[VikramAditya]

Greetings guys,

I recently went in for a major service @60K km on my Volkswagen Polo 1.2 GT TSI and wanted to share my experience with a few of the issues to be cleared alongside the major service for the car @chandigarh. I booked an early appointment and I still feel Volkswagen need to improve their courtesy towards their customers and the whole experience.

I had two issues with my as the vent scroller went inside due to a heavy speed bump but kudos to the Germans it was so slid that only the lower clip holding the vent got broken and we fixed it with m-seal as was nice. for the record, the new AC went trim costs 2800/- at Service centres. so if anybody faces the same issue that your vent opening and closing scroller gets a bit inside the trim you open the central trim and fix the locks and you are good to go instead of getting the whole system I was not able to document it as it was tedious plus too hot weather.

I also got my wheel balancing and alignment at the centre only as I got a 50% discount and I preferred to save my time, fuel and money to go somewhere else and get it done.

I also put in a Sofima Air filter than the usual as they give the air filter used in diesel and GT runs very poorly on it the whole driving feel gets ruined. I am also attaching pictures for better reference.

The Major service included the following;
Air Filter
Oil Filter
Cabin Filter
Poly V Running Belt
Spark Plugs
Engine Oil
Brake Oil

My total was 12,636/- as the Service Advisor gave me a little discount over on the labour.

Let me know all of your reviews on it as you can see the part number for Air filer it and can find it in the local market for 600/-

[johy]

Polo Tsi 1.0 liter, which engine oil are you using guys? 0w-20 or 5w-40?

Also, looking for alternator belt to be purchased online. If someone can please help me with a link.

[VikramAditya]

Originally Posted by johy

Polo Tsi 1.0 liter, which engine oil are you using guys? 0w-20 or 5w-40?

Also, looking for alternator belt to be purchased online. If someone can please help me with a link.

You can use this if you are not on a budget with engine oils as liquid moly is highly recommended for any Germans here is the link

https://www.amazon.in/Liqui-Moly-Mol...5e&ext_vrnc=hi

The link of the alternator belt is here

https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-v_ribbed_belts-5028035/

I think this might be it but please check the part number on your end if possible you can get that by calling the guys at the service centre and they provide this type of information very easily.

[VikramAditya]

Greetings Team members!

DIY Hack for getting your wiper blades for polo GT 1.2 TSI for Cheap!

So I needed to change the wipers for my VW Polo 1.2 TSI so if you have noticed the stock wiper blades and out of the two the driver side one comes with a wind deflector installed in it so if you want to get the stock ones the price would be around 1230/- for the front two and the rear is 596/- so I wanted the deflector but I did not want to pay such a price for just wiper blades alone!


So what I did is I got the bosch economy wiper set of 24'' and 16'' and changed the rubber in the old one from the new one, I put the other wiper as brand new so its a cheaper fix costing me only 300/- and saved myself 800/-, for the rear wiper, I got it for 200/- of Auto Clean brand decent quality I would say.

I am attaching the link to the YouTube video for the DIY reference follow-up if anybody wishes to try the same strategy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2R-1BauESA

[TopLiveCentre]

Can anyone tell me how often I need to replace the fuel filter on my Polo TDI 1.5 liter? It is sealed and will cost me over 2000 INR. Some forums say it can do duty till over 4000km. Could you please share your opinion?

[Bsilver]

Originally Posted by TopLiveCentre

Can anyone tell me how often I need to replace the fuel filter on my Polo TDI 1.5 liter? It is sealed and will cost me over 2000 INR. Some forums say it can do duty till over 4000km. Could you please share your opinion?

This is a subjective maintenance. Usually VW recommends 15,000 kms as per maintenance schedule. But if you find yourself filling frequently with different stations, (some people do lots of outstations, hence fill at different unknown places) then better to change it at 7500kms. We do not know which station has what quality of fuel, hence recommending it early. Fuel filter is essential, if not changed at the proper time, then can lead to even more costly affairs like the injectors. Hope this explanation helps.

Happy Motoring!

[TopLiveCentre]

My Polo TDI needs a control arm bush replacement. Is it okay to rely on aftermarket bushings like VRI etc.? I intend to do the work myself and I have got all the tools and jack stands in place. I think I will press the bushes in at a professional hydraulic press. Could you share your precious views on this?

[Bsilver]

Originally Posted by TopLiveCentre

My Polo TDI needs a control arm bush replacement. Is it okay to rely on aftermarket bushings like VRI etc.? I intend to do the work myself and I have got all the tools and jack stands in place. I think I will press the bushes in at a professional hydraulic press. Could you share your precious views on this?

Control arm bushes are very subjective to the correct installation. A set of control arms will cost you around 5k, these may require you to press in the bushings, you will have to reconfirm the same with the seller. Sometimes you do get the bushes already pressed in. In your case, if your budget permits, then go for a complete new set of arms( reconfirm the bushings pressed/unpressed).
The reason why I am saying this is, I had done a total of 4 replacements of these bushes in my Fabia by myself in the past 3 years (it is used really roughly), but every time you reuse the structure of the arm to go and get the bushings pressed, it usually tampers with the tolerances of the hole in which the bushings sit. So after a couple of pressings they usually are better to be discarded and a completely new arm should be used. If this is not done and the same arm is used, then there are high chances the bushings may prematurely fail.

Better go for Meyle bushings for the Polo, I have used them for almost 20,000kms on the Fabia (personal experience). If you have not done this job before, or have not worked on your car on your own before, I suggest not to go ahead with the job. It looks straightforward but when you do it in reality it will be hard. I have had many encounters when I have lost it due to a small bolt.
Lower the car, take it to a alignment shop and then torque down the bolts to 120Nm (as per workshop manual). Do not torque without loading, as this is incorrect and will hamper the long term service.
Hope this helps!

Happy Motoring!

[TopLiveCentre]

Many thanks Bsilver for the quick and useful reply. I indeed have done this but on another car. It is tricky, especially when you press the bush in because the bush has to match the bolt in every respect or else you are done in. I did experience this and was rescued by a mechanic friend nearby. Your advice to go in for a new arm sounds sane and I am seriously considering that. I am thinking in terms of going to EVM in Kochi but the cost will be prohibitive. I could end up sourcing the spares from them and doing it myself.

[Clayton Crasto]

I've recently noticed a starting problem on my Polo 1.2 MPI. It has done around 53,000 kms and sometimes it doesn't start on the first attempt. This happens randomly, sometimes in the morning or in the evening when I'm leaving the office. It only won't work on the first attempt but when I try again, it starts without a fuss and works well.
I feel like something is going bad and could lead to a failure.
Can anyone help me understand what could be going wrong?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Clayton Crasto

Can anyone help me understand what could be going wrong?

Age of the battery? That's the first and simplest thing to check.

[Clayton Crasto]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Age of the battery? That's the first and simplest thing to check.

It's just 2.5 years old and is an Amaron. Could it get weak so soon? The original (Exide) one lasted around 4.5 years.

[TopLiveCentre]

Originally Posted by Clayton Crasto

It's just 2.5 years old and is an Amaron. Could it get weak so soon? The original (Exide) one lasted around 4.5 years.

It can. Batteries are smaller these days and they get spoilt easily, Amaron is a good brand though. It's a good idea to have a multi meter with you and monitor voltage once in a while. Do top up with distilled water but take care you don't spill acid, it can damage paintwork. When you change batteries, it's a good idea to have the alternator checked. The starter can play up as well. If it does, you wouldn't notice if it's a new battery since it can supply the extra load demand, being new.

[Clayton Crasto]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Age of the battery? That's the first and simplest thing to check.

Originally Posted by TopLiveCentre

It can. Batteries are smaller these days and they get spoilt easily, Amaron is a good brand though.

Turns out it was the battery after all. I went to the dealer to get it checked and after running a few tests, he suspected something was off and sent it for a warranty claim.
I got a new one in two days, pro rated at 44%.

We always used Amaron for all our bikes and cars and this is the first time I've had an early failure. They usually last atleast four years.

[TopLiveCentre]

It's two years since I bought a used Polo TDI 2nd generation for my son. The car had done 75000 km then. I believe it's Odo was definitely clocked. He has driven it 25000km in these two years. The car drives like a dream and the pick up and pull are top-notch. It is maintained by EVM Kochi which has cost me more than a lakh in maintenance so far. I have attached all the bills which could be useful for those who want to know how it is like to maintain a used Polo.