[suman]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The things to check are hubs.

IIRC, my left hub was noisy the last time they checked but I don't think its covered under EW.......

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Also get the clutch master slave cylinder checked. The plates are wear and tear parts, and you will not get EW on them, but master slave cylinder is clearly mentioned in E- warranty booklet.

Already lying at home in their original packing, unopened - slave as well as master! Claim was passed but there's nothing wrong with either so they'll be changed as & when any problem crops up.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Also get the steering system checked,

Steering box already replaced a few months ago

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Just out of curiosity, what suspension components have you replaced till now, and what did they cost? I am told 100,000 is the upper limit of damper life if you do rough roads regularly.

Gotta check the thread & the invoices but IIRC - Shockers (front & rear), tie rod ends, front damper & anti-roll bars (front & rear).

[MileCruncher]

Congrats Sumanda for keeping your vehicle in such a good nick. I'm also amazed at your persuasive skills with the ASC guys to help you claim the maximum under EW. All the best.

BTW what are your alternatives for the Safari replacement. I could think of these:

1. Tata Safari 2.2 VTT 4X4
2. Tata Xenon 4x4
3. Toyota Fortuner
4. Mahindra W201
5. Nissan XTRAIL
6. BMW X1 ( if its launched)
7. Mitsubishi Pajero
8. Mitsubishi Outlander
9. Chevy Captiva

If nothing else works, you may strike a bulk deal with Autolinks for a Manza and a Safari and am sure they will give a very happy ownership

[suman]

Anirudha, I just think I'm fortunate to have found a customer friendly workshop who are willing to go that extra mile without being pushed. I don't need to use too much persuasion

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

If nothing else works, you may strike a bulk deal with Autolinks for a Manza and a Safari and am sure they will give a very happy ownership

ROTFL! I think we'll end up with a 2.2 VTT 4x4. Unless I win a lottery in which case I'll think of more expensive options.

Btw, you missed the Skoda Yeti & the Hyundai Santa Fe

[suman]

I realize that I haven't really updated after my post dated 3rd March (below) -

Originally Posted by suman

The Beast is approaching the 80k kms mark so I've decided that this is a good time to leave it with Autolinks to get the AC compressor replacement completed along with the service. Will drop in the vehicle tomorrow morning.

So here goes -

• Vehicle given to Autolinks on 4th March to carry put the 80k service, fit the replacement AC Compressor (which had been sanctioned back in February) & get the Steering Box changed under EW. The Steering Box took a lot of time & the vehicle was finally given back on the 13th of March. The 80k service involved a change of all drive belts & cost me a total of Rs 6,894
• They changed the tailgate latch during the 85k kms service but that blasted tailgate rattle refused to go away. It was finally eliminated by removing one of the metal receptacles on the left pillar of the tailgate - noise gone completely
• The Diesel tube from the pump to the injectors developed a leak at 86k kms - cost Rs 265 only, I probably lost double the amount of Diesel as I drove it for a day & a half before taking it to the workshop!
• Wheel rotation was carried out (along with alignment & balancing) at 88.8k kms, Camber was out & was taken care of at Autolinks during the 90k kms service. The Geolandars have held out well so far.
• The 90k service was carried out last weekend & I opted to do Engine Flushing as well (last done at 58.5k kms). Total cost of this service was Rs 6,600 including Rs 1,352 for the engine flushing. I'd asked them to take a close look at the Clutch & see what could be attended to under EW. The point is - my Clutch plate & release bearing are showing signs of wear & tear but these are impossible to claim under EW at this mileage! We decided to claim the Master & Slave cylinders & bleed the clutch. The claim was passed & on close inspection, the Master & Slave appeared to be OK. So we decided to keep the new ones in store & change them as & when required. Somewhere down the line, I'll have to bite the bullet & pay for Clutch Plate & Release Bearing, more on that when it actually happens!

I've updated my Total Running Costs after the 90k kms service & it comes to Rs 116,279 plus Rs 7,200 for the EW, bringing up a total of Rs 123,479 - at present mileage of 90,299 kms, that's a reasonable Rs 1.37 per km. That excludes the cost of the Geolandars which would be Re 0.23 per km at this mileage.

Against the EW cost of Rs 7,200, value of replacements done is Rs 83,330! This includes Rs 2,549 on the Master & Slave cylinder which are yet to be used & also includes the proactive replacement of the AC Compressor (which was in running condition when replaced) costing Rs 8,474.

The Beast soldiers on!!

[SumitB]

^^ Suman, this serves as a lesson to all prospective Safari buyers (or for that matter, all Tata vehicle buyers) to pay that extra and get the EW at the time of purchase. Not everyone will be "lucky" not to have issues.

Another thing, your vehicle looks in immaculate condition even after all these years!

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by suman

...I... shattered the glass (heated) of the right ORVM.

@suman: Here's your virtual replacement. Come & get the real one! The heater works too. Party's on you.

[suman]

Heartfelt thanks to you Doc for taking the trouble........I owe you one

[suman]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

@suman: Here's your virtual replacement. Come & get the real one! The heater works too.

Picked up the mirror from Doc's place last evening & got it fixed this morning. An economical solution from Chawri Bazaar (600 rupees only & the original one). Man, what a relief to see "objects in mirror are closer than they appear" & a convex view of life behind me again!

Thanks once again Doc

[suman]

On Dhanteras evening, four years ago, we drove back home from the Dhingra Motors showroom in The Beast. Seems like it was just the other day!

Today, the odometer read 92,150 kms as I parked her in my Office Basement a couple of hours ago. Its been a nice journey with this mammoth & it has carried us in comfort & without kicking up a fuss - to Kasauli, to Corbett & to Leh, apart from traversing the length & breadth of the NCR on a daily basis.

We've grown quite attached to The Beast & we do not have any suitable & affordable replacement options in front of us at the moment either. As of today, we're out of Extended Warranty coverage - I can only hope that The Beast behaves itself hereafter. Last lot of "proactive" EW replacements were done a couple of weeks ago - the two front window lifters were changed. There was nothing wrong as such with either but I knew they cost 4k plus for each & I didn't want to be faced with a situation post 18th October

More later, as we inch closer to the 100k kms mark............

[HappyWheels]

Congrats on the milestone, suman!

Keep munching on those KM's.

[suman]

With 94k kms coming up shortly, I'm planning to get a complete suspension job done. I have, traditionally, always believed that suspension components need to be replaced in one go & not piece meal. Somehow, that hasn't happened with The Beast - tie rod ends changed at one point along with front bushes, rear bushes changed at a different point in time with rear shocks, front shocks at another point down the road etc etc.

The prolonged monsoons wreaked havoc on NCR roads this year, particularly in Gurgaon & they've taken their toll on the suspension. I can feel that play in the tie rod ends, the vehicle keeps undulating each time I fly over a speed breaker, there is a major thud when I fly over potholes - in short, the time is ripe for a complete suspension job this time. No part fixes - a full one. All bushes, tie-rod ends & shockers, amongst other stuff.

The question is - where do I get the job done? Do I go with Autolinks or with my FNG? Have taken estimates from both & the funny thing is - Autolinks has quoted lower! My point is, even if they are both at par, I have a strong bias towards Autolinks in terms of the material warranty - I can arm twist them even after 5k kms should any issues resurface. Not so sure with the FNG. For me to go ahead with this work at the FNG, they need to quote at least 5k less than Autolinks.

Decisions, Decisions!!!!

[tsk1979]

Out of curiosity, how much does Autolinks quote for the whole suspension job. I think mine will be coming up around 90K too.
Tie rods replacement has been done twice and bush replacement once.

That said, I was told by Autolinks Vasant Kunj that even suspension job spare part replacements are covered by warranty for 1 year.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by suman

The question is - where do I get the job done? Do I go with Autolinks or with my FNG? Have taken estimates from both & the funny thing is - Autolinks has quoted lower! My point is, even if they are both at par, I have a strong bias towards Autolinks in terms of the material warranty - I can arm twist them even after 5k kms should any issues resurface. Not so sure with the FNG. For me to go ahead with this work at the FNG, they need to quote at least 5k less than Autolinks.

Decisions, Decisions!!!!

I would suggest sticking with Autolinks for not only parts warranty but also good will warranty otherwise even though your vehicle is out of warranty.

[suman]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Out of curiosity, how much does Autolinks quote for the whole suspension job. I think mine will be coming up around 90K too.

20k including all components & labour. The bushes would not be covered for a year, the rest of the stuff (including the shockers) would be.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I would suggest sticking with Autolinks for not only parts warranty but also good will warranty otherwise even though your vehicle is out of warranty.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. Besides, their expertise on the 4x4 components is unmatchable. Although the FNG does handle 4x4, I'm not sure how much of an expert Rakesh is. So, down the line, if I need to go back to Autolinks for any 4x4 issues, they'll know I've got the suspension done elsewhere. Not that they would say anything but it would leave a bad taste in the mouth I guess.

[suman]

4 months later, the odo is almost at the 100k kms mark & here are a few updates -

• Complete Suspension overhaul done at 93,520 kms (early November) for a total cost of Rs 19,600, also got the leather interiors cleaned for Rs 800.
• Went for a "gentlemanly" off-road meet organized by Doc (SS_Traveller) - noticed a thump-thump noise when climbing steep slopes in 4L. No noise on plain ground or in 4H. Thought it could be the 4x4 gear box mounting. Had Autolinks check it out subsequently - they found mountings to be OK & diagnosed it as coming from within. Here's the best part - no one stocks 4x4 gearbox parts & TML only replace the entire gear box!!! So, I've asked them to hold off opening up the 4x4 gear box at this point since its really not causing any problems
• Did a Manali trip in the last week of December - the Check Engine light glowed on two occasions, this was eventually traced to something known as the "Knock sensor" which regulates the idling of the engine on cold startup. Knock sensor not in stock so the existing one has been cleaned & refitted but this needs to be changed during the 100k kms service
• Last week, the battery light on the instrument cluster remained on after the engine started - a blip of the throttle & it went away. Asked Autolinks to check it out - charging etc was fine but some Alternator point is malfunctioning which can only be diagnosed & fixed by the manufacturer. Since this involves a full day or maybe more (remove, send to manufacturer & then refit after receiving back), have postponed this to the 100k kms service as well

Will post a few pics of the Manali trip shortly. The Beast has been giving very decent mileage, between 11 & 11.5 kmpl consistently throughout winter.