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Volkswagen Sharan, 1999

A wonderful car, everything is thought out to the smallest detail! We bought it for a trip to Crimea with a family of 4 people. We had a great trip! We spent the night in the car, no one was cramped. The second row of seats folds neatly onto the front seats, so there's no need to leave anything outside. There are also no complaints about the engine, it is turbocharged, the volume is not large 1.8 (economical) and the plane flies at a speed of 150 km/h easily, probably maybe more, but I didn’t want to take risks. And I’ll add another review about the body, it is galvanized (this speaks for itself), despite its age there is no rust, much less rot, on the car. Overall we are very pleased with the car!

Volkswagen Sharan, 2002

A wonderful car for all occasions!!! Practical, convenient, easy to use! Very reliable! "Bearer of Kings", he lives up to his great name! A German is a German! With proper operation - minimal costs and maximum pleasure from driving this car! Excellent, comfortable, family car for long trips!

Volkswagen Sharan, 2002

The dynamics are good. Handling is excellent. Comfort is sufficient, the interior is spacious and comfortable, the trunk is very large and accessible. THAT is every 10,000 km, relatively inexpensive, THIS IS MY 2nd SHARAN ALREADY (on Sharans since 2003 TDI), now I have already bought the 3rd Sharan of 2006 for myself. Pros: it's easy to drive in the city, and on the highway it's just cool and easy, the costs are average (it doesn't hurt). Cons: the suspension is good, but it takes asphalt joints a bit harshly.

This text is the previously promised article about chip tuning for the VW Sharan.
Based on materials from the newspaper Autobusiness - Weekly.

Each automobile company is trying to find a “golden mean” between such parameters as power, efficiency, reliability and environmental friendliness. Subsequently, this balance develops into a special program, which is embedded in the engine control unit. Electronics controls injection, ignition and limits the speed of the power unit. However, not all car enthusiasts are satisfied with the optimal characteristics of the engine. It is for such drivers that the following loophole exists: neglecting other parameters, in a short period of time and relatively little money you can achieve an increase in power and torque, and at the same time remove the rev and speed limiter from the engine, change the moment the gear shift signal is sent to the automatic transmission control unit. gearbox (if there is one, of course). This simple technique is called chip tuning.
The main advantage of chip tuning compared to other types of power unit tuning is that there is no mechanical intervention in the engine. Which, in turn, affects the cost of the procedure itself. But miracles, as we know, do not happen. On conventional naturally aspirated engines, chip tuning is ineffective. Reprogramming the control unit will give a slight increase in power (no more than 7%). The only change that the driver will be able to really feel is an increase in torque at high speeds and the removal of the rev limiter and speed limiter. In a word, the game is not worth the candle.
Turbocharged engines (both gasoline and diesel) are a completely different matter. The real increase in engine power after chip tuning can reach from 20% to 30%. The most popular brands for chip tuners are Audi, Seat, Volkswagen, Skoda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.

Here I will make a small digression. For the vast majority of readers, it would be savagery and blasphemy not to mention the Nissan and Honda brands (we are on the Drome!), but please do not forget we are talking about Belarus. It’s even difficult to imagine, and even more difficult to explain to someone who has never been to the Drome, what a huge number of interesting Japanese cars passed by our car enthusiasts because of the ban on right-hand drive. If some Nissan Cube appears on our roads, people will go nuts - it’s a concept car!!! And this is a Japanese small car, and it’s already pretty well used - :)

But let's get back to the topic. How it's done?

Chip tuning of our Sharan took no more than 20 minutes. The minivan arrived at the Borovoy highway with a 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine producing 115 hp, and left with 155 “horses” under the hood. Here, however, a reservation should be made: chip tuning is unacceptable in field conditions. We did this for the sake of experimentation. If you approach the matter thoroughly, then, depending on the model, the chip tuning process takes several hours. It would seem that everything is very simple: I removed the chip from the electronic engine control unit and installed a new one in its place. That's all, actually. But in reality the situation is somewhat more complicated. Electronic brains most often mean an injector control device. It includes a programmable read-only memory (PROM). The EEPROM contains a general program that contains a sequence of operating commands and various calibration information for actuators. By changing it, you can completely reconfigure the operating mode of the injection system. The result of reprogramming the EPROM is an increase in torque at low speeds, a decrease in acceleration time, and an increase in maximum engine power.
Reprogramming the chip is followed by a long and grueling testing process. This, in fact, is what distinguishes high-quality chip tuning from handicraft. The main parameters of the engine are checked in various operating modes. And only after this the car is returned to the owner.

Surely the most important question that sensible drivers will ask will be the following: “How much does chip tuning affect the engine life and performance characteristics of the car?” The first thing in which a “chip” car loses is the environmental friendliness of the exhaust. In Western European countries, after chip tuning, a car automatically falls under a higher environmental tax rate. However, Belarusian fans of fast driving can rest assured: in our country they will not start turning the nuts on “chipped” cars any time soon. Next comes an increase in the “appetite” of the motor. However, fuel consumption will entirely depend on driving style. After chip tuning, gasoline engines become more demanding on fuel. Most experts recommend feeding gasoline turbodiesels with 98-octane gasoline.
Oddly enough, the engine life suffers the least. Of course, it cannot be said that chip tuning does not contribute to the “survivability” of the engine; it will rather depend on the way you drive the car. In extreme conditions, the engine life will undoubtedly decrease. But during normal operation, the resource will decrease by no more than 10-15%.

Our Sharan didn’t even make a peep after replacing the chip. The key is to start - and the minivan is ready to demonstrate the results of “doping”. Everything is relative. Heaven and earth - this is roughly how you can characterize the Sharan before and after chip tuning. You have to try hard not to notice the increase in power of 40 “horses”. If the 115-horsepower 1.9 TDi engine in the standard version was spinning up to 4500 rpm with attempts, then the tachometer needle of the “chipped” Sharan easily exceeded the 5500 rpm mark. The minivan is literally tearing away - only smoke from under the wheels. The first, the second, I was just about to move on to the third when my colleagues patted me on the shoulder: they say, have you had any problems with the State Traffic Inspectorate officers for a long time?
After crossing the 100-kilometer mark, the minivan develops a characteristic pickup. "Sharan" provokes violation of the speed limit. However, we still did not dare test the “chipped” minivan at maximum speed - on wet asphalt, and even on a highway with fairly dense traffic, such maneuvers are by no means safe.

What did the measurements show? A Sharan with a standard engine accelerates to “hundreds” in 14.8 seconds on average. The results differ somewhat from the manufacturer’s data, but do not forget to make allowances for wet asphalt, worn tires, less than ideal road surface conditions, the profile of the route section and other parameters. The “chip-powered” minivan needed 13.4 seconds to overcome the 100 km/h bar (a gain of 1.4 seconds). "Sharan" after chip tuning "makes" its standard "colleague" in terms of elasticity. The winning results in 2 seconds. The only negative aspect of the operation carried out on the Sharan was the increased level of emissions. The fact that the 1.9-liter turbodiesel has begun to smoke more is visible to the naked eye. However, experts assure that this process should stabilize during the first two weeks after chip tuning.

For whom?
Depending on the model, a Wetterauer chip tuning kit with work will cost from 590 to 1150 green. However, experts have no doubt that this factor will not frighten off true connoisseurs of speed and drive. Every year the number of actively configured drivers in Belarus is growing. The movement of street racers and street fighters, which is gaining strength every month, is another confirmation of this. And if so, then chip tuning in Belarus has the right to life.

Owners of GT-Rov, STISH, etc. Of course they will laugh, but a tuned turbodiesel (!), and even a minivan - you must agree, is a rarity.

Total found 24 car reviews Volkswagen Sharan

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Owner reviews allow you to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the Volkswagen Sharan, and will also help you evaluate the reliability of Volkswagen Sharan cars. Highlighted in blue reviews from Volkswagen Sharan owners, which were positively assessed by other readers of our portal. We will be glad to see your reviews, ratings and comments.

Average rating: 3.22

Volkswagen Sharan 1.9 TDI

Year of issue: 1998

Engine: 1.9 TDI

Greetings. I have been the owner of my Sharan for three years now. Under the hood is a 148-horsepower pulley, tested on “drums” (stand). Factory power, before the firmware was 110 hp. Mileage 510 thousand km. I bought it in 2010 for 180 thousand rubles. A very strong feeling of tearing off the hands of the former owners is still present. I updated almost everything, original VAG turbine, starter, 120 amp generator. The racks are original in a circle. Casting from Audi A6. The interior is fabric and much more. The interior is quiet, although outside, the tractor rumbles. The diesel engine is pleasant in everything, especially in low-end traction; up to 2000 rpm it’s already a tank. Passengers are shocked by the throw, kickdown when the slipper hits the floor.

It was easy to check the history of the car, since there was only one owner before me. She provided all the invoices, where, how and when the car was repaired and serviced. I sold it because for further use the car required significant financial investments (replacing brakes, shock absorbers, timing belt, filling the air conditioner). In Germany, cars are often sold on the eve of expensive routine maintenance. For example, replacing a Sharan's timing belt can cost about 1,000 euros, and it needs to be changed every 100,000 km. The Germans know how to count, which is why there are many Sharans on sale at an attractive price, but with mileages approaching 100, 200, 300 thousand kilometers. I was lucky, I had the opportunity to carry out repairs in Estonia, which cost me more than 3 times cheaper than local prices.

The ergonomics of the cabin are excellent; there are enough adjustments to the steering wheel and seat for any driver. All buttons and switches are easy to reach, convenient and understandable. I like the high driving position and good all-round visibility. There are many different sized glove compartments, which is very convenient. The purple backlight was annoying at first, but now I've gotten used to it. The interior is huge, with the ability to transform from a van with a cargo volume of 210x100x110 cm to a seven-seater minibus with a small trunk. Ideal for long trips with the whole family.

I was very pleased with the standard radio. On my previous car, the stations that I usually listen to were only found within 30-40 km from the city. On the Sharan's radio, 200 km is not a problem, but its antenna is like a small bee's sting on the roof, not like the four-meter telescopic antenna that was on the previous car. I didn’t even want to replace the original radio with a more advanced model, although at first there was such an idea. A very good and useful feature is heating the entire windshield. A few minutes and the windshield is clear, just brush off the water with the wipers. In general, I’m pleased with the interior and its gadgets, perhaps the rear parking sensors and such a convenient option as automatic detection of burnt out lamps are missing. Even my old 20 year old 124 Mercedes has such a system. It would be possible to include this in the basic package, because it costs a penny and is convenient.

The mileage in six months is only 9 thousand kilometers. It’s too early to talk about reliability, but so far the car hasn’t let us down on the road. Fuel consumption is from 5 to 8.5 liters of diesel. It doesn't eat oil, although the turbine is a little runny. The oil I use is Motul 5W-30. I plan to change it every 10,000 kilometers. The suspension is a bit harsh, but you have to pay for the load capacity (more than 700 kg). There is nothing rattling in the suspension yet (pah-pah-pah).

Unpleasant sounds and vibrations come from turning the steering wheel while standing still. The forums suggested that the power steering belt and tensioner pulley need to be changed. I replaced it, but it turned out that this was not the reason. The power steering pump will be replaced next. If this does not help, then the steering rack will need to be replaced. Recent diagnostics have revealed another problem. The coolant heater does not work. It turns out that this is a common Sharan disease and manifests itself in the fact that the heating of the antifreeze occurs much more slowly. It does not affect the movement, but it will have to be repaired by the first cold weather on the principle that the car should be in perfect order by winter.

There is no rust, but there are many small scratches on the varnish. It will need to be polished. In principle, I am satisfied with the car. There have been no big unpleasant surprises so far. In terms of reliability and maintainability, of course, it is inferior to the 124 Mercedes, but comparing them is also not entirely fair, since they are from different classes and different eras. Moreover, the car is not new and some time will pass before all the sores that Sharan inherited from the previous owner are healed.

Good luck to everyone on the roads.

Advantages of the car

Plenty of space

Low fuel consumption

Disadvantages of the car

Lack of space under the hood increases the cost of repairs

The Volkswagen Sharan minivan, the production of which began in May 1995, together with the SEAT Alhambra minivan, which is almost identical in design, also belongs to the traditional multi-seat minivans or family cars. Until 2006, the Volkswagen Sharan and the Ford Galaxy had the same body design. For the Geneva Motor Show in 2010, the Volkswagen Sharan was presented in its newest generation and was now positioned along with the Volkswagen Touran compact van and the Volkswagen T5 minibus. Like most wagons of this class, Sharan also has a variable interior concept. This means that in the Sharan, which is also available in a four-wheel drive version called Sharan 4motion, up to five seats out of a maximum of seven can be reclined or completely removed from the cabin using a special adjustable handle. The resulting cargo compartment, approximately 2 m in length, is also suitable for transporting larger loads, which is primarily confirmed by the massive presence of Sharan minivans in the parking lots of many furniture stores. The choice of engines for the Volkswagen Sharan 2010 model covers engines from the Volkswagen range, so it is equipped with a 2.0-liter TDI engine with three power levels of 115, 140 hp, and from January 2013, 177 hp. s., and a TSI engine with a displacement of 1.4 liters and a power of 150 hp is used as standard equipment for the Sharan. The most powerful engine for the Volkswagen Sharan is the 2.0-liter TSI engine, which is used by the Volkswagen Golf GTI, developing 200 hp/221 km/h. As part of the SEAT subsidiary, the Volkswagen Sharan is again sold as the SEAT Alhambra at the same price and with the same specification. New in the modern generation are large sliding doors, as demonstrated on the Volkswagen minibus or the new Opel Meriva minivan. All Volkswagen Sharan models are equipped as standard with a stability control system with emergency braking and a rollback system, with an optional direct-shift gearbox (DSG), equipped with front rear and head airbags, and also equipped with an airbag designed specifically for the Volkswagen Sharan climate control system with separate temperature and air conditioning control for the rear compartment, as well as 16-inch wheels with matching wide-profile tires. Do you want to buy this car in used condition? On the website you will find both a used and a new or one-year-old Volkswagen Sharan at an attractive price!