[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by DWC

How can I clean the engine bay? Ive seen people hose it down, but I dont know whether this is a good idea or not. Looking for some tips on the best way to clean everything under the hood.

I also noticed that the coolant was a little below the minimum mark. This is kinda scary as I dont want my engine overheating any time soon. Do I take her to the service center for a check up? Any reason why the coolant level could have dropped after just a couple of months of ownership?

Don't know how its done in India, but here is how I used to do it back in Europe. I cleaned the engine bay once a year. I use a degreaser and spray that liberally all over the engine and the various parts. BUT before doing so, I wrap all the electrical connections, sensors in plastic and duct tape. Leave the degreaser to soak in and then use a high pressure hose to clean all the muck off. ideally I would use a steam cleaner. You have to do this in a place where they can collect all the dirty/contaminated water water.

On the coolant; check for any visuals clues of leaks. Check right after a drive when everything is still warm/hot. Coolant liquid has a very distinct smell and very often you can small even a small leak before you see the drops. if not, I would just top it up with the appropriate coolant liquid and check it very regularly to see whats happening. As it is a new car, you might want to take it back to the dealer, just to be on the safe side.

Jeroen

[nidhinsarath]

I received the aluminium pedals yesterday. The clutch and accelerator was just plug in type. But for the brake I had to cut the rubber plug. It's not a snug fit even after that. I tried with Fewi kwik. But it failed. Is there any alternative adhesive?

[Autodoc]

I too had the same issue. Had to resort some jugaad. I cut that protruding bit fully, cut a piece of rubber from an old footwear, stuck it using fewikwik and fixed the whole thing to the pedal using fewikwik after ensuring that it was an almost perfect snug fit.

Thanks
Sunny

[nidhinsarath]

I didn't get the way you fixed it. Fewi kwik is not adherent

[Autodoc]

Originally Posted by nidhinsarath

I didn't get the way you fixed it. Fewi kwik is not adherent

Let's not hijack the thread. I'll PM you explaining in detail.
Sunny

[DWC]

Yeah, the brake pedal's a pain to fix, but totally doable. Cut off the extra rubber bit, and use superglue to stick it together. If fevikwik does not work (it worked for me; make sure the area is clean, dry and free of any dust and dirt before applying the glue), then try something stronger like araldite. Problem with the stronger stuff is it might not be easy to remove later.

Also, my accelerator peddle was sliding off due to the pressure of my foot. There was nothing to hod it in place from the bottom of the peddle, so I fixed that with superglue too.

In other news, i'm going to check out this shop in Khar that can smoke my tail lights for me tomorrow. They also do seat covers, so if they are any good then i'll probably get my seat covers done from them as well. The beige is not holding up well.

[DWC]

So I finally received the two cans of Plasti Dip I had ordered a couple of months ago. (I normally do not use emoticons, but this one perfectly describes me when I got the package)

For the uninformed, Plasti dip, is a rubberized coating that can be sprayed onto any surface. Pretty similar to a can of spray paint. The advantage is, the stuff peels right off (provided you apply it correctly) if you don't like it or get bored of it. Apart from looking good, it also acts like a protective coating.

I ordered a couple of cans of Anthracite Grey Plasti Dip thinking with the intention of changing the colour of my rims and badging. Luckily for me, two cans were just about enough. Although in all honesty, I would have been happy with another couple of coats for my rims.

There's a method to the application, and i'm going to try and take you through it step by step. If you want to do this yourself, i recommend you search for youtube videos, they will give you proper step by step instructions on how to go about it. Trust me, nothing beats actually watching someone explain how to do it while simultaneously doing it for you.

First off, clean the area of dirt and grime before application. I used regular water and a dry cloth.

Step two: Tape up the area around the badges so that you don't end up spraying your car. For the rims, there are a number of ways to apply the dip without removing the wheels from the car. First off, we need to protect the disc brakes from the Plasti dip. Take a garbage bag, and cut it down the middle almost all the way to the top, so that it resembles a pair of trousers. Insert one side behind the rims and cover up the brakes, repeat for the other side.

For protecting the rubber, there are again a number of things that can be done. I went the lazy way and didn't do anything. So basically my sidewalls have a bit of dip on them as well. This can be peeled off as well, but is quite a pain in the you know where.







Step three: You need to apply light, even coats to the area. I recommend atleast 8 coats of plasti dip. After each coat, you need to wait for around 8 minutes for the dip to dry before you apply the next coat. Make sure you shake the can properly before application, and keep the can atleast 6 inches away from whatever it is you're dipping. The key point here is that the coats need to be applied with a free flowing action. Don't apply too much at once as it will start to drip. This will lead to an uneven finish.

This is how she looked after the first coat:
Attachment 1314922






This is after four coats of application:




The final finished product:








Even though there's not much difference in finish between the 4th coat and the 8th coat, it is important to do all 8 coats simply because it adds to the thickness of the rubber. This will protect the dip from any scratches, chips and the day to day wear and tear that your car faces. Heck, if I had more plasti dip, I would have applied atleast a further 2-3 coats for the rims.

Coming up: Blackening out of the tail lights and putting some seat covers on my seats. The beige is really taking a beating. May even consider a carbon fibre wrap for the roof. Will put my legs up for a bit once this is done. Maybe a remap after a couple of years.

[Astonite]

Originally Posted by DWC

I sync my phone to the system using bluetooth. All my music is stored on my phone. I think ill try other sources to check if they work.

Sorry man, can't help you with how to change folders. Like I said, all my music is on my phone, so never had to change folders. Let me try and tinker around a bit using a usb. I'll post back if I figure it out.

DWC, that's a wonderful review. You can start a separate thread for plastic dip DIY.

You cannot fast forward music if the music source is bluetooth. It works with USB, SD Card.

[Carpainter]

Originally Posted by DWC

So I finally received the two cans of Plasti Dip I had ordered a couple of months ago. (I normally do not use emoticons, but this one perfectly describes me when I got the package)

Good job! Looking different now specially for those alloys. But I think the chrome VW logos in the front and boot opener adds to the character of the car specially since your car is dressed in night blue. It's my personal opinion though and your car will definitely look different in the crowd.

[DWC]

Haha, I completely agree with regard to the badging. But what's done is done, so I'm just going with it.

[F2005]

Those alloys look wonderful.
Tint the tail lamps and I think the car will look better.

[DWC]

Originally Posted by F2005

Those alloys look wonderful.
Tint the tail lamps and I think the car will look better.

Yup, that's the plan.

[revved_up]

Great job with dip plasti! Can you let me know where exactly you bought it from and how many cans you ended up using?

[DWC]

Originally Posted by revved_up

Great job with dip plasti! Can you let me know where exactly you bought it from and how many cans you ended up using?

A friend of mine got them down from the states, but you can get them from a dealer in Mumbai as well. They may not have all the shades, but should have the standard blacks, etc.

Cosmotech durables
A-22 Shalimar Industrial Estate
Next to Tata power building
Matunga Labour Camp
Matunga
Mumbai - 400019
Email: cosmotech90@yahoo.com
Contact person: Mr. Gandhi @ 9820048105

I heard he couriers it as well.

[DWC]

So I finally got around to getting seat covers and tints for the tail lights last month. Got them done from Sainath in Khar on SV road.





The seat covers are pretty decent, however was not too pleased with the way the tints were put. The guy did not do a good job even though he removed the taillights before application.



Went in for black faux leather covers for the seat. The pattern on the covers are an exact match to the pattern on the black interior plastics in the car. Only complaint is that the car heats up much faster now. But I can live with that any day over dirty fabric seats. The beige was really taking a beating.

The plasti dipped rims are also holding up great, except for a couple of scratches from when they brushed against the curb, they're looking swell. I have also ordered an extra can just to do touch up work and it should reach me by next month.

In other news, I went for the 7500 km general check up earlier this month. The car has been running well, only the coolant needed a bit of a top up. Was very specific that I did not want the car washed for fear of them messing up the plastidip. But some curious Benjamin went and scratched a bit off the rear emblem anyway. I was looking for an excuse to remove the dip from the emblems so now I got my reason.

I must add that the car was running butter smooth after the check up.

Two days after coming back from the checkup, she developed a rattle. What timing! So now every time I go over a bump or if there's a slight undulation in the road (which is every couple of minutes in this country) I hear a high pitched squeaking sound coming from the front of the car. I made my wife listen as well just to figure out where it was coming from. She said its coming from the drivers side and I was hearing it from the passenger side. Anyway, i'm in two minds whether to go and check it out at the service center again. I usually drive with the a/c on and music playing, so it isn't too much of a bother. Yet. Though I do get OCD about stuff like this.

The new year didn't start too well for Nyx. First the rattles, and them some degenerate went and keyed her on the bonnet. Around 2 feet long! Ive ordered Maguiar's Ultimate Compound and Collinite 845. Haven't taken a picture of the mark as yet, but will write a separate post later with some before and after pics.

Ive also gone ahead and bought myself a small car fire extinguisher and kept in under the seat.

The cars been running fine till now and here are a few things that i'm not too happy with:

1. The squeaky rattle.
2. The bluetooth connectivity. Sometimes it acts a little funny. It plays music from my phone but through the call feature. Very weird. Sometimes it refuses to connect.
3. Steering feedback. Does not inspire high speed cornering.
4. Long throw of clutch is quite a pain. Literally.
5. The gearbox is not notchy. Neither is it butter smooth. Somewhere in between.

That's it for now folks, got a decently long drive planned for this weekend, looking forward to stretching her legs.