[Shan_Kmu]

Our Bolero's odo has crossed the 80,000 kms mark recently on our trip to Munnar & Guruvayoor.



Regarding the horn issue, it's almost confirmed by FNG that the earthing issue occurs due to rust/smudge at the steering joints, and the horn doesn't sometimes work at certain steering angles. I have attached the pictures of the 3 joints present in the steering rod below.







Suggestions were given either to take out the rod, clean it thoroughly and refit. Else if rust is there way too much, the whole rod can be changed. As of now, I'm spraying WD40 on those 3 joints whenever the issue occurs and it temporarily works. Planning to do either one of FNG's suggestions sooner. I value your input also



Regarding one-sided tyre wear on the front, seems like an alignment issue. Was a bit worried whether the front suspension needs repair.

One side it's awful



The other side is not so bad



The rear tyres were rotated up to the front and the car ran around 4,000 kms post-proper alignment. These tyres during this run didn't wear out like before. Anyhow need to keep an eye on them.

One of the parking lights at the front stopped working. Anyhow replaced both the sides. Each light costs 10 Rs. Labour charge 80 Rs.

Regarding the rear door lock not shutting when pressed remote key, the electrician said the wires are good. So no rat issues. Looks the the latch cylinder gave away, hence it was too tight even while locking/unlocking it using key. Planning to replace that component also in the near future.

Of all the issues I have faced with the bolero, the most difficult one was finding the 11"inch rear wiper blade It's too rare than a unicorn. Not even a single spare parts shop has it. Even told them to make an order and get me, but still not available. A.S.S says they will give the blade only with rear wiper assembly. Who wants the assemly when you need only the blade. Found one and ordered in boodmo, they cancelled that order. Ordered one in Industry buying site, they too cancelled as it was unavailable. Currently checking with a person who works in Mahindra showroom to get me atleast an used one

[Shan_Kmu]

Originally Posted by Passatman

Hi! That's a severe case of tyre wear on your Bolero. I will advise you to check the camber alignment immediately as otherwise your tyres will be "eaten up " ! And your costs of engine oil is way too high my friend. You can order 7 ltrs (2 cans) of 15w40 oil of good brands like Mobil for around Rs1500 /- on Amazon etc. Also you can order filters too at much lower prices on Boodmo.

Hi Passatman, Sure thing. Post alignment (and 4k kms later) the rotated tyres are good. Yup the oil price at FNG was high. I was a bit sceptical about purchasing oils/filters online fearing whether it's original or replica. So I just left it with them

[(Alok)]

How do you manage to fill 7 ltr oil in engine!

I have the same engine but it needs only 6 ltr and dip stick get more than half mark between maximum & minimum. My mechanic drains the oil on plane surface.

[Shan_Kmu]

Originally Posted by (Alok)

I have the same engine but it needs only 6 ltr and dip stick get more than half mark between maximum & minimum

Hi Alok, I haven't personally checked the engine oil capacity when filling, but I was charged for 7 litres only in both A.S.S. and later in F.N.G. I thus didn't think twice about it

[vivekdewanta]

Originally Posted by Shan_Kmu

Of all the issues I have faced with the bolero, the most difficult one was finding the 11"inch rear wiper blade It's too rare than a unicorn. Not even a single spare parts shop has it. Even told them to make an order and get me, but still not available. A.S.S says they will give the blade only with rear wiper assembly. Who wants the assemly when you need only the blade. Found one and ordered in boodmo, they cancelled that order. Ordered one in Industry buying site, they too cancelled as it was unavailable. Currently checking with a person who works in Mahindra showroom to get me atleast an used one

Why are you stuck with 11" wiper blade just go with 12" it's easily available and fits well on the rear window glass. Simple solution, sometimes you have to make your own configuration way beyond than OEM. On my Bolero there was not any courtesy light switch on all the 3 rear doors so I installed the OEM switch by myself and it works like charm. Moreover door security system is also triggered with these switches. Total cost 102 INR, 32 each switch and 12" wiper blade cost me 120 bucks.

[Shan_Kmu]

Our Bolero has run close to 85k kms. A few minor repair works were carried out in the past few months.

1) Despite many measures, the rat issue was persistent. Went to a known FNG (Trichy) specializing in Electrical and AC works, and the senior electrician suggested installing rat mesh in the possible entry areas. Two meshes were installed behind the tail lights. Underneath the gear level, found another entry point. The rats have completely torn OE tarpaulin (if I may say like that). Replaced it with a more durable and hardened one. On the whole, cost me Rs 2,500. Four months have passed and till now, no rat has entered the cabin. Fingers crossed

2) Another long-time issue was resolved there. The horn doesn't work at some angles while turning. Additional earthing was given at one more joint in the steering rod and the horn works fine as of now. Cost me Rs 200.

3) One of the front parking lamps went kaput. Decided to replace them on both sides as the other one also got weak. Cost me Rs 200.

Jan 1, 2025, @ Trichy after mandatory pooja


Less run for an 8+ year old vehicle. The next service is due in another 1,500 kms


I applied Artdeshine's Ayicon ceramic coating (2-year durability) on our Bolero around mid of Jan 2023. With diligent upkeep, the coating has lasted and fulfilled my expectations (that too without any maintenance coating in between). Planning to do another round of coating as soon as the existing layer fully fades away..

[Shan_Kmu]

Hi All, Our Bolero went for general service recently. The last servicing was done at 77k kms. Thus, we gave the vehicle for service around 87k kms. The Bolero is now close to 8 and 1/2 years old. Nothing major, just the routine tasks were done.



During the last service, the service person had put a minor scratch on the left side of the front bumper. Pointed it to the owner and told him to be cautious next time as this one is kind of a demo vehicle (for detailing). This time, again, they put a scratch, a more significant one on the right-hand side. I was very angry and when I informed the owner, he said that he would fix it. At the very least, I expected them to spray-paint. Instead, the damaged area was touched up, much like nail polish. Fed up, I took the car and left. Didn't want to fight as I know the owner personally.

The scratch went deep, but there are no dents on the metal bumper. Went to a known painter and, after light putty work, sprayed the whole bumper. It cost me Rs 1,500. A day later, gave the whole car a nice wash. Still, the bumper has some alignment issues, which I will take care of in a few days. The bumper gap was not uniform on either side.





Tragedy strikes again. I went to Bangalore last week for a personal work and I had to park my car in the apartment's guest parking which is a open one. That day was Holi, and I came down to get a few documents from my car. To my annoyance, I saw a few moms taking pictures of their kids seated comfortably on my bonnet. There were a total of 6 kids seated in 2 rows each. They could be around 3-4 years old. I wanted to give the moms an earful, but I was more concerned about the scratches, not about the colours as they could be simply washed away. Asked them to get the hell away from my car and washed off the bonnet. Few long and deep scratches were made, which might be from the children's ornaments. I anticipated with fear for dents, but none were there.

What irritates me the most is that all of them looked well educated. And they just walk away joyfully with zero regrets. How could they not have common sense not to do these things to others' vehicles? Don't they know this will scratch the vehicle? For hell's sake, it's a car, not a wooden bench. I'm not going to do any fixes immediately. Let the damage be there to wander off evil eyes. I just don't know what to do . Some might feel i'm reacting a bit too much, but I don't know how to explain. I'll just leave it here.

Changed the 2 tyres, which were completely worn off due to an alignment issue. Got 2 new MRF Wanderer XT tyres at 6,300 Rs each. Did alignment and balancing also. New tyres are put up at the front and the existing good condition tyres at the back.



Here are a few bonus pics:

Kumbakonam to Bangalore trip with our good boi.



Picture taken today on the recently opened Kumbakonam - Thanjavur highway.



Odo reading as of now.

[boxwrench]

Hello Shan_Kmu,

First of all, I would like to thank you for posting your Bolero journey. It had helped me immensely when i was looking to buy a Bolero myself. Mine is a used one I purchased with 73k on the ODO. I have faced the exact same issue with the rats entering through the rear tail light area and also through the gear lever boot. I had to fix the rear tail wiring harness a couple of times and had to rip apart the interior padding to clean out the nests. It is a huge pain. One other issue that I found that is common for the both of us is the alignment and tyre wear. During a checkup I found one of the bushed is worn out in the upper arm and is due for a repair. The vehicle tracks terribly now and I will have to schedule a suspension job soon. I have had my Bolero for 12k kms with me and I haven't had any major reliability issues. Wishing you many more miles on your machine.