Team-BHP - ARTICLE: Must-have Accessories for your new car

Hi,
I am booking the Spark LT. Dealer is quoting me the following prices -

Sunfilm for sides, rear and front - 4500 (brand 3M)
Fabric Seatcovers - 2600 (Art Leather - 4600 also available)
Security System w/ Ignition cutoff - 1500 (he insists its Autocop, I am not so sure considering the price quoted. Also is this the same as Engine immobilizer?)
Antenna - 500

Apparently, these are all GM endorsed/recommended and come with 1 year / 20k KM warranty

Also getting Kenwood 2DIN Stereo + 2 front speakers and remote locking system as part of an offer including in the price of the car itself.

TBHP veterans, please suggest if the prices quoted are good or I should go outside the dealership and source these

Quote:

Originally Posted by navan49 (Post 1650659)

Hi Shamanth,

You have given a very good suggestion to keep the jump starters. As some of us did not have the idea of the jump start. Can you tell what is the length of the cable needed for that? What kind of cable is needed? Should we need the clips on both ends to hold both the batteries.

Hope the Wiki link will help. Jump start (vehicle) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fornax (Post 1651661)

Tubeless Tyre Kit: I'm short-listing a set of accessories for a new SX4 ZXi MT, and one of the items in the catalogue is a Tubeless Tyre Kit. Would this be necessary? I suppose tubeless tyres dont puncture in the classic way, so wouldnt there be enough time to find the nearest tyre store?

Sorry folks got all the answers and more here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ess-tyres.html

Think I'll skip the puncture repair kit - but it does call for tyre inspection at periodic intervals.

Just trake the freebies that the dealer offers and buy everything else from outside. The dealer may try to scare you with some of the usual tactics like 'void warranty if purchased from outside' , but trust me just go to a competent after market accessories shop and buy your stuff. The savings will be enormous. The GM original accessories are way over priced.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eagle_bush (Post 1700458)

Hi,

I booked my Spark LS - Velvet Red and am expecting it to be delivered tomorrow. I have attached the GM genuine accessories price list along with the brochure. My budget is 15K without the stereo and basic accessories (Mud Flaps and Foot mats). Can anyone please suggest which all I can pick up from the mentioned list?

Thanks in anticipation

I have puchased accessories with dealer and outside, and this is my experience. Normally the workmanship with which outside folks do for electrical connections etc is not upto mark. They couldnt fit things properly on my Alto that one of the speakers used to go silent with a speed breaker.
Having said that I wouldnt justify the cost of car dealers related to accessories.
If I were you, I would purchase these stuff outside, and go to dealer's service center or authorised service center, pay labour and get them fitted. especially if it is electrical accessories.
just talk them out, or you can use the first service time and talk directly to service adviser and normally they would help you out. Normal sales people may not help you for obvious reasons.

Accessories may be cheaper out side,but there are some issues arise on outside purchase. For example the Genuine accessories are made for the particular branded car with OEM where you don't have to cut the wire and join. Such genuine accessories have the plug and play socket type. I and one of my teambhp friend tried the seat covers and floot mats for our Ritz but there was orice difference and also the quality difference which is like peak and the foot hill. So survey study and decide in this matter.

Go outsie and buy, but then again, exercise caution.

Dealer prices are always costly. Take a few basic items that come free, but the rest you can get it done from outside. But again, here only from Genuine guys and those who are technically very sound. Like Reliance Auto Zone for instance which has a very highly trained staff.

Avoid small time shops just because yu get them for cheap. It will ruin your car, especially if you see the way they take apart the parts or cut the wires to fix stuff.

Some of the stuff you can get outside are the fog lamps, reverse sensors, seat covers etc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen (Post 384563)

It's not the question about brands.

Let's get this thing clear. Teflon or such products come as after-coat. In anticipation that car's shiny surface will be protected from rain, sun, bird droppings and what have you. But what happens when there are small scratches? Very light scratches means they're on protective coating. And there's no way you can remove them. A scratched painted surface can be repaired using rubbing compound/scratch remover and all. Touch up paint can be done also if need be. For Teflon (using this as a generic name here) coated painted body needs to go through a much more elaborate process.

In most part India, temperature goes up more than 35 degrees. Add to that a layer of dust and sand on the car all the time. Due to lack of time and negligence, cars are often cleaned with moist cloth and thereby nicely spreading and scratching a painted surface. In reality your paint is protected but you have fine swirl marks all over the surface. What is the point? Question can be asked as that happens on regular paint surface also. What about that? Answer to that is yes that happens. And it’s also easier to remove them through body treatment. 3M, as you mentioned offers fantastic body treatment process.

Teflon coated painted surface can also go through body treatment. But coating has to be removed completely to treat the body. Add re-applying Teflon coat to that exercise.

It’s common feeling in India that once you go through Teflon coating your paint is protected. Right and wrong.

These protective coatings work better in a cleaner environment. Where you have less dust, pollution and cooler climate.

:thumbs up I didn't know that, thanks for explanation RS. It sure saved me a bundle.

~

@amitverma - I got the under-body coating from the Ford dealer. I had gone in for my first service and when we did the check on the under-body they showed me some of the original coating had been scrapped off slightly due to me driving over some of Bangalore's Famous Speed Breakers (BFSB). It was around 3K for the coating with free touch ups if needed for 1 year. So i felt with the under-body scraping the BFSB might as well go for it as it would help protect the original minimal coating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedreamcatcher (Post 1733397)

Go outsie and buy, but then again, exercise caution.

Dealer prices are always costly. Take a few basic items that come free, but the rest you can get it done from outside. But again, here only from Genuine guys and those who are technically very sound. Like Reliance Auto Zone for instance which has a very highly trained staff.

Avoid small time shops just because yu get them for cheap. It will ruin your car, especially if you see the way they take apart the parts or cut the wires to fix stuff.

Some of the stuff you can get outside are the fog lamps, reverse sensors, seat covers etc

Sorry to bump into an old post but Reliance guys atleast in Delhi don't inspire confidence. There was a case where they messed up with the tyres as the nuts were not bolted properly and this caused vibrations in a running car on the Expressway.

Moreover, stores like Gyro, Driven, Auto Marc have re-defined the scene in New Delhi. With proper tools being used for the work you can be assured of quality work.