[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by mitrajdeep

Hello All,t
I have a 2009 Dec Ford Fiesta Zxi Petrol here in Kolkata.
My car has run only 22000 kms and all is well so far apart from rear shock replacement and the thud sound from the steering rod when turning on a bad road.
My most recent issue is that I have noticed rust on the lower portion of the doors and on the roof. Any of you faced any such problems.
Do any of you know the about Anti Rust Warranty for Ford Fiesta in India. My car is kept in a covered garage at night and is washed with water on alternate days.

Sorry to hear about your rust problems. Could be due to the humid climate in Calcutta as it is not far from the coast.

I've not faced any such issues thankfully. This apart, I'd got the car treated to anti-rust by Waxoyl at the dealership when the car went in for its 3rd service. Cost me around 3700 bucks, but it has given me a peace of mind.

Do find out from your dealer if they can do anything at this stage.

[Rohit_Quad]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I've been visiting Mody Ford at Mudfort for the past 7 years, and have been quite content with the attention provided by SAs named Vishwanath and Sarath. However, I was not too happy with that center's service of my Figo recently, for which the SA is different.

I've also found Vibrant Ford center near Sanath Nagar flyover to be good.

As regards your bumper, get it checked by a denting/ painting shop. If it is going to cost more than 2.5 K, then better claim insurance and get it done by the dealer.

Yes, I have noticed the same thing with respect to Mody Ford, Mudford - Attention provided is very good, but they do not seem to stock spares at all. I visited them last week cause some jerk ripped off my viper blades and bent one arm completely, donno where this happened. Mody Ford, both the last and this time - they did not have the read number plate light ( my left one is broken).
And the noise i said, when in neutral and clutch is not pressed - it seems the clutch master cylinder is leaking and needs to be replaced - Arnd 4k quoted. But again no stock.
This time the service engineer went ahead and said that the entire front suspension set has to be changed ~26k .
I know for fact that, the last time my car was given, a lady said your left shock is leaking, and due to that the suspension set is loose and wobbly (shock and the thin connecting rod below it) and said both sides should be changed and quoted arnd ~7k. I had my doubts as the car had no knocking noise, drove like butter on all sorts of roads. So i asked for a physical inspection. So they raised my car on a ramp and i got below it with a torch. Yes, the left shock was very mildly damp but was very tight and stiff, nothing to suggest the wobbly moment said by them. She tried to demonstrate, but every thing was fine. A mech came and confirmed the same.
So, this time i called his bluff and said i do not need the entire set, just the shocks and may be the rods below them. And guess what, No stock

So i decided to put the service of till next month and visit the & tombs fortune Ford, they seem to have a huge spares shop and an even bigger SVC.
Will post further updates.

So pending works - Clutch Master Cylinder & Shocks Issue apart from minor other things.

I also went to an independent garage (lane beside cancer hospital) and was given a quote of 2.5k for a "new looking" bumper, the cost included denting & painting. So i am thinking, i will give it there cause the Ford SVC guy said, we cannot remove that dent and have to replace the entire bumper. I have got such a dent removed for an other car of mine in the past and know that it con be done.

[vnabhi]

@Rohit_Quad, thanks for the details. It looks like Mody Ford wanted to rip you off with an entire suspension change, but when you played smart, they mysteriously did not have spare parts, though they did have them if you'd gone by their advice. Imagine the games A.S.S. can play!! Best of luck to you with Fortune, 7 Tombs.

As regards wipers, I had to cough up 700 Rs for a set of wiper blades at Mody. So when the next set was due, I bought them directly from the Bosch stockist near Bible House for Rs 350 approx. But as you say even your wiper arm needs replacement, I am not sure if you can get an aftermarket replacement. Do update us.

[Rohit_Quad]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

@Rohit_Quad, thanks for the details. It looks like Mody Ford wanted to rip you off with an entire suspension change, but when you played smart, they mysteriously did not have spare parts, though they did have them if you'd gone by their advice. Imagine the games A.S.S. can play!! Best of luck to you with Fortune, 7 Tombs.

As regards wipers, I had to cough up 700 Rs for a set of wiper blades at Mody. So when the next set was due, I bought them directly from the Bosch stockist near Bible House for Rs 350 approx. But as you say even your wiper arm needs replacement, I am not sure if you can get an aftermarket replacement. Do update us.

Thanks, will try Fortune and let you know. And about the wipers, a funny thing happened. Since the arm was bent (L- Shape, Sticking above bonnet), I thought the arm had to be replaced. So I gave the car and my colleague came to pick me up from Mody. He then came in and saw what happened. Then came the Indian attitude - we lifted the arm, bent it back and voila !! As good as new . Just charged me for the wiper blades thing around 800/-.

Mod Note:

There were several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts, which have now been corrected. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use spell-checkers.

[vnabhi]

A question for AC experts: I drove the Figo today after a long gap, and even at position 1, the blower was sending a lot of air into the cabin with AC off. I don't find the same volume or air in the Fiesta.

So is there something I should get checked? I guess the AC vents and passages might have got blocked partially over time. But the AC chills fine, it is only the volume of air that seems to be less.

The Red Injun will soon be completing 5000 kms from its last service, and I want the AC vents to be cleaned this time. I was wondering if it would be better to go to an AC mechanic instead of Ford A.S.S.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

A question for AC experts: I drove the Figo today after a long gap, and even at position 1, the blower was sending a lot of air into the cabin with AC off. I don't find the same volume or air in the Fiesta.

Living in dusty places may result the condensor could being choked.
this leads to a low volume of air from the vents.

You could look at getting the condensor coils cleaned.

Pls. check the below pic(sourced from one post from within the forum)

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

Living in dusty places may result the condensor could being choked.
this leads to a low volume of air from the vents.

You could look at getting the condensor coils cleaned.

Pls. check the below pic(sourced from one post from within the forum)

Thank you very much---a picture speaks a 1000 words!!

Won't a jet spray of water over the condenser clean it? Or does one have to dismantle the bumper to get the job done? If it is the former, I guess even a local service water spray guy can do it.

[arnabchak]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Won't a jet spray of water over the condenser clean it? Or does one have to dismantle the bumper to get the job done? If it is the former, I guess even a local service water spray guy can do it.

Dear Vnabhi

This would require a special chemical to dissolve the debris. Just a simple spray may not help and can aggrevate the concern. There is mud, muck and oil so with water sprayed. it will just form a mass gooey thing.

You do not need to open the bumper but you certainly need a specialized person servicing it.

I recently gave my Wagon R for a AC servicing at MASS. They charged me Rs. 2.2K for complete condensor cleaning, Gas refilling and general servicing.

[fiestarry]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

The Fiesta came into my hands exactly 7 years ago,

Total miles crunched in 7 years stands at 44565! Eagerly looking forward to the 1 lac mark, though that may take years.

Its really nice to see a fellow Fiesta owner enjoying his machine. As a 1.6 S owner I have had a great time with the car and its inimitable engine , steering, suspension etc

Mine is a Nov 08 model as well and not crossed 40k km yet but is a butter smooth ...rather silken drive.

I think the car should complete at least a lakh of km in my hands. And with God's blessing it shall.

With my limited running I have contemplated selling my Fizz in the past but given its immaculate condition I havent had the heart.

Hope to be exchanging Fizz information with you 10 years from today.

bye

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by fiestarry

Its really nice to see a fellow Fiesta owner enjoying his machine. As a 1.6 S owner I have had a great time with the car and its inimitable engine , steering, suspension etc

Mine is a Nov 08 model as well and not crossed 40k km yet but is a butter smooth ...rather silken drive.

I think the car should complete at least a lakh of km in my hands. And with God's blessing it shall.

With my limited running I have contemplated selling my Fizz in the past but given its immaculate condition I havent had the heart.

Hope to be exchanging Fizz information with you 10 years from today.

bye

Sounds like a plan! I've always had a weak spot for the 1.6 S and have wished several times that it was there when I bought mine, but alas it was introduced only a year later.


I really envy the Aquarius Blue and the Silver colour models.
Wish you many good miles on your car!

[vnabhi]

A question to Fiesta 1.6 gurus: what grade of synthetic engine oil goes into the Fiesta? I thought it was 5W 30, but the S.A. I spoke to was suggesting 5W 50 of Mobil1.

I am taking my car for its annual service early next week, hence the question.

[quadbike]

I think the thumb rule is you can safely go lower on the number before W (i.e 0W instead of 5W) but should stick to the number after W. The lower the number before W, the better the performance during cold starts, the higher the number after W the higher the viscosity of the oil during operating temperatures. An oil with higher viscosity is not recommended for modern engines.

If you want to stick with Mobil, go for this instead of the Mobil 1.

http://www.mobil.co.in/AP-English-LC...0-xe-5w30.aspx

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I thought it was 5W 30, but the S.A. I spoke to was suggesting 5W 50 of Mobil1.

Originally Posted by quadbike

An oil with higher viscosity is not recommended for modern engines.

+1 to quadbike. Since the factory recommended grade is 5W30, I would venture to go maybe up to 5W40 but not a W50 grade oil. Shell also has some synthetic oils available in various grades. You may want to try it.

[vnabhi]

Thanks @quadbike and @abhinav.s. I'll cross-check with the S.A. once again. I have so far been using mineral oil, but last year the same S.A suggested the following on the next service, considering the age of the car:

1. Change of spark plugs
2. Change of coolant (supposed to last 1 lakh kms, but should be changed before that in case usage is less, like in my case).
3. Full synthetic oil in place of mineral oil. The suggestion was to buy the Mobil1 brand outside, as the dealer would charge VAT if taken from the service center. I believe 4 liters will cost 5000 rupees.

As the car is 7.5 years old with 47250 kms on the odometer, I also plan to have the following checked:

1. Close inspection of brake pads. The bite is ok, but there is a bitter of shudder from the front wheels while braking. Could be warped disks, but I don't plan to change the disks. Don't mind changing pads though.
2. Close inspection of tie rods, ball joints and shocks.
3. Gear shift to 3rd from 2nd not that butter smooth.
4. Minor creaks from seats on rough roads.
5. AC condenser cleaning.

I think this will turn out to be the most expensive service so far, but the car still drives like a dream.

[vnabhi]

Finally gave my car for its 80 K kms service last Wednesday, with 47350 kms on the odometer. All jobs listed above were jotted down on the job card. The S.A. took me for a small drive to understand items 3 and 4 (gear shift and creaks from seats). He said suspension seemed fine, but the front brakes needed to be checked. I asked him to check the struts and tie rods also.

He later rang me up and said the tie rods and ball joints had a lot of wear and tear, and had become dry and hard. He said I could carry on for another 10 K kms with them, but there would be sound sounds on bumps and humps. That reminded me that whenever the car descended from a speed-breaker, a hushing/ creaking kind of sound used to be heard.

As I wanted to car to be in pristine condition, and as I also had the benefit of company lease maintenance claim, I asked him to replace now itself. This would at least protect the XM2s that had run only 7000 kms over the last year. The shocks at the front and rear were found to be ok, as were the pads at the rear.

He also said the front brake pads needed to be changed, and also suggested changing the rotors. When I asked if skimming would do instead of replacement, he said it was upto me, but I might need to change the pads once again when I go for rotor replacement. He also said the disks were aged and rusted and had better be replaced. As the cost for 2 was only 3100 approx including labor, I relented .

The car was given back to me that same day, and it looked good with shining rotors on the front wheel: a good change from the earlier rusted look.




All points listed on the prior post were redressed, but the gear shift from 2nd to 3rd in the Figo is still better. The SA said that the gear throws of the Figo were reduced based on customer feedback on the Fiesta, hence there will always be a difference.

This apart, the AC in the Figo still blows better in position 1, though I have no complaints as such on the Fiesta. It is only the comparison that keeps popping up in my mind.

I drove the car only for around 50 kms and found no shimmer when applying the brakes. But somehow I got a feeling the there wasn't enough bite, but perhaps it is due to new disks. This apart, I was kind of used to a crunching sound earlier, which is missing now!

As expected, the cost of all the jobs including 4 liters of synthetic oil (Mobil1 5W50) came to 25 K. Break up, including labor cost and VAT is below:-

1. Tie rods (2) and ball joints (2) and link rods (2) : 6632
2. Front rotors (2) and brake pads : 6170
3. Spark plugs (4) : 808
4. Coolant : 1135
5. Mobil1 5W50 synthetic oil (4 L): 4200
6. AC panel protection : 1975
7. 80 K service, waxoyl, WA, etc : 4115