[suman]

It was six months back (to the day) that we acquired the silver beast. All in all, it has delivered beyond expectations - hang on, let me rephrase that: ALL IN ALL, IT HAS BEEN A SMOOTH RIDE (literally too!) WITH MUCH LESS ISSUES THAN I'D EXPECTED. This is one COMFORTABLE machine, unparalleled if I may say so & (IMO) real VFM with LOADS OF SPACE (kids have a ball at the back) - it eats up kms without a false step & munches up ANYTHING you throw at it by way of potholes, speed breakers & bad roads. Oh, it does stick its tail out a bit if you take rumble strips (rumble strips, not single speed-breakers) flat out, have any of you guys felt it?

With so many Dicors on the forum now, its amazing how we have a common pool of resources whereby we can determine what the possible causes of noises etc are and, in most cases, are able to get them fixed.....methinks Tata motors should give us all an additional 24 months extended warranty FREE because of the "pooled" services we are providing them .

Since my last update, we've done a trip to Kasauli and it performed amazingly on the highway - I'm sure thats normal for a Safari, its just that it was the first time we took it for a road trip and we unanimously rated it 8.5 out of 10 on comfort, space & driving experience. But more of that on my Kasauli thread (long overdue but coming nonetheless!!!!).

One replacement under warranty - the cam sensor (when the engine refused to crank for the third time around), the problem hasn't recurred since.

The 10k service went off uneventfully - the only problem was that I was tied up hence could not go to take delivery. It had been my intention to specifically check out the bit about the engine oil (as suggested by Condor) but couldn't do so. Service costs came to a total of Rs 2,335 of which Rs 1,000 was the cost of Bardahl engine treatment (additive mixed with engine oil). The advisor suggested the option, saying that it makes the engine smoother in the long run & reduces wear & tear on the components (reminded me of Finetuning's Boric Acid experiment LOL!!!) - the Senior Works Manager told me there was no major need for it since it would have to be done around 30k anyway, but I decided to go ahead. So its come back with the Bardahl mix.

Is the engine running smoother - maybe my imagination but "Yes", it does seem that the noise levels have reduced & are more muted, pick-up is also a little smoother (but has it dropped marginally? Not sure, maybe). I guess the engine is now breathing free-er after the oil change & service. Other complaints that were attended to during this service -
1) Noticed smoke on heavy acceleration, EGR was checked
2) Front left floor carpet got damp when wading through water, fixed, (need to check out in suitable stream or puddle)
3) BBZZZZZ noise on acceleration from the rear, any ideas? I thought it was some underbody cover thats loose or unaligned, they did say they'd fixed it but it hasn't gone, gotta go back & make them understand which noise I'm referring to.....
4) Underbody anti-rust touched up, teflon coating touched up (but needs attention on left rear door as pointed out by Ishan)
5) 2 deep scratches on left side pointed out, one cleared completely by rubbing compound, the other almost gone (the paint is nicked one layer so it won't go completely).

I realize how dependant I've become on this beast whenever I use the Fiesta in heavy traffic conditions. I'm so used to being given space by almost all types of vehicles (except those being driven by RKS and his friends lol, no offense mate!!) that it takes a while to get used to no one giving an inch when I'm in a sedan! And being so high up gives an advantage when you want to peer down at drivers and give them dirty looks once you've gone past .

My grouses -
1) I'm JUST NOT BEING ABLE to take it past the 9.5-9.8 kmpl mark! Its amazing, its almost as if the beast is having a good laugh at me and saying - try as you might, I will NOT cross the 10 kmpl barrier! But I can only blame it on my heavy foot I guess - that sublime feeling every morning on NH8 where no matter what I tell myself when I start off, I see the needle going up to the 130 kmph mark before I lift off. I think one week I will keep it to 100-110, come what may and see if the mileage increases.
2) As I mentioned somewhere else, I HATE having to take a vehicle to the garage to attend to minor niggles, rattles & noises. I've been fortunate in not having to do so for the Ikon & the Fiesta but for this baby - I've made more trips in the past six months than I can remember for the other two. Maybe I'm exaggerating - maybe its been only two or three occasions other than the services but I don't see why I need to go. I'll have to go again to get that BZZZZZ fixed. Well, cest la vie.......

Recently, there is a whine from the AC when its set to the maximum cooling position when the ambient temperature is high (and its bloody high these days in Delhi) - don't know if thats normal or is it the first signs of the condensor fan. It hasn't become very invasive but I'm keeping my ears finely tuned in the light of what I've read of some of our members experiences! The left rear door speaker is BOOMING at high volumes, need to have that checked out, some loose screw somewhere or maybe the mounting?

Tyre rotation is normally done at 15k kms, I'm wondering if I should wait that long or get the balancing & alignment checked out now - she's done a fair bit of mileage over a variety of roads and I'm sure its taken its toll.......what do you guys think? Oh, one puncture so far and that's when I was missing the tubeless tyres. Happened less than half a km from my Office but the air escaped so fast that it was FLATTTTTTTT by the time I parked! Luckily, one of the Office drivers was around so I didn't need to flex my muscles much to have it changed. But (contrary to my fears), the jack & all else worked fine so no major struggle changing it.

So that's where we are guys, on a roll & loving the TRUCK......need more holidays to do more highway & hill driving. Seriously thinking of retiring soon but hah!.....pipedream!!! But that's what life would be all about I think - the Safari, good music, long stretches of highway, twisting dirt roads up in the mountains, absolute alchohol content 12.2% or more, do I need to go on...........?

[tsk1979]

Suman, back home the safari had this whine too. It was a a silly problem.
In the engine bay there are lots of cables which run very close to fans, and one of them was slightly touching. the guy pulled the wires, twisted a bit and no whine.
He put adjusted them so that they won't move again.
It used to come sometimes only, but speed of blower did not have to do anything with it. If condenser was on it came, otherwise no.

As for balancing and alignment, go to a good Tyre shop, or bridgestone performance shop etc., Tata guys such at balancing and alignment. Actually all workshops such at such jobs.

As for oil treatement, it works because the castrol GTD oil which is put is of API-CF4 a standard set in 1999 whereabouts. If they allow you to use your own oil, put in "Castrol GTX Diesel". Its API-CI standard and the highest grade diesel engine oil I have seen in the market. It exceeds the minimum Tata requirement of API-CF4 by a large margin, and costs just 20rs/liter more.
So put that in, and no need to waste money on all these treatments.
I put API-CI4 this time and along with that I put 250ml of STP diesel engine oil additive(280Rs). Since your safari takes in 7 liters or so of oil you will need to put in 2 cans. Tata charges 1000rs for the engine oil additive even though it costs them 500rs to procure from the market.

[Dippy]

Superb update on your beast. You seem to be enjoying to the core. i see that Tata niggling problems persist but they maybe less than before. How stable does she feel at speeds of 130 kph like you mention?

[suman]

Originally Posted by Dippy

How stable does she feel at speeds of 130 kph like you mention?

Thanks Dippy, thats what never ceases to amaze me. Its something Steer used to mention & I only got used to it after experiencing it. It is just ROCK SOLID and unflappable. I mean, obviously, if you try weaving around at those speeds you're asking for trouble and you shouldn't be taking curves on the flyovers at those speeds but in a straight line, you just wouldn't think you were doing it till you saw the speedo.

I mean, when I've touched 160 in my Ikon, I could feel the effort but this beast doesn't let you know that. On one stretch between Rajpura & Ambala during our return from Kasauli, I managed to max her out for a short stretch and it still felt very stable, not one bit disconnected (speedo was showing between 150 & 160)

TSK, thanks for the tip, I'll check this out next time; blower speed has nothing to do with it, its when the compressor is working overtime that it becomes noticeable. And they did put in Castrol.......though you're right, they must be making a good profit on the "treatment"!

[benbsb29]

Suman, nice reading your ownership review.
Looks like ur life has been officially pimped.. ahem,reclaimed...

The snap on your avatar looks cool too... maybe you should put up your garage now?

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by suman

I mean, when I've touched 160 in my Ikon, I could feel the effort but this beast doesn't let you know that.

Amen! I've always maintained that Tata have unnecessarily restricted top speed to 140 - the beast is good for 180 at least. On the one occassion that I did touch an indicated 165 kmph on the Bangalore Mysore highway (Psycho had been playing around with teh vehicle the previous day) it still felt unstressed and totally unflappable.

Sadly that was the only time it showed 165 on the speedo. Perhaps I need to visit the madman more often.

[drifter]

Great report there Suman....glad to see you enjoying the beast!
As for me I've completed 600kms, 95% city driving, been to the highway once, thats where it really excels. Took it in a no-road scenario, and it handled it without any problems.

Drifter

[tsk1979]

Actually I have seen that even in the US many Trucks and Suvs do 0-50mph in 8 seconds but are electronically limited to 90 miles/hour!
I guess safari is extremely stable at high speeds, but such a high vehicle can turn dangerous at such high speeds if you need to change lanes suddenly, hence the limitation.

[DCEite]

Nice 11k report there.

As you said, Safari is a very comfortable car.I have experienced the backseat and i must admit the Safari has the most comfortable seats in any car/suv this side of 10 lakhs.

But how is the Clutch ? I have heard that Safari adn Scorpio are notorious for their extra heavy clutch. This is one of the main reasons many stay away from these.
What are your observations regarding the clutch. How would you compare it to a petrol car. Like the Fiesta you have.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Actually I have seen that even in the US many Trucks and Suvs do 0-50mph in 8 seconds but are electronically limited to 90 miles/hour!
I guess safari is extremely stable at high speeds, but such a high vehicle can turn dangerous at such high speeds if you need to change lanes suddenly, hence the limitation.

One of my friends has an export-spec Dicor (same 3.0) and it looks like export models do not feature the limiter. He has allegedly taken the vehicle upto 170 with no issues. But he's a madman.

[suman]

Originally Posted by dceite

What are your observations regarding the clutch. How would you compare it to a petrol car. Like the Fiesta you have.

Oh, no comparison, the Fiesta's clutch is LIGHT, much lighter compared to the Safari's. But having said that, I haven't found the Safari's clutch to be cumbersome under any circumstances. You do get used to it & it takes a few minutes to get re-used to the Fiesta's later on - in the process, a few wheelspins as I'd mentioned in one of my earlier posts, but no one's complaining

[tsk1979]

The safari clutch is not really very heavy. I was expecting the worst but it did not seem like that. Maybe I am used to indica.
I found gear changes etc., very comfortable, and the entire experience more comfortable and relaxing than the indica or indigo.

[condor]

Service costs came to a total of Rs 2,335 of which Rs 1,000 was the cost of Bardahl engine treatment (additive mixed with engine oil). The advisor suggested the option, saying that it makes the engine smoother

Suman, next time you do an oil change, you could do the Bardahl part yourself: Have the TASS fill in just enough engine oil so that you are above the min mark and have enough to add the recommended quantity of Bardahl. Pick up the stuff from the market and add it to the crank case. I find this a better way than having them do it.

Personally, I am not sure how much of Bardahl they added during my first oil change, when I opted for the additive. I was billed 500 for the additive. I asked the advisor how much he added. He didnt say how much was added. But he said " Just 1 drop is sufficient, sir". --- 1 drop in 7.7liters ! . [HOEC Bardhal recommends 10%-20% of additive].

The engine is actually quieter with Bardahl, as I found after my last oil change about a month back. The idling speed was about 10% lesser than without the additive.

Also, pls do check your engine oil levels to ensure that it is not above the upper level on the dip-stick.

[tsk1979]

I was looking at Bardahl additive can. It said for diesel engines done less than 50,000kms.
Therefore I chose STP because my indica is way beyond 50K.
I think rather pay Tata 4x the price of additives, just let them change oil(I don't even let them do that) and put the additives yourself.

[suman]

Originally Posted by condor

The engine is actually quieter with Bardahl, as I found after my last oil change about a month back. The idling speed was about 10% lesser than without the additive.

Also, pls do check your engine oil levels to ensure that it is not above the upper level on the dip-stick.

Thanks for the tip Condor. So its not my imagination alone, the engine is quieter. Didn't strike me to look at the idle rpm, will check it out this evening.

What I forgot to mention was, the initial three days after the "treatment", I really didn't feel any difference in smoothness, actually the engine felt a wee bit rough in traffic. Then off I went (to KL) for a week, car wasn't used, the day after I returned & started her up - viola, thats when I felt it! And its continued so far.........