40000 KMs Service Update

Before we get into how the 40K service went, I would like to share the headlight saga once again. Up until 30K service, the headlight focus was good after it was set right on my fifth visit for the same issue. During the 30K service, I told the SA that my left high beam bulb was gone and that it needed to be fixed. They indeed replaced the bulb, BUT, the highbeam was out of focus again. The left high beam was focused at about 10 feet from the car and was absolutely worthless. Somehow, since right high beam was focused properly, I just kept driving and procrastinated on the focus problem. Then about a month back, left low beam bulb fused out. Then I kept driving with the remaining 3 for about two weeks until the right low beam bulb fused too. So virtually I am left with no low beams and with no other option left, I go to Concorde about 2 weeks back...dont remember the exact date. Then I explain the problem and tell them that two low beams bulbs need replacement and left high beam needs to be lifted up and refocused. After 2 hours, I get my Inddie back, with 2 low beams fixed - no complaints there - but instead of lifting the left high beam, the right high beam has been lowered to match the left one. At that point, mine was the only car in the world whose high beams had a shorter throw than the low beam!!! Effectively I was left with 4 low beams and 2 fog lamps! I covered around 1700 KMs after that and a good portion of that was in the night. Night driving speeds were limited to 50KMPH with such idiotic headlamps.

Come 40K service, I am greeted promptly and attended within 10 mins on 5th Nov, when my inddie's 40K service was scheduled. The list of problems from my side first:

1.Lift both the highbeams (refocus them)
2. Clutch releases too close to the floor (to which the Service Supervisor retorted "Saar, if you release clutch the car should move only na"..Hmm... I did not know this after driving for over 17 Years now :P)
3. Left indicator would not stick (stalk problem)
4. Turbo kick not being felt like before

SA recommended:

1. Engine flush
2. Decarbonizing

As part of the mandatory 40K service, all fluids were replaced including coolant.

Result: Bill of 9191 Rs. Issues 2, 3 and 4 taken care and Inddie looks good for another 10K KMs haul. The indicator stalk (switch) was replaced under warranty at no cost.

Issue 1 still persists. I have been promised a replacement of left headlamp unit as left high beam lifting motor is not working as expected. I hope to have this replaced next week. Will keep you posted.

- Aravind Kamath

Headlamp bulb replacement...

One of the standard things that you get with a brand new car is a spare set of two headlight bulbs. Open pretty much any car owner's manual, they say replacing a fused bulb is "Do It Yourself" job. Now let the bulb fuse. Open the hood of the car. Surprise!! Other than A Star, most other  hatchbacks have no space to even poke ones finger anywhere near the headlamps. So if you have a fused bulb you got to drive straight to service center. I think there is a need for a better design that makes a basic thing like replacement of a bulb by the owner possible.

30000 KM Service Update

Just completed 30000 KM service yesterday. Had a few issues that needed to be taken care of:

- A/C blower not blowing the cold air (quantity and quality) the way it used to before
- Clutch starts engaging right from the max depressed position of the clutch pedal
- Steering wheels pulsates upon braking at high speeds probably from 100 KMPH - 60-70 KMPH

- High beam bulb fused

Apart from this regular service.

Some of the service requests I made (outside of the regular service(:

- 3M teflon coating - exterior
- 3M interior cleaning
- A/C flush

Car was delivered as promised. Got a bill of 9380/-. Of which around 4500 was for my service requests and rest was cost of taking care of issues and servicing that includes engine oil (just stayed with normal oil not synthetic) and other consumables and labour. Clutch bleeding was done to fix the clutch release issue and I definitely feel a difference, but my gut feeling is this may not last. I think, this will again resurface in another 2000-2500 KMs. I am also feeling a step kind of a thing when I depress the clutch fully sometimes and sometimes it is buttery smooth. Highbeam alignment is gone after the bulb change. I will have to get it fixed again.

I smell that clutch change is round the corner. What baffles me is my Maruti 800 did not require a clutch change when we sold it at around 60000 KMs. Our Froggie (Astar) is still going good with original clutch with over 50000 KMs on the odometer. Our i10 did 38000 KMs before we sold it but that may not be an apt comparison because  it was automatic. Our blueyy is still at mileage infancy having done 7500 KM in 1.5 Years. My Inddie acting up with clutch at 30000 KMs - Hmm, never know. There is no reduction in traction or accleration I get, the turbo kick can still be felt, but the clutch pedal release seems to be the sore point. Problem is, in hydraulic clutch there is no concept of clutch play adjustment (as per SA) and that is where the issue is.. Will be driving Inddie to sullia this weekend, so the service effectiveness will come to the fore then.

25000 KMs Update

Clocked 25000 KMs about 10 days back. Currently ODO is at 26000. March 31st, started at 4:00 AM from Bangalore to Sullia and reached Sullia by 9:25 AM with a 20 minute breakfast stop at madikeri. Thats like 5 Hours and 25 Mins to sullia with a 20 minute break. Nice. Road is littered with too many speed breakers. Kept cruising at 100 - 110 KMPH. No new rattles or squeaks. Finished work in Sullia by 3:30 PM and started back to blr at 3:45 PM. Reached bangalore by 10:30 PM. covered 650 KMs in one day.

Inddie is just rolling. When I drove the blueyy recently, I drove it like I drive my inddie. Blueyy complained right from the word go. Inddie just wants to go after roads - good and bad alike - but blueyy doesn't like bad roads at all.

The New 90 HP VISTA QJT

Just got to know that Tata has launched 90HP Quadrajet Vista with Manza dashboard! I think Tata definitely has a winner on its hand! It must be much more exciting than the current 75 PS QJT model. The sad part is, the tata vista website does not have even a single line about this launch!!!!! Why are TATA product launches so quiet all the time? Why no advt campaign! I am even hooked on to the Tata Vista facebook page, but hey, i do not remember seeing anything there either! A unrelated google search threw up a third party automobile website which spoke about this!!!! I think TATA needs to change their publicity guys or do something about it immediately.

Fourth Free Service Update

Gave my inddie for 4th free service on 5th Dec. Two issues i reported to my service advisor:

1. Clutch judder in first gear while releasing the clutch
2. Not the feeling the turbo kick the way i used to feel in 3rd gear at 2000 RPM.

Car was promised to be ready by 5 PM. Car was indeed ready before 5 PM.  Both the issues i had reported are well taken care of. The clutch judder has greatly reduced. The turbo kick is back. The whole experience was good. I think I must say that Tata customer care and service has greatly improved and is in the same league as that of my previous experiences with Hyundai and Maruti. I have always dealt with Concorde and not sure if the experience varies with other dealerships - but Concorde is getting better with each visit. The service cost me 1900 - this includes 2 full wheel caps which fell off when the car encountered the mega crater and wheel alignment and wheel balancing and other minor things.

By the way, i also got a follow up call from Concorde Customer Care asking me if everything was ok with my car two days after the service and she also mentioned that if i need any tweaking with the recent service, they will send out the mobile squad to my residence or office and have it set right. Wow! now that is really gooood.

So far, no reason to regret my choice; all reasons to feel happy about the choice so far. I think what I have is a most value for money hatch, cheap to maintain, with decent road manners - handling, braking, acceleration etc.

Tale of 5 Days, 1975 KMs

Excellent roads, very good roads, good roads. Bad roads, worse roads, no roads at all. Seen all of that, been through all of that in my recent 5 days 1975 Kms trip to north karnataka.

We started (my wife, father and mother) @ 5:45 AM on 15th Aug. Reached Bangalore back @ 9:30 PM on 19th Aug. The route covered was bangalore-tumkur-chitradurga-haveri-hubli-naragund-bijapur-sindagi-jeratagi-ganagapur. A short trip from ganagapur-gulbarga and back.

On the return journey the route was Ganagapur-jeratagi-sindagi-bijapur-naragund-hubli-yellapur-ankola-kumta-honnavar-bhatkal-kundapur-udupi-mangalore-puttur-sullia-madikeri-mysore-ramanagar-bangalore.

15th Aug, 5:45 AM we started from bangalore in my inddie and stopped at Kamat at Dobbspet by 7:15 AM. Left Dobbspet by 7:45 AM and reached hubli by 11:45 AM. In between, took one break to stretch legs which lasted 10 mins. Had light food at Kamat Cafe @ Deshpande nagar and left Hubli by 12:45 PM and refuelled to tankfull which consumed 22.2 Ltrs (1000 Rs) and reached Bijapur by 4:15 PM. In between, took one break to stretch legs lasting about 10 minutes. Stopped at sindagi for one more 10 mins break and reached jeratagi by 5:30 PM. Made the left turn and reached Ganagapur which is 22 KMs from Jeratagi by 6:15 PM. Entire journey was with 100% AC on.
Roads were Excellent from Bangalore to Hubli, Very Good from Hubli to Navalgund, Bad in few stretches upto Naragund and Very good from Naragund to Jeratagi. Jeratagi to Ganagapur is a single road but well surfaced. Went over atleast 4 unmarked mega speed breakers at 60-80 KMPH and my inddie held up well. Blr to Hubli, easily 120 KMPH can be held consistently. Hubli to Jeratagi easily 80-100 KMPH can be maintained but the unmarked speed breakers will give you your gotcha moments.

Next day, started from Ganagapur to Gulbarga for a silly reason - the nearest ATM to withdraw cash is available only in Gulbarga. This stretch there are no roads :) It took me 1 Hr30 minutes to cover 40 KMs while going to Gulbarga but on return journey took me only 1 Hr 10 minutes as frustration took over and i did 60 KMPH on virtually no roads. I comfortably passed Boleros, Trax and NEKRTC buses :) :). Inddie's underbelly got hit once, stopped to check for damage, found none, continued with 60 KMPH.

On 17th Aug, started at 6:15 AM from Ganagapur and reached Bijapur at 8:00 AM. Went to a hotel called Royal Comforts in front of Gol gumbuz and had good breakfast. Left Bijapur at 8:30 AM and reached Hubli at 12:30 PM. Went to my brother's in-laws place had lunch and left Hubli at 2:30 PM. Reached Ankola by 4:30 PM. Stopped at Kamat for a quick tea break and started back at 4:45. The worst roads we encountered in this stretch from Ankola to Kundapur. In April End, it took me 2 Hours 15 Mins to cover the same distance, however, this time it took 4 hours to cover the same. Reached kundapur at 8:30 PM. Had dinner at a hotel just outside kundapur. Continued journey towards Sullia. Got good stretches albeit with detours after kundapur. Around 10:30 PM, when i reached NMPT panambur, the excellent 6 lane stretch started. Felt happy. This happiness lasted only 5 seconds as this "Excellent" stretch managed to do what the "No Roads" did not do. There was a mega crater, well cut using man made tools, left open with no signage, into which my inddie's left wheel landed directly at 80 KMPH. There was a swift dezire taxi ahead of me, which swerved at last moment and I could not avoid the 4'X4' square hole. The car came out of the ditch with a loud thud which woke my wife, father and mother who were sleeping blissfully, and the worst happened. The front disk bent beyond repair and the tubless tyre blow went off. The rear left tyre disc had a small dent but the tyre still held the blow. Pulled over, changed the front left wheel with the spare one and continued and did not want to take a risk of continuing beyond mangalore, stayed at mangalore. The time was 11:30 PM. Next day, 18th Aug, went to automatrix, had suspension checked up, it turns out all was ok,  bought a new disk and the whole thing cost me Rs 1381/-. Cant believe, this is cheaper than maruti. The impact with which the car hit the edge of the ditch was so huge, that i was thinking that the front struts would be gone. I was super pleased with Inddie. This repair took about 4 hours as the engine guard dent due to the grounding near gulbarga was also fixed. Then continued the journey and reached sullia on 18th. Dropped my parents in sullia, took rest over night and started back to blr on 19th.

Roads from Hubli to Ankola are very good, ankola to kundapur is worst. Kundapur to sullia is good but laden with diversions and few stretches of bad roads.

Complete journey was with AC on and the mileage i got was 18 KMPH.

- Aravind