[ashis89]

My friend got a 1st gen Octavia and the AC was not working well. So we took it an AC guy. Turns out the evaporator had developed a leak and had to be replaced.

Since we were already there, I thought to get RoadRunner's AC to be checked and cleaned. I have not been very happy with the AC performance on any hot day. The servicemen checked and said that the expansion valve as not working effectively and hence lower cooling. They offered to change it, clean the evaporator coil and blower, for a total of 3800. With the hope of having a chiller AC, I agreed.

After both the cars were ready, we tested them - Octavia first. That thing had become a deep freeze, almost. The 7500 was well spent. Next I went and sat in my car. It was cool and but far away from the Octavia levels. When I asked the AC guy, his reply had me in splits. He said that 15L rupee car had a compressor which cost 3 times the price of a WagonR compressor. Their performance can't be compared. Point taken.

After driving around for some time, I realized my car AC didn't have much improvement probably because it was already in a good shape when I took it for service (it was serviced last year). I attribute the following reasons for 'seemingly mediocre' performance:

1. Poor design and placement of the AC vents. They throw the air at the steering wheel which blocks it from reaching the driver.
2. Huge glass area on all sides heat up the car much quicker.
3. 'Small' engine and compressor?

I could have done without spending those 3.8k. The odo stands at 67250 kms.

[pavi]

Originally Posted by ashis89

1. Poor design and placement of the AC vents. They throw the air at the steering wheel which blocks it from reaching the driver.

I always wondered why such a design is being done in WagonR, Ignis and Baleno. The air flow is directed towards steering wheel and the left hand freezes after some time. The 2007 model WagonR at home does not have this issue. I think in order to incorporate the audio system, the air vents were moved to sides. Previously air vents were horizontally aligned and now they are vertically aligned. A much better ergonomic design could have been implemented, I would prefer the old design over the new one. I think the dashboard should be arranged in such a way that the air vents comes on the top, then the audio system and the AC controls below that.

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by ashis89

The odo stands at 67250 kms.

Hello Ashis. Wow. You are racking up miles pretty quickly. I hope you are factoring in the tyre size difference while calculating the FE. IMHO, the FE you are getting is pretty low unless you are driving with a heavy right foot. There is an odometer difference of ~23.3kms (i.e. odo reads 1000kms) for every 1023.3kms actually done, due to the upsized tyres.

Originally Posted by ashis89

My friend got a 1st gen Octavia...

That is one heck of a buy. Would like to know more about this. Could you please arrange a quick meet.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Hello Ashis. Wow. You are racking up miles pretty quickly. I hope you are factoring in the tyre size difference while calculating the FE. IMHO, the FE you are getting is pretty low unless you are driving with a heavy right foot. There is an odometer difference of ~23.3kms (i.e. odo reads 1000kms) for every 1023.3kms actually done, due to the upsized tyres.

Calculations are based on the ODO reading only, considering the error is pretty low - 2.33% only. Regarding the FE, it has been consistently giving me such figures for the past 40k kms. Rather it has increased by 1 kmpl in the city in the last 15k kms. Not sure about heavy but I have never driven with a light foot. Need to catch up with you to compare with your car.

That is one heck of a buy. Would like to no more about this. Could you please arrange a quick meet.

My friend doesn't drive to office and so it would be difficult to meet the car on a weekday. If weekend works then we can plan something or else I will get his car to office some day and we both can catch up. Let's take it offline.

[ashis89]

With the ongoing Amazon sale, I got a bottle of Liqui Moly Injector Cleaner. This is my third brand trial after Abro and Gum-Out which were tried in the last 20k kms. Will share my experience once I try it out.

Last tankful returned one of the lowest FE in the last 15k kms, 12.9 kmpl (90% AC, 100% City) which means a running cost of 7 INR. per km. One reason is long period of idling when the AC service was going on. Will look at the next tankful.

[ashis89]

The numbers keep increasing, RoadRunner went past the 68k mark last week. With the last 2 tankfuls, the FE was back to its usual - 15.4 and 16.5 kmpl (70% city, 30% Outer ring road, 90% AC).

November will remain busy with lot of local drives. I am still undecided but I might drive down to Bhubaneswar by end November.

[ashis89]

The other day I noticed some oil mark near the LHS rear shock absorber. Took it to my FNG on Saturday and found that it had leaked completely. Got both the rear shocks replaced with MGP, total cost Rs. 2500 (1150*2 + labour). The rear feels a little more bouncy now but need check the impact on handling after I get to drive alone on highways.

I drove to Srisailam on Sunday, 475 kms round trip. With four adults, the car felt very underpowered in the hills, especially in rollover acceleration. The feels dead until 2.2k rpm and one has to work the gears frequently to keep the engine on boil. Things are much better when it’s just the 2 of us in the car. No issues on plain roads or highways.

AC was on full time. FE for the trip was 17.5 kmpl. RoadRunner will be crossing the 69k kms mark later today. Mile munching continues.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ashis89

November will remain busy with lot of local drives. I am still undecided but I might drive down to Bhubaneswar by end November.

And so the RoadRunner will be running to Bhubaneswar (and beyond) this weekend. With a long stay planned at home, it made sense to take the car along with me.

I am expecting 2.5k - 3.5k kms to be covered in the next 5 weeks. The last service was done 5.5k kms ago and the vitals (engine oil, coolant, brake oil, brakes) seem fine. Next service should be in my home town or immediately after I return to Hyderabad.

Last tankful gave 15.4 kmpl, 90% AC and 90% City drive. The ODO stands at 6945x kms today.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ashis89

November will remain busy with lot of local drives. I am still undecided but I might drive down to Bhubaneswar by end November.

And we drove down to Bhubaneswar. Reached yesterday after a 22 hr journey including breaks. Details to follow later.

ODO stands at 70600 kms.

[ashis89]

Drove down from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar over the weekend. No issues throughout the journey and it was a comfortable one. Some key points from the trip:

• Total distance covered was 1163 kms, over 22hrs. This included 3.5 hrs of power nap apart from lunch and dinner breaks.

• Roadrunner gave the best FE till date on this trip. First tankful returned 18.4 KMPL. The second one was 20.5 KMPL. 100% AC, speeds of 80-110 kmph throughout. The trip was done in two tankful of petrol. Due to increase in FE, the usable range has increased to 500-580 kms.

• Due to unavoidable circumstances, decided not to break for the night. I took almost 4 hrs of power naps in two stretches. No issues for 6fter like me to sleep in the driver seat.

• New rear suspension is making the car a bit fidgety but ride is better now for obvious reasons.

The tyres are wearing out faster, especially the rear ones. Maybe the busted rear suspensions were the cause and it might fix after the suspension replacement. Considering they are 35k kms old and will last another 5-7k kms, I was expecting some more life.

ODO stands at 70703 kms. Next is a ~1000 km trip some time next week.

Off-topic:
My friend has got a new Brezza and I drove it for some good distance. I will leave the good parts aside and talk about the shortcomings. With the driver seat pushed back to the maximum, my left leg was pressed against the dashboard which was a painful experience. I have at least 2 inches of spare leg space in my WagonR. And the 400 kms old Brezza had a loud rattling sound from the dashboard at certain RPMs. Enough said.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ashis89

ODO stands at 70703 kms. Next is a ~1000 km trip some time next week.

This trip never happened but the car was used for intra-city movement. I replaced all three wiper blades and got Maruti OE wipers this time. Total cost 854 INR. With 60% highway, 40% city, 80% AC usage, the FE was 16.1 kmpl.

The odo was 71044 kms when I started for Rajahmundry. Driving solo, I maintained speeds of 90-110 kmph throughout with no complains from my RoadRunner. Roads from Bhubaneswar to Rajahmundry are not in the best of shape which made the journey tiring. Took me 11+ hrs for 630 kms including 100 mins to cross Vizag city. Next day, I tanked up at Rajahmundry and got 19.8 kmpl for this part of the journey. I also checked the tyres and found they were running 27 PSi all through, the reason behind the softer ride during the day. Got them increased to 33 PSi before starting for Hyderabad.

Rajahmundry to Vijaywada roads are worse with broken roads, small potholes and then traffic. Took me 3.5 hrs for 200 kms till Vijaywada exit. Then on Vijaywada to Hyderabad roads are too good and one can happily cruise at three digit speeds. Took me 4 hrs for the next 300 kms till Hyderabad. Tanked up and got 18.1 kmpl for the day.

Even though the Yokohama Earth 1s have worn out faster than I expected but they continue to perform beautifully even after 36k kms. The way are behaving, I might not need to replace before the next monsoon/7-8k kms.

In every trip, I enjoy the driver armrest that I had installed and this one was no different. The best 1000 bucks that I have spent on the car.

Today the ODO stands at 72226 kms and is due for the next service. Will get it done over the weekend.

Off-topic:
My friend has got a new Brezza and I drove it for some good distance. I will leave the good parts aside and talk about the shortcomings. With the driver seat pushed back to the maximum, my left leg was pressed against the dashboard which was a painful experience. I have at least 2 inches of spare leg space in my WagonR. And the 400 kms old Brezza had a loud rattling sound from the dashboard at certain RPMs. Enough said.

The rattling sound was due to a ill-fitted car perfume and was resolved. Car can't be blamed here. Even the leg-space was resolved by increasing the seat height. However it will be a big compromise if I ever buy it.

On the other hand, got a chance to drive a Freestyle TDCi and came away very impressed. The engine is a gem in this car and feels overwhelming in a crowded city. The anti-stall mechanism is aggressive and helps in crawling in tight space. I was able to start from standstill from the middle of a steep ramp just by releasing the clutch. There's hardly any lag. The space inside is very good and due to the increased height, I could get in with very little crouching. It has a lot of features in the top end model and priced in a VFM way. If I were to nitpick, I would reject for having less boot space, no driver armrest and the speedo console looks dated. But these are my requirements only.

[ashis89]

Finally got the service done yesterday at my FNG. The FNG owner drove the car and was pleased to say that there's nothing wrong in it. The bill came to 2170 INR. which was further rounded off to 2100. Frugal costs at its best.

Engine oil - 950
Oil filter - 100
Coolant top up - 100
Spark plug - 270
Labour charge - 400
Car wash - 350

I have always maintained service intervals of 7500-9000 kms till date. My observation was that the car used to feel rough around the 7.5k kms onwards. This time it was different. It ran as smooth as possible and accelerated very well even after 9k kms since the service. The FE had been very good since the last few months. So much so that I have a bottle of Liqui Moly Injector cleaner with me since the past 4 months. However I never felt like using it till date.

Had it not been due for the service, I would have loved to keep driving for a few more months just like that. Also this was the first time where I found no difference driving the car before and after a service.

The current set of spark plugs were changed in the last service and were just 9k kms old. However the FNG onwer inspected those and decided to replace them. I didn't object.

The last tankful gave me 16.03 kmpl (90% AC, 70% city, 30% outer ring road). The ODO stands at 72.9k kms.

Both the Yokohama Earth 1s at the rear have worn out on the outer edge while the front ones still have another 5-10k kms life. My FNG said it could be due to the fact that I travel alone most of the times and hence there isn't any load on the rear tyres leading to positive camber. While they are just fine for city use, I will get them replaced later this month. Mostly will get a set of MRF ZLX in the current upsize. They are cheaper and have decent reviews as well. Let's see how they fare.

[ashis89]

The engine response was at its best just before the service and has dulled after the service. I feel the previous spark plugs had bedded in well and shouldn't have been replaced. Its 400 kms after the service and the response seems to be improving slowly as the kms pile up.

For daily city use and my aggressive drive, the brakes feel a bit spongy and have a long travel. That coupled with slightly worn out tires are not very confidence inspiring. Speaking of tires, I got the pressure checked. Three of them had 33 PSi and 1 had 19 PSi. This is after a gap of 40 days which was too long. I am on the lookout for a good deal on tires and hence didn't bother to check that the cause for drop in pressure in that single front tire.

The last tankful returned a healthy 15.5 kmpl with 80% city and 20% highway use, 80% AC over a distance of 475 kms. ODO stands at 73.3k kms.

I foresee a couple of real long trips in March and April, a few short trips around Hyderabad in between. Let's see how it goes.


Slightly off topic: A friend got a new Ecosport 1.5L Dragon Petrol Signature. I drove it for a few kms over the weekend, my first experience with an Ecosport. Few observations below:

1. The engine has very good bottom end and pulls cleanly from standstill, unlike the K-Series Maruti engine.

2. The power seems to taper off very soon. The engine response was flat in mid and top end from what I felt. The car has done 1300 odd kms till now and might improve later.

3. The brakes were bad and lacked bite. They were worse than the brakes on my car. Not sure if its an issue with his car.

4. For my 6ft frame, the car felt cramped. With the driving seat adjusted for my use, I couldn't get into the rear seat.

5. There wasn't much headroom when I jacked up the driver seat to have a good view of the road. When I pushed the seat down for better head room, I couldn't see the bonnet edges due to the long dashboard. And I was almost touching the roof while seated in the rear seat. Note that the car has a sunroof and hence a little lesser headroom compared to a regular Ecosport.

6. Boot space was good but can be better.

This car is ruled out as well as a potential upgrade, due to the lack of legroom.

[ashis89]

RoadRunner completed the 74k kms mark today. Multiple airport runs keep the ODO increasing, each adding about a hundred kilometres. And there are more airport runs lined up for Feb and March.

I had to drop the plan to drive to Indore and will fly instead. But still evaluating a short holiday some place nearby. And there's this Chennai trip lined up for April. All in all, busy days ahead for him.

The last tankful returned 15.3 kmpl, 80% AC and 100% City. The temperature has soared in the last few days and AC is working overtime now. And walking to nearby places is not pleasant anymore. Some RoadRunner is being pressed to service even for short menial runs. FE numbers should come down a few notches now.

I still need to find some time and replace the tyres before any highway run. No other complaints - just fill it, shut it and forget it.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by ashis89

The engine response was at its best just before the service and has dulled after the service. I feel the previous spark plugs had bedded in well and shouldn't have been replaced. Its 400 kms after the service and the response seems to be improving slowly as the kms pile up.

Not quite happy with the throttle response within the city especially with AC on. I must confess I am expecting a bit too much from the puny 1.0L engine. I have added a bottle of Lui Moly Injector Cleaner which was with me for the last 6 months. Let's see if that improves things a bit. RoadRunner is still running on stock clutch till date.

FE has been good even though I have been harsh on the throttle most of the times. Last tankful returned 15.9 kmpl over 450 kms, 80% city, 100% AC.

New shoes for the RoadRunner

The Yoko Earth 1s are few hundred short of 40k kms. The rear ones are almost gone while the front ones still have about 5k in them. I can continue using in the city without issue but they are very noisy now. And with random impromptu drives that I do, RoadRunner will be more surefooted with new shoes.

Last night, I was browsing through Amazon and saw a deal on MRF ZLX tyres. Ordered 3 of them at Rs.2925/piece. When I tried to order the 4th one from another account, it was sold out from Cloudtail. The other sellers are expensive and have older stock. I will buy a single tyre from outside and get it installed over the weekend.

ODO stands at 74500 kms.

An opportunity came up to drive to Bangalore later this week but I let it go. Shoes and TLC for RoadRunner are the agenda for the weekend.