[psuraj]

PS: This is my first ownership thread even though I am a avid reader of this forum from 2010. Please be merciful and forgive my mistakes if any are present and for the very long post.


Requirement for a new car:

My dad's previous car Honda city was given off in September 2013 due to two reasons.

One, the ground clearance was low for Bangalore city roads and it would scrape everywhere even though the SA people at Magnum Honda assured us it is only a plastic part which was getting scraped. He hated that he had to virtually come to a stop and go in a haphazard way considering how many unscientific humps present in Bangalore.

Two, since the car was a sedan (mainly used only for duties inside the city), parking was an issue at his office and when they go for shopping to malleswaram or gandhi bazar(my mom likes to go to these places for almost everything and somehow comes up with a reason to go at least once a week lol).
So our requirements were a comfortable hatchback which does not scrape anywhere (Bangalore humps).
Since we already own a swift we were looking for a hatchback better than that. The swift was a daily car and was used for all the needs in the city by me(will post ownership thread soon).

Since the announcement of VW GT's came, I was more than happy that at least some car manufacturer has noticed the lack of powerful hatchbacks in the sub 10L range even though the percentage of people who would want these type of cars would be very small.

Shortlisted cars.
A. Fiat Punto 90 BHP
B. Hyundai i20 CRDI
C. VW Polo GT TSI
D. VW polo GT TDI


A. Fiat Punto 90 BHP
Since, my dad's colleague owned a punto 90 bhp ,he drove the car a couple of times.
He liked:
1. The door closes with a thud.
2. Engine performance.
3. Superb feel of the steering.
4. highway manners (tested on the way to tumkur from Bangalore)

He disliked:
1. my dad's colleague giving a very bad feedback of after sales service.
2. the quality of plastic was somewhat rather same to that of swift.
3. I don't know how to put this, the position of the steering feels too near to the body and the pedals seem to be very far while driving.

B. Hyundai i20 CRDI
We called for a test drive from advaith hyundai. The SA was on time and it went well.
He liked the car overall but it was me who was unhappy at the rear seat behind the driver. We test drove the car on NH 4 since we travel very often to tumkur and exactly where the road is uneven and how it feels in our cars over the same road.

Liked:
1. equipment level
2. Sixth gear for highway cruising
3. engine noise which is unheard if AC and the music system is ON.
4. rear Space

Disliked:
1. suspension-too soft
2. getting bad reviews from my close friends who own the car for the past 3 years. They were complaining about various issues. One of my friend has replaced his steering rack twice in 45k kms which is really bad since the car has gone only to Pondicherry once and is only being doing its duties inside the city only. Taking into account at the money he had spent for service and repairs, it was a deal breaker.

C and D
Deciding on which Polo GT:

We called VW Palace Cross and went to their showroom in the first week of October 2013 for test drive of both the cars. Before this, we had a very bad experience with them back in 2011 when my dad had booked polo 1.6(instead of the swift). They did not even bother to tell when the car is going to be delivered and were very laid back even after receiving the booking. My dad lost hopes after 2 months of waiting with no commitment from their side as to when they will deliver the car and other things. The booking was cancelled after my dad gave the sales guy a piece of his mind apart from informing his higher ups in Bangalore. It was not a good day for that sales guy. Fast forward to Oct 2013 first week, the sales head of palace cross remembers my dad as soon as we walk in. This time around, they were very professional and after all the features were explained, we were examining the display car in the showroom. By this time, another person had already arranged for the test drive of both cars.

We wasted no time and went straight to the basement where the car was waiting. first up was GT TSI. My dad chose to drive first even though I wanted to drive it first. I chose to sit at the back and we had a test drive around that place a short one. It was his first time driving an automatic and he did not like it that much saying that it destroys the fun factor. The rear of the car was cramped for me being a six footer and dad also being very tall( an inch lesser to 6 feet) ,the front seat was pushed back. The car was leagues ahead compared to others and I was not thrown around or something even though my leg space was cramped even when my dad was pushing it. Next, it was my turn at the wheel. I have one word to describe combination of DSG gearbox and tsi engine WOW!!. I liked it a lot. Mom was complaining about the rear space. I came and parked the car under the basement of the showroom. The fuel efficiency of the car was around 8.5 kpl with full AC.

Next, we took the TDI. As usual, my dad took the TD first. He liked the torque a lot along with the smooth shifts between the gears. Later, when i took the test drive, I also liked the torque of the car and gearbox . Also, the acceleration was very good and could close gaps in traffic easily. Came back to the showroom

So we went up and started the discussions. The deal breakers for the TSI were

1 .Its efficiency since my dad had a running of minimum 50 kms per day (mon-fri).
2. Long waiting periods for TSI.
3. Sales guy mentioning the resale value of automatics to be very low and combined with a low efficiency vehicle, the loss would be very high if and when you decide to sell the car.

So we a long talk and decided to pick up the TDI. Before my dad went for another round of TD, he called all the sales advisors of the showrooms, selected four of them who were well built and took them for a spin in the test drive car. After he came back, the sales head and myself asked him as to why he took all of them. Guess what, he remembered that when he took a test drive in 2011, some hump scraped the underside of the car. Phew! nothing scraped anywhere after he repeatedly drove over some nasty humps in and around Vasanthnagar and Cunnigham road. The sales guy had forgotten to mention that they had raised the ground clearance.

So, we went home that evening for another round of discussion and finalizing everything. While mom prepared coffee and came she started complaining that the rear space is less and she sits at the back most of the time. Point noted. Then, after much discussion between I20 CRDI and Polo GT TDI, we decided to go with the latter even though it was more expensive than the former and offered less equipment. My dad started to arrange the funds required apart from all the paperwork required. Till this time, there was no official review of GT TDI by team-bhp. My dad had also started going through reviews online from 2012 since the reviews according to him offer a lot more detail than brochures and the sales talk given in the dealership would always hide the flaws. Among the many websites, team-bhp is also one of them. So, after having dinner me and my dad went through some reviews and also official review threads of Polo and GT TSI.

Next day, 9th October 2013 we decided to book the car. Next day morning, I was going through the forum for some advice on official accessories and saw gannu sir's thread. It was a blessing in disguise for me. The attention to detail and all the features mentioned was superb. Before we left to the VW dealership, I connected the computer to the TV and showed all the pictures and details mentioned to my parents. They were satisfied and that sort of sealed it.

Booking and Delivery experience:

9th October 2013:

We head to the dealership. Me and my dad were keen on white but since my mom chose red, dad told to go with that color itself so that at least one thing goes according to her. So we booked by paying the minimum booking amount and left. We got a decent deal from them. Also, we were promised delivery of the car as soon as the payment is cleared. This time around, they were very professional and stood by their commitment to the word. Thoroughly Professional Experience in VW Palace Cross. Felt really good.

Next, my dad wanted to go for leather upholstery. As usual, he went straight to Stanley and got it done from them being a loyal customer of Stanley since they did his friend's Qualis years back. We were charged a bomb and my budget for getting goodies was gone for a while. If we compare the price with what it was in 2011 it had doubled! I was shocked looking at the bill. Since he wanted the best he got it done with combination of Nappa and Swedish leather.

The design was selected by my dad. Ticket 10 threads was used (thicker ones and color matched to the car). The matt black leather is Nappa and Red leather is the Swedish leather. The bill came up to 90K including the leather on the armrest which was procured from vagtune.in(Sugesh). I have lost count on how many calls I made to this thoroughly professional person. Not once till today, he has rejected my call while doing the installation by myself or for queries regarding different parts posted in the website. The car was sent by Volkswagen to Stanley leather (dealership has official tie up with them) for the job before delivery. Both of them took special care not to scratch or damage anywhere. Kudos to both of them.

27th October 2013:

The car was delivered in the afternoon as requested by us. My parents had gone to take the delivery. My dad had taken PDI list made by team-bhp along with a few other points. Only mistake they had done minor swirl marks all over the car. The white warp on the hood and the roof was removed in front my dad and then was washed. While doing this, they used a bad cloth which resulted in swirl marks all over the car.

Final Dent:

The car without any discounts was around 9.9L on road if I remember. I did not need the integrated reverse camera or the standalone GPS unit. We opted for a bumper to bumper insurance from VW. We paid 4k for a decent number from the RTO. We managed to get a 25k discount from the on road price apart from getting that VW Essential kit free. We also paid 4k to get a decent number of our choice from the RTO.
We also won a Ipad Mini as part of Volkswagen fest

Things we liked:
+engine
+gearbox ratio
+Gearbox shifter
+interior plastic quality
+ Torque and power
+ Suspension
+ Seat height and steering adjustment
+ clean exterior design of the car
+ Climate Control

Things we didn't like:
- engine noise when idle and when the windows are down(99% always up)
- lack of ESP and hill hold control.
- red instrument cluster.
- so so quality of speakers and infotainment system.
- dual color interiors ( would have preferred either full beige or full black).

Dad's dislikes
- rear space.
- steering feel.

The equipment level of the car in this bracket is decent at the most. A seat belt indicator is missed sorely. This is a very basic feature which is available almost every car!. Lack of ESP is also a downer considering the petrol sibling is equipped with it. The OE audio system supplied with the car is OK. The inside rear view mirror is absolutely useless. Hoping that the inverted rear headrests will be available as a separate part. Even the VW gets the seat belt height adjustment. It was even mentioned by gannu too. That would have been good if it was present. Also, I really like those chrome lines along the windows on the beadings of the door. Here also, vento gets this but polo does not.

As of 27 June 2014, the car has covered only 3.5k kms. It completed its 2k kms within January itself. In Feb 2014, my dad's office got relocated from Old Madras Road to New BEL road. Since then,the daily running has considerably come down. Since we live in Rajajinagar the distance to his office has reduced from 45 kms to 9 kms per day. The usage pattern now is mostly almost in city itself although you cannot tell when the roads in bangalore gets clogged.

Many say that it does not have bling or looks factor that other counterparts have but I like the looks of the Polo. It has clean exterior lines and design is elegant. Most of the European cars are like this aren't they?

I can definitely say this with confidence, the interior build quality is ages ahead of the competition. The interior plastic has a nice feel to it and will age will according to me. The parts are brought well together and there is no uneven gaps or things looking out of place anywhere.

For the driver, the car is quite comfortable and the seat height adjustment along with steering adjustment help a lot to suit the needs of any driver. The car is comfortable for four. The fifth passenger is not comfortable in the cabin due to the hump in the middle plus due to the arm rest also. The rear leg space is cramped and i think that they could have sacrificed boot space to overcome this. This has been the deal breaker mainly for people who are looking for a single car to suit all the needs. VW needs to address this issue immediately so as to not to lose their customers only on this issue.

The climate control present in the car takes a while to cool the cabin but does a good job in maintaining the temperature afterwards. Till today, the Hatchback with the best AC is Ford Figo! It cools the car even in the hottest of days in minutes.

Now let's come to the heart of the matter. The engine! An absolute gem to drive. Turn on the ignition and you can immediately notice the diesel engine under the hood. If the windows are up, the cabin is quite silent and manageable if you are not overly noticing it. If you drive with all your windows down, the noise can be irritating below 20 kmph, afterwards the noise fades. Slot it into 1st gear, slowly take the foot off the clutch and it moves forward. There is noticeable lag up to 1500-1700 rpm and then the turbo kicks in. The power delivery is not linear and that turbo kick feel is prominently present.

The performance is more than adequate both in city and in the highway. There is no need to plan for overtaking or anything like that. The power is just always there. All you have to do is to give gas as soon as there is empty space in front of you. The torque delivered by this car is generally more than what is required and it picks up speed quickly.

The car is easy to drive and park in the city thanks to its light steering but it lacks feedback on the highway. You need to keep an eye Speedo reading occasionally to keep it below 80 kmph on ring roads and flyovers in Bangalore since you are actually driving faster than you think. The ability to cruise at triple digit speeds is superb. The overtaking capacity on the highway is equal to a segment above of the car. You just need to keep the motor boiling above 2k rpm that's all!

The gearshifts on this car is precise and slots into gear perfectly. It is smooth and makes me remember the old getz gearbox. The shifts require minimum effort and are easy to use. The suspension of the car is very good. It soaks in all the bumps and potholes with ease. There is no noise or something inside the cabin when you travel slowly over bumps and it does not throw you off your seat.

The suspension is neither soft or stiff. They have hit the bulls eye according to me. This translates to a good ride on the highway and the car handles itself well. The car also provide adequate amount of grip but tyres with lesser noise would have been better.

The rear windows of the car do not roll down fully and it would have been good if they rolled down completely. The OVRM must have had indicators included in them. Also, there is no auto close/open feature of OVRM which could have been added.

The headlights of the car has below par visibility on the highway. To resolve this, you need to get the OEM GTi headlights you need to spend more than 10% of cost of car itself apart from complex coding required. Here we cannot say it is worth or not. If you wish you take your car on the highway, then you have no choice. If my trip involves night journey I would rather take my XUV 500 till I find a solution for this.

Answer for kitna deti hai?

The car gives around 13-14 km/l with temperature set at 21 degrees and Blower at Auto in the city. The mileage was checked on full tank to full tank basis only once and this is just after the run in period.
During the run in period, on the highway I got a MID reading of 22.3 km/l driving with 5th gear at 60 kph. That was the last time I drove that slow in this car on the highway. Last week my Bangalore-Tumkur round trip gave a efficiency of 17kpl full tank to full tank basis with temperature set at 23 degrees and blower in Auto. My cruising speed on the highway was between 130-140 kmph and the car felt right in its zone. The engine was not strained or pushed around.

Update: 6 months free checkup was also done. Went to VW Palace Cross Rajajinagar Workshop. Although I had taken prior appointment 3 days back, they took their own sweet time to take the car. Made me wait for 2 hours and then took the car. They took almost 2 hours to do the complete checkup. I was near the car all the time. Since, I was running out of time i decided not to wash the car there and would be fine without it. One good thing is that they use Good quality car shampoo and use microfiber towels to wash and dry the car. That is good news. Expect that they made me wait they did not mishandle or something like that. They were very careful with the car. It is better to keep 2 days in a year for a car than hurrying things up thereby making things worse and unnecessary visits to the workshop.

I do not want to take VW extended warranty. It does not make sense for me since I would be upgrading my ICE hopefully along with many other things.

Thanks to gannu sir's thread, I also did the same by going in for the noodle mats.

Also, special thanks to both robbie and prithwi sir for the awesome threads which are "THE" threads to refer and giving me some nice ideas by their awesome modifications. I also have been following their Laura threads also over a year now.

I have a few queries regarding the stuff I have to pick up for my car.

I have decided to pick up the interior light which is a necessity as the stock interior lights are too dull.
Next thing on my mind is ICE. I want to go stage by stage so first it will only be the head unit. Our requirements from the unit apart from all the usual stuff like FM,AUX etc. are
1. USB connectivity.
2. Bluetooth function with call facilities along with A2DP.
3. OPS.
4.Sd card
Options considered
1.RCD 510 Delphi.
2. RCD 510 Bosch.
3. Kenwood DNF9001V( same unit which is present in robbie sir's laura).
4. Kenwood DNX521DAB ( available overseas)

I left out Philadelphia 835, HU from VW Vento IPL edition due to the UI or quality issues. I do not want to invest again and again for the same thing so looking for a HU with a decent quality and least issues.
I had decided to go with RCD 510 since I do not require navigation.

Now here is the issue, my dad says that the contact name should be displayed on the HU if not there is no point in getting a new HU if he has to still look at the phone as to who is calling. I had a long chat with Mr. Sugesh about the same who explained everything in detail. Here is where I ran into a problem and confusion. It seems RCD 510 Bosch model (with 9W7 version Bluetooth) which supports phonebook needs a cluster to work. Apart from this, it also needs a MDI interface for USB connectivity. This costs upwards of 60K apart from the mic , foam and antenna which further raises the cost. So, I need advice on this and want to decide on something. I also want to see these HU installed in the cars if it is possible in Bangalore since I cannot travel all the way to Kochi(Vagtune) to have a look. Any other HU's apart from the list to consider are also welcome.

Thank you for reading my first thread and hopefully was not too bad I hope.
Cheers.

Regards,
Suraj

Note: Thanks to my friend Kishen, the pictures were shot with his nikon D5100. The pictures were resized and converted to jpeg using GIMP 2.

Threads which helped me A LOT:

Robbie Sir's Thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-baby-tsi.html

Prithwi Sir's Thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ip-report.html

Gannu Sir's Thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ownership.html

Team Bhp Official Review:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...al-review.html

[Vik0728]

Congrats psuraj on your latest acquisition. It is THE BEST 9Lks can Buy !!

I have booked one for myself and will be getting the Red Hot Hatch soon.

I just wanted to know from where did you procure the Arm Rest and how much did this cost you ? Was this a part of the Stanley leather deal ?

Keep revving and Drive Safe.

[Mahesh Prasad]

Congrats Suraj on your latest acquisition. Loved the detailed report on buying experience and the initial ownership period.

The Polo TDI - that too in red, is truly a hot hatch in all aspects. Loved the interior leather works done. Also thanks to you, just visited vagtune.in website. Looks like these people know their job well and have got the right level of equipments for a car enthusiast.

I myself am contemplating on going for the Polo - Highline (P) that is, as my usage doesn't warrant a diesel sometime during the end of this year and your report tilts the scale on Polo's favor .

Once again congrats and keep revvin'.

[Nicky]

Very nice write up. Congratulations.
Your dad is really an enthusiast it seems.
I really like the seat cover work. Very nice combination and quality work. Worth the money you spent.
Car is excellent to drive. Happy touring.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[robimahanta]

Congratulations on the car Suraj. Nice write up!

Its good to see so many VW ownership threads being active at the same time especially with the VW bashing going around everywhere else in the forum.

[drmohitg]

Congratulations on the new car. I still am waiting for a chance to get into the drivers seat of a Polo GT TDI. It must be exhilarating. The colour red is so apt with the overall USP of the car. Inspite of all the horror stories, VW cars still make you want to own one and experience one. If only they could work a little more on there after sales. Nevertheless wishing you many happy miles with your car.

In hindsight since your car's running has reduced quite a lot now, do you have any second thoughts about rather opting for the GT TSI?

[itwasntme]

Superb rationale and precise capturing of the same! I have the 1.2TDi as my second ride and I agree with all your non-engine related points. Crucially, the lack of rear seat & leg space is a HUGE letdown for many Indian buyers.

Mine has done 22k in 1 1/2 years and has hardly aged, and that too with multiple drivers.

Incidentally, looks like you bought one of the last 1.6 GT Polo TDi examples too!

[bruiser]

Congrats on a wonderful purchase, it is certainly leagues ahead on interiors and build quality.I test drove one and loved the engine too.

The only thing that I detest, sorry for using such a harsh word, is the steering. It is lifeless.

I wish they tweak it and then this car is a killer pick. Good engine, awesome interiors, great build quality. Wishing you many years of happiness with your new car.

[psuraj]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Congrats psuraj on your latest acquisition. It is THE BEST 9Lks can Buy !!

I have booked one for myself and will be getting the Red Hot Hatch soon.

I just wanted to know from where did you procure the Arm Rest and how much did this cost you ? Was this a part of the Stanley leather deal ?

Keep revving and Drive Safe.

Thank you Vik0728. The armrest was procured from vagtune.in ( Sugesh). Thanks to my friends and Robbie sir thread from where I contacted him. The armrest was procured even before the car was delivered. Then when the car was sent to stanley, when me and my dad had gone to see, we gave it to them as part of the design selected. The arm rest costed me 12or 13k I guess . don't remember. It was not part of Stanley deal since they are only into leather interiors.

Originally Posted by Mahesh Prasad

Congrats Suraj on your latest acquisition. Loved the detailed report on buying experience and the initial ownership period.

The Polo TDI - that too in red, is truly a hot hatch in all aspects. Loved the interior leather works done. Also thanks to you, just visited vagtune.in website. Looks like these people know their job well and have got the right level of equipments for a car enthusiast.

I myself am contemplating on going for the Polo - Highline (P) that is, as my usage doesn't warrant a diesel sometime during the end of this year and your report tilts the scale on Polo's favor .

Once again congrats and keep revvin'.

Thanks mahesh prasad. Yes , even I have had a good experience with vagtune and we are lucky that someone is there to cater our needs. Go for the TSi . It is worth the money you pay have pay extra over the high line version . Take a test drive and you will know what I mean.

Originally Posted by Nicky

Very nice write up. Congratulations.
Your dad is really an enthusiast it seems.
I really like the seat cover work. Very nice combination and quality work. Worth the money you spent.
Car is excellent to drive. Happy touring.

Thank you Nicky. Credits to go dad, people at Stanley especially Puneeth, Parajan and Kevin. These guys did a wonderful job I must say. Would gladly recommend everyone if the price was not so high!

Originally Posted by robimahanta

Congratulations on the car Suraj. Nice write up!

Its good to see so many VW ownership threads being active at the same time especially with the VW bashing going around everywhere else in the forum.

Thank you sir. Yes it is really sad to so many reports which are not in favour of VW. Global VW should wake up and sort this issue ASAP before it is too late and all over for VW. Will meet you someday. I really want to see the black beast in my own eyes.
Sir any recommendations on the ICE department?

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Congratulations on the new car. I still am waiting for a chance to get into the drivers seat of a Polo GT TDI. It must be exhilarating. The colour red is so apt with the overall USP of the car. Inspite of all the horror stories, VW cars still make you want to own one and experience one. If only they could work a little more on there after sales. Nevertheless wishing you many happy miles with your car.

In hindsight since your car's running has reduced quite a lot now, do you have any second thoughts about rather opting for the GT TSI?

Thank you drmohitg . You will enjoy it and appreciate it if you like diesel cars. Yup I also wish VW to come to the likes of Maruti and Ford. They should know that in India word of mouth is the best seller and one unhappy customer will lose you 10 customers at least.
Yes, since we also own a swift for city needs and Xuv for the highway runs, the running has reduced drastically. So much so that my next car will definitely be a petrol. In three years, swift has run 30k kms , Xuv in 2 years has done 14k kms and the city which went out in sept 2013 had 20k kms in 3 years. Swift ran 25k kms in 2 years.

Now I would rather replace swift with a tsi and be happy that two best hatchbacks are in the stable. New polo tsi or a sparingly used Skoda laura vrs?

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Superb rationale and precise capturing of the same! I have the 1.2TDi as my second ride and I agree with all your non-engine related points. Crucially, the lack of rear seat & leg space is a HUGE letdown for many Indian buyers.

Mine has done 22k in 1 1/2 years and has hardly aged, and that too with multiple drivers.

Incidentally, looks like you bought one of the last 1.6 GT Polo TDi examples too!

Nope its not it is 7 months old and I was one of the first few customers to pick up from VW Palace cross.

Cheers
Regards,
Suraj

[psuraj]

Originally Posted by bruiser

Congrats on a wonderful purchase, it is certainly leagues ahead on interiors and build quality.I test drove one and loved the engine too.

The only thing that I detest, sorry for using such a harsh word, is the steering. It is lifeless.

I wish they tweak it and then this car is a killer pick. Good engine, awesome interiors, great build quality. Wishing you many years of happiness with your new car.

Sorry bruiser,somehow I missed it and did not realize it till now. Thank you. Yes the steering lacks the feedback. Let's see if some member comes up with a solution for that. As for now, I think the addition of ESP for the car will help in providing some feedback. I may be wrong also, enthusiasts know way better. I am just starting to learn now. Once again apologies for the late reply.


I request people to chip in their inputs regarding HU upgrade.

After another round of discussion, dad was still firm on contacts part. I decided to drop the navigation feature which will not be used on a regular basis so thought it is unnecessary for me.

I have finalized to pickup RCD 510 Bosch unit + premium Bluetooth+ MDI unit + Reading light with MIC + OEM antenna. There are so many great threads on VW GTs on team-bhp that I have been spoon fed with a lot of information on various things.

I am now spoiled with many choices and albeit getting confused also.

Experts, I want the high line cluster ( maxi dot) very much and I got a bad news that newer version of instrument cluster (2014 facelift) provided is NOT the high line one. So, I am back to consider alternative options from outside of official availability by VW India. Has someone used a GTI cluster on TDi version? Just want to have a word with the person that's all.

Also, I am planning to pickup the older version of the steering wheel itself and not the newer version.
Just waiting for some funds which were due to arrive so that at least before the car's first birthday I will be done with modifications which are a necessity.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by psuraj

Has someone used a GTI cluster on TDi version?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjQhd3SQp0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_53vbNR9Xs

There are 2 caveats when you use a cluster meant for a petrol car in a diesel one:

1. The tacho range is higher - for petrol engines, it is set from 0 to 8k RPM redlining from 6k RPM whereas for diesel engines it is set from 0 to 6k RPM redlining from 5k RPM. The calibration is perfect regardless.

2. The glow plug light () on the GTI cluster is missing. But in the event of an error or a warning, you will have to rely on the OBD II based application to read the diagnostic trouble code.

I have dismantled the stock cluster yesterday and will be sending it to Sugesh (Vagtune) along with the spare key today.

[psuraj]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

There are 2 caveats when you use a cluster meant for a petrol car in a diesel one:

1. The tacho range is higher - for petrol engines, it is set from 0 to 8k RPM redlining from 6k RPM whereas for diesel engines it is set from 0 to 6k RPM redlining from 5k RPM. The calibration is perfect regardless.

2. The glow plug light (Attachment 1261635) on the GTI cluster is missing. But in the event of an error or a warning, you will have to rely on the OBD II based application to read the diagnostic trouble code.

I have dismantled the stock cluster yesterday and will be sending it to Sugesh (Vagtune) along with the spare key today.

Nice!!

I was aware of this but not completely. I am completely fine with the first problem. Now I am worried about the second one which I was completely unaware. Is this warning light available in our tacky red cluster ?

I will be visiting VW Palace cross maybe tomorrow or day after and check the car thoroughly for any good changes.

Thanks will be glued to your thread. I am a friend of vijuraj. Hopefully I will talk with you soon since I do not have the PM feature yet.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by psuraj

Is this warning light available in our tacky red cluster ?

Yes. The light flashes for a second (glow plug heats momentarily) when you turn the key before cranking the engine. It shows up like this:



But if this light flashes on the cluster continuously, with a GTI cluster we wouldn't come to know. This is the major drawback.

Originally Posted by psuraj

I am a friend of vijuraj. Hopefully I will talk with you soon since I do not have the PM feature yet.

No worries!

[psuraj]

I visited Robbie's place to check out few things and wanted some clarifications. Robbie offered me a free VCDS scan and some tweaks also. My emergency braking flashing lights were activated by default. A couple of things were changed. Tear wipe option was activated(tear wipe option-10 seconds after the wipers are stopped, a wipe is done so as to remove any droplets which may come from the roof or anything left over on the glass). The lane change clicks were changed from 3 to 5. The volume of the reverse indicators were increased by two notches from stage 4 to stage 6.

Thanks to robimahanta!