[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Manuuj,noticed that you have not used your spare tire at all. What is the reason? Is the spare wheel not an alloy? If you had used your spare wheel also during rotation then i am sure your overall tire life would have increased by another 20K thereby lasting till 90K.
And 65K for a paid service for the Range rover?!! Why so costly? Can you give a brief breakup of the costs?
And how much does your bently cost for a paid service?

Hi Sagar, The spare hasn't been used as there was never any occasion where i was stranded and needed to take out the spare from under the vehicle and use it.

Tubeless tyres don't lose air rapidly even in the event of a puncture so it was always more convenient to top up the air and have the tyre repaired when the opportunity arose.

I am glad i did not use the spare at all. I will now have to buy only 3 tyres in place of 4 thereby saving 12 K to 15 K. One of the outgoing tyres can do duty as a spare.

Range Rover service cost is high as parts are expensive due to duty structure and so is labor for the highly skilled jobs.

The Bentley has not needed a service since it was bought in October 2011. It will be due for its service in October i guess.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Hi Sagar, The spare hasn't been used as there was never any occasion where i was stranded and needed to take out the spare from under the vehicle and use it.

Tubeless tyres don't lose air rapidly even in the event of a puncture so it was always more convenient to top up the air and have the tyre repaired when the opportunity arose.

I am glad i did not use the spare at all. I will now have to buy only 3 tyres in place of 4 thereby saving 12 K to 15 K. One of the outgoing tyres can do duty as a spare.

Range Rover service cost is high as parts are expensive due to duty structure and so is labor for the highly skilled jobs.

The Bentley has not needed a service since it was bought in October 2011. It will be due for its service in October i guess.

I assume you have got only four wheel rotation instead of five wheel right?
Its always better to wear out all 5 tyres evenly because the rubber becomes hard after usage and even though it is full of tread, the grip would have nose dived.

[nilanjanray]

Here is what I am thinking of:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2854914

Would that time work for you to join me for a few days?

[Manuuj]

The Fortuner had last been on a service at 60,464 kms on the clock on the 13th of July 2012. A hectic travel and work schedule saw it crossing the 65,000 kms mark on the 27th of August a little over a month later.

It was booked for service for the 28th of August 2012 at 11:30 AM with 65666 kms on the clock.


The service was carried out as per Standard Operating Procedure which i am sure we are all familiar with now at a cost of Rs 950/- that included cost of balancing 2 front tyres.

The brakes were inspected and it was concluded that the brake pads are good for another 5000 kms and did not need to be replaced. The tyres are on their last legs though and will need replacing in the next 5000 kms. I intend to buy 3 tyres as the spare is almost unused and use the best of these outgoing 4 as a spare.

At the showroom during the service i came across this beauty also..the all new Toyota Camry







Also spotted on the roads was Mini Cooper S


As i said earlier the Fortuner saw lots of action in the past 45 days dashing around North India with me on business visits.

One recent one was a mad dash to Gwalior and back to Delhi the same day via the recently inaugurated Yamuna Expressway. It was here that the Fortuner crossed the 65,000 kms mark.

The Expressway really is marvelous. I made it from my house in Central Delhi to The end of the Expressway at Agra in 2 hours and 5 minutes! This journey usually takes 4.5 hours to complete from the regular NH2 route via Faridabad and Palwal mess.

A few pics of the days drive.

Entering the beautiful Yamuna Expressway..


Buddh International Circuit in the distance

Expressway Sunrise

Clear Sailing ahead

Rain washed Expressway

Even the Fortuner seems to be smiling at the Rainbow

A fleeting glimpse of the Taj

Volvos Indian Cousin ..Volov

We took a side village road to avoid entering Gwalior City to get to Malanpur Industrial Area and saw this beautiful brook and other nice vistas..

Malanpur Industrial Area will be good for the next OTR Meet

The road from Malanpur to Rithora was broken for a short distance. This is a side village road and was taken to avoid entering Gwalior City.

A breached 'bandh' caused water to wash away some part of the road.

On the way back this brook had guests..


On the whole it has been a good 45 days with lots of driving to remote areas and vising clients. The Fortuner remains an eager and reliable partner in my travels and makes sure i am home safely and comfortably

[nilanjanray]

The rainbow photo is really nice.

The pics of the broken roads/washed away roads reminded me of the trip that I had done around 15 Aug in the areas around Kabini. I think my roads were a wee bit worse :-)

Bad roads, no roads..one just goes through. That kind of peace of mind and ability to take deviations/roads less traveled - and then cruise on highways at 3 digit speeds - make the Fortuner worth it.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

The rainbow photo is really nice.

The pics of the broken roads/washed away roads reminded me of the trip that I had done around 15 Aug in the areas around Kabini. I think my roads were a wee bit worse :-)

Bad roads, no roads..one just goes through. That kind of peace of mind and ability to take deviations/roads less traveled - and then cruise on highways at 3 digit speeds - make the Fortuner worth it.

Thank you Nilanjan! Looking forward to your visit to the Great North. In one of my earlier posts i had also noted what you have stated above. The fact that a Fortuner can handle triple digit speeds for hours at end and the same day crawl over rocks in the jungle or desert sand even makes it a true allrounder. A great vehicle to have.

A busy work schedule and numerous factory visits resulted in the Fortuner covering its 5000 kms in quick time. In less than a month after its 65k service it had hit the 70,000 kms mark. Due to heavy bookings the service date allotted to me was 5 days from the day i made the booking. The Fortuner was actually due for service by 28th September itself.

The previous services were as under:

60,464 kms Service on 13th July
65,666 kms Service on 27th August
On the 4th of October the Fortuner was taken for its 70,000 kms service with the ODO showing 70,610 kms.


This was going to be an expensive one as the brake pads would also be replaced for the first time.

The Service went of smoothly with the oil change, cleaning of HVAC and Air filters, replenishment of washer fluid and importantly the prop shaft greasing done. After this the brake pads were replaced and the disc inspected as per the previous inspection as shown in my earlier posts.

The brake pads that came out of the car still had some life in them i thought..


The brakes are manufactured in Thailand and imported into India for the Fortuners.


The Manufacturers are the respected Sumitomo Corp. of Japan.


The total damages were Rs.8605/- with the brake pads accounting for Rs.4472/- (3975/- basic + 497/- tax)

It was an uneventful 5000 kms full of work related visits in the past couple of months but October promises to be more exciting with Nilanjan visiting the Great Indian North and maybe a short trip to Manali also in the offing.

[karan561]

Hi Manuuj ,

Went through your thread briefly , great to see the mile munching stories & pictures

One thing surprising is that you still running on factory given DUNLOPS & not changed or upgraded your tire even @ 65k kms ( yes i saw the previous posts where the tread life was checked etc )
But Still , doesnt your confidence drop while driving on the same setup ?

Also how is the performance of your brakes ? Not on stopping power but the feel, does any vibrations come into the steering during high speed braking ?


My Fortuner has done aproxx 24k kms, since Aug 2010 , im targeting a tyre upgrade in 35-40k kms mark

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by karan561

My Fortuner has done aproxx 24k kms, since Aug 2010 , im targeting a tyre upgrade in 35-40k kms mark

The tyres have done 40K kms in my Fortuner, no issues with them except one puncture till date. They can go on for a while - I will see how the perform in the upcoming 6000km roadtrip.

Not sure why you are wanting to replace tyres so early.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Not sure why you are wanting to replace tyres so early.

Nothing against OE Tyres & i feel they perform well too, in fact among one of the best SUV tyres as they are comfortable, grip well enough & more than decent traction OTR as well.

But, Just recently (i.e. > 20k kms) when i was driving hard on a ghat section on perfectly smooth tarmac i could hear the tyres squeaking & losing traction.

This wasnt observed/heard before.

Also note : I am running 30 psi in all 4

[dkaile]

That's some driving you do in your Fortuner Mannuj... And the upkeep costs are no surprise. Living up to it's Toyota image.

[Guderian]

[quote=Manuuj;2926438] In less than a month after its 65k service it had hit the 70,000 kms mark. QUOTE]
Hey Manuuj,
That is indeed some serious running. 5K in less than a month is something that I regularly dream about - and wake up with a start !
And what is heart warming is the fact that the tyres and brakepads have lasted for 70K KMs and the low costs of service at 70K KMs. Very nice indeed.
Congrats on touching the 70K mark...while we ordinary mortals have to remain content with adding 5K in 3/4 months.
Time to shake off the lethargy and take Admiral on a long, long drive !

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by karan561

Hi Manuuj ,

Went through your thread briefly , great to see the mile munching stories & pictures

One thing surprising is that you still running on factory given DUNLOPS & not changed or upgraded your tire even @ 65k kms ( yes i saw the previous posts where the tread life was checked etc )
But Still , doesnt your confidence drop while driving on the same setup ?

Also how is the performance of your brakes ? Not on stopping power but the feel, does any vibrations come into the steering during high speed braking ?


My Fortuner has done aproxx 24k kms, since Aug 2010 , im targeting a tyre upgrade in 35-40k kms mark

Hi Karan, The Fortuner has done close to 72,000 kms on these Original Dunlops and i am very impressed with them. They are still performing well but do need to be changed now. I shall be changing them on the 16th of November.

I have decided to buy Yokohama Geolander ATS 265/65/17 inplace of the stock Dunlops. These are made in Japan as opposed to the Dunlops available in the market which are Made in USA. I have heard and read good reviews on the Yokos.



The brake pads were changed at the 70,000 kms service and the brakes are performing very well indeed.

Originally Posted by dkaile

That's some driving you do in your Fortuner Mannuj... And the upkeep costs are no surprise. Living up to it's Toyota image.

Thanks Dkaile..yes the maintainence costs on the Fortuner are pretty low and add greatly to the Forts appeal.

[quote=Guderian;2928059]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

In less than a month after its 65k service it had hit the 70,000 kms mark. QUOTE]
Hey Manuuj,
That is indeed some serious running. 5K in less than a month is something that I regularly dream about - and wake up with a start !
And what is heart warming is the fact that the tyres and brakepads have lasted for 70K KMs and the low costs of service at 70K KMs. Very nice indeed.
Congrats on touching the 70K mark...while we ordinary mortals have to remain content with adding 5K in 3/4 months.
Time to shake off the lethargy and take Admiral on a long, long drive !

I am sure the Admiral loves to stretch its legs GD. Please dont deny it and yourself of this simple pleasure.

I just came back from an 1100 km round trip to Punjab only last night. As i mentioned earlier the Haryana and Punjab cops have set up numerous speed traps and therefore was driving sedately at around 80-90 kmph at most times on the highway. The car even had some city running and some 1st gear crawling in highway jams and back roads.

All the same the Fuel Consumption Average from the time i left home in Delhi till the time i parked back in my driveway three days later was an incredible grin inducing 14.9 kmpl. It was 15.1 till i entered Delhi but fell to 14.9 due to traffic jams and red lights.

Mighty impressed i must say.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

I have decided to buy Yokohama Geolander ATS 265/65/17 inplace of the stock Dunlops. These are made in Japan as opposed to the Dunlops available in the market which are Made in USA. I have heard and read good reviews on the Yokos.

Great choice. Did you also consider the Pirelli Scorpions and the Michelin AT tyres? During some timepass research, I was reading about all these tyres, couldn't arrive at a hypothetical decision among these 3.

Are your plans firmed up for the next two weeks? Any chance of meeting up?

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Great choice. Did you also consider the Pirelli Scorpions and the Michelin AT tyres? During some timepass research, I was reading about all these tyres, couldn't arrive at a hypothetical decision among these 3.

Are your plans firmed up for the next two weeks? Any chance of meeting up?

I had heard good reviews on the Yokos so had gone to check them out from its dealer in Khan market. He offered me 4 tyres for the price of 3 plus my almost new (but 3 year old) spare Dunlop that came with the car. As i heard that the Spare tyre could have deteriorated due to lack of use on this forum itself, i was keen to get rid of it also.

I shall be going tomorrow to have the tyres fitted.

I have the dates in which you are in the Corbett area. I shall be in touch with you on the phone to meet up on one of those days. Have a safe trip up.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

I have decided to buy Yokohama Geolander ATS 265/65/17 inplace of the stock Dunlops. These are made in Japan as opposed to the Dunlops available in the market which are Made in USA. I have heard and read good reviews on the Yokos.

Those Yokohamas are a good pick

Also what are your thoughts about an upsize ? Do inquire about the same before fitment.