[Schoudhury]

That is nice yaar .
But , you know what, the best thing that i liked was, you tried to sketch your Italian baby rather than anything else , KUDOS man.

You same stuff got posted in the team-bhp facebook page also
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Cheers

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

I don't know about "Incredible" but you sure are waaay too "Creative" !!

Thanks Vik0728,
Credit also must go to Samsung for their good Smemo sketcing app

Originally Posted by Schoudhury

But , you know what, the best thing that i liked was, you tried to sketch your Italian baby rather than anything else.

You say its the best thing but my wife feels otherwise

You same stuff got posted in the team-bhp facebook page also
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Cheers

Infact I had not posted it on FB but one of my friends came and told me that my sketch was good. Only then did I see this.

Thanks to the mods!

[hemanth.anand]

The ODO today stands at 37900kms after last weekend's TBHP meet.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...0-bhpians.html

Today I was updating the excel sheet containing all details of my punto and...

...At 37832 kms, I have broken even with the running cost of a diesel emotion (if I had bought one).
This is without taking into consideration the service costs and Loan interest.
If I consider those two as well, the breakeven point will be somewhere near 40k kms

The factors considered for the calculations are:

• My car's FE is 12kmpl
  • I have got around 11-15kmpl so far under different conditions
• Diesel car's FE is 18kmpl
  • this data is from a friend having a 1.3 Punto Emotion.
• Diesel Emotion was Rs1,21,376/- more than my petrol emotion
  • On road price as per the pricelist in 2010
• Average rate of Petrol per litre is Rs72.50 and for diesel it is Rs51
  • Shell unleaded petrol prices are considered since I use shell whenever possible

With the above parameters, fuel cost per km for me worked out to Rs6.04 while it is Rs2.84 for diesel.
Further calculations show that I have spent a whoping Rs2,28,570 on 3153 litres of petrol
I would have spent Rs1,07,194 on 2102 litres of diesel.

I made a graph depicting this


Breakeven!

During my purchase of a vehicle I had calculated this and had found that the breakeven would occur at close to 45k kms
I had also calculated that it would occur in 4 years somewhere towards the end of 2014

If the rising petrol prices brought down the breakeven point to around 39K kms, the driving pleasure of a Punto and the many trips because of that, are to blame for reaching the breakeven point in 2 and a half years!

[hemanth.anand]

9 days ago, On 19th march, My car touched 38000 mark


37999


902 days from the date of Purchase

The odo now stands at 38300. That's 30000kms completed on this set of tyres.
After my experience with my previous car, I am not keen on keeping the tyres for more than 35K
I made an initial survey of all the good tyres for 205/60R15 size. a tble is shown below


The OE tyres are 195/60R15 (Alloys). I don't wan to downsize now.
215/55R15 would be an overkill IMO.It may touch the wheel well I guess. So I would want to stick with the current size of 205/60R15

Awaiting some suggestions

I will also post this in the tyre query thread.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

After my experience with my previous car, I am not keen on keeping the tyres for more than 35K
I made an initial survey of all the good tyres for 205/60R15 size. a tble is shown below

I use Michelin Primacy LC 205/55R16 on the T-Jet, and I am quite satisfied with it after ~1500km of usage. The ride is soft and gives a comfortable cushioned feel on bad roads, and there is quite a significant amount of grip advantage over OE tyres, during cornering and braking - very perceptible in ghat sections. Perhaps the single main advantage of the Primacy LC is the totally dead tyre noise. You will hear nothing from the tyres, and for highways this is a big boon when you are cruising at high speeds. They do have soft sidewalls though, but that is perhaps the only downside - need to be careful over sharp stones and potholes. Then again, some BHPians like Nikhil have abused these tyres on all sorts of roads and not had any problems.

I have heard good things about the ZLOs from Nikhil. Schoudhury has been using 195/60R15 size I think on his Ritz.

The OE tyres are 195/60R15 (Alloys). I don't wan to downsize now.
215/55R15 would be an overkill IMO.It may touch the wheel well I guess. So I would want to stick with the current size of 205/60R15

Awaiting some suggestions

I will also post this in the tyre query thread.

Hemanth, 205/60R15 is more likely to touch the wheel well on full load over speedbreakers, especially at the back. More likely than 215/55R15.

Sidewall width of 205/60R15 = 60% of 205mm = 123 mm
Sidewall width of 215/55R15 = 55% of 215mm = 118.25 mm

You can go for a balance and opt for 205/55R15, but as far as I know, only Yokohama manufactures in this size, so your choice will be limited.

P.S - if you're going with 205/60R15, I'd straight away recommend the Michelin Energy XM2+ if you travel frequently. It is quite rugged, doesn't suffer from the 'delicate sidewall' feature of the PrimacyLC, and provides you with Michelin's trademark of low noise and high comfort.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

I use Michelin Primacy LC 205/55R16 on the T-Jet, and I am quite satisfied with it after ~1500km of usage. The ride is soft and gives a comfortable cushioned feel on bad roads, and there is quite a significant amount of grip advantage over OE tyres, during cornering and braking. Perhaps the single main advantage of the Primacy LC is the totally dead tyre noise. You will hear nothing from the tyres, and for highways this is a big boon when you are cruising! They do have soft sidewalls, but that is perhaps the only downside - need to be careful over sharp stones and potholes.

This is exactly what I have heard about primacy LC
Soft rubber is the only thing that I'm worried about.

I have heard good things about the ZLOs from Nikhil. Schoudhury has been using 195/60R15 size I think on his Ritz.

This would have been my choice if they had 205/60

Hemanth, 205/60R15 is more likely to touch the wheel well on full load over speedbreakers, especially at the back. More likely than 215/55R15.

Sidewall width of 205/60R15 = 60% of 205mm = 123 mm
Sidewall width of 205/55R15 = 55% of 205mm = 118.25 mm

Your calculations are correct but this is the wall thickness.
After using my tyres for 2years I know that the thickness is not a problem and at times I've loaded my car very real heavy luggage in the boot. 215/55 will not be a problem at all.
But the problem is the additional 10 mm tyre width (215-205) that may hit the wheel well when the steering wheel is completely turned to right/left.
While I bought my current 205s I had seen that there was very less gap with the wheel well walls when steered to the right/left most position

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Your calculations are correct but this is the wall thickness.
After using my tyres for 2years I know that the thickness is not a problem and at times I've loaded my car very real heavy luggage in the boot. 215/55 will not be a problem at all.
But the problem is the additional 10 mm tyre width (215-205) that may hit the wheel well when the steering wheel is completely turned to right/left.
While I bought my current 205s I had seen that there was very less gap with the wheel well walls when steered to the right/left most position

My bad!
I thought you ran on 195/60s all along, didn't know you were already running 205/60s . Apologies for the slip-up.

So like I was saying, if soft rubber is the concern, you can opt for Energy XM2+ series which are more rugged and still give you the Michelin level of noise + comfort. That's available on the 205/60R15 size. By the way, PrimacyLC in 15" has awkward choices - 205/65R15 and 225/60R15.

[BigBrad]

Hello Hemanth,
We just bought a Punto 1.2 Dynamic in our family. I have been a follower of this thread since the time we booked the car. You have put up a really nice review of the car. Good job! Since Punto 1.2 is such a rare car, your updates on the car have been very useful to me.

[hemanth.anand]

Mile crunching continues...





I had expected to cross 39k during the TBHP meet.
After the last minute cancellation I thought I will not reach it. But the weekends errands made sure that I reached it in this weekend itself

Next weekend there is an office excursion planned and I'll definitely reach 40k by this month end

No niggles or problems whatsoever apart from the leftward pulling owing to the tyre wear

[lapis_lazuli]

Congrats on the 39k. Hemanth, as a fellow 1.2 owner, I need some information from you. I am posting this instead of pm because it will help many other punto owners. Can you let me know, approximately how far the low beam projects if you are traveling alone on a straight road with optimum tyre pressure? I think I have some problem with the headlight beams, especially the low one. I tried adjusting with an allen key myself, improved quite a bit, but would like to have a guideline from a person who knows his car really well and travels quite a bit. Thanks.

[hemanth.anand]

Escape!

Just as the rays above, My colleagues and I escaped for a weekend from all the usual cloudy grey stuff

4 cars drove to the Nilgiris; an i10, a Ritz ZXi, a Punto 1.4 and my Punto 1.2 - 5 litres put together.
I would like to call it HILLWARDS 5000


HILLWARDS 5000

During this 800km drive, My Car notched up her 40K


39999


40000 kms of 'EMOTION'

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

Congrats on the 39k.

Thanks lapis_lazuli, 39K is actually a thing of past now

...approximately how far the low beam projects if you are traveling alone on a straight road with optimum tyre pressure? I think I have some problem with the headlight beams, especially the low one. I tried adjusting with an allen key myself, improved quite a bit, but would like to have a guideline...

I have not measured the distance, but just yesterday, late at night I returned back from a long drive and I drove in state roads with no lights and from I that I can give you a fair idea.
With the highest position (positon 0) in the low beam, I could light up the road 75-100mts ahead of me. The high beam would light up atleast 500mts of road.
Jus for Information, I have Osram NB+ bulbs.

[hemanth.anand]

It was 40526kms...The current set of tyres had run for 32200kms.
OE tyres and steel wheels were changed to OE alloys and ES100 tyres at 8350kms. Related post below
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2259456


Time for a change!

The rubbers had worn out and in some fast corners had started making the "filmy" screeching sounds. So decided to change them.
Many will say that 32k is too early to change. but as mentioned elsewhere in the forum, with the roads I drove on and my experience with my previous car, I had decided change this car's tyres between 30-35k kms.
Moreover 2 of the 4 had worn out real bad.


Bye Bye


A comparision of a New ES100 and my 32+K run ES100

Note that the new one I placed for comparision is a 205/60R14 and my old tyre was a 205/60R15 and this one in the photo is the worst of the 4.

Since today was a Holiday, wasn't sure if all shops would be open. But knowing Bangalore and businessmen here, I knew that only few will shut shop on a holiday.
I shortlisted 3 shops that I knew were good for tyres. First headed to Madhu's near Richmond circle. It was closed.
Then Headed to Millivisions on Krumbigal road (near Lalbagh main gate). I had seen earlier that they had remade their facility with new equipment.


Millivisions on Krumbigal road

I had decided that this time I'll not go for an unidirectional tread pattern.
So after a look at all my shortlisted options of various brands, I decided to go ahead with Yokos again but A-drives.
The silent Yoko Db was another choice but felt that its not as good as the A-drives for rough roads.
A-drives were silent than my earlier ES100s and better for rough roads compared to Db


Yokohama A drive 205/60 R15 91H

The load rating of my earlier tyres were 95 and this is 91. So the load rating has reduced by 75Kgs to 615Kgs.
Apart from that, all the specs remains same. My Signature also remains same

I was quoted 22400/- for four tyres + 600 for Alignment, Balancing and Nitrogen to make it a round figure of 23K. This after a little bargain.

I sealed the deal and work started.
The tyres were balanced and aligned using the latest Hunter machines
Nitrogen filling machines were from Madhus.


Hunter-Balancers and aligners


Alignment in Progress

After a few minutes, a guy came to check the earlier tyres for buy back. 2 were really bad and a third had a repaired side wall puncture and the 4th one had a puncture 4 days back(which i had not repaired)
He was not ready to buy it and went back.
Even I didn't care how much I could retrieve of them or how much he gets it out of that. I left it there itself.

In 2 hours flat, the entire exercise of the day was finished. I left the place.
A 500 mts drive on the one-way and I had forgot something. The remaining 2 Abarth Valve caps!
Got down to see and as expected they were not there. Drove back and asked for those and they were amused why I was particular about them.
After a 1minute search they found them and after I showed them, the logo, They understood.
Then they replaced the other 2 green caps with chrome caps similar to the abarth ones but without logo!

Some more SGNote photos follows


A closer view of the tread pattern after mating with my car


Rear view


Front view

And for the left-ward pulling issue, I closely kept an eye in the 20kms that I drove after this exercise
It seems to have vanished after the Tyre change + Alignment + Balancing.

I don't know if its just me, but I'm feeling as though these tyres are thinner than my earlier tyres though its the same width.
In fact I checked thrice if they were actually 205s
May be the cross section difference between the two tyres has created this illusion!


Its now time for some Niggles!
From the last 1 week, I've been hearing some beep sound.

Its intermittent; repeats in something like once an hour.
It is seeming like its coming from the instrument cluster.
It comes no matter the ignition is on or not.
No warning on the MID or no lights anywhere.
No other devices in my car that can make this sound.

The recording is in the attached zip file (This case it came after I turned the ignition on)
Punto Beep.zip

Any pointers from anybody will help. I haven't taken it to the A.S.S yet.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Its now time for some Niggles!
From the last 1 week, I've been hearing some beep sound.

Its intermittent; repeats in something like once an hour.
It is seeming like its coming from the instrument cluster.
It comes no matter the ignition is on or not.
No warning on the MID or no lights anywhere.
No other devices in my car that can make this sound.

Sounds to me like a faulty seat belt sensor complaining when it shouldn't. Handbrake sensor and door open sensors emit a continuous beeeeep sound and not a blip-blip-blip pulsating one. To confirm this, increase/decrease the buzzer volume setting on your MyCar2 controls. If this beeping sound is affected by the volume setting you made, you might have your culprit.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Sounds to me like a faulty seat belt sensor complaining when it shouldn't. Handbrake sensor and door open sensors emit a continuous beeeeep sound and not a blip-blip-blip pulsating one. To confirm this, increase/decrease the buzzer volume setting on your MyCar2 controls. If this beeping sound is affected by the volume setting you made, you might have your culprit.

Thanks KarthikK,

My car doesn't have a seatbelt warning buzzer in the first place, so it can't be faulty.

As you said it can't be a door ajar or handbrake on warning. I have confirmed that those two are working. They are louder as well.

Will check by increasing the buzzer volume as you pointed out and see if I can catch something

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

you might have your culprit.

I have caught the culprit! Try not to smile after you find out.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

No other devices in my car that can make this sound.

I was wrong. The sound that created panic was indeed a device not part of my car.
Although it was a relief, I couldn't stop laughing myself

See below a picture of the culprit. I've circled in red (like the news channels do)
Picture courtesy: Schoudhury and this car belongs to our very own IRONH4WK

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...ml#post2638184

It is the BETL Electronic pass (or OBU as they call it)! The battery life is coming to an end and this was a warning and not a time bomb set up by evil forces.