[nishantbhatia84]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Friend I appreciate your enthusiasm with the Figo's handling. As much as I hate to upset you, I can't help but state the obvious fact that you were taking a very big risk driving at those triple digit speeds, that too on a concrete highway which is very much prone to accidents and tyre bursts.

Before accelerating at such speeds, just think if you'll be able to control the car in case of an emergency situation. The expressway seems to have sudden curves as mentioned by fellow bhp-ians where they have noticed a loss in traction between the wheels and the road. This makes those areas even more prone for accidents.

There is a thread going on in the Street Experiences section where the point of dicussion is "Concrete highways and tyre safety(iirc) " Would suggest you to go through that thread once.

Our highways are highly unpredictable. And even though the figo is a master handler, I'd still suggest you to stick to the speed limits or somewhere close to them. Its not worth risking your life or that of your loved ones just for the sake of adrenaline rush. Just think, how would you react at that speed, should God forbid, any emergency situation arises.

This post is not intended to offend you in anyway.

Getting back to topic, the figo is a proven handler and it comes into its own in the ghats section. I could easily take corners at 60 to 80kmph. The steering feel and feedback is just great. I've always mentioned, the steering + suspension is so precise, that you can tell which wheel is undergoing what situation.

Hope you continue to enjoy the car with each mile you click on it. Drive safe.

Cheers.
Partha.

Point noted & feedback accepted mate! I realize that driving at such speeds is a crazy thing to do, and this is probably the first & last time I've done it! I just had to hit the top limit once! Again, that's no excuse for over speeding!
Shall stick to 110-140kph in the future!

[rohannr]

Well written & good driving. It was very exciting to read the part about the speed curves & reaching Mumbai in 2 hours is brilliant. My best time ever was 2hours 40 minutes.

Originally Posted by nishantbhatia84

Point noted & feedback accepted mate! I realize that driving at such speeds is a crazy thing to do, and this is probably the first & last time I've done it! I just had to hit the top limit once! Again, that's no excuse for over speeding!
Shall stick to 110-140kph in the future!

[nishantbhatia84]

Hello BHPIANS!
Just got the first free service done for my Figo! I'm here to share my experience today, so here it goes!
- completed 2500kms so it was time for the first free service.
- booked a service slot for today morning with SC Ford, Goregaon.
- brought-in the car sharp at 9am, the service advisor took way too long to inspect the car & fill the service log-sheet.
- i noticed that the service advisor had marked a scratch on the rear-right wheel arch on the sheet, got it re-checked & changed by him as it was just a streak of mud and not a scratch.
- left the car at the service center, was promised it will be done in around 2-3hrs.
- overall experience at the service center: below average. Reason: inefficient receptionist, no pleasantries, no welcome. Service advisor was as cold as a log, not at all interested or interactive.
- returned to the center at 2.30, got the necessary paperwork done & the gate pass, but no sign of my car! Where is it? The receptionist initially said it's inside the service center, after 10mins changed her claim to the car being at their parking bay which is some distance away
- got irritated waiting for the car to be brought in, was about to blow my lid when the car arrived, lucky!
- car arrives, I'm just handed over the keys by the driver, no sign of the service advisor to explain what has been done or to hand-over the vehicle
- i inspected the car & completely lost it to find the alloys completely dirty, the body soiled & the boot mat out of place! That's it, I'd had it, went inside the office, demanded to see the manager, only the service advisor came in running, got the flaws highlighted and fixed, and gave him a piece of my mind!

Overall the experience at the SC Ford service center hasn't been pleasant at all! I'm planning to write-in an email to Ford about my experience as the level of customer service at the service center was really low!
I hope one of our fellow BHPIAN is from SC Ford and he takes notice of this experience!

Coming back to the car, since it was the first service, nothing much has been done except for general checkup & top-up of consumables. Vehicle performance is the same, no change.

[nishantbhatia84]

Finally! I'm back! It was a long and hard 365 days!
Anyways, let me share my experiences with my 'Red Candy' over the time that's gone by!
(mods please move this thread to the appropriate section as deemed)
Let me start in chronological order:
October 2012: First (actual) long drive for the Red Candy: Mumbai-Goa! Wow! What a drive that was.....simply enjoyed the amazing ride dynamics of the Figo, sheer pleasure! Though i feel lack of power at times, but that's ok!
Once back from Goa, i found some rattling from the door panels, not too much of an issue, i didn't bother since rattling is inevitable on Mumbai roads
November 2012 to March 2013: Rather uneventful period, normal day to day running, no issues, no complaints, the Red Candy continues to make me smile!
March 2012: It was time to prepare for the monsoon (i know it was a bit too early), so took the Red Candy to 3M Car Care at Borivali for the under-body coat (5yrs warranty one) and also got the paint protection treatment done. Total damages: approx 8.5k but the car looked brilliant after the treatment! Money well spent i felt!
April 2013: Time for 10k service. Got it done at SC Ford, Goregaon. Engine oil changed (synthetic - Mobil 1) + other usual stuff. Damages: 7.5k
July 2013: Got into the car one fine morning and found it smelling weird, further investigation revealed bits of plastic and then came the horror! A mouse had managed to get inside and had not only pood all over, it also had chewed away two holes at the top of the passenger door and a portion of the rear seat panel from where the seat belt comes out! I was horrified on the thought that the rodent might still be inside the car and hence immediately opened all doors, boot and sprayed hit all over (in order to scare ot off). Luckily the rodent had managed to get out, but i was now concerned of it returning inside! So started looking for a solution and bingo! Team-BHP forums to the rescue. Found that the mouse might have entered through the ac vent - so called up Ford to check if they can wire-mesh the vent opening; Nope can't do is what they said.
The only other solution was to close the ac vents before exiting - seems to be working for me as the rodent hasn't returned. I now also keep a sachet of some chemical used by farmers to keep the rodents away. The chemical smells really bad but works well. Available at any local pesticide store for 70-80 bucks per kg. I would highly recommend this chemical.
September 2013: The a/c stops cooling one fine hot, humid and polluted Mumbai afternoon. Took it to SC Ford, ac coil had a leak - got it repaired, gas refilled and some chemical treatment of condenser coil, etc. set me back by 1900 bucks.
16th October 2013: Got a new ICE system for my Figo! Pioneer double-din HU, amp and 12in sub! The most basic models for each. Damages: 20k. Got it installed from Car-Art, SV Road, Borivali. No tension of losing warranty as it's a plug and play installation. No factory wires cut. Pics to follow! (got to resize them!)
Monday: Got holders and bulbs fitted in the empty slots within the tail lamp assembly. Cost me 500 bucks and it looks nice!
Future plans for the Red Candy:
1. Damping (started saving for that)
2. 3M paint protection (once again, as the finish has begun to wear out)
Overall I've been extremely content with my Figo and am happy to have chosen it again (my mom has a Figo too).
Thanks for reading! More to come!

[nishantbhatia84]

A few pics of my new ICE!

[nishantbhatia84]

Hello BHP'ians!
Presenting the latest minor mod/addition to my red candy!
I'm sure all 1st gen Figo owners would be aware of the empty slots in the tail lamp assembly. Well, i had enough of it and got them filled! With extra bulb holders and bulbs. It looks awesome now and the extra bulbs really light up the tail light assembly making it look complete and beautiful!
Check out the pics below!

[tharian]

Originally Posted by nishantbhatia84

Hello BHP'ians!
Presenting the latest minor mod/addition to my red candy!
I'm sure all 1st gen Figo owners would be aware of the empty slots in the tail lamp assembly. Well, i had enough of it and got them filled! With extra bulb holders and bulbs. It looks awesome now and the extra bulbs really light up the tail light assembly making it look complete and beautiful!
Check out the pics below!

Nice. Was it a DIY?

I have connected the brake wire to the extra slot and the park lights remain on like stock. So when the brake is pressed, there are two slots glowing. One is still empty and I am planning to connect a wire to the park light to that so there will two slots lit when the park lamp is on.
Could you elaborate on your set up and how the connections were done?

Regards

[nishantbhatia84]

Originally Posted by tharian

Nice. Was it a DIY?

I have connected the brake wire to the extra slot and the park lights remain on like stock. So when the brake is pressed, there are two slots glowing. One is still empty and I am planning to connect a wire to the park light to that so there will two slots lit when the park lamp is on.
Could you elaborate on your set up and how the connections were done?

Regards

Hi, it wasn't DIY, got it done at a local accessories shop for 500 bucks.
It's a fairly simple setup:
1. Regular tail lamp bulb holders used. (holders had to be tweaked slightly in order for them to fit in the slots)
2. The wiring for the new holders has been done as an extension to the existing wiring, so just a minor cut and paste job done, nothing extensive.
3. I was concerned about the extra load on the existing wiring and fuse, but it turns out that Ford has provided wiring and fuse capable of handling all the bulbs, but decided not to provide the extra sets of bulbs and holders. (cost cutting, eh!)
4. The final outcome is for you to see! It looks great!

[Utopian]

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[nishantbhatia84]

Hello BHPIANS!
I'm writing this while seated in the customer lounge at SC Ford - Mumbai. Have brought in the Red Candy for the 20k service.
Here's what is going to be done:
1. Engine oil change (decided to go semi-synthetic this time as fully-synthetic is ridiculously expensive over here! Rs.1250 per litre!)
2. Brake oil change
3. Oil & fuel filter change
4. Air filter change
5. A/c filter change
6. Coolant top-up
7. Wheel alignment & balancing
8. General brake clean-up
9. Tyre rotation

Estimated cost is around Rs.8k including taxes.
The SA - Amol is a nice guy, have always had a positive experience with him.

Few months ago the a/c developed a problem - used to cut-off very often so got it checked at SC, turned out to be another known issue with Figo - they replaced the thermister which resolved the issue. Wasn't charged anything for it.
Also took up the extended warranty (3rd & 4th year) for Rs.8800 (petrol figo)

Over & out for now!

[nishantbhatia84]

Hi all,
Just got done with the 20k service from SC Ford, Goregaon - Mumbai.
Total cost came to Rs.6590.00 all inclusive
Here's the break-up:
1. Semi-synthetic engine oil 5W30 - 4.5ltrs - Rs.1312.02
2. Oil filter - Rs.121.27
3. Brake fluid - 1ltr - Rs.656.16
4. Air filter - Rs.281.19
5. Washer fluid - Rs.56.30
6. Wheel balancing - Rs.560.00
7. Wheel alignment - Rs.400.00
8. 20k service charge - Rs.945.00
9. Consumables - Rs.200
10. Labor - Rs.2426.94

I was happy to get a discount of Rs.588.47!!

Overall the service experience was good! I was present at the service center when this was done.
The only negative was the washing experience:
The washer guys almost damaged my sub - luckily i reached the wash area on time and gave them a earful! Gave feedback to the SA as well - he said they are aware of the issues with washing guys and are getting them changed by end of this month. Hopefully next time the washing experience will be better.

The driving experience:
- The car feels smoother
- Throttle response has improved
- Brakes have more bite
- A/c cools even faster!! (not that it was any bad earlier)

Overall I'm really happy with the outcome and the Red Candy feels refreshed!!

[nishantbhatia84]

All of a sudden it struck me that it's been more than a year that I've updated anything on this thread! Even though I've got loads to share!!
I've updated stuff as per what I remember, so the events are in not in any order.

My Red Candy has completed 30,000kms!! Got the 30k service done at SC Ford - Goregaon last week. This is what was done:
1. Engine oil changed - semi-synth Mobil 1
2. Oil-filter replaced
3. Air filter replaced
4. Front brake pads replaced & brakes cleaned
5. Basic lubrication where applicable
6. Rear-right door handle fixed

Total damages came to approx. 8.5k
Overall experience at SC Ford was average, as their car wash personnel are still pathetic - I recommend not getting your car washed from them as they wet the entire interiors of the vehicles!

I also got the tyres changed as the stock MRF 175/65 R14 ones had gone hard, resulting in a lot of tyre noise and jerks+vibrations into the car.
Got the tyres changed to Falken Sincera 185/70 R14 at Rs 4120 each.

Since I got the service and tyres changed on the same day, driving my Figo after that was a totally different experience!! Throttle response and acceleration have improved a lot, and so has the ride quality with the new tyres! It feels great to drive the Red Candy now!!

From 20k to 30k the ownership experience has been pretty flawless! Not faults/issues whatsoever! Did a couple of short drives - Lonavala, Nashik, etc and a long drive to Rajasthan (3000kms) (Read my travelogue here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-red-figo.html) during this period and the Red Candy performed superbly!!

Just today in the morning while on my way to work I suddenly felt the steering get super-hard! Initially I thought I've got a flat tyre so stopped and checked the same - but that wasn't the case. Somehow I managed to drive till office with the rock-hard steering and popped the bonnet to find the hydraulic pump belt gone! This is what had caused the power steering to fail! Luckily for me the SC Ford service centre is very close to my office so took the Figo there and got both the hydraulic pump belt and the alternator belt replaced. Cost me Rs.1950 and took about 45 mins!

So far my ownership experience with the Red Candy has been exceptional and it has served me very well and I hope it continues to do the same for many more years!

Signing-off for now!! Cya later!!

[Famagusta]

Hello there!
I've read all your updates on your Red Candy, and I must say, it is very impressive.
I happen to own a 2014 Figo ZXi 1.2 Petrol as well, and I was searching high and low for some details on performance upgrades. I am not someone who aims to chase top speeds, but rather focus on driveability, response etc. I found the bottom end torque to be rather insufficient. May I know whether you felt the same, and whether you did something to address it? I was thinking of something subtle like NGK Iridium spark plugs, and maybe a BMC stock replacement air filter. And perhaps a stage 1 remap down the line. Do you think you might have any suggestions or tips for me?
Thank you!