[halfbytecode]

I carried out diesel purge on my car, using Liqui Moly Diesel Purge. I did it directly from the engine fuel inlet/outlet, bypassing the fuel tank. The difference in performance, post diesel purge, is quite noticeable.

• The engine revs effortlessly now, as opposed to being sluggish before this.
  
• The engine also made very slight noise at idle, that I do not know for sure what to call, maybe miniscule knocking noise. That is gone too.
  
• I am hopeful cold starts are restored to how it was for the most of the car ownership. All signs are positive so far. I will confirm this near the winters.

The components used:

• Clear vinyl tubing, having inner diameter of 8 mm or 5/16" inch (5 feet in length)
• Connectors for tubing (3 units)
• Inline fuel filter
• Ziplocks (6 or 7 of them)
• Empty clear plastic bottle
• Liqui Moly Diesel Purge (500 ml)

Clear vinyl tubing, connectors, and ziplocks were available at some hardware stores. I had to go to a few stores to be able to find them all, though. These three set of things cost me about Rs. 85.

The inline fuel filter was available at some car spare part dealers. This cost me Rs. 100.

I sourced the can of Diesel Purge from Amazon. The can cost was listed as about Rs. 600.

Preparation:

I cleaned the plastic tubing, by having water flow through it. I dried it by blowing air through it, from the household vacuum cleaner.

I did it similarly with the connectors, and the clear plastic bottle.

The plastic bottle still had some water droplets clinging onto the inner surface. Since there was no separate air output passage from the bottle, I could not dry it like the tubing and the connectors. I then crumpled a tissue paper, put it into the bottle, and shook the bottle until the crumpled tissue paper rolled around, and up and down, in the bottle, absorbing the water droplets, and drying the bottle from inside in no time.

The inline fuel filter was brand new, but it seemed to have some black particles in one of the ends, where tubing is supposed to be connected. I used the household vacuum cleaner to suck those out.

The diesel purge process:

The procedure is quite simple to follow. I did not take pictures along all the steps, as it is well elaborated in a video on YouTube, specifically about Polo 6R with a 1.6 TDI engine. There are also a number of other videos, but this one was specifically about this engine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1rCgFPfEkQ

After completing the process, and reconnecting everything again, I primed the fuel filter by cycling the key to on and off position, multiple times, before turning on the ignition. I did this as a precaution to remove any air that may have entered the system. The car started back up on the first crank!

The thing that differs in my setup are the connections, that I made using connectors between the tubing and the fuel lines. Inserting the tubing directly into the fuel lines can damage the fuel lines.

I liked the way the inline filter was put on the return line to the diesel purge container. The filtered diesel purge gets into the container from the return line, and the small quantity of the leftover diesel purge can be put into the fuel tank, without worrying about the disloged engine gunk from getting into the fuel (thanks to the inline fuel filter).

I have a picture of my setup, showing all the components and how I connected them. It is attached with this post.

The line marked red is the intake line, blue is the return line, and the green line is the loop to feed diesel back into the fuel tank, without having it enter the engine.

[halfbytecode]

Update - 1,25,000 kms done

The car is running great. The fuel injectors and combustion chamber seem to be cleaned quite well, after the diesel purge process (detailed above). I also cleaned the mass air flow sensor, by using CRC Air Sensor Clean.

- The engine is very eager to rev now, and the fuel economy is improved by at least 20%. This is quite significant.

- The tyres are also performing better than ever. I feel this is primarily due to the climate getting colder, and the tyres being designed for European climate. I will keep an eye on the performance in next summers. The tyres were new this summer, and had not worn in until recently.

[halfbytecode]

Update

One of the gear selector linkages was worn, preventing me from engaging 2nd and 4th gears. It was worn to the point that tiny metal wires covering the affected linkage began getting pulled out.

I looked at getting both cables replaced, rather than one. The cost of the cables was around Rs. 3800 and Rs. 4100. Considering that and the aged selector, I got the entire gear selector mechanism changed, as it comes with new cables, as a single unit (also without cables, if needed).

Going by the car's VIN, the part number showed up as
6Q0 711 050 B, which costs Rs. 9008, I think. However, the same part has been localized, and costs about Rs. 3700. The part number for that is 6RF 711 050.

I got that, and I was surprised by the quality and finish of the localized part. I could not tell apart the imported part and the localized version, had the respective part numbers not been engraved on the parts. Kudos to VW India for ensuring the same apparent build quality of this part while localizing!

The labour costs for changing this are a bit high, about Rs. 2900, inclusive of GST. This is because replacing this part is a huge task, that involves a ton of dismantling. That includes the battery, air filter housing, underbody shields, heat shield around the silencer, interior trims around the head unit and AC controls, covering around the gear shifter, the armrest, rear AC vents, trim leading from the central cup holders to the handbrake, and handbrake covering.

Only after that, it was possible to get the gear selector housing and linkages out of the car.

Post installation of the new part, the selector mechanism was adjusted to ensure proper neutral gear shift position. This is important.

After just some time of usage, the selector mechanism seems to be wearing in nicely, and the gear shifts are becoming as smooth as when the car was new.

Comparing the performance of this with the aged part in my car, the gear shifts had been quite "loose" lately, and the gear shifter travel had increased.

I took a quick picture at the dealership of the two parts. The old one is the imported part, and the new one is the localized version.

[halfbytecode]

Update - 130,000 kms done

• I have performed the fuel injector cleaning procedure, once again, as I felt it was necessary, after I did it the first time around.

As per Liqui Moly, the process can be repeated if necessary. So I did the same.

There is a noticeable improvement in the engine performance, specifically the ease of acceleration or peppiness, not as much as the first time around though. It makes me feel the remainder of the required clean up is finally done.

• Furthermore, I also cleaned the Mass Air Flow sensor again, using CRC Air Sensor Clean. This time I gave it a more thorough cleaning. I was a bit apprehensive, the first time around.

• The car is running fine. The rear axle beam bushings would be replaced shortly.

[halfbytecode]

Update - 140,000 kms

It has been quite a long time since I have posted. I have a couple of updates.

• While driving in the rains, the glowplug warning light started blinking. The idle RPMs increased to about 1200, and the car did not accelerate much. I scanned the car with an OBD scan tool, and it threw a code P0335 - Powertrain, Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit.

I cleared the code, but it persisted. I thought the sensor may have got wet in the rain somehow. After driving for a while, I parked the car. Upon starting it back up, the idle RPMs normalized, but the check engine light came on this time. I scanned the car yet again. It threw the same code, but clearing it this time made it go away.

The car was completely fine at this point, and has been so ever since.

• One of the Osram Night Breaker Unlimited H4 bulbs conked off a few days ago. The low beam filament is visibly shot. The same on the other bulb also seems to be on its way. I put in the Philips White Vision bulbs that I had, for now.

• The steering rack rattles while driving on rough roads. It seems to be an issue with the units installed in the older cars. The inner tie rod on the left seems to be the issue, although it could be the joint between the inner tie rod and the steering rack. I will have the steering rack and the tie rods, replaced in as a single unit. The ball joint ends of the tie rod ends are not likely to have much left in them either, considering the mileage of the car.

• I recently had the front brake rotors and brake pads changed. The brake pads lasted over 55,000 kilometers, until they hit the wear limit of 2 mm, if I am not wrong about the number. I should mention that older cars like mine had Euro-spec brakes, and this number may be different for brakes in the newer models.

Anyhow, if you have to continue using your rotors you should replace the brake pads sooner. Please keep the condition and wear limit of the brake rotors, measured in thickness, in mind while doing so!

[suku_patel_22]

A colleague of mine has the 2011 Vento Highline 1.6 TDI too. Its a brilliant car and always a pleasure to drive. Subscribed to your thread to hear of future updates on your machine.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by halfbytecode

Update - 140,000 kms

It has been quite a long time since I have posted.

The car was completely fine at this point, and has been so ever since.

Amazing, dude! I appreciate & respect people who own their cars for a long time and keep them in top shape. I guess yours is one of the highest mileage Ventos on the forum.

Please also share pictures of your beauty.

Thanks for consistently updating this thread!

[Ramsagar]

Originally Posted by halfbytecode

Update - 140,000 kms
• The steering rack rattles while driving on rough roads. It seems to be an issue with the units installed in the older cars. The inner tie rod on the left seems to be the issue, although it could be the joint between the inner tie rod and the steering rack. I will have the steering rack and the tie rods, replaced in as a single unit. The ball joint ends of the tie rod ends are not likely to have much left in them either, considering the mileage of the car.

Just got 135K Kms service done.
Have you addressed the above problem? please let me know the costs involved. I'm also facing similar problem. Looks like its in the DNA for older vehicles.
Other than this, I dont find any reason to change my car.

[halfbytecode]

Originally Posted by GTO

Amazing, dude! I appreciate & respect people who own their cars for a long time and keep them in top shape. I guess yours is one of the highest mileage Ventos on the forum.

Please also share pictures of your beauty.

Thanks for consistently updating this thread!

Thanks for the kind words. I will see what I can do regarding the pictures.

Originally Posted by Ramsagar

Just got 135K Kms service done.
Have you addressed the above problem? please let me know the costs involved. I'm also facing similar problem. Looks like its in the DNA for older vehicles.
Other than this, I dont find any reason to change my car.

I am yet to have the steering rack replaced. The complete steering assembly, which includes the steering rack, inner tie rods, and tie rod ends, seems to be available for Rs. 11,525. I was told the fasteners are also changed, and they cost about Rs 3000-4000. (The bolts are gigantic in size)

The total cost for replacement, including the labour, seems to be around Rs. 17,000.

This is way cheaper than some other cars. I think the steering assembly for Swift is priced higher than Rs. 30,000. Way to go VW India!

I should also add that the steering assembly has undergone multiple revisions over the years, and the now available units should be way better than the earlier units.

[Ramsagar]

Originally Posted by halfbytecode

The total cost for replacement, including the labour, seems to be around Rs. 17,000.

Is the above quote from VW Authorized dealer? As you said, it is very competitive pricing. Thankyou!

[halfbytecode]

Originally Posted by Ramsagar

Is the above quote from VW Authorized dealer? As you said, it is very competitive pricing. Thankyou!

Yes, it is the price quoted by the VW dealership.

[halfbytecode]

Update - Steering rack changed!

I finally had the steering rack changed. The steering rack cost about 10.3K, the fasteners used cost around 2.5K, and the labour cost was almost 5K. Total cost was 17.7K.

The new steering rack has the part number 6RF 423 057 P, and is made in India. The old one, that came factory installed, has the part number 6RF 423 057 H, and was made in China.

They look almost identical, and the build quality seems the same. Having said that, the newer one is revised and should not go bad as soon as the older units did.

Pictures attached below, for reference.

[halfbytecode]

Update - 150,000 kms interval service done

The car had completed 142,500 kms at this point. This was a regular service. However, I used Liqui Moly Engine Flush, before having the engine oil and oil filter changed. Poured the engine flush liquid into the engine, with the engine being warm, and turned off. After this, the engine was turned on and left idling for about 10 minutes. The engine oil was drained after this.

The engine noise seems to be reduced a bit, not sure if this is due to the engine flush, oil change, or combination of both. The same goes with the car's acceleration, which seems to be improved.

Changing the steering rack improved the car's handling significantly. Steering response is now sharp. Apart from rattling issue, the left tie rod end and inner tie rod, had developed significant play.

[Turbohead]

Hello Halfbytecode! Thanks for updating this thread as you munch up the miles! Gives a lot of confidence to existing owners!

Currently I'm facing an issue wherein the engine feels quite jerky when pressing/ releasing the accelerator below 1600 RPM This occurs only after the engine has warmed up. Were these some of the symptoms you faced prior to using Liquiy Moly Diesel Purge? Is it a clogged up injector?

[halfbytecode]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Hello Halfbytecode! Thanks for updating this thread as you munch up the miles! Gives a lot of confidence to existing owners!

Currently I'm facing an issue wherein the engine feels quite jerky when pressing/ releasing the accelerator below 1600 RPM This occurs only after the engine has warmed up. Were these some of the symptoms you faced prior to using Liquiy Moly Diesel Purge? Is it a clogged up injector?

Thanks for the kind words. Prior to using diesel purge, the engine noise had increased and the acceleration had reduced. I did not face the issue you described.