Booked SX4/ZXi - Delivered 14th May 2008

[saurabhb2000]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

Today I got 3M 50% films installed for sides only. Also got the horns changed to Roots Windstone.

Great. how much for 3m film and from where? thanks,

[gopinathann]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

From Vipul motors.

Today I got 3M 50% films installed for sides only. Also got the horns changed to Roots Windstone.

Yesterday I have put Roots Windtone Super + melody maker with 7 settings, though most of the time I will use it as a normal one. It exactly sounds like the skoda horn.

Horn - 500, Melody maker - 150, Fitting - 150.

[rkbharat]

3M for sides only, 50%, visibility, 70% Heat Reduction for 1800 Rs. Got it installed from a friends shop in Galleria, Gurgaon.

I am looking for some alternate for rear, may be a sliding curtain.

Originally Posted by saurabhb2000

Great. how much for 3m film and from where? thanks,

Cost is almost same, its 650 Rs, here in Gurgaon with fitting. Now I need to upgrade for lighting.

Originally Posted by gopinathann

Yesterday I have put Roots Windtone Super + melody maker with 7 settings, though most of the time I will use it as a normal one. It exactly sounds like the skoda horn.
Horn - 500, Melody maker - 150, Fitting - 150.

[gopinathann]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

3M for sides only, 50%, visibility, 70% Heat Reduction for 1800 Rs. Got it installed from a friends shop in Galleria, Gurgaon.

I am looking for some alternate for rear, may be a sliding curtain.



Cost is almost same, its 650 Rs, here in Gurgaon with fitting. Now I need to upgrade for lighting.

I also upgraded to Narva 100/90 with Relays from Philips crystal vision 55/60. Now the beam spread is good and visibility is better.

[rkbharat]

Covered 1050 in 20 days :-(, too bad, thats really slow...

Anyways went for 1st service today at Vipul Motors Gurgaon. Told the service advisor in advance for the following:

1. Will be coming at 9:30 and want my car back by 1.
2. Oil and Filters need to be changed in my presence.
3. Some other minor issues.

Reached there sharp at 9:30 AM. car was booked for service immediately. The sales guy who handled sale to me also appeared to say hi to me and helped me in all the service issues.

Car was serviced in 2 hrs. Though there was nothing much to do except, general checkups, oil change, filter change.

They offered me teflon coating, rust coating etc. etc. and I refused for all except the coating of engine bay area.

I liked it in another car there. So went for 800 Rs.

They used Idemitsu brand of engine oil, 4.7 ltr.

Cleaning is done nicely, much much better than Tata, which fails completely in cleaning.

this is how engine area looks after coating:

[SumitB]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

this is how engine area looks after coating:
Attachment 19130

Do they apply the coating by spraying? Did they do it infront of you?

[gopinathann]

The coating looks good, but won't the dust settle on it easily. What is it's actual purpose ? I might also go for that.

[rkbharat]

Originally Posted by SumitB

Do they apply the coating by spraying? Did they do it infront of you?

Yes the applied it using spray and did it in front of me. I told them to do the oil/filter change and coating in my presence.

Originally Posted by gopinathann

The coating looks good, but won't the dust settle on it easily. What is it's actual purpose ? I might also go for that.

Infact thats what they say that dust will not settle easily whatever settles can be brushed easily. Also it save connectors and plugs from dust and water. I saves rubber and plastic parts to crack. Though they claim all these but I thought its ok to spend 800 for this

[rkbharat]

Odo is at 2300 Km after 1.5 month, pretty low by my standards, but good for my pocket . No long drive yet :-(.

So here I stand:

Likings:
I am enjoying the seating position, gives a very god view. Yesterday I drove my friend's Elantra and I felt like seating on floor.

2. Pickup and acceleration is awesome. reaching 130 is like nothing for it. Car remains smooth till 130 but starts getting coarse after that. I have not gone beyond 150KM/hr.

3. Huge GC is doing its job very well on the broken and almost gone roads of gurgaon. People who have been to Atul Kataria Chowk to Sheetla Mata Mandir stretch in last few weeks can feel this.

4. AC is super cool. I have never driven it without AC. Not even 1% strain of AC on the engine. I am really loving it.

5. Brakes gives huge confidence and are very accurate. Never got a chance to get ABS in action.

6. I can drive this car for hundreds of miles without getting tired. Seat are good but to my surprise are not as comfortable as of Indica.

7. No rattles of any sort till date.

8. I can put Car seat, Portable Kid trolley, and 2 luggage in the boot. so ample boot space.

9. Zero noise inside cabin below 120 Km/Hr

Disliking:

1. Pickup problem from idle, I got it checked at MASS twice. Though they denied any problem in the car. They told me to put a bit of extra acceleration while picking up. Though I will still keep it in the disliking list.

2. Irritating noise inside cabin after 120KM/Hr

3. A pillar is a problem while taking turns. It does blocks the view. You need to learn to handle this

4. Though reverse gear has smoothened, 1st gear is still hard. Will wait for another 1k Km before I report it as problem.

5. I can not view Odometer and trip meter together. WHY. or am I missing something?

6. This car is a fuel guzzler beyond 2500rpm. So its best to keep it between 2000-2500 rpm. Also FE drops drastically on taking short trips.

7. headlamps are useless. need to upgrade them very soon. Just that my long drive is getting postponed, so I am not that worried.

8. Shockers are very bad and bumpy on bad roads at slow speed. and I mean really very bad.
Problems:
Nothing except pickup from idle

Additions:
Nothing new is added from last update

FE:
10.5-11.5, 100% AC, full CITY, it has reduced after 1st servicing or I have opened up a bit . Will report this to MASS

Anything Else:
There is nail punched in the left rear tyre but there is no loss of air pressure. Should I get it removed and puncture repaired?

[trrk]

Hi,

> Seat are good but to my surprise are not as comfortable as of Indica.

That is how much Indica and its cousins spoil you with their good seats. You miss them. The City's are a pain!

> Pickup problem from idle, They told me to put a bit of extra acceleration
> while picking up. Though I will still keep it in the disliking list.

That is again the diesel to petrol change over problem, I think.

> A pillar is a problem while taking turns. It does blocks the view.

Same with the City.

> I can not view Odometer and trip meter together. WHY. or am I missing
> something?

That is how things are in most cars. Same in my City!

> Shockers are very bad and bumpy on bad roads at slow speed. and I mean > really very bad.

Welcome to the world of stiff kneed cars. Once you attain speed, they give you a bice absorbent ride. On slow speeds they let you about every ridge and groove. Cit worse than Marina which is worse than Indica.

> There is nail punched in the left rear tyre but there is no loss of air
> pressure. Should I get it removed and puncture repaired?

Yes.

[rkbharat]

Dr Rajesh, very nice feedback.

I always thought City has got better shocks at low speed. I guess city and SX4 have got similar set of issues.

Originally Posted by trrk

Hi,

> Seat are good but to my surprise are not as comfortable as of Indica.

That is how much Indica and its cousins spoil you with their good seats. You miss them. The City's are a pain!

> Pickup problem from idle, They told me to put a bit of extra acceleration
> while picking up. Though I will still keep it in the disliking list.

That is again the diesel to petrol change over problem, I think.

> A pillar is a problem while taking turns. It does blocks the view.

Same with the City.

> I can not view Odometer and trip meter together. WHY. or am I missing
> something?

That is how things are in most cars. Same in my City!

> Shockers are very bad and bumpy on bad roads at slow speed. and I mean > really very bad.

Welcome to the world of stiff kneed cars. Once you attain speed, they give you a bice absorbent ride. On slow speeds they let you about every ridge and groove. Cit worse than Marina which is worse than Indica.

> There is nail punched in the left rear tyre but there is no loss of air
> pressure. Should I get it removed and puncture repaired?

Yes.

[rajneeesh]

Rajiv,

Please have MASS check the throttle body and recaliberate it if required. That has solved the problem of low speed jerking in 1st gear in my car.

Secondly have you tried adjusting the headlight beam switch. It does help.

[rkbharat]

Originally Posted by rajneeesh

Rajiv,

Please have MASS check the throttle body and recaliberate it if required. That has solved the problem of low speed jerking in 1st gear in my car.

Secondly have you tried adjusting the headlight beam switch. It does help.

Thanks Rajneesh, Now I going to force MASS to do that.

also beam adjustment does not help much.

[trrk]

Hi,

> I always thought City has got better shocks at low speed.

Well, I bought a pair of Swift OEM 165/80R14 tyres second hand to try them on the City. I did about 60 kms with them on the front. There was a little improvement on the ride. But then I had to use those tryes in the Marina which had to go on a long drive (and needed a tyre change in the front) and it has remained there.

Those high profile tryes do soften up the ride even in the Marina.

[prince85]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

They offered me teflon coating, rust coating etc. etc. and I refused for all except the coating of engine bay area.
I liked it in another car there. So went for 800 Rs.
this is how engine area looks after coating:
Attachment 19130

Well IIRC, this coating which they have done in the engine compartment is called "PU Coating" (correct me if i am wrong). If thats what it is, then i have some bad news for you my friend.

Well, back in 2006 when i had gone in for the first service of my esteem, Spectra Motors (Ghatkopar-Mumbai) offered a similar coating for my car. They showed me a Baleno which had the same coating done a little earlier and oh yes! the engine bay was gleaming and shining like anything. I loved the idea of a shiny engine-bay and they also said it protects the rubber parts and electricals. Soo i went in for it, paid 900 bucks and was very happy with the job.

All was well until after a few days i started noticing scaling of the coating on the a/c pipes and more specifically on the radiator hosepipe. After a few months, the coating started totally peeling off and disintegrating in places all over the engine bay and it looked horrible! It looked really really ugly!

I went in for the 3rd service and got the coating re-done soo as to cover up the scaled up coating and thereby not make it look as bad even though i knew it was only a temporary solution but then i had no choice because there was no way i could get rid of the left over coating (which had not scaled) and it resembled like pieces of loose thin plastic.

I finally sold the car earlier this year and got an SX4 and i promised my self that "PU Coating" is something i am never going to do for my current car or for that matter any other car in the future.

I now use dashboard polish on the engine cover and the battery cradle and the drain grill (i don't know what its exactly called) but its that part which is just below the front windscreen and just above the bonnet. I am very happy with the results and recommend the same to all my friends.

Cheers