Team-BHP - Tata Safari Dicor LX 4x2 (Feb2007) ownership report EDIT: 11500kms update

I went to Sanya Motors (Mayapuri, Delhi) yesterday to get a testdrive of Safari (for myself) and Indigo (for a friend who accompanied me). Imagine - they could not give me a TD because the vehicles were standing in a queue followed by a couple of other cars, which they were too lazy to remove. All they could do was just show us the cars from outside, after which my friend walked in to the adjoining D.D. Motors (Maruti) and booked the Swift VDI. He had heard of the TATA A.S.S. and feared it, but I had built his confidence which got squashed in a matter of 30 mins. There goes a potential TATA customer, even before he could lay his hands on a car. Cheers to SANYA Motors!!!

Well my Safari is back from its 1st service @ 5000kms after 48hrs with the TASS.

Total service cost = Rs.83/- (for 1/2 ltr coolent)

Oil leakage rectified : some sort of ring was faulty. It was replaced under warranty (cost of item Rs.8/-)
Excessive Smoke: the cat conv was cleaned. EGR modulator connections were checked. Smoke levels have definitely reduced. All 2007 model ASZ series onwards already have the ECU/EGR upgrades, so no changes were made. I was told that bursts of Black smoke might occur when you accelerate in situations where you are driving at low rpms (<1500) in a higher gear causing to engine to knock/vibrate. But this is usually a short burst of black smoke (considered normal as per tata).
A/c vents: No problem was detected with the air coming in the front legroom area. Basically, there is air coming out but the direction is such that the air hits the carpet lining instead of your legs. As a result the front occupants dont feel any air. I have check another new Safari which also has the same problem. This is definitely a faulty design and needs to be modified.
Jerky clutch: Problem rectified by adjusting the clutch lever. Clutch release is much smoother now. Since the cutch is hydraulic there is very little they can do with the settings.
Power window switch jam: All doors power window switch panels were replaced under warranty, even though the problem was only with one switch on the driver side!

We took the safari for a 3-4 kms test run on the Gurgaon NH8 expressway. The senior works manager made sure all my complaints were resolved to my satisfaction. He will also call me over the next few days to make sure everything is working fine...
I only wish they treat all their customers the same way on their first visit. But then if wishes were horses, even horses would fly ;-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by testdrive (Post 444977)

The senior works manager made sure all my complaints were resolved to my satisfaction. He will also call me over the next few days to make sure everything is working fine...
I only wish they treat all their customers the same way on their first visit.

He's the ONLY decent guy in that lot at Dhingra Motors (and he understands the vehicle very well). They also have a Customer Service Manager who is a nice guy but does not always have the authority to get things done. The WORST of the lot are the GM (Works) and the Works Manager - dripping sugar & honey but they RARELY deliver results, its all talk & no work.

As you said, if only they do it right the first time around! It was the same in my case, if you read my report, it took a stinker to the Tata customer support to get things moving. Now, when I take the car in, at least they know that the "trouble-maker" :D has arrived and that more or less ensures 80-90% efficiency & subsequent satisfaction levels.

I'm glad that all your issues were resolved:). Sorry I was out of the country else I would have responded earlier & given you a few numbers & set things up but then Steer helped out so all is well!

yep.. these guys need BIG BOOST :) to get moving.. same thing was done to me here and i followed the same route to get the problem resolved. In process, i get prompt updates and proper technical explanations for all the work done etc.

btw, i got my ecu updated to latest coming out of factory by delphi, courtsey tata motors.(as told to me) I need check that nevertheless in upcoming 10k service.

Am sure a few more Boosts will make tata understand that dealers are taking customers for ride

Thanks Suman for the help offer! I got the right contacts from other t-bhpians...

Day2 after getting the safari back from service, i noticed that the oil is still leaking (maybe 4-5 drops) :Shockked: . This usually happens after the vehicle has been driven around and the engine is hot.

Reported the problem back to the Sr.Wks Mgr at TASS today. He has asked me to observe the problem for the next 2 days. He feels there might be an earlier spill that's accumulated on the engine plate foam padding underneath.

If the problem still existing, he has promised to come to my residence with a senior technician to look at the evidence!!

The story of the oil leak continues...

(Here are some pics)

Pic-1 : Oil leakage seen under engine area

Pic 2 & 3: TASS / Breakdown service engr checking for source:

After repeated visits to the service station the oil leak problem still exists. Today TASS sent their engineer to my home to check the problem first hand.

The engineer tightened couple of nuts (sump & turbo hose). He also spotted a minor coolant leak from where the coolent hose connects to the engine chamber.

will observe the problem over the next few days and let ya all know if its been rectified...

Yesterday I went to get yet another wiring problem in my Indica. While sitting there I found an elderly gent who was fuming and fretting.
He had come for 15000 free service, and had been charged for Break pad checkup.
He insisted that the service manual has it written that brake pads should be checked at 15,000kms so it should be free. He showed it to the service adviser and only then they relented, and the service was "free". To pacify him, they apologized and washed his truck twice.
This made him even more late, and while he was waiting I asked him how happy was he with his truck(LX 4x2).
He said there are no problems except for a few rattles which are expected in a Tata vehicle. I then asked him was there any leakage problem?
He thought for a moment and then replied there was oil leakage which was traced to a Faulty Oil sump Gasket.
So testdrive, the oil sump gasket could be the problem here too.
Luckily for him he did not have to make multiple visits, and the workshop(Automobile sterling, Noida) caught the error.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 453935)

there was oil leakage which was traced to a Faulty Oil sump Gasket.So testdrive, the oil sump gasket could be the problem here too.Luckily for him he did not have to make multiple visits, and the workshop(Automobile sterling, Noida) caught the error.

Thanks for sharing this info. I probably suspected the same problem from day one, but want to give the TASS people an opportunity to diagnose the problem. It's kinda becoming enjoyable (in the sadistic sense), now that I have the dealers attention. Specially since they now send their engr to my place to look at the problem...

Even after the last visit the problem has not been rectified. Need to call up the Sr.Wks Mgr in a day or so

- Recently after getting a tank full of xtra premium diesel the safari started missing a lot. The 'Check Engine' indicator light also came on. Took the vehicle to the workshop. The Sr.Wks Mgr did a quick diagnostic by hooking up the laptop. It showed a wiring error with the 2nd injector. They tried cleaning the injector and checked the wiring connections, but that did not solve the problem. So basically had to leave the vehicle with them. With help from Lucas engrs they were able to rectify the problem by evening. The vehicle ran perfectly fine for about 20 kms before the problem re-occurred...

- as for the 'old' oil leak, its worse than before... after changing the oil sump gasket seal and 2-3 visits to the workshop

- on the brighter side, while the vehicle was at the workshop - got the plastic cladding painted body color.

have escalated the matter to tata motors (again!)

Oil Leak - Tata has finally decided to changed the oil sump and gasket. I guess they were just trying to avoid changing it earlier by changing a few seals and tightening the nuts.

Check Engine light on / Injector Wiring Error - There is a fault with the injector wiring. As a result one of the injectors is not working. They dont have the wiring in-stock so will not get the vehicle today also :mad: . Tata says it will take 2-3 days to ship the part. They are also trying to source it from other workshops in Delhi, but the chances are low.

The tata customer service manager has offered/agreed to reimburse me for all my cab expenses.