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10 k is really not that shocking. It could have been worse. I suggest pay the charges and move on.

Regarding the new Apollo Alnac tyres (185/60 R15) what do TBHPians suggest -

Should they be changed ?
If yes, which tyre to go for and what about the size and the spare tyre, considering its the same tyre but of the size 170/75 R 14 or something like that, but certainly 14 inch.

Wheels, the tyre shop's manager on Outer Ring Road, Opp. Raddison in Paschim Vihar, Delhi quoted that -

1.) Alnac is almost same as Accelere, only the brand name changed.
2.) A new Alnac tyre costs 3950 and for exchange he can offer about 3200-3300 each tyre, if I exchange them on the day of delivery of the New Polo.
3.) The tyre he had recommended was perhaps the upgraded version of Bridgestone Turanza costing 5100 each.

Suggestions are welcome.
Thanks.

Thanks for the reply. I made him show me the damage, and the wires have indeed been chewed. He's asking me to replace the sensor (Rs 4.5k) even though it is not damaged, because its wires are chewed. I called a contact at another VW workshop, and he said it is usually possible to repair in such cases. I really don't know what to do. Part of me just wants to get it over with. I've never faced the "rat menace" so far, so hopefully this should be a one-off case.

And though I'm no automobile expert, it beats me how a malfunctioning sensor can damage the ECU. I must be missing something here. :Frustrati

Sir I don't think we belong to the same economic stratum. :) 10k is not exactly pocket change for most of us.

Though it is highly unlikely that a sensor can damage the ecu but the information that is supplied by the sensor can vary if it's malfunctioning. If you don't want to go for replacement then you could go for repairs. Use high quality cables to patch the chewed parts . You can try this before going in for replacement.

Yes the Apollo tyres are pathetic and. Wouldn't do justice to the new polo. I would really recommend you to go in for replacement of these with Bridgestone truanza er 60 195/60/15 for grip and performance. Also these would not have effect on fuel efficiency.

It totally depends on how you going to use the ride. If the average running is more than 1500 kms it does makes sense to go for the diesel option.

The 1.5 l engine is absolutely a gem. I have test driven the polo highline tdi myself and its a great car. The engine is a four cylinder engine and provides ample power and torque at your disposal. Steering is precise and it takes a little time to get used to it.

If you really want to go for the petrol go for the TSI and DSG option. The combination is way above its league.

Vishal, as you rightly said, Alnac is similar to Accelere. The tyres on the Polo are just Alnac and not 'Alnac 4G' (which I heard is a decent tyre). I got Alnac tyres on my GT which was delivered a couple of weeks back. I drove for about 200 Kms and found them to be pretty silent. Since I had already made up my mind, I switched to Michelin P3ST 195/60/15.

If the other service center says that they would prefer to repair such damage by a wire patch up, then I suggest you to give them a chance. If the work done is thorough, I don't see any reason why it should function any less or last less than a new replacement. And I strongly suggest that you first either replace with a substitute or go for a repair job so as to confirm if that is indeed the reason for the glowing CEL.
Regarding damage to ECU, I can say that chances of such a damage is remote. However, the car's performance may be compromised until the sensor comes back to life, by how much, that depends on what that particular sensor is supposed to report. For eg. if a richer mixture of fuel & air is being fed to the engine, it will result in poor FE and unwanted carbon deposits inside. Also, the CatCon may be at risk. So, more than ECU damage, I would be fearing other damages.

Regards,
Saket

The new Polo is getting some exciting attention. It's good for VW.
From a tyre perspective, I would like to make some recommendations

1) MRF ZLOs - 205/55/R15
It is a good tyre for the money that it charges.
It delivers on grip and are great when it comes to braking and cornering.
Where it falls flat in under hard driving conditions, where excessive heat gets into the tyres.
If you are in track day driving, looks elsewhere. For everything else it does a good job.

2) Continental CPC2 - 205/55/R15
It is no Michelin but it does a stellar job.
It has adequate braking and cornering abilities with a heart to take on track day abuse as well. It has a higher heat threshold for a comfort tyre.
It has a surprising performance for Indian conditions.
The Polo GTI that comes in Europe, runs on the CPCP2 with 205/55/R15

If Michelin comes in the 205/55/R15 size, it would be my first pick but the alternatives mentioned above stand their ground in terms of what they have to offer.

This happened to my VW Polo a year ago (same problem...engine starting one fine morning with ECU warning sign). After careful delivery to the A.S.S., we got a call from them informing that some rats had chewed the wires and this was a common issue in the city. The patchup was instantaneous and cheap - the whole bill came to about Rs 750- 800 and at no time did they suggest that the sensor must be changed. After more than a year no probs with the car.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately in my case the SA says that the oxygen sensor uses aluminum leads which cannot be soldered, hence repair is impossible. This of course contradicts what the other workshop told me, which is why I had to ask for help here. There are a zillion different wires in the engine bay and the rats HAD to pick this one. :Frustrati

Oh, and the reason I am in two minds about the whole thing is that the other workshop is some distance away. My German princess is already going to be away from me for a week since she needs some denting and painting work. And she's my daily drive!

Did a very short test drive of the New Polo 1.5L

Quick snap:
It is a lot more refined vs the 1.2L in terms of clutter, cabin noise, responsive engine. But is a bit of a dampner when i compare it with the surge i got on a GT TDI (I get it that it cannot be compared to a GT, but you feel the lack of power relatively)

Design improvements are welcome but the central console brush metal finish is an epic fail. Somewhere a bit of a loss of the VW understated aesthetics. The white digit display though is sweet.

I am far from an engineer but must say this is the first time I am hearing of aluminium leads in wiring. A little internet research also throws up the many problems of aluminium wiring and why it is discontinued today; it confirms what I suspected that it was also a fire hazard. That said there are news reports that say big car manufacturers are considering using aluminium wiring

http://www.assemblymag.com/articles/...-pros-and-cons

Idea ka internet jab lagaving, no ullu banaving, no ullu banaving :D

The oxygen sensor is placed inside the manifold somewhere in the exhaust system. The sensor itself is placed inside the manifold and no rat on this planet can go inside the manifold and eat the sensor itself or damage it. The only thing that can be eaten is the wiring which can be easily taped and put back in place. Ask him to solder it, tape it with multiple rounds of taping on the effected portion, delete the CEL by the scanner and DONE. Don't even think of paying 10 k for something which is be easily fixed for less than 50 bucks.

I too had a brief test drive of the Polo 1.5 TDi highline today, to give a background check, i have been driving a Vento 1.6 TDi from past 2 years and the comparisons are according to it :

- The engine felt a lot more refined than the my Vento's diesel unit (mine is a 2012 model in which improvements from Rapid were carried forward in NVH department), in comparison to 1.2 TDi, the NVH is light years ahead.

- The engine felt dud for some reason, on papers it is just 15 bhp and 20 NM less than 1.6TDi but there was no wow factor, even after crossing 2000 RPM. The power delivery has been made way too linear and the surge is almost negligible, while some may like the linear motor, i love the surge which Vento gives after 2000 RPM. The fun factor in 1.5 TDi is lost now.

- Clutch was a lot lot lighter than my car, VW have definitely worked here, steering felt the same and the brakes were sharp as well. The effort required to stop the car is lesser but i still find the brakes average on this car like Vento.

- Interior quality is top notch minus the tacky silver finish :Frustrati, the flat bottom steering has transformed the interiors totally and i prefer the black/beige over the sadistic brey/beige in Vento.

- Handling in Polo was definitely 2 notches higher than Vento, either VW have tweaked the suspension or the Polo always used to handle better than Vento, negligible pitching and the body roll control was far better than my Vento. Apollo's never screeched even once under hard cornering so thumbs up for them as well.

The car has got pricier, 8.40 on road for the highline now, in comparison the Swift ZDI is 7.70 but am sure the Polo 1.5 TDi should give respectable in gear timings thanks to zero lag vs the 1.3 DDIS.