetooth on the Jetta is . If the Punto can come with it, what's stopping VW from kitting the 20 lakh Jetta with it. 20 lakhs is a lot of money, so how would it hurt them if they throw in this kit, even at an option?!
42k for the entire kit is a great deal, if you ask me.
Would you happen to know if the original 'Polo-spec' HU is available, perhaps in Europe? I'm sure it'll be quite a bomb.

There is no BT on the BMW 320D CE and the X1 base model as well! The "option" costs 50-70K depending on the dealer. You can pick up the original BMW bluetooth model for almost a third of that from abroad and have it fitted for free! All these guys, not just the hooligans on the street, are ripping us off.
As for the camera, well, one cant/shouldn't live in fear, but it is hard when one loves cars so much! That was another factor, to be honest, in getting rid of the bimmer. Was constantly worried about scratches and dents and what not.
42 k I think was cool. All in all I have spent ~7,80,000 on the car and it is totally transformed and still a bit less than the OTR of the Polo TDI highline!
Original VW head units fit a wide variety of VW and Skoda models. The same unit will fit the Jetta for instance. The RNS 510 you get abroad looks exactly like the Witson I put in and has NAV/BT/voice commands etc. VW has put in the RCD 510, which is a downgrade of the same in the new jetta. The trendline and comfortline dont even get this HU! The RNS 510 is available for 60-70K (or maybe less if you shop around) in the US.

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

Looks like Witson have changed the Skin.

Thanks Chetan. The software has changed according to many others who have installed this earlier. It is very well finished and well integrated from the outside. Audio quality cannot compare with your Pioneer for sure but is decent enough thanks to the amp. Loved your install too!

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by hossdoc

The low end torque is excellent. The car pulls with 4 aboard effortlessly in 4th gear at 35 kmph. Driving with a light foot in the city is a breeze.

Wow, that's good to know. I love the looks of Polo (VW/SKoda cars are perfect looking, nice, clean, boxy looks. I hate those fluidic cars, you know) but never managed to like the engines when Polo was launched. Always thought they should have launched Polo with 1.2 TFSI unit. When one is buying a German hatchback, mostly likely he is not looking at price anyway.

Originally Posted by hossdoc

I HAVE NOT INSTALLED A FRONT WINDSHIELD FILM! WILL NEVER EVER DO THAT! VKool T-35 on the sides and back and only because I had to adjust about 9K in dealer accessories. None of the cars I have self driven in the past had ANY sort of sunfilm except my Maruti 1000 which had a relatively weak AC.

Thanks.

May be I misread one of your posts and thought it was front windshield film. Afterall, none of us is King Khan (remember the stupid Hyundai TV ads some years ago)?

The fact is, as of today, we can not change the laws of Physics.
Anything that blocks the heat has to block visible light to some extent.

Originally Posted by hossdoc

In Cochin there is no summer or winter. Either it is raining or it is really HOT and humid.

Ha ha ha. Well said. It's pretty much like Konkan where I belong.

Originally Posted by hossdoc

It is not so much the bright lights as the AWFUL DRIVING ETIQUETTE and badly adjusted headlamps. This is no excuse for manufacturers to give us low quality bulbs. What about a scenario on a deserted road with no street lighting? Isnt there more potential for an accident to be caused due to poor lights? There is no question of blinding oncoming traffic with any sort of bulbs if you dip your lights, and have the beams adjusted from time to time. There are also levelers in all cars now.

I agree.
The the first/second gen Indicas were horrible, high beam/low beam did not seem to make any difference....

[Omega Man]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

The fact is, as of today, we can not change the laws of Physics.
Anything that blocks the heat has to block visible light to some extent.

3M Crystalline window films reject up to 97% of the sun's heat producing infrared light and block up to 60% of the heat coming through your windows. Crystalline films allow up to 90% of the light into your vehicle.

[Nimz]

Hi Hossdoc:

Congrats on your smashing German beauty. I am also thinking of getting a Polo 1.6 and wanted to ask you if you experience a lag - once u tap the accelerator pedal there is a millisecond gap after which the car surges ahead. I experienced this in the TD vehicle and the sales person assured me that it was because the engine had not "opened up". Just wanted to check if you experienced it too or if it was just a one off situation..

Thanks mate

Nimz

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Omega Man

3M Crystalline window films reject up to 97% of the sun's heat producing infrared light and block up to 60% of the heat coming through your windows. Crystalline films allow up to 90% of the light into your vehicle.

Right.
As you said, even with these films, there is 10% reduction in visibility.
It makes a huge difference in the night.

[hossdoc]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Always thought they should have launched Polo with 1.2 TFSI unit. When one is buying a German hatchback, mostly likely he is not looking at price anyway.

Tell me about it. They have such a fantastic range of engines. India is probably the only country to get this 1.6. Sad state of affairs then, if we are all going ga ga over an outdated phased out engine! How about they give us the Polo GTI? I would take it anyday with NO features. That 180 HP 1.4 TSI just makes me drool. There is a 200+ HP Polo R on the way as well. Just NOT FAIR!

Originally Posted by Omega Man

3M Crystalline window films reject up to 97% of the sun's heat producing infrared light and block up to 60% of the heat coming through your windows. Crystalline films allow up to 90% of the light into your vehicle.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Right.
As you said, even with these films, there is 10% reduction in visibility.
It makes a huge difference in the night.

I have also never been a fan of film because it hampers peripheral visibility at night. Does not matter what kind of film or what the specs say. It is a trade off between marginally quicker cooling and a very noticeable reduction in tanning of the right arm after a long drive , AND, reduced visibility at night. Personal preference. Best never to use really dark tints just for the looks is all i can say.

Originally Posted by Nimz

I am also thinking of getting a Polo 1.6 and wanted to ask you if you experience a lag - once u tap the accelerator pedal there is a millisecond gap after which the car surges ahead. I experienced this in the TD vehicle and the sales person assured me that it was because the engine had not "opened up". Just wanted to check if you experienced it too or if it was just a one off situation..

Maybe I am not the best judge having driven turbo diesels for so many years but I would say no lag at all. He responds in a very linear fashion to throttle inputs. Boy you are REALLY LUCKY to find a dealer with a 1.6 TD vehicle!! The dealer here has only the 1.2 Polo Petrol and 1.6 Vento petrol and expects you to extrapolate from driving the two!

[himanshu_j]

I think they keep updating the software. No wires were cut to my knowledge.
One thing I noted was that the wiring harness that came with the HU did not match the car! This is because the INDIAN POLO AND VENTO use the OLD connectors from the international MARK IV POLO! Zuheimi used the proper connectors and that is all was needed I think for the reverse cam to function properly. Will call him and confirm as many people have asked me this question.

Could you elaborate more on the connectors and the wiring harness? Where could I source the required connectors? sorry but i am a complete noob

[Utopian]

Originally Posted by KkVaidya

I agree with you regarding the thermostat working in steps. But my 2006 Alto also has this thermostat with steps.
Also I would like to ask all techies how these car thermostats work. Unlike the home ACs where the compressor cuts off when the set temperature is achieved, car ACs dont seem to cut-off. Instead, I feel the compressor works all the time but temperature is controlled by mixing hot (read ambient) air with cold. Correct me if I am wrong. But if I switch the AC off, then why I get warm air when the knob is out of the blue zone (but not in the red zone)? The moment I turn the knob to blue zone, the air immeidiatly cools down without the AC on!

It is not a thermostat technically- it is simply a temperature knob which control the mixing of cold and hot air to get a given air temperature. There is a flap which opens as we slide the knob towards the red zone to feed hot air. The heat for the same is obtained from the coolant.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by Utopian

It is not a thermostat technically- it is simply a temperature knob which control the mixing of cold and hot air to get a given air temperature. There is a flap which opens as we slide the knob towards the red zone to feed hot air. The heat for the same is obtained from the coolant.

Yes. That is what I was thinking; reason-
Even when the A/C button pressed off, you can feel the air temperatur chaning upon moving the knob from blue to uncoloured (not red - as that would turn the heater on) and vice versa.
But dont you think its incorrect as technically it should work as a temperatur contoller as found in Home A/Cs?
Maybe that's why high end cars have started giving what they call 'Auto A/C'!

[Utopian]

That's right. But one should appreciate that this method is simpler than an actual temperature controller. ACC, as you rightly said, has actual temp controllers.
Also, there is no separate heater for the red zone. At this knob position max amount of hot air is fed into the system.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by Utopian

Also, there is no separate heater for the red zone. At this knob position max amount of hot air is fed into the system.

But in winter, turning the knob into red zone gives Hot air! There should be a electric coil heater.