[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by Crazy_Bean

Hi Gannu, As far as I know, the cruise control is a Steering module property. How is it dependent on the BCM.

I do not know how the cruise control feature is dependent on the BCM but it surely is and only the highline models support cruise control.

Please have a look at the Ross Tech link which has explained the several types of BCMs and the functions they support. Hope this helps!

[Crazy_Bean]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

I do not know how the cruise control feature is dependent on the BCM but it surely is and only the highline models support cruise control.

Please have a look at the Ross Tech link which has explained the several types of BCMs and the functions they support. Hope this helps!

Ok, This makes sense. Similar ross tech page for the Passat shows that cruise control doesn't have any dependency on BCM. Thanks for the response.

I am very tempted to go ahead with the retrofit, I know how to remove the steering wheel and everything, only the part where I have to route a wire from the ECU to the module scares me. I am even unsure of the correct pin no. even. Where does one find specific VW repair manuals?

[Gannu_1]

/OT

Originally Posted by Crazy_Bean

Where does one find specific VW repair manuals?

http://workshop-manuals.com/volkswagen/

Not sure if the B7 model is featured there. Do have a look.

[kiran_cr]

Originally Posted by charansuki

Congrats on your choice and welcome to the Rapid family. Good to know someone else who has the same taste
Black roof and doors are dealer accessories. However the White Rapid with black package is one mean looking machine. My wife didnt share my enthusiasm on the black package . Hope you enjoy the looks as much as the machine

Wish you many happy miles and please post your experiences.

Note to Moderator: Apologies for back to back to posts. I missed seeing this post when I replied the first time.

@charansuki. Can you share your experiences of owning Rapid DSG for last 4 months? Both positives and Negatives. I think you are one of the first to own Rapid DSG, so your experiences would be very very valuable.

[charansuki]

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

@charansuki. Can you share your experiences of owning Rapid DSG for last 4 months? Both positives and Negatives. I think you are one of the first to own Rapid DSG, so your experiences would be very very valuable.

Hi Kiran,

I wanted to write an update soon. I was waiting for the 7500 kms check up to be completed before I updated. However, now that there is an interest I will summarize my opinions now and will later add an entry for my service experience

I have completed 6700 odd kms till now. Waiting for 7500 Kms for the check up. Since my last update, I have covered Bangalore - Mangalore Once, Bangalore - Sringeri Once and Bangalore - Rameshwaram Once. So all decent long drives to know the car well. Most of my drive is within the city and my average driving distance is 12KMS per day. (I am one of the lucky ones who stay close to office )

Positives:

Engine and Gearbox is smooth as ever, there is hardly any lag when I need power. In city its a pleasure to drive and in Highways it really shines. In all the long drives I have made I have hardly felt any discomfort or fatigue. I travel quite frequently to Mangalore and compared to my Figo this is very comfortable and fatigue free.

Fuel Efficiency is fantastic. During the trip to Rameshwaram, The onboard DTE meter showed an FE of 24KMPL (Pic of the same is attached). I did an almost complete round trip in one tank. Had to refuel in Salem as I didnt want to take any chances. Tank full to Tank full method gave me an mileage of 22.2 KMPL. Average speed was 90-100 KMPH. Maximum speed reached was 170 KMPH.

within city I am getting an average of 13KMPL. This is purely because I live so close to my office and doesnt travel too far for the engine to reach its optimum temperature. Also the road that I take has 21 humps within 6KMS.

AC within the car is very powerful and cools very efficiently. I always set the temperature to 23 and it maintains that very efficiently. Now that summer is here I need to see how efficient it is. But in the places like Mangalore and Rameshwaram I didnt face any issues.

ICE quality is good and satisfies my needs. Sound is well balanced and pleasant to hear. Bluetooth connectivity is very fast and doesn't get switched off if just engine is switched off and on. (It does reboot if car is completely switched off and restarted)

Ride quality is fine and no complaints. Handles very well both on Highway and City roads. Suspension is on the stiff side but not to the point where its uncomfortable. High speed stability is good


Negatives:

All my negatives are mainly around ICE of the car but did face one issue with steering

When driving within the city the steering suddenly seemed very heavy and weighed heavily on the right side. When I released the steering, the car was moving to the right. I had to put some extra pressure to keep the car straight. This happened for around 30 secs and got corrected automatically. Never faced the issue again nor do I know what caused it. It didnt feel like something was stuck in the wheels so it must have been the car's steering itself. Will get it checked in the service

ICE functionality is very limited. Cannot make calls from the steering controls. The ICE doesnt read the phone book. The call function seems limited to only redial, receive and Hang up. Redial doesnt happen via steering controls. I hate the lack of functionality

Call quality is below average via Bluetooth. I always have speak loudly to be audible, even then i am not always successful. Its very frustrating when you have to repeat or shout every sentence.

Gears doesnt change as fast as I want when climbing an incline. It prefers to be in a lower gear when I know it can go higher. Its not a big issue and I can always switch to manual if it is stuck for too long. However I do wish it reads inclines better.

[kiran_cr]

@charansuki. Thanks for the long and detailed update. 6700kms in 4 months is very good considering the fact that your daily office run is just 12kms. Im sure you have thoroughly enjoyed your car. I was bit apprehensive about the ICE, and my fears have come true. I agree that the sound quality is very good for a stock ICE but im not a person who speaks over phone while driving. I concentrate on road a lot to save my car and any other person on road from scratches.

I have also booked a Rapid DSG C.beige black package (elegance trim) from Tafe and am expecting the delivery on April 1st week. I have become restless now.

Wanted to know if you had done any under body coating (Rubber/Teflon)? Also is it ok to take the car on long drive within a week after delivery? im planning a long highway run probably to Chennai or towards Coimbatore to enjoy the 4/6 lane highway.

[lakshman1067]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

I do not know how the cruise control feature is dependent on the BCM but it surely is and only the highline models support cruise control.

Please have a look at the Ross Tech link which has explained the several types of BCMs and the functions they support. Hope this helps!

To be honest I am not very technical about this, But when I was looking TDI 1.6 I had contacted VAGTUNE from cochin about the possibility of fitting the Cruise control to Rapid. Do check with them once as they have the necessary original parts and they do travel to bangalore once a while for fittings depending upon the request they recieve.

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

Wanted to know if you had done any under body coating (Rubber/Teflon)? Also is it ok to take the car on long drive within a week after delivery? im planning a long highway run probably to Chennai or towards Coimbatore to enjoy the 4/6 lane highway.

It shouldnt be a problem Kiran. Just keep the car below 101 km/hr for 3 reasons.

1)Initial run(I am a bit old fashioned)
2)It will deliver you a really good mileage( I went from Banglore > Chennai > Pondicherry > Chennai > Bangalore in a single tank and was still left with quater tank of diesel)
3)When and if you are on cruise control, The car tries to maintain the speed even when you are climbing a bridge. At times it gets really difficult to manuver without braking.

Also if you are planning for chennai try the old madras road route KR.puram > Kolar > Chithoor > Ranipet. It will join you before wallahjapet toll booth. This route however goes via the country side(mostly single road after kolar till Ranipet).There are few places(ghat sections) where you can push your car to see how beautifully it handles.

@charansuki : First of all, my hearty congratulations on your beast.Have you by any chance upgraded your tyres ?

[charansuki]

An update on my service experience with Skoda. I had to give my car for the 7500Km initial check up. My car had a mileage of ~7,250 Kms on April 1st. I received a call from Vinayak Skoda asking about my service plans and my intended date to give the car for service. I told them that I have a long trip planned and I will give the car for service after 5th April. I mentioned that the car would have crossed 7500Kms and may be closer to 7750Kms. The agent promptly and strictly told that the check up wont be free i would have to pay 1200 rs as it would have crossed the 7.5K mark. I was surprised to hear about this attitude as all the car dealerships generally give about 200-500Kms leeway before they even talk nonsense. I requested for flexibility only to hear that this is process and they cant help. I curtly said that "This is why people dont buy Skoda" and hung up cursing my decision to buy a Skoda.

Then called up the sales manager from Tafe access hosur road, he recognized me from Team bhp review and suggested that i wouldnt have any issues till 8K kms. He was helpful in giving me the service contact number and followed up with me to see if I had got an appointment. I had got an appointment on 8th, which was the earliest that they could accommodate. I was immediately told who would be my service advisor and the number of the advisor was passed on. I called the advisor and told him that my car would have crossed 7.5 Kms at the time of service and he assured me that it wouldnt be an issue as long as its below 8K.

Reached the service station at promptly 9:30AM yesterday. The car had an ODO reading of 7640 KMS. There were two cars before me for the appointed advisor and I had to wait for one and half hours before he could attend to me. But throughout the wait I was promptly informed of the delay and apologies were made stating that mornings are busy and he will attend as soon as he can. The job card was opened and since it was just a check up there were no complaints.

I was suggested to go for body polishing for which I agreed. The front LHS running guard above the tyre was broken (Plastic in the wheel well), so I asked him to replace it. I was told that the car would be ready by evening and I can pick it up between 6 and 7 PM and a quote of 4K was given (1.6K for polishing, 1.5K for the guard and any other misc items).

I received a call from the advisor at around 6PM. He told that the car was almost ready and only washing and polishing was left. I told him that I can come only tomorrow, he offered to do the polishing the next day so as to avoid the dust settling in overnight. I thought it was a nice gesture.

Picked up the car today at 3PM, the overall bill was around 2750. 1600 for polishing, 550 for the guard and all the taxes and labor charges for replacing the guard extra. Overall I am satisfied with Tafe service and the service advisor. Hopefully this continues and I remain a happy customer. I am not going to Vinayak Skoda for service anytime soon for sure

Originally Posted by lakshman1067

T
@charansuki : First of all, my hearty congratulations on your beast.Have you by any chance upgraded your tyres ?

Sorry for the delay in response. No I have not upgraded the tires. I find it sufficient for my driving.

[kiran_cr]

Friends,

First of all apologies for the delayed reply. Have been busy for last couple of weeks.

Good news is i got my Skoda Rapid Elegance "plus" DSG Cappuccino Beige Black Package delivered on April 2nd. The reason why i have written the plus in bold will be revealed as you read the post fully.

I would say the buying experience was smooth except for 1 hiccup which I donno if is a blessing in disguise or a curse. Please read on further.

I had booked for a Rapid DSG "Elegance" black package cappuccino beige color, but one day before delivery the SA calls me and tells that skoda has goofed up and have instead allocated "elegance plus" variant which will cost me INR 40000 extra. i blindly refuse and say i dont have extra money to pay them and let skoda reallocate me a "elegance" trim. But since my vehicle was allotted to me on 28th march and it was year end closing the dealer asked me to pay how much ever is possible. After few discussions with my wife i called up the SA and informed that i would pay 10000 extra and that too by means of a PDC dated in MAY 2015 (why should i take an additional 10K burden for no mistake of mine in the current month? My budget would go haywire). The SA agreed and I confirmed that the vehicle would be ready on April 2nd after 2PM.

Come April 2nd and I was already restless, took work from home option and informed office that I would step out between 230PM and 530PM. Me and wifey took namma metro from Indiranagar metro station to MG road and walked to Tafe access on St Marks Road. After a small demo of the vehicle i got my baby's keys on my hand and suprisngly the entire staff of Tafe were out singing/wishing and congratulating me for the new car (new customer service strategy eh?). The vehicle had only a TEMP registration. Anyway i was happy and took out the car in peak hour MG road traffic and crawled back home. Parked her, took few snaps and got back to work (but my heart was longing for a long drive in the night).

Anyway i wasnt worried much since we had planned for a weekend outing to Kotagiri in Nilgiris on April 3rd and that was the reason why i was pushing Tafe to handover the car to me on 2nd. Left Bangalore at 5AM to beat toll plaza traffic, intentionally i took the longer route i.e. Bangalore -> Salem -> Erode -> Mettupalayam -> Kotagiri so that i can enjoy the highway drive.

There are so many posts about the awesomeness of Rapid Diesel + DSG combo. Each and everything said about that is absolutely true. Loved every bit of the drive. Tried cruise control and fiddled with different style of driving (but never crossed 105 KMPH). The toll operator at each and every toll plaza was asking me when i took the vehicle delivery (since it had a temp regn). Reached kotagiri in about 7.5hrs, but boy i was still feeling fresh and there was not a hint of tireness.

Some of the pics taken during the drive. Sorry I could manage to get only 4 or 5 pictures. will add more once i get it

On my way to kodanad view point








I have some questions and i think you guys can please help me out

1. When i stop at any signal and if the timer is more than 20 seconds, i put the gear lever to "N" and depress the brake pedal. Is this the right approach?

2. I religiously wait for 20 to 30 seconds after starting the car and before shutting the engine (as i have always done with a common rail diesel). But once i shut the engine, i can still hear the intercooler/radiator fan running for about a minute. Is it okay?

3. my car has done 1300kms in 15 days, can i try "S" mode?

4. When i accelerate hard I hear a whistling sound from the front left part of the car, is it the turbo spooling? or is it anyother problem?

Again, thanks to all TBHPians who have helped me choose this car, i am truly loving my run with this beauty.

CHeers

[adi_petrolhead]

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

I have some questions and i think you guys can please help me out

1. When i stop at any signal and if the timer is more than 20 seconds, i put the gear lever to "N" and depress the brake pedal. Is this the right approach?

2. I religiously wait for 20 to 30 seconds after starting the car and before shutting the engine (as i have always done with a common rail diesel). But once i shut the engine, i can still hear the intercooler/radiator fan running for about a minute. Is it okay?

3. my car has done 1300kms in 15 days, can i try "S" mode?

4. When i accelerate hard I hear a whistling sound from the front left part of the car, is it the turbo spooling? or is it anyother problem?

Congrats! Car looks sexy.

1) you can put it in 'N' and release the brake, no need to keep it depressed, or you could apply the hand brake.

2) again not needed in modern cars. They gain temperature within 1 minute of start up. However it is advised to let the turbo cool off after a hard driving session, else try keeping rpms below 2000 mark when you know you're gonna stop in the next 1 km.

3) you could try it on day one, its not like the 'M' button it will just make the changes late. Pls go ahead and try it now!

4) look at the auto climate control, is the circulation mode on? If not, means the ventilation is open, it allows the turbo noise to creep in, so keep the circulation mode on, and noise will become very very faint.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

I had booked for a Rapid DSG "Elegance" black package cappuccino beige color, but one day before delivery the SA calls me and tells that skoda has goofed up and have instead allocated "elegance plus" variant which will cost me INR 40000 extra. i blindly refuse and say i dont have extra money to pay them and let skoda reallocate me a "elegance" trim. But since my vehicle was allotted to me on 28th march and it was year end closing the dealer asked me to pay how much ever is possible. After few discussions with my wife i called up the SA and informed that i would pay 10000 extra and that too by means of a PDC dated in MAY 2015 (why should i take an additional 10K burden for no mistake of mine in the current month? My budget would go haywire). The SA agreed and I confirmed that the vehicle would be ready on April 2nd after 2PM.

What are the additional features in the plus for 40K? Or is this the Zeal edition with alcantara seat covers?

[kiran_cr]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

Congrats! Car looks sexy.

1) you can put it in 'N' and release the brake, no need to keep it depressed, or you could apply the hand brake.

2) again not needed in modern cars. They gain temperature within 1 minute of start up. However it is advised to let the turbo cool off after a hard driving session, else try keeping rpms below 2000 mark when you know you're gonna stop in the next 1 km.

3) you could try it on day one, its not like the 'M' button it will just make the changes late. Pls go ahead and try it now!

4) look at the auto climate control, is the circulation mode on? If not, means the ventilation is open, it allows the turbo noise to creep in, so keep the circulation mode on, and noise will become very very faint.

Thanks @adi_petrolhead. yes she is a definite head turner. In city i mostly drive in circulation mode only and in this mode the sound of turbo spooling is lesser when compared to ventilation mode. Sometimes even in circulation mode, external odor tends to creep in. Im not sure if this is normal.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

What are the additional features in the plus for 40K? Or is this the Zeal edition with alcantara seat covers?

No this is not the zeal edition. The difference is Art leather seat overs, cruise control and built in reverse parking sensors.

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

No this is not the zeal edition. The difference is Art leather seat overs, cruise control and built in reverse parking sensors.

AND projector headlights.

[kiran_cr]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

AND projector headlights.

Even elegance trim have projectors. I was telling the difference between elegance and elegance plus.

[charansuki]

Originally Posted by kiran_cr

Friends,

I have some questions and i think you guys can please help me out

1. When i stop at any signal and if the timer is more than 20 seconds, i put the gear lever to "N" and depress the brake pedal. Is this the right approach?

2. I religiously wait for 20 to 30 seconds after starting the car and before shutting the engine (as i have always done with a common rail diesel). But once i shut the engine, i can still hear the intercooler/radiator fan running for about a minute. Is it okay?

3. my car has done 1300kms in 15 days, can i try "S" mode?

4. When i accelerate hard I hear a whistling sound from the front left part of the car, is it the turbo spooling? or is it anyother problem?

Again, thanks to all TBHPians who have helped me choose this car, i am truly loving my run with this beauty.

CHeers

Hi Kiran,
Congrats on the car. Looks are a stunner with black package. Wish you many more happy miles with the beast. To answer your questions

1. Yes this is the right. you can also put the car in P and just leave it at that as well. However handbrake is the most optimal choice as it avoids the stress on wheel lock pins

2. This is perfectly fine. It used to happen in my old figo as well

3. I dont see why not? as long as you are not redlining and not pushing it for too long, you can drive it in S mode normally without any issues. Watch out for the mileage indicator though, you might feel your heart skip a beat or two

4. Thats may be the turbo spooling and but i never noticed it, let me check in my car over the weekend and let you know

even if the AC is in circulation mode i do notice that outside smell does creep in sometimes. this was surprising for me as well as i hadn't noticed it any other cars. May be you can check with your service rep when you do give it in and let me know what you hear

Looks like the elegance plus is the addition of only the art leather seats. everything else was available in elegance trim when i bought my car. Have they changed the options now?