[vignesh.cv]

Madhus visit and Trackday updates

It was close to 7k kms since I got the tyres replaced and got the balancing & alignment done. Decided to get it checked as I had a trackday coming up at Chennai. As usual, I decided to take her to Madhus for a top quality treatment. It was wonderful to meet people from back in the days, and they recognise you and welcome you with a smile. Something that's become synonymous with Madhus. Since it was a weekend, the place was quite packed but the folks over there were super efficient, finding a place to park the car and get the wheels removed for balancing check.

Awaiting her turn to be attended to


Quickly up on the hydraulic jack


Removing any stones lodged in the treads before balancing




The balancing was done in about 25mins for all the 4 wheels. Thankfully, all the 4 wheels have not gone worse when compared to before.

Loaded up on the alignment bay


The underbody still looks okay


You can see the rear diff protection as well as the DPF. The exhaust pipe looks more oval until the DPF after which it becomes more rounded. Not sure what is the reason.

The wheel alignment readings were also well within the norms and off I went to travel to Chennai for the track school. It was pouring by the time I left Bangalore and it rained almost until Kanchipuram. The drive was fabulous as usual, the car soaking up the undulations effectively and allowing me to carry decent pace even in the wet. We stopped for early dinner at Saisangeet and were treated to some good food as always. There are a few places where flyover construction is still not complete, especially crossing Ambur town and that slows you down considerably. Otherwise, the roads were fine until Kanchipuram. Post which, the roads become tricky owing to the heavy vehicle movement in that area. The return journey was pleasant as well, with thankfully no rains and manageable traffic all through.

[vignesh.cv]

43,000 paid service update

The iDrive console was reminding me a service was due in approx 1000kms. I had extended the BRI, and was contemplating on the BSI package. After going through a few posts here, and considering my usage pattern, I decided to get the BSI plus package before giving the car for the paid service. As usual reached out to folks in Deutsche Motoren, got the package done and then gave the car for servicing. I went in for the 3yr/40,000 km package.

As part of the servicing, they carried out the following tasks:
- Engine oil & oil filter change
- Fuel filter
- Air filter
- Microfilter
- Wiper blades

The service bill says Shell LL04 5w30 oil has been used for the oil change.

Also, there was a recall for replacing the EGR cooler and that got replaced under extended warranty free of charge.

My total service bill was Rs.3141 - the breakdown goes like
- Distilled water - 473
- Replacing number plate (KA) - 275
- AdBlue top up of 14ltr - 1542
- Pickup & drop charges - 850

Next service is due in 12,000kms. Now that the Skoda has been sold off, she's been my daily driver, be it driving around crowded streets of Bengaluru or highway drives and has been delivering stellar performance whilst cocooning in absolute comfort all through.

[vignesh.cv]

First anniversary

And just like that, one year has passed since I got her home. Still feels like yesterday I travelled to Gurgaon to meet Mohit to inspect and seal the deal. I’ve done little close to 12,000kms since then. Got her washed and waxed as part of the first anniversary - the PPF from The Gloss Factor still shines through and it’s easily the best investment I have done after purchasing the car. It has kept my car scratch free in Bangalore traffic as well as providing that nice gloss finish. The next best investment is switching over to tubeless tyres from RFT. The ride quality and comfort and peace of mind has increased multifold post switching to tubeless.

The cosmetic additions like the black kidney grill, black M logos do add a nice touch while keeping everything understated. Still discover small things to my surprise - learnt that the car in Adaptive mode can downshift accordingly when the navigation system indicates a curve or incline coming ahead. This doesn’t work on our roads though :-). The ride quality has been fabulous be it highway runs or navigating pot holes in the city. The sound insulation has been good as well. I do end up taking calls while commuting and no complaints about background noise so far.

At the wash place





After the wash, just chilling





The modification bug hasn’t hit me yet, mostly because I’m still getting used to the car. Once the extended warranty runs out, I do intend to start with something basic.