My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review (Pete's Remapped, K&N & Bilstein B6)

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congrats Manoj. The car looks neat and clean both inside and outside. Happy Motoring

Thank you. Its the interiors that impressed me the most. You feel you are in a brand new car.

Congratulations, Manoj. Will always miss the Scorpy though.

I understand.
Do drive safe buddy.

Update:
Tyre upsize:
Stock size: 215/60 R16
Yeti gets four new Continental ContiCrossContact™ LX 2 – 235/60 R16
The vehicle gets a ‘lift’ and the wheelwell now looks filled. Its significantly wide = better ride and handling. The road noise has been reduced to minimum. The earlier Apollos were too noisy above 80 kmph or so. It dismisses the slightly broken roads quite easily now.
Having said that,

• The Difference in circumference from stock size is quite significant (3.5%) = speedometer and odometer error
• Decreased FE, based on the trip computer. Will do a thankful method and report the real time average FE. Will also need to allow the Odometer error while calculation.

Apart from these reading errors, will this up-size have any impact on suspension and braking components ?

 

[Nanofreak]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Very well compiled review on the Yeti, congrats.

Regarding the tyre upsize, there will be odo reading error, I remember watching an episode of wheeler dealer in which Ed China had upsized the tyres, and had changed the speedometer cable end gear, can't recollect which car maybe a merk.

If you visit the Gulf, you can get these parts/accessories, a Google search will help.

Regarding suspension, if don't do hardcore offroading it should be okay.

All the best.

Regards
Vinod

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Very well compiled review on the Yeti, congrats.

Thank you vinod for the input

Was in India last week for a wrong reason and Yeti did have its work cut out. The broader tyres meant no slowing down while negotiating broken road surfaces. The overall feel, quality and driveabilty is top notch and am slowly falling in love with it. Its the best cabin to be in amongst all the vehicles I owned so far.

A few observations:
There is slight shuddering while breaking at speeds. I am suspecting worn out pads. Will be sending it in for a service at Pinnacle Skoda @ Thrissur soon. Will ask them to check and change all the fluids and also the brake pads.

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Update:
ODO: 64xxx

Yeti is in for a scheduled service (60k km). The appointment was booked a couple of days back. I had requested them for a vehicle pick-up before 9.00am today. A gentleman from Pinnacle Skoda, Thrissur arrives at 8.45am. Around 11.00 am, I get a message from ASC to confirm the receipt of the vehicle and contact details of the concerned SA. Called him up and the car has been taken in for the service.

 

[suryars]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

My uncle too owns the same model of yeti. Once while coming back from a long drive , he felt the braking had reduced considerably and there was slight shuddering. The very next day he took it to the service station and as he had suspected , it was worn out pads. Now comes the shocker. He asked them to replace the pads and my uncle asked how much it will cost. The ASS guy says 30000 and it was only the front pads. He says ok and asks them to replace it. They say they don't have it in stock and it will take 2 weeks for the stock to arrive. My uncle drives 50 km a day and since he can't be without a car he went straight away to an FNG and got the brake pads replaced at half the cost.
Since he could not depend on the yeti for everything , he recently added an i10 automatic to his garage.
Now the question is are the Yetis brake pads so damn costly? and is this 2 week waiting period for wear and tear parts standard across all dealership ?
PS: our location is Bangalore

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Update:
The 60k km service has already been carried out. The vehicle will be dropped back home tomorrow. As expected, all the 4 set of brake pads have been worn out + the brake discs too affected badly. The brake fluid too was found to have darkened a bit. The parts are unavailable and will need a week after an order is placed. I have told them to go ahead and place the order. That means the vehicle needs to visit the ASS again. The parts aren't cheap either. A detailed estimate is on its way on Monday, but this is what I was told yesterday, the cost of the parts/piece:

Brake pads/ Front : Rs. 5000
Brake pads/ rear : Rs. 2000
Brake disc / front : Rs. 4500
Brake disc / rear : Rs. 3500

I will update here tomorrow once I get an official estimate. Interestingly, the cost of the wiper blades has left me baffled. The front wiper-blade costs Rs. 3000/piece and the rear Rs.1500
Going to be quite an expensive affair, I guess !! having said that, once replaced, these brake components need not be attended to for another 40k km, I assume.

The ASS guy says 30000 and it was only the front pads. He says ok and asks them to replace it. They say they don't have it in stock and it will take 2 weeks for the stock to arrive.
Now the question is are the Yetis brake pads so damn costly? and is this 2 week waiting period for wear and tear parts standard across all dealership ?

See the price brake up above. Rs.30000 just for the frond pads appears inaccurate, even if you include the labour charge. The unavailability of parts is a put off though.Let me get back tommorow, once I get a clear quote.

 

[VISHNUCARCRAZY]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Check Wiper blades at Bosch store ,they can be relatively cheaper and as durable as stock ones.

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Check Wiper blades at Bosch store ,they can be relatively cheaper and as durable as stock ones.

Any Bosch-auto store/service centre in/around Palakkad ?

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Wiper Blades:

Since I am based out in China/Hong Kong currently, could source wiper blades from all major brands. The Skoda Yeti OE blades are from VALEO and the dimensions are 24" + 19" for front and 10.8" for the rear. The following premium brands shortlisted: VALEO, BOSCH and SWF. Apparently, SWF is a high end German brand and the reviews suggest that it is superior to the other two. Already placed an order for both front ( a pair) and rear- both SWF. Will arrive tomorrow and will get them fitted as am flying back home coming week end
Price:
Front: Around Rs.2300
Rear: Around Rs.880

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Update on the service:
The vehicle is being dropped backed home. Except for the brake pads/discs replacement, the vehicle did not require any repair at all. Just the regular engine oil+filters including a dust filter. The response and coordination at the ASC was spot on as well. The only gripe, as expected, is the unavailability of parts- brake pads and discs – for both front and rear. They have promised me that they would be made available by 27th April which is this Friday.

• The service cost: Rs.12770
• The rough estimate on brake related job: ( brake pads + discs) = Rs. 24000 + brake oil + labour = around Rs.30k ?

The good thing is that the next service is 15000 km away and with the fresh braking set up + brand new continental shoes, the vehicle should be running like new

BTW, have already received the wiper blades from SWF.

 

[suryars]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

I was partially wrong So the front + rear brake pads cost 30k. But isn't that too expensive given that we replace our Scorpio s front brake pads for 7000 and are the parts readily available with your service centre ?

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

I was partially wrong So the front + rear brake pads cost 30k. But isn't that too expensive given that we replace our Scorpio s front brake pads for 7000

My scorpio came with only front discs, the rear were drum. Did change the brake pads, but don’t remember the pricing though; should be there on my Scorpio ownership thread. I hadn’t changed the brake discs at all in my 1.4 Lac kilometers usage – call it preventive maintenance. The previous owner of the Yeti, had he checked the brake pad wear periodically, the discs wouldn’t have needed such a replacement.

Having said that, the labour charges of Mahindra weren’t getting any cheaper either.

are the parts readily available with your service centre ?

Nope. Placed an order and expecting it by Friday as of now.

 

[suryars]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Even our Scorpio has only front discs and yes the discs haven't been touched (Touchwood). Mahindra's labour is getting too expensive these days but we get a hefty discount on service as we are very old customers (15 years):
Atleast you are getting the parts in 4-5 days but in our case it was minimum 2 weeks. Don't understand why they can't stock a few pads and discs.

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Even our Scorpio has only front discs and yes the discs haven't been touched (Touchwood). Mahindra's labour is getting too expensive these days but we get a hefty discount on service as we are very old customers (15 years):

Yes. I too have had close to 8 years of association with Mahindra, thanks to my Scorp. And I have witnessed their after sale support getting better and better year after year. Only wish if they could up the quality of certain parts like suspension bushes, even at the cost of increasing the price a bit. They used get either too hard or give up as early as 5-6k kms making the ride harsher that I made it a habit to get them changed every other time my Scorp visited the ASC.

Coming to yeti, the material quality is top notch. BTW, the car got dropped back home and there is one “Skoda car care kit” left inside the car, as spotted by my wifey. It includes shampoo/polish/wax/tyre care/perfume….. worth around Rs.1200 or so. My wife was asking me if I needed one as my DIY kit had enough of them already.

I immediately checked my inbox and opened the email from the Skoda ASC with the details of the service only to find the following:

• Skoda car care kit” : Rs.1174 - 100 % discount
• Sticker [ don’t know what it is - ‘Pinncale Skoda’ may be] – Warranty. Really ?
• Wash : Rs. 465 – 100% discount
• Pick-up and drop – FOC [ mind you the ASC is some 60 km away from my home]

Not a bad start, isn’t it?

Atleast you are getting the parts in 4-5 days but in our case it was minimum 2 weeks. Don't understand why they can't stock a few pads and discs.

They had two sets of front brake pads with them. Hopefully they get the rest shipped by Friday as promised.

Don't understand why they can't stock a few pads and discs.

How often they get to service Yetis ? Like the very Abominable Snowman, aren't these a rare sight too ?

 

[suryars]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Yup Mahindra's quality of a few parts ought to increase.
Looks like even Skoda s service has improved exponentially. Free pick and drop , free car wash and a free car care kit. . Looks like they want to keep these small club of yeti owners happy.
Btw post a few pictures of your yeti with the new tyres.