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Old 24th December 2008, 14:59   #1
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Tata Indigo TDi 63,500 kms report

Make & Model: Tata Indigo LS TDi
Month & Year : March 2006
Purchase price : Rs. 4,95,000 (Ex-showroom)

For my purchase experience, you can visit the following link:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...go-tdi-ls.html

Kms done : 48,000 in 2 years and 9 months
Avg kms : 17,500 kms per year (approx) / 1450 kms per month
Fuel used : Indian Oil ExtraMile or HP TurboJet
Avg cost/km : Rs.2.91 per km (including regular servicing cost)

For detailed calculation please refer to my post under the “T-BHP real world guide to service costs” thread. (Post#82)
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...our-car-6.html

Service schedule: As per manual – service every 5,000 kms and oil change every 7,500 kms. Later, Tata revised the service and oil change schedule to 10,000 kms, but I get it serviced every 4,500kms or so, with oil change at around every 9,000 kms.

Accessories
1) Gear lock from dealer – disadvantage of this lock is that you can’t access the 12v power point – had to shift the power point further up on the console by drilling a hole.
2) Remote locking from the dealer - This Tata branded AutoCopXS system is very practical in the sense that when you unlock, it only unlocks the driver-side door. If you want to unlock all doors you have to press the unlock button once more. Since most of the time I am the only one driving, it is a very practical feature. Unlocking is also the same, in the sense that only the driver’s door unlocks when you turn off the engine. I find it a very safe feature as your entire car is not vulnerable, say at traffic crossing if you turn-off the engine.
3) Medium film on windows
4) JVC HU and 4 pioneer speakers

The almost three years with my Indigo have been quite healthy. I’m a verbose writer, so this review is going to be a bit long, but I believe it will be comprehensive. Have tried to cover all possible aspects of the car in this report.

Exteriors
Since this is a subjective matter, I’ll keep it short. It is essentially an Indica with a boot, with minor increments in comfort and a big car (sedan) feel. The boot looks like a tacky add-on, but after seeing what Maruti has done with the Dzire, I’ll go with my Indigo any day. A chrome strip running along the bonnet is the only major differentiator between the front of and Indica and an Indigo. The tail-lights are big and functional and are not as ungainly as the ones on the newer model. The headlights are also big and functional kind and I find the throw and spread to be adequate (the car came with a couple of spare bulbs as well).

You can check-out some pictures of the car at My Garage, which I clicked after it had done around 40,000 kms.
Tata Indigo Built-to-price frugal diesel sedan LS TDi - jessie007's Photo Gallery - Team-BHP

Interiors
The quality of interior plastics is better than previous models but is still poor to say the least. Considering it is a built-to-price vehicle, one shouldn’t be complaining too much – also when there are no annoying rattles so far. The A/C switch with the blinding blue LED, started to show hairline cracks a few months after I bought the car. Seemed it won’t survive for long, but has held so far. Frequently switching on and off will definitely disintegrate the switch. I personally, switch on the A/C and then use the thermostat to control the temperature.

The steering wheel is a four-spoke one – nice and chunky to hold, which I like a lot. No need for any tacky taxi-style steering wheel cover that the dealer gave as a freebie. The indicator and wiper stalks have a decent feel and touchwood no gremlins in my electrical system. A couple of points about the wiper are that it has about 5 intermittent settings which you can adjust according to the intensity of rain. For wash-wipe there is a neat button on the wiper stalk which I quite like. One thing my sister pointed out was that when one uses the wash-wipe, the wiper starts immediately which can result in scratches on the windscreen as a result of all the dust not getting cleared soon enough by the water sprayed from the washer.

Utility-wise interiors are just about practical with plenty of space for passengers and their belongings. There is the useful glove box (lockable) with a couple of rather shallow cup holders. There is space below the steering wheel and a small cubbyhole below the central console to keep knick-knacks (which has a rubber mat to prevent the knick-knacks from rattling). There is a spring loaded ash-tray with a coin holder. The door pockets can accommodate a 1L water bottle. There is cabin light both at the front and the rear and in addition there are reading spotlights (two each front & rear) which I find very useful. There is a spectacle case also near the internal rear-view mirror. From mirror I remember the vanity mirror in the passenger-side sun-visor.

The best part though is the driver’s seat for me. The red on black dials look classy during daytime and illuminate pretty well at night with a greenish glow, whose intensity you can adjust I believe over five settings – overdoing a bit I would say. I usually keep it at number three setting, which imparts it an understated glow. In addition to the odometer, there are two digital trip meters. There is a well-placed digital clock on the dashboard.

Glass area is quite good and one feels nice and airy sitting inside. Indigo LS version doesn’t have power windows, but frankly I don’t miss them much, as am mostly running the A/C.

Space
Space is one thing the car had loads of and it is welcome too. The wheelbase of the car is 2450mm and packaging is done in such a way that there is lots of space. After the Indigo, I feel very cramped in other hatches (claustrophobic in the swift at the rear) and even some sedans don’t feel as spacious.

The front passenger seats have ample legroom with good all round space. Even if the front seats are pushed back fully there is ample space at the back. My grandmother loves the space at the back and it is a boon on long drives, as one can stretch inside.

Don’t use the boot much, but the 450 liter boot is huge and is able to swallow two big bags (Amrika ones) plus some more luggage easily. There is a nifty little cargo net which can hold something like a 1L bottle in horizontal position. One more thing, the boot has a light as well and just found out upon reading the manual that it is the cabin light kind which turns-off when the boot is closed. I used to switch it off before closing the boot. Still prefer to keep it that way, as unlike the cabin light you won’t know if the light is still on due to a faulty push switch and that might drain the battery.

The car has remote boot release, unlike the Logan (can’t image a sedan without this feature, esp. if costing around 6 lacs). This is very useful at airports and railway stations, where you have to do a quick pick-up, as traffic cops keep pestering you and you don’t have time to get out of the car to open the boot physically.

HVAC
Cooling of the A/C is pretty good in peak summers too and I use the A/C in winters too (of course not at night), as I don’t open the windows too much, which results in a cleaner and pollution free cabin. The A/C is mostly kept in recirculation mode but do switch to fresh air mode whenever possible, especially on long drives. Outside odours do filter into the cabin and that I find very irritating – what is the use of recirculation mode if outside odours seep in – one can smell the smoke from a heavy polluting vehicle in the front. Regarding the heating - have tried it in winters, but didn’t take to it, as it tends to dry the throat.

During heavy rains one has to use the A/C to clear up, because just the fan doesn’t help, and if it is during winters, it complicates matters. The windscreen demister is alright but doesn’t work too well when it rains heavily. Also, there is a design flaw, which let’s engine heat to come in from the fresh air intake vents on the bonnet and this fogs the lower part of the windscreen during heavy rain.

Ergonomics
The driver’s seat is comfortable with ample back and lumbar support for a person of medium frame, a category in which I fall. But the biggest bugbear is the high dashboard which blocks your view in the front and you can’t see the bonnet. I’ve to sit fairly upright when following another vehicle over bad roads. You won’t be able to spot potholes, if you are not keeping a minimum of half a car length’s distance. The slightly cab forward design also sometimes leads to the A-pillar obstructing your view. I’ve sometimes spotted bicycles and two-wheelers quite late while turning. No scary moments as such, but one needs to be a bit careful on turns.

Ingress and Egress is quite easy, as the car is not very low – atleast my grandmother prefers it to a couple of other sedans. Also, the doors open wide to allow east entry and exit. There are child-locks as well on the rear doors.

Comfort
Front seats are pretty supportive and comfortable, as is the rear bench. Under-thigh support could have been better on the front seats though. Add to it an independent multi-link suspension at the rear and you are treated with a comfortable ride and the car glides over most potholes, though a bit unsettled over bumps at speed. No need to elaborate more, as most of us are well acquainted with the class-leading comfort of Tata vehicles.

Braking
Front disc and rear drum brakes are just about adequate for shedding speed. I haven’t really slammed on them; thankfully nothing has made me slam them so far. From about 70 kmph, the car can handle sudden braking, but if you are traveling faster, then, without ABS, don’t think brakes will be quite effective or sufficient. Speed retardation after driving 48,000 kms is still quite linear. Brake pads and discs are cleaned regularly during servicing.

Suspension & Handling
Suspension makes all sort of noises when going over potholes or a bumpy road, you can feel it is working it’s best to keep the occupants as comfortable as possible and it does, to a great extent. Decent sized 14” rims shod with 175/65 Bridgestone S322 radials also contribute to overall comfort. Do get wheel alignment done regularly and since Indigo has independent suspension at the rear as well, have to get the alignment of rear wheels also done.

Taking turns at high speeds are not assuring, as the car tends to roll quite a bit because of the soft suspension. But I take slight curves at high speed on the DND, and am fine with it – just a little circumspect about the stock tyres. I feel the car handles well if there is some load in the boot, as it pins down the rear a bit. The hydraulic power steering is a delight as it is nicely weighted and gives decent feedback from the road. Also, the turning radius of 5 meters is just fine for city driving. I would also like to mention that I find the width of the car just about right for city driving and can squeeze into places where a Swift with its rear haunches can’t. The width of the Indigo is in fact slightly less than that of an Indica.

Engine
The 1405cc turbo-charged inter-cooled engine delivering 69bhp@4500rpm, is a crude four pot engine, tuned to be a staid workhorse. I religiously idle the car for 30 secs after starting (in the meanwhile take out the HU from the glovebox) and about 20 secs before turning it off (as recommended by the manual). When I’m nearing my destination, I try not to engage the turbo and keep it below 2000 rpm, so that don’t have to idle for long before turning off the engine.

The characteristic diesel clatter is there for first few minutes after start up - slightly more during winters, but is fine when the engine reaches its operating temperature. After that the engine settles nicely and with windows up, A/C on and music playing, very little noise seeps in. In noticed there is some sound-deadening material on the underside of the bonnet. Being an IDI (Indirect Diesel Injection) engine, clatter is less compared to the Dicor (Direct Injection Common Rail) engine.

The best and the most trying part of the engine is the turbo. At low speed, it can be disconcerting sometimes when adequate power is not available and you have to really push to plug gaps in traffic. Being a high inertia turbo, boost only comes from 2000 rpm when the turbine is fully spooled. But when the boost comes, it comes as a sudden lump of thrust and the torque puts a smile on my face. I don’t quite worry about fuel efficiency as long as the car sips the cheaper fuel, and try to keep the car around 2000 rpm only, so that have turbo boost at my command.

The engine redlines at 5000 rpm as per the rpm meter, but the power and torque start tapering-off after around 4500 rpm and 3000 rpm respectively. So basically a narrow power band, but I have mastered the art of using this narrow power band to its fullest. The top speed that I managed was about 147 kmph (155 kmph is the rated top speed) before I ran out of road. Regularly do 120 kmph runs and 130+ once in a while. Even after 48000 kms under its belt, the car manages these speeds without any hesitation.

On highways the ideal cruising speed is around 100-110 kmph. About a month back was driving on the highway and the car was giving a good run to diesel Fiestas, who seemed agitated at the sight of a Tata car hustling them at 130 kmph. Considering the car was then more than 2 ½ years old and still cruising effortlessly on the highway and managing relatively high speeds – a satisfactory performance for me. Also keeping in mind an average of 13-14 kmpl in the city and 17-19 kmpl on the highway - I have no complaints from the car on the performance and fuel efficiency front.

Gearbox
The gearbox is springy and one has to depress the clutch fully and slot-in the gears firmly. The clutch is on the harder side and is a pain in stop-go traffic. I must say - Not a ladies car. If the car slows down to 10 kmph, then it is not able to pick-up comfortably in second gear, feel the need to shift to first gear, but it doesn’t engage cleanly if the car is in motion, you have to brake and halt in order to cleanly engage first gear. Sometimes gets very irritating in traffic. I believe this problem of drivability is solved to an extent in the Dicor engine which has more linear power delivery, but now Tata is also going Fiat’s Multijet way, which I believe is unrivalled in drivability for an engine of this capacity.

Third gear is the strongest gear in which it pulls cleanly from 30 kmph till about 80 kmph. Top speed is achieved in fifth gear only. On the other hand, the gearbox delivers a good spread torque (13.5kgm@2500rpm) torque and one can just cruise in first/second gear without pressing the accelerator. I use this technique while circling around airports and railway stations. And the best part is, if you encounter a slight upward slope, just switch on the a/c and the car’s FICD will compensate by providing more acceleration and you can climb up slight inclines also, without touching the accelerator.

Fuel Efficiency
Average is around 13-14 kmpl in the city and 17-19 kmpl on the highway. I always keep the A/C on. The 42 liter fuel tank, technically gives a range of about 700 kms, if we take the lower-end of the highway average i.e. 17kmpl. So basically, one can comfortably manage a return trip to say, Ludhiana (around 300 kms) in one tank-full which comes to: 42l @ Rs.35/l = Rs.1500 only. This is sort of a realistic door-to-door trip involving driving around in Delhi and the destination city with fuel needle above the red mark on the return.

Since I usually keep the turbo on boil, average should be a casualty, but surprisingly there is very little penalty as I believe the turbo boost helps move the tonne of steel (Kerb weight is 1070 Kgs) and doesn’t consume more fuel as only more air is being fed into the engine by the turbo. My father was also surprised as the difference in average between my relatively high-rev driving and his measured, smooth driving was less than ½ kmpl. If one checks the sticker recommending speeds for good fuel efficiency, it suggests shifting to fourth at 65 kmph. If you shift to fourth earlier, you end up lugging the engine and don’t think there is much improvement in mileage.

Maintenance
My maintenance record can be accessed at (post no#82):
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...our-car-6.html

Regular maintenance expenses, no untoward expenses. From my side, have got the wiper blades changed once, cost about Rs.150 a pair – they are original ones from A.S.C.

Points to Note:
• Panel gaps are huge. In fact I find the gap between the boot and the sill / bumper so huge that it looks like an accidental vehicle. Hope this doesn’t affect my resale value and the buyer understands that the panel gaps are as such in older Tata vehicles.
• A/C fan speed is noisy at anything more than number 2 setting.
• Rubber beading on the doors is lousy. It was coming off on one of the rear doors and had to get it set right.
• The gear-knob is finished in aluminum or some metal and it gets very hot in summers (if the car is parked under the sun) and the opposite is true in winters.
• There is a clip to hold the rear seat belts – a feature I noticed after seeing it in my sister’s Santro.
• Didn’t put any seat covers as the company fitted ones seemed fine. The seat covers seem to have aged fairly well. Grey colour also helps as it doesn’t get dirty easily. Don’t personally like beige interiors, as I feel they are not practical for Indian conditions.
• Wheel caps are useless, as they keep coming off, over bad roads and also are difficult to take-off when you get a puncture. Got so fed-up, now have small hub covers, which are tightened with the wheel nut (wheel-bolt actually, incase of the indigo, as it doesn’t have a nut, the bolt has the head of a nut as such).
• Only three punctures in 48,000 kms, says a lot about the stock Bridgestone S322. I usually keep the tyre pressure at the 30 psi mark all round (recommended is 28 psi, which I feel is less considering the heavy diesel engine at the front). At more 30 psi, the car tends to bounce at the rear without any load.
• Got a scare during the 40,000km service, when the power steering was making noise, as a result of power steering fluid leaking away slowing. The service guy said the entire steering assembly had to be changed and will cost around Rs.18,000. Almost got a heart attack. Called dad and he said, get the regular servicing done and he’ll show it to his Sumo mechanic. And guess what it turned out to be. A so called banjo clip was loose which was causing the leakage. He just set it right and power steering fluid was topped up. The fluid level has been fine since and have done 8,000 kms thereafter.
Moral of the story – don’t blindly go by A.S.Cs, if you know another good mechanic, please do take a second opinion for critical / costly repairs.
• During one highway trip (at around 43,000 kms mark), the gas from A/C leaked out. The culprit was the clutch wire that runs along the A/C condensing pipe and it was rubbing against it all this time and had abraded the pipe. A design / packaging flaw, I believe.
• Another scare when during my 45,000 kms service, I showed the service guy the clutch which was hard and he said it should be overhauled and the cost will be around Rs.6,000. Got the regular service done and showed it to my dad’s mechanic – clutch adjusted and clutch wire changed – viola! The clutch is fine again and the car has run 3,000 kms hence.
• Another thing that is recommended during service is System-D, which the service guys push, as I believe they get incentive for that. Once they even sneakily charged Rs 500 or so for it (don’t know if they put it or not) and I had to get it struck-off from my service invoice. Never got System-D, as I use premium diesel always and supposedly it has additives suitable for a turbo-diesel engine (non common rail type). Fuel pump should be doing fine, as so far, pick-up is still excellent and I have no complaints.
• Battery is still good, as the car starts the first time, even if started after two days.
• Handbrake is still effective. I’ve seen the handbrake fade in quite a few cars which have good amount of kilometers under its belt.
• Only one light bulb (rear-brake) conked-off, so far.
• The car doesn’t easily clear PUC checking. Have to get it done after servicing when the cat con is cleaned and I drive to the PUC centre keeping the revs low – (below 2000 rpm) so as not to engage the turbo. I tried this once and it cleared easily. The car doesn’t give black smoke as such, but during testing they rev it to around 4000rpm and then there is some smoke.
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Old 24th December 2008, 15:02   #2
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Unwelcome events

Unwelcome events
1) During one out-station trip to the hills, I encountered a flooded section of the road. As a result of heavy rains, a river had broken its banks and washed about a 100m section of the road. MUVs and SUVs were crossing the flooded road, but we were apprehensive in our car. But after watching for some time, the route taken by the taxis and considering a tow-crane was also present at the spot, I along with my friends took the risk and I gunned for it, half-clutching and continuously revving so as not to let water enter the exhaust pipe. About midway, hit a big pothole with a thud and thought the car was stuck for good, but managed to pull it out by half-clutching and manevouring out of the pothole. Must admit it was quite nerve-racking and tense moment. The car came out fine and I pumped the brakes to get water out of the rear drum liners. However, the remote locking siren kept turning on and off for about an hour and was fine thereafter, I believe after water had dried out from its circuitry.

Once in the hills, had to clear many 4X4ish tracks – ones that have a raised heap of mud / slush in the middle that you pass between the tracks (tyre to tyre width) of the car. Ground clearance of 165mm is not much, but the car managed, slipping and sliding sometimes on the raised humps of slush. Upon returning back to Delhi, got the car serviced (I believe the 30,000 kms servicing was due that time) and asked them take the car up the ramp and to inspect the undercarriage for any damage and give it a good wash. Thankfully, they said all was O.K. with the suspension.

2) Once ran over a block of concrete at fairly high speed, which was there towards the left side of the road (may be kept when a truck was under repair). I tried my best to avoid the block as couldn’t have gone over it as it was too high and would have damaged the undercarriage. So tried to pass it from the left (yes, it was literally on the middle of the road, not on the left most lane), as there was a truck on the right. Right front and rear wheels went over the concrete block. The wheel covers immediately came-off and I thought I must have burst a tyre. But the car seemed to be handling fine, so kept going slowly.

Came home and saw the rims were bent badly, and one tyre had a huge cut from where the tube was bulging out. I was in a state of shock. My dad got the rims straightened out after finding a specialist guy who used a machine. Had to buy one new tyre and kept the other tyre as the spare and used the fairly new spare wheel instead. So now have new front tyres, which are the ones that get worn-off most, so don’t need any new tyres till maybe 60,000 kms. Rear wheel’s camber had also gone awry – had to get the strut straightened.

3) My dad along with four other (family and friends – I wasn’t there), met with an accident on the highway. He was trying to overtake a truck from the left and there was a bus in front on the left side of the road. Dad says he must be doing around 60-70 kmph. When he had almost overtaken the truck, the truck either came a little left or didn’t slow down enough to let the car pass and hit the right rear. As a result, the car swerved, hit the divider and the truck rammed into the right hand side. Thankfully the truck had shed some speed by then and the impact was not lethal. The doors were fairly damaged, but thankfully no one was hurt, not even a scratch.

There were two women from France, my sister’s friends, who were shocked but were thankful nothing happened to them. Later I told them the company that manufactures the car has its own steel unit, so there is no cost-cutting in terms of the gauge of steel used in the car body and that is what took the maximum impact and the side-impact beams must have done their job. Don’t really know though, as the car was repaired there only, under the supervision of my father’s friend. Don’t have any pictures either. Insurance was claimed and didn’t have to pay a rupee or maybe father’s friend handled, if anything had to be paid.

Since the front and rear fenders were fine, only the two damaged doors were replaced and little bit denting was done on the rear right side (the tail-light was intact) and the car came back within a week’s time. I was a little circumspect after the accident, but thankfully no rattles and the doors shut properly. Got wheel alignment done again (don’t trust service guys) and everything seems to be fine now. But the service centre people didn’t put the original outside rear view mirror and it keeps tilting down (the mirror, not the casing) and I have to keep internally adjusting it.

One more thing, the remote lock was not working properly, so gave a call to Auto-Cop guys. A person came the next day, opened the driver’s side door panel, immediately found-out that a wire was incorrectly connected, corrected it, asked for the booklet with the warranty (has a three year warranty), noted down some numbers and was off in a flash. All in all, it took not more than 20 minutes to complete the job. I was really impressed by the service provided by Auto-Cop.
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Old 24th December 2008, 16:15   #3
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heh, sounds quite familiar
similarly, dont fiddle around with the HVAC knob too much, or that string will go loose too
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Old 24th December 2008, 16:49   #4
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Very well written; After reading this i see tata in an altogether different light. Thanku
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Old 24th December 2008, 20:04   #5
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Fantastic report! My Indigo is a Jan '07 model and after nearly two years of owning her, I agree with most of your observations.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jessie007 View Post
also when there are no annoying rattles so far.
I am pleasantly surprised with the lack of rattles in my car too. This, despite 25,000 kms of HARD use.

Quote:
Utility-wise interiors are just about practical with plenty of space for passengers and their belongings.
Quote:
The front passenger seats have ample legroom with good all round space. Even if the front seats are pushed back fully there is ample space at the back.
This is what my family loves about the Indigo : Unbelievable comfortable interiors. Comfy seats, great ride quality, loads of room and a chilling air-con.

Quote:
The best part though is the driver’s seat for me.
While the driver seat is nice, the ergonomics are pretty messed up. Starting with the truck-like position of the steering wheel and the awkward pedal arrangement.

Quote:
Ingress and Egress is quite easy, as the car is not very low – atleast my grandmother prefers it to a couple of other sedans.
Ditto. My Mum absolutely hates the Vtec and would pick the Indigo any which day.

Quote:
No need to elaborate more, as most of us are well acquainted with the class-leading comfort of Tata vehicles.
Strangely, the Indigo has the best ride quality of all other cars in my garage. Despite being the cheapest (if you count the $$$ gone into my Jeep )

Quote:
Front disc and rear drum brakes are just about adequate for shedding speed.
High-speed braking is terrible...I found out the hard way.

Quote:
Taking turns at high speeds are not assuring, as the car tends to roll quite a bit because of the soft suspension.
Not to mention the nasty understeer. A new driver can get caught out....very dangerous at speed.

Quote:
The best and the most trying part of the engine is the turbo.
Agreed. The turbo-lag took a li'l getting used to. Now, we just drive around it.

All in all, I'd say the Indigo offers acceptable quality with loads of room, comfort and economy. Perfect for those looking at a rough use / high mileage entry-level sedan.
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Old 24th December 2008, 23:06   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
I am pleasantly surprised with the lack of rattles in my car too. This, despite 25,000 kms of HARD use.
not so surprising for me. my Indica V2 never rattled even after 87000 kms in a little more than 5 years!
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Old 25th December 2008, 00:00   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessie007 View Post
• Got a scare during the 40,000km service, when the power steering was making noise, as a result of power steering fluid leaking away slowing. The service guy said the entire steering assembly had to be changed and will cost around Rs.18,000. Almost got a heart attack. Called dad and he said, get the regular servicing done and he’ll show it to his Sumo mechanic. And guess what it turned out to be. A so called banjo clip was loose which was causing the leakage. He just set it right and power steering fluid was topped up. The fluid level has been fine since and have done 8,000 kms thereafter.
Same problem on my Indica TDI! - see my link below.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...tml#post993352

Totally agree that TASS needs to be cross examined on every thing!
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Old 25th December 2008, 02:39   #8
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great comprehensive review dude!
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Old 25th December 2008, 10:08   #9
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Indigo rocks! i am sure the forthcoming new indigo on the Vista platform would be a massive success too!
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Old 29th April 2009, 19:01   #10
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50K kms and three years completeted report

50,000 kms report
1) Just before hitting the 50,000 kms mark, the clutch /gear engaging started acting up. Got it shown to my dad’s sumo's mechanic and after opening he found out a fork was cracked. The fork was for around Rs.300 or so. The mechanic suggested while everything was opened up, it is best to get the clutch plates and release bearing changed as they were worn out. Also, the clutch had been adjusted already to the maximum permitted level - so got the needful done. Total damages Rs.4000 (clutch assembly and labour) + 300 (fork) = Rs.4,300.

2) HVAC airflow direction knob wasn’t changing the direction flow and the flow was stuck on the normal mode towards the passenger’s torso. Thank god it didn’t get stuck in a window demister mode or the feet cooling mode. Since it was around 500 kms to go for the 50k kms service, I didn’t do anything with it.

3) At 50,000 kms service was unwillingly saddled with the extra cost of premium mineral engine oil (Exxon Mobil Super 1000TM) at authorized service centre. Even though the service advisor was keen on pushing engine decarbonising, engine flush and premium mineral engine oil - I simply refused – because my thinking is if it is working fine no need to tinker with it and also I have no clue what oil is actually put in the car. But when went to pick-up the car, saw they had still put premium mineral engine oil. Was in a hurry, so thought will speak to his supervisor later-on. Earlier also the same service guy had put bardhal additive inspite of me refusing - so got the charges struck off from my bill.

In office, did some surfing to find out if the oil was recommended by Tata Motors and what the actual cost was. This link was helpful: Tata Motors Customer Care :: Recommended Products

Engine flush and decarbonising wasn’t required, as suggested by the service advisor, as faced none of the problems listed on their website. As it is I use premium diesel, which though is not recommended for CRDI engines, suites a turbo-charged IDI engine quite well, as haven’t felt any loss in power or acceleration after three years. The additives in the fuel (if there are really any) must be doing their job of keeping the injectors clean.
Tata Motors Customer Care :: Decarbonising & Engine Flush

Read about premium mineral & synthetic oil on team-bhp. Though this particular oil (Exxon Mobil Super 1000TM 15W40) is not really recommended anywhere, but thought it was fine as the cost difference was OK for one time - Rs.1300 vs. Rs.900 for Castrol GTD – this amount is for 5.5lts that the engine takes and is charged for oil change in regular servicing.

Total cost of service including all filter changes and engine oil came to Rs. 2928. But with premium mineral oil, haven’t found any perceptible change in engine smoothness.

Got the HVAC direction flow knob corrected. Is a bit springy and tight now but is working. Maybe will smoothen out with use. In order to placate me, the service guy said they usually charge Rs.500 labour for opening the HVAC panel to repair anything, but says he did me a favour by not charging anything. I thought yeah - crap - still charging me for the premium mineral oil, which I didn’t want in the first place.

4) Car still manages 135-140 kmph easily on the DND. Don’t push it more as the engine starts feeling very strained and noisy thereafter. Highway cruising best done between 100 and 125 kmph – which is both comfortable and maximum safe speed for this car without any supplementary safety features (ABS & Airbags)

5) Average on last highway trip was around 18 kmpl. Haven’t really checked the average in the city, but must be getting similar 13 kmpl with A/C. Since it is diesel, I don’t really care about the average and also don’t do tankfuls in the city, which is the best method to determine the mileage correctly.

6) Tyres still good for another 10k kms. Only a total of four punctures till now – increasing my respect for the Bridgestone S322s.

7) The infamous (on the forum) Exide battery into its fourth year – still starts in first crank.
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Old 29th April 2009, 19:25   #11
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Complete service history

For complete service history visit this link - post #85:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1282267
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Old 29th April 2009, 20:06   #12
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Hi,

Quote:
Originally Posted by jessie007 View Post
For complete service history visit this link - post #85:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1282267
Similar experience for me too!

Take a look for my experience at 50000kms:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post1069319

And my update at 55000kms:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...ml#post1281470

Hope you have many more years of happy motoring,
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Old 29th April 2009, 21:02   #13
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about the fuel, try regular diesel and iftex system D. I've found that is yields better results then premium diesel and is cheaper. Also, its a recommended additive.

Regarding the oil - its costs that much if you buy it from them, Next time , buy 6(5+1)L of mobil delvac MX and give it to them. it costs much less outside(cost me 1.2k for 6L) , and is a better oil than the super 1000. Of course , do check if they will accept oils from outside, and if not, ask your dad's sumo mech to have the honors
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Old 30th April 2009, 14:20   #14
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@trrk - yes, i see our Indigos are almost going neck and neck. But as far as I can make out from your post, no clutch work done on your car yet. Let me know how you car's clutch is holding.

@greenhorn - thanks for your advice. Yes, I have read in many posts that Mobil delvac MX is a good oil and most importantly I can trust views of only fellow bhpians. Don't really trust authorised service advisors as they push products of whichever company they have a deal with and whatever gives better commissions. So might have to go to dad's sumo mechanic, as he does quite a good job of maintaining the 13 year old jalopy, having covered more than 3,00,000 kms, and guess what - dad is planning one last trip to Ladakh, before "allowing" it to retire.

Will also try out Iftex System D - anything that can eke out more from the engine
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Old 30th April 2009, 16:36   #15
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system D won't give more power, but will make the engine a bit smoother
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