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Old 14th May 2011, 08:47   #301
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Ah, I should have updated the thread on 12th. Anyway, this time the car was delivered to my office since I was in a meeting. So I couldn't check it out until late night.

They finally nailed the problem. It was not the ECM, that much they confirmed after checking every wire and via scanner. So they did a throttle body cleaning, apparently there was a lot of gunk in there. I guess this is the first time it was ever cleaned.

Now it feels like new, even my wife noticed. All the sluggishness at low speeds have vanished. Earlier it was losing rpms fast at low speeds. Now it maintains the idle speed well when I come to a halt or drop speed fast. Feels very good driving it around.

Got the AC filter cleaned again, AC too feels better. I think we all GV owners should tell the service guys to clean it at every service.

Asked them to check the lower arm bushes again, it has been almost 10K since the last check where the cracks were discovered. The left lower arm bush is now properly cracked, while the crack in the right one is still manageable. The SA showed it to the DGM and he suggested to replace it. So I have put an order for a new lower left arm.

Got the disc brakes cleaned to since pitting was discovered few months back. The brake was also slipping for half second at emergency braking. Got the discs sand papered, disc pads lathed.

Basically I got them to do the 40,000 Kms service although I am 5K short of it.
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Old 14th May 2011, 23:23   #302
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

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Got the discs sand papered, disc pads lathed.
Er... shouldn't it be the other way round? i.e.
- disc pads sand papered, discs lathed -
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Old 15th May 2011, 07:06   #303
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Replace both arms instead of only one.
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Old 16th May 2011, 17:58   #304
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

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Er... shouldn't it be the other way round? i.e.
- disc pads sand papered, discs lathed -
No, the SA was afraid the disc might become too thin.

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Replace both arms instead of only one.
Hmm, I guess you are right. The SA was trying to save me some money, but he is only postponing the expense.
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Old 17th May 2011, 07:05   #305
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Strange but yesterday i was stranded in Delhi traffic for over an hour with engine refusing to fire. Unlike what you were describing as engine refusing to idle in my case it refused to start. Despite ECM resets and throttle body re-calibration procedure.

The culprit was a loose connector on the wire of fuel pump. Just mentioning it here as my earlier experience were with fuel cut off's happening due to ECM problems and engine would start post ECM reset. This is okay as two days before we had opened up the fuel tank and cleaned the filter at the mouth of fuel pick up. Probably the wire connection did not seat properly when things were put back.

Last edited by sudev : 17th May 2011 at 07:06.
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Old 17th May 2011, 13:28   #306
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

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Replace both arms instead of only one.
This is an interesting topic.
My SA also told me to only replace the one that's wearing out.
He said - "look, when the car was manufactured, both arms were brand new. Still, one is giving up earler than other. Then why bother replacing both at a time - that won't assure that they will have same service life anyway"...

Cheers!
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Old 17th May 2011, 13:39   #307
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

But thanks to our narrow roads, the left wheels falls out of the road pretty frequently while making way for oncoming traffic. May be that's why left arm gave up earlier than right.

I asked the SA to replace both the arms now. The parts will take 2-3 weeks to arrive. He has also put in order for fuel filter and spark plugs. Didn't know they are different from SX4.

BTW, the original Yokohama HT tyres were worn out by 17,000 kms. I replaced it with Michelin LTX AT2, and now they have completed the same amount of kms and it hardly shows.

Last edited by Samurai : 17th May 2011 at 13:42.
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Old 17th May 2011, 17:59   #308
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Imported tyres do wear out fast, so does the OE factory tyres. Often wonder why that happens

Glad to know that GV is chugging along fine inspite of our sad road conditions and driving environment. Long time since we saw some pictures of the GV.
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Old 8th June 2011, 15:59   #309
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Last week I got a call from the SA saying all the ordered parts have arrived, need the GV for 3 hours for replacing the parts. I agree to drop the GV same afternoon. An hour later same SA calls in saying "Don't come, they have sent us the Baleno lower arms!!!"

So I have another 3 weeks of wait before they send the correct part.

This Monday I drove up to Bangalore, with the same old busted bush lower arms. I have to say I can hardly make it out. After the recent throttle body cleaning, the engine has really opened up. I got 10kmpl in the first 180kms of twisty ghat driving, then I got 12kmpl in the next 200kms of straighter highways. Average FE for the entire trip was 11.1kmpl, which is much better than previous trips.

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Glad to know that GV is chugging along fine inspite of our sad road conditions and driving environment. Long time since we saw some pictures of the GV.
Haven't taken much shots recently. However, I shot these on the way this week. Monsoon is back.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6060816.jpg

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6060812.jpg

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6060813.jpg

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6060817.jpg
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Old 8th June 2011, 21:53   #310
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Man lovely road i wish i had a chance to take them before the rains ravage them
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Old 9th June 2011, 07:42   #311
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

@160000kms and after two trips of Rann the left track control arm starting making wee bit of noise again. This would be the second arm that's is going bust.

Lovely pictures and amazing FE!!
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Old 9th June 2011, 10:59   #312
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Quote:
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Man lovely road i wish i had a chance to take them before the rains ravage them
After a week of rain, the potholes have started forming. I did see a few on the way. Make it quick.

Quote:
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@160000kms and after two trips of Rann the left track control arm starting making wee bit of noise again. This would be the second arm that's is going bust.

Lovely pictures and amazing FE!!
I think you will hit 200K before I reach 50k. Just got a call from the SA again, the lower arms have arrived, again. Hopefully this one is for the GV. But I am in Bangalore, it will be another 800-1000kms before I can take it to the workshop.
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Old 21st June 2011, 17:25   #313
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

Today the GV was picked up from my office by Abharan motors at 11:30AM and delivered back by 4:30PM. Both the lower arms, 4 spark plugs and the air filter was replaced. All these parts were not available in stock during the last service.

Each lower arm cost me Rs.6411/- and the total bill today came to Rs.17,244/-

I really wanted to look at the condition of the arm bushes, but they haven't sent it. I asked them to send it tomorrow.
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Old 22nd June 2011, 05:39   #314
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

When you get them share the pics please. Usually it is the embedded/moulded rubber bush on the chassis side of the arm that wears off.
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Old 28th June 2011, 16:26   #315
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re: The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP [6 years & 70,000 completed]

The parts were delivered by the dealer to my office two days later. Today I got down to looking at them.

The lower arms.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6280848.jpg

Closer look. The bush is cracked in one, totally broken in the other.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6280849.jpg

I have been driving around with cracked lower arm bushes since August 2010, when it was discovered. That was 10 months and 10K kms back.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post2030524

And I have been driving with totally broken left lower arm bush since 50 days and 1000kms while waiting for the parts. Never felt any diminished handling or suspension action. After replacement the minor sound has vanished and I feel a little more spring in the suspension action.

Even the air filter was changed, that too took one month to arrive.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6280850.jpg

Finally, a cautionary tale. Don't listen to advice from just anybody about whether a jackfruit can hurt your car.

Today as I was driving out for lunch, the security guards tell me they have cut a jack-fruit from the office jackfruit tree. They want to load it in the car. As they loaded it at passenger foot well, my eyes opened wide at the size. I openly wondered whether it will damage the car. The security guard says nothing will happen, it is quite safe. Like an idiot, I accept the advice.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6280847.jpg

Within 100 meters into the road, I had realised my folly. The huge and probably 20kg heavy jackfruit was happily rolling at every movement of the car. So I had to drive very slowly until home.

The First Grand Vitara on Team-BHP-p6280846.jpg

It had left some muddy scratches on the door and speaker. Fortunately, I could wipe it away with a wet cloth.
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