[sumannandy]

The car looks great. Would you mind share the details of the products (with cost) you used and where you get it? You did mention the car wash brand but honestly I have no idea on what is claying and where do you get it.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Man! What a finish you have there! Smashing results from the detailing session.

I would also love to start detailing my car. Unfortunately/ fortunately - I have a white car, and would never be able to achieve such 'whiplash effects'. Since you also started detailing now only - few questions.

Thanks! White car will have a 'warm' shine unlike cars with dark colors, you'll like it nonetheless!

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

1. What is the clay bar for? Why do it before waxing?

My knowledge is limited compared to the others here, but i'll answer to the best i can. Clay bar basically removes bonded contaminants form the paint surface. When you wash a car a lot of visible dust is removed, but if you touch the paint surface with your fingers, you'll feel a lot of contaminants not visible to the naked eye. Best way to check is to use a 'plastic bag' like zip-loc bags as it gives better sensitivity to your fingers

Clay bar removes these contaminants and helps the polish, sealant etc bond to the surface better.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

2. I don't have such a nice car parking facility. Hence I would prefer to wash and wax the car only, and no more additional hours. Currently - I have Amway car wash + Amyway silicon glaze (Polish) / Formula1 Carnauba Wax (New. Haven't tried on the car). Is this combination good enough?

If all you want to do is wash and wax, can i recommend better products ?
I've used 'turtle paste wax' before, not only is it very tough to apply it doesn't last as long. From what i've heard Formula 1 products aren't that great either and there a re a lot of fakes in the market.

I suggest:

Step 1:Wash
Wash the car with Amway car wash, using 2 bucket method. In the 1st bucked you have the car wash solution, second has clean water. Use a Microfiber towel for cleaning. Dip the MF towel in the soapy bucket, wash one section at a time (one fender, half bonnet etc.) and rinse the dirty towel in the clean water bucket. Before putting the towel on the paint surface ensure there is nothing sticking onto it and the towel is clean.
Use a separate MF towel to dry the car

Step 2: Claying
You'll need to buy a clay bar and clay lubricant. I've used mothers clay bar and its pretty good, however meguiars is rated better. Clay bar lubricant can be bought from any 3M store nearby. You can use Meguiars Quik Detailer as many have used it and are happy with it. Optimum no rinse (ONR) can also be used in a 1:64 ratio, diluting with water.

This step will leave the surface smooth as glass and clean so that the polish/wax/sealant you apply will bond better. I highly recommend this step.

Step 3: Wax/Polish
I'd recommend using Collinite 845 insulator wax as i've read its more durable than Turtle or Formula 1 waxes. Its not entirely carnauba, its a blend.

The collinite and clay bar can be bought from here:
BB Impex (P) Ltd. India, Collinite 845 Insulator Wax
Clay Bars

Originally Posted by thenomad

Job well done!! The results are excellent.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by sumannandy

The car looks great. Would you mind share the details of the products (with cost) you used and where you get it? You did mention the car wash brand but honestly I have no idea on what is claying and where do you get it.

I've written about claying and its benefits, you can go through it and if you have any queries do let me know

Products i used are:
1.Amway Car wash with Autocraft Wash Mitt: Cost ~850
2.Clay bar with clay lubricant: ~760
3.Blackfire Gloss enhacing polish and wet diamond paint sealant~3760
4. Lots of MF towels~You can buy Jopasu, set of 3 costs 499

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

I suggest:

Step 1:Wash
Wash the car with Amway car wash, using 2 bucket method. In the 1st bucked you have the car wash solution, second has clean water. Use a Microfiber towel for cleaning. Dip the MF towel in the soapy bucket, wash one section at a time (one fender, half bonnet etc.) and rinse the dirty towel in the clean water bucket. Before putting the towel on the paint surface ensure there is nothing sticking onto it and the towel is clean.
Use a separate MF towel to dry the car

Step 2: Claying
You'll need to buy a clay bar and clay lubricant. I've used mothers clay bar and its pretty good, however meguiars is rated better. Clay bar lubricant can be bought from any 3M store nearby. You can use Meguiars Quik Detailer as many have used it and are happy with it. Optimum no rinse (ONR) can also be used in a 1:64 ratio, diluting with water.

This step will leave the surface smooth as glass and clean so that the polish/wax/sealant you apply will bond better. I highly recommend this step.

Step 3: Wax/Polish
I'd recommend using Collinite 845 insulator wax as i've read its more durable than Turtle or Formula 1 waxes. Its not entirely carnauba, its a blend.

The collinite and clay bar can be bought from here:
BB Impex (P) Ltd. India, Collinite 845 Insulator Wax
Clay Bars

WOW! Thats exactly what I was looking for! Will get back to you once i get my hands on these products.

Need one more help. I had asked this in the cleaning guide, thread- but no replies. Would a car dashboard polish like STP Sun Of a Gun be helpful in protecting scooter plastics? The plastics in the scoot will be subjected to very harsh conditions (Chennai heat and dust) and i really hate to see it fade.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

WOW! Thats exactly what I was looking for! Will get back to you once i get my hands on these products.

Need one more help. I had asked this in the cleaning guide, thread- but no replies. Would a car dashboard polish like STP Sun Of a Gun be helpful in protecting scooter plastics? The plastics in the scoot will be subjected to very harsh conditions (Chennai heat and dust) and i really hate to see it fade.

I read your post, but i didn't respond as i had no idea. You can try it on the plastics, it'll give you a shine but i doubt if it'll last long. I tried dashboard polish on the outer plastics of my car, one wash and it disappeared!

An alternative could be Meguiars Natural Shine Protectant, a fellow member has used it on the interiors and exterior platics and he recommends it! I'm yet to research on the best products for vinyl/rubber etc.

[shashank.nk]

Update:

Car broke down,AGAIN!!

Just when i thought all troubles with my Polo had ended, its made a comeback with a vengeance!

We had to attend a family function, so mom and sister had taken the car along with a few of our relatives(all ladies apart from the driver) to Kadur (200 kms away from bangalore). When they were near Gubbi, driver noticed loss of pick-up,overheating and fumes from the bonnet.

He immediately pulled over, everyone alighted the car, waited for a few minutes and opened the bonnet to check what had opened. Oil level, coolant levels were all fine but the diesel pipe was broken and had caused diesel to spray over the car and leak from the wheel wells.

On careful examination, there were no rat bites anywhere and a local mechanic suspected a defective pipe. VW helpline has despatched a flat-bed from bangalore which should get there by 3 30pm or so.

Luckily the car didn't catch fire and the driver pulled over just in time. I shudder to think what would've happened had he not noticed this and responded quickly!

All is well with the family and they took a bus to Kadur.

Its been less than 10 days since my car cameback after a monsoon check-up and this happens. I'm fed up with this car!

[VishnuNarayanan]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Update:

Car broke down,AGAIN!!

Just when i thought all troubles with my Polo had ended, its made a comeback with a vengeance!

We had to attend a family function, so mom and sister had taken the car along with a few of our relatives(all ladies apart from the driver) to Kadur (200 kms away from bangalore). When they were near Gubbi, driver noticed loss of pick-up,overheating and fumes from the bonnet.

He immediately pulled over, everyone alighted the car, waited for a few minutes and opened the bonnet to check what had opened. Oil level, coolant levels were all fine but the diesel pipe was broken and had caused diesel to spray over the car and leak from the wheel wells.

On careful examination, there were no rat bites anywhere and a local mechanic suspected a defective pipe. VW helpline has despatched a flat-bed from bangalore which should get there by 3 30pm or so.

Luckily the car didn't catch fire and the driver pulled over just in time. I shudder to think what would've happened had he not noticed this and responded quickly!

All is well with the family and they took a bus to Kadur.

Its been less than 10 days since my car cameback after a monsoon check-up and this happens. I'm fed up with this car!

Its quite an unfortunate happening. Till now I had a feeling about Polo as a no nonsense car which would do all the rides perfectly considering the top notch built quality and furthur standards.
Hope VW would soon resolve the issues with your Polo.
Keep us updated !
Even though the car is troubling you a bit, I must say Polo in black color is definitely a looker !

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by VishnuNarayanan

Its quite an unfortunate happening. Till now I had a feeling about Polo as a no nonsense car which would do all the rides perfectly considering the top notch built quality and furthur standards.
Hope VW would soon resolve the issues with your Polo.
Keep us updated !
Even though the car is troubling you a bit, I must say Polo in black color is definitely a looker !

Yeah Polo in black is a head-turner for sure! Polo is a no-nonsense car which will serve you well. There are a lot of happy owners on the forum, my car is an exception and every now and then something or the other fails or needs replacement. Looks like I was sold a lemon!

[StarrySky]

Your experience could give a clue to the instances of VW vehicles catching fire, with fire starting from the bonnet. Your family has had a lucky escape. Thank God and your driver for staying alert.

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

There are a lot of happy owners on the forum, my car is an exception and every now and then something or the other fails or needs replacement. Looks like I was sold a lemon!

I think you are not alone. My father stays quite near a VW showroom/A.S.C and I had a conversation with him yesterday that went like this:

Father: Any issues with X's Vento? (X being my good friend and colleague)
Me: No, why?
Father: I see lot of Polos being taken on flatbed trucks, seems VW cars have lot of issues. Good I didn't buy Polo (he bought a Ritz just about a month back, a major reason being Maruti reliability).

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Your experience could give a clue to the instances of VW vehicles catching fire, with fire starting from the bonnet. Your family has had a lucky escape. Thank God and your driver for staying alert.

Very much possible. The local mechanic had a thorough look at the diesel pipe and told us its cut at more than one place! And he couldn't find any rat bite marks, looked like a clean cut v/s any bite marks.

My family was seriously lucky, being a diesel car also helped i guess as diesel doesn't catch fire as quickly as a petrol does. Driver said the car stalled and came to a halt with slight fumes from the bonnet, when he opened it, there was a lot of smoke and he could see diesel spill all over.

Car is now at VW workshop. Lets see what they have to say about this.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I think you are not alone. My father stays quite near a VW showroom/A.S.C and I had a conversation with him yesterday that went like this:

Father: Any issues with X's Vento? (X being my good friend and colleague)
Me: No, why?
Father: I see lot of Polos being taken on flatbed trucks, seems VW cars have lot of issues. Good I didn't buy Polo (he bought a Ritz just about a month back, a major reason being Maruti reliability).

Good choice going for a Ritz. I didn't know Polo's loved a flat-bed ride so much

To All,

Guys, going through my experience do you think my car is a 'lemon' or just a problematic car ?

Is it worth fighting with VW asking for a replacement or atleast do a thorough check-up ?
OR
should i sell my car for whatever its worth and get a new one ? Its an economic disaster and I'll lose almost 2 lakhs depending on which car i buy, but it won't really 'pinch'

[shashank.nk]

Update:

The issue has been identified as a clip/blot near the fuel injector which has gone lose and this resulted in a diesel spray on the engine bay and other parts. My sister also mentioned she could see some diesel spray on the rear windshield, wheel wells, wires in the underbody.

It took them a few mins to rectify the issue, but diagnosis took a lot of time and i've to pay Rs. 1000 for diesel they used while diagnosing. This after the car having half-tank of fuel when it was taken on the flat-bed. The SA i'm dealing with is new and a honest chap, so my experience is slightly better when compared to before.

Guys, is there a possibility of engine damage or fuel filter damage because of this? As the diesel leaked out, the fuel:air mixture in the cylinder would've gone for a toss. Also, once the car stalled my driver and the VW guys tried to crank many times.
Is it something I should be worried about ?

[shashank.nk]

Update (Long post)

The car is finally back with me. Had been to the workshop and after a long TD was satisfied the car is temporarily 'ok'. I handed over a letter mentioning all the breakdowns and replacements till date. Initially they refused to give any acknowledgement, but agreed to it finally and put their seal and Senior Service Manager's signature on our office copy.

He's promised he'll reply to it by mail, so will have to follow up on that.

Post 6k i notice changes in the engine. Its a lot smoother at lower revs and the lugging ability has certainly improved. I can now take big speed breakers with 4 on-board in the 2nd gear. I don't see any change in how the car surges. The steering noise has been taken care of, the gearbox is still hard but notice it is hard in other diesel polo's too,one with 11k on the odo.

Hope there are no breakdowns in future. Fingers crossed!

I drove the new-gen i20 a week ago (30 kms TD), here's a small comparison with my Polo.

Looks: I like how the i20 looks, especially from the front but the rear spoils the overall looks and is quite quirky. I'm a fan of german design and like simple,understated looks. So Polo is my pick.

Build Quality: i20 is built well, better than Swift for sure.But Polo is in a different league altogether, certain parts like the drivers door handle feel really very durable and overall Polo feels better built.

Engine: A full 5/5 for the i20. Excellent engine really! NVH is comparable to some 20 lakh rupee sedans, the cabin is well insulated and you don't hear the typical diesel clatter. It sounds nothing like a diesel, more like an unrefined petrol.

The throttle response even below 2k rpm is far better than in the Polo, you never feel that the car is under-powered with the i20, once the turbo kicks in at 2k rpm (no push back feeling) it only gets better. Power delivery is linear and mature.

Turbo-lag is there, but its much less than in the Polo and one can live with it within the city. On the highway this car can easily do 150+ without too much of an effort, it pulls like a locomotive even at 100+ km/hr.

However i didn't like the in-gear acceleration at all. If your stuck in the wrong gear, it takes quite sometime before the car gets moving and can lead to dangerous situations on the highway.But downshift, get back in the power-band and she flies!

Polo TDI in comparison is noisy,unrefined and lethargic below 2k rpm.Its pretty good post 2k rpm an you'll be happy with the power on hand and the throttle response. Polo cries for a 4cyl refined engine! VW are you listening ? Also you feel a lot of drivetrain movement on the pedals and the steering also to an extent.

Gearbox: The i20 gearbox is very smooth and not hard like in the Polo. The gears slot in well, but its not as sure slotting as in my Polo. Even though its slightly hard, i prefer the Polo's gearbox for the overall feel. The clutch in the i20 is smooth with short play, Polo's also smooth but with a long play. Pick what you want.

Suspension & Ride Quality: If the i20 owns the Polo when it comes to the engine, the Polo simply owns the i20 both in the city and highway when it comes to the Supension and the ride quality.

Polo has a slightly stiff ride at low speeds but it settles down at high speeds, the suspension makes a noise when you go over potholes but not much is felt in the cabin. On the open road the the ride is FLAT and the vertical movements are well controlled (by hatchback standards). Thanks to the higher GC you won't be scraping anywhere.

I drove the i20 where i usually drive my Polo and i found myself slowing down more than usual for familiar bumps and potholes. On the highways if your at speed the excessive vertical movement will scare the driver and the passenger. Its even worse if your mid corner and encounter such bumps. In the city, the low speed ride is pretty good but the suspension doesn't handle potholes as well as the Polo and you're better off slowing down.

Interiors are pretty good in the i20 too, but i prefer the Polo's dash, somehow it feels more upmarket and big-car like. i20 has more space and the front seats are a tad bit better, but Polo has more usable cup-holders in the front seat pockets. Boot space is more or less same.

Handling: Polo wins again, hands down! Polo also has an EPS and i hated it when compared to the Skoda's HPS, but its good enough and feels 'connected'. The handling at high speeds is big-car like, it masks speeds well and. You'll enjoy the handling and dynamics on the open road, only the engine will let you down if you're the kind who drives at 120+ all the time.

i20 in comparison is a total disaster. I had no idea that the steering could be so 'disconnected'. Its probably the worst in the segment and is devoid of ANY feel and is 'video game like'. Very scary at high speeds as you have no idea what the front wheels are upto. The speed masking ability is not as good as in the Polo and it makes you aware of what speeds you're doing. Dynamics made me chuck the old i20, and i'm disappointed nothing has changed since then.

I liked the brakes on my Polo as they have better bite and it cuts down speed MUCH quicker than the i20 which has disc brakes all around.

Equipment: i20 wins here, hands down! You get SO much for what you pay. Polo feels like daylight robbery at the same price with 50% equipment compared to the i20.

All in all the i20 is an awesome package, but I'd still buy the Polo as I like to drive car with sorted ride and handling whether I use it in the city or on the highway. Plus Polo with a re-map or a tuning box will help get rid of the dollops of turbo lag and improve drivability to be on par with i20.

So Polo it is for me now,due to lack of options (Punto ruled out by dad). Lets see in future (2014) if the New Polo comes with a 4cyl engine and 90+bhp i'll swap my car for that and still buy one in black only. Until then, its a remapped Polo or Polo with a tuning box. I want more power, so will wait for 6 months and if there are no breakdowns i'll go ahead with my plans.

[shashank.nk]

It some sort of cliche that everyone clicks and uploads MID's displaying 20+kmpl with their driving style on their TDI's or MJD's. If that's what you're looking for...well sorry to disappoint you!
Ironically, i was trying to maximize FE by up-shifting early and being gentle on the throttle. Btw, its displaying the average FE, not instantaneous.

Any chance VW put in a super-charged V6 petrol ? FE seems to suggest so

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

All in all the i20 is an awesome package, but I'd still buy the Polo as I like to drive car with sorted ride and handling whether I use it in the city or on the highway. Plus Polo with a re-map or a tuning box will help get rid of the dollops of turbo lag and improve drivability to be on par with i20.

So Polo it is for me now,due to lack of options (Punto ruled out by dad). Lets see in future (2014) if the New Polo comes with a 4cyl engine and 90+bhp i'll swap my car for that and still buy one in black only. Until then, its a remapped Polo or Polo with a tuning box. I want more power, so will wait for 6 months and if there are no breakdowns i'll go ahead with my plans.

Sad to hear of the diesel leak and all the other niggles and part replacements your car has been going through. I was just looking at your other thread in the technical stuff section too. Hope it stays niggle-free from now on.

I completely loved the Polo's ride quality and handling package during my TD. The interiors are also superbly put together and feel upmarket. I agree completely with your superb comparo of the i20 and polo. What a cracker of a car the Polo would be with the Vento's 1.6 TDI heart! Now that's what would be a really true hot hatch ! Not a single hatch can beat it with that stonker of an engine.

Wait 6 months before getting the tuning box? Sounds good to me too. I'll clock my 5k kms and finish the running in period by then, and we can get the tuning boxes together. The deal is still on.

[shashank.nk]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Sad to hear of the diesel leak and all the other niggles and part replacements your car has been going through. I was just looking at your other thread in the technical stuff section too. Hope it stays niggle-free from now on.

The other niggles were fine, but what shook my confidence in the car was the diesel leak! I hope it never resurfaces again!

I completely loved the Polo's ride quality and handling package during my TD. The interiors are also superbly put together and feel upmarket. I agree completely with your superb comparo of the i20 and polo. What a cracker of a car the Polo would be with the Vento's 1.6 TDI heart! Now that's what would be a really true hot hatch ! Not a single hatch can beat it with that stonker of an engine.

I always feel VW missed a very good chance to make the Polo a 'hit' by giving it those 3 cylinder engines. A little more power and better drivability would've helped sales greatly too! Hope VW gives it a proper 4 cyl engine with 90+bhp atleast in 2014.

Wait 6 months before getting the tuning box? Sounds good to me too. I'll clock my 5k kms and finish the running in period by then, and we can get the tuning boxes together. The deal is still on.

A lot of members on the forum have advised me against these mods, but I'll stick to my original decision and go ahead with it. I'll give the car sometime to prove itself before that, and say 10k on the odo ? Btw, have you considered the remap option ? Sounds better than TB's but the slight element of risk is always there

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

A lot of members on the forum have advised me against these mods, but I'll stick to my original decision and go ahead with it. I'll give the car sometime to prove itself before that, and say 10k on the odo ? Btw, have you considered the remap option ? Sounds better than TB's but the slight element of risk is always there

Remap could be an option with the Swift, no chance I would want to take a risk with the Punto / Polo . I would stick to the plain old piggyback tuning boxes for European cars (Italian / German). At least I can disconnect the box and continue to get the car serviced as usual without the worry of something getting screwed up somewhere. A remap will definitely void warranty, they might even detect it on the OBD port and I would be asking for trouble .