[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by SDP

Duma snaps from Kaas trip on 19th Sep 2012

Awesome pics SDP! How was the experience? Did you face any niggles?

[SDP]

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

Awesome pics SDP! How was the experience? Did you face any niggles?

600KMs in a day and it did not feel anything extraordinary! Smooth ride, composed. No issues. The infotainment system does miss reading a few folders from the USB drive once in a while, but I can live with that.

Used the cruise-control extensively while coming back and it works like a charm at highway speeds. Takes the pressure off your feet and reduces the driving fatigue significantly.

Overall, the ownership has been quite satisfactory till now.

[SDP]

Completed 3 months of ownership and have clocked 3000kms.
Would go for first service next Saturday.

Here's a snap that I had posted earlier. This version is processed in LightRoom. Hope you like it.

[SDP]

Its 4AM and I just came up after checking why the Duma was looking at the moon and howling. Yes, the intruder alarm went off. I rushed down. The watchman at the front of the building was blissfully unaware of it. So much for 'security'!

By the time, I reached the car, the alarm had switched off by itself. Hopefully it did not wake up any neighbours and nobody was shouting at me/Duma.
Pressed the unlock key and it blinked 3 times with a short beep. Ah, I have seen that twice this week and was wondering what does it mean. Now I know. So in all, the security alarm went off thrice this week and today was the first instance when I noticed.

Rats? Possibly. But need to get it checked anyways.

First service is anyway due. Will show it to the service center.

[rohitbagai]

Originally Posted by SDP

Pressed the unlock key and it blinked 3 times with a short beep.

It indicates it's not locked properly. It could be the bonnet or the tailgate. Get it checked the next time you visit service Center. This used to be a common problem during initial days but it got sorted out by changing/adjusting the bonnet switch.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by SDP

Pressed the unlock key and it blinked 3 times with a short beep. Ah, I have seen that twice this week and was wondering what does it mean. Rats? Possibly. But need to get it checked anyways.

It will beep/blink thrice if there is an actuation of the system and is an indication when it is unlocked later. The actuation probably could have happened due to some intrusion or by vibrations which activates the vibration sensor.. Usually when parked on roadsides this occurs when heavy vehicles pass shaking the road.

Originally Posted by rohitbagai

It indicates it's not locked properly. It could be the bonnet or the tailgate.

When any door or bonnet is not securely close this additional beep occurs at the time of locking with the remote and not while opening.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by rohitbagai

It indicates it's not locked properly. It could be the bonnet or the tailgate. Get it checked the next time you visit service Center. This used to be a common problem during initial days but it got sorted out by changing/adjusting the bonnet switch.

That's correct, while locking if you get a beep, it indicates that the locking hasn't succeeded and one of the doors is still open.
I was surprised to get the beep while UN-locking as I didn't know what it means. Now I know.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

It will beep/blink thrice if there is an actuation of the system and is an indication when it is unlocked later. The actuation probably could have happened due to some intrusion or by vibrations which activates the vibration sensor.. Usually when parked on roadsides this occurs when heavy vehicles pass shaking the road.
..

Thanks Rajeev. I am not sure though if the XUV5OO has a vibration/impact sensor which would trigger the security alarm. As per my understanding, the security alarm is linked with the doors, the hatch-door and the bonnet and would trigger if any of these are opened when the car-security is armed.

Have to get it checked.

[Harry1983]

Congratulations!!! I wish many adventurous trips with your Cheetah

[SDP]

Brake Testing

As you are aware, I have been planning for brake-testing - especially ABS - since quite some time. Somehow was not very confident about doing it. Now after almost 3 months of ownership, driving the XUV has become a subconscious affair.

So, today early morning I took the XUV out for ABS testing. Cold start, the diesel clatter was quite obvious. Allowed the engine to gain temperature by driving around the block at slow speeds. Pumped the brakes a few times so as to warm them up. Then started driving normally on typical suburban roads. Speed in 40s and 50s, speed breakers, lots of turns. Went over a couple of small speed breakers without reducing speed. No surprises. Then for the next set of speed breakers, braked late from 30 to crawl and 40 to crawl. The XUV behaved as expected. Was able to bring it to a crawl just before the speed-breaker. Found a empty stretch, sped up to 60kmph and slammed the brakes. No drama, stopped where I was expecting.

Did this for around 10 minutes before venturing on the Eastern Express Highway. It was around 6:15-620AM and the highway had a few vehicles. Stuck to the leftmost lane and tested 60-to-complete Stop. Then 80 and eventually from 100 kmph brought the vehicle to a complete stop by slamming the brakes. Again no drama, no nervousness. Sometimes I used to pick up some stray object on the road as a target (e.g. a crumpled paper) and stop before that after braking late. No issues, went over the paper just once, that too overshot by just a feet.

Tried 100 a couple of times and once felt like the tail stepped out a bit, possibly 3-4 inches. Did all testing in straight line. Do not still have the guts to try this on a curve/bend.

Stepped out of the car once after stopping from 100-to-zero. No tyre marks on the road. No smell from the brakes.

Summary:
1. I like the brakes now. More importantly now I know how they would behave. They work as expected. Neither stopping distance nor manners are a concern.
2. The ABS indicator did not light up even once during the 17kms drive over the half an hour testing! Once, when the tail stepped out a bit, I do suspect the wheels locked. So I need to get the ABS system checked at the A.S.S. when I visit for first service.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by SDP

Brake Testing
...
2. The ABS indicator did not light up even once during the 17kms drive over the half an hour testing! Once, when the tail stepped out a bit, I do suspect the wheels locked. So I need to get the ABS system checked at the A.S.S. when I visit for first service.

Sorry, false alarm about the ABS indicator not glowing.

Checked the manual today and realized that (unlike the ESP indicator) the ABS indicator is NOT supposed to glow when ABS gets triggered.
In fact, a glowing ABS indicator while driving indicates a malfunction of the ABS. How about some consistency across indicators M&M?

Anyways, seems like I was just too focussed on the ABS indicator and might have missed noticing the pulsation on the brake-pedal. Have to repeat the testing.

[naveenchhillar]

Originally Posted by SDP

Sorry, false alarm about the ABS indicator not glowing.

Checked the manual today and realized that (unlike the ESP indicator) the ABS indicator is NOT supposed to glow when ABS gets triggered.
In fact, a glowing ABS indicator while driving indicates a malfunction of the ABS. How about some consistency across indicators M&M?

.

Wow - even I thought that ABS indicators do blink when they are "engaged". Because, I did almost same thing in Noida earlier, but they never did blink - so, I thought am not pressing brakes hard enough or speeding too much before it.

[rohitbagai]

Try to do it on a wet surface.
I tried it on a slope road covered with ice and felt the pulse as it was more pronounced. Thank God it worked otherwise I would have crashed into a stationary truck down the slope or would have scrapped my car with the hill on the left.

[SDP]

FE Update



About 725kms from tankful to tankful. First 200 kms were on good highways. The rest has been within city. Only a marginal improvement over last time's FE, although I am shifting better this time. Sticking to 1500rpm religiously for upshifting.

Quoting from a PM from fellow XUV owner NitinRalli:

NR: In XUV i tend to shift from 18-1900 RPM. Only in 2nd gear, i take it till 2000 RPM, rest all gears it 18-19 range. I believe 1500 is too low for a 2.2 liter engine and can stress it. So try moving up a little close to 1800.

I am going to follow Nitin's advice 1800-1900rpm for upshifting for the current tankful.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by SDP

FE Update

These are not the best FE figures for the XUV, are they? I hear XUVians getting 12-13kmpl in Bangalore traffic and 15+ kmpl on the highways here.
What speeds do you maintain on the highway?

[SDP]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

These are not the best FE figures for the XUV, are they? I hear XUVians getting 12-13kmpl in Bangalore traffic and 15+ kmpl on the highways here.
What speeds do you maintain on the highway?

Yes, even I do believe that these are not the best figures for the XUV5OO.
On highways I maintain 100-110kmph.

This is my first diesel vehicle and also first vehicle with a tacho. So I have doubts about my driving style - especially around up-shifting RPM. Currently shifting up at 1500RPM mark. Planning to experiment with 1800 rpm this time.

I am monitoring tyre pressure regularly and maintaining the recommended 32 front and 30 back.

Tomorrow I am going to do a day trip to Pune and back. Planning to stick to 80-90 in top gear and fill-up after returning back to Mumbai. Hopefully I would get a decently accurate number for highway-FE.