Trip to The Honda Service station

[gendarmee]

My Activa's old battery started giving a problem right from the 4th month of purchase, which led to a couple of revelations, which i had no clue about.

I went to AutoFin-Honda here where I got my bike from, the sales person same very politely talked and made a note of my problems and gave answers, I'm typing it out in a question and answer to depict a dialogue..


ME> the engine coughs and feels like its going to turn off when ever i hit the the throttle, it started after the 1st servicing(he takes me on a test ride)
Service> Sir, this is a simple carburetor setting problem, we'll do it in the servicing.
ME> I have never had this problem until the first servicing, the first servicing screwed it and it happens after every servicing.
Service>The carb is designed to be set using screws, we have to set three of them, I'll get that done in the servicing sir, its a very complex process.
ME>yes, the you mean the air, fuel, slow jet.
Service>Those only sir, we can do it only during service.
ME> Don't you people clean the carb during the servicing(assuming that cleaning and fixing it ruins the settings of the screws)
Service>No No, we don't open the carb or clean the bowl, we only set the carb.
ME>please check the battery, its the 2nd battery in the year and it discharges after 2 self attempts.(he asks a boy to open the battery and check the water level)
Service> there is no water in the battery sir, why didnt you get it filled , it its summer saar, it gets evaporated.
ME> Isnt that your responsibility, don't your guys advise against getting anything done outside?
Service> No No sit, battery and Oil you only should take care, don't depend on servicing.
Me> okay. I do that for my kinetic & FIAT, using distilled water.
Service> You have fixed big horns on this bike sir, that is why the battery is getting drained also because of more load on battery water is also evaporating.
ME>What? i Have the same pair of horns on my 18 year old kinetic & the battery has not given me any problem for the last 2 1/2 years.
Service> Kinetic Honda is a moped sir just 70cc.
ME>(keeping my nerve) What? its 98cc 2 stroke, btw i have a 110 cc bore piston kit on that.
Service> no no, is im not talking about battery, im talking about the engine, that is 70cc so it uses less battery, activa is a bigger 102cc engine more powerful and heavy uses more battery, so you cant fix those horns. Even looks like th rectifier is gone doesn't look like battery problem, rectifier is heating up, it should not, rectifier costs 420 rupees only sir it changed, you wont have any battery problem then.
ME> (humbug! i changed the topic) Last time after the service my bike wasn't even washed plus all the external screws,chrome fenders & side handle were different and scratched.
service>Washing is only for our convinence sir, so that technician doesnt have a problem with opening the bike, we either use water wash or air pressure if there are too many vehicles. WE open all vehicles together so all screws ect get mixed. we cannot do individual bikes saar.
Me>what do you do for a free servicing?
Service> Oil change, check everything, grease suspension if needed, clutch, check carb setting. Your servicing is due next week sir, take an appointment now itself.
ME> okay. I'll do it. How much will it cost to get the front mud guard touched up.
Service> ~takes a deep look~ Denting-painting-cones-fork throwing, should be aprox 2200 rupees sir.
ME> why cones change? fork has in fact become straight and not pulling after the accident, i can completely leave my hands and ride now?!?
Service> it is mandatory to change the cones, other wise fork wont fit, you feel fork isnt bent but there is a very very small bend sir, it has to be repaired.
ME> very very small but still has to be repaired? I'll think about it. i'll book the date for servicing though. What about a new mud guard?
Service> 1400 sir plus painting charges.
ME> fine. thank you for you time.

~end of convo~

Next thing I did is to go to my kine's mechie and got the carb & air filter cleaned., 11 months/12000 km the carb wasn't cleaned.
No wonder the activa was giving only 30-34 km/l
Now it feels like a breeze.
Got new, original Honda, painted mud guard for 750 rupees. My kine spares distributor turns out to be the honda spares distributor too, replacement cost- 100 bucks.
Im not going back to the authorised service centre for any service again.

And the not so surprising part is that most other authorized service centers have the same problem, its not brand specific, but plagues all brands.

[aaggoswami]

Let me start with this. We had Bajaj Caliber Feb 1999 ( 3 or 4th caliber in Vadodara City ) original version with round headlamp and 7.7bhp super torquey engine.
Back in 2005 I went to Bajaj Dealership for new headlamp as the Original Philips stopped working. The service head person told me that the lamp is not avaliable. I asked him that when it will be avaliable. He screamed at me and said I am not suppossed to ask him when.

It ended up in a very rough and physical after I screamed that he is suppossed to sign out of his duty and come on the road to fight with me.
He was bleeding and since then has left that service center.

So these type of people are Omnipresent.

In your case, its really horrible that they did all wrong stuff. The argument about the battery was out of the blue that too from Honda.
My friend once took me when he was to give his silver honda activa in service. the battery was flat. the service center person sat on the vehicle and after a breif checking ( pressing all the buttons ) declared that battery was gone and all lights have fused. I was speechless. Bulbs on the entire vehicle were fine. After 20 mins heated argument he realized that I had some technical knowledge more than him.
I took my friend to excide shop, Bought a battery went back to service center, asked for tools and then I changed the battery myself. And then all the lights and horn were working. He was to charge my friend 850 for changing the battery, we finished it in 675!

I have many, many more rough experiences, but i cant write down each and everyone here. Each and every Bajaj visit was a fight. We had 1 caliber( mentioned above ), 1 Feb 2000 spirit and 1 June 29 2002 Bajaj Spirit. We used to tow Bajaj Spirits with Caliber to get the Spirits serviced. My dad would be on Caliber driving us and I would be on the Spirit( usually red faced about the service center).

You have made a perfect decesion about not visiting that INTELLIGENT service center with Albert Einstieens.

[gendarmee]

After getting the batter water, the self started works even when the bike is started after 14 hours, that is starting a cold engine. Before the self wouldn't work even after 20 KM of continuous driving w/o honking.
After the carb-air filter cleaning the mileage had considerably increased from ~28-33 too ~38-40 kmpl under similar driving conditions, engine coughing/switching off problem had completely gone.



Right, Mr Goswami. Thats what I have come across with my experience too, one cant say this brand is better or that brand's A.S.S is better...All are equally good/bad, as one might want to take it. One cant blame the brand unless the quality of the product is bad.

[manish7]

@ gendarmee - do post this entire converstation as a feedback on Honda site. Thr irony is that these authorized service center guys don't do anything themselves and if you get it done - your warranty is void!! Time to teach them a lesson I guess!

[gendarmee]

Originally Posted by manish7

@ gendarmee - do post this entire converstation as a feedback on Honda site. Thr irony is that these authorized service center guys don't do anything themselves and if you get it done - your warranty is void!! Time to teach them a lesson I guess!

I tried talking to the honda guys through the site but no response.
For the battery the exide guys blame it on service guys an refuse a replacement & the service guys blame exide.
Same with other things, they just blame someone/something.
At the end of the day, we are the losers.

[Gerardfdz]

Hi,
I try to do most of my Dio service myself -seeing as most have problems geting their Activa's Dio's serviced!

But - does any one have the service manual? - It would be a great help.

Rgds