Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi - The 8055 (BOSS) 70000km ownership report

sanju.sreekumar · 28th July 2009, 17:29

OK...i know i should have written this earlier. But better late than never. Below is the story of my first car. My Boss. The Ikon.

As i child, i never had the passion for bikes. My dad had 1986 Bullet. But i was too young to ride that. When i was in school, we had a Mark II Ambassador. So obviously, my liking was always towards cars from a very young age. I learnt driving in that car with the help of my dad. Dad used to say, "you learn in an Ambassador, u can can drive any car in the world". He was not lying!

I grew up, got my head into the IT industry and ended up in Bangalore. Used my Kinetic Honda for the initial 1 year till it was stolen. It ended as a blessing in disguise. I desperately needed a vehicle and it was not going to be a two-wheeler. Also, i wanted to buy my own car with my money. I dont know what attracted me to the Ikon but i wanted one even though i havent driven one before. I also did not have many friends who had an Ikon. But something was there in my mind that had me hell bound buying that car. I obviously could not afford a new one as i was only a year into my job. So second hand car it was.

I got my car from a second hand dealer in Bangalore. Cost me around 3 lacs when i bought it (in Nov 06). The car originally was a 2002, Aug model 1.6 ZXi. I fell in love with it the moment i saw the car. Odo was 43k.

Condition of the car when i bought it:
* Small scratch on the bonnet but negligible.
* Small dent on either side of the bonnet (amazingly discovered another one almost symmetrical on the other side on the bonnet). Again negligible.
* Tyre were in pretty good condition. My guess was it was the second set on the car.
* Awesome seat covers from Gsport. One of the reasons that made me fall in love.
* Ford cassette player. One that was replaced in a month with a more advanced ICE setup.
*Under the hood, everything looked normal. Got it checked by a mechanic who gave me a thumbs up.
* Amazing power and pickup and handling. Much better than the Zen my dad then owned.
* FE was less. The dealer said i might be lucky if i get 9kmpl.

No issues in the first initial months. There was a slight trouble when the coolant used to leak and the temp used to go up. Got that sorted out within a day.

My first long trip on the car was to Cochin. Amazing drive. I was accompanied by my close friend who was in an Esteem. Touched speeds of 130kmph on the Thoppur -Mettur road twice. As soon as a long stretch came, i could see the size of the esteem in my rear view mirror getting smaller and smaller.

Did a further 3 trips to cochin in the first six months. No major problems encountered.

Tires were wearing out normally without major wear and tear. Mileage was as expected. 8.5 with A/C in city. I somehow managed 14kmpl on my drives to cochin with A/C on 80% of the time.

First signs of trouble
On a trip to Nilambur to visit a friend for Easter, 07, i hit a road hump at around 80kmph. This was an unscientifically built road hump on the Bangalore - Mysore highway at Maddur. The impact was too hard. The engine mounts on the right side broke and it fell off bringing down the driveshaft along with it. Had to tow the car back to Cauvery Ford after waiting for 3 hours. Most horrible experience till date with my car!

Got everything replaced and repaired (so i thought) for a bill under 25k.

Multiple problems have creeped up since this day. Some not related to the above incident. (Like the one when was car was flooded in 4 feet of water and the stupid mechanics from Ford started the engine that forced all the mud from the Fuel pump to the engine - One 97k bill and a 4 month recuperation at Cauvery Ford

)

Once i got the car back, small but irritating issues are giving me sleepless nights. Power steering fluid leaks everynow and then. Fan belt used to come off at speeds over 70kmph on the highway leaving me stranded. Had to replace power steering assembly, twice. Also had to chance the Fan belt assembly.

But the biggest thing is, i still loved my car and the way it drove. The handling was still amazing. The ICE was awesome and the feeling i got when i drove it to office was unforgettable. Many friends suggested i sell my Ikon. They said it was a lemon. I did not want to accept whatever they said and still stuck to it. Did the necessary repairs whenever it required one. What the heck..i even bought it a new pair of shoes (read tyres and alloys) when my dad was forcing me to sell it!

Now after almost 3 years of owning my first car, i love it much more than anything else. Yes, there are still minor issues that bother me now and then but i deal with it coz i would never think of selling it.

Current ODO: 71K
Current Tyres: BF Goodrich 185/60/14
Current Alloys: League
Engine Condition: Good
Problems faced today: Idling prob - engine gets switched off in between downing gears.

Check out my garage here >> Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI 2002 - sanju.sreekumar's Photo Gallery - Team-BHP

Thread on my car >> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...fications.html

Every car has a heart and mind of its own. My BOSS too has one and i simply love it!

benbsb29 · 29th July 2009, 10:29

Sanju, rather than just the link to your garage it would be better if you uploaded some snaps to this thread.

Whats the FE figures like these days?

PatienceWins · 29th July 2009, 10:38

Sanju, glad to know that you are enjoying the car.

Were you able to claim insurance for the 97k bill due to flood? If now, how much did Cauvery Ford reduce as the mistake was from their end?

sanju.sreekumar · 29th July 2009, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Sanju, rather than just the link to your garage it would be better if you uploaded some snaps to this thread.

I dont have any snaps of my car in my office laptop that i am currently using right now. Will upload soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Whats the FE figures like these days?

Currently 9-11.5kmpl running on Shell.

musicmanaman · 29th July 2009, 10:56

The Ikon 1.6 is a lovely machine to drive, and I'm glad you are very attached to the car, at the end of the day that matters the most. The mileage you are getting is also quite good for the Ikon.

lloydofcochin · 29th July 2009, 11:02

Sanju - Nice review there. +1 to you, the Ford Ikon is a beautiful Car to drive, I love the handling and steering feel, it is just amazing.

I too own an Ikon 1.6, 2003 model. I picked it up used for 1.4 lacs. I have not checked the FE, but I guess I am getting around 10-11 in the City with 60% AC.

The Odo currently reads 46k. Btw I am facing a few niggles with the car. First thing is that when I start it the it idles at 2000rpm and after a few minutes it comes down and at times there is some missing in 1st & 2nd gears. I took it to a Mechanic in Bamboo Bazaar and he told me that it is due to an issue with one of the injectors and he said that it needs to be replaced.

I also had an issue with the starter were it conked off couple of months back. The mech replaced it and he also said that he replaced the Shock absorber at the back and also put some spacer because the underbelly used to scrape most of the humps. Since I bought it used it did not have a spare wheel, and the mech gave me one with a worn out Tyre and the total bill came up to 8k. After couple of weeks the starter issue resurfaced and when I took it back to the mech he said that the starter conked off again due to faulty wiring and he had to change the starter and the whole wiring and the total bill came up to 9k.

I have lost trust in the mechanic since there is some damage to the car after the second repair, there is a patch on the body above the left wheel. The mech claims that a Garbage truck brushed it and hence the damage, the car was at the garage for close to 2 weeks since I was out of town and could not pick it up. I guess there was a dent and he has probably cleared it since it is not visible anymore, he has asked me to drop the car back for a day so that he will repaint it and it get it ready and I am yet to drop it off there due to lack of time.

Can you suggest me any trustworthy and knowledgeable Ford mechanic in Bangalore?

WhiteKnight · 29th July 2009, 11:05

That is straight from the heart!!!

Kinetic to Ikon? Yeah I could relate to that as I also had Kinetic long time back. I always wanted a car, and was saving for it from day 1. Kinetic was the cheapest movable 2 wheeler.

I have noticed that Ikons give out more rasping exhaust note as they age. Same there?

sanju.sreekumar · 29th July 2009, 11:47

Some snaps of my car. More to follow.

Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi - The 8055 (BOSS) 70000km ownership report-dsc00524.jpg

Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi - The 8055 (BOSS) 70000km ownership report-picture20053.jpg

Quote:

Were you able to claim insurance for the 97k bill due to flood? If now, how much did Cauvery Ford reduce as the mistake was from their end?

Yes, after some initial disapprovals from the Insurance company and some phone calls higher up the management chain at Cauvery Ford, i was able to claim more insurance than what was promised before.

Quote:

I have noticed that Ikons give out more rasping exhaust note as they age. Same there?

Forgot to mention that i changed my muffler end can to the one made by Raj. The exhaust note has not changed must since then.

Also changed the front bumper to the nxt ones.

brraj · 29th July 2009, 12:24

Ford ikon 1.6 just needs these mods to rock
K&N conical filter.
RD ecu.
195/60/14 advan neovas.

sanju.sreekumar · 29th July 2009, 13:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by brraj

Ford ikon 1.6 just needs these mods to rock
K&N conical filter.
RD ecu.
195/60/14 advan neovas.

K&N conical filter >> May be! Will think of it.
RD ecu > Explanation please? I did not understand 'RD'
195/60/14 advan neovas >> No plans for tyre upgrade now. My current ones are just a year old.

benbsb29 · 29th July 2009, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanju.sreekumar

RD ecu > Explanation please? I did not understand 'RD'

'RD' as in Race Dynamics.

NevGin · 29th July 2009, 13:38

An absolute a brilliant drive. I went the Ikon route the same way. When it was launched, thought it was overly ugly. Then there was a time when we sold our Tata Estate (God bless whoever bought that car) and were carless for a few months. Probably the first time in years that we did not have a single car. The came a used car show at Juhu where we happened to spot this 1.6Clxi. Car was originally used by Dev Anand apparently. Had one of those whole numbers on the plate. Used that car for about 2 years and were so pleased with it that once again bought a 1.6Nxt. Amazing power, road manners, lovely dynamics. My top speed 165 Kmph on the Mumbai Pune Expressway with 3 others in the car. We used to drive Mumbai to Lonavala very often and always recall a steady 120 to 130 the entire length of the expressway. Had MRFs on them. Very noisy at high speeds. Cabin noise is a common lament in the Ikon. Such a stiff suspension but what amazing road manners. Apart from changing the right wheel bearing once, I don't recall a single problem.
Happy driving!

sanju.sreekumar · 30th July 2009, 12:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

Sanju - Nice review there. +1 to you, the Ford Ikon is a beautiful Car to drive, I love the handling and steering feel, it is just amazing.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

Btw I am facing a few niggles with the car. First thing is that when I start it the it idles at 2000rpm and after a few minutes it comes down and at times there is some missing in 1st & 2nd gears. I took it to a Mechanic in Bamboo Bazaar and he told me that it is due to an issue with one of the injectors and he said that it needs to be replaced.

Amazingly, i too have the same issue with the car for around a year now, but learnt to live with it. It doesnt idle at 2000rpm for me but somewhere around 1200rpm. I am not too confident taking the car to A.S.S but i could not find one single mechanic in Bangalore who could correctly diognose this issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lloydofcochin

Can you suggest me any trustworthy and knowledgeable Ford mechanic in Bangalore?

Did you try Lathangi Ford? I would suggest you go there once. I too am thinking of the same based on the reviews by Benny (a fellow BHPian).

petrol_head · 30th July 2009, 12:50

Nice review dude and great choice of machinery when most people turn their heads away from an ikon for so called maintenance issues. I haven't faced anything till date that would not have happened on any other car.

Congrats again on a great review and a great car

lloydofcochin · 30th July 2009, 12:57

Thank you for your reply Sanju. Will check with Lathangi.

Keep enjoying your Car and keep posting

.

Cheers
Lloyd

28th July 2009, 17:29	#1
sanju.sreekumar BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 165 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXi - The 8055 (BOSS) 70000km ownership report OK...i know i should have written this earlier. But better late than never. Below is the story of my first car. My Boss. The Ikon. As i child, i never had the passion for bikes. My dad had 1986 Bullet. But i was too young to ride that. When i was in school, we had a Mark II Ambassador. So obviously, my liking was always towards cars from a very young age. I learnt driving in that car with the help of my dad. Dad used to say, "you learn in an Ambassador, u can can drive any car in the world". He was not lying! I grew up, got my head into the IT industry and ended up in Bangalore. Used my Kinetic Honda for the initial 1 year till it was stolen. It ended as a blessing in disguise. I desperately needed a vehicle and it was not going to be a two-wheeler. Also, i wanted to buy my own car with my money. I dont know what attracted me to the Ikon but i wanted one even though i havent driven one before. I also did not have many friends who had an Ikon. But something was there in my mind that had me hell bound buying that car. I obviously could not afford a new one as i was only a year into my job. So second hand car it was. I got my car from a second hand dealer in Bangalore. Cost me around 3 lacs when i bought it (in Nov 06). The car originally was a 2002, Aug model 1.6 ZXi. I fell in love with it the moment i saw the car. Odo was 43k. Condition of the car when i bought it: * Small scratch on the bonnet but negligible. * Small dent on either side of the bonnet (amazingly discovered another one almost symmetrical on the other side on the bonnet). Again negligible. * Tyre were in pretty good condition. My guess was it was the second set on the car. * Awesome seat covers from Gsport. One of the reasons that made me fall in love. * Ford cassette player. One that was replaced in a month with a more advanced ICE setup. Under the hood, everything looked normal. Got it checked by a mechanic who gave me a thumbs up. Amazing power and pickup and handling. Much better than the Zen my dad then owned. * FE was less. The dealer said i might be lucky if i get 9kmpl. No issues in the first initial months. There was a slight trouble when the coolant used to leak and the temp used to go up. Got that sorted out within a day. My first long trip on the car was to Cochin. Amazing drive. I was accompanied by my close friend who was in an Esteem. Touched speeds of 130kmph on the Thoppur -Mettur road twice. As soon as a long stretch came, i could see the size of the esteem in my rear view mirror getting smaller and smaller. Did a further 3 trips to cochin in the first six months. No major problems encountered. Tires were wearing out normally without major wear and tear. Mileage was as expected. 8.5 with A/C in city. I somehow managed 14kmpl on my drives to cochin with A/C on 80% of the time. First signs of trouble On a trip to Nilambur to visit a friend for Easter, 07, i hit a road hump at around 80kmph. This was an unscientifically built road hump on the Bangalore - Mysore highway at Maddur. The impact was too hard. The engine mounts on the right side broke and it fell off bringing down the driveshaft along with it. Had to tow the car back to Cauvery Ford after waiting for 3 hours. Most horrible experience till date with my car! Got everything replaced and repaired (so i thought) for a bill under 25k. Multiple problems have creeped up since this day. Some not related to the above incident. (Like the one when was car was flooded in 4 feet of water and the stupid mechanics from Ford started the engine that forced all the mud from the Fuel pump to the engine - One 97k bill and a 4 month recuperation at Cauvery Ford ) Once i got the car back, small but irritating issues are giving me sleepless nights. Power steering fluid leaks everynow and then. Fan belt used to come off at speeds over 70kmph on the highway leaving me stranded. Had to replace power steering assembly, twice. Also had to chance the Fan belt assembly. But the biggest thing is, i still loved my car and the way it drove. The handling was still amazing. The ICE was awesome and the feeling i got when i drove it to office was unforgettable. Many friends suggested i sell my Ikon. They said it was a lemon. I did not want to accept whatever they said and still stuck to it. Did the necessary repairs whenever it required one. What the heck..i even bought it a new pair of shoes (read tyres and alloys) when my dad was forcing me to sell it! Now after almost 3 years of owning my first car, i love it much more than anything else. Yes, there are still minor issues that bother me now and then but i deal with it coz i would never think of selling it. Current ODO: 71K Current Tyres: BF Goodrich 185/60/14 Current Alloys: League Engine Condition: Good Problems faced today: Idling prob - engine gets switched off in between downing gears. Check out my garage here >> Ford Ikon 1.6 ZXI 2002 - sanju.sreekumar's Photo Gallery - Team-BHP Thread on my car >> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...fications.html Every car has a heart and mind of its own. My BOSS too has one and i simply love it!
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 10:29	#2
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,218 Times View My Garage	Sanju, rather than just the link to your garage it would be better if you uploaded some snaps to this thread. Whats the FE figures like these days?
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 10:38	#3
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 807 Times View My Garage	Sanju, glad to know that you are enjoying the car. Were you able to claim insurance for the 97k bill due to flood? If now, how much did Cauvery Ford reduce as the mistake was from their end?
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 10:56	#5
musicmanaman BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: kolkata Posts: 927 Thanked: 25 Times	The Ikon 1.6 is a lovely machine to drive, and I'm glad you are very attached to the car, at the end of the day that matters the most. The mileage you are getting is also quite good for the Ikon.
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 11:02	#6
lloydofcochin BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 437 Thanked: 183 Times	Sanju - Nice review there. +1 to you, the Ford Ikon is a beautiful Car to drive, I love the handling and steering feel, it is just amazing. I too own an Ikon 1.6, 2003 model. I picked it up used for 1.4 lacs. I have not checked the FE, but I guess I am getting around 10-11 in the City with 60% AC. The Odo currently reads 46k. Btw I am facing a few niggles with the car. First thing is that when I start it the it idles at 2000rpm and after a few minutes it comes down and at times there is some missing in 1st & 2nd gears. I took it to a Mechanic in Bamboo Bazaar and he told me that it is due to an issue with one of the injectors and he said that it needs to be replaced. I also had an issue with the starter were it conked off couple of months back. The mech replaced it and he also said that he replaced the Shock absorber at the back and also put some spacer because the underbelly used to scrape most of the humps. Since I bought it used it did not have a spare wheel, and the mech gave me one with a worn out Tyre and the total bill came up to 8k. After couple of weeks the starter issue resurfaced and when I took it back to the mech he said that the starter conked off again due to faulty wiring and he had to change the starter and the whole wiring and the total bill came up to 9k. I have lost trust in the mechanic since there is some damage to the car after the second repair, there is a patch on the body above the left wheel. The mech claims that a Garbage truck brushed it and hence the damage, the car was at the garage for close to 2 weeks since I was out of town and could not pick it up. I guess there was a dent and he has probably cleared it since it is not visible anymore, he has asked me to drop the car back for a day so that he will repaint it and it get it ready and I am yet to drop it off there due to lack of time. Can you suggest me any trustworthy and knowledgeable Ford mechanic in Bangalore?
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 11:05	#7
WhiteKnight BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 998 Thanked: 662 Times View My Garage	That is straight from the heart!!! Kinetic to Ikon? Yeah I could relate to that as I also had Kinetic long time back. I always wanted a car, and was saving for it from day 1. Kinetic was the cheapest movable 2 wheeler. I have noticed that Ikons give out more rasping exhaust note as they age. Same there?
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 12:24	#9
brraj BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 913 Thanked: 1,282 Times	Ford ikon 1.6 just needs these mods to rock K&N conical filter. RD ecu. 195/60/14 advan neovas.
	() Thanks

29th July 2009, 13:38	#12
NevGin BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 503 Thanked: 437 Times	An absolute a brilliant drive. I went the Ikon route the same way. When it was launched, thought it was overly ugly. Then there was a time when we sold our Tata Estate (God bless whoever bought that car) and were carless for a few months. Probably the first time in years that we did not have a single car. The came a used car show at Juhu where we happened to spot this 1.6Clxi. Car was originally used by Dev Anand apparently. Had one of those whole numbers on the plate. Used that car for about 2 years and were so pleased with it that once again bought a 1.6Nxt. Amazing power, road manners, lovely dynamics. My top speed 165 Kmph on the Mumbai Pune Expressway with 3 others in the car. We used to drive Mumbai to Lonavala very often and always recall a steady 120 to 130 the entire length of the expressway. Had MRFs on them. Very noisy at high speeds. Cabin noise is a common lament in the Ikon. Such a stiff suspension but what amazing road manners. Apart from changing the right wheel bearing once, I don't recall a single problem. Happy driving!
	() Thanks

30th July 2009, 12:50	#14
petrol_head BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Madras Posts: 234 Thanked: 60 Times	Nice review dude and great choice of machinery when most people turn their heads away from an ikon for so called maintenance issues. I haven't faced anything till date that would not have happened on any other car. Congrats again on a great review and a great car
	() Thanks

30th July 2009, 12:57	#15
lloydofcochin BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 437 Thanked: 183 Times	Thank you for your reply Sanju. Will check with Lathangi. Keep enjoying your Car and keep posting . Cheers Lloyd
	() Thanks