[keroo1099]

My word, what a detailed review Viraat13. Great review, and some lovely upgrades to your car. Hope you keep posting on your thread.

Wishing you many happy km in the Tsi.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

GT TDI, 2014, here... Just to say that I never had any difficulty with the climate control, and that I have always found climate control superior to manual-AC over the years and cars of the past.

Ours stays on 22.5/auto for ever. Only exception is when we need urgent cooling. Mind you, "22.5" is just the setting that works for us: it bears no relation to actual temperature, which is probably more like 25-27. At an actual 22.5, I'd be feeling cold. I think my previous Polo worked well with 22.5 too. Maybe it's the magic number.

22.5 is just not cool enough in the car for me. It has to be LO or 18.
On the rare occasion that I am feeling cold inside the car, I am happy to put off the compressor and turn it back on when I need.

Originally Posted by keroo1099

My word, what a detailed review Viraat13. Great review, and some lovely upgrades to your car. Hope you keep posting on your thread.

Wishing you many happy km in the Tsi.

Thank you so much! Update will be coming soon, since I just serviced the car today and did some other fixes as well. Car isn't driveable as yet because the battery was flat dead, and I gave it for charging this evening.

[TJ02]

What a detailed review of GT TSI (1.2). Some really cool upgrades.

By the way I read somewhere of GT TSI gang in the review. If there is one, please let me know through personal message.

[Viraat13]

Major Update!

Originally Posted by Viraat13

After sales and Troubles with VW

The biggest issue I've had is the fact that VW changed their warranty policy sometime in early 2020, which meant that I was unable to renew my warranty beyond 9th June 2020. Prior to the warranty expiring I visited VW for a peculiar noise coming from the transmission. My concerns were dismissed and I was assured that my GB would be good for a long long time. This was around the 46K mark. At 52K, I had my first bit of trouble, where the car refused to slot into 1,3,5,7 and limped back home. Dhruvritzed helped me diagnose the issue as he had recently (at the time) dealt with the same thing, and he advised that I should just scan/clear the codes and hope for the best as it would mean that the transmission will work for a while more. At 58K, in April 2021 the transmission finally gave up. Since, I have got a full service history, and the service centre staff knows of my many attempts to get warranty, they assured me that they would try and get the best possible goodwill support from VW.

Unfortunately their best possible has only been up to 30%, so the cost of clutch pack + flywheel is coming to 100K approx. I was to get my car back from VW and do it myself (since the cost is working out way cheaper), but due to lockdown, my car has been stuck at VW since 19th April.

Last week I fixed the clutch issues on my own. More about that on this thread in technical section: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...lo-gt-tsi.html (DSG FIX - Multiclutch replacement of the DQ200 on my VW Polo GT TSI)

I also wanted to do a general service, so I went ahead and procured the OE oil filter and air filter as well. AC filter was changed in March and I've hardly driven since then, and fuel filter was changed 12k kms ago, so not worth changing just yet.

VW uses Castrol, but it is a brand that I've never liked as such, and I was only too happy for the opportunity to go for a good brand like LiquiMoly, Rowe, etc. I was shopping around when I stumbled upon a few dusty bottles of Amsoil with a retailer at a very reasonable price - now Amsoil is super popular with some people, and most are willing to pay even beyond MRP for it strangely enough (probably due to short supply).


I picked up 4 bottles of Amsoil. The quantity in the bottle is a bit strange (946 ml), so 4 x 946 = 3784 ml which was just enough for the 1.2 TSI. The oil meets VW 502/505 spec, which is what is needed for the 1.2/1.8 TSI engines.

Initial impressions: Amsoil was worth the investment, and the engine seems smoother than it ever has been. Really pleased with the oil so far, but I've only driven ~200km. Will update when I've done 5-7K kms.

Odo stands at 58200 or thereabouts as on date. I'm planning on doing 10K intervals from now on.

[shardul_pathak]

I'm in the process of acquiring a late 2015 Polo 1.2 GT TSI and I am FanBoy-ing over this thread and your dedication to the car.

I love all that you have done with the car, they are all such understated but incredibly useful mods.

My limitations are time and a major lack of artistic ability. I'm requesting you to please hand hold me through the process of getting all the mods done! I wouldn't mind a trip or two to Delhi, driving the car on the highway is a delight any which way!

Look forward to hearing form you!

[shardul_pathak]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

Headlights

After having tried every conceivable combination of lights between LEDs (multiple), Halogens, Osram NBU, HID for almost each combo, below is the set up I am running, and finally happy with.

• Parking Lights: Osram LED (6000k)
• Fog Lights: 4500K LED w/ Fan (to be installed)
• Main beam: HID Kit (6000k)
• High Beam: DCH LED (6000k)

Attachment 2163028
This is the what the output is like now, and I couldn't be happier. Before I get brickbats for using LED in my high beams without projectors, hear this - I don't drive with my high beams on at all, they are there only to blind the idiots who blind everyone else. Besides, the beam pattern is well controlled.

Attachment 2163029
I love how it looks with the yellow tinted fogs (on the insistence of AShubrah - thanks again!).

Hi @Viraat13, This is my second post on your thread! I really like your headlight setup, please could you guide me though the wiring and modifications for getting the same one on my Polo GT TSI?

Also, the headliner on my car is falling off from the dirver's side, any pro tips on how to fix that. My garage hasn't been able to fix that issue.

[ChargedGarage]

Originally Posted by shardul_pathak

Hi @Viraat13, This is my second post on your thread! I really like your headlight setup, please could you guide me though the wiring and modifications for getting the same one on my Polo GT TSI?

Hey buddy, I too got the lights in my Polo GT TSI upgraded via Viraat. Noticeable improvement and kind of necessary for safe night driving. Try contacting him at https://instagram.com/viraatsautomotivegarage, that's how I did it too. Best of luck!

[Viraat13]

Hello team,

It's been a long time since my last update, over one year in fact. In June 2021 I'd serviced the car using Amsoil, with the odo at 58k. The odo now stands at 75k+ km

Odo on 1st August:


My experience with Amsoil was a good one, but the availability is poor and meanwhile I've become a dealer of Mobil, so I don't really go looking for other brands of oil now.



Service was done using original filters that I had ordered some weeks in advance. As I'm sure I've mentioned, I had planned on ditching the 15k km interval suggested by VW and do the service every 10000 km. I extended the last service to 12k km for ease of remembering when each service is due. The service was performed at 69990 km or so on 18th of April. In less than 4 months, I've done about 5500 km.

I also changed the mechatronic fluid this time around as I felt the shifts becoming slightly slower than usual. It is much better post the change.



Sometime in May or June I noticed that there was a prominent sound of a leaky exhaust and decided to address that. I went to a well known silencer expert who pointed out that the joint of the resonator was broken and needed to be repaired. On the spur of the moment, I decided to delete the resonator entirely, and I must say that I am very pleased with the results. The exhaust has got a nice mild note to it now, with some burbles while decelerating. It is barely noticeable, but if you focus you can enjoy the exhaust sounds.


As usual, the Polo saw very little highway action. I did take the car for a weekend trip to Jaipur in June, that was around 600km including roaming around there. It was overall a fuss-free journey - too short for any breaks or stops. The roads are bang average, and as soon as you hit a good patch of tarmac where you can cruise, Rajasthan Police is waiting with open arms. I had to pay a fine of INR 1000 for overspeeding.

Here is the Polo at ITC Rajputana. It was a great weekend away, just to chill and enjoy some good food. ITC never disappoints, but my photography might.



In July I noticed that the rear brakes weren't acting right, and so the shoes were replaced; drums sent to the lathe. Everything is back to normal now.



I also had a spare Blaupunkt 2 channel hi-lo converter lying around after some audio installation, and decided to go ahead and use that with my active Subwoofer, just to see if it made any difference (IT DID!).


Since I already had line level input all the way to the sub, I didn't want to use the regular length RCA cables (usually 1 to 2 meters), and I was unable to find a short one. I decided to get this short RCA custom made from an old vendor of mine. Chose the connectors, the wire, the length and had the wire ready in about 30 mins.


This exercise was definitely worth the effort.

All in all, largely uneventful few months with the car. If the running of the last 4 months keeps on, I expect that I will be servicing the car around the end of January next.

Some work that I've planned for the car over the next few months, whenever I'm not too busy with other people's cars:

• Repaint of a few panels, possibly the entire car
• 2.5 inch IPH projectors in fogs - WIP
• Roof lining has started peeling from some areas, so will address this when time permits

Until next time!

[Viraat13]

Hello Team,

Time for another quick update on the Polo.

The interval between services was pretty short last time around. On 18th April 2022 I was at 70k kms, and within 7 months I'd done 10,000km.

First things first, a lot of people have been asking about the projector fogs, and the sad news is that I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time or the will to install them. But you can see what they look like:


On the other hand, I have upgraded an upgrade! Out goes the imported VW unit with ACP/AA, and in comes one of my favourite head units on the market, the Pioneer DMH-Z5290BT! I had managed to find a canbus adapter that retains the steering controls. I was super happy about this, and went ahead with the install almost immediately. The difference in audio output has to be heard to believe.


I've also recently started stocking Fuchs (pronounded Fooks) lubricants as well. They're first fill/OEM for a number of German brands including BMW and Mercedes. Performed the service on 10th November at 80,000 km.


All the right approvals in place:



This time around, the car needed a fair bit of work done to keep it ship-shape.

New engine mount:


Broken engine mount:


New VW steering rack:



Control arm ball joints needed to be replaced as well. This along with the link rods hadn't been replaced when I'd done the suspension work earlier:


New link rods as well as gearbox mount:


I took another small roadtrip in the Polo, this time heading to the hills of Uttarakhand. Stayed at Ramgarh Bungalows, it is a Neemrana Hotels heritage property.


Polo with a view:


KM as of today, 2000km done in under 40 days.


Apart from the pending foglight upgrade, I also need to change the tyres. They're in desperately poor shape but I'm also looking into an alloy wheel upgrade which is delaying things quite a bit.

That's all from me! Until next time.

[nithishsaba]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

It was a scrapyard find. The discs are 288mm from the Laura and the calipers and brackets are from MK1 Octavia. Some variants of that came with 256mm discs, so you will have to do a test fit before buying.

Awesome mods that you have done in your car mate!

I'm currently on a hunt to make a BBK for my car as the prices of these kits are over the roof now.
I found a set of calipers from a Laura and currently on a lookout to find the brackets for it. Can you share some info regarding which brackets and disks you used as Laura's 288mm discs are not compatible with Polo's.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by nithishsaba

Awesome mods that you have done in your car mate!

I'm currently on a hunt to make a BBK for my car as the prices of these kits are over the roof now.
I found a set of calipers from a Laura and currently on a lookout to find the brackets for it. Can you share some info regarding which brackets and disks you used as Laura's 288mm discs are not compatible with Polo's.

MK1 Octavia vRS brakes are a direct fit.

[Viraat13]

Hello Readers,

Back with another update after another 10000km done. I’ve done 70000+ km in 4.5 years of ownership. I think I should ask the mods to transfer this to the long term ownership section.

On 31st October, I was at the 80k km mark; and on May 19th 90000km was up on the odo. Again a quick 7 month service interval. It’s been mostly city driving except for a couple of last minute trips to Lucknow, and one trip to Chandigarh. All for work.


Serviced using Mobil 1 5w40 with VW 502 approval and the OE filters (oil, air, AC). That reminds me, I should change the fuel filter as well.


Things done over the past 10000km:

Projector fogs installed. They were a painful install and I'm still debating if it was worth the hassle. But oh well. They've added light surely, but it is debatable if I really needed them. Output photos in a few days. Didn't click any post worthy photos as yet.

On 23rd Feb I picked up a set of 16 inch Portago alloy wheels and fitted them with Continental UC6 (195/55/16). The Yokohama Earth 1s had been on duty since April 19 at 28000km, and had done more than 55000km. I've done 5k km or so since then on the UC6 and so far so good. I'm happy with the ride, noise, braking, handling. Seems to be a good purchase - time will tell.


I installed new ATE brake pads for the BBK. Worth the wait. I got these through a friend who lives in Germany.


I also ordered a MFSW (multi function steering wheel) with the paddle shifters from Germany. While this wasn't really needed, it is surely nice to have.


In mid April I got into the car to go to work and found that the mechatronic had given up. Got it towed to my shop the next day.


Given that I've done this more than a few times for customer cars, I wasn't too worried about the mechatronic. It just needed to be serviced and has a little known filter inside the valve body. My team got to work and dismantled the front clip (bumper, headlights, radiator, etc.) to access the mechatronic and also drained the gear and mechatronic fluids. The culprit is this small filter that gets choked and does not allow sufficient pressure build up to move the solenoids.

The process of dismantling, servicing, and fitting back though not super complex, is very time consuming.


Some photos:

In January, I went to Chandigarh to pick up a LC which needed some TLC from me.

Took this opportunity to meet my old friend Akshay4587. I'd taken my car along and a friend to drive it back to Delhi.


The LC had fairly poor lights (nil), and I was glad for the Polo being around to guide me home. The spread and throw of the lights on the highway really is great. The entire 300km drive back would have been impossible otherwise.



Got caught speeding in Lucknow. I'm still surprised that the cameras work.



Random shot by the side of the road on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.


Current odo reading is a few hundred km more than this:


That's all folks. Catch you next time for the big 100k. Hopefully no extra maintenance to be done this time.

[namit]

Great job Viraat to keep the German in shape. I too have a VW Diesel DSG run 65k and although have 2 years of warranty left but DSG ageing out scares me now when I drive her.
Can you share your garage details please ? Would be great to catch up sometime too.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

Back with another update after another 10000km done. I’ve done 70000+ km in 4.5 years of ownership.

Congratulations!

Serviced using Mobil 1 5w40 with VW 502 approval and the OE filters (oil, air, AC). That reminds me, I should change the fuel filter as well.

You seem to have tried out quite a few oils. Which did you find the best?

On 23rd Feb I picked up a set of 16 inch Portago alloy wheels and fitted them with Continental UC6 (195/55/16).

Didn't these come stock on the GT TSI?

I also ordered a MFSW (multi function steering wheel) with the paddle shifters from Germany.

How much did it cost? I'm not a big fan of this new design. The old one suited the car better.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by namit

Great job Viraat to keep the German in shape. I too have a VW Diesel DSG run 65k and although have 2 years of warranty left but DSG ageing out scares me now when I drive her.
Can you share your garage details please ? Would be great to catch up sometime too.

Hi, will DM you.

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

Congratulations!


You seem to have tried out quite a few oils. Which did you find the best?


Didn't these come stock on the GT TSI?


How much did it cost? I'm not a big fan of this new design. The old one suited the car better.

Amsoil is the best but their distribution network is poor, which is why I don't stock it. Mobil No. 1 is the best of the rest that I've tried. I keep this in stock in various grades for all the cars I get.

Portago was stock after 2017 AFAIK. Mine is a 2015.

The steering costs 32k. I didn't change to a different design though, that would have made it more expensive with a new airbag. The previous design was a round wheel, that looked pretty old.