Our Yeti 103 TDI turns 30,000 kms.

[Rob1959]

We have had our ex-demo 2011 since last April, it is coming up to 30,000 service and all seems well, we love it. We didn't want a hard core 4wd and the Yeti suits us perfectly.
We have only been stuck once, on the beach at Iluka - the lack of clearance and lack of judgement on my part , oh well, lesson learnt.
Happy trails, Rob.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/IMG_7245-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/IMG_7245.jpg.html)
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http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/DSC_0144-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/DSC_0144.jpg.html)
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http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/DSC_0178-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/DSC_0178.jpg.html)
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[probbo]

Nice photos Rob1959...............great to hear that your Yeti is trucking along.

Cheers

[Rob1959]

Glad you like the photos. Yes, it's a good little oil-burner.
Rob.

[Ryeman]

1/. Is the 4WD 'button' necessary for tracks or is the standard one without OK?.

2/. Love the pics, what's the most difficult track it's been on?.
ta all round.

[Rob1959]

Ours has the Offroad button, the only time we use it is for steep slippery descents, which there has been a couple. It's like a hill descent control, holding 1st gear and applying the brakes individually to control speed among other things. My wife thinks it's neat!
Having said that, I've heard a few people say the Offroad button is not needed for normal offroad use like snow, mud, etc. I'm not sure because ours came with it.
The most difficult? Hard to say, but one day we went to the top of George's Gold Mine near here, it had rained the night before, it was steep slippery clay/mud, two deep wheel tracks and high crown in the middle, ruts from the heavy rain going across, and steep enough to activate the hill descent on the way down. I thought we had bitten off more than we could chew and cringed unnecessarily when the undertray scraped the dirt once or twice, but the car did it easy.

The top of George's Gold Mine (the nice bit)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/DSC_0118-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/DSC_0118.jpg.html)

We had the NZ BestBars towbar fitted
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/DSC_0138-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/DSC_0138.jpg.html)

This was a tough track also, but the picture doesn't capture it. This is the picture after the 5th one from the top of this post.(nr Coffs.)
All the best, Rob.
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[Ryeman]

Thanks Rob,
We did the 'Blue Rag' track just off the Mt St Bernard -Dargo road in a Wrangler and I recon the Yeti might even do it.
Certainly dirt roads would be a breeze, can't wait to get ours but it's somewhere other than Vic I'm thinking.
they now say "hopefully NEXT week". Am wondering exactly what's going on as it was supposedly the last 2013 runout in stock.....would they have to provide me with a 2014 if they can't get it I wonder ?. Wishful thinking perhaps.

[Rob1959]

Whatever happens good luck with it mate. It is still a buyers market I believe, so try what you can. We got the towbar at a good price through a bit of wheeling and dealing. The Skoda dealership here in Coffs is pretty good to be honest.
Cheers, Rob.

[Transporter]

It's good to see that you're enjoying your Yeti and using it for off road as well. :)

[Rob1959]

It's good to see that you're enjoying your Yeti and using it for off road as well. :)
Thanks mate, we know the car has off road limits (soft, deep dry sand for one! :facepalm:), but generally if there is a track of some sorts it will get up there. It is a lot more off road capable than our other car anyway.
Cheers, Rob.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/02/DSC_0127-1.jpg (http://s616.photobucket.com/user/hazmat5765/media/DSC_0127.jpg.html)

[joel0407]

Hey mate,

It's good to hear of another Yeti getting some use. I'm at 25,000.

I've done a little off road too but not that much and not too serious. I have a Land Rover Disco 2 for that.

Happy Days.

[Rob1959]

Hey mate,

It's good to hear of another Yeti getting some use. I'm at 25,000.

I've done a little off road too but not that much and not too serious. I have a Land Rover Disco 2 for that.

Happy Days.
Thanks mate , there are plenty of tracks around Coffs that a Yeti can deal with. We know its limits now and we're happy. Anything harder and we just walk, or find another way. It's a good car (the Yeti) in my opinion.
Safe travels, Rob.

[joel0407]

If you want to show up anyone with an older 4x4, just get them crossed up with opposing wheels off the ground. The Yeti with it's traction control will apply the brakes to the wheels off the ground which will then make the wheels that are on the ground drive. I don't know how technically minded or your knowledge of diffs but that's simply how it works.

I had a mate follow me in his 100 series Land Cruiser. There was this very steep track that ended sharply and on and angle. There was no room at the bottom for a run up due to a sharp bend so it was drive slowly up this steep pinch and then the front left wheel came off the ground until the car passed balancing point, the front went down and the opposing rear came up. The Yeti just podded up nice and slow and smooth at the rocking point there is no weight on 1 front and 1 rear wheel so both of these wheels have no traction. With a normal vehicle, you would just be stuck but as I said before the Yeti applies the brakes to these wheel and you continue on. My mate was very worried that he'd never live it down if he didn't make it. He did but it looked ugly as he tried to get enough speed up this steep pinch so he could get over the rocking point with momentum.

Happy Days.

[Rob1959]

Good story Joel, thanks. :)
Rob.

[Ryeman]

Our High Country makes it V tempting but plastic shields don't give me much confidence unfortunately.
ESP/DSC etc gives you the ability to get stranded also IMO.

[joel0407]

Our High Country makes it V tempting but plastic shields don't give me much confidence unfortunately.


You might be surprised at just how much clearance the Yeti has. It's shorter wheel base, narrower track, approach and departure angles mean it doesn't need the same height as larger vehicles to concur the same obstacles.



ESP/DSC etc gives you the ability to get stranded also IMO.

Why on earth do you think that. It's exactly that that get you out. The VW/Skoda/Audi system is one of the best going. It's so much better than the like of Toyota or Nissan offer on their 4x4s. It's what makes the Yeti so remarkable when you go driving with you mates in there Patrols and Land Cruisers.

I'm guessing you have never really tried the system and had a wheel off the ground. It's worth giving it a go, I'm sure you'll be impressed.



I'm not at all saying it will go where a proper 4x4 will go but it's bloody impressive where it will go.

Happy Days.

[Ryeman]

You might be surprised at just how much clearance the Yeti has. It's shorter wheel base, narrower track, approach and departure angles mean it doesn't need the same height as larger vehicles to concur the same obstacles.




Why on earth do you think that. It's exactly that that get you out. The VW/Skoda/Audi system is one of the best going. It's so much better than the like of Toyota or Nissan offer on their 4x4s. It's what makes the Yeti so remarkable when you go driving with you mates in there Patrols and Land Cruisers.

I'm guessing you have never really tried the system and had a wheel off the ground. It's worth giving it a go, I'm sure you'll be impressed.



I'm not at all saying it will go where a proper 4x4 will go but it's bloody impressive where it will go.

Happy Days.

Maybe until conditions change eg thunderstorm/downpour turning dry tracks to slippery tyre clogging sticky clay and the creek that was <50cm becomes too deep and fast.....there are just so many ways to have a BAD day also in our HC.
It'd be great if it was a guaranteed 'return' solo trip.

[CardinalSin]

The tyres are a serious weak link offroad. They are perfect for spirited driving on sealed roads but their rarity and cost make risking staking them on tracks too daunting.

[Ryeman]

My 103TDI is just 6 months old but has already done ~16K so I'm a bit anxious about about how much I can go over without its first oil/filter change as we're in the middle of a move to the country and facing another 1K before I'll get a chance for the service.
Now wondering if service people will do a 'quickie' while u wait seeing it will be due back for its first annual before long.

[CardinalSin]

It's 15,000km or 1 year, whatever comes first. So yours is overdue for it's first service now.
I changed mine at about 7,000km because I couldn't stand the thought of it going for 15,000km, especially for the first change.

[Transporter]

My 103TDI is just 6 months old but has already done ~16K so I'm a bit anxious about about how much I can go over without its first oil/filter change as we're in the middle of a move to the country and facing another 1K before I'll get a chance for the service.
Now wondering if service people will do a 'quickie' while u wait seeing it will be due back for its first annual before long.

Here is what should generally be accepted, when you're a bit late for your service.

If you're more than 1,000km or 1 months for your 15,000km/12 months service it can affect your warranty.

Or if you're overdue more than 2months and 2,000km for your 30,000km/24 months service, it could affect your warranty.

[Rob1959]

Our Yeti has now clocked 47,000 kms. It needed new tyres, the Dunlop 225/50 17 SPs probably had a couple of thousand left but one tyre was sidewall damaged (not sure how!). We set it up with a new set of Bridgestone Ecopias - same size - and a wheel alignment by the local Skoda Dealer (Bellbowrie Motors). I have to say the car feels better, it certainly tracks better at straight ahead. It feels good when you've got that nice little leather bound steering wheel nice and straight and true! I always had a sneaky suspicion that at least one of those Dunlops wasn't sitting true. I have no affiliation with Bellbowrie Motors but credit where credit is due, and the technician who did the alignment knew his stuff and the car feels good for the next long haul.
Rob.

[joel0407]

47K. You're still beating me. I have budgeted to hit 50K by January but it's not going to happen. I'll have to do a couple of trips next year to catch up.

I have just ordered new tyres as well. I'm sure mine have more than a few thousand KM before they are on the markers but we get some big storms up here in Darwin with inches of water covering the entire road. It's good to have some tread to disperse the water rather than aqua planning.

I've gone with Kumho KU31 tyres. I ran them on a WRX and was more than happy with both their performance and the time they lasted. They haven't arrived yet. We get raped buying tyres up here in Darwin. It was cheaper to buy them down south, freight them up and just have them fitted up here. I saved $55 per tyre with these. My set of 5 BFG Mud terrain tyres for my 4x4, it was cheaper in fuel to drive to Brisbane and buy the same tyre here in Darwin. I tried to shop around for the BFG tyres here in Darwin but couldn't get cheaper than $407ea. They cost me $265 in Brisbane for the exact same tyre.

Happy Days

[Rob1959]

Interested in how it goes with the Kumhos Joel. Happy trails mate.
Rob.