[ghodlur]

Hi Lamborghini,

Good to know that odo reads 65K in 4.5 yrs and the smile on you face hasn't faded away still with the Fiesta.

Tumhara driver konsi khet ka aata khata hai - Sad to see the door handle broken, have you got it replaced?

Which brand of synthetic oil did you use? Did Ford suggest to do so or was it your own decision? Pls give us some insight of the same.

Happy many more mile crunching, my friend.

[suman]

Hey Lambo, nice update, its great to see the twin munching miles happily as well! Time to get the thread title edited.

Agree with you that the MRFs were a bad choice, Michelins or Yokos would have been way better. And I'm wondering how hard your driver must have yanked for the handle to have come off

[oss]

Hey Lambo, Nice to know you are munching ahead miles faster.

Many more happy miles to come.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Hi Lamborghini,

Tumhara driver konsi khet ka aata khata hai - Sad to see the door handle broken, have you got it replaced?

Which brand of synthetic oil did you use? Did Ford suggest to do so or was it your own decision? Pls give us some insight of the same.

Happy many more mile crunching, my friend.

Thanks!
Have gotten the door handled replaced. However, the new one is black and needs to be repainted. As we need the car at home, and also due to the monsoons, the repainting will happen next month.
Will revert back to you about the oil. Not sure of the same as I can't find the bill.
However, we carried it out on our own, from an independent mechanic.

Originally Posted by suman

.
Agree with you that the MRFs were a bad choice, Michelins or Yokos would have been way better. And I'm wondering how hard your driver must have yanked for the handle to have come off

Thanks Suman!
The MRF's are horrible in every single way!! God knows what drove them to cut costs in this area. Next time I will ensure that it is done with my knowledge, as I also want to upgrade to 185 size wheels.

The driver has been taken to task, because as much as I believe he is a nice person, his acts are not showing it.

Originally Posted by oss

Hey Lambo, Nice to know you are munching ahead miles faster.

Many more happy miles to come.

Thanks oss!
Did you change your tyres? What size did you finally choose and what is the difference in the ride/handling, and performance?

Forgot to include 2 things in my update:
- For some reason, I am finding it very difficult to get the DTE to go over and stay over 500kms! Even after filling up, it shows 470-480kms, and stays at those levels. However, the FE is 11-12kmpl.

- While looking for the bill with the engine oil details, stumbled upon the A.C. repair bill. Basically the cooling coil, expansion valve, and R.D. bottle was changed.
Break-up for the same is:
Cooling coil - Rs. 5,860
RD bottle - Rs. 1,600
Expansion Valve - Rs. 1,850
Also got the A.C. gas filled up. Now the A.C. is too cold!

Here's a question - someone told me that because we keep the thermostat knob above minimum, the heater is also put in use, which could have resulted in the cooling coil going kaput. Is this true?

Cheers!

[oss]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Did you change your tyres? What size did you finally choose and what is the difference in the ride/handling, and performance?

I went for 185/65 XM1+. The ride is awesome, and the handling Fiesta good

No perceptible difference in performance compared to the 175/65.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Forgot to include 2 things in my update:
- For some reason, I am finding it very difficult to get the DTE to go over and stay over 500kms! Even after filling up, it shows 470-480kms, and stays at those levels. However, the FE is 11-12kmpl.

- While looking for the bill with the engine oil details, stumbled upon the A.C. repair bill. Basically the cooling coil, expansion valve, and R.D. bottle was changed.
Break-up for the same is:
Cooling coil - Rs. 5,860
RD bottle - Rs. 1,600
Expansion Valve - Rs. 1,850
Also got the A.C. gas filled up. Now the A.C. is too cold!

Here's a question - someone told me that because we keep the thermostat knob above minimum, the heater is also put in use, which could have resulted in the cooling coil going kaput. Is this true?

Cheers!

Wonder why your mileage has dropped so much. I am still averaging 15+. I am about to cross 15k kms, and just did a calculation of overall mileage so far and it came close to 16 kmpl (about 25% highway you can say). This with a very heavy right foot & 100% AC; i am enjoying every bit of it. I use Xtra Mile, which probably adds about a km to the average figures.

I don't think the heater is put to use if you keep the thermostat above min. Only when the knob is turned beyond the 12 o'clock mark, the heater comes into picture.

During evenings and early mornings when the outside temp is not much it gets really cold and i keep the knob around the 9 or 10 o'clock position. It goes to min setting only when driven between 10 am to 5pm.

[lamborghini]

Oss,

Thanks for the reply.
Next shoe change would hopefully work out to be 185/65R14s, and either Michelin or Yokohama.

About the FE, the car was earlier giving 13-15kmpl, when it would run 50-60kms/day just to and fro from the town to the suburbs. That would give the engine enough time to warm up and run at optimum temperature.
However, now, the car does a lot of short trips too, which means it is frequently switched off and started to go for short drives, thus not allowing the engine to really stretch her legs.
Also, read that the BS IV fuel has resulted in the FE of several cars dropping by 1-2kms, so this could be a reason as well, not to forget the growing traffic jams, which are present for most part of the day, as opposed to earlier when traffic was less.

[lamborghini]

@ghodlur:

We used Mobil1 Synthetic Oil.

[Jebs]

Hi lamborghini,

Kindly provide the spec for your Mobil1 syn.oil. Me too changed recently..

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Jebs

Hi lamborghini,

Kindly provide the spec for your Mobil1 syn.oil. Me too changed recently..

Hi Jebs,

So sorry for not getting back to you earlier. I believe the spec should be the same as the one used normally. Will try to reconfirm though.

85,000 km Update

In the meanwhile, the car has done 85,000kms this weekend, and on Monday it finally left the house only to be replaced by a 2004 E270 CDI which I intend on using till she breaks down.
It was a sad day, and I already miss the fiesta terribly.

Throughout the last 20Kkm, there were some issues, such as:
- Gearbox clip breaking down
- Car stalling in neutral, as the RPM would fall down to less than 600 at times.
- Also, the emergency engine problem light would flash and the car would feel very sluggish (though this still happens on longer drives without the light flashing - an air mask replacement is required)
- The left power window would stop working sporadically - either the driver side switch wouldn't work, or the passenger side switch. However one would always work.
- The clutch and suspension are not as tight as a new cars, however, should still see a few thousand kms if not more
- Wheel bearings need to be changed

In addition, the car saw a few dents taking place as well, with a new driver learning how to drive on it, as well as a slew of new chauffeurs. The biggest and most recent one was when an apparently drunk biker fell on the front driver's door and dented the whole door while the car was waiting at a red light. This took place just a few days before she finally left us.
Also, the paint was fading on the trunk, and the rear bumper was cracking (due to the numerous little hits that have taken place) and there was a rush bubble on the driver's door. However, as the car is in office, where it might be used by a few more people and used to run around doing office chores, we decided to leave these dents and issues as is, while ensuring the car is mechanically up to speed (after all that's more important, and the dents do a good job of keeping everyone else far away from the car in traffic. Heck, even cabbies think twice before cutting me off now )

Also, we got the tyres changed to the stock MRF ZV2K which came standard, around the 80Kkm mark.

So throughout this nearly 6 year ownership period, this car definitely made a special place for itself in my heart. Finding a new car to replace wasn't the easiest of tasks.
Over this time, some of the things that I was particularly fond on are as follows:
- Tough feel the car imparts. Bad roads? Bring it on!
- Superb visibility and chuckability in the city!!
- Zero turbo-lag
- Superb handling, well weighted steering, and high speed composure
- Excellent front seat travel range - A boon when you are over 6 feet!

These were key criteria that I wanted in my next car, and barring the new fiesta and the Vento, none came close in the category.

Some aspects that I was quite happy with:
- Reliability - sure it wasn't the most reliable car, but even then, it did quite well over its tenure with us. Heck, 85Kkm is the longest we have kept any car for, and even now, the car is being used by the company!
- General build quality - the squeaks and rattles not withstanding, the car still feels built to last!

Some aspects that pleasantly shocked me:
- When we enquired about the air mask, Wasan Ford didn't have it in stock. However, when the part did arrive (within a week), we got a letter apologizing for the delay and informing us of its arrival, along with a few follow up calls. Compare this to Skoda, who didn't have rubber beadings for the Octavia, and took over a month and a half to get them!!

Those odd aspects that could have been handled better by Ford and the A.S.S.:
- The annoying squeaks and rattles!
- Limited rear seat space
- Poor high speed performance. It is dead post 110kmph!

The FE has remained constant at 13.xx kmpl recently, which is very good given my driving style, shorter trips, and increased traffic commute!

Hopefully I shall get to drive her again soon!
Kudos to Ford India for making one of the best vehicles we have owned and driven over such a long term! Finding a replacement for her wasn't easy, and there were few cars which bowled me over, leading to me getting the keys to an 2004 E270 CDI till Ford decides to relaunch something exciting such as the new Mondeo/Focus with engines to match and an A/T gearbox.

Till then, goodbye old friend.
I hope to see you and drive you again some day!

[MAS]

@ Lamborgini,

Seems like the Fiesta was very close to your heart. Will you be buying another car other than the 2004 Merc E270 CDI?

[lamborghini]

Yup, a toyota etios liva has come home as well, which is no where close to the fiesta in any ways except for the engine.
However, as a pure city car for the congested smaller roads, parking problems, and self drive with no chauffeur to handle parking, along with doing the house chores for the rest of the time, and ferrying people around; the etios liva made sense. Would have preferred the Figo though, but as I would not be driving it the most, things didn't work out. Plus the Etios Liva offered ABS in the diesel without airbags, a must for me as I did not want airbags.

[lamborghini]

Got a chance to catch up with the Fiesta recently. In fact, drove 1500kms over a month.
Got it back when she had done a shade below 90,000kms, and returned her with a shade over 91,500kms.
Fortunately, or unfortunately due to various reasons when I had drive a lot in congested areas, and also due to one of the Germans breaking down, or requiring an extended service, I was behind our fiesta's wheels during the peak vacation period when everyone but me was holidaying, and thus leaving this car ideal, and perfect for a chauffeur-less me to drive around. While at the company, dad got the following changes and repairs carried out:
- New clutch
- New brake pads
- IND Number plates (finally!!)
- Some denting work, from when the biker fell on it, plus a bumper repaint

That aside, it is still the same old fiesta that I left 5,000kms ago.
During the brief period I drove it, I interestingly discovered a few new aspects of the car, which I guess I had gotten used to. Some brief observations:
- The engine - a gem it is, with little turbo-lag. However, its high speed behavior still remains a big turn off for this car. A point I had mentioned earlier, but with more modern diesel engines making their way in, this feeling is just further enhanced.
- Ergonomics - The gearshift is actually placed slightly inconveniently for me and my new seating posture. With the driver seat pulled behind, and a little reclined, I literally have to stretch my arm to change gears, or at least 1st gear.
- The handling - superb and reassuring as ever. However, I wish there were better tyres than the lousy MRF ZV2K. They lose traction very easily.
- The rattles! They're back! and how! One drive without any music, and I was shocked! But nothing very alarming, the service guys know how to fix them.

But these points aside, there was some familiarity with the car. It drove so well, and I was comfortable within minutes of driving it off. The decent visibility (I now find the exterior mirrors a shade smaller), the sub booming, superb drivability, and the whole feeling of toughness it exuded. It was like being reunited with a old friend, which after the first few minutes of awkwardness, it was like we were never away.

Have some work in the pipelines:
- Possible exhaust leak
- Steering Rack
- New bulbs all around
- A good polish inside out - after monsoons
- Fix the rattles!

Some pics:

[Vipin Kumar]

Since there are many threads on how to get a denting work done on Fiestas, I really don't know where to post my query/problem. Let me do it here as this is also partly about some denting work done.

Yesterday, I hit a small concrete tub kind of thing, and it has de-shaped the frame-circle of the front left fog-lamp. The thing was lying too low in the parking place, and I did not notice it. The fog-lamp circle of the bumper is no longer a well-defined circle. Part of the lamp has been detached from the circle, but it is the bumper which has got de-shaped.

One Ford guy has fixed it a little, and the lamp fits the circle now. Yet the outer part of the circle is still awkward to see.

Can I really get the circle brought back into its old shape? Is there any mechanism to do denting in such tricky areas (it is the bumper of the classic model which does not have a separate socket)

Vipin.

[lamborghini]

Hey guys,

The car has finally been sold off the other day.

Served us, and the company well for 98,000kms, and I definitely will have fond memories of the time spent. Drove it around for a few days before selling it off, and it was still as eager and perfect as it was on day 1. Sure, there are better engines out there today, but this car had the perfect blend of ride and handling, combined with superb visibility outside, made it the perfect city car. The performance was adequate, but the lack of turbo lag was a boon! I'll certainly miss it!

[vnabhi]

Sad moment indeed! I know how close the car was to your heart!

Anyway, you've put it to good use, going by the odo reading you've quoted.

So what is your next ride?