[kotirajendra]

Regarding the shock absorber, if your tyres are up for change please change them before the shockers. At slightly higher speeds with 3 passengers, I faced similar issue with the stock tyres. However after changing to Continental CC5, I don't face this issue anymore. So don't discount the effect of tyres on the overall driving comfort.

[Samba]

95,000 km update

My parents took the car for a couple of longs drives, around 500 km each. Both were driver driven.
The car performed flawlessly for both the trips.
Today I took it out for a 150 km pleasure drive. I drove the car in a spirited way. The car performed well. Revving a 1.5 NA is always fun!

My gut feeling is, finally the clutch has gone a bit weak. At very slow speed while releasing the clutch, I felt a mild judder. Though with a bit of adjustment I can avoid that, but earlier it was not there.

The next service is due in April. By then i will take the call, whether I will change the clutch or not.
If the car is in my hand, am sure this clutch will go well beyond the 1L km mark but now, a couple of drivers also drive the car when my parents need to go out.

In the last service, Toyota reported that the front shock-absorbers have gone weak and they might need replacement during the next service. As of now I could not see any oil leak or hear any sound on rough roads, but definitely they are not like before. I can feel it while pushing the car around the corners. I miss the earlier stiffness.

So predicting two upcoming expenses for the future-
1) Clutch
2) Front shock-absorbers

A pic from today's drive-

[Samba]

Odo reads 96,200 km

Car is running fine. No niggles or issues to be reported. The 100,000 km service is due in April. The odo wont touch 100,000 km by April, it should be somewhere between 96,500-97,000 km.

Even with the 96,000 km old stock clutch, this car never fails to bring a smile on my face. I just love this car!



Reason why people are crazy about sub 4 meter cars? A sub 4 meter car would have fitted in this parking slot!



Bought a Goodyear tyre inflator, which will be used for both my cars. The earlier one gave up.

This worked pretty well for my Etios. Will check how it performs on the 16 inch wheels of my Duster.



Finally bought a Dash-cam for the Etios. Got a 70 Mai Lite.





The installation and hiding the wire.













A small review of the dash-cam is posted in the below link-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-e...ml#post4771504 (The Dashcam / Car Video Recorder (DVR) Thread)

[Swajith]

Mine is Etios platinum, 2 years ago rear bumper was replaced and over time I started noticing gap between body and bumper. When I gave the car for servicing in Toyota A.S.S they fixed it temporarily and after a week or so I started seeing the gap again.
Can this be fixed permanently? Or do I need to live with it. Please help if any of you have faced this issue.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by Swajith

Mine is Etios platinum, 2 years ago rear bumper was replaced and over time I started noticing gap between body and bumper. When I gave the car for servicing in Toyota A.S.S they fixed it temporarily and after a week or so I started seeing the gap again.
Can this be fixed permanently? Or do I need to live with it. Please help if any of you have faced this issue.

This should not be the case! Toyota must have done a shoddy work back then. (I hope, your car was not involved in any minor crash where the rear bumper took the hit.)
Put a complaint to Toyota and ask them to fix it free of cost.

In the worst case, if Toyota fails to repair it, any good FNG will fix it. Maybe a clip has come off or it's broken. In either of the cases it's a minor job.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Originally Posted by Swajith

Mine is Etios platinum, 2 years ago rear bumper was replaced and over time I started noticing gap between body and bumper. When I gave the car for servicing in Toyota A.S.S they fixed it temporarily and after a week or so I started seeing the gap again.
Can this be fixed permanently? Or do I need to live with it. Please help if any of you have faced this issue.

Seen this with many Etios's. As a matter of fact, was living with the same issue in my Etios. That is what the FNGs will also tell you to do. Although the gap on my one was a tad slimmer than yours.

May be a good Bodyshop (OE or FNG) will be able to sort it. I did not bother with mine though.

[samish_g]

Originally Posted by Swajith

Mine is Etios platinum, 2 years ago rear bumper was replaced and over time I started noticing gap between body and bumper. When I gave the car for servicing in Toyota A.S.S they fixed it temporarily and after a week or so I started seeing the gap again.
Can this be fixed permanently? Or do I need to live with it. Please help if any of you have faced this issue.

Dear Swajith,

I too have faced this problem in my Etios.

I would suggest you ask the service guys to remove and refit. While refitting, please take care of the following: -

1. Please confirm if the bumper retainer (black colour attachment on the body) is in good condition (the bumper flange locks in the retainer). If not, better to change.

2. From the photo you have posted, it is evident that the problem is near the rear lamps. In Etios, below the rear lamp, there is one more bracket where the bumper has to be routed and locked. It appears this process has been missed during fitment of the new bumper.

My humble suggestion would be to refrain from going to the FNG, as in all probability, they would attach a fastener (mostly a self threading screw) on the bumper and lock it to the retainer. Though this is a quick fix, it spoils the appearance of the bumper.

Regards,

Samish

[Samba]

Being related to medical field, we need to go out for work. I am not a doctor, but my father is a doctor. So I do accompany him whenever he needs to go out during this lockdown.

The streets of Kolkata are deserted and I feel sad driving in such a condition. The hustles & bustles which made Kolkata, the city of joy is now a muted city.

Clicked a couple of pics of our Etios last Friday. During normal traffic we can't even imagine to park the car at these places.

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

Seen this with many Etios's. As a matter of fact, was living with the same issue in my Etios. That is what the FNGs will also tell you to do. Although the gap on my one was a tad slimmer than yours.

Originally Posted by samish_g

Dear Swajith,

I too have faced this problem in my Etios.

I just rechecked yesterday, my car do not have this problem.

Originally Posted by samish_g

My humble suggestion would be to refrain from going to the FNG, as in all probability, they would attach a fastener (mostly a self threading screw) on the bumper and lock it to the retainer. Though this is a quick fix, it spoils the appearance of the bumper.

Regards,

Samish

I somewhat agree to this. I have seen these kind of shoddy jobs done by many FNG's. While visiting a FNG, I never leave my car, I get it done under my supervision, though I rarely visit FNG's.

[Samfromindia]

Your Etios & mi2n' s Figo will cross 1L mark from TeamBhp Kolkata community as soon as lock down gets over it seems !

[ABHI_1512]

Wow is the word for this thread and considering the fact that Toyota Etios was the most favored car for my first purchase way back in 2009 before i settled for the Ford Figo, it makes the thread even more interesting. Toyota is known for its reliability and its nice to know that your Etios is nearing 1 lac kms and yet running with the original clutch still. I myself drove my Ecosport with the original clutch till about 81k kms before it went hard enough to pull my knee sockets out. Wish you and your family many more with this workhorse. Will keep an eye on this thread every now and then and to see if we both end up celebrating 1 lac kms milestone together or not!

Regards
Abhishek

[Samba]

Odo stands at 96,500 km

Tried to capture the engine sound of the Etios by driving mostly in 3rd and 4th. It's a small 4 mins clip. The sound is captured best during the first 30 secs (1st, 2nd & 3rd gear) and the last 1 min (3rd & 4th). In-between the car was mostly cruising.

Due to lock-down this 4 lane expressway was having sparse traffic. I love the roar of this 1.5L NA. The poor insulation of the Etios is an icing on the cake, atleast for me! I quite often turn off the music and listen to the engine note. During this drive the AC was on in full blast and a 'Kat Kat' sound was coming from the dash-cam mount. Eliminating these two would have given a better footage!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3RKJCAmFdQ

Disclaimer -I was returning back home after completing some work related to medical field. The car was not taken out unnecessarily just for a joy drive.
But yes, whenever I have to go out, am enjoying driving the Etios on the empty roads.
Hope the lockdown opens soon & life comes back to normal. A city without people looks lifeless. :(

[Samba]

Was having a conversation with my dad, while driving the Etios.

Me- This car turned out to be ultra reliable.
Dad- Yes indeed.

We went for a work and came back, sat in the car and cranked. It's dead.
We look at each others face and I told him, seems like the battery is gone.

Dad- How old is the battery.
Me- 5 years.
Dad- You are running a 5 years old battery and never bothered to check it's health or change it! You call yourself a car enthusiast?
Me- We will talk on that later, let me push the car, you seat on the driving seat and try to start it in 3rd.

The Bahubali inside me awakes at 3 pm, when the outside temperature was 39C. No one was around due to lock-down. Managed to push the car for 100 meter, while dad tried twice to start it, but it didn't.

Seeing my condition, dad told me to stop and find some more people. In the meantime seeing our condition, two Swiggy delivery boys stopped. They parked their bikes and pushed the car, I sat on the driving seat and started it in 3rd. RELIEF

While coming back, whenever I was leaving the accelerator, the power steering was getting hard! The battery was totally gone.
The dashboard showed this-



Never knew, heel/toe can save a day while driving a car with a dead battery at very slow speed! I had to accelerate to keep the power steering working! Else it was getting hard.

Came back and parked the car. Next day got a new Exide Matrix with 5 years warranty. Got it for Rs 4300 by exchanging the old battery.
Now all is well. A servicing is due at Toyota, will get a thorough checkup for the electrical's once the service center opens. Odo reads 96,516 km.

[xcentrk]

Originally Posted by Samba

Was having a conversation with my dad, while driving the Etios.

Me- This car turned out to be ultra reliable.
Dad- Yes indeed.

We went for a work and came back, sat in the car and cranked. It's dead. .....

You had me at this line. I thought, What the hell! How can a Toyota break down like that? That too with less miles on odo.

And then I read battery dead and I was like

I don't know why but I feel confident taking my brother's Etios for long trips rather than my Xcent and mind you, my Xcent never let me down so far.

I hope you will have many more peaceful miles ahead with the mechanically simple car.

[Samba]

9 years/100,000km service update at 96,600 km mark

By far the costliest service till that.

Got the service done from Saini Toyota, Howrah.
Overall they did a good job.

Parts changed-

Engine oil
Oil Filter
Spark plug
Crank case oil seal
Gearbox inner oil seal
Transmission oil
Clutch plate assembly (Excluding the flywheel)

Thorough check up's of all the major mechanical parts like, suspension, brake, belts, fluids and electrical's were done. Plus got the ECU reset, as the battery was replaced few days back.
Total bill- Rs 20,355

As of now the car is running on new tyres, new battery, new clutch-plate. Now it's driving like a brand new car. The pickup improved, plus the car feels ultra smooth. Am just loving the drive more & more now.

Got the insurance (comprehensive) renewed with Tata AIG for Rs 5,400.

So including the insurance, a total of Rs 30,155 was spent in last 15 days.

The over all maintenance cost over these 9 years and 96,600 km -

A short summary of the car's visit to service centers/ Fng's, apart from the regular service maintenance -

1) 6000 km- To replace the fuel hose as it was a recall from Toyota.
Cost - 0.

2) A leaked shock absorber at 18,000 km. Cost - 0 (Changed under warranty).

3) Upgraded the stock front shock absorbers to the stiffer shock absorbers under warranty at 22,000 km. Toyota gave their customers a choice and I opted for it. Cost - 0.

4) At 23,000 km changed one tyre due to side wall cut. Cost Rs 3,400 (fng).

5) A blown out fuse at 22,000 km due to using a faulty mobile charger. Toyota changed the fuse for free.

6) The stock horn was replaced at 27,000 km due to malfunction. Cost - Rs 100 (fng).

7) At 34,290 km the following parts were changed- Front disc pads with rotors, rear left shock absorber had a leak so replaced both of them. Cost - Rs 11,599.

8) At 34,700 km an anti rattling kit was installed due to a kat kat sound coming from the dashboard area. Though the sound vanished of its own, we still installed the anti rattling kit. Cost Rs - 501.

9) At 44,000 km changed all the 5 tyres to Yokokama Earth 1. (185/65/R14) Rs 22,000. New Exide mileage battery - Rs 3,200 (fng).

10) At 45,000 km there was a recall from Toyota to change the front seat belt Pre-tensioners. Cost - 0.

11) At 51,000 km front left shock absorber was changed. Cost - Rs 2,200.

12) At 64,000 km upgraded the horn to dual Minda jalwa horn. Rs 1,200 (fng).

13) Changed a head light bulb - Rs 220 (fng).

14) Got an extra check up done just before a long trip and stocked 1L engine oil and coolant along with washing and cleaning. Rs 2,500.

15) Got the right hand side rear view mirror glass changed as the original one fell off by getting hit with the orvm of another car. Rs 1,065.

16) Got the front right wheel bearing changed with the hub at 79,800 km. Rs 2,900 (fng).

17) At 86,000 km mark rats chewed the left side headlight holder. Replaced with a new one. Damage to pocket - Rs 150.

18) At 86,000 km mark replaced the wiper. Damage to pocket - Rs 524.

19) Got the left wheel bearing changed with the hub at 88,000 km. Rs 3,100 (fng)

20) A minor denting and painting job in a FNG. Rs 4,000

21) At 93,000 km mark, four new Yokohama Earth one tyres were installed. Rs 17,000

22) At 96,500 km mark a new Exide Matrix Battery was installed. Rs 4,400

Scheduled 1 year/10,000kms services with other wear and tear part replacements -

1) 1,000 km- 1st service. Cost- 0.

2) 10,000 km- 2nd service- Changed engine oil and oil filter. (synthetic oil.) Cost - Rs 2,800.

3) 20,000 km- 3rd service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, rotation of tyres and greasing the side walls of the tyres. Cost - Rs 3,400.

4) 30,000 km- 4th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, ac filter, wiper blade. 30,000 km service inspection cost, rear brake shoe assembly both side inspection, front disc brake pad both side inspection cost - Rs 5,240.

5) 40,000 km- 5th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Brake fluid. Cost - Rs 5,500.

6) 50,000 km- 6th service. Engine oil (Synthetic oil) and oil filter change, Wiper washer fluid top up, 3M under body check up, Foam wash to the exterior body, Premium interior clean.
The only added attention the car needed was the change of the front left shockabsorber. It developed a leak. Got the air filter and ac filter cleaned too, Brakes shoes/pads checked and cleaned. The total bill amount was Rs 8,500.

7) 60,000 km- 7th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, ac filter, wiper blade, 4 spark plugs, Clutch cable, left rear tail lamp, rear brake shoe assembly both side inspection, front disc, brake pads both side inspection. Cost - Rs 8,500.

8) 70,000 km- 8th service. Changed engine oil (synthetic), oil filter, front brake pads. Rs 6,591.

9) 80,000 km- 9th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Brake fluid, air filter. Rs 6,700.

10) 90,000 km - 10th service. Changed engine oil (Synthetic oil), 0il filter, Ac filter, fuel filter, right wheel bearing. Rs 11,540.

11) 100,000 km service at 96,600 km mark- Changed engine oil, Oil filter, 4 spark plugs, Gearbox inner oil seal, Transmission oil, Clutch plate assembly (Excluding the flywheel). Rs 20,355

Total cost over these 9 years including service, parts changed, tyres, battery, body work (minor denting & painting) = Rs 159,185 for 96,600 km. That's approximately Rs 1.64 per km.

Few pics from the service-

Sanitizing on progress





The 96,500 km done clutch plate.







Idemitsu full synthetic engine oil. (They poured BS6 specified oil, which according to Toyota wont do any harm in BS4 engines.)









A couple of pics after the service.

[vigsom]

^^

The clutch set (cover, disc and bearing) is very reasonably priced.

Was the crankshaft oil seal replaced as a preventive or was it showing signs of leaking?

The last picture reminds me of an Amabassador parked outside this station