India's largest selling SUV: Mahindra Bolero

[shankar.balan]

Ive placed some comments below:

Originally Posted by simplyself

Spitfire, Only one other vehicle was found with the problem of non-functioning fuel meter. The problem seems to be with the meter the in dash and not with the unit in the fuel tank. But I did not think much of it because the tank is always full. This has never happened to me in my Bolero Sportz. Could it be a vehicle specific problem?

I havent noticed whether the headlights switch off if the engine is turned off because I always turn off the headlights before engine is switched off. Same with headlights on because I never crank up the engine with headlights on. After facing the problem of frequent fusing of bulbs we resorted to adding a "cut-out" which bypasses the fuses. If you have changed your bulbs to halogens from the OEM sealed beam ones, then you definitely need to have fixed a cut out/ relay switch. Again this is a peculiar problem because Ive never had it happen in my Bolero Sportz. I had fixed extra foglamps onto my Bolero but the first thing I did was to add the cut out/ relay switch. Both the headlamps as well as the fog lamps used to work independently or at the same time without any trouble.

The battery lasts around 15 months - almost all the brands perform similarly. The original battery I got with my Bolero was a Maintenance Free Amaron. It lasted 2 full years.I used to top it up with distilled water once a month on average. I changed it because when the vehicle went for service, the mechanic said that the cells were becoming weak and it would be better to change.

The company fitted Goodyear 235s are the worst lot. MRFs performed a lot better but still not as good as the 215s. I mostly use MRF Zigma GP and sometimes the ZVT. Ceat 215s looked great but didnt give life....at the most a Ceat 215 had given me around 80 K. The maximum I got was 160 K on an MRF ZVT 215. But average life is about 120 K.
As I understand it, the Goodyear tyres and Bridgestone tyres etc use a slightly softer compound than MRF and others. Since you do a great deal of running maybe you should stick with MRF ZIGMAs/ ZVTs because they are proven to be very tough, long lasting tyres. Ref tyre size, best to stick with the OEM recommended 215/ 75/ R 15. I was happy with the Bridgestone Duelers that I had on my Bolero.

What amazed me was the fact that the vehicle stops in straight line no matter what the load or speed is and it does stop quick if loaded within the payload it was designed for. But if overloaded, the engine chuggs along without any sign of strain but the braking efficiency is drastically reduced. The tyres lock but skid on the road.
This I agree with. The engine is a good hauling engine, performs very well with loads even on inclines. The vehicle stops more or less in a straight line. But the wheels do lock and one goes into a dry skid if braking suddenly at high speeds. Better not to drive at speeds higher than 100-110kmph in the Bolero and in any case, while braking at speeds, better to ease off on the accelerator completely and pump the brakes a few times if one intends to come to a dead halt without skidding.

[Spitfire]

Bingo, Shankar has said it right.

My Goodyears(original) have clocked 120k, i am changing them this month. Since you use it for lugging around quite a bit of load, tyres may be consumed a bit more faster. Like Shankar said go for harder compund tyres for more mileage - also its a transport vehicle, comfort can be compromised to an extent.

The vehicle does stop very well and can be controlled well in emergency situations. But be a wee bit careful its a 1.5 ton vehicle with most of the weight on the front(Bolero and unladen Camper) the rear may do a small jig if not controlled well. Better then a Sumo and as good as a Tavera.

Again like Shankar said pumping the brake helps - sort of a manual ABS.

[maddy42]

Well at the moment 4 of my tires will last only for about 10000 kms and the stepney is intact. Culprit is no rotation being done!!
Well these tires lasted for 60000 kms though.

[simplyself]

Shankar, Spitfire,

The fact is MRFs provide better life than the other company tyres. I owned a Sportz, and I found the Bridgestones too suffered from same problem. I changed them to ZVT in front and GP in the rear. Ofcourse, the original size was 215 in this case. I also found that the comfort levels are nothing to write home about with Bridgestones and Goodyears.

The 60/55 W headlights were changed within a month of purchase of vehicle. As the Camper does all the running during the night, I felt risking a fused bulb is better than relatively dim lighting the 60/55 s offer. I even went for 130/100s for some time but found them too expensive and they averaged one bulb a week.For the Sportz I did not change the original bulbs for a fairly reasonable time but the visibility in the night is very poor.

Also, the conditions in which my vehicle runs are much different than most of the vehicles. A continuous 8-9 hrs of driving with lights sure places a lot of burden on a battery.

Many of the opinions expressed are from experiences gleaned from owning and maintaining the vehicle for the past six years and for the 9 lakh kilometres it had run.

Shankar, it is the 235s that were factory fitted. The 215s I now use are better than the OEM fitted 235s in terms of life...not only tread wear and tear but also there were issues with the steel belt. I shudder to think of the "Big Daddys" the 265s of MRF.

[shankar.balan]

Ive added some of my comments below in bold -

Originally Posted by simplyself

Shankar, Spitfire,

The fact is MRFs provide better life than the other company tyres. I owned a Sportz, and I found the Bridgestones too suffered from same problem. I changed them to ZVT in front and GP in the rear. Ofcourse, the original size was 215 in this case. I also found that the comfort levels are nothing to write home about with Bridgestones and Goodyears. 215 size ZVTS are probably the best then for your use!

The 60/55 W headlights were changed within a month of purchase of vehicle. As the Camper does all the running during the night, I felt risking a fused bulb is better than relatively dim lighting the 60/55 s offer. I even went for 130/100s for some time but found them too expensive and they averaged one bulb a week. Had you installed a cut out/ relay switch when you changed to these powerful halogen headlamps? This definitely needs a cutout/ relay switch or else the bulbs/ fuses etc will burn out. For the Sportz I did not change the original bulbs for a fairly reasonable time but the visibility in the night is very poor. I found the standard bulbs more than enough for driving in the hills etc even at night. Of course in conditions involving mist and fog I had to use my fog lamps and drive slowly.

Also, the conditions in which my vehicle runs are much different than most of the vehicles. A continuous 8-9 hrs of driving with lights sure places a lot of burden on a battery. This I agree with. With normal driving and normal use, the battery lasts generally a couple of years.

Many of the opinions expressed are from experiences gleaned from owning and maintaining the vehicle for the past six years and for the 9 lakh kilometres it had run.

Shankar, it is the 235s that were factory fitted. For the Camper yes, 235 size is factory fitted - largely because of load carrying capacity of these tyres. Same way that in the Scorpio Getaway they give 245 size when in the regular Scorp they give 235 size. The 215s I now use are better than the OEM fitted 235s in terms of life...not only tread wear and tear but also there were issues with the steel belt. I shudder to think of the "Big Daddys" the 265s of MRF. 215's will be slightly easier to drive on, because they are slightly slimmer and therefore the vehicle will be easier to steer etc. But I am not sure if they will give you enough traction with a full load and driving on a slushy stretch of road. In cases like that, maybe the OEM 235's would serve better. 265 size is not suitable for this kind of vehicle. It only looks monstrous and I think people buy such sizes for such vehicles more for show. Generally those tyres are meant for vehicles like the Endeavour etc.

[reddy6980]

Any idea when the Bolero Crde will be releasing.And any new features will be added or not.

Hope the launch is very near because the pricing section in the Bolero website has only a 5 to 6 states others are removed.

[shankar.balan]

everyone says a couple of months - I guess we will have to wait.
And you remember what they say - "All good things are worth waiting for"

Originally Posted by reddy6980

Any idea when the Bolero Crde will be releasing.And any new features will be added or not.

Hope the launch is very near because the pricing section in the Bolero website has only a 5 to 6 states others are removed.

[Spitfire]

Got news from a dealer in Kerala that they have received the TC approval for Bolero CRDe(VLX). This was in the first week of August. Sadly no launch date yet, but the above means we might see it soon.

[shankar.balan]

What does TC approval mean?
Because even I am told by Vijai that the vehicle launch news is not yet out.

sb

Originally Posted by Spitfire

Got news from a dealer in Kerala that they have received the TC approval for Bolero CRDe(VLX). This was in the first week of August. Sadly no launch date yet, but the above means we might see it soon.

[ranc]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

What does TC approval mean?
Because even I am told by Vijai that the vehicle launch news is not yet out.

sb

TC approval is the state RTO approval for the road worthiness of a new model, only after that the model can be registered in the state.

[simplyself]

I have seen a Bolero CRDe in Chennai yesterday. Couldnt see the entire badging though. No visible or distinct changes on the outside.

Is the approval by the Central Govt./ARAI not enough for vehicles to be sold in India?

[shankar.balan]

thanks buddy
but pls also tell me what TC stands for if poss! Test Car??

Originally Posted by ranc

TC approval is the state RTO approval for the road worthiness of a new model, only after that the model can be registered in the state.

[maddy42]

Wow so a bolero CRDE and an ingenio in line. Wont each vehicle be eating into the others pie?

[shankar.balan]

completely different segments
so i dont think this will happen

Originally Posted by maddy42

Wow so a bolero CRDE and an ingenio in line. Wont each vehicle be eating into the others pie?

[MuraliR]

TC as I know stands for Trade Certificate - to be issued when a car is leaving from the factory premises.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

thanks buddy
but pls also tell me what TC stands for if poss! Test Car??