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-   -   Red Dwarf – My 2016 Mahindra TUV300 T8 Manual. EDIT: Now sold (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/172583-red-dwarf-my-2016-mahindra-tuv300-t8-manual-edit-now-sold-10.html)

Hey Ravinder, no update on your thread since a long time. Hope your Red dwarf is rocking as usual :). I have scheduled the 30K service appointment for my Orange Tank this Friday. I need your inputs on the service. Besides the seat belts not retracting, I don't have any other issues. I am not planning for MLD fitment as the wheel spin issue is not much of a concern for me. Do I need to get anything else checked besides the regular 30K service? Any other parts' recall/replacement off late?

Were you able to try this out, the K&N Scorpio filter on your Red Dwarf or have you figured out the how to DIY clean the existing air filter element? My Indica's air filter cleaning was so very easy. Just remove the 4 clips by hand, loosen the front cover, remove the filter element, tap it, remove the dust by blowing compressed air/ vacuum cleaner air and refit it. It will be of great help if you could figure out how to clean the TUV's air filter element.

Hi Deepak - have been tied up with work and other commitments and hence no update here. Dwarf is doing good but usage has decreased as I have stopped driving to office.

I had got my modulators (TUV has 2) replaced a month or so ago as I faced power and FE drop issue once again. The new modulators are different from the old ones but if you dont have any issues, would suggest you dont ask for a replacement. Apart from this, the dwarf is running fine and I have only been doing some weekend runs. Odo stands at 36.5K kms and I think I will touch 40K in Jan 2018.

Nope I havent had time to do this or figure out a way to clean the filter. I dont think there is any point in cleaning the current filter as its a wet type filter and blowing air will have minimal impact. Would suggest you just replace it as part of your 30K service.

30K service you will need to get oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter replaced. Ensure that they check brake pads and grease pins. Also get your in cabin air filter cleaned if you havent done the same in a while. Apart from the above, I dont think you need to get anything changed/replaced. Get WA/WB done if needed.

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you drive many more miles in 2018!

Apart from a couple of longish trips early in the year, the dwarf has only been doing a few day trips in and around Bangalore over the lat few months. Odo stands at 38.5K kms and I should be taking it in for the 40K service by the end of this month. I haven't visited MASS in a long time clap: as no new problem/niggle has cropped up. FE has been steady at the 14-14.5 kmpl mark with the only difference being the ease with which the dwarf hits tripple digit speeds on 4/6L highways. Not saying that its a scorcher but over the last few months, I feel the dwarf has opened up a bit more and its jut that teeny weeny bit faster to get to the 100 mark. Maybe its the new modulators that are making this possible.

A couple of collages to remember 2017




Looking forward to the journeys & experiences that 2018 has in store.

Hello Ravinder, hope you are doing fine. By now your Red Dwarf might have crossed the 40K mark on the odo. Have you got your 40K service done from MASS? If yes can you please post the service details here? My Orange tank has just crossed the 34K mark on the odo and it may take another 4-5 months to reach the 40K mark. However would like to know about your experience with the 40K service.

After the Feb trip to Koteshwara, the tank has been doing only city and office runs due to a packed work schedule. The Odo now stands at 44.4K and here is a quick summary of the last few months

Quick getaway on the second anniversary


5th Service - 40K Kms

• During the 5th service, I had asked MASS to change the oil to Shell, which I had carried with me and they were adamant that no 3rd party oil can be used
• I wrote to M&M regional service head and his reply was as follows
  
  
  Quote:

  Reference to your requirement for specific brand engine oil replacement as mentioned below, India Garage team have requested to replace with Mahindra recommended “Maximile Feo New Generation Genuine Engine Oil”, which has been developed specifically for Mahindra vehicles considering optimum performance and oil drain intervals Kindly note that using lubricants meeting the specified specifications other than Mahindra recommended lubricants have lower change intervals as mentioned in the enclosed copy of owner’s manual. The pre- requisites of warranty has been provided in “Warranty Information and Maintenance Guide” provided along with Owners’ Manual. Photo copy of the respective pages from same has been attached for your reference. Based on this, India Garage service team have requested yourself for approving Mahindra specified engine oil and mentioned their inability to change the oil procured by you.

• After this there were a couple of phone conversations where he clearly mentioned that if you are found using any other oil apart from M&M recommended, drivetrain warranty will be forfeit
• Again 5th service was only mechanical service and IG ensure that they took 4 hours to change engine & brake oil, replace air and oil filter and clean cabin air filter
• Checked with other folks and a few XUV owners had confirmed that they are using non mahindra oil brands and changing the same during service. Within a week, this was stopped as M&M issued a new circular to all ASS clearly asking them to use only M&M approved Oils during service
• Just after the 5th Service, F.E had once again touched 15 kmpl mark but now its back to the 13.5-14 kmpl range

Up in the hills


Issues

• Ever since the modulator change, I personally feel that the torque delivery has dropped in 2nd gear and I have to use more of the A pedal to get the tank moving
• Tried explaining this to the SA during my visit to MASS last week and all they did was clean the air filter housing and tell me that everything is working as it should
• Various folks on whatsapp group have confirmed that new modulator wiring and some other associated components are being tested by M&M. Tests being done by collaborating with existing owners and using their vehicles to test/fix
• Hopefully once the tests are done, we should have a permanent fix to the modulator issue
• Mid to End of April I ended up topping the coolant tank with almost 1 litre of coolant. Visited ASS last week and there was a major leak near radiator outlet pipe
  
• This was an easy fix but ASS decided to bill me Rs 1,500 for coolant and labour. I put my foot down, told the CRM manager (something new in MASS i guess as the lady was quiet clueless about what she needs to say) that I am not paying a single rupee for this as this is not wear & tear. 5 minutes later she hands me the gate pass and asks me to leave

Niggles

• Door rattles have come back and I plan to get the 3M acoustic solutions to reduce noise. Will also ask them to fix the rattles using 3M tape during this job
• There is a small dashboard rattle which pops up only when the car is idling in Neutral. Have to listen hard to isolate this and hence don't plan to do anything about it
• The new 42T seatbelts are also crap. Same issues with non retraction after a few months of usage
• Rear spray nozzle seems to have lost its fizz. Water hardly reaches a few cms above the nozzle. Need to clean and check
• Been almost 20K kms since WA/WB and there are small signs of WB issues like extra vibrations on uneven roads, steering vibration at 100 kmph etc.

Early morning starts are the norm


Ownership

• Thoroughly enjoying the drive even now. Been doing a little more of early morning/night driving and the headlights with the 90/100s are more than enough. Love the bending lamps especially while driving though 2L roads with zero illumination
• Tyres are still going strong and should last for another 8-10 K kms Same story with break pads as well as I do use a lot of engine breaking during the drives
• Will most probably get some paint correction and ceramic coating done for the entire car. Accumulating vitamin M for the same
• I have been driving on lots of twisty tarmac over the last 5-6 months and what really stands out is the way the car pulls. Drop a gear and you are all set to cleanly overtake
• Also the fact that over/understeer never makes its presence felt give me the confidence to push the car a little if required

Should be posting an update on the recent trip to Udupi coast soon.

Good to see an update on this thread after such a long time Ravinder:thumbs up. Man this is only your second post in 2018. Just today my odo crossed the 36K mark and I am looking forward to the 40K service three months down the line. Could you please post the details (part & labor) break-up of your 40K service?

Regarding rattles, get the door trims checked. I had fixed it once in my left door. For me the coolant level is constant post the 30K service. Last week did a 650 kms round trip to my native and there was no drop in coolant level. Although the tank has some body roll, it feels quite stable on twisties and curved roads. on my recent trip on NH-60, one Hexa driver overtook me, he was doing around 100 kmph and I was at 90 kmph. But then on the curve ahead he had to slow down & I could easily pass him maintaining the same speed. Then on a straight stretch again he overtook me as he was doing triple digit speeds. My tank was loaded with 8 adults and some duffle bags on the roof top carrier. It didn't break any sweat good roads or bad roads.

Here you go



Similar experience not just on curves but even on 2L roads where you need to plan overtakes. Most cars with turbo lag struggle but I can just easily trundle past them during overtakes. In fact during my trip last weekend, a Nexon was trying hard to overtake me for close to 150 kms of 2L roads but every time there was a speed breaker or traffic that needed slowing down, he would struggle to catch up. It was a different story that in straight stretches I was pushing 100+ and just zipping through some of the curvy sections.

Thank you for sharing the invoice details:thumbs up. Part charges are quite reasonable. However the labor charges of 3K + for regular service seems to be on the higher side. Didn't they give the break-up of labor charges? For my 30K service labor charges were Rs 1,623/-. 40K service charges are almost double of that.

You are spot on. I just love driving the TUV through the ghats & twisties, there is so much low end grunt. However on plain straight roads it runs out of breath, the small 1.5L engine and the shorter gearing being the main reason. The TUV screams for a bigger engine or at least a 6th gear on highways. The tank feels so much stable and planted on highways.

Just read your ownership thread. Congratulations on acquiring the red dwarf. I can see you are maintaining her superbly. :thumbs up TUV is a very itimidating car, particularly when it appears in our rear view mirror.

Yet another beach getaway for the dwarf.



The beach bums at home do not appreciate the symphony of mist & wind in the hills and hence the need to hear the raucous cacophony of crashing waves. Off we went again on yet another journey to the western coast of Karnataka near Udupi. The plan was to travel during the long weekend of may day and stay put in one place for 3N and just chill. Due to a mix up, we had to stay 1N at Jumadi island and 2N at The Blue Matsya. Instead of chilling, we ended up driving to Pabbas multiple times just for the ice cream and cold water!

4 am start on saturday ensured that we missed the toll madness as well as the election check posts. We were at Meenakshi Bhavan, Shivamogga at 8 am for some hot hot masala dose and special coffee. A quick stop at Sakrebyle elephant camp and we flying across the twisties towards Agumbe. After a quick stop for Kokum juice at Mayura, we were once again off and reached Jumadi island parking area by 2 PM.

Sunrise near Hosadurga


Jumadi is a small island nestled amidst the backwaters and delta of suvarna river. An old style home that has been converted into a homestay. If there is one word to describe this place, it would be “solitude”. The only way to get on and off the island is row boats and everything else (including food) is got to the island by the caretaker. The home is itself well equipped with almost all modern amenities and if you like to cook your own food, the kitchen is very functional and comes with all required accoutrements.

View from the kitchen window


Sitting room


Dining area


gondolas anyone?


home stretch


backwater sunset


beach combing


After a quiet evening amidst the backwaters and a relatively peaceful night (barring the occasional lizard, frog and other associated creatures that tend to inhabit natural environs), we set off towards Kapu after a mouth watering breakfast of masala paddus.

Land ahoy!


parking lot


Blue Matsya at Kapu is a beautiful property right at the beach. Swati the owner ensures that she sets expectations upfront and you are aware of what is in store. No AC, No TV, No Wifi - all you have is a lot of books, endless supply of ocean breeze and the sound of waves.

Room with a view




Picture perfect parking lot



Henry the crab hunter


Food can be arranged if required or you can always step out onto NH66 and grab a bite at any of the eateries. We ended up going to Woodlands in Udupi a few times as well as Pabbas in Mangalore for their delicious ice creams. Wonder why we don't get such simple but mouth watering ice cream in Bangalore?

https://youtu.be/pLrG_Uklw_s

Over the next few days, we visited

Yard Beach @ Ulliyargoli - Kapu beach was extremely crowded over the weekend and hence we did some exploring and landed at yard beach. Just a couple of clicks from Kapu beach, this place is just the place we needed to chill and watch the sun go down




Gomateswara @ Karkala - do not miss driving on padubidri - karkala road. Folks driving hatches and sedans might not enjoy the drive thanks to the rumbler strips but those in a UV will absolutely enjoy the wide roads, sparse traffic and the meandering tarmac. The statue in itself does not hold a candle to the one at Shravanabelagola but it still a beautiful work of art. From the top of the hill, you can see Chaturmukha Basadi, which we did not visit. Do note that you will need to climb about 100 odd steps to the top of the hill to view the statue. If you are lucky, then the road to the temple is open and you can drive your steed right up to the top.



Chaturmukha Basadi


1000 pillar temple @ Moodabidri - such a waste of time. After all the hoysala works of art, this temple is not even plain vanilla. Add to that the horrendous drive from Moodabidri to Mangalore, where I almost got side swiped a couple of times by private busses.

Light House @ Kapu - Built in 1916, this still does have the original brass fittings and the only thing that has been modernised is the light source. Lanterns have been replaced by 3 x 125W bulbs. The view from the top is amazing but you will have to jostle and joust your way to find some space on top during sunset.


Goshale @ Neelavar - an orphanage/old age home for cows. The temple situated in the middle of the cow sheds is a quiet piece to spend a few minutes contemplating anything. Thanks Thilaknex for sharing this on FB.





Sea Walk @ Malpe - if you have walked Marine drive Mumbai and some of the other better know seaside walk ways, you can give this a miss.

Beach road @ Malpe - Kapu - this stretch was highly recommended by the owner of Blue Matsya as well as some other folks on other forums but I did not like it much. There is just too much activity going on all around the drive stretch for it to be enjoyable. Maybe it was the weather as well - hot, humid and slightly cloudy, did nothing to enhance the experience.

https://youtu.be/QPnggqRnWeI

After a quick breakfast on 1st May, we head back home via the same route: Udupi - Agumbe - Tirthahalli - Shivamogga - Tarikere - Hosadurga - Hiriyur - Bangalore. Route and road updates here

Now planning the next getaway!

Wow. Just amazing writeup Ravinder. Loved reading it. clap:
Looks like you guys had a wonderful time out at the coastal belt. Of course, this is the worst time to visit Karavali once after getting used to the heavenly weather of Bengaluru. This post serves as the perfect travel guide for the one who wants to wander around Udupi for the quick break from the city hustle.

It has been a couple of very quiet months all thanks to work and personal commitments. The odo stands at 48.5K kms and I am hoping to reach the 50K mark by mid September. Nothing much to update as the car has been running without any hiccups. As most of my recent runs have been city runs, the FE has dropped to ~13.5 kmpl range.



The interiors of the car were getting dirty and I hadn’t done any kind of deep cleaning over the alst 2.5 yrs. Hence decided to get a professional deep clean from a BHPian and here are some pics post the cleaning session.





The interiors trims and plastics seem to be holding up fine and no new rattles have emerged (touchwood!). Apart from a couple of new scratches on the bumper, thanks to the 2 wheeled idiots on BLR roads, there is not much change on the exterior either. Still following my monthly schedule of water wash + sealant top up, which seems to be protecting the paint.

Issues
• Ever since the modulator change, I personally feel that the torque delivery has dropped in 2nd gear and I have to use more of the A pedal to get the tank moving
• Begins to feel a little sluggish (might be nitpicking!) once you hit the 7.5K kms mark after service. My guess is the stupid foam air filter clogging up + oil not holding up

Niggles
• Door and dashboard rattles seem to have sorted themselves out
• The new 42T seatbelts – need to figure out a way to clean them and see if they work better as M&M doesn’t seem too keen on sorting out this issue
• Increased road noise due to tyre aging

Ownership
• Thoroughly enjoying the drive. Period!
• Tyres are still going strong and should last for another 8-10 K kms. Plan to get break pads changed during the 50k service as I think they have almost worn out
• Need to get paint correction – loads of swirls all over the body

Few pics of the car

Hey Ravinder, good to see an update on your ownership thread after a long time clap:. As you know I recently did the 40K service of my Orange Tank and my odo has just crossed 40K mark. Sharing my mileage/kmpl chart over here. Unlike yours mine is odo reading on X-axis. The overall fuel efficiency stands at 14.24 kmpl.



Vow, the interiors are shining new :thumbs up. My car's interiors are not that much dirty, hence apart from the cleaning during regular service, I did not do any special treatment.

Since the onset of the monsoon my weekly ritual of washing and monthly ritual of polishing has completely stopped. I will let it be as is till September. Once the sun starts shining back, I will begin the polishing ritual. I got the car spankling clean out of the service centre and till the time it reached home it go dirty and murky. So I would let it be like that for another month or so.

Same here, I am planning to change the brake pads at 50K. Tyres are still going good, can easily last another year. Even I had only one puncture till date (touchwood). That punctured tyre is mounted on the rear door as a spare wheel. Will think of replacing tyres at 60K or after 1.5 years from now. What about your battery? Is it still going strong? I haven't had any issues with the battery so far (knock-on-wood).

Try Abro DI-502 Diesel Injector Cleaner. I have the same issue even after changing modulator twice. After using this, the response did improve in second gear.

I've been going through your ownership thread since the beginning, as I wanted to buy a TUV. I ended up buying an Ecosport.

Looking at your experience, it seems clear that there have been quite a lot of niggles in your vehicle. Other than two occasions where I had rattles from the rear boot door and the driver side air vent, I can't recall needing to visit the service center outside of regular 10k services (23k kms done since Sep 2016).

For a person who had been driving an Indigo and a Nano, this was almost unsettling. I almost miss the trips to the nearby service centre, and the camaraderie I had with the SAs. I miss messing around with additives at every fill-up, and getting an additional oil change every 5k to keep things smooth. With Ford, a driver picks up the car, I get a call saying how much it cost, and I go and pick it up. There's minimal talk, except for them trying to sell some coating or the other.

The discussions I have are mostly about lighting, or tuning boxes (which I decided to do without for now).

But your ownership experience is like that of an Enfield bike, with niggles being found and getting fixed almost regularly. I say this in a most positive way. It seems a lot more involving than mine. While I do enjoy the Ecosport, I don't seem to have the relationship I had with my last car with it. I don't even want to write up the ownership report that I started, as it seems too Vanilla.

I should have gone with my heart and bought the TUV or the Nuvosport instead. The Ecosport is better in almost every way, but the heart wants what it wants.

BTW, the paint finish on your car is totally droolmaal. AFAIK, the bumpers on the TUV aren't as full gloss finished as the body, from factory. I recall that the showroom display cars and the demo cars had almost matte looking bumpers, more visible on the brighter shades like blue, orange and red.