[pras.oct25]

October 14th 2008, on a rainy evening in Chennai, the much awaited delivery of my Verna crdi was due. I took the bus from work, missed the stop for HMP in my excitement, came running back all the way, and there she was all ready to be driven away.
Completed the formalities and drove home happily. My initial usage was pretty less. My daily travel was only 15 or 16km odd and I was still getting adjusted to the crazy traffic scenarios here. Over time daily usage increased to 30km, and now 50km a day.
As luck would have it, the very next day after delivery, an Ikon scraped my front bumper and drove off at a busy junction. The heart ache started there. After that I had a number of extreme experiences with the drivers and riders of India. These included:
-Constantly having the side mirrors hit by bikers
-A small dent and a few scratches on the doors from motorbike handles
-Rear ended by a maruti 800 guy attempting a non existent U-turn behind my car
-Rear ended hard by a doctor (who looked like veerapan) driving a fiesta (who escaped by paying a cop 50 bucks) in bumper to bumper traffic
-Then rear ended by a tempo traveller guy who wanted to jump a red signal with me in front of him
Yes, there was a lot of heart ache.

So far no serious issues with the car, apart from a couple of niggling issues here and there. As a car owner we always search for other people's experiences in relation to maintenance and service etc. So I am putting up details regarding that here and the costs involved.
The overall amount spent on periodic maintenance has been pretty less. The car has maintained an average mileage in the city of between 13 to 15km per litre and probably higher than that on the highways, maybe around 18 to the litre. In terms of mods, the only real things I had done was seat covers, upgrading of music system which i will discuss further soon, and a tire upgrade at 10000km from the stock bridgestones to michelin xm1+ 195/60/r14.

Maintenance details:
1st Free Service:
Bill amount - Rs 0
Km - 1500

2nd Free Service:
Bill amount - Rs 1471
Changed engine oil(servo) and oil filter
Km - 4000

3rd Free Service:
Bill amount - Rs 2154 + Rs 1200 for engine oil (provided myself)
Changed engine oil(Delvac mx), oil filter, air filter and filter cartridge.
Also had the seat belt buckle replaced because of a broken spring which was making noise.
Km - 14000

4th Service (Paid):
Bill amount - Approx Rs 7000 + Rs 1200 for engine oil (provided myself)
Changed engine oil (shell helix hx6), oil filter, air filter, filter cartriddge, brake fluid.
Had tail lamp replaced from accident, front right wheel bearing replaced.
I was having some issues with the brakes locking on an ABS vehicle. A nut and bolt hub were replaced (not covered under warranty) and the rotor was skimmed to get rid of steering vibration.
Km - All work was done from 22000 - 23500km

Front Brake pad replacement due to excessive wear on one side:
26000km, Cost me Rs 1071

5th Service (Paid):
Bill amount - Rs 4800 + Rs 1300 (engine oil)
Changed oil (shell rimula r4), air filter, oil filter, filter cartridge, coolant, engine flush, fuel filter
Yet again had the brakes and the wheel speed sensor checked up. Another nut and bolt hub set replaced, sensors all come out to be ok, brakes cleaned.
Clutch slight slipping and juddering taken care of.

After a horrendous experience at HMP during 1st and 2nd service, shifted over to the smaller KUN hyundai on the east coast road. Have been able to leave the car there knowing that they will take care of the finer details and do a thorough job. The only thing that is always a disappointment is the cleanliness of the car when it is returned. I have to spend time the next day to bring the car back to the shape it was in before. But overall a 9 on 10 for the experience.
I have spent around Rs 20000 approximately for 30000km of ownership. Periodic maintenance charges have gone up to around Rs 830 + all the taxes levied on parts and the service itself + cess on the service tax.

Details about the mods:
The stock bridgestone tires were inadequate to say the least. The car is already branded as a poor handler and the tires did not help. I picked up the xm1+ as I was more inclined to comfort at that time. In hindsight I wish I had gone for the BF Goodrich which would have improved the handling much more than the xm1+ did. While maybe not the best track car, for a highway drive it is a real dream to drive.
Music system upgrade included a pioneer 5150 head unit, and rear polk speakers. I am now going to go in for the infinity reference in front. I have picked up around 6 sq ft of noisekill, balance from Gilead's damping on his car. As of now my budget does not permit even a basic amp, since refitting of the rear speakers and a proper head unit fitting itself is going to cost me 2000 bucks. The rod for the boot door comes right beneath the speaker space, meaning that I will have to have the entire plank redone at a greater height to stop the speaker hitting this rod. Also the front facia is not meant for a single din, and I got a call from Haresh of Chandru auto store that he has managed to get me the frame for it. Hope to get all this done soon.
Will also be heading to jeewajee tomorrow to discuss what can be done to beef up my seats. The lack of thigh support has been putting more strain and the increased driving distance will only amplify this. Hopefully I might be able to retain the current seat covers and not have to spend another 7k on autoform seat covers.
2 years and 30000km of driving, and she still makes me smile. Probably one of the most criticized car in town for its handling and suspension, but I dont think i would trade her in for any ford or fiat. In 30000km, I would have been driving for at least 29000km. The remaining time of being in the passenger seat, has been one of the most comfortable rides and it was a real surprise for me that people criticize it so much
After using the rimula r4 and the air filter change the turbo lag has decreased greatly and the car seems more driveable in traffic.
I am being laid low by a bad back right now - will post updates and snaps later once I have the new speakers and refitting done, and get a chance to polish and wax the car.

[live2drive]

Nice report there Pras. I am sure you must have enjoyed every bit of 30K clicks in these 2 years.

Wheel bearing replaced at 22K kms? What was the reason behind the bearing replacement so early in its life?

While maybe not the best track car, for a highway drive it is a real dream to drive.

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by live2drive

Nice report there Pras. I am sure you must have enjoyed every bit of 30K clicks in these 2 years.

Wheel bearing replaced at 22K kms? What was the reason behind the bearing replacement so early in its life?

The SA's theory was that water had lodged in the bearing area, maybe during monsoon and it had caused it to rust a bit. It was making a very soft thud thud noise every time I crossed 60km/hr. I noticed this noise but never really bothered about it thinking it was tire noise or something. They found this out themselves and did the needful, so a thumbs up for them

[pras.oct25]

A few observations after engine oil change:
After using Delvac MX for 3rd service, I shifted to the helix hx6 for 4th service. Immediate observation was that the increase in smoothness was 2 fold. Upshifting and downshifting both felt more smooth, and engine braking was easier and more effective.
The idling engine felt almost petrol like with no diesel clutter. While driving too the engine was much quieter, and I could rev high in any given gear and not have the engine get louder until I was really pushing it.
After shifting to Rimula r4 during 5th service, I didnt find much of a difference from the hx6 in terms of smoothness.
The difference I have seen is that the car is reving more freely in lower rpms and there is lesser lag. Probably also due to a new air filter.
The real benefit of the r4 is felt once I get into the boost range. In 30000km this is the smoothest and most powerful that the car has felt after crossing 1800rpm. The only issue being that the engine gets a touch noisy, but this reduces once the engine heats up and has run a few km.

[pras.oct25]

So my budget for a 4 channel amplifier had to be spent on new upholstery for the car. It had become a necessity and as it turns out totally worth it. I have put up a few preview snaps. Got dark by the time the fitting in the car happened. Will post the rest tomorrow morning.
Work was done at mehra brothers in balaji nagar. The seat, back and head rests are completely fabric, while the non contact points are all rexin.
Found out something shocking today though. 2 years back when I fit the art leather covers, the seat part of the front seats had been exchanged. For the last 2 years, I have been driving around without actually being able to fully adjust the height of the front seats This was discovered today and finally I can see beyond the cars bonnet properly!
The snaps show the original seats, the average finish of the headrest with the previous covers and the front seat after fitting the cover. More will come tomorrow morning. As usual taken with average joe camera in nokia. Will try to put up snaps with a proper camera tomorrow

[pras.oct25]

Here are the pics with fitting. Now only thing pending is to get the front components installed hopefully this week, and that should make the daily drive more comfortable.

The overall process was:
1) A layer of foam on the seat base. This was recommended by him since he thought the seat could do with more padding and better height. Also helps to increase the overall length of the seat a bit to provide thigh support.

2) Next step is to start stitching one more layer of foam to the fabric. This was the true work of art. The entire design was stitched by them and I ended up sitting there from 9 in the morning till 7 in the night watching them work. Really awesome work.

3) The headrests were fabricated separately and no foam was required for this. Just the fabric which was later fitted onto the arm rests and the head rests. The rear arm rest was very nicely done. The head rests finally click into place now. The previous art leather cover was getting in the way of the groove which didnt allow it to lock in.

4) The chocolate coloured rexin part was also stitched onto the fabric parts, and the whole thing was fitted onto the seat. Then a wire was pierced through the seat and the whole cover was tied up tightly behind to give it the tight fit. He also placed 2 neatly fitted pieces of foam on the lower part of the back for good lumbar support.

The comfort level is mind blowing now. It was hard to imagine how the original seats were after sitting on this.

[pras.oct25]

Finally got around to fitting polk components in the front today evening.
Work done at power zone, as always clean and efficient.
Noisekill on the front doors means the doors now close with a bit of a thud and also has made sure no vibration from the front.
Used the single din kit to get a neat install of the head unit. The rear parcel tray had an extra layer fabricated to accommodate the polk ovals and make sure they dont hit the rod in the boot.
Clean and clear sound as expected. I have always enjoyed the polk clarity.
Not sure when I can add an amp to the setup, if at all I do. Probably will have to go in for the auditor amp or the kenwood 8404 or something. Any reviews on these would be appreciated.
Will post a few pics tomorrow.

[sanjayc]

Those makeover of the seats look tempting! Nice silky, velvetty touch.

Please post the pics of the kit and HU. My search for the double-din kit continues.

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by sanjayc

Those makeover of the seats look tempting! Nice silky, velvetty touch.

Please post the pics of the kit and HU. My search for the double-din kit continues.

The seats are almost bed like now. Extremely comfortable
Mehra bros have been around for ages (more than 40 according to him) and the work quality shows.
Will update the pics today evening. An audition of your 5.1 is pending
Let me know if you'll be heading to power zone anytime soon. Will make it if I'm free.

[Gilead]

Those seats almost look like fake fur and soft and very inviting. Has your back pain eased a bit?

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by Gilead

Those seats almost look like fake fur and soft and very inviting. Has your back pain eased a bit?

Lol stop saying stuff like that when I'm getting bored here at office
No back pain now while driving. There is complete thigh and back support.
Fell asleep the other day when I was sitting in the back seat listening to music. I hope the foam layers last for a few years and dont soften out.

[ritedhawan]

Its good that youve maintained your Verna CRDi well. But, why have 5000km service intervals when the usual is 10,000 km intervals?

pras.oct25: I was having some issues with the brakes locking on an ABS vehicle. A nut and bolt hub were replaced (not covered under warranty) and the rotor was skimmed to get rid of steering vibration.Front Brake pad replacement due to excessive wear on one side.

I would really like to know how this issue crept up with your car?

We bought a champagne-Gold Verna CRDi SX on 30 July 2009 , the car was specifically bought for my younger brother. It has gone through 44000 km mileage. The service interval we followed was 10,000 km , even when for the most part the car was driven predominantly on the Highways. We had no issues with the braking , whatsoever and ABS working fine. The 30,000 km service at ASC, the next service at 40000km has been done by our preferred machanic , since my brother trusts him far and wide than the people at ASC. Except the usual consumables at 40000km service interval,my brother urged our mechanic to add Engine Oil Mobil 1 instead of the usual and there has been drastic change on many parameters-- as you have already elucidated-- for better. My brother's agreed on the mechanic's advice to change brake pads and wiper blades.

pras.oct25:for a highway drive it is a real dream to drive.

I would partly agree with you on this point. Driving alone at highway with speeds uptill 120 kmph, one will tacitly agree with you. But anything above that and the rear tyres feel as if they were on toes and were just waiting to take off on air!!. I mean, I felt an element of apprehension which would increase to levels of anxiety as i would increase speeds say 160+ and would always be on the back of my mind, lingering. One would need atleast 3 people on the rear seats so as to keep the rear-feet(tyres) on the road and that silky smooth steering wouldn't help maters anyway at that high speeds. Conclusively, I would say that its high speed appreciation is not good.

[pras.oct25]

Here are the snaps of the single frame kit for the head unit, the layer of noise kill on the door, tweeters, cross over network and the rear tray fitting.
Amp should happen a few months down the line if all goes well. Auditor is 6.5k, while I saw that the kenwood 8405 is around 5.5k if I buy it on amazon or something. Will do the research after a few months. Also contemplating getting more damping done. I like the sound of the front doors now

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by ritedhawan

Its good that youve maintained your Verna CRDi well. But, why have 5000km service intervals when the usual is 10,000 km intervals?

Only the first interval was early. My initial running was very less. And after the fiasco at HMP during first service, I decided that i would make them replace all the damaged and rattling parts and make them complete service at one go instead of going again. After that I ve serviced the car every 10000km, and once within 9000km odd. Unfortunately I have had a scenario where I have often had to go back a few thousand km after service to have either a brake pad change or a wheel bearing change which means more number of trips to the service center.

I would really like to know how this issue crept up with your car?

My braking ability as such has not been compromised so far. The car still brakes effectively. I dont know whether to attribute the locks that happened to lack of grip on the tires or due to brakes. All check ups on the brakes returned no issues. All sensors everything was tested twice. Everytime they clean the brakes and make sure that there is nothing going wrong. I dont know what the reason for the broken bolt and hub nut is.
Brake pad wearing out is no surprise because I do go fast and also brake equally heavily. My braking habits have improved over the last 10k km, but still the wear and tear would be much higher than someone doing more average speeds.
I am also due a wiper blade change and will probably pick up bosch.

I would partly agree with you on this point. Driving alone at highway with speeds uptill 120 kmph, one will tacitly agree with you. But anything above that and the rear tyres feel as if they were on toes and were just waiting to take off on air!!. I mean, I felt an element of apprehension which would increase to levels of anxiety as i would increase speeds say 160+ and would always be on the back of my mind, lingering. One would need atleast 3 people on the rear seats so as to keep the rear-feet(tyres) on the road and that silky smooth steering wouldn't help maters anyway at that high speeds. Conclusively, I would say that its high speed appreciation is not good.

I had the same feeling with the stock tires. Post the tires upgrade the car has always felt solid in straight lines at higher speed. The reason why you feel the car feels better with more weight is probably because it weighs down on the soft suspension preventing it from bouncing around. I will probably consider upgrading to monroes like some of the getz crdi guys have done once I complete 3rd year warranty.

[HOTROD]

dai a very nice review da..seats now look very good.The color matches the interior too..How does the component sound compared to jbl and stuff..will come over tomorrow and have a look