I have clocked 45,000 on it km and mechanically the car is doing just fine at the moment.

BHPian Varun_HexaGuy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

She's performing flawlessly while munching miles at a relatively slower pace now.

Completed 2 years of ownership recently on the 27th of June and clocked 45,000 kms in the time that Natasha's been with me (would've been more if I hadn't gotten the 5-series). Did a roadtrip from Hyd-BLR-Goa-Hyd in the month of March. With five onboard, luggage for all of us, she could accommodate it all. And she performed flawlessly all through the trip.

Since I wanted to spruce up the car for the 2nd anniversary, I finally decided to bite the bullet and get the OE Bi-Xenons for the Jetta to complete the final piece of the puzzle.

Mechanically, there's nothing really that the car needs attention at the moment. She drives tight. Got a new set of tyres (MRF Perfinzas) around March just before my road trip. Got the service also done around the same time. Next service is due this month. Only component that hasn't been changed otherwise is the steering rack. Might have to end up doing that up in 20-30k kms from now (showing a few signs of wear, but not too obvious).

Signing off with some pics for your viewing pleasure.

2-years up!

Parked at work. 

On a ferry en-route Dewar Island, Goa.

And finally, the OE Bi-Xenons which I've been waiting for for ages are finally here. Should go on the car once the ancillaries come in.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Fuel efficiency on the 4WD SUV is around 10 km/l in the city & 16 km/l on the highway.

BHPian etrast75 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

3-week update on Starry Night diesel 4WD. I am going to try and put my review in different categories and things that I feel are important for people who are thinking about buying this car. Most of the thoughts will compare and contrast with my other car (2014 Jetta diesel)

Ergomonics and comfort

I am yet to find the perfect driving position. The arm resting position is just not the same as my Jetta (which I feel is perfect in terms of driver ergonomics). It is not horrible but I find myself having a bit of shoulder pain after a long drive. I still need to work on finding the perfect driving position, assuming it exists.

Cannot complain about the back seat comfort though. There is adequate under-thigh support (which was majorly lacking in Volvo XC40) and the seat recline angle is perfect and very comfortable.

Ride Comfort and handling

Ride comfort is where it scores much better than Jetta. The ride quality is the perfect balance between boat-like riding and a very stiff ride. I drove on all kinds of roads (thank you Coimbatore corporation for digging up all roads and leaving them like that) and I felt I could take them on with more confidence than I could in my Jetta.

There is no suspension noise when you have medium-sized potholes. I did not feel any highway expansion joints when riding in the back seat.

It does not ride as flat as my Jetta on highways at 100+ km/h speeds and there is always a bit of twitchiness at high speeds. It is not very bad but this is not a car where you can drive at 100 km/h and switch lanes in and out quickly. Drive sedately and don't get into racing matches with idiots on the road and you will be fine. I can take sweeping corners on highways in my Jetta at 100+ easily but I am not getting the confidence to do the same in Tucson. So, all in all, this is a comfortable family SUV. Better than any other Hyundais I have driven (I owned one of the worst Hyundais ever designed from a handling point of view, the 1st gen Verna).

ADAS

The only useful feature is the blind spot detection and the camera on the console. It is very helpful and works in most cases although it did miss a few errant bikers from time to time.

Lane keeps assistance is useless on Indian roads as one has to constantly keep changing lanes and drive not fully in lane sometimes. I had to turn it off as the steering kept correcting me and spooked me.

The rear cross-drive alert came in handy a couple of times when reversing the vehicle in tight places and when coming out of our house.

Overall I would say you will find some of them useful but not all and some features are definitely not suited for Indian roads. So You are better off turning those which intrude with driving off.

Parking and turning radius

This is where I had the most trouble initially with the car. One has to plan all basement parking properly as the turning radius is quite large. 3 point turns are the norm in a large number of places where the Jetta could manoeuvre in and out easily. Jetta and Tucson have almost the same length but the longer wheelbase of Tucson is the reason I guess.

This is where the 360 degree comes in handy. I have no idea how I would manoeuvre this car without that. The camera is very good and the guidelines and warnings it gives are life savers especially protecting from pillars.

Mileage

Getting around 10 in the city in chaotic B'lore traffic if I drive in eco mode. Got around 16 on the highway run.

Engine and transmission

I generally drive quite sedately and found the engine transmission combination to be perfect. The diesel engine is not noisy (similar to Jetta). You can hardly hear in the cabin. The power is adequate and the transmission shifts are not felt at all. The transmission seems to be in the right gear most of the time. There is a bit of turbo lag which you will feel when especially in eco mode. On the whole, they are very good if you are a sedate driver and do not go hunting for power and speed all the time.

Odds and Ends

• You have to turn on auto hold every time you start the vehicle but it works very well
• Same with drive mode as it does not remember the last selected drive mode.
• The air conditioner is very good (tested in sweltering western Tamil Nadu) but the diffuser mode is not good for hot conditions. Have tried it a few times and found it inadequate.
• The sound system is just adequate even though it has the name BOSE on it. No one who listened to music in the car went WOW.
• I wish it has wireless Android Auto, wired does the job but just the point that I cannot have the phone connected while I am in the backseat is a pain (I know first-world problems )
• The console misses the average speed indicator. Had it in Jetta and found it useful for highway runs.
• Have tried limited voice commands like 'close sunroof' and 'set temperature' etc which works but the voice command takes the infotainment screen out of Android Auto mode and there is no steering shortcut to get back. Once finds having to press a button on the infotainment which means you have to take your eyes of the road which is dangerous in India.
• There is no indication in the cluster on which gear you are in (unless you are in manual mode). My Jetta shows the gear one is in even when driving in D and I have found it useful.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I currently have a Vento TSI AT and am looking for used car options under Rs 14 lakh.

BHPian Jangra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My first diesel car was Getz CRDi in 2008. A 110 horses pocket rocket cost me Rs 5.75 lacs. I believe it was the most fun-to-drive car I've ever owned. Due to relocation, I had to sell and still feel bad and miss her.

In 2010, bought a Swift Vdi due to its popularity, however, continued to miss the 110-horse punch of my Getz. But it had unmatched reliability and superb drivability. Did a few cross-country trips and was my daily driver for a 100 km/day office commute.

In the same year due to the need of having 2 cars, bought Figo 1.4 TDCi Titanium which like others have said in the forum, has a handling ability like go-carts, and from the inside, it was ahead of its time. In that budget in 2010, in-built Bluetooth, 2 airbags, and ABS were a rear feature.

Anyway, I relocated to the US in 2012 and had to sell one car and decided to sell the Swift since I wanted my parents to drive the car with ABS and airbags.

Relocated back to India in 2016 and after much research on Team-BHP, bought a Vento TSI AT. It served me as a reliable caretaker and gave me the joy of riding in everyday traffic. It was my first time owning an Automatic and immediately after I was a convert. It's been seven years since I own my Vento and I love its sporty engine and gearbox that makes my commute fun and seamless.

Anyway, the post is not about the history of my car garage, I suddenly have an itch to own a diesel fun machine while I still can. My requirements are just three:

1. Should be a lot more fun to drive than Vento TSI
2. Should be equally reliable if not more
3. Do not want to spend over 14 lakhs for an upgrade (including the Vento exchange)

My recent search got me close to 3 options:

VW Jetta / Skoda Octavia

Since there is Skoda Kodiaq in my garage, not keen on buying another Skoda. Saw a few Jettas already and none were maintained even close to how my Vento is. That 7-year-old (2016) Jettas (with 55-66k on odo) looks like in their 12+. Shame! Yes, I know that one detailing will sort all the dirt and hairline scratches, but two Jettas refused to crank up to life seamlessly - I had to attempt 5-6 times every time to turn the engine on, and the initial vibration and noise of the start-up did not inspire confidence. The seller mentioned that it is usual with the Diesel Engine. While I have never owned a Diesel car for more than 2 years, can someone shed some light if that's normal, what could be the problem and is it an expensive affair to repair? If not a costly affair, may pursue this option.

This is the most light on pocket and doable option as I may have to just spend 3-4 lacks over my Vento to upgrade to Jetta - while Octavia would be about 6-7 lakhs over my Vento for pre-2016 Diesel Automatic option

BMW 320d (2013-2015)

Options with >50k km on the ODO: While many of you may advise against it, a recent post from Tuffenberg has inspired some confidence.

There are many options for 320d in the 13-16 lakhs range. The only reservation I have is "The Unknowns". Yes, I will follow the use car checklist but an eight to nine-year-old machine is more than half its life. And it could be an expensive affair to maintain, and change parts due to wear and tear. But the fun-to-drive element I believe could overcompensate.

Do nothing

Continue with my Vento for the next 3 years, and upgrade to electric. I have experienced the torque of an EV and I agree that it is significantly better than that of Diesel OR Petrol in their price range. While this option will need me to wait for 3 years, the impatient child in me will trouble me every day pushing me to upgrade now. Well, Is XUV 400 any better, and is worth putting it here along with options 1 & 2? I feel the interiors of the XUV 400 just don't justify the premium, but my options are open.

Wild card Entry

Sonet Diesel AT - Decent torque of a diesel, mileage of a diesel, loaded with bells and whistles of the current generation, can't go wrong with the new car.

What do you think?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I wouldn't normally recommend older German luxury cars, but since you are well-versed in European car ownership:

• BMW 320d
• Go big or go home! BMW 530d. Many good to great examples are available in the 15 - 25 lakh range. If it's going to indeed be your last diesel, why not buy the best Diesel AT combination on the planet? Trust me, that 6-cylinder motor with the snappy ZF 8-speed will have you grinning like a mischievous child. Here is a sample listing to tempt you - go & bargain, no way he is getting this price. This white one would be my top pick. Here is one with higher running and is a typical 12 - 14 lakh car.
• Mercedes E350. Another 6-cylinder beast and again, many good cars in the 15 - 25 lakh range. A certified car, don't sweat too much over the mileage if it has been maintained immaculately.
• As TSI_FTW said, a used Compass 2.0 Diesel will be a relatively safer / newer buy. That engine + 6-speed MT & tank-like build and stability are enjoyable on the open road. As a DSG owner, I don't think you'll be able to live with the Compass' automatic gearbox.

Follow our used car checklist (including service history, checking past insurance claims etc.) to the T and you should be okay. There are lots of A+ independent garages in Bombay to help you maintain your cars (I go to Redline Autohaus & Sunil Shanbagh for my cars).

Here's what BHPian Shreyfiesta had to say on the matter:

I suggest you take the 3 Series route. The F30 generation offers a rare combination of practicality, comfort and performance. There are plenty of examples available in the used car market and at current prices, it's one of the best deals. 320d's 4-pot diesel offers the right balance between performance and practicality, but this engine sounds unusually loud by premium car standards. A simple remap on the 320d takes you well into 530d performance territory. Pre-LCI 320d has problems with camshaft tensioners and chains, this is identifiable by a ringing noise from the engine. Post-2016 facelift cars come with improved suspension and steering, but it's not possible to find such LCI cars in your budget. Apart from these, there are a few common 3 Series niggles like steering knock issues, wheel speed sensors, sticky door handles, etc.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

I drive a diesel manual Compass as my daily and also have a Vento TSi, as well as Kodiaq TSi in the family. As good as the Compass is, it’s got nothing on the Vento for daily city driving, with the heavy and aggressive clutch vs the brilliance of the DSG. And out on the highway, while it definitely better than 9 out of 10 cars, Kodiaq happens to be that 1 exception. Compass handles better than the Kodiaq, but the big Skoda is not far behind. It is equally stable and is in fact punchier and more refined. So, it is lose-lose either way with the excellent two cars you already have.

My suggestion will be to hold on to your cars for now, perhaps invest in stage 1 remap for both. Throw in an audio upgrade for the Vento as well, that should take care of your new car itch. I see it best that this discussion be revisited after a couple of years, with a bigger budget and many more EV options to choose from.

Here's what BHPian vredesbyrd had to say on the matter:

I'd say F30 320d. Fantastic handler and fairly reliable. Oh, and the engine is nice too.

But if you are putting it as "My Last Diesel", might as well suggest you increase your budget a little and try for a 2013-14 F10 530d.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I'd parked the car in the basement & someone brushed through the entire left-hand side.

BHPian Varun_HexaGuy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Here's a brief update about the car.

It's been exactly a year since the repaint was carried out. Apart from that, I just kept on using the car quite regularly. However, one fine day the dreaded (but expected) warning flashed. The gear indicator (PRNDS) flashed. Referring to an issue with the gear selector. After a fair bit of analysis (mostly DIY, courtesy of VCDS and no thanks to the ripping fancy garages of Hyd), I narrowed it down to a worn-out clutch pack (which was confirmed by the garage later from whom I got the clutch pack replaced). Got the original VW clutch pack alongside the LUK Flywheel and got the DSG fluid and filter changed as well.

14,000+ kms since the clutch pack replacement, the car has been driving good. Touchwood. Apart from this, the car didn't see any running whatsoever from the month of March to May. I was busy travelling with the family (read a road trip) all through March and April. I got the clutch pack replaced around the same time (saved me a bit of downtime) as well. June was no different. Was busy with another vacation in Goa followed by my return.

After I was back, I also ended up with a 5'er home. Around the same time, oil change was due in the Jetta. While I was headed to the FNG to hand it over for an oil change, a freak incident took place at a client meeting. I'd parked the car in the basement and left for my meeting. By the time I was back, someone brushed through the entire left-hand side of the car. Had to get the entire left-hand side repainted for no fault of mine. Thanks to this, a half-day affair ended up becoming a two-week sojourn.

27th June 2022, Natasha and I celebrated our first anniversary together. However, she was still at the body shop. Anyways, she was home on the 29th. Did a customary puja since my grandmom wanted to get rid of nazar which Natasha was garnering off-late. Post that, I've used the car a fair bit. But the usage has been erratic. Having multiple cars at my disposal doesn't help either (cars that I pick up as a part of my trade, I use them quite often to keep them running as well). Despite that, the car did see a respectable mileage. What didn't help the case further was the highway running being split between this and the 5. Either way, from last December to this December, the car has clocked 20,000 kms which isn't bad.

Need to sort out a few bits (very minor) in the upcoming service which is due now. Current odo is well past the 120k kms mark. Hoping to see the 150k kms mark by the time she turns two because my running, starting from 2022 is going to go up a fair bit and going forward, this will be my only car.

Apart from the usual bits, the car has been quite reliable and I don't have to think twice before doing a long highway drive.

Attaching a pic for your viewing pleasure from the recent TLC sesh:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I sought help from a guy working at a VW dealership but I've seemingly hit a roadblock as of now.

BHPian tweakpun recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi guys!

I'll focus on the issue at hand straightaway. The car is fitted with RCD 330G and I had ordered a rear camera from a seller based out of Delhi.

I was glad to know that the camera fitment wouldn't require drilling any hole of sorts and would simply bolt up on the rear license plate housing.

It was supposed to be a straightforward fit. I sought help from a guy working at VW Bhopal who came to my place and wired the camera from the license plate housing to the HU. Post plugging the VCDS cable, I went to Module 56 (Radio) and got the "No response from Controller" error.

The seller (Eurocar retrofits) suggested that I'll have to connect the can wires to the BCM connection so as to gain recognition of Module 56 by the VCDS. The lack of proper pins/connectors proved to be the eventual bummer and we had to call it a day.

Luckily the seller shipped me the wires with the correct pins (sourced from a scrapyard in Mayapuri) a couple of days later.

The next task was to access the BCM and subsequently figure out the corresponding pins which took a good bit of effort and patience. The VW guy himself had no prior experience in this regard.

As per the instructions from the seller, we focused on the 52 pin Connector C and made the following connections: (entailed splicing of wires)

• Pin 15: Orange-green wire
• Pin 16: Orange-brown

The pin diagram which we referred to: (not for the Highline variant)

Conclusively, I'm getting the following errors on VCDS and I've seemingly hit a roadblock as of now.

Can someone please help me in tackling this issue? I'm based out of Bhopal currently and don't have access to good garages with people having a good deal of experience with VAG cars.

Would deeply appreciate any sort of help in comprehending the attached scan log and in figuring out the way forward.

Godspeed!

Here's what BHPian nithishsaba had to say about the matter:

It seems one of your BCM connectors is loose or not seated properly. I had the same kind of issue with my car when I installed the multi-function steering wheel.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It had done only 18,000 km and I recently got a set of new Michelin tyres for it.

BHPian MadHawk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I did not know where else I could share my frustration and sadness of letting go of my Jetta which I had kept in pristine condition with only 18K on the odo and new Michelins. I was hoping in a couple of years could hand over the keys to my teenage son as that is the way I got my 1st car as a young adult.

However, due to the NCR/Diesel ban, I had to let her go as she was being targeted every time I took her out on the road by the NCR cops saying only a few months were left for me to drive it in NCR.

This has made me question the logic of buying and maintaining a new car. I can go on and on but will stop here!

Thank you my white beauty for all the wonderful times. I regret not being able to use it much due to my frequent travels over the past 5 years.

Pros

• Built like a tank
• TDI engine with amazing highway fuel economy and manners
• 6-speed manual
• Very mod friendly
• Great driving dynamics and excellent brake bite

Here are some farewell pictures

Here's what BHPian ssjr0498 had to say about the matter:

18k on the odo! Wow! Sorry to hear that you had to let go of this beast.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The retrofit is pretty straightforward and a good weekend project.

BHPian prerak.kataria recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey, It's Prerak, in this post, I am showcasing the process of installing an ASR Off button in the MK6 Jetta, I installed this in my friend's car (@das_mk6_jetta on Instagram).

This Post will not be an in-depth guide into how it is installed but just a showcase of this retrofit and some highlights of the process which is pretty straightforward and a good weekend project.

What is the purpose of this extra button?

ASR stands for Anti Slip Regulation, it is another way of referring to Traction Control, but because the MK6 Jettas's cluster reads it as 'ASR' i will be referring to it as ASR throughout this post. But, to my knowledge, they serve the same purpose, which is to limit traction loss in any circumstance.

This means your vehicle cuts power anytime one or more wheels spin faster than others, this could be annoying while enthusiastic driving and especially during launches.
To ask your ABS to ignore this, we require this ASR Off Button.

Requirements

This Retrofit requires your vehicle to have ESP, I was not 100% sure if this Jetta had ESP, cornering lamps indicated that it did, which would mean it has a steering angle sensor, usually, it is coupled with ESP and it also warned for traction loss in the cluster.

Just to be sure I hopped into 03-ABS Brakes in VCDS and under advanced measured values, opened ABS/ESP and they were toggling between On and Off confirming it had ESP.

Further, we require the ASR Off button kit.

This kit is very straightforward, One wire(the yellow one) to the ABS Module, the rest of the wiring just takes 'Power' and 'Illumination' from the 12v socket located nearby. The entire procedure is plug and play.

Procedure of Installation

Undo the trim around the gear lever and swap the blank with the ASR Off Button

With the placement of the button taken care of, you need to route the ABS signal wire out of the firewall and into the ABS Pump connector.

This step will be easier in an Automatic Car and slightly difficult in a manual car

For Right-hand drive Manual vehicles, the grommet is in the passenger side and the wire needs to route out of the passenger footwell. (Easier said than done, I would think thrice before doing it next time)

You can route the ABS Signal wire through one of these nipples and wire it into Slot #8 of the ABS Pump Connector.

That pretty much sums up the installation if you have a Pre 2014 VW Jetta, Post Facelift cars would require coding through VCDS but this car being a pre-facelift 2013 Jetta did not require coding

Here is a screenshot from ECS tuning's guide on this Retrofit to help with coding for Post facelift Jettas

Along with it is the PDF Guide they have for this retrofit, which is the very reason I am not going in-depth with this one.

Different kits have different ways to take power, my kit was entirely plugged and play and did not require any of this wiretapping work. My kit just needed a connector from a 12v socket from where it took power and illumination.

(Side note: Even though this Jetta did not have an illuminated 12v socket, there was an illumination signal provided in the connector that powered the 12v socket, perhaps a cost-cutting measure and a prospective retrofit?)

Working

With the installation complete. it was time to test its working, with a rather huge hiccup along the way which was sorted, the ASR Off button could be tested, here it is in action.

Excuse the low quality, this was taken right after the vehicle was fixed and I could finally test the button, with so much excitement I just whipped my phone out and took this quick clip.

Holding the ASR Off button deactivates the ASR, and holding the same button again reactivates it. A sign pops up in the cluster and even the MID warns and notifies you about it.

What was the hiccup?

Now, this is the reason I sat down to type this post. During the installation of this button, the signal wire which needed to be run to the ABS Pump had to be crammed through a grommet with at least 20 (even more) wires.

In the back of my head, I was scared about puncturing one of them, even after taking precautions things go wrong. We took our time with the installation but still managed to mess up at the step I was worried about.

While routing out the signal wire, we definitely messed something up, Because we were greeted with these Lights.

That Red steering means the ECU can't reach the steering angle sensor, Tpms and traction lights are related to ESP faults, ESP would act up when it is not receiving any signal from the steering angle sensor.

First Thought:

"I removed the battery, these faults are bound to come up"

No Prerak, not when the steering is red, you would have been in the clear if it were yellow/Amber, in that instance, you can just cycle the steering from lock to lock (which recalibrates the sensor) and you would have a clear dash.

Second thought:

"I must have blown a small fuse while putting the battery back together"

Never in my life have I wished for a blown fuse, but at this time I was hoping from all of my heart it would be a blown fuse.

But all the fuses checked out.

One entire day of checking reachable connectors did nothing either, took it to my local FNG

Their first thought:

"It needs a new steering rack"

I was not convinced at all, I was sure it was some small wiring puncture.

I persuaded them to check the connections from the Rack and focus on wiring more than the rack.

After a few days of digging around (they could not work on it all the time, we would only tinker around in my presence) we found out the wire for CAN Low was ripped at some point in the harness. Under no-load, there is a potential difference of 5v between CAN high and Low, under load, it is 3v (Please correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure of loaded/Unloaded conditions, but sure of the values)

But the steering rack connector would not read continuity for CAN Low and Showed no potential difference either.

So we took apart the harness further and found the cut, it was under the grommet, away from the place I expected any cuts or damage, I thought it would cause problems right at the cut of the firewall, anyway, the cut was fixed with a length of OEM CAN Low wiring (did not wish to put any other colour over there, would prevent any confusions for future mechanics) Steering angle sensor-activated again through VCDS and calibrated as well.

ESP, CAN and ECU were pretty happy after this cut was sorted out, took the better part of a week to locate. I was relieved to have those errors cleared out, it took a huge toll on my confidence with working on cars, however. It made me ever so grateful to own an automatic which has a Huge grommet which lets us route anything through the firewall, this retrofit has made me develop a fear of working on Manual cars if it involves going through the firewall.

If any of you wish to do this retrofit, be a million times more careful, I know I will be next time.

But what did we learn:

I learnt a lot about the technicalities and working of the ABS Pump and Steering Rack, especially the steering angle sensor, I understood ESP slightly better, these are salient features we overlook while purchasing a vehicle, even though newer vehicles come with such features as standard, but not all Manual vehicles do.

I learnt how to diagnose better, even though no two cases are the same, but still, after digging into the car for a week I got to know where to look at and what to check under certain circumstances.

I learnt how important patience is, even though we took our time with this one, maybe there was room for more patience, more care.

Unexpected things happen, this cut, under the harness, even after being patient and careful at every step took things with this retrofit in an entirely new direction.

Conclusion

But after all of that, My friend was happy with a functioning ASR Off Button, they enjoyed their launches much better and loved the screeching of tyres without the car being limited by its safety feature.

Most of all, they were happy their car got a genuine retrofit done, they had been helping and assisting me with my retrofits all of this time, even while purchasing their car they mentioned they are looking forward to all the technical retrofits we were gonna do to this car.

Much more would come to this car for sure if it stays under their ownership and my proximity, they change cars frequently so I can't promise anything. Anyhow, I hope you liked this showcase of the ASR Off Button and my experience while installing it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Also, when I accelerate, there is a very noticeable veer of the car towards the right.

BHPian AYP recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey guys, facing a couple of issues. Need advice/guidance:

1. The ABS speed sensor malfunction

This is typical, so not going to dwell much over it.

2. Coolant warning

For the past couple of days, have been seeing this coolant warning and it blinks continuously.

This is the coolant level:

Is this a water pump failure? How much will it cost? Any other pointers?

3. The latch of the glove box has broken

How much would be the replacement cost? Any alternates which can be explored other than getting it replaced at the service centre?

4. When I accelerate, there is a very noticeable veer of the car towards the right. Can this be due to the ABS sensor failure? I do remember driving the car back in early 2019 when one of the sensors had gone kaput but this right steer was definitely not present.

Thanks.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Earlier there were issues like ghost touches & non-responsiveness but now I can see visible signs of screen leakage.

BHPian Vegitocat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi BHPians,

My Jetta has achieved the 40,000 km mark in 5 years. This is a unique problem that I haven't really come across on this forum. So any insights on how to repair it are appreciated or please share if you have faced something similar.

The MIB2 unit has been having issues like ghost touches and non-responsiveness for a few months now. Since it was liveable I did not bother to get it checked before. But now, I can see visible signs of the LCD screen showing leakage. I have no plans to buy a new unit as it is very expensive at 45 or 50k as quoted by VW ASC. The other option is to just replace the LCD screen and possibly the associated board but I have no idea where to source this from.

The unit on my car is made by Technisat and I have attached an image which shows the leakage on the left top corner and the weird pattern at the bottom of the screen. I have also spent additional money on getting the unit equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, hence, the added hesitation in replacing this unit.

Here's what BHPian vishy76 had to say about the matter:

This is a known issue. The Technisat MIB on the Jetta is glitchy in general. I have had a friend of mine facing CD drive issues while another had an issue where a part of the touchscreen was paralysed. It wouldn't work no matter what he did.

The latter got in touch with German DNA I believe (I have no affiliation to this firm BTW), and had only the touchscreen replaced for around 12-15K. The entire panel was replaced. You can contact them once and enquire.

Here's what BHPian RajaTaurus had to say about the matter:

Here is me, 40k and 5 years Jetta TSI CL. I am the one whose screen is paralysed 1 inch on left, right and top. And as you said, LCD is leaking (!) through the gap in the bottom. Also Technisat Poland unit. My VW service people gave up on it. No repair and no replacement. I am living with it. As I haven't done any upgrade to it, I don't plan to do anything with it. Functionally all works fine. Importantly park pilot is ok. Right knob has some menu functions that helps.

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The clutch now feels feather-light, with the gearshifts remaining smooth as before.

BHPian vishy76 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Overhauling a German Car (Part 1)

There’s this advice that goes around in car circles (specifically on Team-BHP). It says “Don’t sell off your 5-year-old car just yet, spend on it and keep it”. There’s an entire thread on this topic and a number of other threads, posts and individual decisions have stemmed from it. However, there’s one question that I am sure everyone had while going through it, and it’s this: How hard can it be? How hard can it really be to give your car a midlife overhaul? Where should you have it done? What should be done? When should it be done and how do you figure out who’s the right guy to do it for you?

Answering all of those questions (hopefully) would be these threads. Most of you might already be knowing my prodigal son, a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI manual (link). He’s been a very mischievous lot, troubling me many times and oft after the 4th year mark and handing me a couple of heart attacks (read: bills amounting close to 6 digits). In spite of all this, I have accepted him for the better.

Yes, he’s not as reliable as my neighbour’s Corolla, not as modern as my uncle’s Octavia and his elder Czech sibling (whose name I shall not take due to vocab reasons) was a far more popular kid in school. All said and done, however, he’s become a member of the family now. I do get the occasional taunts from friends asking me to sell him off and get something more reliable, but I guess we all have an irrational side and my love for him (for cars as a whole in fact) is nothing but this irrationality shining through.

With all this melodrama out of the way, it's time to get to business. I will split this saga up into bits and pieces to make it easier to understand. These threads will embody every aspect of overhauling wear and tear items in a car. The clutch, suspension, mounts and even a few bonus items like the air conditioning will be covered. All of these components will first be explained in detail so that one can take away a lot more than just high-res images of car parts from this thread.

Lastly, let this also be a tribute of sorts to the VW Jetta Owners group which has taught me a lot about this machine in great detail. This is my way of giving back to the Jetta community for all they have done so far for me.

Chapter 1 – Clutch, Flywheel

The automotive clutch is one of the most essential components of a manual tranny (and even certain automatics), yet it has remained unchanged largely over the years. The most radical change to a clutch that has been brought about by most carmakers is the use of hydraulics to manipulate it instead of the good old-fashioned cable. Here’s a diagram of the automotive clutch:

Let me go through what happens here briefly:

• When you press the clutch pedal, the fork is pushed against the clutch release bearing which in turn pushes on the splines (the teeth like structures) on the pressure plate.
• The pressure plate, friction plate and flywheel are all in contact ideally when the clutch is not pressed. However, when it is, the splines on the pressure plate are pushed inwards while the diameter of the plate expands outwards
• This allows the friction plate to move away from the flywheel and lose contact with it, thus disengaging the gearbox input shaft (passing through the centre of all these discs) from the rest of the tranny and allowing you to shift gears

This explanation isn’t a very concise one, so here’s a simple video showing how a clutch works. Will make things much simpler to understand.

Points of Failure

An automotive clutch can age (and consequently fail) in the following ways:

• The pressure plate fingers go weak. This is the earliest symptom of a weak clutch usually. The end result is that the pedal goes hard. You have to apply a lot more effort to have the fingers move inwards since the plate itself has lost elasticity. Another symptom of a weak pressure plate is juddering when getting off from a standstill. This typically results from bent fingers on the pressure plate. As the release bearing slowly mates with them on releasing the pedal, the fingers contact it unevenly leading to juddering.
• The second reason for changing a clutch is slippage. The friction plate and flywheel when in contact should be almost perfectly “slippage-free” and transfer all power through to the input shaft. However, age causes the material on the friction plate to wear and eventually give up. The end result is power loss. You will often notice the engine revving in gear but not the same increase in speed or even sudden changes in engine speed spontaneously in gear under load. This is typical of a bad friction plate
• The last (and usually the least occurring) reason is the clutch release bearing (CBR) failing. The bearing itself usually doesn’t go bad but can start making noise (characterized by a whine which disappears when you engage or disengage the clutch)

With the basics covered, I will move to the Jetta’s clutch.

The Jetta’s clutch expectedly bins the cable and fork system, opting for a more modern hydraulic setup. A set of three cylinders generate, multiply and transfer pressure from the pedal in the cabin down to the bearing in the gearbox housing. These are:

Master cylinder: Sits above the clutch pedal in the cabin and converts the driver’s pedal movement into hydraulic pressure

Special thanks to BHPian akshay_rebel for clicking pics of his car's master cylinder:

Primary slave cylinder: Sits above the gearbox housing and helps in transferring and maintaining the same pressure across the circuit down to the CBR

Concentric slave cylinder cum CBR (clutch release bearing): The clutch setup mentioned above is quite common across most cars with a hydraulic system. However, it changes here. Instead of having a simple fork and release bearing (which even the Polo/Vento have I believe), the Jetta gets another slave cylinder with an integrated release bearing.

The entire face of the slave with an integrated bearing moves inwards and outwards due to hydraulic pressure.

Flywheel

Theoretically, the simple job of a flywheel is to smoothen out the pulses that occur as a result of the upward and downward motion of the pistons (which obviously doesn’t happen all at once). It provides momentum to the crank and ensures seamless power delivery, apart from being a component of the clutch system in a manual.

There’s not much that can go wrong with a “solid”, “single mass” flywheel. It’s essentially just a precisely weighed disc that bolts to your crank and spins with it. Yes, there is the odd occurrence where the teeth on its circumference (that mesh with the starter motor pinion) wear out, but that’s about it. A single mass flywheel (SMF) can be used for 2-3 clutch changes as well since it only needs to be skimmed if the mating area with the friction plate has grooves.

Unfortunately, the automotive industry found a way to overcomplicate this simple component too and thus came the DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel). The dual mass flywheel is essentially composed of two masses (as the name suggests) with dampening springs in between.

What this does is absorb drivetrain shocks (jerks while pressing and letting go off the clutch) better and results in lesser harshness and vibes going down the gearbox input shaft. Another reason for adopting DMFs is that manufacturers can cheapen out on GB components too. Since the GB won’t see a lot of shocks going through it thanks to this flywheel, lighter and cheaper synchros can also be used.

This is the case with the MQ350 (02Q) GB in the Jetta. Instead of using heavier brass synchro rings, it makes do with steel synchros. There have been several cases of 6-speed TDI owners reporting blown gearboxes after switching to SMFs, thus proving that VW did have a lot to save by using this flywheel.

Failure points for a DMF

A DMF (as expected) has a few more failure points as compared to its contemporary sibling. Here they are:

• The dampening springs between the two masses can seize, essentially rendering the flywheel useless. This can cause vibrations and a very loud knocking sound to emanate from the gearbox side
• DMFs and water wading are two things that never get along. Unfortunately, my car was a victim of this. Water can cause the innards of the DMF to corrode and the torsional springs to seize again. The result is again clutch chatter and vibrations when letting off the clutch

This video also documents how to check for a bad DMF. Every DMF has a certain amount of play in it before the torsional springs kick in and restrict movement. This play however shouldn't be excessive and nor should there be any upward and downward play between the two halves

Continue reading BHPian vishy76's VW Jetta clutch overhaul for more insights & information.