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-   -   VW Polo GT TDI ownership log EDIT: 9 years and 178,000 km later... (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/142745-vw-polo-gt-tdi-ownership-log-edit-9-years-178-000-km-later-47.html)

Haha no worries Himanshu. Will be happy to help in any way I can. :)

Any reason you didn't opt for the extended warranty? Leave aside the electrics, I wanted the other bits (engine, gearbox, fuel, cooling system) to be covered at least till the vehicle clocks 1L km. Suspension will be a goner once we upgrade to a new set of aftermarket shocks anyway but not too worried about this system for the moment.

Downloaded. Have burned it into multiple dual layer DVDs. :)

Couple of instances to report.

1. A Fortuner bumped into the rear bumper from the rear-left side while we were stuck in a traffic jam. I think the guy took his foot off the clutch quickly and the SUV swerved into right; both of us were in adjacent lanes. Upon asking him, what just happened, he smirked and said he was afraid! We didn’t certainly want to make a scene there since he was with his family and a small kid in the rear bench. So we left, praying and hoping my tail light was unharmed. Reached a safe spot further ahead, parked the car and got to down to inspect for damages.
   
   
   
   Luckily, the tail light was safe! The bumper has a few nicks and a pointy spot, no dislocation but we felt a nice jerk in the cabin when the Fortuner bumped into us. Would like to get this touched upon but we don’t have a place like Trend in Bangalore which does touch ups and dent removals. The Fortuner had a slightly misaligned front bumper at the front-right.
   
   
2. My car was parked at a society’s empty parking lot for a weekend when I was staying at my friend's place and looks like the kids (or the adults) there had a good time playing around with sand and stones, scratching the bonnet in the process. The scratches were very deep and there were loads of it on the whole bonnet.
   
   
   
   
   
   Had to get it repainted and VW charged 4400 Rs. for it.
   
   
   
   No way a rubbing compound or a visit to 3M could have helped - the scratches at 2 locations were long and very deep.
   
   Oh they didn’t stop there. The location above the GT logo has a cross gifted by these guys. This one can be rubbed and the scratch isn’t very deep. Will click a snap and share it later.
   
   EDIT: Here we go:
   
   

Also figured out that while scrolling through the phonebook contacts on the MFD using the steering wheel buttons, long pressing the top/bottom buttons would cycle through the first alphabet of the contacts. So getting to a contact whose name starts with say M or N, this is easier instead of scrolling through one by one. I don’t use voice dialing - it’s a pain sometimes!

BTW, here are some modifications in the pipeline:

1. When I had installed the maxidot cluster, to get rid of the low-coolant level warning light on the cluster:
   
   
   
   I had connected the coolant shortage sender line (G32) to GND. Later, the facelift models were launched and they had the coolant level sensors inside the expansion tank with the proper harness from the factory:
   
   
   
   This pic is from my car which has a blanked slot there with no sensors inside the reservoir:
   
   
   
   Will switch to the new reservoir shortly and have the harness routed accordingly. I reckon this shouldn’t be very expensive - a new reservoir, coolant, connector and harness. This way, I’ll have the 2 year old stock coolant renewed as well.
   
   
2. Light and rain sensor - Since I have a superior BCM now, I thought I’ll have this feature since it is inexpensive (<2k INR). The Jetta gets the OEM auto dimming mirror with the sensor integrated within the mount but there are a few cars like the VW Touran, where the auto-dimming mirror and the sensors are independent units and the sensor is mounted to the windshield separately. Elsawin helped me with the current flow diagram of the sensor:
   
   
   
   That seems very easy! But I am just waiting to get hold of this part:
   
   
   
   
   
   which will conceal the harness and the sensor. Belongs to the Touran I believe but isn’t available easily. I should have got the OEM anti-glare mirror kit back then - I thought the rain-light sensor may have to be discarded when the windshield is replaced whereas only the mount is discarded. The sensor can be taken out from the mount. Anyways, let’s see how this pans out. :)
   
   
3. Electrically folding mirrors with indicators - I thought this would have been an expensive add-on going but VW itself is retailing this for less than 6k per assembly in India! So that’s less than Rs. 15k for the whole thing! I was shocked when a BHPian recently shared the invoice for the replacement of the mirror on his ownership thread, followed up with my SA this weekend and he confirmed the price. Will take this up next year. I can get the new controller from Ali. I’ll be installing the puddle lights on this along with the auto-folding module.
   
   
4. Front bumper replacement + front parking sensors - Ever since the facelift was out, I liked the design of the new front bumper compared to the pre-facelift one and wanted to make the switch sometime. I’ll be getting the one that comes with the Trendline variant without the chrome lining on the lower air dam:
   
   
   
   While replacing the front bumper, we’ll install the parking sensors on the bumper and route the harness inside the cabin and keep it there until the 8K OPS unit arrives. Once the unit arrives, we’ll have to route the front sensor harness to the rear through the door sills/ceiling to connect it to the new unit.

Got the price from the local service center for some parts today:



These headlight repair fixtures are available with the local service center as well. Priced at Rs. 1625 per pair per headlamp:



OK leaving all that aside, I have begun the research for the dream DIY I wish to do next year. And every day I end up learning something new towards this cause! If all goes well (finances, parts availability, research and data, support from service center), I am all set! And if it is successfully completed, it will be one hell of an achievement for me! No, it is not the OEM bi-xenon headlamps or rear disc brakes. I am happy with the current setup. :)

Dream DIY Gannu ?? IMO every single one of your DIY has been like a dream for me bro :uncontrol

Some really low lying scum bags can even think of vandalising a well maintained car. I could care less if its a kid or a moron, I just can't imagine excusing such pathetic lives :Frustrati

I am really glad that you stead is back in all its glory and with the set of additions you have planned, I think this may well become the most exclusive Polo in INDIA soon.

Sorry to hear about your experience with the fool in the suv and the scratches on the bonnet. Great call on letting it go because children definitely don't deserve the unpleasantness.The VW service centre has done a real decent paint job though. Waiting eagerly for your DIY on the puddle lamps, thats something i've been wanting to do. Would you be getting the VW logo ones?

Gannu, really sorry to hear about the rear bumper and the scratches at the GT logo as I can understand the pain.

There were two such incidents happened to my white GT once while coming on Bellandur Flyover when an auto rickshaw rammed into my car's rear bumper and I had to excuse the auto driver as he is old enough to drive an auto but luckily no damage to the bumper and the rubbing compound had taken away the complete scratches and then I applied a little candy white nailpolish to fix the deep starches which were very minute and the final outcome was not bad at all. Secondly, while I stopped at a Signal near Bommanahalli, a drunken motor cyclist hit from behind and ran away and it was his bike's tire which hit my car's rear bumper, rubbing compound was very effective to treat it but sadly, I had to pay the price for the left tail light which was completely damaged by the bike's handle.

Note: Rubbing compound is very effective but after few washes it fades away and exposes the scratches underneath to some extent.
Coming to the Trendz garage, I feel these guys have become too busy now a days or they have decided not to take up minor works like small touch-ups as I took my car for these two times and they were not ready to handle it and kept my work postponed for couple of times. Also they were quoting too much for minor touch-up works. So, I did the work by my own with just a rubbing compound.

Hi Gannu,

Would you be able to help me identify location of clips to remove lower grill from the front bumper in Vento 2015 facelift.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3860794



Regards.

55,000 km up!



The car has been running just fine. *touchwood* Winters are here and I don’t turn on the AC during the morning drives; I prefer to have the recirculation mode off with the windows rolled up. No misting on the windshield or windows thus. Cruise control has helped immensely! Check out the fuel efficiency during the last tankful:

Distance traveled: 914.5 km



Fuel filled (tankful to tankful): 39.61 l



FE: 23.08 km/l

Have some things lined up for the next month. Shall update this thread shortly. :)

Sorry antardaksh, I've no clue about that. Best to ask the service center about it.

Gannu Bhai need your help for installation of Auto Dimming Mirror. I want to know how to remove the existing mirror from the front glass?
Also if you could guide me for what are the components we need for installation of auto folding mirror?

High 5! :D



You need to slide it out of the mount in the direction as shown above. I used a mallet to strike it out as it wasn’t budging out easily.



As for the connections - connect the GND to a fastener anywhere on the body and tap the +12 V from the fuse box’s empty slot (eg. no. 24) using a fuse tap connector. Refer Anurag’s DIY thread for the details.

Sorry I don’t have any details on the auto-folding ORVMs as I haven’t researched much on this subject yet.

Your's is a TDI right?
Why does the redline start at 6800 RPM? :Shockked:

Please change the title of the thread if not updated. :D

His car is very much a TDi. People like Gannu don't mess up things like this :)

If you follow his threads, he installed TSi cluster on his TDi. Hope this answers.

Hi Gannu,

Could you please help with following questions

1. I want to add parking sensors on the front bumper, would following part suffice and how this is different from the 8K unit you are planing to buy. I believe one difference in number of sensors (8 vs 4).

Product name from AE: "OEM VW Rear OPS 4K Park Pilot 4 Parking Sensors Kit For Volkswagen New Polo 6R PQ25 6R0 919 475"

Rear parking sensors are already there without ops.

2. Is it possible to integrate existing rear parking sensor with new front, so that we are able to reuse some components or we need 8K unit for integrated front and rear parking sensor?

Regards.

No you need an 8K compatible unit. Your current unit which is a 4K unit supports only the beeps through the buzzer and no canbus support. You need an 8K unit with canbus support if you intend to add the sensors for the front bumper.

You will need a new 8K OPS module. Your existing sensors for the rear bumper and the buzzer is on a separate wiring harness which will connect to the new unit.

Hi Gannu,
Let me first congratulate on your brilliant ownership report. I have gone through your thread countless times. All the DIY's that you have carried out are brilliant and some requires in depth automotive knowledge. Hats off to you.
Glued to this thread big time. Waiting for your next update :)

It’s been a while since the last update. The car has clocked 60,000 km and was serviced last week. I’ve summarized everything below including some changes and DIY work recently carried out.

• 60,000 km service:
  
  
  
  Invoice of the 60k service:
  
  
  
  The car’s mechanicals are in sound shape. The brake pads still have some life left and can go on for another 5-8k km, the SA says. When the pads are changed, the discs will be skimmed. Suspension components are in good shape as well (thanks to the good roads here + careful driving). No rattling sounds or noises from any part of the car. I am eager to take up the oil change services every 10k km and switch to Mobil Delvac 1 but my SA advises otherwise as it affects the extended warranty (the change of oil make i.e.). Will switch to Mobil after the EW expires. One of the windshield washer jets was clogged and was cleaned using the HP pneumatic line; spraying fine now.
  
  All said and done, I just love this service center and the folks here! These guys have always been helpful with the requests (e.g. arranging OEM parts, part numbers inquiry etc.), do the servicing properly and sincerely without adding any unwanted bits and attend to the car as per the time slot given. I have had no complaints so far. One of the many reasons I simply spend the time here when I drop my car for service - I get to learn a lot from them especially the technicians, fiddle with the tools, collect part numbers of various components from the store, pricing from their online database etc. This time, they did a PROPER car cleaning - interior vacuuming, cleaning the dashboards, door cards, door sills, removed the noodle mats outside, dusted them thoroughly, washed the engine bay, foam washed the car in the wash bay and wiped her. And they didn’t charge me for it! I asked my SA why it wasn’t included in the invoice (the lone guy worked spent 2 hours for the exercise!) and he said it was alright and sometimes they give it as a complement to their frequent customers!
  
  
  
• Removing anti-theft bolts:
  
  I had installed a set of anti-theft lock bolts on the wheels (link) before we headed to Ladakh last year. I wanted to remove them after the trip since there were no issues w.r.t. wheel thefts in this part of the country but left it at that since I don’t carry the stock bolts in the car. I had some work in the car during the weekend and wanted to remove the driver-side wheel but guess what! The bolt refused to come off despite me trying my best using a longer rebar inserted into the wrench for leverage. Tried the bolts on the other wheels but they won’t budge. The key kept slipping over the bolt head. I recalled that they were tightened using the pneumatic wrench at the service center whereas they are usually tightened using the hand or a torque wrench. The service center guys used the key on the pneumatic wrench to get the bolts off and got 3 out of 4. The one on the driver side wheel refused to come off that easily. Finally, with a lot of effort, it did. So just a heads-up in case you are using these anti-theft bolts - have them tightened using the torque wrench or by hand. Don't use the pneumatic wrench.
  
  
  
• Current fuel efficiency:
  
  Thanks to the chilly winters here during the last few months, I haven’t turned on the AC during my morning commute to work and that has improved the average FE to the 23 kmpl mark. Over the last few refills, I have been consistently getting 23 kmpl using the tankful to tankful method. Here’s the snapshot from the sheet I maintain:
  
  
  
  The last one took a hit because the service center did the MFMA test (minimum fuel mass adaptation) for evaluating the life and quality of the injectors and this requires the engine to be on for at least 20 minutes. The car is connected to their diagnostics laptop and they run a series of tests which keeps accelerating and decelerating the car; sounds like a diesel generator!
  
  
  
• Coolant level sensor harness:
  
  
  
  
  
  The pre-facelift cars did not have the coolant expansion tank’s low level warning indication on the cluster and since I swapped the instrument cluster, I had to connect the relevant signal cable to GND to avoid the low-coolant warning light error showing up. Otherwise, the coolant inside the tank would complete the circuit and negate this warning light.
  
  This is the warning light I am referring to:
  
  
  
  The coolant tank had the level sensor in place - just the connector and harness was missing. I sourced the connector, pins, rubber grommets from a dealer based in Latvia via eBay; excellent guy - retails only connectors and pins. The local service center gave me an exorbitant rate! The envelope arrived 2 weeks later, I used the crimping tool to crimp the pins with the cables and routed it through the firewall of the engine bay and the cabin through the flexible conduit.
  
  Source: eBay
  
  Part numbers: 1K0 973 202 (connector housing), N 906 844 05 (pins), 357 972 741 B (rubber grommets).
  
  Price: 9.58 Euro
  
  
  
• Audi’s windshield washer fluid reservoir cap:
  
  
  
  
  
  The stock cap:
  
  
  
  This cap is used in a lot of Audi cars. And it doesn’t feel flimsy like the stock one either.
  
  Source: Friend through a Audi/VW spare parts stockiest based in Spain
  
  Part number: 4M0 955 267
  
  Price: 7 Euros
  
  
  
• Toyota’s check valve:
  
  
  
  Wondering what is the purpose of this valve? Check this video (keep the volume high to hear the pump working):
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EUTwuKMMG4
  
  When I pull the wiper stalk, notice a sub-second delay for the water to spray off the nozzles on the windshield? This is because once the stalk is pulled and the water is sprayed, whatever water was in the tube flows back into the reservoir. When a check valve (or a non-return valve) is installed, it prevents the water to go back into the reservoir and it stays in the tube. When the stalk is now pulled, the pump quickly pushes the remaining water towards the nozzles and there’s no delay. Such a small part and inexpensive at less than 2 USD but works well.
  
  Here’s the clip after the valve was installed:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8bgszeD6M4
  
  Work involved - Don’t want to draft a separate thread for this small work so here goes. Cut a small piece of tube as close to the pump as possible (the farther the valve is located from the nozzle, more the quantity of water the tube will hold), insert a heat shrink tube (diameter: > 12 mm, 40 mm length) on one end of the tube, insert the valve observing the direction of flow, plug the open ends of the tube to the valve, slide the heatshrink tubing over the valve, use a heatgun to shrink it and tie the ends using a cable tie. And check for leaks. Here’s a pic summarizing the DIY:
  
  
  
  Source: WASHER VALVE - TOYOTA (85321-26020)
  
  Part number: 85321-26020
  
  Price: 1.96 USD
  
  Big thanks to GTO’s brother who got this to India after visiting US.
  
  
  
• OEM anti-glare interior mirror:
  
  
  
  
  
  The OEM is Gentex:
  
  
  
  I switched from the previous auto dimming mirror sourced from Aliexpress to the OEM one used onboard the Jetta and Passat. No specific reasons - the previous mirror was working perfectly and helped during the night commutes immensely. I just wanted to stick to the OEM parts and lend that Euro Polo looks.
  
  BHPian graaja was kind enough to pick up my previous mirror and both of us struck a win-win deal in the end. The rain-light sensor (RLS) is pending installation which will be done separately; not inside the mirror base as is the case with the Jetta/Passat. Previously I was under the impression that this sensor is stuck to the windshield but after some research, I figured out only the metal mount is. The sensor goes inside this mount and is held in place by the mirror. Further research on this subject revealed this aspect. There is one advantage with the OEM mirror - the green LED which indicates that the auto-dimming is turned on doesn’t hurt the eyes. It has a very subtle glow. The previous one was very bright!
  
  The RLS also enables auto-closing of the windows if any of the windows remain open for >24 hours. Which also means it requires a continuous +12V supply.
  
  Source: Aliexpress
  
  Part number: Will mention the various part numbers in a separate DIY thread.
  
  Price: 125 USD without the Auto headlight switch (Rs. 5550 after the buy-back deal). Will be cheaper by 20 USD without the RLS.
  
  
  
• RLS cover:
  
  
  
  This is the plastic trim used used to cover the RLS (rain light sensor) when it is mounted separately outside the mirror base. The part actually belongs to Touran MY2009. When I plan to install the sensor on the windshield after testing it, this trim will cover the sensor from the inside. The postal guys already broke the slender wire cover but I don’t need that part so cut it off.
  
  Source: Friend through a Audi/VW spare parts stockiest based in Spain
  
  Part number: 1T0 955 738 Y20
  
  Price: 3 Euros.
  
  
  
  
• Puddle lights:
  
  
  
  Got this done just for fun. I’ve always been intrigued by the puddle lights below the mirrors. The new gen. Bimmers take this one step ahead by providing these lights below the door handles - looks uber cool! I had sourced these flush mount LED bolts sometime back in July 2014 (shared the purchase experience here) and they were stashed somewhere. They are made of Aluminium, has an IP68 rating and does not have a lens so it sits flush with the surface. I had some spare time during the last weekend and decided to install them. It was a slightly tedious procedure because the door cards need to be removed to route the cables. Securing them back can be slightly tricky due to the plastic clips which are prone to breakage. A clip costs Rs. 28 from the service center so I had sourced some extra spares before working on them just to be on the safer side. Connected them to the footwell lights which light up when the car is unlocked or the ignition is turned off and the key is removed from the slot. Will pen down a DIY thread on this later.
  
  
  Source: Oznium.com (Flush Mount LED Bolt)
  
  Part number: NA
  
  Price: 22.79 USD (during July 2014).
  
  
  
• Cutting tool:
  
  
  
  This is the tool that is used to cut the holes on the bumpers for the parking sensors without spoiling the edges. A step drill bit leaves rough edges on the bumper so decided to get this. A bit expensive just for the tool just for a one-time use (front parking sensors) but even the local service center had step drills for the job. This will be used for the new front bumper when I intend to do the swap.
  
  When I had visited the service center for the scheduled service last week, an insurance surveyor was asking the technicians to damage the old parts beyond repair (for a Vento which had a frontal impact) and they were hammering the radiator, intercooler, cooling fan, front bumper, fog lights etc. I asked for a piece of the bumper as well and practiced cutting 2 holes using this tool:
  
  
  
  
  
  Came out exceptionally clean without any rough edges! Check it out:
  
  
  
  Now I only need a new front bumper primed and painted!
  
  Source: Russian dealer
  
  Part number: BEA 000 001
  
  Price: 25 Euros.
  
  
  
• Crimping tool:
  
  
  
  This is different from the Stanley’s crimping tool since this is specific for the terminals used in the car’s connectors whereas the Stanley one is suited for regular crimping like earth terminals, audio terminals etc.
  
  It also comes with replaceable dies depending on the type of crimping:
  
  
  (Image Source: Aliexpress)
  
  I’ve just got the stock die for crimping VAG terminals for now. Aliexpress stocks the dies for cheap.
  
  Source: Aliexpress http://www.aliexpress.com/item/SN-48...299955530.html
  
  Part number: NA
  
  Price: 10.49 USD
  
  
  
• 2-pin waterproof connectors:
  
  
  
  Got these 2-pin connectors for some odd jobs in the car (e.g. ballast <-> HID bulb). The bundle comes with the male and female plugs, connectors and seals. These are essentially replicas of the Tyco/AMP Superseal connectors but retail much cheaper. Works for me since I am not going to use them where there is a direct exposure to water spray.
  
  Source: Aliexpress http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-1...326276854.html
  
  Part number: NA
  
  Price: 3.85 USD
  
  
  
• Painted brake calipers:
  
  
  
  I wanted to paint the brake calipers for some time now and got it done on a weekend. Spray paint used was a can of Rust-Oleum high heat spray paint in flat red shade. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Rust-Oleum was available in India! Had to prepare the calipers thoroughly prior to spraying them so got a wire brush drill attachment and some sand papers of 220 grit. Had a few wire brushes at home. Bought a can of 3M brake cleaner spray can from the service center for cleaning after the sanding work. I wanted to clean the calipers using the wire brush attachment for the drill but could only get one for the angle grinder. So got hold of an M10 bolt, cut the extra length and tightened it properly ready to be used with the drill.
  
  
  
  
  
  Wrapped the discs with plastic sheets and the surrounding areas with old newspapers. Gave it 3 coats after a 15-20 minute gap. I wore a pair of safety goggles, gloves and a mask while preparing the calipers but the drill was getting hot (clearly the drill cannot be used for this purpose) and I had to cool it off after taking breaks! Was fun doing it though. I didn't want the rear drums to be painted so left it at that.
  
  
  
  
  
  Source: Ebay
  
  Part number: 248908
  
  Price: Rs 700 (got it for Rs. 370 - Payback points redemption)

That would be all. The next major upgrade would be the suspension. On every other weekend, there's something or the other to fiddle around with the car. stupid: