[keyur]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

Thanks Keyur.

Now the first service, I assume is the 5K one, this would include the Oil change and an inspection of the other parts.

Looking at the amount quoted, engine oil should be 1500 odd bucks and other misc. items with the VAT would be close to 2400.

Now this is indicative that the regular 10K service would be in the vicinity of 5-6K odd, humm doesn't sound much but this might just get inflated.

Fellow T-BHPian's with more miles on their beast, request you to please chip in with the average servicing costs and the break up if possible.

Thanks in anticipation.

First servicing will include Oil Change, Oil filter change, Wheel rotation and balancing, other fluids and part checks, cleaning.

The second service at 10000 will have the air filter change, but no oil change, so the average cost should be the same or less.

Will keep you updated. Am at 3000 on the odo now. Will take some time to hit 5000!

[keyur]

Originally Posted by man_and_machine

As I guessed :-( . Just a silly clarification CD means the standard 700 MB disc, not a 4.5 GB DVD right?

Yes.
But with the aux in, you could use your iPod or even your phone or purchase a small mp3 player for as less as Rs.500 (for 2-4 Gb songs) and plug it into the AUX.
You may also use a FM transmitter with USB input to play it on your system.

[soumobakshi]

Hey keyur, congrats on your Opty.

I am in the R&D phase for a possible upgrade from my Logan DLX to an Optra Magnum.

No better person to get my aprehensions addressed than a pasionate owner.

What is the mileage that you manage to get in city with 100% AC and what will be the numbers on Open Highways again with 100% AC?

How would you rate the turning radius of this monster?

How is the NVH Characteristics of the car with AC ON and windows up?

[keyur]

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

Hey keyur, congrats on your Opty.

I am in the R&D phase for a possible upgrade from my Logan DLX to an Optra Magnum.

Thanks! The Opty is a great vehicle. You will love the upgrade from the Logan.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

What is the mileage that you manage to get in city with 100% AC and what will be the numbers on Open Highways again with 100% AC?

I can't specify city and highway respectively as I do a lot of mixed driving.
I always drive with the AC on (can't put it at 100% as everyone in the car will freeze). Normally even putting it in the white zone makes the vehicle COLD.
The minimum average I have got is 11 and the maximum is about 15. But then again, I do not drive at FE friendly speeds. My average speed varies between 120 and 150, so I find the average pretty good.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

How would you rate the turning radius of this monster?

The turning radius is definitely larger than my previous car (Swift), as the wheelbase is long and so is the body length (one of the longest).
But the turning is not an issue and I have been able to park the car in narrow slots, take quick turns (U- turns especially) with ease.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

How is the NVH Characteristics of the car with AC ON and windows up?

The vehicle has been sound proofed in a very good way. Inside the car, you hardly feel any vibrations. With the Apollos, there isn't much road noise provided you maintain the recommended tyre pressure. And the vehicle is known for it's smooth, relaxed ride with the comfortable seating and lots of space.
So overall, the NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) characteristics are pretty well optimized!

[Auto_Song]

Prima Facie , Congrats Keyur on your New love & I could really feel your passion & I wish you could have been here in Blore so that you could join our SD Grey Magnum (FB) club. (Pls let me know if you are interested as well) and by the way All SD Grey Owners are welcome as well.

I fully agree with Keyur & Let me as well reemphasize this point (Not just because I am also an owner of SD Drfit Grey Magnum TCDI). Now if you are really planning for a Vehicle in 9-10 lakhs segment , Any day Magnum TCDI is the best option (What I meant to say is If you really want a real Value for Money deal.) When I say this I don’t intend any offense to other Auto Brands (Also as a Matter of fact , I started my hunt way back in 2010 beginning when I realized that VW is coming up with their Sedan version of Polo).

Let me put it this way (Without Stretching too much) If you are looking for Stonking Performance, Absolute Ride Comfort, really Spacious Silent Cabin & Decent FE from an 10L segment Car - Then its OPTRA Magnum TCDI.

Let me not get into the Brighter side , rather the downside...Let me pin it down..!!!

1) Poor Resale value - I think GM/Chevy can only curse themselves of putting themselves in to this kind of situation -But I fully agree this point - Poor resale value - But it should not stop you from buying this diesel Gem as I have always listened to my HEART & said no to my mind. But Pls ask Questions as well to yourself , Otherwise why such a Diesel beauty should suffer which has rare blend of Performance & Comfort.
2) Looks - I would say One has to pay importance to this aspect as well & this is purely different from Individual to individual. But Yes Magnum does carry a dated looks. They could have at-least done changes to the Interiors.My wife was not really in terms with the Interiors initially, but she is now OK with that.
3) Boots space - They could have increased the Boot space to may be another 50 Ltrs more - But then Yes it could have eaten up the precious rear space which make all my friends envy about my Maggy. Also to add it does comes with 60-40 foldable split seats in which I have even managed my KIDS new Fire Fox Fusion2.5 Six speed bike with 24 Inch frame horizontally (sliding)in.

I am yet write my Personal- Ownership report in a separate thread altogether but I could not resist myself in penning down few points as well here.
I will be posting my Owner ship reports soon where in I will be covering all my view points from an Ownership perspective.

[Torquedo]

Keyur, you have been a BIG help, need more though

If you may help the other perspective buyers by flipping the pages on the manual and let us know what is the recommended RUN IN period on the Optra.

As in, the suggested RPM during the 1st 1000 Kms and then the next 1000 and stuff.

Happy Motoring !!

[Auto_Song]

Originally Posted by Torquedo

Keyur, you have been a BIG help, need more though

If you may help the other perspective buyers by flipping the pages on the manual and let us know what is the recommended RUN IN period on the Optra.

As in, the suggested RPM during the 1st 1000 Kms and then the next 1000 and stuff.

Happy Motoring !!

Hello Torq..

My 2 cents...here

Yes ,you need to nurture her (Engine) as those coming from US doesnt come as Pre-RUN like those Germans (IMHO).
Okkk..For the first 1000k , Pls dont push her beyond 2000 rpm...You can use all the Gears,But yes maintaining the RPM is what matters the most.
Also I hope you are aware of how to nurture your Turbo as well.

[keyur]

I don't think that there is any company recommended run-in period in the manual. I may be wrong - so I will check it and update here.

[Torquedo]

Originally Posted by keyur

I don't think that there is any company recommended run-in period in the manual. I may be wrong - so I will check it and update here.

Keyur, I remember reading something on the Figo Manual for the Run In, so I am assuming that there might be something for the Optra as well, again my assumption.

Would be thankful if you check and confirm to all.

Happy Motoring !!

[keyur]

Checked in the manual. This is what it says :

For the first 1000 kms :

• Avoid full-throttle starts.
• Allow the engine to warm up before driving.
• Do not race the engine
• Avoid hard stops except in emergencies. This will allow your brakes to bed in properly.
• Avoid quick starts, sudden accelerations, and prolonged high-speed driving in order to avoid damage to the engine and to conserve fuel.
• Avoid full-throttle acceleration in low gear.
• Do not tow any other vehicle

Also, in response to the earlier Engine Oil discussion :

Oil rating : API SJ grade 15W40

The oil is to be selected depending on the OUTSIDE air temperature as follows :

-25 degress C to > 40 degrees C - 10W30,10W40,15W40
<-30 degrees C to 25 degrees C - 5W30, 0W20

[keyur]

It has been 2.5 months and 3300 kms - a good run with my Opty. Everything was perfect except for a scratch on the rear door because some idiot cyclist decided to use my car instead of his brakes for stopping! (I hated the guy for the scratch, but I hated him even more as the car was parked in my building's parking, and I was tinkering inside the car!)

Apart from the scratch, things were perfect - that is till today!

Today afternoon, I was driving back from Mumbai on the Mumbai Pune Expressway. The road had a little traffic and it was a bit cloudy. I wasn't in a mood for fast driving and was cruising along between 80-110.

About 8-10 kms before the first toll booth, I suddenly felt the car pulling towards the left, and the steering became very dull. Alarm bells rang in my mind - probably a puncture - gotta keep the car under control and stop!

Thankfully the vehicle is very stable and nothing untoward happened. I was able to get the vehicle into the safety lane quickly within about 100 feet (again, pretty good braking and stability during braking - didn't miss the ABS), turned on the hazard lamps and got out to look at the cause.

As expected, the front left tyre was flat (completely flat, not slightly deflated). This meant that the puncture was pretty large, otherwise in tubeless radials, the tyre doesn't deflate totally all of a sudden.

I got the tools and the jack out, removed the wheel and put on the spare. One of the nuts was exceptionally tight, and not just for the initial loosening, but right till the very end. The socket wrench slipped twice and scratched the alloy and my hand too! (Probably an issue with the nut threads - gotta get that checked)

Then I drove on to the HP fuel pump just after the toll booth. There at the tyre repair station, the mechanic put soap water on the tyre and filled the tyre with air to find the puncture. And lo behold - the tyre was flat in a flash. There were no punctures along the treads, but there were cracks along the outer side, and that too in a localized area - not along the circumference.

This puzzled me and the mechanic as well. He tried to search for a explanation for this, but was bamboozled. There were no external damage marks or scratches. The vehicle was in motion when it happened, and all other tyres and the side of the vehicle were absolutely fine. He offered to patch the tyre and put a tube in - I refused. No risks when it comes to tyres! I put the wheel into the boot and drove on to Pune and straight to my Chevy dealer. The manager Mr. Prashant Pore came to see the issue. He too was flummoxed. He looked at the wheel, inspected the cracks and reached the same conclusion that the cracks were definitely not from any external damage or puncture. He has asked me to visit the service center and contact the Works Manager there (he has promised to put in a word with the works manager). So lets see what happens!


A few observations regarding the puncture and the reasons for the puzzlement :

1. Normally when the tyre gets damaged on the side, it is due to some obstacle, rock, pothole, jutting rod etc. When a protrusion hits the side of the tyre, it normally damages the wheel from the outside and leaves circular or spiral grooves / marks along the tyre.

There was no evidence of external marks / damage along the side!

2. When the car is travelling at a decent speed, if there is any side damage, there is a high probability of the rear tyre hitting the same object or having some evidence of damage.

The rear left wheel is absolutely fine. I was also on the expressway (concrete road) and there are no potholes there.

3. In a moving vehicle, damage to the side will happen along the circumference, and not remain localized.

Here, the damage is localized to a 3 square inch area - there are 3-4 deep cracks not along the circumference, but perpendicular to it!

4. I was travelling at around 100-120. If there would have been some impact on the left side, there would have been much more damage to the vehicle, rear wheels etc and I would have noticed much more than the dull steering and the left pull!

Here are a few pics of the cracks. (The tyres are the stock Apollo Acceleres) Your comments are welcome.











EDIT : After one more burst tyre later, I realized that the issue was getting caused because the side walls were too soft and if the air pressure is less, they end up getting very close to the road and any debris / obstacle tears it up.

The solution was to keep the tyre pressure NOT at 28 as recommended but rather as follows :
Front : 33 (warm)
Rear : 32 (warm)

By warm I mean at about 4-5 km normal driving (the distance at which I get a good calibrated air refill)

[Poitive]

@Keyur, Hope you checked the date of manufacture of the tyres.

[keyur]

Originally Posted by Poitive

@Keyur, Hope you checked the date of manufacture of the tyres.

Couldn't find the date imprinted on the tyre (checked the outer and inner)

[thenomad]

To me, this looks like old rubber compound that has lost it strength. Tyres are normally not covered by warranty. So it would be interesting to see how Chevy handles this; Who'd own this up - Chevy or Apollo?

Have you removed and visually inspected your other tyres?

[gaurav911]

Keyur, congrats on a great purchase.
Looking at the prices of the Fluidic Verna and New Fiesta, can't understand why GM is letting go of such a fantastic opportunity. Clearly the Magnum is a superb all round vehicle - love the engine and the spaciousness inside. High time for them to refresh the package at similar prices. They can seriously shake the market with this offering !
Enjoy your ride !