[benbsb29]

Another trip to Kerala to attend to some personal errands, and Mike was back in duty once again, no prior preparations whatsoever. The car performed as expected of it, and was a joy out there on the highways, as well as the ghat roads.



We encountered some fog on the highway, and so dropped pace to avoid any mishaps.



Despite the age of the stock MRFs, which are now past 55k kms, they offerred decent levels of grip, save for the road noise, which i have now come to live with, over the past few years. As i had mentioned earlier, the tyre upgrade beckons.

My friend lent me his Garmin GPS running Satnav maps for use for the trip, and except for the few occassions when it asked me to fly off a couple of flyovers, it was mostly accurate in directions. It also insisted at times that i go through some towns while there were bypasses available. Looks like these maps arent updated as yet.



Since i use an FM transmitter to listen to MP3 music off a pen drive, the need to power the GPS too (off the 12V power outlet) meant some part of the drive was without any music since i hadnt burnt any CDs for use. Sorely missed having an additional power point inside the car.

Travelling with a little kid also means we need to carry a lot of stuff within the car, within easy reach to cater to her needs when on the move. However, that brought to the forefront one of my major grouses with the Ikon's interior space utilization - Lack of storage space! That meant we had stuff including water bottles strewn within the car, running about as they pleased, out of easy reach when needed. This was not addressed even till the last iteration of the car's design.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Also, I assume you are running non-OEM ignition coil. Do you notice any changes in FE or power?.

Dhanush, since the ignition coil i am using is also from Magnatarelli, i would expect the performance would be similar to OEM. I havent felt any difference in FE or power so far, and i am 100% sure about the FE part, since i keep a very detailed track of the FE expenses on my car.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Dhanush, since the ignition coil i am using is also from Magnatarelli, i would expect the performance would be similar to OEM. I havent felt any difference in FE or power so far, and i am 100% sure about the FE part, since i keep a very detailed track of the FE expenses on my car.

All this at 50% of original part cost, right?.. Impressive!!..

um.. have you found out any aftermarket solution for AC Diverter valve?. Mines conked off a third time, and I have currently bypassed it, no hot air. but these days, I feel, I could do with some warm air, when going to my sis's in Ooty. Here in Wayanad too, it gets pretty cold at nights.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

All this at 50% of original part cost, right?.. Impressive!!..

Yes. Thats the best part. Also, the labour to put it in there was just 100 bucks! Imagine the labor cost at the dealer.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

um.. have you found out any aftermarket solution for AC Diverter valve?. Mines conked off a third time, and I have currently bypassed it, no hot air. but these days, I feel, I could do with some warm air, when going to my sis's in Ooty. Here in Wayanad too, it gets pretty cold at nights.

I actually havent done anything about it, since the original issue was resolved. In Bangalore, i really dont miss the heater much. For slightly warm air, i just switch of the A/C and use the fan, which brings in some warm air from the engine.

The negative of bypasing the HVAC valve is that i do not get the services of the regulator, which means A/C is always at the minimum temperature, which can get freezing at times. However, in the absence of any other permanent solution to this issue, i choose to ignore it for the time being.

[anachronix]

@Ben, happy to see Mike going strong! Reading your reviews makes me miss my Ikon.

The thermostat failure was an annoying thing in the Ikon, I got it replaced twice and then decided to live with the coldest setting till I sold it off. I still remember the days when I used to drive without A/C on cold mornings in Bangalore!

Why havent you upgraded the tires on your car? The MRFs do more harm once they are over 40K KMs old. They get harder and I am sure you must be really feeling the bumpy ride. No?! A wierd thing, the hard MRFs were the cause for the brake grinding noise in my car which went away after I upgraded to Pirelli tires.

[dhanushs]

and.. taking about MRF's.

At the end of their lives, my MRF's showed signs of uneven wear. And the S.A at Ford, insisted on a tyre change, because he thought unevenly worn out tyres may cause the suspension components to wear out faster.

At near 60k, you are due for a lower arm replacement in about 10-20k kms. Changing tyres now, 'may' give them an additional life of 10k, and also you can travel in comfort for longer.

However, they cost about 2.5k-a-piece. So not sure about the cost effectiveness.

[benbsb29]

60,000 kms have been successfully done and dusted. Nothing in particular to report except for having to replace the RORVM.

I was driving along the corridor of hell, which is also known as Bellandur to those staying in Bangalore. Owing to the flyover works in progress, the 3 lane ORR converges to a single lane for a short distance. I was in the middle lane, trying to merge into the right most lane which was the sole lane available. An Indicab was on my left, and owing to him cutting into my lane, i had to move right slightly, only to see my RORVM being mowed down by a tipper truck which was on the right lane. The truck's rear wheel literally yanked the mirror casing off, causing it to hang downwards with a broken neck. Didnt want to create a fight there, so left it at that.

Got the mirror casing replaced with a non-OEM mirror assembly which came at about half the price as that of the OEM. It wasnt without its share of ills though. Internal mirror adjustment is limited, and therefore not as comfortable to use as the OEM part. May buy the OEM ORVM assembly sometime later.

That aside, i would be getting the tyres replaced next weekend hopefully. Service interval is not up as yet, another 3k to go.

[Rudra Sen]

Yes, that entire Bellandur/lake area is pretty bad in terms of traffic. Especially those Indica cabs. They drive like crazy.

Congrats Benny. Car's doing really well.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Yes, that entire Bellandur/lake area is pretty bad in terms of traffic. Especially those Indica cabs. They drive like crazy.

Congrats Benny. Car's doing really well.

Thanks for visiting, Rudra.
Bellandur happens to be among my daily route to office these days, so have to put up with it. Hope the flyovers get completed soon.

Car has some nicks and scratches which require a spa treatment for it. Hope to attend to those at the next service @ my FNM.

[condor]

Benny, an almost envious congrats for the miles you have been clocking. Keep going, safe & sound.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Got the mirror casing replaced with a non-OEM mirror assembly which came at about half the price as that of the OEM... May buy the OEM ORVM assembly sometime later.

Check the gujri market opp Russell Market. You will get all kind of parts (well, almost). I have seen brand new looking tail lamp clusters - even the new Ikon type.

Directions: from Cubbon Rd, go to Shivaji nagar bus stand. Turn right, go about 100 m & turn left. You will find a line of shops on the left and Russell Mkt & cars parked on the right. The gujri is behind the line of shops on the left side. But remember - dont take your car there. Park in the bus stand (1st & 2nd floors) and walk down.

[benbsb29]

With the car having completed 60,000+ kms, it was about time to give the stock tubed MRFs, which the car came shod with, a decent retirement. I wanted to keep the car as stock as possible, so didnt want to upsize the tyres.

I initially contemplated going in for 185 section tyres, but later decided against it. After consulting with Nikhil, went ahead with 175/70 R13 from Yokohama A Drives for the purchase, thereby sticking to the stock specifications. With the purchase, i was doled out a TBHP discount, along with good service. A free Waterman pen worth Rs. 1990/- which was a complimentary gift from Yokohama further sweetened the deal.

To give due credit to the MRFs, they have held up quite well over the 60,000 kms, where they were subject to some really bad roads, crashing through potholes, etc but they withstood all that came their way. They were noisy, no doubt, but for the kind of roads we get, they went about their job without a fuss.

Moving over to the A-Drives, since they are currently in their run-in period, i have been taking it easy with them. While it is yet too early to comment on the grip offerred, i can certainly appreciate some of its other features :

• Road noise has greatly reduced,
• Minor undulations on the road surface are dealt with, without pasing the same inwards
• Car feels a lot more quieter now,
• Steering feels lighter at parking speeds
• Cat eyes on the road dont intrude too much now.

Shall keep updating my experiences with them as we progress. My expectation from these tyres would be to hold up against bad roads, without any bulges. Fingers crossed for now.

[benbsb29]

Itching for a long drive, we decided to visit Gudalur for the Easter long weekend. On past occassions, we had postponed a couple of drives since the tyres were due for replacement, and i didnt want to risk it on the old tyres.

Now, coming to how the A Drives felt on the drive:
While the earlier MRFs felt floaty on the NICE road at speeds around 100-120 kmph, the A Drives felt quite planted. True to previous reviews, the difference could actually be felt! They held their line very well, and although i didnt have to indluge in any sudden braking, the grip was good.

As if to test themselves in various scenarios, the trip also saw us driving in blinding rain. The tyres proved their worth. Subjected the tyres to some horrible roads and slush as well, with no complaints.

Hope they live up to the same characteristics over the duration of its life.



Coming to the car, it appears the battery which has held up well over the past 4 and a half years, now is on its last legs. While i am yet to make out any difference in the horn sound and so on, the car sometimes doesnt purr to life at the first crank of the starter motor.

While we were driving back from Mysore, we had stopped at McD for a snack. I forgot to disconnect the FM transmitter which i am using off the 12v supply. Since the power supply from the 12v outlet is not cut off with the key removed, the transmitter continued to draw power from the battery.

When i got back and tried to crank, the starter failed to crank. For a moment, i thought i was a goner, with a bootfull of luggage, and with my family onboard.
However, on the 3rd try, with a bit of accelerator pedal depressed, the car sprang to life and we made it back with no issues. Will probably need to get the battery checked soon. Will most probably go in for the OEm battery from Ford since Mustang.101 has clarified that it is indeed an Amaron sold with the Ford branding.

Odo now stands at 61.5 k kms.

[dhanushs]

Benny, not sure about the branding, but Ford OEM batteries cost 2,800 and Amaron's I got cost 5,500. Got ~1000 for my old battery, hence total damage ~4,500.

The difference - Ford warranty is 1 year, and Amaron warranty 4 years. Also, Ford OEM is 42Ah, and my Amaron is 45Ah.

With AC, Fogs, my 100/90 ralley bulbs, moderately powered music system, and log durations of parking with park lights warrant 45ah for me.

[condor]

Benny, why didnt you upsize ? 185's would have been good.

[Jaggu]

Good you also got A drives. Right kind of rubber for us sedate drivers Keep a tab on air pressure and tyre wear. I feel A drives like a pound or two more compared to my old Goodyears for a flat wear.

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by condor

Check the gujri market opp Russell Market. You will get all kind of parts (well, almost). I have seen brand new looking tail lamp clusters - even the new Ikon type.

Parwath, they only seem nice, believe me, I have been there in 2002 and came back with nice dark coloured tail lamps for my M-1000 then only to realise that they fade away within a blink of your eye.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

To give due credit to the MRFs, they have held up quite well over the 60,000 kms, where they were subject to some really bad roads, crashing through potholes, etc but they withstood all that came their way. They were noisy, no doubt, but for the kind of roads we get, they went about their job without a fuss.

Knowing what YOU want, I think you should have gone with MRFs/Bridgestones. Why the brand change unless you were looking for better tyres benny ? Are the A drives soft compound ? Even if they are, they are no great performance tyres like the S drives or the Michelin Precidas. Your MRFs did a decent job, i know they always do, you can run them till you see the steel belts.