[sachin_cs]

35,000 km update:

My Odo was at 23k in March and it's October with 35k on the meter, courtesy my Mom's office run, so thought of updating the thread. However, with the unlockdown and our driver getting back to work, Heisenberg is now finally off the duty, taking nap under the cover in its full glory. Following are the pictures clicked in the last 6 months-

It took 18 months to reach this milestone including the pandemic and those 4 months when I was away from her




Getting seat covers




It was such a sad sight




Felt like 1.4 million robbed away from you in a flash




The material goes by the name V.Meg and its softer than even the oem leather




Feel and texture is supple




Thanks for taking me places folks




TDi is a work of art, I feel lucky that I was among the last ones to get this hell of a torque monster




My darling




Went to Independence drive with my Mom




Roads like these makes you appreciate the engineering went behind the dynamics




That's the beauty of Chhattisgarh, this was clicked somewhere between CG-OD border




Go-to-place for us Raipur-ians




Timeless beauty








Rat menace




I have tried everything- Rat trap, 3M rodent coat, Phenolpthelene, Tobacco... This fella refuses to leave my car




Went for a solo drive this weekend




The mean machine




When you spend 5 hours cleaning washing waxing.... That gloss says it all




Spend more time with sunsets than netflix




My new favourite click of the beauty




Signing off with Love!

[sachin_cs]

40,000kms Update: DIY Dashcam + infamous Skoda beading rattles

It feels like I just met you yesterday and I did not even realise that it has been two whole years since you came into my life. It surely has been one hell of an amazing journey together from beautiful motorways to river bed to non-existent roads across 5 states, but you never let me down. I cannot express how proud I feel of my Czech beauty and more so after the lovely dsg+TDi was axed. I promise you dear that I will nurse you till your extinction. Enough of blabbering now and coming to the fact of the matter:

How has been these two years & 40,000kms and the most talked Skoda A.S.S.?

I'm a really happy Skoda customer to be honest, and I find their after-sales experience way better than what people perceive. I feel like they are trying very hard to improve their image now and also since they sell fewer cars so service centre is usually not crowded and people listen to your service demands which unfortunately doesn't happen when I visit to get my other cars serviced here in Raipur.

What's new?
Had a bit of time in hand after a long while so gave my beauty some TLC session. Which includes dashcam installation, solving door rattles once and for all, headlight beam adjustment, tyre rotation and some cleaning, waxing, polishing etc.

A. DIY DashCam :
I bought 70mai dashcam pro before the import ban was announced and I got it from some seller based in Gujarat. IIRC it cost me around 5.5k including the GPS unit (which I feel is a useless piece of crap). I was not able to source a good quality hardwiring kit, so, for now, it has been plugged into the central 12V socket and I'm not much of DIY guy either so I don't plan to make one by myself (I know a thread exist here on DIY hardwiring kit).

Tools needed:

• Prying tool
• Electrical tape
• Zip ties
• Gloves
• Scissors
• And a bit of time

Here we go:

1. This is how the packaging looks





2. Prying tool is included in the package




3. Dashcam + mount + cable + adapter (memory card was bought separately)





4. Finding a working space as our garage is narrow





5. Decided to go with this orientation





6. First thing first- connected with the power source and ensured its working and did all the configuration setup like language etc before the final installation





7. This is where you would start with: A-pillar panel is held in place with the help of 3 V-clips. You can slide your fingers on the upper part of the panel where it meets the headliner and slowly start pulling it outwards. The fitting is so tight that you might feel as if the panel will break but trust me that's how its opened. I had my apprehensions on the same so I texted the legend of VAG DIYs Gannu sir and he guided me through the process. Thank you again!





8. Once the first clip comes off, the rest will be easier to release and this is how it would look





9. This is the tough guy





10. Now remove the door beading by simply pulling it outwards





11. Now use the prying tool to cleanly open the dashboard side panel, its held by a couple of clips and is easier to remove





12. Now decide your dashcam position and start bringing the wire with the top-bottom approach





13. Tuck the wires under the headliner and bring it to the A-Pillar





14. Now route the wire through dashboard side panel towards the footwell and the 12V Socket. While working on the foot well I found a couple of Audi logos (Perks of a VAG)








15. In the end make sure you use tape and zip ties generously and try to eliminate all the loose wirings





16. You are almost done here and now start putting things back in place and you would want to start with the beading first then A-Pillar trim





17. This is how the wire has been tucked inside the centre console panel, making it almost invisible





18. The Final setup





19. Looks neat for now. Will plan hardwiring kit once I source a quality kit.





B. DIY Door beading rattle:

I would like to thank Bhpian Saisailendra for guiding me through the idea and the thread for the door rattles solution

Originally Posted by saisailendra

Here is the link to the post :DIY - Getting rid of door rattles (DIY - VW Polo/Vento: Getting rid of Door Rattles)

Tools required:

• Water purifier plastic pipe 1'4 (available on amazon)
• Scissors
• Micro fibre cloth
• Carnauba wax/Collinite
• Beading conditioner (I used formula1 protectant on beadings to make them soft)

This one is rather simple:

1. You will need this 1'4 pipe





2. Clean the beadings with a microfibre cloth and remove all the muck and dirt especially from the lower part and then apply conditioner on the beadings of all 4 doors





3. Apply wax/collinite on this part after thoroughly cleaning it





4. Start inserting the pipe on the gap available in the top of the door weather strip





5. Ensure the pipe is throughout the length of the weather strip and cut appropriately


6. Repeat the same procedure on the rear doors and you are good to go.




Results:
Upside- The interior has become further silent.
Downside- Tyre noise are more prominent now

Miscelleneous:

Drinking Problem



Took the car for a wash and also asked them to check the engine oil, so it drank 200ml in 8000kms. Tyres were rotated and the tread looks good for another 6k kms. However, I'm confused about tyre upgrade as to whether upsize to 205/55R15 Continental MC5 or stick to 185/60 OEM size. My drive consists of 70% highways and rest rural roads.


Headlight adjustment screw:



Using this screw circled(almost) in red, you can adjust the throw of the headlight beam for both high and low beam simultaneously

Signing off for now: your Heisenberg



I'm not among those who park their car and turn back to have a look. Instead, I park my car and stare for a while then click a picture every time. So much so that my phone has more pictures of our rapid than our family members xD

[gaurav.kokra]

I'm confused about tyre upgrade as to whether upsize to 205/55R15 Continental MC5 or stick to 185/60 OEM size. My drive consists of 70% highways and rest rural roads.

Go for the wider 205 Continental MC5.

1. Gives super stance to the car and enhances the looks.

2. Excellent for driving on highways. I drove my friends 180000 kms vento for around 700 kms straight and the tyres were extremely silent even on concrete roads.

3. They are grippy too. Got into an emergency situation and the tyres gripped well to the ground. Drove well in the hilly regions too.

I would suggest to go for it.

[Sen]

I did the mod for the beading rattles without the wax, and I still have that darned rattles on uneven roads. Gotta go with collinite I guess, for that extra oomph in the solution.

That ride is a beast of a combo, indeed! Cherish the car.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by gaurav.kokra

Go for the wider 205 Continental MC5.

Hey thanks Gaurav for the suggestion, I will definitely keep 205 MC5s in my consideration. And good to see someone from Kota, I’m a product of kota factory (2011-2013)

Originally Posted by Sen

I did the mod for the beading rattles without the wax, and I still have that darned rattles on uneven roads. Gotta go with collinite I guess, for that extra oomph in the solution.

That ride is a beast of a combo, indeed! Cherish the car.

Thank you so much for the kind words dear, and along with the collinite, also give a thorough cleaning to the beading. And if rattles still exist then do keep an eye on the door hinges, my front left door makes noise for some reason and the service centre folks used electrical tape on the hinge and the problem seems to have been solved for now. One more area of rattle in my car was the glove box cover, so it was replaced under warranty few months back.

And I keenly follow your Taco thread, thats one beautiful shade and our previous ride was also brown so I have a soft corner for that colour. And last but not the least, those headlights man .

[Sen]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

Thank you so much for the kind words dear, and along with the collinite, also give a thorough cleaning to the beading. And if rattles still exist then do keep an eye on the door hinges, my front left door makes noise for some reason and the service centre folks used electrical tape on the hinge and the problem seems to have been solved for now. One more area of rattle in my car was the glove box cover, so it was replaced under warranty few months back.

If I may ask, where did you source the collinite from?

The noise is more of a khata-khata kind of noise, definitely sounds like the beading, but thanks for the potential locations of the noise! Will check em'

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

And I keenly follow your Taco thread, thats one beautiful shade and our previous ride was also brown so I have a soft corner for that colour. And last but not the least, those headlights man .

Thanks, Taco wagging his tailpipe down in my garage!

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

Hey thanks Gaurav for the suggestion, I will definitely keep 205 MC5s in my consideration.

I don't think they make MC5 anymore. It has been replaced by Continental UC6. While MC5 was an amazing tyre when it comes to handling (63k km experience), it was pretty noisy too. My brother has UC6 on his vento and it is also noisy.


PS: Our extended family's 7 years old, 1.8 lakh km run Rapid 1.6 tdi met with an accident- a head on collision with a cement lorry at 50 kmph at night. Thankfully my brother was unharmed, but the car bore the brunt.

We were happy it was the rapid, and were certain some other car wouldn't have saved him. And to our surprise the car had no rattles or squeaks even at 1.8 lakh km on odo. It was a dream to drive, and now it remains as a memory in my avatar. Such an underrated product this is - the Rapid!!

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by Sen

If I may ask, where did you source the collinite from?

I used formula1 carnauba wax in my car and as far as collinite is concerned, Greenzcarcare are retailing it now, and if you need any expert advice then BHPian Saisailendra is the guy to look forward to, he has a godly level thread on car care & diy ceramic coating on his vento.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

it was pretty noisy too.


PS: Our extended family's 7 years old, 1.8 lakh km run Rapid 1.6 tdi met with an accident- a head on collision with a cement lorry at 50 kmph at night. Thankfully my brother was unharmed, but the car bore the brunt.

Thank you PrasannaDhana for informing me about the noisy character of the tyres which I was completely unaware of, low road noise would be one of my priority.

And regarding your Rapid, I’m feeling elated that your brother is safe but at the same time feeling sad for that lovely beauty, I follow your threads and I have seen her pictures a couple of times, at last she did completed her purpose of keeping its owner safe and took the brunt. Also, all the best to your brother finding a Rapid replacement, it will be tough for sure specially after they pulled out the plug off TDIs.

[Bluengel180]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

40,000kms Update: DIY Dashcam + infamous Skoda beading rattles
I was not able to source a good quality hardwiring kit, so, for now, it has been plugged into the central 12V socket and I'm not much of DIY guy either so I don't plan to make one by myself (I know a thread exist here on DIY hardwiring kit).

You can get the official 70mai hardwire kit on Amazon as well as the official importer Nexitrons website

[vredesbyrd]

A very nice update, indeed. I am happy to know that you and your steed are doing well. About Skoda Service Centers, what you say is absolutely correct. The only center here in Lucknow is Kamal Kishore Autocorp Skoda, I've had about 3 visits to them since I got my car back in Sept. 2020. Color me impressed, I am very happy with them so far. Yes, parts and labor are expensive but they take good care of your vehicle (despite it being a 2010 beater Superb which has spent about a decade of it's life in the south being abused by the previous owner and Mahavir Skoda).

I had to get my crank sensor replaced and the entire DSG, protection plate and suspension control arm had to be removed. They did it flat in 6 hours and also replaced the loose DSG linkage cable for a very minor amount and cleared the error code. I will be going to them for the 11th annual service this March. One of my childhood friends also owns a Rapid DSG TDi in NCR and he says that the NCR Service is pretty competent and reasonable as well (not sure which outlet) but I absolutely hate how Skoda outlets perform in the south (especially Mahavir Hyderabad and TAFE Bangalore, pathetic. TAFE Mangalore are an exception because they've done good work on my car, thank you Mr. Vidyadhara).

I'd say when in south, go to an FNG. I wish you many more happy kms with your steed! :3

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

I Also, all the best to your brother finding a Rapid replacement, it will be tough for sure specially after they pulled out the plug off TDIs.

Thank you!

We have booked a Harrier XZ MT

[abhi_tjet]

Congratulations for the 40K kms Sachin. Great to know that Rapid doing duty well. Moreover, Raipur Skoda guys are good for the job. I am from Raipur as well and remember the Speed Skoda dealership is there since mid 2005 days. My cousin has a Polo in Bhilai and when the VW guys switched dealership for MG, they were left wanting for a brief period. Luckily, the early gen 1.2 mpi Polo is pretty reliable.

Regarding tyre upgrade, my suggestion will be for 195 section unless you are moving to 16 inch rims.

[ganny]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

40,000kms Update: DIY Dashcam + infamous Skoda beading rattles

However, I'm confused about tyre upgrade as to whether upsize to 205/55R15 Continental MC5 or stick to 185/60 OEM size. My drive consists of 70% highways and rest rural roads.

Nice to read your 40K update

I read in another thread by somen87 that the tyre up-sizing was creating issues in the Mechatronics and he reversed to original size.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

You can get the official 70mai hardwire kit on Amazon as well as the official importer Nexitrons website

Thanks buddy for the information, I was not aware of the availability, I will look forward to hardwiring way sometime soon.

Originally Posted by vredesbyrd

A very nice update, indeed.
One of my childhood friends also owns a Rapid DSG TDi in NCR and he says that the NCR Service is pretty competent and reasonable as well (not sure which outlet)
I'd say when in south, go to an FNG. I wish you many more happy kms with your steed! :3

Thanks buddy for the lovely comment. Its really great to see that you are getting good service for your 10 years old superb, experiences like yours instil confidence in the brand for us new owners. And yes, even I have heard that the new service centre in Noida is really good and also the biggest probably. Wish you many happy miles too!

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Thank you!

We have booked a Harrier XZ MT

That will be a lovely upgrade PrannaDhana

Originally Posted by abhi_tjet

Congratulations for the 40K kms Sachin. Great to know that Rapid doing duty well. Moreover, Raipur Skoda guys are good for the job. I am from Raipur as well and remember the Speed Skoda dealership is there since mid 2005 days. My cousin has a Polo in Bhilai and when the VW guys switched dealership for MG, they were left wanting for a brief period. Luckily, the early gen 1.2 mpi Polo is pretty reliable.

Regarding tyre upgrade, my suggestion will be for 195 section unless you are moving to 16 inch rims.

Thanks abhi for the kind words. And yes the VW dealership is not consistent here as I have been observing them that they have changed their location for the 3rd time here, now they have their service centre somewhere between Raipur and Bhilai. Regarding tyres, 195 section in R15 is bringing a lot more deviation than the stock one, so I was thinking of going for 205 as it brings the least deviation in diameter. And I also see one of my favourite car in your avatar

Originally Posted by ganny

Nice to read your 40K update

I read in another thread by somen87 that the tyre up-sizing was creating issues in the Mechatronics and he reversed to original size.

Thanks ganny for the information, let me look forward to that thread. I certainly don't want to mess with the complex DSG.

[noufal.ps]

Thanks ganny for the information, let me look forward to that thread. I certainly don't want to mess with the complex DSG.[/quote]

I'm at 90k on my Rapid DSG with 45k ran on Michelin P3ST 195. It's a minor tyre upgrade, but technically shouldn't mess with mechatronics.