Team-BHP - ARTICLE: Pre-delivery Inspection (PDI) & Check List

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy (Post 360350)

Preparations:

1. Confirm: the date of delivery with your dealership. It is best to go there only after the car has been prepared and is ready. If you have a preference for a particular day / time (for auspicious reasons), inform the sales person.

I didn't really understand the reason behind going and checking up on the car only after it has been prepared and ready. I always thought it would be better to check the car out as soon as the dealership recieves it. Wouldn't this prevent the dealer from trying to hide any damage recieved during transit?
For eg. the car may have recieved a nasty jerk during transit. Externally there's just a dented bumper to show for it. But internally the suspersion could have been damaged, the electrical wiring may be off and so forth. Going when the dealer says the car is ready would give the dealer tine to repair or replace the bumper and make it look brand new, thereby fooling you.

Or is it just that I just understood the point wrong??

Quote:

Originally Posted by nukeblitz (Post 1145047)

In Indian context both are required , If dealer has enough stock you should go to yard and choose a vehicle from available lot following PDI steps. Once your
vehicle is ready PDI is required once more.

I have booked a Maruti Swift Dzire about 2 days ago but i haven't taken a test drive nor have i acquainted myself with the car just because they didn't have one at the showroom. I want the car in May and have booked for May. They said that i would be getting the 2009 model.

Is it necessary to take a test drive ?
My budget is Rs 6 lakhs. The dealer says that the booking amount is refundable , so i have kept options open and looking for a sedan for about 6 lakhs.
Is Swift Dzire a good deal ?
What more steps should i have taken before booking the vehicle ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustStarted (Post 1143583)

Hi,

i am trying to opt for extended warranty for my i10, will i get any additional card/some paper for it , other than payment receipt

Thanks

For my Vista bought 6 days back, they didn't give any document for the extended warranty. They said that I will receive all documents within 2 weeks from Tata and the receipt for the total payment is enough proof. Are they right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by syedhafeez (Post 1159915)

Is it necessary to take a test drive ?

Of course it is. In fact, this is mandatory! What is right for someone else may not necessarily be so for you.

Quote:

Is Swift Dzire a good deal ?

Quote:

What more steps should i have taken before booking the vehicle ?

[/quote]

Please search within the forum for the answers to these two questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by syedhafeez (Post 1159915)

I am about to purchase a dzire vdi in delhi but all the delears told me that I have to wait for 4 months for the car . That's so irritating , I have just sold of the previous car and now need the car asap ... does any one here know how to get over this problem now . May be some dealer in delhi who can deliver the car more quickly .

Quote:

Originally Posted by janitha (Post 1159953)

No they are not a separate booklet for extended warranty is provided,
May be the extended warranty booklet was over so they gave this excuse.
Keep on following up.

Well i am not too sure about that..but i dont see any reason for not giving it on the spot

Quote:

Originally Posted by janitha (Post 1159953)

Quote:

Originally Posted by janitha (Post 1159953)

They give an extended warantee booklet giving details of the vehicle details & type of insurance covered. It will take 2-3 weeks as it usually comes from the insurance company. Till than your payment receipt is valid document.

Can the odo reading be reset by the dealers? Day before yesterday one of my friend checked the Linea i have booked and saw the odo reading as 96 kms. The car was dispatched to the dealer a week back and temporary registration was not done and when inquired, the reply was not satisfactory. Today when i personally checked the odo readings, it was reset to 0(zero). I doubt if the car was used as demo vehicle.

A lot of modern cars have ECUs which are essentially tamper-proof when it comes to the Odo readings - one has to completely reflash the ECU to reset it. This is why most dealerships which engage in such practices just disconnect the sensors and then later clear the error codes.

Maybe the Linea has a less advanced system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImmortalZ (Post 1201250)

Electronic Odometer is not controlled by ECU but a separate 'temper proof' module ( At least for most cars in india) As you can imagine this temper proof module is not entirely temper proof :-) Search on T-BHP you will come across some threads on how drivers of company vehicles take the vehicles to some roadside outfits for getting a desired odo reading and thus justifying the fuel bills.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sudeepdua (Post 1163321)

My friend bought a swift vxi recently. He paid a premium of 25,000 to get it delivered early. See if you can do the same thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy (Post 360350)

You are obviously excited about the delivery of your new car, but WAIT! Many have paid a huge price for the resultant haste, and its best to take some necessary precautions before driving away in your new machine.

Team-BHP enlists all that you should check for as a part of the pre-delivery inspection:

2. Daylight: We recommend accepting delivery in broad daylight, since the dark can conceal a lot. You may also not get good service in the evening since dealership personnel are in a hurry to wrap the day up.

Credits: This thread has been heavily influenced by SMGs Comprehensive thread on PDI.

Very well researched and very informative post/thread. rather a must for all new car buyers.
In a lighter vein the sub-head "Daylight" reminds me that the greatest manouvers are made in the dark but while choosing your life partner or while buying a car, there is no darkness that beats daylight!:thumbs up