Milestone Update - 1,95,000 kms
As expected, this was longest interval between 5000 km updates. Check out the pattern below.
7th Nov 2018 - 1,70,000 kms.
5th Jun 2019 - 1,80,000 kms. Number of days for 10k kms - 210 days.
27th Jan 2020 - 1,90,000 kms. Number of days for 10k kms - 237 days.
However, it has now taken a full 300 days to complete just 5k kms! The way COVID has changed all our lives. Speaking of which, the car is also with me in Trivandrum since June - thanks to the WFH situation.
Amazon Alexa Echo Auto
Have been living with Alexa in the car for more than a year and 10k kms. Never really updated the thread (though I guess it is visible in pics earlier) since, quite frankly, it doesn't deserve much attention! Worth a buy only if someone has a full eco system of Alexa devices at home and would want to have the same extended to the car as well - else certainly not worth the amount.
My car has less tech than the Alto 800 of 2020, so - it still provides some modern convenience! For example - the car originally came with voice recognition using Microsoft Blu&Me which failed later and I also changed the headunit to a Clarion system for better music clarity. Alexa takes care of the handsfree driving (Only for music) part now. And the only sheer brilliance of this device is the way it picks up your sound even when music is playing at high volumes!
Can provide more details if anyone is interested in this rare device!
8 mic provisions on top. The only sheer brilliance of this device is the way it picks up your sound even when music is playing at high volumes!
MGA Jumper Cables
As mentioned in a previous
post, there were a lot of battery issues during the lockdown period - finally diagnosed to the dead blue&me system in the car. However,
BHPian Leoshashi reached out during this period and sent me MGA jumper cables! Was pleasantly surprised with the quality for the price - the whole thing speaks of quality unlike any product or accessory I've seen from Maruti Suzuki! See the massive size of the crocodile terminals, for example!
Thanks Shashi for going through all the difficulty of sending me one of these beauties in the midst of quarantine and lockdown restrictions!
Isssues that need to attention -
Have been putting off the service center visits, so two issues mention in the previous page still remains -
1. Battery terminals need to be sorted. Age + wear (after being removed and tightened multiple times shows. While one of the wires broke off from the negative terminal earlier, the positive terminal has also become loose.
In fact, on the way back from the Mahindra showroom (after checking out the Thar!) - the car refused to crank thanks to the loose positive terminal. A quick tightening did fix it - and I could tell wife that it was a sign from God hinting at which car to exchange with!
2. The lower hose of the radiator needs to be replaced, as it is slowly dripping a few drops of coolant a day!
3. May be I was overenthusiastic in
cleaning the engine bay using IPC! Now the bonnet stay has been showing signs of corrosion on the surface. Any suggestions how to clean this and coat to avoid further damage?
4. Key fob battery died again. Ordered Duracell CR2032 this time around, and replaced in the Xcent as well.
Replacement Window Shopping
As usual - the constant window shopping for a suitable replacement happened during these months as well - with two prospects coming very close to a purchase. Thar being my favourite and the Kia being the choice for the better half. She, with some quick help from parents, ruled out the Thar citing two door practicality reasons. Kia had a short upper hand for a couple of weeks! Even though the Sonet was ruled out, Seltos HVK+ Diesel AT came out of the blue looking like a strong contender and one ticking most boxes for the price.
Thankfully, god intervened just in time!
Global NCAP happened. Quoting myself from the Seltos thread -
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR I walked into the Kia showroom on Monday with a very specific request - Need to TD the diesel automatic and also to see the HVK+ variant in person.
No immediate purchase plans. We had checked out the Sonet last month and wife really loved the Seltos/Sonet. A quick look at the spec sheet showed that the HVK+ diesel AT is good value in the entire range. Didn't get the TD though - crowded showroom and some excuse of the Diesel AT having a tyre change.
Funnily enough - Got a call follow up call from the showroom - asked them if they came to know about the NCAP results and wished them a good day. |
Short drives
No long drives happened during this period, except for the lone trip from Bangalore to Trivandrum in June. However, we did visit the deserted sections of the beach on a couple of occasions, just for parents to get a break from the monotony of home!
Wife is also attending some class on the weekends, so I get an hour for myself to drive around aimlessly! Another chance to visit the beach and return without physical contact with our fellow humans!
Detailing session last week
Not being very impressed with Waxpol (lasts a few months alright - but a royal pain to apply!), switched brands to Turtle Wax as recommended by BHPian
KarthikK.
First impression has been extremely positive - this is by far the easiest to apply and wax off! The finish and gloss seems impressive - but need to see how long this will last.
Water beading is just above average - not too impressive. Will try their ceramic coat during the next application, on top of the liquid paste wax coat.
The mirror shot came out nice though!
Few pics post the detailing session -
And thats how she looks after 8 years + 8 months and 195k kms. Hopefully, another 5000 kms of trouble-free experience awaits!