| Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. | Buying / Selling |
| Thread Author: Fenlander | Replies: 4 |
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New Fri 11 Jul 14 10:50
Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. - Fenlander
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Images.... s245.photobucket.com/user/SealgairC420/slideshow/Polo Polo 1.4 post purchase service, inspection and impressions.... longish over coffee read for those interested! (Car 10yrs old with 109k recorded) This Polo came with 11.5mths MOT so wasn't going to throw up any massive issues but I still went through a full wheels off inspection. It had been run on a long-life schedule with oil & filter at 20k with the larger services at 40k and I wanted to bring it in line with my own yearly/10k preference so I've just carried out a full 40k service with all filters and spark plugs. No problem on the oil or filters but the plugs had been in almost a full 40k and great care was needed getting them out. Two were a little tight but the others moved about 30deg before they went tight again and squeaked. I had to run a thimble full of WD40 down the plug recesses and let that soak into the threads then easing one way & another a few more degrees each time saw them out OK. On cars I've looked after before with such long plug intervals I always pop them out at least once at one of the oil changes to stop this happening. I was pleased to see all the coil packs were changed around 90-100k, two had gone faulty but the other two were just swapped as a precaution. The aux drive belt looked outwardly fine but on closer inspection there were loads of cracks on the inner running section so that's swapped for the new one that came with the car. Power steering fluid was a bit down but no sign of leaks so just topped up, first time I'd come across the "Citroen LHM like" green mineral fluid in a normal car... crucial to use this not a red or universal fluid I understand. Needed CHF fluid at £16/lit. Took all the brake pads out to check, free and grease slides. Rear discs and pads were recent and as new. Fronts about 40% worn so a good year or two before they'll need attention. Front tyres are quite recent Michelins with 7mm and the rears had 3mm with a bit of shoulder wear (been on the front before) so I've put a pair of matching new Michelins on the rear. The recent MOT noted a gas tight but corroded exhaust and this referred to the rear silencer delaminating in rusty scales so Halfords Autocentre are fitting a new one today. Another note from the MOT was a small oil leak. This was seen when I viewed the car but I didn't worry as it was just a slightly oily sump and not actually dripping. Turns out to be from the breather bottle on the rear of the block and that just looks to be an O-ring replacement needed so sorting next week. The only thing missed by the MOT guy was an anti-roll bar issue. When we drove home I noticed certain slow speed bumps like garage forecourt potholes caused a noise like a lump hammer striking the floor. I expected to find a front wishbone bush gone but it was what turns out to be a Polo fault. The anti-roll bar is only stopped from sliding to either side through its bushes by two plastic collars bonded to the bar in manufacture. It is common for one or both collars to come off so the roll bar is able to slide to either side and catch on the subframe hence the noise I was hearing. On ours one collar was secure but the other long gone. For now I've made a crafty repair with a couple of jubilee clips securing the lateral position. The long term answer is a modified bar where the collars are steel lips moulded on the bar. This comes as a kit with new bushes, mounts and drop links for £75 which is not too bad. Annoyingly though it needs the subframe dropping to fit so we'll see how the temp repair holds up. The final jobs to get it ready for hand over to daughter were buying a Garmin satnav, a 12V tyre pump and changing the Sony stereo. It was only recently fitted and we were quite pleased to see it had USB, IPod and aux inputs but hadn't noticed on viewing it was radio only with no CD. She likes borrowing my CDs and swapping a CD can be a fair bit safer than faffing with an Ipod so I was happy to fund an upgrade to a near identical Sony but also with CD. I've had a chance for a solo nip about in it and I'm still very impressed. Despite only being 75hp the size, proportions, feel and stance on its alloys with 185/60s has something of a hint of Mk1 Golf Gti compared to the much expanded current Golf. Mrs F has quite seriously put an order in for a similar spec 5dr Polo to replace the C3 as we think it will be easier for no.2 daughter who starts learning to drive in 2wks.... so I'm already looking again. Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 11 Jul 14 at 10:54
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New Fri 11 Jul 14 10:59
Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. - Alanovich
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There's a twist in this story somewhere......... ;-) Nice work F. You free this weekend? Rough old Golf could do with a check up here. ;-) |
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New Fri 11 Jul 14 13:00
Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. - Fenlander
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The twist was indeed the icing... alloys, aircon and met paint lifting the car above most others we looked at. You should go through your VW... it's quite therapeutic in a way when the parts cost isn't excessive and there's no rush. I forgot to mention final costs which might be of interest to some. Car £1350, service parts £61, tyres £127 & silencer £68. Very happy to have it all sorted for a whisker over £1600 as in the initial looking up to £1500 we commented it seemed we might have to go nearer £2500 to get something worthwhile. |
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New Sat 12 Jul 14 00:38
Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. - Avant
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Looks as if you've got a good one there, Fenlander. A telling point is that (from your previous thread) the last owner had kept it for 10 years, so it's likely that it gave her good service. And 10,000 mile a year is just right for a used car - not too much, not too little. Miss F is very lucky to have you as a dad - financing the purchase, taking infinite care over sourcing the car, and then giving it such a thorough assessment and service. |
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New Sat 12 Jul 14 10:35
Volkswagen Polo IV - Polo assessed and serviced. - Fenlander
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>>>A telling point is that (from your previous thread) the last owner had kept it for 10 years, so it's likely that it gave her good service. Yes it's an indicator I appreciate when buying but strangely I rarely keep anything more than 2yrs as life changes and the fancy takes you. My Alfa had been owned for 6yrs by the previous chap as had the current 525... it's certainly unlikely someone would keep a really troublesome car that long. >>>lucky to have you as a dad - financing the purchase. We all have different views on this and some think kids should have saved the money themselves first however at the moment we're happy to keep our lives a little more modest than essential and channel the money to giving the girls a start where appropriate. Daughter concerned is working hard at uni... on the course, sport & societys as well as a part time job on campus but this just doesn't generate enough surplus to buy or run a car so happy to sweep up those costs and just let her buy fuel. The stand out "lucky" child at daughters school was the one who passed her test while in 6th form and Dad bought her a new black Audi A1! |
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