The Tata Safari 2.2L technical/Other problems/solutions Thread

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I think jeepers call it death wobble.
This is what happens. When I am driving around 40-50kmph(or faster), if one tire hits pothole, the steering starts shaking violently, and I have to slow down to a crawl to make it go away. I have gotten some components of steering box changed, as well as steering cross and center pin change. There is nothing left to change now. What could be the problem?

Dear Tanveer - I am a shade surprised. The root cause is reduction of steering ball joint preload. Please correct accordingly.

Dear all - for water wetting the carpets, please check that all the slots in the running board bottom are clear. In one of the "other" vehicles on which I had worked (), these slots were filled by sealant to reduce NVH, which resulted in a lot of customer complaints which I had to go and resolve. The customer's name was Mr.Neeraj Kumar from Bangalore. I actually removed 6.5 liters of water from each side.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Tanveer - I am a shade surprised. The root cause is reduction of steering ball joint preload. Please correct accordingly.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thanks for your reply.
Let me give you a bit of history with steering.
I had been complaining about play in steering, and wobble creeping in whenever the car hit a pothole.
So the steering damper was replaced.
Since the steering would still make noises and such, center pin was also replaced.
Problems did not go away, so the Steering Cross was replaced under extended warranty.
Even after that, excessive play remained, so a week back the steering box was opened up, and piston was replaced.
Now, the steering is tighter, but its vague, and whenever I hit a pothole, the steering starts oscillating at around 3-4Hz, with the vehicle bouncing wildly at the front end.
I have to slow down to 20kmph.
I am taking the car to the workshop on Saturday again, what exactly do I tell the service center.
I am scared of driving this thing above 40kmph now!
since extended warranty got over a week back, I am also apprehensive about the costs.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Thanks for your reply. Let me give you a bit of history with steering. I had been complaining about play in steering, and wobble creeping in whenever the car hit a pothole. So the steering damper was replaced. Since the steering would still make noises and such, center pin was also replaced. Problems did not go away, so the Steering Cross was replaced under extended warranty. Even after that, excessive play remained, so a week back the steering box was opened up, and piston was replaced. Now, the steering is tighter, but its vague, and whenever I hit a pothole, the steering starts oscillating at around 3-4Hz, with the vehicle bouncing wildly at the front end. I have to slow down to 20kmph. I am taking the car to the workshop on Saturday again, what exactly do I tell the service center. I am scared of driving this thing above 40kmph now! since extended warranty got over a week back, I am also apprehensive about the costs.

Dear Tanveer - just for your academic information, all this will vanish in Storme as it will have rack and pinion steering. Death wobble primarily happens if king pin bearings lose preload. In your case, ball joints may have lost preload. Please replace them. Tell the guys not to bark up the wrong tree.

Time to change your car. You know what to buy! .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Tanveer - just for your academic information, all this will vanish in Storme as it will have rack and pinion steering. Death wobble primarily happens if king pin bearings lose preload. In your case, ball joints may have lost preload. Please replace them. Tell the guys not to bark up the wrong tree.

Time to change your car. You know what to buy! .

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Yup that I do, by offering 4x4 in LX, Mahindra scorpio is becoming very tempting. Lets see what 2013 brings, and how much the Storme actually costs, and whether its a storme in a tea cup?
As for academic curiousty, does the safari come with a Recirculating ball type of steering. If so, can you go and spank the guy who thought of this in a SUV of 21st century?

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Yup that I do, by offering 4x4 in LX, Mahindra scorpio is becoming very tempting. Lets see what 2013 brings, and how much the Storme actually costs, and whether its a storme in a tea cup?
As for academic curiousty, does the safari come with a Recirculating ball type of steering. If so, can you go and spank the guy who thought of this in a SUV of 21st century?

Dear Tanveer - How can a "Storme" ever happen in a teacup? After driving it, you will say, "who tuned it, I wonder?". Got the drift? Yes, Safari "still has" RCBT, so it also has an idler arm with all its associated "systems". In a lighter vein, I'll leave the last line activity out of our discussion, we have better things to do and both of us know it. .

ScorpioLX4WD is not the car to buy!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Tanveer - How can a "Storme" ever happen in a teacup? After driving it, you will say, "who tuned it, I wonder?". Got the drift? Yes, Safari "still has" RCBT, so it also has an idler arm with all its associated "systems". In a lighter vein, I'll leave the last line activity out of our discussion, we have better things to do and both of us know it. .

ScorpioLX4WD is not the car to buy!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

I am fed up with this idler arm khat, suspension jumping rod issues, Center pin and steering cross issues. Will Rack and Pinion stuff ensure trouble free steering system?
I am also interested in knowing about what fixes have been done for rear LSD. Every tata safari 4x4 owner I have met has had to replace the rear LSD kit around 60-70,000kms

[ameaa]

Experts need an advice. Fog lamp glass keeps cracking on my safari. I have replaced two pairs already in 1.9 years of ownership. Its cracking without any hit on it. Any other owners facing same issue?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ameaa

Experts need an advice. Fog lamp glass keeps cracking on my safari. I have replaced two pairs already in 1.9 years of ownership. Its cracking without any hit on it. Any other owners facing same issue?

Yes. I have this issue. It happens when you switch on fog lamps and it rains. The fog lamps run hot, and water spray breaks glass. This happens esp when you have grime from road deposited on fog lamp, caking it with light layer of mud which does not allow heat to dissipate. If you put water on lamp, it will crack. So my suggestion, let it be. Its a feature, not a bug.

[ameaa]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Yes. I have this issue. It happens when you switch on fog lamps and it rains. The fog lamps run hot, and water spray breaks glass. This happens esp when you have grime from road deposited on fog lamp, caking it with light layer of mud which does not allow heat to dissipate. If you put water on lamp, it will crack. So my suggestion, let it be. Its a feature, not a bug.

Thanks for the info. Since your car has done pretty decent miles, just wanted to check whether you have replaced water pump any time? Mine has done 63K and the pump is leaking.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by ameaa

Thanks for the info. Since your car has done pretty decent miles, just wanted to check whether you have replaced water pump any time? Mine has done 63K and the pump is leaking.

There was a retro-fit from Tata related to timing kit etc., I am not sure whether water pump was replaced under that retro, because the repair sheet just shows "kit number" etc.,

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by ameaa

Thanks for the info. Since your car has done pretty decent miles, just wanted to check whether you have replaced water pump any time? Mine has done 63K and the pump is leaking.

Mine is at 65K and water pump has started leaking. I am yet to check whether it is the pump or the pump sealing that is leaking. Aadya motors asked me to change the pump, But i am not going to buy it until I verify it myself. I fill up the radiator once a month to compensate the leak.
If replacing, I think you will have to replace the belts as well.

[smsrini]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Mine is at 65K and water pump has started leaking. I am yet to check whether it is the pump or the pump sealing that is leaking. Aadya motors asked me to change the pump, But i am not going to buy it until I verify it myself. I fill up the radiator once a month to compensate the leak.
If replacing, I think you will have to replace the belts as well.

@ameea @Holyghost: Do not ignore any sounds coming off the water pump. if the bearing goes, or any other damage to the pump, during running, can snap the timing belt, and lead to other damages.

The timing belt and water pump are replaced together if I'm not mistaken.

[Holyghost]

Thanks for the heads up smsrini. I haven't noticed any unusual sound from the waterpump yet. It is only that the coolant level goes from Max to Mid level in a span of 4-5 weeks. I will definitely replace, if it is gone kaput. The only thing is I dont trust Aadya, hence I wanted to verify the leak by a local mechanic before I replace the pump/belts.

[AVR]

While people are talking about steering I have something happening in my Safari too.
When you take a U-turn and go over a bump at the same time there's a metallic klang sound as if something is going to snap! Nothing seems to be broken so far as the car works perfectly fine if I take a U-turn without going over a bump or go over a bump straight.

Some history and its done 140K so far:
- Steering bushes were changed at a while back (around 40K back). Steering gearbox had a leakage and was repaired around 133K
- Suspension bushes were changed at 95K
- Its a 4wd

[ameaa]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Mine is at 65K and water pump has started leaking. I am yet to check whether it is the pump or the pump sealing that is leaking. Aadya motors asked me to change the pump, But i am not going to buy it until I verify it myself. I fill up the radiator once a month to compensate the leak.
If replacing, I think you will have to replace the belts as well.

I was told that the seal cannot be replaced alone. It seems it comes with the pump. I am doing it under warranty hopefully. Leaving the car today with concorde mysore road. My leak is from the front of the engine. I opened the bottom panels and found it coming between the black front cover and the engine casing.They need 1.5 days to do the work.