[procrj]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

However I am missing your Red Dwarf's pictures in the above travelogue. Why was it left out?

Did not take any pics of the dwarf as its been more than 45 days since I cleaned the car and its extremely dirty. Plan to spend some quality time this weekend cleaning and sprucing up the car

[procrj]

Been a hectic few weeks and I haven't been using the car much in the last month or so. Odo still stands at 27.5K kms. I had posted about the car feeling lazy on Parag's ownership thread and over the last couple of highway drives, I felt that the car was not responding to usual throttle input and I really had to feed it a lot more fuel to get moving. Even the pull from the low rev torque was not as pronounced as it used to be. FE over the last 2 tankfuls had dropped to 12 - 12.3 kmpl from 13.8 - 14.4 kmpl and its was a bit of a worry.

Earlier this week when I was climbing up an incline the car was struggling with 5 adults on board in first gear and I realized that I might have a real problem on my hands.

Opened the bonnet and I see oil leaking on the side of the engine. Didn't use the car for the last few days and today I drove to MASS to get this as well as the pick up problem fixed.

Oil leakage



IG was pretty quick today and my SA ensured that everything was done right. After removing the engine cover, the intake manifold inlet was opened and the O rings were put back in place along with some sealant. I asked for the fuel filter to be replaced as my assumptions was that this is what is causing the lethargic response to A pedal input. One look at filter and I decided that I will change the same every 20K kms as it makes no sense to wait 40K kms and drive with such a bad filter.

Fuel Filter - 27.5K Kms


Apparently my car had a retro (mahindra speak for recall) for radiator fan and hence that was also changed. Would urge other owners to also check and get the replacement even though its not a red category retro.

Take the car out for a long test drive and it still feels very sluggish. I feel no improvement in response to A pedal inputs and the pull from the low rev torque was missing. Now I was really worried. After a quick discussion with the senior service in charge, it was decided that all the vaccum hose will be changed and then we will check response.

Vaccum hose


Pull out, plug in and all vaccum hoses were replaced. A quick drive confirmed that the car was back to its usual responsive self and I quickly settled the bill for fuel filter replacement and walked out.

Planning to take the car out tomorrow and stretch its legs to see how it performs and check for oil leakage.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

Pull out, plug in and all vaccum hoses were replaced. A quick drive confirmed that the car was back to its usual responsive self and I quickly settled the bill for fuel filter replacement and walked out.

Planning to take the car out tomorrow and stretch its legs to see how it performs and check for oil leakage.

Ravinder, good to see update on your thread after a long time. So what was the fuel filter cost? Since the fuel filter replacement did not make any change in the car's pick-up, there could have been some useful life left in the fuel filter (although it was apparently looking dirty). Its strange how come these vacuum hoses get loose over time and replacing them solved the pick-up issue. What was the technical reason behind this?

[needforspeed88]

Mahindra has to work a lot on these hoses, modulators and clamps because despite having numerous recalls about the same, they still have not got on top of the issue. It is clearly a design issue.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

Mahindra has to work a lot on these hoses, modulators and clamps because despite having numerous recalls about the same, they still have not got on top of the issue. It is clearly a design issue.

I agree with you. Most of us have faced one or the other of the below issues:

• Vacuum modulator/ hose changed/ tightened
• Coolant return hose changed/ tightened
• Turbocharger hose changed/ tightened

What I think is that though Mahindra has provided a dual-mass flywheel on the crank shaft of this 3-cylinder engine, all the vibrations would not be dampened out. These vibrations could be leading to the loosening out of the hoses from the clamps, over a period of time. I think vibrations being inherent to the three cylinder engine, all of us TUV owners will have to live with it.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

So what was the fuel filter cost?

Rs 520 for the filter and 165 Labor.

there could have been some useful life left in the fuel filter (although it was apparently looking dirty)

Agreed but I think 30K kms would have been pushing it.

Its strange how come these vacuum hoses get loose over time and replacing them solved the pick-up issue. What was the technical reason behind this?

Heat is the primary reason. The new hose was a lot more flexible than the ones that were replaced. My hypothesis is that because of the quality of hose used and heat that it is subjected to, especially during long distance drives, the hose will tend to expand and harden. That means the tolerance changes and hence can have an impact on performance.

There was nothing wrong with the turbo as I could hear the whistle and assuming that the fuel lines and filters are OK, this was a logical next step to check before looking at the fuel system for problems.

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

Mahindra has to work a lot on these hoses, modulators and clamps because despite having numerous recalls about the same, they still have not got on top of the issue. It is clearly a design issue.

Not just for the TUV, even the new gen Scorpio owners are facing this issue and its just pure lethargy on M&Ms part to not straighten things.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

What I think is that though Mahindra has provided a dual-mass flywheel on the crank shaft of this 3-cylinder engine, all the vibrations would not be dampened out. These vibrations could be leading to the loosening out of the hoses from the clamps, over a period of time. I think vibrations being inherent to the three cylinder engine, all of us TUV owners will have to live with it.

I agree with the point that you are making. Using a dual mass flywheel to damp vibrations is a step in the right direction but cutting corners on other parts or using parts which you know are not working right is just absolutely unacceptable. Its just frustrating to keep getting things fixed and I will really really think a lot before I invest hard earned money into a M&M product again.

Drove 430 KMs today with the last 70 odd kms in Bangalore traffic. The O Ring seems to be holding up as I did not see any oil leakage at the end of the day. FE after topping up the tank was 13.5 kmpl which is much better than the 12 kmpl that it was delivering. Happy with that because most of the drive today was at 110-120 kmph and the car was just purring along. I had a big smile plastered on my face as I let the torque flow and rode the wave The small joys of driving a small diesel car!

[procrj]

The hills have a strange effect on me. I dont know why but I feel calm, in control and a sense of deep all pervasive quiet seeps into my skin with every curve. I was not born anywhere near a hill, I did not spend a lot of time in the hills while growing up and I dont have a rational reason for this affinity. Having said that I must say that I do have health respect for the roads that winds through the hills and even more for the folks that call it their home.



Given a chance, I would any day drive up them twisties (ironically in a tall, heavy, under-powered car ) with my windows rolled down and the smell of wet earth wafting through. But there is a small catch, Hills for me have to be green & bustling with flora & fauna Commeth the monsoon, commeth the hour! For drives with nary a reason, For drives without destination.

“If you cannot understand that there is something in man that responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward & forever upward, then you wont see why we go” – Edmund Hillary

Why I go, is not for the struggle that is ever upward
Why I go, is not for sense of achievement
Why I go, I do not know!



I think I am a Pluviophile as I am happiest when it rains and find that I travel a lot more during the rainy season as compared to other times of the year. This combined with the incomprehensible attraction to the hills makes me want to drive up those cloud covered passes and soak in that feeling. Cold, wet and windy – these seem to be my only want during the momentary lapse of reason and its totally worth it.



Words cannot come close to explaining that hollow sound that a whipping wind makes while pushing through the hills. The echo of the same is muted by the roiling mists of monsoon clouds which send healthy shivers down your spine. A lot of people might find it spooky to stand/drive in such conditions but I would any day exchange a few of minutes of this experience for many many hours of other modern mundane monotonous drudgery.





Sometimes I dont even have to be driving. In a corner with a cup of hot coffee, staring at the dark clouds pour down is such a joy. Its surprising what a little moisture can do and the effect that it has on colors. Dull dark patchy green of trees turns into an almost sinister shade of glossy dark green and my imagination runs wild thinking of the majestic beasts that used to inhabit these lands. Rutted mud turns into this brown, squelchy quagmire with tender shoots of grass. Small, forgettable, sleepy, inconsequential hamlets turn into picture perfect locations which compel you to stop by the side and breathe in the serenity of the place and that unique smell of wood-smoke mingling with wet earth.



With every passing year, the urge to spend more time collecting such experiences only increases and with every passing year, the density of tourists also increases exponentially. Its just sad to see how inconsiderate most people are while travelling. Hence the need to go off the beaten track, find those small pockets of joy that are still relative unknown and enjoy those moments of unbridled, relatively unspoiled nature.

https://youtu.be/h7v2wMz5jyA

Pics and video from a quick dash to chikmagalur.

Nothing much to update on the car as its munching miles and the odo stands at 31K kms in almost 18 months. FE over the last few fills has been 14+ kmpl and I am not complaining. Happy with the car and hoping to drive a little more over the next few months given the long weekends that are coming up.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

The hills have a strange effect on me. I dont know why but I feel calm, in control and a sense of deep all pervasive quiet seeps into my skin with every curve.

Procrj at his usual best . Wonderful pictures there. Those of us who cannot venture out this monsoon (due to other committments) can relish on these pictures and travelogue. Wish you can have many more such monsoon trips and we can enjoy them over here in TBHP

[procrj]

Having missed all the monsoon drives, the tank is just thirsty to get onto the road and soak in some rain. Been business as usual the last few weeks - office & back has been the only drive. Hopping to hit the road end of this month and soak in some rain & sea.

The tank was due for a wash and hence cleaned it inside out yesterday morning. Did not get time to apply the sealant but ONR still did a good job, giving the car a nice shine. Guess the initial paint treatment + regular use of Opti Seal working well. Having said that, there are swirls and hence need to start thinking about fixing them. In all probability will go the DIY way but plan to talk to a few experts here before investing in equipment and material.

A few pics from a small drive with family.

[procrj]

Reluctantly decided to take my car to IG for the 30K service as I did not want to impact warranty and my odo was at 31.7K kms. Was mentally prepared to spend the whole day there but surprise surprise, I was back home within 2 hours

Reached IG at 10 am and told my SA that I need to get 30K service and here is what is already done:
1. Fuel filter replacement
2. Oil + Oil filter

What I need done:
1. Air filter clean/Replace
2. Brake condition check
3. Right front fog lamp bulb to be replaced
4. All the usual torquing of nuts and general checks

What I dont need:
1. WA/WB
2. AC vent cleaning
3. Washing + Interior cleaning

As usual I expected them to take their own sweet time in assigning a service tech to work on the car but to my surprise, someone was assigned immediately and started work as soon as the car was in the Bay. I was pleasantly surprise and watched on as the tech did his job & I must say he did a pretty good job of checking things and ensuring everything was OK. Then one more tech joined him and they were motoring along and wrapping things up quickly.

The Sr. Service manager (SSM) walked by and I was asking him about MLD and was generally taking to him, when I asked if they can do something about the seat-belt. Mine was replaced sometime ago but even the new one was as bad as the old one and just did not retract. The SSM mentioned that the issue was with a 42T spring in the seat belt mechanism which was failing to compress and pull back the seat belt. He also mentioned that new spares with modified spring should be arriving soon and then I can ask for a replacement.

Within the hour, all work was done and I was grinning ear to ear.

• Checking & cleaning of break pads.Both front and rear brakes look good and hence not changed.
• According to the SA, AC cabin filter had to be changed but my filter was in pretty good shape and hence decided to hold off. Was pressure washed and put back.
• Changed the Air filter as it had run 12K kms and was a little grimy.
• All fluid levels checked - nothing needed to be topped up
• All nuts/bolts torqued
• Visual inspection of suspension and bushes
• Visual check of belts and alternator

The SSM walks up with a seat-belt spare and he said they have just received stock of new spares with better/fixed spring. Quickly the old seat-belt was replaced with the new and I was out of IG in 1.5 hrs flat. Now that is a record as they had taken 1.5 hrs just to replace a battery sensor the first time that I visited IG Peenya. Hope this continues and I dont spend more than a couple of hours for regular service. Total bill was 2.8K as they charged me only for the mechanical service labour.



Its such a pain that something as simple as cleaning air filter or replacing a fog lamp bulb is a herculean task. The air filter placement is just pathetic and to reach the fog lamps, you need to remove the wheel well cladding! I did get back my dirty air filter, planning to check the dimensions and see if I can replace this with a K&N Scorpio filter as its just plain stupid that my only option for a clean air filter is to replace it every 12-15K kms.

[procrj]

I have been reading Kenneth Anderson's jungle exploits for sometime now and given the fact that he was based out of Bangalore, the hills and jungles that he talks about are just a few hours away. Denkanikottai & Anchetty have always been on the to do list and today was the perfect opportunity.

Taking a break near Anchetty


After the TUV owners meet at Shoolagiri, I quickly headed towards Anchetty via Kelamangalam - Denkanikottai. The plan was to drive to Anchetty and then go towards Kanakpura via Hunasahalli but once I got to Anchetty, I wasn't sure about driving on that extremely lonely stretch of road with rain clouds waiting to pour down. Did not want to drive to Hogenekal as it would have been super crowded on a Sunday and I could see a lot of KA cars with families headed that way. Hence decided to turn back and hit the highway via the same route that I came.

On the Anchetty - Hunasahalli Road

https://youtu.be/HUfJW9PqKM4

All in all it was a good drive but would have been much better if I had hit Kanakpura. Maybe I will do that when I drive to Panchapalli dam, Aiyur & Bettamugilalam sometime later.

Nothing much to update on the car apart from the coolant drop. Over the last 4K kms, coolant has dropped to half mark between Max & Min and hence plan to get thermostat hose pipe replaced (as mentioned by Airbus in TUV official review thread). Apart from that, no other issues and Odo stands at 33K with the car delivering a FE of 14+ kmpl - irrespective of highway or city drives (about 80% AC usage in both cases)

[procrj]

A few updates from the last couple of weeks.

Ceramic protection for the bonnet
I was tired of seeing swirls on that big bonnet and finally decided to get some paint correction and protection. After talking to a few folks and searching, I decided to get the same done from someone who does this as a passion and not professionally as a full time job. The plan was correct paint and protect with a sealant but then ended up getting a thin coat of ceramic & then sealing the same with Opti Seal.

On the whole I must say that I was a very happy that I decided to go with a passionate pro (PP) and not a commercial pro for this Will let the pics do the talking. Not sharing contact details as PP believes in word of mouth & hence if you need details, PM me.

Before


After


Sheen


Water beading - looks orange as the car was standing under sodium vapour street light


Plastidip peel off
Plastidip coating on the wheels barely lasted a year and had started flaking and peeling off. Decided to take it off completely and hence now the wheels are back to regular silver color.

Catching up with Captain Rex
I was in Mahabalipuram last weekend and Captain Rex decided to join me for breakfast. Drove his black beast(BB) while he drove mine. A few observations:

• BB has a lot more power on tap even at 3K RPM thanks to the RD box. It was fun to floor the pedal on an open stretch of road and feel it surge ahead.
• I felt that the NVH levels (wind noise especially) is a lot better in BB as compared to mine but Captain felt its very similar while driving my dwarf
• Captain felt that my steering comes back to center faster than his and I did observe the same while driving his car
• Need to press the clutch while starting BB but my dwarf does not require the same

Looks like I will need to add the RD box to my list of mods. Did not get a chance to check out the effect of Rogerabs & bounciness of the Captain's TUV as we drove on very flat roads.

Coolant leakage
Over the last few months (5K kms), coolant level has dropped from full tank to little less than half tank and I did not want to risk any issues before a long drive. Hence topped up the same and drove to Mahabs over the long weekend. Planning to get the thermostat hose changed this weekend.

ProKlear Nano Anit Rain Treatment
Ordered the ProKlear Anti rain solution from Amazon.in and applied the same on the front and rear windshield. Application is pretty straight forward and the nano coating seems to be doing its job. Here is a short video

https://youtu.be/CgtfOH85w6g

Door seals & beading
Beading on the driver side door panel on B pillar(not the door itself) has started to peel off and I think the the beading on the rear passenger side door has also been compromised - saying this because i can clearly hear engine noise, honking etc when vehicles pass that door. In general I think the NVH insulation inside the tank has dropped as a lot of road & traffic noise
has begun to seep in. Need to check and replace as required.

Drove very sedately last weekend - almost 400 kms was done at 80-90 kmph with a lot of coasting in neutral and the tank returned an FE of 15.7 kmpl.

[CAPTAIN REX]

RJ, all though it was only for a short while, was nice catching up with you last Saturday. Also was great to meet the person behind the lens for those beautiful photos you post in your travelogues.

I hope you would have got your front wheels checked for the slight wobble. May be a wheel balancing will solve the problem.

Originally Posted by procrj

Ceramic protection for the bonnet
On the whole I must say that I was a very happy that I decided to go with a passionate pro (PP) and not a commercial pro for this Will let the pics do the talking. Not sharing contact details as PP believes in word of mouth & hence if you need details, PM me.

Sheen
Attachment 1672887

Passionate Pro has done a great job. I have been postponing a 'Power shine' job by 3M, to get rid of the swirl marks, as our watchman, who cleans the car, will bring back the 'swirls' in no time.

Catching up with Captain Rex

• Need to press the clutch while starting BB but my dwarf does not require the same

I did not notice that so far, till the other day when you mentioned that the engine is not cranking.

When you were delaying the start, I thought that you must be whispering a prayer for each gear, before you started my TUV

Since my Wagon R (first MPFI) days, I have always been starting all the cars I have driven, with the left foot pressing the clutch and the right foot pressing the brake. My first car, the M800 (carburetor) required the gas pedal to be pressed lightly while doing a cold start. So on the TUV I never realized that it would not start without the clutch pedal being pressed.
Now when I start my wifes Astar AT, my left leg presses into the foot mat.

Drove very sedately last weekend - almost 400 kms was done at 80-90 kmph with a lot of coasting in neutral and the tank returned an FE of 15.7 kmpl.

15.7 kmpl. A figure that I always dream of, but never achieve. Dreams never come true, huh?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

A few updates from the last couple of weeks.

Ceramic protection for the bonnet
Will let the pics do the talking. Not sharing contact details as PP believes in word of mouth & hence if you need details, PM me.

Awesome job done by the PP . Wish I can get hold of similar PP here in Pune. By the way how much time did he take to finish the job and how much were you charged for this?

Coolant leakage
Over the last few months (5K kms), coolant level has dropped from full tank to little less than half tank and I did not want to risk any issues before a long drive. Hence topped up the same and drove to Mahabs over the long weekend. Planning to get the thermostat hose changed this weekend.

Oops, not again . Mine has been pretty much stable after the 20K service (now odo is at 27.1K km). Only once in the last 7K kms did I do the top up, when coolant was at half way mark. May be one more time I will have to do it, till the odo reaches the 30K mark.

Ordered the ProKlear Anti rain solution from Amazon.in and applied the same on the front and rear windshield. Application is pretty straight forward and the nano coating seems to be doing its job. Here is a short video

Vow that is wonderful. I will surely try this out.

Beading on the driver side door panel on B pillar(not the door itself) has started to peel off and I think the the beading on the rear passenger side door has also been compromised - saying this because i can clearly hear engine noise, honking etc when vehicles pass that door. In general I think the NVH insulation inside the tank has dropped as a lot of road & traffic noise has begun to seep in. Need to check and replace as required.

Do you think it is the rubber quality or it might have got cut due to a sharp object fouling with it?

Drove very sedately last weekend - almost 400 kms was done at 80-90 kmph with a lot of coasting in neutral and the tank returned an FE of 15.7 kmpl.

Wonderful, but I doubt if anyone would ever have been able to match the ARAI mileage of the TUV, that would always remain a distant dream.

Since my Wagon R (first MPFI) days, I have always been starting all the cars I have driven, with the left foot pressing the clutch and the right foot pressing the brake.

Hey same pinch Captain. Since the day I learnt driving (some 19 years back) I don't remember a single instance when I would have cranked the engine without pressing the clutch pedal, that is indeed a best practice. This habit served me well on my first car, 2004 Indica, whose factory fitted clutch lasted 110K kms. It would have gone even further, but I got it replaced beforehand

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by procrj

Drove very sedately last weekend - almost 400 kms was done at 80-90 kmph with a lot of coasting in neutral and the tank returned an FE of 15.7 kmpl.

BTW, coasting in neutral does not increase FE, in fact, it causes the engine to burn slightly more fuel. I am sure you know the risk factors associated with it as well.