The VW Variant’s a good car,  but the Legacy still beats it

Hello Baraza,

I am an ardent reader of your articles.

Now, after deep thought about what to do with my slightly more than Sh1 million savings, I decided to buy a VW Golf Variant TSI 1.4 with a twin charger, and I was lucky to get a unit with 67,000km. Tell me:

1. How durable is this car, considering I am 30 now and racing does not excite me much as it used to when I was younger?

2. How does this car manage to consume such little fuel and yet deliver in terms of good acceleration and even remarkable (Thika) Highway speeds?

3. Is there an inherent problem with VWs that I should be aware of as time goes by other than the fact that they are delicate?

4. Much as they are different, which is better between this car and a Subaru Legacy? (Do not massage my ego).

Satisfied James Wachira

Hello James,

Thank you for your loyal readership. I am much obliged. So you chose to go for a variant with twin-charging, huh?

1. The car’s durability (for the umpteenth time) will be based on how and where you use it as well as how and where routine maintenance is done. Given that it is a forced induction engine from Europe, expect slightly higher-than-usual invoice figures. The fact that you don’t race like you used to (insert finger wag here) is a plus: an unstressed engine will last longer and suffer fewer problems than one that is regularly thrashed.

2. The outstanding performance, coupled with the low consumption, comes from the twin-charging. The supercharger comes into play at low revs to eliminate lag as the turbo awaits its turn when the increasingly faster exhaust flow spools up its impeller.

The result is forced induction all through the rev range and phenomenal performance results compared to a naturally aspirated unit. We also know that one of the myriad benefits of forced induction is getting the high outputs of a larger displacement engine and the (relatively) attendant economical gains of a small displacement engine.

3. Yes, there is an inherent problem with VWs. They’re complicated, especially this twin-charged thing you are looking at. Turbo issues seem like par for the course at one point as well, as are tranny problems. Keeping it Kenyan: selling it later will not be easy either, but ignore that for a minute and revel in the joys of boost while it still exists.

I wouldn’t call Volkswagens “delicate”, unless referring to the DSG gearbox, in which case, yes, it’s delicate. Thank corner-cutting suppliers to Wolfsburg for making flimsy fasteners and transmission components that can’t last as long as the rest of the car.

4.  Of the course the Subaru Legacy is better. Take your pick of reasons:

a) I drive one.

b) Rally heritage means it’s hewn from granite and will take hard blows with a smile and a wink. The word “delicate” does not apply to any part of a Subaru, unless referring to the driver’s emotional constitution.

c) There are a gazillion of these cars trundling about, which means every other mechanic has come across one and has an idea how to go about fiddling with it, somewhat. This also means parts are never in short supply, be they new or sourced from a salvage yard.

 d) Besides their inbuilt hardiness, they are also reliable to a fault and will not fail unless you actively try to ruin them, and you’ll still have your work cut out attempting that.

e) Less subjectively, the Legacy in infinitely more practical, with its symmetrical AWD, longer wheelbase and bigger boot. Legroom is generous, which is a plus, if you are a road-trip kind of person. The interior is ugly and feels cheap for the BR/BM model range, though; the BL/BP series was much prettier, in and out.

****** 

Hi Baraza,

Thank you for your informative articles in plain language, which make for a good read.

I have a Toyota DX 103 which I have used for the last 10 years. However, in the last few years the performance has gone down, straining to get to 100km/hr, and no power on a hill. When going downhill it produces blue smoke, which gets me worried. I have taken it to several mechanics, who have given me various recommendations:

1. That I add motor honey to the oil to clear the blue smoke. Is this true and wise?

2. Do an engine overhaul. This I have been told will cost about Sh30,000 including labour. I am worried as to how much time this will buy me.

3. Buy a new engine. This will cost about Sh50,000 including labour. I am told I have to navigate the Kenya Revenue Authoriy landmine to get the new engine registered for my vehicle. What are the procedures and estimated cost of the process.

Patrick     

Hello Patrick,

Seems like age is catching up with your 103, huh? The blue smoke is symptomatic of burning oil, and yes, your worry should be directly proportional to the amount of smoke coming out of the tail pipe. So now:

1. This is absurd, and the guy who suggested it should not only be stripped of his credentials, but also be run out of town in disgrace. This is a charlatan in cahoots with merchants of snake oil to push products. He is on the prowl for the blissfully ignorant to lighten their pockets. Forget about motor honey, it is a scam.  What you need to do is:

2. An engine overhaul. The scope of the overhaul determines its justification. The burning oil could be from worn-out piston rings and/or valve seals, which are among the first things to be replaced in an overhaul. The pistons and valves themselves sometimes also need to be replaced. New sleeves are also installed (where applicable) or reboring of the engine block is done. It is usually at this point that one asks themselves the following question:

3. Is it just easier to buy a new engine? This will depend on the cost you are looking at in 2 above versus the cost of a replacement engine. The cost in 2 above is in turn determined by the scope of the overhaul. If you are just changing rings and seals, then an overhaul is enough. If you need to replace many more parts such as bearings, pistons, valves, heads and whatnot, then just go ahead and get a new mill. It is a lot easier and far less risky than having some apprentice with a lathe trying his hand at machining your cylinders or heads, with disastrous results.

Find out how much overhauling needs to be done, but I strongly feel at the end of the day you might just go for a replacement engine. The price difference is worth the peace of mind.

As for the change in motor vehicle details, if I’m not wrong it should be the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) that handles this nowadays. The process seems a bit confusing at first but the smart thing to do would be to single out one individual at the authority and ask him to take you through it step by step. There is a standard fee for the procedure and an extraneous charge to speed things up and light the way for you, but don’t get me wrong, it is not a bribe, much as it sounds like one. The money is paid via M-Pesa into the NTSA coffers through your official e-Citizen account — and a receipt is issued — so you can rest easy that the facilitation fee is not lining someone’s pockets. It is an unusual experience the first time you go through this (we had quite a laugh at the NTSA’s Upper Hill headquarters last year talking this out with those officers) but not to worry. It is not that bad.

***** 

Hey Motogari Doc,

I must say I have waited for the longest time for you to share your views on the Toyota Vanguard. It’s one year plus since I acquired a 2008 model and I must say I love the SUV.

Now, have you heard of any manufacturer’s fault on the steering rack? Mine came in very clean but five months ago, I started hearing a knocking sound underneath, especially on the F/L/H/S.

Clever me, I replaced the front shocks but the noise continued. I consulted a technician who told me that the noise is from the steering rack, and that it is actually reported by the manufacturer.

I haven’t seen any such notification online. Is this so?

Roy Mwenda

Hi Roy,

It seems yours is a legitimate concern. Apparently, the problem stems from the intermediate shaft on the steering column, which develops a clunking noise. Also apparently, a TSB might have been issued but some owners had their racks replaced at their own expense. Now that yours is a 2008 car, we can safely assume the warranty is long out of date and being an import, the vehicle is really far from where it was first bought. Prepare your wallet; this is going to be heavy.

I can’t seem to trace the exact cause or origin of the noise in the intermediate shaft, but all pointers are inclined towards a replacement rather than repair. Again... prepare your wallet.

***** 

Hi Barasa, 

Thank you for your fine articles. I am thinking of buying a Toyota Vanguard car, which will be my first car.

What can you tell me about this vehicle? 

Wycliffe

Well, what can I say? Watch out for noises in the steering rack, haha!

***** 

Hi,

Every Wednesday I make sure I get a copy of the Daily Nation to see what’s new in the  motoring  world.

I am past retirement age and have been owing vehicles for the last 40 years. 

I own a Toyota Hiace Regius with a VVTi petrol engine as well as a diesel 5L.They have served me well but I think it’s time to upgrade to the newer model, famously known as “Box”.

But I have a question: I read in this column about  the vehicles having no engine brakes  and you insisted that it has so small an engine  that it can’t be fitted with engine brakes.

But if they do not have breaks, can you please explain why, when the  driver steps on the brake pedal, the vehicle produces a sneezing sound at the tail end of the exhaust, just like the Freno?

S. Thuo

Hello Thuo,

This has become a proper source of debate lately in my motoring circles, which has forced me to stalk tour van and matatu drivers, asking them to activate the noise. They all insist it is an engine brake*, but  I still have my doubts, though I will admit that, for all intents and purposes, it sounds and works like an exhaust brake, particularly the type used on Scania heavy commercial vehicles which does not have a separate lever but is automatically engaged by stepping lightly on the foot brake.

[*The matatu and tour van drivers are wrong to call it an engine brake, a more appropriate comparison would be an exhaust brake, which is what strangles the exhaust until released with a “sneeze”]

The reasons for my doubts still stand:

1. The mass of the vehicle, even when fully laden, does not warrant a supplementary braking system such as an engine brake or an exhaust brake. Adding these supplementaries just increases production and purchase costs, while giving the engine a wider reach for things to go wrong. The engine/exhaust brake is unnecessary in a vehicle of this weight class.

2. I did reach out to Toyota Kenya on this and they, too, just like I did, said “Naah, can’t be. The Hiace doesn’t need it”.

My educated shot-in-the-dark speculation is it is an emissions control device. At low engine speeds or when not under load (such as during idle or when braking) the engine runs inefficiently with a lot of fuel not being properly burnt, and these are the dangerous emissions everybody is throwing their hands in the air about.

Cars come with catalytic convertors and DPFs to counter these emissions. Since the desmogging equipment works via chemical reaction, for a more efficient “cleaning” procedure, the exhaust gases need to be held captive a little longer within the cleaner (factors affecting reaction efficiency include time given for the reaction to occur) for a more thorough cleansing before diffusion into the atmosphere.

Of course I could be wrong. My next step is to find a Hiace H200 undergoing engine maintenance and looking more closely at the so-called “freno” to see the installation and operation for a more accurate guess.I don’t believe it is an exhaust brake.