[KnightRider77]

I'm sorry to hear about your overheating engine experience. I'm not an expert on these things but it's possible that your car is indeed fine and that you just happened to run into a one-off episode involving a combination of high AC requirement (21 is borderline though) over extended distances (300 isn't too much however), heavy load (if any), sudden demands on engine (any spirited driving through hills at lower gears?) and/or high ambient temperature (perhaps?). Not go mention any coolant leak issues, blocked radiator fans etc.

Now I've done more than a couple of trips involving trips through highways, bad roads, forests, hills and high traffic over distances of 450km, with a fully loaded Rapid (4 adults plus assorted luggage) and I can't say I've had any problems thus far. All without a glance at coolant or engine oil levels before undertaking the trips. Perhaps a bit foolhardy, but in my defense I do have a rough idea about those since I check on them on a regular basis anyway. Tyre pressure is one thing I *always* check before every trip though.

My driving style for these long trips are as follows: AC on at start of journey to about 22 degrees to bring cabin to comfortable levels. I stay in Bangalore so this isn't saying much. leisurely start of trip with not much spirited driving for the first 5 km to let the engine and tyres come up to speed. By this I don't mean driving at 60. I try to hit 100 as soon as I can as that's a good RPM toil vs speed balance for the Rapid.

I also tend to switch off the AC on hills as there's no real reason to have them on unless you're driving through Mordor and the temperature is less than welcome. Plus, the extra power the engines gets, helps! Besides there's nothing like fresh air for queasy passengers on long drives.

I also like taking a min 15 min break every 200km if possible, if not for myself, at least for the car. And passengers.

That's not to suggest there's nothing wrong with the car but I believe In Murphy's laws. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. But perhaps you can try delaying it a bit.

[sanchit223]

Hi

Hope the overheating problem has not recurred.

I bought a Rapid MPI 3 months back and the reviews on teambhp were of great help in this decision. So far the car has done ~3500 km and never fails to put a smile on my face, especially now that I can rev it hard as the running in is over . However i am facing a few niggles.

You mentioned efficiency of around 13kmpl in city in your 7000km update. My car has done around 3500 km so far and I am getting 9 kmpl in city (primarily commute to office which is 9-10 kms) and 13-14 on highway. Admittedly I do not always drive thinking how to get the best fuel economy... and these numbers should improve after engine oil change, yet the present figures feel too low. I have maintained proper tire pressure recommended by Skoda, even kept it slightly higher at times.

So wondering if you were getting more than 13 kmpl right from the beginning or did the numbers improve with time?

[Chitta Pradhan]

Originally Posted by smydtt

I suppose I have no other option than taking the chance and see if the overheating problem returns. I have no immediate plans of highway trip in the next couple of months. Till then I suppose I need to keep a close watch during my daily city commute. It seems that for sometime now I will have to live with the possibility of being stranded on the road at an awkward moment.

Hi!

Wonderful ownership report indeed. Has the overheating problem gone? Have you finally reached a conclusion about the reason of over heating?

Thanks

[smydtt]

Apologies for the delayed reply!

Originally Posted by rejeen

This is one of the most informative threads on the petrol Rapid. Would you be able to update with how your ride is doing now. Wish you safe and happy miles ahead.

Originally Posted by sanchit223

Hope the overheating problem has not recurred.

Originally Posted by Chitta Pradhan

Wonderful ownership report indeed. Has the overheating problem gone? Have you finally reached a conclusion about the reason of over heating?
Thanks

Thanks, all of you. Now the important thing first:
The car has done about 11400 km so far. All the driving since my last update (at 7000 km) has been within city (though there have been many times when the car has been stuck in traffic jams or stop-and-go slow-moving traffic for hours at 40+ temperatures with AC). I have not faced any overheating problem since then.

So now, I do not know what to make of it. Perhaps, hopefully it was a one-off incident. But the point of concern is that the cause of that one incident is still unknown. I have not had the opportunity to test the car on a long-distance run since then - hopefully I will get a chance to do that around New Year.

Apart from that one incident, the car has not given any other problem. I would say that I am quite happy and satisfied with its performance so far.

Originally Posted by KnightRider77

I'm sorry to hear about your overheating engine experience. I'm not an expert on these things but it's possible that your car is indeed fine and that you just happened to run into a one-off episode involving a combination of high AC requirement (21 is borderline though) over extended distances (300 isn't too much however), heavy load (if any), sudden demands on engine (any spirited driving through hills at lower gears?) and/or high ambient temperature (perhaps?). Not go mention any coolant leak issues, blocked radiator fans etc.

Now I've done more than a couple of trips involving trips through highways, bad roads, forests, hills and high traffic over distances of 450km, with a fully loaded Rapid (4 adults plus assorted luggage) and I can't say I've had any problems thus far. All without a glance at coolant or engine oil levels before undertaking the trips. Perhaps a bit foolhardy, but in my defense I do have a rough idea about those since I check on them on a regular basis anyway. Tyre pressure is one thing I *always* check before every trip though.

My driving style for these long trips are as follows: AC on at start of journey to about 22 degrees to bring cabin to comfortable levels. I stay in Bangalore so this isn't saying much. leisurely start of trip with not much spirited driving for the first 5 km to let the engine and tyres come up to speed. By this I don't mean driving at 60. I try to hit 100 as soon as I can as that's a good RPM toil vs speed balance for the Rapid.

I also tend to switch off the AC on hills as there's no real reason to have them on unless you're driving through Mordor and the temperature is less than welcome. Plus, the extra power the engines gets, helps! Besides there's nothing like fresh air for queasy passengers on long drives.

I also like taking a min 15 min break every 200km if possible, if not for myself, at least for the car. And passengers.

That's not to suggest there's nothing wrong with the car but I believe In Murphy's laws. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. But perhaps you can try delaying it a bit.

I more or less take all the precautions that you mention - like taking it easy in the beginning, taking a break of about half an hour every 150-200 km or so - except that, perhaps running the AC in North Indian summers takes a greater toll than down south. I also take it quite easy in the hills, mainly because I am not as used to driving in them as in the plains. Generally my driving style involves driving at a steady RPM of around 1800-2500 with occasional bursts of quick acceleration with the needle going to around 3500-4000 for a few seconds. In short, there is nothing which would suggest an unusually high load that a car of this segment cannot handle. There has to be something wrong with the car for the engine to overheat. Till now the best explanation that I could think of is the car picking up something from the highway (say a polythene bag or something) which gets stuck in the grills not allowing the fan to move. I mentioned having read about one such incident on team-bhp where this had happened to a Palio while on a drive from Chennai to Mumbai. Apart from this I cannot think of any other explanation.

Originally Posted by sanchit223

You mentioned efficiency of around 13kmpl in city in your 7000km update. My car has done around 3500 km so far and I am getting 9 kmpl in city (primarily commute to office which is 9-10 kms) and 13-14 on highway. Admittedly I do not always drive thinking how to get the best fuel economy... and these numbers should improve after engine oil change, yet the present figures feel too low. I have maintained proper tire pressure recommended by Skoda, even kept it slightly higher at times.

So wondering if you were getting more than 13 kmpl right from the beginning or did the numbers improve with time?

Do you drive a MPI automatic or manual? Mine is manual, automatic might give a lower FE. What I have experienced is that the efficiency varies with the traffic, nature of road and driving style quite a lot. So, on a bad day when I have got stuck in rush-hour traffic on a summer afternoon with AC on, I have even got a FE of 8 to 9 kmpl. Fortunately, my daily commute involves heavy stop-and-go traffic for only about first 4-5 km of my commute, and then the traffic eases up for rest of about 10-12 km of my driving distance. So generally my FE is not that bad. Also, with the weather improving, my FE has also improved, so I am now steadily getting > 14 kmpl if I do not drive spiritedly. However, this can dramatically change if I drive more spiritedly, or face a traffic snarl, or the temperature is above 35 making the AC work harder. FE depends on the driving distance as well. Generally my drive from home to office is around 17 km. The FE hovers around 6-8 kmpl for the first 3-4 km or so, and then slowly increases and reaches around 13-14 only after about 10 km or so. So if your drive is shorter then you might end up getting a much worse FE. And as far as highway drive is concerned, generally my driving style involves quick acceleration to a speed of about 110-120 and then keeping it steady at that on fifth gear. With a more spirited driving, 13-14 kmpl might not be a bad figure.

Finally, the only niggle with the car at the moment is the terrible stock headlights. Someone should sue Skoda for these - there is no way anyone can drive regularly at night with these headlights without meeting with an accident. So I want to change the headlights, but would prefer getting it done from Skoda to avoid voiding the warranty. Any suggestions?

[smydtt]

Ok, I am writing this post with two objectives: firstly to report an update about the car and secondly, to post an important query seeking advice.

Firstly the update:
With the onset of Delhi winters, I am now even more impressed with the climate control feature of the AC. These days, the weather in Delhi has been fluctuating quite a bit, so it is pretty chilly and a bit uncomfortably cold in the morning, but as the sun comes out, very soon the cabin tends to get a bit uncomfortably hot. This is a perennial problem with the weather in Delhi around this time of the year. But with climate control, the problem is solved! All that one needs to do is to set the AC in auto mode with the temperature around 22 degrees. It decides on its own when to warm the cabin, when to switch itself off, and when to start cooling the cabin. Significantly, unlike all my previous vehicles, the cabin does not get uncomfortably warm or give you a headache while in the heating mode. It just warms enough to keep the cabin comfortable. Controlling the cabin temperature had never been easier!

Now the query:
I want to change the headlights. Stock headlights are too weak even for well-lit city roads, let alone highways. Just called up the Skoda A.S.S. accessories shop - they say that they do not keep any other headlights, nor can they change the lights even if I get better quality lights from outside, and if I get any after market fitting it will void the warranty. Basically I am told that I will have to put up with these ridiculous headlights.

So I want some advice on this front. I am planning to drive down to Amritsar towards the end of this month, and though generally I avoid night driving on highways, given the state of current weather in Delhi, some amount of non-daylight driving might not be avoided. So I need some solutions which will not void the warranty.

[nda992]

Hi, a very nicely written review. How is your car doing now?
I plan to go for the same car, so I really need to know.
Also, an update on the ASS would be nice.

[andymehta]

Excellent review, extremely useful for buyers looking at this machine seriously.
It's been more than 2 years now for you and would be great to hear more about your ownership experience and skoda A.S.S.

[Hemant_Joshi]

Hi Smydtt,
First of all, Hearty Congratulations on your Rapid. Being another Rapid owner - though a Diesel one, I can definitely say, the car is a Gem and I am very happy with the Car a very satisfied Owner.

Sorry about the overheating issue, not sure what could have happened, but, good thing, it has not repeated.
'
Regarding Headlamps,
I was exactly in the same boat as You, I had taken extended warranty, and did not want to loose it at any cost specially because of negative feedback on Skoda A.S.S and repair costs, However, on couple of highway trips, Pune to Hubli (KA) about 450 kms 1 way, I was totally uncomfortable driving on highway at late evenings.

In my older Car (GETZ), I had upgraded the Bulbs to 100/90 - with Philips Relay and Kit, and I was pretty happy about it, However, I could not go for same as this would void the Electrical Warranty, So, after lot of reading and checking out, I finally got a Xenon HID Kit Installed. I got this done by Skoda itself.

They are fitting "GENOME Xenon HID Kit", Not sure about the Brand, just went with it because Skoda was fitting the same in their A.S.S with Warranty intact.
I had an option of trying to source a Philips or Osram Xenon Kit, but, decided, I will get whatever the brand fitted by Skoda itself, Even though the Philips/Osram Kit would NOT have voided the warranty.

I am still not 100% satisfied by this, but, believe, its money worth spending, I am about 90% OK with this for what I would have liked the lighting to be on my car. I have not done any highway runs yet after this, its just last Saturday I got this done, but, some rounds on the Pune - Mumbai bypass and some kms of driving on couple of roads leading out of Pune, seem much much better and confidence inspiring than Stock lighting.

The Bulbs are of 55 watts and 5000 K rating, Skoda is using 5000 k rated bulbs only, and they informed that same unit is being used in Superb and Octavia (I don't take their word on face value..),

I am intending to change my high Beam and Fog lamps as well to either Philips or Osram, I am still searching for proper info on these changes,,

My advice would be, You can try getting a Philips/Osram Xenon Kit - preferably 4300 kelvin (this is most recommended rating), 55 watts, H7 type Bulb (Low beam) Unit and get it fitted for a much better illumination from your FNG, Or, go for a Genome Kit from Skoda A.S.S. I Paid Rs.12,500/- for same.

Wish you happy and safe journeys !!

Originally Posted by smydtt

Ok, I am writing this post with two objectives: firstly to report an update about the car and secondly, to post an important query seeking advice.

Now the query:
I want to change the headlights. Stock headlights are too weak even for well-lit city roads, let alone highways. Just called up the Skoda A.S.S. accessories shop - they say that they do not keep any other headlights, nor can they change the lights even if I get better quality lights from outside, and if I get any after market fitting it will void the warranty. Basically I am told that I will have to put up with these ridiculous headlights.

... So I need some solutions which will not void the warranty.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by smydtt

Now the query:

So I need some solutions which will not void the warranty.

Sorry for the late response to your query. I also own a Rapid MPI Elegance, and have faced exactly the same issue as you. The problem with not wanting to void warranty is that it limits the options. I have switched to Osram Night Breaker Plus in the same wattage as OEM, and find that while there is a significant improvement, the lights are still not that great when faced with oncoming traffic or in the rains. However, this remains our only option as far as I know. I checked about upgrading to the projector setup of the new Rapid, but that is not possible without voiding warranty even if done at the Authorised service centre apparently. I've also heard that the lights even with projectors aren't that great and would need a bulb upgrade as well, so I'm sticking with the regular headlights in mine.

I agree with you regarding the FE of the petrol Rapid, I am perpetually surprised that such a large and fairly powerful engine can return such good FE figures. Probably because the car performs fairly adequately in city without needing too many gear changes or wringing of the throttle. However, I find that highway performance leaves a bit to be desired, because she doesn't pick up as one would expect from a 1.6. This is where one needs to thrash the engine a bit. Driven sedately I have achieved 18+kmpl on the highway over a few 600km trips!

[Hemant_Joshi]

Last week I fitted a Xenon HID kit to my 2014 Rapid - with projectors - for Low Beam, from Skoda A.S.S, and there is NO impact on Warranty.
Please check with your Dealers on same.
There is a huge improvement over the Stock lighting (Projector), and I feel its worth the money.

Originally Posted by VeluM

Sorry for the late response to your query. I also own a Rapid MPI Elegance, and have faced exactly the same issue as you. The problem with not wanting to void warranty is that it limits the options. I have switched to Osram Night Breaker Plus in the same wattage as OEM, and find that while there is a significant improvement, the lights are still not that great when faced with oncoming traffic or in the rains. However, this remains our only option as far as I know. I checked about upgrading to the projector setup of the new Rapid, but that is not possible without voiding warranty even if done at the Authorised service centre apparently. I've also heard that the lights even with projectors aren't that great and would need a bulb upgrade as well, so I'm sticking with the regular headlights in mine.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Hemant_Joshi

Last week I fitted a Xenon HID kit to my 2014 Rapid - with projectors - for Low Beam, from Skoda A.S.S, and there is NO impact on Warranty.
Please check with your Dealers on same.
There is a huge improvement over the Stock lighting (Projector), and I feel its worth the money.

Thanks for the info Hemant. Did your Rapid come with the normal multi-reflector headlamps to begin with? I have checked at the Skoda ASCs in Bangalore and Pune (near the airport?), and they both told me that upgrading or changing the headlights involves changes to the wiring, which will void the warranty

I'll check again though because I frequently drive in the city and on the highway in the mornings and late evenings, and the current setup is quite nerve racking! Maybe that they've relaxed their kill requirements.

[Hemant_Joshi]

Hi Velu,
Mine has a Projector - Rapid 2014 Elegance TDI,
Driving with Stock bulbs on highway was a Scary experience for me as well, and, I had to cut down my speed.

I was told If I purchased the Kit from them and get it fitted by their A.S.S, no issues with warranty, But, If I get it done from outside, it will void warranty. I got it done from their A.S.S.
Please double confirm about the Waranty, and then go for the upgrade,,

I am confused on changing the high beam lamp also, weather to go for Philips or Osram, H7 - 60 Watts. I will change them for sure, once I get more info and decide which ones are better...

Originally Posted by VeluM

Thanks for the info Hemant. Did your Rapid come with the normal multi-reflector headlamps to begin with? I have checked at the Skoda ASCs in Bangalore and Pune (near the airport?), and they both told me that upgrading or changing the headlights involves changes to the wiring, which will void the warranty

I'll check again though because I frequently drive in the city and on the highway in the mornings and late evenings, and the current setup is quite nerve racking! Maybe that they've relaxed their kill requirements.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Hemant_Joshi

Hi Velu,
Mine has a Projector - Rapid 2014 Elegance TDI,

Ah, mine is the in-between 2013-end Elegance that got the leather wrapped steering, gear boot and lever, and hand-brake, along with the new logo, but didn't get the projectors.

No options for the older cars to upgrade to projectors without losing warranty then

[Hemant_Joshi]

Ok, that might be a differentiating factor,
I still think You should check with Skoda, and then decide, If YES, better get it in writing or recorded some how for reference later,,

Originally Posted by VeluM

No options for the older cars to upgrade to projectors without losing warranty then

[smydtt]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for this delayed reply. I have been away for a while and could not reply to all your messages. I also apologize for not regularly maintaining this thread with updates, something which I had always been meaning to do.

Anyway, first the headlights. I had changed the stock headlights with Philips X-treme Vision 60/55 a long time back (again, forgot to post about it here). The suggestions for this particular set of lights came from various team-bhp forums. As long as it is 60/55 W and does not require a relay, the guarantee should be good. But to be doubly sure, I bought the lights from a Reliance Autozone and got them fitted at Skoda Service Center. I am largely satisfied with the performance of these lights. I do not drive much in the highways at night, but it certainly is adequate for my usual city driving (sometimes through dark stretches). Definitely these are a HUGE improvement over the stock lights.


Second, the overheating issue: This problem continued to trouble me for quite a while. As I mentioned in my post above, when it happened for the first time, I had taken it to Skoda, but they did not take it very seriously. The overheating happened couple of times more, but everytime, the response from Skoda was the same - that the car is fine and there is no problem with it. I started carrying an OBD adapter with me all the time, so that I could constantly monitor the problem. Finally, after more than a year, the overheating problem occurred when I was reasonably close to the service center, and I decided to drive with the overheated engine to the service center. This was the only way I could make them take this problem seriously. So, finally they did look at this problem and found a fault with the cooling fan and replaced it under warranty. I have not had the overheating problem since then.

Finally, an overall update of my experience with owning this car - I must say a large part of it consists of my troubles with the service center (and this is a pity - this is a great car, it is great to drive, if only they could manage their A.S.S.):

• In 2014, during the first 15000 km. service, I pointed out a noise coming from near the gear. They immediately detected it as a faulty gear mount, and replaced it under warranty. Apparently there was a standing Skoda advisory to replace the faulty gear mounting for 2013 model cars of certain VIN numbers. They were supposed to have informed this to me, but never did. (As a comparison, my parents bought a Chevrolet Sail Sedan in 2014, which had a very minor manufacturing defect in the window panels. They themselves called up several times to fix an appointment to replace this.)

• There was a manufacturing defect with one of the motors connected with the AC fan. In the winters I tend to direct the windflow towards the feet so that warm air does not hit my face. First time I found this problem at the beginning of the summers of 2014, when on adjusting the airflow would not change back, and continue to be directed towards the feet. I took it to Skoda. Instead of changing it, they did some jugaad so that the airflow could temporarily move up. I faced the same problem again in the beginning of summers of 2015. This time I insisted that they should replace this under warranty. This brings me to the warranty woes.

• I finally insisted that they should replace the AC motor for the above problem. This was around February 2015. They said that they did not have the motor in their stock, and it might take a few days, so I might take the car home. They will call me once it arrives. About two weeks passed, but I did not receive any call. So I called back. They were completely clueless about the issue, and did not have anything about this pending task in their records. So I blasted them and they promised to call me back in a few days. Again a week passed, so I called them. Again they were clueless. Finally, in March 2015, exactly 2 years after the purchase of the car (2 years 2 days, to be precise) I booked an appointment and landed up in their service center with the car, demanding that they do this work immediately. Their first response was that the warranty of the car has expired, so now the car is no longer under warranty. Now I was shocked! I had paid Rs. 40000 extra at the time of purchase, just to get an extended warranty of another 2 years!!! Their response: "It is not in our records, sir." So I showed them all the documents, and they admitted that I indeed had an extended warranty, but ... well, it is not in their records! I blasted at the manager: how I am I responsible if it is not in your records? I have relevant documents which you yourself admit are genuine.
  Finally, the service advisor personally came and talked to me. I was actually in a hurry that day - I was going out the next day. He said that it will take a few days for them to sort out this matter, and in any case this particular part costed Rs. 640/-, so if I just paid for this part this time, then I can take the car. He promised that this problem will be sorted out in a few days. Since I was in a hurry, I decided to pay and move on and take it up later.
  They promised to get back to me in a few days. When they did not, after about a month I called up. By that time the manager of the service station (Jai Auto Mathura Road Branch) had changed, so I had to explain the entire thing to the new manager. The new manager promised to get back to me in a few days. Again another month passed. So I called up again. By this time there was another new manager! Again the same response: although I did have the extended warranty but it was not in their records, so they were not able to give me the benefits. They had no idea how to put it in their records. Meanwhile I contacted the showroom from where I had purchased the car. They confirmed that I indeed had the extended warranty of additional two years. They had it in their records. They were clueless why the service center did not have this in their records.
  Five months down, I am still fighting with them on this issue. In the last communication, they promised me that they are going to update the records, so that I do not have this problem again. I am keeping my fingers crossed on this for the moment.

• About a year back, I had accidentally damaged the drivers' handrest. The lock is broken, creating an annoying noise while driving. I asked them to replace this a year back (on payment, of course - I am not demanding this on warranty! It costs around Rs. 1500/-). They told me that they did not have it in their stock, so they noted down my order and told me that they would inform me once it arrives. At the time of next servicing, which was around five months after I placed the order, I inquired about it. They had no clue about the order - they did not have this order anywhere in their records!!! Anyway, though annoyed, by this time I had come to expect this from Skoda. I placed another order. I called up again after about a month. Again - they had no record of the order I placed!!! And this has been continuing till this date. Since this is a minor issue I have not separately escalated this (other than from time to time calling them up, and at times blasting the manager, who strangely enough, always changes from one call to the next), but I still drive with the broken handrest.

All in all, I should say that my experience with service center has really marred my otherwise happy experience with this car. And this is a pity, because I still enjoy driving this car - enjoyed many happy moments with it. It is probably one of the best non-turbo petrol engines around. It is stable at high speeds. And it can easily return a FE of 15+ kmpl in city driving (from my home in East Delhi to my office in Chanakyapuri in non-rush hour, if not driven spiritedly).

I should add, that despite my otherwise good experience with this car, I have dissuaded/cautioned several close family members and friends from buying this car only due to the A.S.S. My parents bought a new car about a year after mine, and despite liking Rapid they bought a Chevrolet Sail Sedan diesel instead. My mother-in-law bought a Chevrolet Sail Sedan this year, based on my unhappy experience with Skoda A.S.S. and my parents' happy experience with Chevrolet A.S.S. And my brother-in-law recently bought a Ciaz - he test drove a lot of cars and had liked the Rapid quite a lot, he almost zeroed in on the Rapid diesel automatic - but finally went for Ciaz solely because of the issues I faced with Skoda A.S.S.!

Oh, and by the way, I test-drove the Rapid diesel automatic recently (when my brother-in-law was deciding on a car) - it is truly gem of a car, probably the best bargain you can find at this price range (I test-drove almost all cars at this price range thanks to brother-in-law taking a long time to decide!). It also has a few gizmos which my 2013 Rapid did not - steering mounted controls, projector headlamps, cruise control etc. If only they could get the damn A.S.S. right!