[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Thanks Dev. Painting over will definitely (me think) not give the finish currently present.

Got reminded of the mess I did on the front bumper when I used that Com-paint to take care of paint chipping.

Monogram - true; Trichy has some really bad hard water. Are you referring to Colin window cleaner? If so, let me try, else, replace.

Com Paint will certainly not give you that finish. A proffessional painter may, but it is not worth the risk and the cost involved.

Yes yes, Colin. Also, you can try new gen cleaners like Mr. Muscle and stuff. I will certainly work.

Slightly OT: Since you own a Montero/Pajero, how would you compare the Montero vis-a-vis the Safari on the following:

1. Ride quality on broken roads though I know there are no broken roads in Dubai/UAE.

2. The front and middle row seats in terms of support, especially under thigh and floor height.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

...
how would you compare the Montero vis-a-vis the Safari on the following:

1. Ride quality on broken roads though I know there are no broken roads in Dubai/UAE.

2. The front and middle row seats in terms of support, especially under thigh and floor height.

1. Have driven through ~40kms of corrugated roads within the Liwa desert during a desert outing and other no-road areas. So maybe a rough comparison can be given.
Both vehicles handle bad roads well. But I feel the difference is now they both get affected after the bad road. As said above, during the drive, the entire dash of the Montero can be seen vibrating violently. 18 months and 40,000kms later, do not have any squeaking or part falling down. Not sure if the Safari would have been the same.

2. Seating comfort: the family had given the verdict on our first visit back home - Safari middle seat is more comfortable.
As for the driver, Montero has a practical arm rest on the center console. This can also be extended for better support. In the Safari, using the arm rest is not as comfortable.
As a passenger, the Safari does have more space. The Montero comes with a fire extinguisher placed on the passenger foot area and also the leg space is lesser than the Safari.

Boot space I reckon are more or less the same in both. Seats flip forward in both of them to make more space.

Third row is a usable (and very comfortable for kids and small adults) in the Montero and flips the floor when not in use. We all know how the Safari third row is, though it does not interfere with the boot usable space.

[HappyWheels]

The Safari has crossed 70,000 kms. 5 years old as of factory PDI inspection date, today.

Have covered close to 2,000 kms over the last two weeks with the family, over good roads, bad road, horrible roads, sunshine and heavy rainfalls - the vehicle never missed a beat - always a comfortable and non tiresome drive. Two of the longest trips were of 10 hours each, non stop. One was over some great toll roads and the second was over bad traffic and ghat section.

Few photos of the trip:











Service
Had done the 70,000 kms service at Chennai. Of the things that were done, and shouldn't have been done, was the change of the tie rods and link rods. A fog lamp was replaced after it had cracked. And also the left RVM glass. Cost a whopping 31,000 INR! This was after few parts were covered under an AMC contract that my brother had procured.

Bill attached below:









They have over filled the engine oil. The engine sound has now gone from a smooth roar to a rough sound. And also, there is black smoke on heavy acceleration on 1st and 2nd gear.

Both the head lamps now have mist inside them after being under heavy showers.

Issue
The vehicle also faced an a/c issue. The gas was topped up during service. Two days later, noticed that the compressor was not switching on. Took it to AirCon at Trichy, a specialist in air conditioners. Compressor has a leak which was replaced with a new unit.

The ac lines were completely checked, including removing the dash, just to make sure no other issues are there. Thankfully, none.

Cost came out to INR 11,000.

Tires

Am still running on the Michelin tires that were changed on day 1. They still have some life in them, but grip on dirt has taken a beating. The temple visit was through a village / non existent road, with the last mile being on grass / mud combo. Got dug in at one spot and the exit, which involves a steep climb over some rain washed stones, cause wheel spin. Had to reverse and take it at a slightly higher speed.

Looking at going in for Michelin itself, if available.

Aging

The vehicle, touch wood, does not have the usual TATA squeaks and rattles, even after the refitting of the dash board.

The power windows motors are slowing down and am sure one fine day they will stop, in the near future.

The wipers pass through a "hic-up" spot when they are in low speed.

The steering covers has worn out in the most used area. Need to get it covered.

The remote coverage is pathetic; literally have to stand right besides the vehicle front for it to work!!!

Battery

Might be pushing my luck, but am still running on the OEM battery. Still starts on half crank. Hope it gives fair warning before giving up. In comparison, even the Pajero's battery was replaced on the 3rd year after it showed signs of weakness.

Insurance

Was always with BA and have continued this year as well with them. Premium came to INR 11,000 with IDV of INR 5.1 laks. With no claims, had 50% discount. Not sure if I would have got a better deal if I had shopped around.

Head lights

Had upgraded to higher watts lights at the time of purchase. Still running on the same setup. The heat seems to have taken its toll on the casing, there are signs of small cracks on them now. Might end up changing both of them in the near future.

Summary :

Though I end up using the vehicle only for the few weeks in a year, when back in India, I truly enjoy driving the vehicle here. The clutch does cause some discomfort, after being used to driving an auto gear for most of the year.

The space is a blessing for the family and more so the middle seat comfort.

Boot space - major blessing. This time it was 6 large checked in luggage's that occupied the boot! Not sure what I will do with the girls growing up!

The size of the vehicle does play a major part in keeping the traffic in check when on the highway. I still drive with the fog lamps on when on the highway; had plans of putting in a DRL, but dropped that.

Had had thoughts of selling it off while looking at the financials, but after each drive, it seems like a stupid thought! Lets see how far this goes on.

[Rudra Sen]

Mod note: Thread moved to Long-Term Ownership Reviews.

[HappyWheels]

Currently ODO standing at 74,500 kms. Here for 5 days and got few things done, and also planning to.

1. Boot doors scrapping the body lead to the paint wearing off, leading to rust being formed. Sand papered it down and painted it myself. Not the perfect finish, but, serves the purpose.

2. Post the a/c work last time around, few cases of leaves being blown in from the a/c vent was noticed. Suspected the workshop guys to have fiddled with the previously shut air vent. Had time and decided to not only close the vent but also clean up the area.

This is what the activity was:

Removed the front cover; 5 screws and two wipers later, the end result:
(yes, tried to fix the lamp also; switch is faulty; not yet fixed).


Cleaned up the whole area. Vacuumed cleaned, hosed down and scrubbed where possible. Finally, blow dried.


Noticed there are infact two vents for fresh air; the second one being behind the wiper unit. Can't do much about it. For reference:


Did not like the way the wiring was laid, so bolted it a slightly above the floor.


The end result; all taped up.


All fixed back into position.


3. The ABS light came back for an extended visit! Knew that it was one of the front ABS sensor playing havoc. This was there from day one and most recently, had one of the sensors replaced at a TASS. WD40 did the job. Sensor back online and working (tested).

4. With just ~5,000 kms from the last service, noticed that engine oil was at the minimum level. Not sure if TASS messed up during the last service or if there is an oil leak. Did not notice any oil marks at the vehicles usual parking spot. Plan to buy engine oil and top it up, as of now. Might take it to a TASS at Palakkad on 22nd to change the filter and refill.

Tires are getting due for a replacement.

Apart from that, still runs great and pulls like a loco! And, OEM battery still holding out strong, touch wood.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

...two vents for fresh air; the second one being behind the wiper unit. Can't do much about it...
...noticed that engine oil was at the minimum level. Not sure if TASS messed up...OEM battery still holding out strong...

I was able to remove the wiper unit and blocked this vent too. It did extend my DIY session and bit clumsy too to tend and refix all together.

I think, Engine oil level should be checked after warming up for few minutes and then shut the engine. Wait for few minutes and check again. It is better to err on the 'under filling" than "over filling" it.

My OEM Amaron too holding up fine for ~6 years. Hope it survives at least another ~4K kms upcoming trip.

Cheers,
-BJ

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by bj96

...I think, Engine oil level should be checked after warming up for few minutes and then shut the engine. Wait for few minutes and check again. It is better to err on the 'under filling" than "over filling" it...

Went to a TASS, Vijay Motors, at Palakkad and got the oil and filter changed.

Should have been a 30 minutes job, but took 2 hours; the previous service center seems to have over tightened the oil filter and it took close to 1.5 hours to remove the filter. Had to remove the left wheel for ease of access.



Really hate the way the oil filter is placed and how difficult it is to replace them.

Have bought a 1 liter can of oil and kept in vehicle for backup purpose.

[HappyWheels]

The odometer currently stands at 80,000.

Faced quite a few issues with the Safari this time. Not sure if this was due to it not being used at all over the last 4 months.

With a marriage in the family, it wasn't a pleasant experience. But, fortunately, the team at Vijay Motoros, Palakkad, did a great job and got the vehicle back in action on time.

The first issue that came up was a faulty water pump. Vehicle was being driven to Palakkad, from Trichy, and smoke started coming into the cabin from near the steering column. Driver stopped the vehicle for 5 minutes and found nothing burnt or damaged on visual inspection in the engine bay. The smoke came only when the a/c was switched on.

On reaching Palakkad, regardless of it being a Sunday, two technicians were sent by Vijay Motors for an inspection. The issue never came up during their test drives! Regardless, they said their suspicion lies with the water pump.

The vehicle was driven back to Trichy and the water pump and timing belt was changed. The odometer stood at 75,000 kms. Cost came to around 13,000 INR, with discount thrown in for the monsoon camp that ran during the start of August.

The work was done at VST motors, Trichy.

The billing had INR 1,000 marked for ECU diagnostics. When asked the SA what this was, he mentioned it was for checking the ECU with their laptop!!!

Went back to them since the ABS light was on. They took one whole day and weren't able to resolve it. In fact, the error code which was there only for right front wheels, now was present for the left front wheel as well. This and a WHOLE lot of grease on the panels were the take away that day.

I had noticed a change in the engine idling sound when I started up the vehicle the first time after arrival. And smoke. Lots of it all across the gears and acceleration. Previously smoke used to come only under heavy acceleration. Poured in a can of System D.

Few days later, started off to Palakkad and even before I hit the outskirts of the city, the service light came up. Used TorquePro and the OBD scanner to clear the code and completed the drive.

Error code went from this:


to this:


Noticed that the error code came up only when I hit speeds of 70 kmph. Told the team at Vijay Motors to first clean the EGR and check.

Took 4 hours to get it done and they called back saying it is all fixed. No more errors.

Fortunately, I was able to catch them doing a final test drive on the way to collect the vehicle. Got into the driver seat and the first thing I noticed was that the pickup seems to be better. But smoke was still present as before. And on hitting 80 kmph, got back the service light. It was so bad that the vehicle was not able to climb up a small ramp while trying to make a u-turn. Fortunately, was carrying the OBD scanner, so ended up clearing the code and drove back to the service center.

The error code now was:


On getting back, the SA got hold of the lead technical supervisor and told him of the issue we faced. Gave the error code to him and off he ran to check his manual. The supervisor came back with a request to leave the vehicle for a day so that they can check the turbo system thoroughly. Date and time was agreed. Paid INR 700 for EGR cleaning and drove back home.

Left the vehicle back with them at 9am on 21st. Got a call at 1pm saying that there is oil in a sensor connected to the turbo and they suspect the turbo itself. Not a pleasant news!

I had searched the forum for any leads and came across a post here about a new 2.2 that faced similar issue - service light on reaching around 90 kmph. The issue was traced to a faulty cracked plumbing hose. Asked the SA to check the plumbing before touching the turbo.

Now, with all the mumbo - jumbo that I did with the OBD scanner and TorquePro, they had realized that I wasn't the regular vehicle owner, due to which they took this suggestion seriously.

4pm got a call that it was in fact a hose that had a leak. This hose not only feeds the turbo but also the brake booster. Had had a case of brakes going hard without any action couple of days back. All due to this leak.

The cause of all problems:


Went for a test drive at 5pm, hit high speeds and never got the service light. The vehicle pick up was back to normal. Wheel spin in first gear. No excess smoke. Brakes were working normally.

Had asked for the the part to be replaced, but they had none in stock. So they did the next best thing, sealed, with m-seal, I reckon.

They kept the vehicle over night to do another test drive the next day morning to make sure the jugaard is working. It worked.

Got delivery on 22nd morning at 10am. Cost was INR 1,260.

They also identified the issue with the ABS, namely, a wire cut in the sensor. Not in stock, so had to leave it as is.

Drove close to 1,000 kms between 22nd to 29th August and the issues never re-surfaced.

Need to thank Dheeraj, Service Advisor and Akhil, technical supervisor, at Vijay Motors for their support and getting the work done on such short notice. There were two long consecutive weekends during the said time and there was quite a backlog.

Doesn't end here.

Returned home and parked the car. An hour later, had to ferry few relative. Insert key and dashboard lights all start flashing!!!

Turned out to be a dead battery, could hear boiling sound from within the battery. Died after 6 years and 1 month of service in the vehicle; this was the battery that came with the vehicle.

Got Amaron 80 amps at INR 4,800 (got INR 1,200 as cash back for the old battery) from the local Amaron dealer.

The next part that will need attention are the tires. Will most probably be going back in for Michelin's.

Post fixing the issues above, the vehicle ran like a dream. All drives had at least 8 people in the vehicle, and in some instances, 6 adults + 5 kids in the boot! Don't ask me how they sat in there, as I gave up trying to convince them otherwise. But the continuous chatter and the flashing camera's seemed like they had fun back there.

[bj96]

Thanks for sharing the tech details and symptoms. Useful tips.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

...Turned out to be a dead battery, could hear boiling sound from within the battery. Died after 6 years and 1 month of service in the vehicle; this was the battery that came with the vehicle....

My Amaron is also 6.6 years old (came from showroom) and cranking seems to be OK. I checked the voltage across terminal using multimeter and it showed ~12.7v. My safari sits idle for weeks together and only does highway duty. I have a few long trips coming up in September. Should I change the battery proactively? I do carry a jumper cable (made DIY) in the boot.

tia.
-BJ

[anshuman77]

Originally Posted by bj96

Thanks for sharing the tech details and symptoms. Useful tips.



My Amaron is also 6.6 years old (came from showroom) and cranking seems to be OK. I checked the voltage across terminal using multimeter and it showed ~12.7v. My safari sits idle for weeks together and only does highway duty. I have a few long trips coming up in September. Should I change the battery proactively? I do carry a jumper cable (made DIY) in the boot.

tia.
-BJ

I think you might be ok, My battery ( also amaron whihc came with the beast) gave up after six years, but for 2-3 weeks before it finally gave out, the cranking time got noticeably longer
So I am sure you'll get some warnings

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by bj96

...My Amaron is also 6.6 years old (came from showroom) and cranking seems to be OK. I checked the voltage across terminal using multimeter and it showed ~12.7v. My safari sits idle for weeks together and only does highway duty. I have a few long trips coming up in September. Should I change the battery proactively? I do carry a jumper cable (made DIY) in the boot...

Please get your battery checked from a battery dealer. But, with long trips, I would recommend the proactive approach.

Originally Posted by anshuman77

I think you might be ok, My battery ( also amaron whihc came with the beast) gave up after six years, but for 2-3 weeks before it finally gave out, the cranking time got noticeably longer
So I am sure you'll get some warnings

Strangely, I got no warning! Vehicle used to start at first crank till it went into sudden-death mode. As per the electrician who came to check, seems like the plates were hanging onto their last thread, literally!

[condor]

Keep going !

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Battery
Might be pushing my luck, but am still running on the OEM battery. Still starts on half crank.

OEM batteries have lasted for many, esp when used regularly. The OE battery on my Sumo was a Standard Furukawa - and lasted for 5+ years. But before the replacement happened, I had left the Sumo un-used / not even started for a few instances, for 3-5 weeks at a stretch. After these few instances of gaps in usage (and hence charge drops), the battery finally began to get weak.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by condor

...After these few instances of gaps in usage (and hence charge drops), the battery finally began to get weak.

I believe this is where the issue lies. If the vehicle is used regularly, the battery remains healthy else it reached point of failure. And this is more pronounced as it ages.

[HappyWheels]

So, after getting close to 80,000 kms of running, went in for a change in the tyres. It was cutting it too close as the tyres not only have crossed 6 years of service, but also few cracks started developing.

With the good experience with the Michelin's, decided to go in for the same make and model.

Prices were being quote at INR 8,100, with the lowest being INR 7,600, at Trichy and Chennai.

Fortunately had a member in the family working for Michelin and was able to get a good discount, which end with each tyre costing INR 6,100. Sweet!

[cool_dube]

Good to see your beast still going strong! A couple of tips, for the benefit of others:

a) Do not push your luck on the OEM battery beyond 5 years, especially if you use the beast for outstation drives. I changed mine at 5.5 years, despite it showing no signs of giving up at all. But there have been instances of sudden death, as experienced by you. Per experts, do not think twice about changing your battery after 5 years of usage.

b) Timing kit should be changed after 5 years, even if there are no perceptible issues. A stitch in time saves nine! I changed mine after 6 years of ownership last month, again, without any noticeable warning signs.

Next for me is footware. Still running on the OEM B'stones.