[thoma]

Note from Support:
thoma, your air filter cleaning DIY was excellent & deserved its own thread. I've taken the liberty to create one here in the Technical Section:

Volkswagen Vento TDi - Air filter cleaning, DIY

Thanks for sharing!

[thoma]

Long time I've not checked the FE as long trips were almost nil. Now, this comes out as the best MID figures the TDi returned. Close to 130kms done with this figures and then the traffic intensified. 3 people on board, 100% A/C at 22-24, and luggage for a weekend. I guess, in Kerala conditions, starting early did the trick. Overall figures of 21.5kmpl after a ~350km round trip including 10% B2B traffic.



1 year of ownership is approaching in another 2 months. Both the diesels in our garage together has done only 15k kms in a year, so 5k kms on the Vento seems so underutilized.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by thoma

Long time I've not checked the FE as long trips were almost nil. Now, this comes out as the best MID figures the TDi returned.

Oh my god! Unexpected from a Vento: 27.6 kmpl! Had been to my wife's native place last weekend and these are the MID average figures over 102 kms. I'm sure this would have gone higher if I were out on the Tamilnadu highways.



Started early morning with no A/C on the M.C road stretch (in Kerala) with less traffic and after a good 40 kms I just glanced on the MID to see ~24 kmpl. Thereafter I was careful in using the pedals. Used anticipated downshifting (engine braking) along with brakes for the rest 60 kms and I was blown away by the figures she returned. Never expected such figures from this beast.

However, after the 102 kms, I had to take a stop at a relative's place and thereafter the roads were bad and had to hurry to attend a function. And the average MID figures came down to 24 kmpl for a total of 158 kms.

[thoma]

So the one year mark has come up with just 5600 odd kms on the odometer! Most of the odd job running has been taken up by the Micra and we had very few long trips. I just hope this will change this year.

Before the service, I did take upon another DIY of changing the headlamp bulbs to same wattage of 60/55W H4 but Philips XtremeVision. IIRC, it was purchased through an ebay seller 'carnmore', satisfied with the shopping experience. To my frank opinion, the effectiveness of the change is minimal. And on top, the life of the bulb has now reduced over the stock, plus it is reviewed that visibility during rain can be hampered a little bit.




Replacing the passenger side bulb was a walk in the park, but not the same with the driver side, the headlamp assembly need to be detached from the car; and refitting can get tricky with short length wires fixed to the body of the car.






To the left side of the picture, the light seems a bit more white than the other side. [NOTE: I've darkened the picture as a whole to make the effect a bit more prominent] Then, I've changed only the passenger side bulbs, the driver side still stock.


Now the service part. The cost came to around ~9500 INR the only thing skipped was the windshield washer costing ~350/-. The ASC was running an offer for original alloy wheels before 31st March; 4 alloys with hub caps and fitting charge for 15800/- and since my car came with 15" steel wheels initially, I need not change the tires. Confused a bit initially, I fell for the offer; earlier 1 alloy did cost ~19k INR, now it has come down to 3.1k though it is imported from China. Moreover, I loved the OEM alloy designs.



No longer a Borbet.


At the same time, I went for an exterior fascia change. The three plastic panels surrounding the air dam and fog lamps got changed to ones with chrome lining; similar to the Highline variant. Another 3400/- dent to the pocket. With insurance renewal around 17.5k, the total expenditure for the day stood a bit less than 50k INR. Satisfied with the service overall and the SA Mr. Nelsen. The car, unlike many other brands, felt a bit oiled; a slickness all around! And, informing service updates through SMS is good. The only grouse was that after charging INR 600 for cleaning, they don't do an under body wash just because Volkswagen provides so much protection under the body! There are 2 plastic screws for adjusting the headlamp focus, but it seems it does nothing for the spread. I wanted more light spread on the ground, as currently, it seems more pointed to the center of the car.

[e-katz]

Originally Posted by thoma

The ASC was running an offer for original alloy wheels before 31st March; 4 alloys with hub caps and fitting charge for 15800/- and since my car came with 15" steel wheels initially, I need not change the tires. Confused a bit initially, I fell for the offer; earlier 1 alloy did cost ~19k INR, now it has come down to 3.1k though it is imported from China. Moreover, I loved the OEM alloy designs.

Thats awesome. I always liked the OEM alloys but found the prices exorbitant. Does anyone know the price for Polo Alloys?

[thoma]

Originally Posted by e-katz

Thats awesome. I always liked the OEM alloys but found the prices exorbitant. Does anyone know the price for Polo Alloys?

If I'm not wrong, the same alloys are/were used on the Polo HL too.

But yours is a TrendLine right? Then I guess you'll have to change the tires too as the current tires will be R14 and the alloy wheel will be R15.

Plus, some dealers are stupidly cynical on warranty to change to aftermarket ones, but fine if you get it done by the dealer.

[e-katz]

Originally Posted by thoma

But yours is a TrendLine right? Then I guess you'll have to change the tires too as the current tires will be R14 and the alloy wheel will be R15.

Yes, I need to change my tires as well. Looking at Michelin XM1+

Originally Posted by thoma

Plus, some dealers are stupidly cynical on warranty to change to aftermarket ones, but fine if you get it done by the dealer.

Yes, I need to somehow convince the ASC guys here at EVM

[e-katz]

Originally Posted by thoma

If I'm not wrong, the same alloys are/were used on the Polo HL too.

You're right! The same one goes on the Polos. Was quoted 16k by the parts guy at EVM here. Now I need to save up some Vitamin-M as I need to change the tyres as well!

[aah78]

Originally Posted by thoma

Attachment 1078720
The wheel hub - and this definitely is rust. I'm guessing it is cast iron; tends to form surface rust fast - should not be an issue, right? And as reviews has already mentioned, part sharing with Audi.

Hey, thoma - this wheel hub rust is very common on German cars.

This might cause the alloys to get "stuck" to the wheel hub making it a pain to get off if you need to change a tyre, in case of a puncture or such.
A few hard knocks with a rubber mallet will usually get a wheel off the hub but you might not have one lying around in the middle of knowhere.

Since you have a knack for DIY, you might find this useful.

Get a brake cleaning spray like this:


Get your wheel off the car and spray the hub with the spray. Try to avoid getting over-spray on the car paint or rubber parts.

Brake caliper cleaning brush:


Scrub off the surface rust with a wire brush. Spray again to get rid off the rust.

You can use a rag to wipe off excess but it'll evaporate anyway.


Anti-seize:


Use a very light coating ofanti seize on the surface of the hub. A little is enough, don't over use as it'll just be a waste.

Mount your wheel back on!

Originally Posted by thoma

Attachment 1078718
Small bubbles on the inside of the spare rim - paint imperfection or is it the metal beneath? I see a possibility of rust in the long term.

That might be paint imperfection (I'm no expert to tell) but if it does turn out to be rust it'll come out eventually.

To get rid of it you can scrub away the surface rust with a fine sandpaper and then coat it with an anti-rust coating, then paint. This will help a little.

Indian humidity is high so there's no perfect solution.

Ref: Pictures taken from the Bavarian Autosport website for reference only.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by aah78

Since you have a knack for DIY, you might find this useful.

Hi aah78, thanks for sharing these!

I am a DIYer on an extremely tight budget; even if many of the sprays may be elusive to me, I'm sure the information will help a lot others; and especially the fact that the wheel could get stuck (imagine trying to put on the spare in the middle of nowhere). For me, I will have to try hitting the wheel with the spare instead of the mallet

And thanks for moving out the DIY post to a separate thread.

EDIT: Do we get these Bavarian Autosport products in India? I did a quick search and couldn't find availability. Any equivalent would also be helpful.

EDIT 2: I had a minor update on the thread. Not much importance so will share along-with. Yesterday I had taken the car for running repairs. The right indicator was acting strange. 80% of the time, it would go on to blink 3 times and stop; after completing the turn, the lever comes down and it would blink another three times. A similar issue with the horn. There wont be any relay intermittently which I felt most critical while overtaking. The indicator switch was replaced under warranty and the problem vanished. The horn contacts had some oxidation and was cleaned; but the issue persists though less common now. The vehicle was put up on the lift and found a rubber bush at the top of the rear right springs almost at the end of its life; changed under warranty. Have to check the horn another time though.

But the gist of the update is that I felt a lot more comfortable with the VW service at Kottayam than last time; front office was excellent, the Service Adviser, Deljo was knowledgeable and more importantly open in communicating technical details. It was unlike the Maruti service I had been experiencing for years. Maruti people just put out a lot of promises and under delivers. They want to sell all sorts of unnecessary things on the customer; they can't / don't want to concentrate on the vehicle (due to volumes I guess); and finally hides a lot of technical knowledge I am not sure why.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by thoma

Hi aah78, thanks for sharing these!

I am a DIYer on an extremely tight budget

EDIT: Do we get these Bavarian Autosport products in India? I did a quick search and couldn't find availability. Any equivalent would also be helpful.

You're welcome!

Oh, most DIY-ers are on a tight budget - I guess there are few exceptions those who only do DIY as hobby but in general.

I just posted pictures from the bavauto website for reference because those are what I have currently.
You can get Wurth products in India, or any other locally available brake cleaner, anti-seize, metal brush will do.

[thoma]

Done 2nd service last week at just 12k kms.

I really like the attitude of the SA at EVM, Kottayam Deljo. No bakwas, got knowledge, not arrogant about it and importantly, don't want to laugh at the back of customers for maybe seemingly silly questions (which I have found even with their sister concern, EVM Nissan). The same attitude I found with Mr. Nelson, who has been promoted from SA now. For the service center experience, there is no beating VW here, unlike the ever busy half knowledgeable Maruti and Hyundai advisers who eyes pushing unnecessary service jobs and accessories.

Kudos to the EVM VW Kottayam service team, for customer care; I didn't find any hint of haughtiness anywhere

[thoma]

My running on the Vento was very less as the majority city drives was done by the Micra Diesel; and this is where I got into trouble with German engineering. Once I could not start the car for a week and soon afterwards, the Vento failed me on a highway trip along with my family that included a pregnant wife. The power got lost suddenly and the engine lamp began glowing; luckily a friend's house was nearby and I had to park the vehicle and continue on my journey in a taxi. Later the injector was replaced for free and the vehicle was on the road again. The service center maintained that VW has recommended not to do Minimum Adaptation Test or else the injector will definitely show kaput!

Months pass by but the running remained frugal. Yet again I could not take the car out for a few days and after that period, I was just revving the engine inside my garage, and again the power is lost. I was happy this time that the service center was near, but once the diagnosis was on, they informed me that I will not get a free replacement on the injector this time as during the last service, me, though in consultation with my SA, had skipped changing the fuel filter last time, as the running was just 3-4k in a year. That was a major mistake; INR 24k blown away. And to my surprise, I checked the engine bay and found that the same injector no. 1 that went kaput some 6-8 months before and which has been replaced with a new has gone bust even now.

So much for German engineering on Indian fuel and improved injectors!

Finally I decided to part with her with just 17k odd kms on the odo, in showroom condition; as wifey is not interested in driving a sedan, she prefers a hatchback and we just wanted one car in total with dad no more with us. This was when I couldn't decide straight and took the help of Team-BHP members in deciding to go for a new car after selling both or retaining any one in the garage.

This is the best sedan our family have owned yet. The new 1.5 engine is no match to the old 1.6's raw power, is my personal opinion and the build quality is being reduced by VW as years go by.

[kvsingh13]

Originally Posted by thoma

My running on the Vento was very less as the majority city drives was done by the Micra Diesel; and this is where I got into trouble with German engineering. Once I could not start the car for a week and soon afterwards, the Vento failed me on a highway trip along with my family that included a pregnant wife. The power got lost suddenly and the engine lamp began glowing; luckily a friend's house was nearby and I had to park the vehicle and continue on my journey in a taxi. Later the injector was replaced for free and the vehicle was on the road again. The service center maintained that VW has recommended not to do Minimum Adaptation Test or else the injector will definitely show kaput!

Months pass by but the running remained frugal. Yet again I could not take the car out for a few days and after that period, I was just revving the engine inside my garage, and again the power is lost. I was happy this time that the service center was near, but once the diagnosis was on, they informed me that I will not get a free replacement on the injector this time as during the last service, me, though in consultation with my SA, had skipped changing the fuel filter last time, as the running was just 3-4k in a year. That was a major mistake; INR 24k blown away. And to my surprise, I checked the engine bay and found that the same injector no. 1 that went kaput some 6-8 months before and which has been replaced with a new has gone bust even now.

So much for German engineering on Indian fuel and improved injectors!

Finally I decided to part with her with just 17k odd kms on the odo, in showroom condition; as wifey is not interested in driving a sedan, she prefers a hatchback and we just wanted one car in total with dad no more with us. This was when I couldn't decide straight and took the help of Team-BHP members in deciding to go for a new car after selling both or retaining any one in the garage.

This is the best sedan our family have owned yet. The new 1.5 engine is no match to the old 1.6's raw power, is my personal opinion and the build quality is being reduced by VW as years go by.

That's quite sad to hear, sir. Especially for me because we bought the same car after following this thread in November 2013. Ours has run 45k km and hasn't shown us any hard time yet.
I think most of the time it's brain which has to win instead of heart. For all, we can just thank you for this thread. May the memories cherish. Cheers.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by kvsingh13

That's quite sad to hear, sir. Especially for me because we bought the same car after following this thread in November 2013. Ours has run 45k km and hasn't shown us any hard time yet.
I think most of the time it's brain which has to win instead of heart. For all, we can just thank you for this thread. May the memories cherish. Cheers.

Oh my God, I'm so happy my thread helped you. Actually the car is the best and so is a beast, I would never have felt for an upgrade if I were to keep it, except maybe for an AT or an SUV. Unfortunately the family requirements took a turn and she was lying unused, which was the sole reason for the injector tantrums.

Either ways, happy motoring to you too

I might be done with this thread once I update the pending bill documents of last service and maybe a parting shot.

But I'm still left wondering how a similarly low run Vento TDi of our member 'el lobo 6061' is unafected by the injector wrath even after he skipped changing fuel filter once. No, I'm touching wood; just curious to know the technicalities.