Leaky Oil and Battery Issues

The day began with the realization that I was leaking oil. I parked someplace slightly different and noticed several circles on the driveway, one for each day since my oil change this week. So I brought the car into Dorito Brothers and they eventually got it fixed. The rookie technician hadn't torqued the oil pan bolt properly.

90 minutes later and we were back on the road, although the Pioneer system was completely dead. When I got home, I did my battery disconnect trick, which worked fine to reset the unit, although the bolt on the negative battery terminal cable was really stripped at this point.

I went shopping and found a couple "standard" bolt replacements and since the wife was back in Walnut Creek, I had her check to see if I could purchase a 10mm bolt from Dorito Brothers. It turns out Volkwasgen doesn't sell that part. You have to buy the entire $125 negative terminal cable. Later on I discovered the bolt was integrated into the cable, so that was really the only option.

Ebay came to the rescue. I wouldn't normally buy used parts, but the negative battery terminal cable is probably the simplest, brain dead easy part on the car. So $25 later and I'm waiting for my cable to arrive from Texas.

20,000 Mile Service

I just had my 20,000 mile service and my records showed 7/32nds on my tires and 12mm front and 9mm rear remaining on the brake pads.
  
I can forecast when I'll need new tires based on a few numbers. 3/32nds is when the tires need replacing. The Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S start at 11/32nds. 7/32nds wear at 20,000 miles means I've used 50% of my tires. I'm good for another year, perhaps.

The break pads started out with 14mm front and 12mm rear. Doing a bit of research, 5mm is probably a good time to change your pads. So doing more math, I've used about 22% of my front pads and 42% of my rear pads. So I'll likely need a rear break job when I get tires in another 20,000 miles.

This also seems to be the case on the Rabbits we looked at, as all the CPO rabbits seemed to have gotten a break job at around 35,000 miles.

Soundaktor

A recent discovery of 2011 GTI owners is the Soundaktor. This electronic device pipes resonant, synthetic engine noise through a speaker during throttle applications. It provides a throaty, resonant noise that I'll admit is not entirely unpleasant, despite being entirely fake. I suppose I should feel like it's a premium feature, as there's a similar system in the BMW M5, but as a Gen Xer, authenticity is more important. Previous model years featured a "noise pipe" that was promptly removed by everyone in the know.

A quick YouTube search found the instructions on how to unplug the device without too much trouble. I zip tied mine in a plastic bag once it was unplugged, just in case, but clearly it's a rather useless addition to the car.

The sound without the Soundaktor is more aggressive, more throaty from the little 2-liter engine with more turbo noise. I love the turbo whine, so that's a win for me. It's also quieter in the cabin without sound being pumped in. A quiet, sophisticated, cabin was a major consideration when I bought the car, so pumping engine noise into it is a major fail. So quieter overall with a more raw sound on acceleration. Perfect. Did you not think that was good enough Volkswagen?

Oh and I got my 20,000 mile service today. . 

Spoke Too Soon

And then this happened....

On the way to work the Pioneer satellite receiver stopped working once again, while at the same time the tire pressure monitor system threw up a flag. They were unrelated, as a front tire was low, but it reminded me that the dealership deflated the tires to 34 PSI from 38 PSI at the last service, which may be why my I5 adventure was more enjoyable.

The Pioneer system was successfully reset by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, something I discussed with the Best Buy tech, as an alternative to the $50 charge of popping out the head unit. Reconnecting the battery caused all kinds of crazy in the electrical system.

The steering, traction control and TPMS lights lit up, making me wonder if the car was even safe to move, or whether I somehow shorted out the entire system with my battery trick.

The owner's manual thankfully reported this behavior as normal, recommending a short drive to reset everything. That did the trick, but I admit I was a bit concerned.

20K Mile Road Trip

A year after I bought the car, I found myself driving down I5 on cruise control at 80 MPH, thinking the road and car were perfectly acceptable. It seemed much worse when I first got the GTI, and I told myself it was an alright road trip car on the right road trip.  I must have gotten used to the ride. The GTI was freshly washed and gassed for the week when I got the call to come visit my grandmother for the last time, 400 miles away. I didn't quite make it in time, but not for a lack of trying.

I hit the 20,000 miles mark en route, and I'm still in need of that 20K mile service visit. The GTI got around 30MPG on the way down I5 but only around 26MPG on the way back up on 101.

There were no squeaks, rattles, mechanical issues or other annoyances. The Pioneer didn't even freak out when I stalled in Orange County traffic. Last time in OC, I stalled at a toll booth and it needed a hard reset. The GTI actually drives better now than when it was brand new.

Next: Just put in another order with Autopia for some new microfiber towels and the new 1Z interior cleaner (1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium Interior Plas). If I had one complaint about 1Z, it's that all their bottles look the same: bug remover, wheel cleaner, interior cleaner, all have the same, boring grey bottle with green label.

Easiest Car Buying Experience

I felt I should mention that my experience buying the wife's Rabbit from Dirito Brothers in Walnut Creek was the easiest time I've ever had buying a car. They also have a great service department and a "showcase" dealership. Bringing the GTI in for service is what first impressed me about them, enough to know I probably wouldn't have a hard time buying a car.

I had to really struggle when I bought my car last year from Volkswagen of Oakland. It ended with a vow never to go back for any reason over something small they could have fixed with better customer service. The Dirito Brothers Rabbit was the 13th car I've bought, including some strange scenarios (Ebay From Canada, Ebay from Florida, out of state from dealers, BMW Euro delivery, friends, relatives, a loan shark, etc.).

Car Porn

Posted in the VW Vortex forum in the context of, "it's ok your car has a factory defect because she built it for you." There have been some amusing minor problems reported of late, notably a manual car equipped with paddle shifters, a leather car with a cloth door insert and a car with no rear cup holders. These are the kind of things the JD Powers people would go nuts over, but would easily get fixed for free at the first dealer visit.