[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by noopster

Am actually looking forward to see how this car holds up post 1L km. No plans of selling or upgrading for the moment!

Gone past the 1L mark, have we? How far I have been left behind!

Don't see any major changes between 70K and 90K for your car; on a different thread I saw one of the owners stating he did a timing belt replacement around the 90K mark; wonder if that is needed for all cars.

Let me know if you get to do a trip down to Mumbai sometime in the near future, would be interesting to compare notes. I'm based out of Powai these days.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Gone past the 1L mark, have we? How far I have been left behind!

Almost there! Am at 98,600 or so now.

Don't see any major changes between 70K and 90K for your car; on a different thread I saw one of the owners stating he did a timing belt replacement around the 90K mark; wonder if that is needed for all cars.

My alternator failed recently and I had to change the entire alternator/alternator belt/master fuse setup. VW service guy said it was due for replacement after 80,000 km. Pretty big dent on the wallet though!

Let me know if you get to do a trip down to Mumbai sometime in the near future, would be interesting to compare notes. I'm based out of Powai these days.

I was working out of Powai for over a year but am back in Pune now!

[aadya]

Dear Noopster,

I am in the verge of booking Rapid MPI AT. I see a lots of flak about this engine being a dud. I did a test drive and found it to be reasonable in the city with two people which would be usual driving condition. Occasional high way trip twice or thrice in a year with three adults/2 children and luggage, an approximate payload of 350 kg is on the cards. Do you still vouch by this engine. I am not an enthusiast by any means. Though TDI+DSG combo is excellent,I want a trouble free driving experience. Please guide me.

[noopster]

Hi aadva, thanks for reaching out.

Originally Posted by aadya

I see a lots of flak about this engine being a dud. I did a test drive and found it to be reasonable in the city with two people which would be usual driving condition.

Its not a stonker by any stretch of the imagination. These days when you have turbo-charged options, or even NA petrols that are infinitely more revv-friendly, the 1.6 MFI seems to be a poor cousin in comparison!

Occasional high way trip twice or thrice in a year with three adults/2 children and luggage, an approximate payload of 350 kg is on the cards. Do you still vouch by this engine. I am not an enthusiast by any means. Though TDI+DSG combo is excellent,I want a trouble free driving experience. Please guide me.

I can vouch that is it a reliable, safe, workhorse of an engine, at least for the kind of usage you have described. In all honesty, TDI+DSG is not a combination for the weak-hearted.

However, a trouble-free driving experience can also be managed by sticking to the Japanese or Koreans instead of the Germans! So choose wisely

[aadya]

Originally Posted by noopster

...I can vouch that is it a reliable, safe, workhorse of an engine, at least for the kind of usage you have described. In all honesty, TDI+DSG is not a combination for the weak-hearted.

However, a trouble-free driving experience can also be managed by sticking to the Japanese or Koreans instead of the Germans! So choose wisely

Thanks for the reply.

It was a choice of exclusion. Requirements are simple - a safe, reliable, automatic sedan below 15lakhs. The original choice was verna - lack of top end diesel, petrol top end at with hard back of front seats and wife feeling claustrophobic.

Yaris - protruding ac vent in the back seat makes it difficult to move around in the back seat with babies to tend to.

Ciaz - petrol engine no better than rapid and diesel has no automatic.

City - once a dream car. We already have one in family. Absolutely uncomfortable and noisy in highways and build equal to the cheapest car in the lineup.

Vento TSi has DSG and TDi has DSG. I am of belief machines are for us and not the other way around. So ruled out.

[noopster]

My 2011 VW Vento AT Highline is getting long in the tooth so I was planning to get rid of it and upgrade to something bigger. Made an attempt to sell it off just before I left Pune for an overseas assignment in mid-2017; however all I got was low-ball offers so we decided to keep the car. I returned to India in December and some big expenses hit unexpectedly, so decided to invest in some basic work and continue driving the car for 2-3 years.



My car is now 8 years old and ~115,000 km on the odo. Not bad for a petrol automatic eh? In retrospect the choice of engine, gearbox and fuel have been perfect. The 1.6L naturally-aspirated petrol engine is no stonker like its TSI equivalent but since it is mated to a 6-speed torque converter instead of the dreaded DSG, am spared any "mechatronics failures". Plus, it's a petrol so no "Dieselgate" impact. 2010-12 TDIs are infamous for their unreliability but no such issue with the petrols.



Decision having been made, the next step was to assess what work was needed to get it reasonably ship-shape. The 105K/ 7-year routine service at VW ASS in July revealed that the suspension was in bad shape. But overhauling the entire suspension would mean a huge investment that I wasn't sure I wanted to make. Besides I was overseas at the time and had no way of telling whether the workmanship would be up to scratch. So told them to do the usual paid service and a brake disc replacement that they insisted on and leave the suspension alone. Damages were around 19K.




A Christmas vacation to Goa really brought out how bad the situation was, with the poor car crashing over every undulation in the road. The noise from the suspension was not overpowering but annoying enough to a sensitive soul



I wanted to hand the car over to Tune Up plus, with whom I have had a positive experience for my Swift, but moderator friend moralfibre advised me to try The Mechanix instead. Since I already had Anirudh aka 599gto's number on WhatsApp, I called him and quickly scheduled an appointment.

Having inspected the car quickly, they provided me an estimate which I confirmed on the phone for front and rear strut replacement and wheel alignment/balancing. The labour charges seemed reasonable, though the parts cost didn't seem that different from VW ASS (I must confess I didn't check too much in detail, and Anirudh assured me that their rates were much more competitive). After toying with OE versus aftermarket, I stuck with OE/ Gabriel parts (Bilstein were nearly 50% costlier). I like the way my Vento was set up originally so didn't think too much about this.

The steering rack was making a noise and showing some resistance, which Sushant had pointed out when he inspected the car. They sent along an estimate for that as well. Seemed high, but I asked them to go ahead.

One thing I liked was that Anirudh kept giving me real-time updates with pictures about things they found wrong with the car. This included broken axle boots and a leaky pipe in the coolant system.

Payment was easy and they accept all modes of payment except American Express. Hell even PSU pumps accept AMEX these days. Get with it, guys!

Anyway, I nitpick. The car rides like a dream now. Am back to my preferred low-seating position. Complete absence of any rattles or noises.

Overall a very positive experience. I asked Anirudh if they have a thread in the Directory section and to my surprise he said No, so I offered to do it for him.



Am considering going there for my 120K/ 8 year service which will probably happen in 6 months time.

[ninjatalli]

Lol you seem to be picking up the story from my thread:- overseas travel >> sell car >> no feasible outcomes >> retain car for longer period >> 8th servicing with brake system overall >> suspension overhall from FNG garage

Originally Posted by noopster

2010-12 TDIs are infamous for their unreliability but no such issue with the petrols.

Now now, that's beneath the belt

Seemed high, but I asked them to go ahead.

They are indeed. Several of the parts are same wrt to suspension overall in my car, but the prices for you are higher. Btw what's with the driveshaft repair?


All in all, one thing's pretty clear - the suspension rattles its way out around the 8th year mark on these Ventos, irrespective of the level of usage (ignoring the sub 30k-40k kms run cars); several Ventos on the forum having passed through this stage. (@nileshch, fyi & NA please)

The next thing on my radar (along with the 9th servicing) is have a check on the timing belt; suggest you put that on your list too.
Edit: Just remembered you already went through that stage, nevermind!

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by noopster

Plus, it's a petrol so no "Dieselgate" impact. 2010-12 TDIs are infamous for their unreliability but no such issue with the petrols.

Then I should consider myself lucky! 1.1L kms and not a single mechanical failure so far in my TDI. Only faulty sensors so far!

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

All in all, one thing's pretty clear - the suspension rattles its way out around the 8th year mark on these Ventos, irrespective of the level of usage (ignoring the sub 30k-40k kms run cars); several Ventos on the forum having passed through this stage. (@nileshch, fyi & NA please)

Yes, agree, 8th is a good year to overhaul the suspension. I don't have specific issues, just general deterioration of the suspension quality. Will do a pre-emptive fix before any major incident happens.

@noopster, thanks for sharing the bill. Will help when I take it to the FNG, probably a Bosch. Don't have confidence in the OEM workshop anyway.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Now now, that's beneath the belt

Just stating facts!

They are indeed. Several of the parts are same wrt to suspension overall in my car, but the prices for you are higher. Btw what's with the driveshaft repair?

Not sure. I didn't bother with the itemized bill too much because the overall amount matched the estimate. But both steering and suspension feel almost-new now.

Originally Posted by nileshch

Then I should consider myself lucky! 1.1L kms and not a single mechanical failure so far in my TDI. Only faulty sensors so far!

It's nice that the initial lot of TBHP Ventos is still going strong and at roughly the same usage!

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by nileshch

Then I should consider myself lucky! 1.1L kms and not a single mechanical failure so far in my TDI. Only faulty sensors so far!

Keep it running; that's all it requires it seems Very similar experience with other (non-tbhp) 2010/2011 Ventos (tdi) I know; none of them have faced injector issues; the common theme is they haven't had a break in the vehicle usage during the last 5-8 years.

Originally Posted by noopster

Not sure. I didn't bother with the itemized bill too much because the overall amount matched the estimate. But both steering and suspension feel almost-new now.

Don't then. As long as you are a satisfied customer, why spend time on that. Same logic I applied wrt the injectors expense

It's nice that the initial lot of TBHP Ventos is still going strong and at roughly the same usage!

True. But a few of that have been sold - @mikon, @bala80, @sauravc (?). Well, that had to happen.

I guess @Ramsagar, @el lobo 61 and a few other lesser active Vento owners/bhpians are still there up and running! It's actually interesting that we have no visibility of the active Skoda Rapid owners (of 7+ years of ownership); although the cars are practically the same.

[torque18]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

It's actually interesting that we have no visibility of the active Skoda Rapid owners (of 7+ years of ownership); although the cars are practically the same.

Here I come! Rapid TDI 2012. Done 86k.

Running flawlessly! (touch wood). Except for the injector replacement, it has just been the usual service and maintenance. Still gives me the same joy that was there 7 years back .

[noopster]

With early monsoon showers setting in, thought my baby could do with new shoes. The current set of Yokohama Earth1 tyres had served me well. I changed last almost 4 years/50,000 km ago.

Decided to go with Metro Tyres, Pimple Saudagar this time (my usual place is Lokmanya Tyres). Confirmed with Rizwan that he has 195/60R15 options in stock. This size seems perfect for the Vento.

It was between the Continental CC5 and the incumbent Yokos. Truth be told I have no complaints with the Earth1s. They are made-for-India tyres and offer a good mix of comfort and ruggedness. I have had far fewer punctures with this last set than with the previous Yoko dBs, which were too soft for my kind of usage.

Took about an hour to get it done: Metro is competent, fuss-free and pretty good. The only delay was thanks to the Saturday afternoon crowd.

Total damage was some 23K for a set of 4 Yoko Earth1s.

Some before and after pics:

[noopster]

Have been busy with work and some stuff at home so a long overdue update: got my 120k/8 year servicing done a couple of months ago.

The car wasn’t running at peak form, to be honest. My transmission fluid was due for replacement and there were major issues with the suspension as well. I listed these down around mid August: (copy-pasted from WhatsApp)

- sound in steering column when turning at low speed
- harsh screeching sound when braking
- coolant slow leak problem
- vibration at idle
- pronounced beep-beep sound while accelerating from rest
-jerks in gear shifts and severely lethargic up shifts and downshifts (this in a ‘box already not known for its lightning fast shifts!)
- bottoming out in every pothole

I called BUB and scheduled an appointment around early August. Unfortunately there was a medical emergency at home the day of the service and I couldn’t go drop it off. To my astonishment, they never bothered even calling me to check why I had missed the appointment nor made an attempt to reschedule it. This is what a virtual monopoly does to even a good dealership.

Anirudh (599gto) and I had been chatting about getting the Vento serviced at his independent garage The Mechanix and the episode with BUB acted as the final straw. I asked Anirudh to pick the car up and give me an estimate.

I knew it would be a whopper but it still took my breath away when the estimate (and the eventual bill) arrived. It was close to 70,000/- including a complete suspension overhaul, transmission fluid replacement and servicing, car servicing and some issues related to leakage and idling.

But it made sense to go ahead since this car is my daily drive and I don’t have any plans to replace it in the next couple of years. I was considering a few full-fledged SUVs but the 40+ price tag puts it out of reach at the moment. Besides, the whole uncertainty around BS6 and electric etc makes it better in my (highly risk averse) opinion to wait out the next year or two.

Car is back to near-pristine in terms of engine, gearbox and suspension performance now. It looks its age but that is through no fault of its own: the paint still shines but numerous rings and scratches over the years have taken their toll.

Still, I can’t help but smile every time I look upon the old girl...



This was a few days ago...could mine be the highest run automatic petrol car on the forum ya think?

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by noopster

This was a few days ago...could mine be the highest run automatic petrol car on the forum ya think?

Good decision mate. When you weigh in the options, spending ~70k on rejuvenation makes much more sense than spending time, money and energy to choose the next car. With this overhaul, i believe it can run for another 40-50k without a sweat.

Regarding exterior deterioration, 3M guys can fix it to a large extent.

[el lobo 6061]

It was refreshing reading your post.

Hold onto her for as long as possible.

A decade later, there is no C segment sedan worth an upgrade.

Still holding on to mine for that 1.6 TDi stonker engine. They don't make it like that anymore. Will be 9 yrs old by March 2020.

Post April 2020, VAG group is going all petrol.