[siddharthdeb]

Originally Posted by thoma

What is with this "Vehicle front + rear measured" for INR 414/- ? Is it a precision job?

Good question, I think it is a fancy title for the same job

A couple and more of noob questions from me (open to everybody) :
- can the WA/WB be requested by the customer to be done from outside?

Yes definitely you can tell them. It will be noted and not done.

- is the VAS scanning a compulsory from VW under the 15k service or have you complained about anything related.

I clearly told them I do not want the programmed functions to be lost. May be it is for that or a g other upgrades.

- was the A/C disinfection a request job?

No this is a part of regular service schedule as I was given to understand. But I was complaining of odours too.

- is the engine mounts hydraulic or rubber?

Experts any views?

- can we DIY a air-filter cleaning (before it is replaced at 15k) or can it be opened by the ASC only?

Not sure about DIY but the muck it generates warrants a replacement. But I think it should be DIY for the more adventurous types

My answers are below your questions. Apologies as replying via the phone

Sid

[siddharthdeb]

So after months of procrastinating and listening in sufferance to stock setup, I finally made the call to our very own Bass&trouble booked an appointment and it was finally done.

My upgrade choices were fairly limited as I wanted to retain the stock HU, and was looking more towards clarity. I had already purchased the Focal Integration 165 Co-axials which were destined to do duty in the rear doors. So that left the front doors to be dealt with and Ajay suggested Focal Integration 165 Components for best results.

No Amplifier or Sub-woofer yet, although it is not really out of the question.
Some pictures of the install. 5* to the installers at Ajay's place they know their job and are very meticulous.



DIY Speaker Clips, These just clip into the existing speaker out in the doors. 0 Cutting



Another View



The Gear



Rear door panel dis-assembly







Door Damping



OEM Speakers.





Rear Co-Axial 's



Rear Co-Axial's back view



Front door dis-assembly



Wiring for the tweeters



Front door Damping



Front Components






Tweeter Placement on the dash ( though after seeing Bass&Trouble's pod's I am having serious pangs)


And now the final verdict : Let me put it this way Daft Punk - Get Lucky feel alive post the speaker change. And this is in a 10 min listening, as the speakers run in they will sound only better. The clarity level on these speakers, which they extract from the OEM HU is astonishing.

Yes I can still go bonkers by adding additional Amplifiers and a sub woofer, but then I will still crave for a further update of the HU and the list will just go on and on and unfortunately the only thing limited is money.

Now the only thing missing is the Disco Ball that is hanging in Bass&Trouble's city.

So for me this is the best bang for the buck in the budget I had. All in all i spent under 18K for everything and am a very happy Listener .

Cheers
Sid

[siddharthdeb]

I have been delaying about writing this post for some time (20K happened on 15 Sep). I finally managed to get some space and time to pen this down. It is very hard to write about a car that is your daily driver and when you spend a lot of time in it and most of its quirks are just given.

The car completed 20K recently and I decided to get the car detailed at the 3M store at Andheri W. The monsoon was relentless this year and the car was really dirty. Some pics of the car being detailed and post detailing pics.

Other Updates :

- The door squeaks are there, but nothing a good cleaning and silicone spray cant solve.

- Everything else works like day 1, the engine noise is there, I crank up the volume

- The rear logo has been stolen, it probably adorns someones else's car. Will be replaced very soon.

- I know I am repeating but i love the way the car's door close. I gets me every time

- I wish VW would make purchasing of spares as easy as Maruti. It will do wonders for the brand.

- I recently drove a brand new Renault Duster, the ergonomics are just disastrous, and some how the build quality is not justified for a 13L car

- Though I used 3M for the detailing (it was a spur of the moment thing), I will still recommend Kamyo's work.

- The worst part post detailing, it rained like crazy the next few days.. The perils of a petrolhead.



































Attachment 1156691





Cheers

[siddharthdeb]

The 30K 2 Year Update.

Procrastination
pro·cras·ti·na·tion
[proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn, pruh‐]
noun
the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention:

No I do not procrastinate regarding matters of my car.... It’s just that I have been, well procrastinating to write the two year experience with the car.

The 2 year Service cost me around 10K + 3.7K for the brake pads change and brake disc skimming and labour.

Oh and also renewed the 2nd year insurance.

It’s been a pretty uneventful 2nd year for the Vento, did another 14K, the car took its share of bruises thanks to Mumbai and some of its more inconsiderate drivers. But the car has performed flawlessly. No squeaks, no rattles, steady FE of 14.5 -15.5 in city climbing to 20+ on the highway runs, it would have got more but I have a lead foot.

There were no issues per se, but then it’s the little things that bug me and hence something has to be told. Niggles reported:-

1. Auto Wind down of rear left window not happening via the driver side console. Works fine from the door itself. Action - Power window switch console to be replaced under warranty. (Part Not available immediately)
2. Car Pulling to the left (I think this is a VW trait, seen it in multiple Polo's and Vento's). Action - Alignment balancing done. Tyre replacement suggested.( i am to blame here, I missed a few alignment in the middle)
3. Squeaky Gear knob. Action – Lubrication done, if the issue persists further action to be taken. Issue Persisted, Gear Change mechanism replaced under warranty.

The rest of the service was fairly standard. I specifically asked for no extra work to be done. No windshield washer fluid etc. The car was delivered on time and it was a pretty reasonable service, though the power window switch was not available and an order was placed.

I also got the headlamp bulbs switched to Philips extreme vision, an improvement over the stock bulbs. That is all.

Now here is where it gets interesting, the next day the customer satisfaction call comes and asks me the standard questions about the service yada, yada. I end up mentioning that the part was not available and the SA will call me when it’s available. I was pretty casual about it (cause it was not bothering me at all, and it’s kind of painful to go to the service center) no aggression etc, the lady listens and says she will call me back. In precisely ten minutes I get a call that the part has been shipped from the factory and please get the car in tomorrow for the work.The next day when I go to the service center I mention a irritant I had with the gear shifts mechanism, it’s still there. It did not interfere in the operation at all, I just have an OCD about squeaks they drive me insane (one of my biggest peeves with my swift). The SA listens and notes the issue down. At 12 get a call, they will be replacing the complete gear shift mechanism under warranty (PLUS I was lucky, the part was in stock). I was pleasantly surprised because I was only expecting another lube job.

And oh car came back properly washed and vacuumed too.

I have been to this service center a few times (not just for my car, my colleagues cars too), and I have a progressive level of improvement in quality of service from there. They are getting there, just not fast enough.
Of late a lot has been said about the VW group cars and the overall service and while I cannot and will no comment on every single owner out there, but then it’s not my shoe that is pinching. VW has a fair level to go, the easiest example I can give is when Hyundai came to India in 1998-99 and we picked up our first Hyundai in 99, it was not just the car, but it was the service level provided that Hyundai, that made the entire completion pull their socks up. Maruti was not as good as it is now, but that’s what competition does to you. VW must realize that building good cars is not enough, selling the car is not enough it’s the whole experience that matter and getting the service part has been a thorn in almost all European manufacturers, fiat or VW or Skoda and dare I say even the more expensive Germans too.

My take on some the problems faced by the VAG group especially in terms of service and cost of spares (some of them are just plain exorbitant) (2200 for a rear logo … come on).

1. The VAG group concept of model years, awesome for the consumer because each year you get a better car, with more additions etc., at the same time its Japanese or Korean counterpart will have only one change in the middle of its model run. These small but different changes by the VAG group causes too much confusion and issues for even the manufacturers themselves. They can’t seem to keep the costs down. I have not seen a single VAG retail parts store. Everything is linked to the bloody VIN number. One number here and there and your cars parts are significantly expensive. Case point: Brake Pads: my cars cost 1800 a pair, some model years have the priced at 3000+.
2. Lot of has been said about German build quality. And with each New Year as they get the localization more and more, parts get cheaper but the quality does take a hit too. I did see some of the newer cars have definitely cut corners on the quality of plastics.
3. The Germans are very very very particular about any warranty repair, unlike the Japanese counterparts, one replacement for the Vento involved a photo, a video and a sound sample that was actually sent to the VW office for approval.
4. 15k/1y is a really convenient feature and practical, but our Indian conditions really need 6m service. I know a lot of the VW owners actually skip the 7.5K inspection service, in-fact even VW does not actively promote it, but in our conditions they are a life saver, issues can be detected earlier and rectified faster and cheaper.
5. As an owner a lot of us have the chalta hai attitude, we let a small niggle slide and only when they become huge we go to the service center and blame the damn car because it’s unreliable. Here's the problem that VW face they just can’t compete with the rest of the market on spare part pricing or on service levels.
6. They need to spend less money on “DAS AUTO”, and more money on getting more training to the service staff.

Today after using a VW for 2 years, I can safely say that I am happier with the Vento than I was with my Swift. OK a lot of you will say that hey the Vento costs twice as much, but no that is not the point, just as twice the price does not mean twice the fun, I mean the swift is way more fun than the Vento on any given day, but it is the sum of all the little things that matter. Yes a Verna would have been more feature loaded, but then it does not have the thunk when the door closes, the Sx4 would have been cheaper but then it does not have the thunk when the door closes, The Linea would have been cheaper but it does not have the thunk when the door closes (ok, it does but then the statement is moot) (actually the Linea was left out because the MJD cant match the 1.6 TDi).

There may be faster, better looking, cheaper .... And the list goes on but this Vento is my car and to me it’s the best car in the world. I love how the build quality is spot on even after 2 years of use and abuse. There are no squeaks or rattles, the service cost are reasonable to me. And as long as that is acceptable to me it does not matter what the rest of the world thinks(aka only the owner knows where the shoe bites). Now after reading the last line people will say that I am a fan boy. I am not, but then aren’t we all, we love our cars and when they don’t perform the way they are supposed to we get pissed off, especially when the guy in charge of fixing it does not give a hoot.

Also a candid confession I would have bought the XUV 500 had the bookings been open. There I said it.

Enough talk. Some more random thoughts on the car
1. Apparently the CT series of Vento cars have no official service bulletin on them.
2. Apparently the clutch plate assembly on the TDi costs 25K, and another 25K for the pressure plate. Can somebody please tell me I am wrong?


Some highlights / low lights, irritants of my two year ownerships

1. Parts replaced under warranty

a. Front Driver side door rubber beading (both inside and outside)
b. Engine Mounts
c. Drive side Power Window switch
d. Gear Shift mechanism

2. Modifications done

a. Speakers upgraded to Focal Integration.
b. Stock Headlamp bulbs changed to Philips extreme Vision.

3. Irritants

a. The door squeaks - My evergreen solution - A can of silicon lubricant
b. The stock headlamps are horrible, the new bulbs provide may be a 10% improvement.
c. Why no Bluetooth love VW, why?
d. VW has a huge catalog of accessories / upgrades available for their cars. I wish they would bring them in India. They would be expensive but hell I will pay for them.

3. Pending upgrades

a. Tyre change – the car has eaten its Apollo’s in the last 30K. I am in two minds about the whether to upsize or not. I have made a list of the available choices. My No.1 Priority is ride quality and quietness

i. Yokohama AVS DB V550 – 195/60/15
ii. Michelin P3ST – 195/60/15

b. The Battery has a life of 2.5 odd years so any suggestions on that too.

c. One fine day when I get bored with the RCD 310, I will upgrade to the Blaupunkt Philadelphia HU.

Some Random pics of the car at various points in the last 10K.


Japanese v/s German Tech


Japanese v/s German Tech




A Huge Thanks to our very own cartman for these shots


A Huge Thanks to our very own cartman for these shots




A Huge Thanks to our very own cartman for these shots





















And The 30K Milestone.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers
Sid

[Ompsingh]

Hey Siddharth, thanks for the detailed experience with your VW. I am planning on upgrading my speakers to a set of Focals and wouldn't like to stretch beyond 25k. I have enquired about the same at the VW service center in Thane and the suggested set fits the price.

Going by your experience, I'm quite convinced and upbeat about the upgrade. Wanted to know a few things though;
1. Is damping really required?
2. Tweeters haven't been suggested by the dealer, do I still need to go for them?
3. Would you recommend getting this done from elsewhere rather, wouldn't wanna get fleeced.

Since you've been using these for a good 2 years now, will await your suggestions.

Cheers,
Om

[karansm4u]

Originally Posted by siddharthdeb

2. Apparently the clutch plate assembly on the TDi costs 25K, and another 25K for the pressure plate. Can somebody please tell me I am wrong?

I enquired about it last month and 25K-28K is for Pressure Plate + clutch plate + bearing. If flywheel is also damaged than it will add another 20K.

So with flywheel whole clutch assembly work with labour is going to cost around 48-50K.