Team-BHP - Volkswagen Polo 1.2L GT TSI : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank (Post 5643780)

The HUD seems to be from the MQB platform, whereas polo in india is the PQ25 platform. So I have my reservations whether the electronics would be compatible or not. AFAIK HUD was not sold in any of the PQ cars.

I think he means the Head unit, and not a Heads Up Display.

IIFC the 2016 Polo's came with the RCD 330. You could opt for the 340G plus which I personally find sufficient. Else if you really want to get a proper upgrade, then you could get the MIB 2 Discovery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinay23 (Post 5592986)

Hey guys,

My Polo GT just completed 40k kilometres and its been a fuss free ownership for the most part. However, there is this one recurring issue which has been bugging me.

For more than a year now, there's been a peculiar humming noise coming from someplace near the fuel pump, which is audible only during driving and the noise sets in only after 10-15 mins of driving. It tends to get quite annoying especially when there's no music playing.

I was able to locate the noise from outside the car and it was somewhere near the fuel pump. I've taken a video of the same- please excuse the improperly taken video recording.

I brought this up with the VW ASC a while back and they had a look and advised to replace the fuel pump. It's been close to a year since they replaced it and the issue still persists. I've brought up the same issue multiple times with them and I get the standard response after analysis saying that it's normal with all GTs.

This certainly did not exist when I bought the car in 2021 and has only cropped up now. Has anyone else here experienced this?

Humming noise near the fuel pump on Polo GT TSi

Hey guys,

This issue still persists and comes up when the fuel in the tank goes below 3/4 of its capacity. I got the car checked at an independent garage and they told me that this is normal for the GT TSi's fuel pump. My car is a MY18 GT TSI with the DSG.

However, I'm not convinced. I sat in a friend's Polo GT and I didn't notice this humming noise at all. I don't remember hearing this when I first got the car back in 2021 either.

I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could pitch in your two cents about this issue. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinay23 (Post 5648331)

Hey guys,

This issue still persists and comes up when the fuel in the tank goes below 3/4 of its capacity. I got the car checked at an independent garage and they told me that this is normal for the GT TSi's fuel pump.

However, I'm not convinced. I sat in a friend's Polo GT and I didn't notice this humming noise at all. I don't remember hearing this when I first got the car back in 2021 either.

I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could pitch in your two cents about this issue. :)

I'm not too familiar with the 1.0 GT but would highly recommend checking the rubber seals where the pump is seated. Poor fitment or degraded rubber seal could cause the vibration of the pump to creep in. Also do check your fuel filter. A choked filter might be causing the pump to work overtime.
The VW ASS usually does not replace the fuel pumpat this mileage, though I noticed a big improvement in smoothness by replacing the filter in my Vento TSI at 80k at my FNG, despite the ASS saying it's perfectly fine. Will be replacing the one in my Polo 1.2 GT 60k kms very soon too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank (Post 5648339)

I'm sorry I didn't mention this in the post. My car is a MY18 Polo with the DSG.
I'll get the rubber seal and fuel filter checked out soon, thank you for your reply.

I just returned from a 1300km road trip from Bangalore to Goa. Here are some things I loved and disliked about my newly acquired pre-worshipped GT TSI.

What I loved:

The torque from the little 1.2 tsi paired with the DSG leaves everything behind from a standstill at toll plazas.
The car is so chuckable, and manoeuvering through truck traffic on the highway was a breeze.
Its compact nature made it practical on narrow roads in Goa and a blast to drive on the wider ones.
The car feels planted at high speeds, and a lot of that speed can be carried through corners on the highway.

What I disliked:

The suspension tends to bottom out at the front over some of the expansion joints in the road with a loud thud unless you slow down to around 70-80 kmph.
The car also feels a little skittish over undulating surfaces.
It gets pretty loud in the cabin at speed. Largely down to the road noise from the crappy MRF ZVTV tires on the car.
The braking performance needs to be improved (maybe a big brake kit or better rotors and pads), which isn't aided by the lack of engine braking when the car sits in D7 on the highway. I also noticed a lot of brake dust on the wheels.

Last but not least, some pictures from the trip:

Quote:

Originally Posted by db01 (Post 5650239)

What I disliked:

The suspension tends to bottom out at the front over some of the expansion joints in the road with a loud thud unless you slow down to around 70-80 kmph.
The car also feels a little skittish over undulating surfaces.
It gets pretty loud in the cabin at speed. Largely down to the road noise from the crappy MRF ZVTV tires on the car.
The braking performance needs to be improved (maybe a big brake kit or better rotors and pads), which isn't aided by the lack of engine braking when the car sits in D7 on the highway. I also noticed a lot of brake dust on the wheels.

One of the best upgrades you can do for the car is getting a new set of struts.
The Sachs Euro specs are a very good option to have. The car does get a little firmer, but much more compliant overall.

The cabin noise can be greatly reduced with a good set of rubbers. I switched from my old 185/55/15 to the Continental UC6 205/55/16 which made a night and day difference in the road noise in the cabin.

Braking can be further improved through VCDS coding. Also a new set of pads would help out too. I switched the EBC Ultimax 2 pads and they've greatly helped with braking performance, especially paired with the new set of rubbers.

Quote:

The suspension tends to bottom out at the front over some of the expansion joints in the road with a loud thud unless you slow down to around 70-80 kmph.

When I took my 1 year old 8k run car for a strut upgrade back in 2018 I was shocked to see the condition of the front struts. The rebound on one was slow and the other one rebounded only to half way. Chances are your struts are on the way out.

I wouldn't recommend Conti tyres since my 5 year old ~30k Max Contacts are spitting rubber like an F1 car and are getting punctured every now and then.

I had upgraded to Sachs shocks back then and it seems they are also on their way out. Ride quality (and rattling) has become horrible and cracks are visible on the lower arm bushes.

Would recommend a thorough suspension checkup at an FNG (service center guys always tells everythings fine) and while you are at it keep an eye out for any drive shaft leaks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by db01 (Post 5650556)

Thanks for the advice! What did you change with VCDS and are you running stock rotors with the EBC pads? Why did you choose to go with Ultimax instead of Yellow Stuff?

I got my VCDS tweaks done at Mechanix Automotive at Pune.

Yes, I'm still running my stock rotors. I would be switching to the Brembo drilled ones once my current set gets worn out.
I opted for the Ultimax because the Yellow Stuff tend to grab better only after you get sufficient heat into them, and since I don't really do much spirited driving, nor do I tend to put my brakes through heat cycles, the Ultimax 2 were a good balance between performance and cost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by db01 (Post 5650556)

Thanks for the advice! What did you change with VCDS and are you running stock rotors with the EBC pads? Why did you choose to go with Ultimax instead of Yellow Stuff?

If I remember correctly there are 3 levels of brake boost. I set mine to high.

Also, there's the option to set XDSS levels. This option simulates the functionality of an LSD using brakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by db01 (Post 5650556)

Thanks for the advice! What did you change with VCDS and are you running stock rotors with the EBC pads? Why did you choose to go with Ultimax instead of Yellow Stuff?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrisonMike (Post 5650551)

I second prisonmike on his inputs. However, the stock TVS girling braking hardware is simply horrible. The discs warp very easily and can't take even a 15 minute spirited session without warping and start shuddering unless you face them again on the lathe.

I would very highly recommend a BBK, or if satisfied with braking power go for an aftermarket disc atleast. The disc is the weakest point of the stock setup.

Also braking should feel much better once you get some good rubber.

For a moment when I changed the standard Apollo alnac to Michelin PS4, i thought the brakes don't need any work but the shuddering always came back after any instance of hard braking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by corvus corax (Post 5650576)

Will get the suspension checked up when I give the car for a service next month. Surprising that the OE struts give way so quickly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank (Post 5650583)

VCDS has options to tweak the brake boost, I set mine to max as the default mid level setting feels like the brake bites a bit further down the pedal travel.

The other option in the brakes is to tweak the XDSS setting, it has 3 options of intensity if I remember correctly to simulate the functionality of an LSD using the brakes.

I second prisonmike on his inputs. However, the stock TVS girling braking hardware is simply horrible. The discs warp very easily and can't take even a 15 minute spirited session without warping and start shuddering unless you face them again on the lathe.

I would very highly recommend a BBK, or if satisfied with braking power go for an aftermarket disc atleast. The disc is the weakest point of the stock setup.

Also braking should feel much better once you get some good rubber.

For a moment when I changed the standard Apollo alnac to Michelin PS4, i thought the brakes don't need any work but the shuddering always came back after any instance of hard braking.

I am quite happy with the bite point of the brake pedal as it is similar to my Honda City and I am comfortable with that. Will look into tweaking the XDSS settings.

A BBK is out of my budget right now, but my discs will probably need changing in 10-15k kms, will either swap them out for better rotors or consider a BBK then. I did notice the shuddering after hard braking and it was quite unsettling but being a student, my plan is to change things as and when they break.

The previous owner of the vehicle put on new MRF tires around 8000kms back so switching to a new set of tires right now seems a little wasteful. Will definitely change them if I can find a deal on a set of better tires though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racer911 (Post 5643045)

So I've just bought Sachs shock absorbers for my Vento from a German Website. Rs. 26900 inclusive of Shipping. Custom Duty would be extra. (Front and back shock absorbers + Sachs bushings and bearing for the front shocks)

lets see how it works out. they've huge stocks of everything. if my experience is positive, shall update details here. Sachs shock absorbers although unavailable, were quoted Rs. 25000/- same parts as mentioned above. the Only extra expense being made here would be the import duty. Considering the poor availability and uncertain delivery times of these anywhere in India, I wouldnt mind paying a little extra if the entire process is troublefree and items recd. are in good condition.

Name Status Delivery Date Quantity Price Amount Cancel
Sachs 802270
Repair kit, suspension strut Prepared for processing 1 7.91 € 7.91 €
Sachs 317357
Shock absorber Prepared for processing 2 39.52 € 79.04 €
Sachs 314717
Shock absorber Prepared for processing 2 44.94 € 89.88 €
Delivery DeliveryUPS
Delivery Prepared for processing 1 124.51 € 124.51 €

Order Amount: 301.34 €

paying in Euros always cheaper than paying in GBP or USD.

UPDATE

So I have finally received my shipment of the Sachs shock absorbers and the bushes. 13 days seems to be a pretty decent time for receiving them. UPS Shipment and customs clearance was a breeze.

Total CIF Value: ~27200 (309.25 Euros)
Import Duty: 12500 (Basic Custom Duty + Cess + 28% GST + Clearance Fees charged by UPS)

Total Landed Cost: 39700 for 4 shock absorbers and bushes. I noticed that if smaller items are clubbed with larger items, the shipping charges are not immediately multiplied. So I am guessing with bigger and combined orders, shipping costs would be relatively even lower.

As opposed to other websites, this was much cheaper as other websites the CIF value due to expensive shipping turned out to be approx Rs. 38000/- and then even the import duty would have been higher and total purchase cost would have exceeded 50K.

Item received in good condition. images attached. the boxes for the front shocks were wierdly torn from the exact same place, but no problem in the items within.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellraiser_yank (Post 5639594)

Some info regarding the mods done on my Polo, will put up a detailed post on a dedicated thread. the goal is to make the ultimate daily driver with performance to boot.

- Steering upgrade: GTI Steering / Regular VW Steering with Paddle shifters standard wheel modded to accomodate paddle shifters going the DIY route as it didnt make sense to shell out 25-30k for the chinese market OEM wheel with shifters. I spent about 15k

Lovely set of mods!

I was curious about how you went about your DIY steering wheel upgrade?

I own the 1.0 GT TSI and I'm keen on upgrading my steering to one with paddle shifters.

Off topic: This thread has an ocean of knowledge all Polo owners go through, always a brilliant read.