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Old 25th July 2012, 10:57   #166
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by sagarpadaki View Post
Thanks, I recently purchased a full steel valve for my bike during tyre change and I paid 100 bucks. Will ask the price of this kind of car valve next time I go for balancing.
Valves with steel body are no doubt costlier. Once I was ripped by a local tyre fellow, he removed the 3 punctures in my tyre & deliberately damaged my good valve. He then offered me a steel valve & charged me (hold your breath), Rs 450/- for that one steel valve (the plastic valve was offered at Rs 200/-). It was then that I decided never to visit a tyre shop again in my life for fixing punctures & since then I have fixed all the punctures at home (DIY with the tubeless tyre puncture repair kit). Next time I won't visit them even for valve replacement.

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Originally Posted by Amazing View Post
I had a problem of overcharging in my Indica DLX ( 41k , 4.5 years) , and 2 sets ( 4 nos ) of headlamp bulbs blew in last 6 months. I have observed headlamp brightness increase sometimes momenmtarily while driving , along with increase in rpm many times by almost 150-200 in one burst.
We are on the same page. I had faced exactly the same problem way back in 2007, when I had two sets of headlamps fused in 2 days, rpm suddenly shooting, horn going weak etc, all symptoms of the battery being overcharged by the alternator.

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Originally Posted by Amazing View Post
Shown it to Lucas TVS chinchwad, and they diagnosed it as a alternator regulator problem, which needed change. But what shocked me is that , they said I need to overhaul the alternator once its opened and need to change a few more parts like bearing, oil seal, copper rotor etc , plus labor charge of 1000/-, totalling a overhauling cost of 3200/-.

I could not challenged them, but got all these done , took 2 hrs max waiting in the shop. THe problem seems to have gone for now. Alternato voltage is now at 14.30 steady. Is this OK ?
That is absolutely fine. Normally if any assembly is opened you have to replace the oil seals, bearings etc as they are likely to deformed while dismantling.

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Originally Posted by Amazing View Post
But what I want to know from you is that, whether the whole overhaul was needed at all ...or onlt the regulator change @800/- would have sufficed. Have thery duped me in getting a unnecessary thing done , or it was a standard practice in case alternator is opened ?

Pls let me know with your detailed expert opinion.
This is a standard practice & you have not been duped. I hope you have received 6 months warranty on the work that they have carried, if not ask them for that.

It is now almost 5 years, I had got my alternator overhaul job done from them, car has run 75,000 kms after the overhaul. It has served me well all this while, problem has never resurfaced again. I am reproducing below the complete story of my alternator overhaul.

I took the vehicle to Lucas TVS service centre at 10:30am. The mechanic there immediately started opening the alternator. Within half an hour the alternator was separated from the car. On putting the test rig, somehow it showed correct voltage. When he separated the stator from the rotor I observed the rectifier plate. I remembered the advice from Achin & checked the soldering of the diode. Four nos of these were visible & one was inside the body. On asking the mechanic if there is a possibility of a dry solder, he rejected the same. The mechanic then told that the fault could be with the voltage regulator. On asking if only the regulator can be replaced, I was told that once the alternator assembly is opened, oil seal, “O” ring & both the bearings having to be replaced. Without much of a contention I agreed for the same. The complete job was quoted for INR 2,057.00. The detailed break-up is as follows:

26215686 - Regulator -1 nos 549.00
26211637 - Oil Seal -1 nos 214.00
26211664 - SRE Bearing -1 nos 400.00
26211688 - O ring Small -1 nos 114.00
Labour 151.00
Sub-total 1,428.00
Add M-VAT - 12.50% 178.50
Alternator Removing & Refitting charges 150.00
Alternator Servicing charges 300.00
Round-off 0.50
Total 2,057.00

After 2 hours the assembly was fitted back on the vehicle. I test drove the car & noticed that the problem has disappeared. However after turning on the AC I could hear a very minute humming noise. Expressed my concern to Lucas fellow, but he denied it has anything to do with the alternator.

Drove the vehicle for almost 50kms & I did not face the earlier problem.
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Old 25th July 2012, 11:04   #167
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

Thanks AutoIndian for very quick response.

Along with all the parts you got changed, in my case, he also changed a copper rotor unit [ part cost 450, and labour for that only 500] , only thing I hope they had done a good work and really changed the parts, since the work was done inside their shop, while I was sitting outside.

Now, wrt the warranty, he just gave me a proper invoice with all details. Will the warranty be a separate paper/ card which I need to collect from him in addition to the invoice?
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Old 25th July 2012, 11:15   #168
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by Amazing View Post
Thanks AutoIndian for very quick response.
My pleasure.

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Originally Posted by Amazing View Post
Now, wrt the warranty, he just gave me a proper invoice with all details. Will the warranty be a separate paper/ card which I need to collect from him in addition to the invoice?
No there is no separate paper/ card. I just now checked my old invoice, there was no mention on that as well. If I recollect it correctly, I believe that was a verbal warranty (if I may say so). He had told me that if there are any issues with the alternator within 6 months from the overhaul, they will get them addressed without any charges. But they do a good job & in all probability you will not need to visit them again for the alternator.
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Old 15th August 2012, 06:47   #169
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@autoindian

I am amazed every time I visit this thread. You have taken great pains to log everything about your car.And you answer queries as soon as possible. This is my goto resource for preventive maintenance and solving issues if they arise.

I am giving serious thought to buy the same car you upgrade to as o can then leech off your hard work on your next car too.

P.s. my indigo is at about 90k now.
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Old 15th August 2012, 21:56   #170
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by drsingh View Post
@autoindian

I am amazed every time I visit this thread. You have taken great pains to log everything about your car.And you answer queries as soon as possible. This is my goto resource for preventive maintenance and solving issues if they arise.
This reminds me of the old adage, "No gains without pains". I love taking the pains for my car & she returns me back all the love. I try to address all the queries for which I know the answer. I am no expert but have learnt the nuances from many seniors & experts. Just try to share the same with others. If this would have been of any help to you then its purely my pleasure.

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Originally Posted by drsingh View Post
I am giving serious thought to buy the same car you upgrade to as o can then leech off your hard work on your next car too.
I would be pleased if you can do so. I don't want to discourage you, but then are all your requirements/ expectations from the new car exactly the same as mine? If not then you may run a greater risk of being dis-satisfied with your new car. Choice is yours.

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Originally Posted by drsingh View Post
P.s. my indigo is at about 90k now.
Congratulations on completing 90K on your Indigo. Wishing you many more happy (s)miles with your car.
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Old 16th August 2012, 19:29   #171
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I am guessing you want to upgrade to a sedan which is atleast as reliable and somewhat frugal as your present car. In diesel engine options of course.

I am guessing manza, etios.,sunny, dzire somewhat fit the bill

As I am planning to keep my indigo running as long as I can, my near term requirement will be a big hatch.

Only a better indica can replace an indica.
Indica was the only car of its kind when you bought it.
My current favourite is the etios liva. A better indica! Bare basic,no sophisticated gadgets, cheap maintenance, good Fe,much more reliable!

According to me people misunderstood the q class campaign! Its not about the interior finish! Its about the underlying mechanicals which have passed stringent Toyota quality standards. Its not about being built like a tank either.

Kindly excuse the offtopic comments ..
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Old 17th August 2012, 07:59   #172
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by drsingh View Post
I am guessing you want to upgrade to a sedan which is atleast as reliable and somewhat frugal as your present car. In diesel engine options of course. I am guessing manza, etios.,sunny, dzire somewhat fit the bill
Your guess would have been absolutely right around a year & a half back. I was looking only at sedans & the ones listed by you above were the top favourites (except Dezire). However when I came to know about the Duster & then the Ecosport, I got completely hooked over to these. Also waiting for the Mini Xylo & any other launches in that category (read compact SUV). In the Duster thread I have mentioned in the SUV Vs Sedan dabate, why I would go for a SUV over a sedan:
  • Do I get a higher seating position in the a sedan compared to a SUV?
  • Do I get ample ground clearance, to take the mighty humps or back breaking potholes with aplomb?
  • Do I get big, fat, chunky tyres & wheels to take any road or go where virtually no road exists?
  • Can my family of five with their holiday luggage travel for hundreds of kms in a day comfortably & feel refreshed at the end of the day?
  • Can my aging parents enter & exit the car multiple times in a day without breaking their back?
Since the answer for all of the above questions is a big "NO", I won't go for a sedan. Duster or a similarly priced/sized SUV comes as a boon for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by drsingh View Post
Indica was the only car of its kind when you bought it. My current favorite is the etios liva. A better indica! Bare basic,no sophisticated gadgets, cheap maintenance, good Fe,much more reliable! According to me people misunderstood the q class campaign! Its not about the interior finish! Its about the underlying mechanicals which have passed stringent Toyota quality standards. Its not about being built like a tank either.
When I bought the Indica there were hardly any options in the spacious hatchback category. Etios twins are no doubt good on mechanicals & coming from Toyota stable you hardly doubt the reliability (as compared to other Indian manufacturers). However Toyota went too far with the Q class. Centrally mounted speedo/odo console, single wiper, less than desirable sound damping etc. These are a big turn off for at least me.
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Old 17th August 2012, 08:42   #173
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by AutoIndian View Post
Can my aging parents enter & exit the car multiple times in a day without breaking their back?
I am also considering all these points in making a decision of buying an MUV/SUV. Only issue i have with MUV/SUV is that one has to climb up to get in which i believe would be a problem for aging parents with weak knees.
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Old 17th August 2012, 09:12   #174
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by amitwlele View Post
I am also considering all these points in making a decision of buying an MUV/SUV. Only issue i have with MUV/SUV is that one has to climb up to get in which i believe would be a problem for aging parents with weak knees.
Hi Amit, I understand your concern, however this could be a problem if you opt for a tall MUV/SUV like the Innova, Xylo, Scorpio or the Safari. The new breed of SUVs/MUVs are not that tall. The height of Duster, Ecosport, Ertiga etc would fall in between the sedans & these MUVs/SUVs. Anyways the proof of the pudding lies in eating it. Hence before we make the final decision, we should accompany our whole family (parents included) for the TD & check with them their comfort level. Once they certify only then we should opt for that vehicle.
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Old 19th August 2012, 23:04   #175
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by discoverwild View Post
Congrats on the 111k mark. Do get your timing belt checked and replaced if you haven't done it so far.
marina tdi -1.40 lac km & indica dlx @ 1.1 lac kms.
those are some impressive figures.
aapki gaadiyone paisa vasool kardiya.
maybe i should get myself a vista tdi instead of the quadrajet.
maintenance ought to be far lower than the fiat engined car.
spares are really cheap. i have owned a tdi indigo and the spares were as cheap as maruti cars. way too much cheaper than the hyundai and the renault which i have owned since then.
even my safari spares were not that costly.
with the common rail , number of sensors , cost of filters , injectors etc make it an expensive affair in the long haul.
great going mates!
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Old 19th August 2012, 23:29   #176
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

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Originally Posted by HIGHNOON View Post
maybe i should get myself a vista tdi instead of the quadrajet. maintenance ought to be far lower than the fiat engined car.
spares are really cheap. i have owned a tdi indigo and the spares were as cheap as maruti cars. way too much cheaper than the hyundai and the renault which i have owned since then. even my safari spares were not that costly. with the common rail , number of sensors , cost of filters , injectors etc make it an expensive affair in the long haul. great going mates!
Can you please share the maintenance costs of the quadrajet engine? I agree that the maintenance costs of the TDi engine are low, but I was under the impression that quadrajet maintenance costs were at par. Please share with us the components/parts which constitute the major portion of the costs.
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Old 20th August 2012, 19:09   #177
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

Hi @autoindian,
Misunderstanding my friend. I have never owned any quadrajet engined car.
But its logical----
the multijet engine from fiat takes 3.3odd litres of oil but recommended oil is synthetic so about 900 rs/ lit or thereabout roughly about 3000 rs. per oil change. the oil filter too is twice the price of the oil filter needed for the tdi.
The oil change interval is specified at 15000 km or a yr. ( but more often than not you would find the t.a.s.s. guys subtly hinting oil change earlier as ( oil bahut kaala huva hai change karenge to engin e life ke liye accha etc etc )
The tata homegrown 1.4 lit idi would take about 4 lit or so. specified oil is not more than ch4 ( CASTROL GTD or at the most GTX ) i suppose doesnt cost too much more than rs.300/lit.
Oil change interval i suppose now is 7500 /10000km or a yr.
diesel filter is probly 1/10 th the cost of the diesel filter cost needed in the quadrajet.
the qjd engine life would probly be about 2 to 2.5 times of the idi and the fuel efficiency better by about 15% overall. but the lowtech engine from tata tdi has probly very low cost of parts. also the engine is otherwise robust against bad diesel and stuff.
the injectors on the tdi are mechanical and are easier to clean and cheap to replace. very few sensors in the tdi means less cost to replace whenver that comes. timing belt on the tdi is not very costly so replacing @ every 50000km may not cost an arm.
the chain on the qjd probly means it 'll outlive the engine if oil change is taken care of.
But honestly how many people in india use private cars for that long?
In the long haul , as you have done a lac plus i suspect the maintenance cost per say on the tdi would be lower even if the older engine is more liable to have more problems than the super refined one from fiat.
the low tech tdi can be fixed any damn remote place by road side mechanic as original or replacement parts for TATA are cheaply available mostly EVERYWHERE.
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Old 30th October 2012, 16:48   #178
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

Friends, last weekend I got the first chance to use the black puncture repair strips that I purchased from Storeji.com couple of months back. Actually on Friday morning when I was dusting my car, I observed that the LHS rear tyre was flat. I immediately pulled out the spare wheel, jack & tommy & changed the punctured tyre. I observed that there was a nail embedded right in the centre. Since I had to rush to office, I didn't have the time to fix the puncture there itself.

On Saturday morning the first thing I did was to fix the puncture. Removed the nail with a plier, which was almost 15mm long. There was one more chip, but it was just 5-6mm & not deep enough to rupture the tyre inner wall. I then enlarged the hole with the pointed screw-driver type tool & then tried to insert the black strip/plug in the hole. I tried with all might, but the needle didn't move beyond a few mm. Kept trying for 15-20 minutes, but at last gave up . Removed the needle & the plug. Wasted that strip as it had become useless. The new strips are thicker (or could be tougher that the previous gen strips). I then cut/removed about 2mm of the strip throughout its length & gave it a second try. This time the needle pierced the hole without much fuss . I inserted it till such a depth that only 10mm of strip was left out of the tyre surface. Rotated the needle @ 90 degrees & pulled it out. Sprayed some water over the plugged hole just to make sure that the seal was airtight. So a friendly advice to all those who are trying to fix the puncture with black strips. Remove some portion of the strip (make it thinner) & only then insert it, else you will have a herculean task to fix the puncture.
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Old 20th November 2012, 17:22   #179
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1,20,000 kms completed today

Today while coming to office my odo crossed the 1,20,000 kms mark. Though there is nothing significant in this milestone, it has reminded me that the car now needs to be serviced. Actually the 120K kms service is likely to get delayed till March 2013 as I would be traveling out of country for 3 months (starting Dec 1st week) & my car would be lying unused in my garage for that period. Hence will get the service done only when I return back.
  1. Engine Oil change - Castrol GTD 15W40 - 4 litres
  2. Replace Oil Filter - Purolator make
  3. Fuel filter replace (Primary & secondary)
  4. Change gearbox oil - Castrol Extreme Pressure 80 EP 3.3 litres
  5. Coolanr replacement
  6. Replace Air Filter - Lispart make
  7. FIP overhaul, rotor replacement
  8. Rotate Tyres, 1. Spare wheel to RHF, 2. RHF to LHR, 3. LHR to LHF, 4. LHF to RHR, 5. RHR to Spare Wheel
  9. Check all belts, idlers & tensioners. Repair/replace to remove the "chirrrr" noise
  10. Check engine mounting for looseness and damage to mounting
  11. Power windows switches, rear side not working
  12. Power windows switches, centre console, backlit light replace
  13. Wash & clean the car (Waxpol polish for interiors)
  14. Check alternator belt tension, adjust if necessary
  15. Check / adjust engine idle speed, accelerator pedal and cable
  16. Check / adjust AC compressor belt tension
  17. Replace front brake discs
  18. Replace rear brake shoes
  19. Rear brake drums to be cleaned
  20. All rubber hoses & tubes should be checked for minute cracks & hardening.
  21. Check parking brakes and cable for play/ damage, adjust / replace if necessary
  22. Check brake master cylinder, wheel cylinder, mounting bolts, caliper & PCRV for proper operation / condition, repair if necessary
  23. Check all rubber boots (on driveshafts & steering tie rods) for tears
  24. Check front wheel bearings for looseness/damage, tighten / replace if necessary
  25. Check rear wheel bearings for looseness/damage, tighten / replace if necessary
  26. Check free rotation of wheels
  27. Check suspension strut for oil leakage / damage, replace if necessary
  28. Check shock absorbers for oil leakage / damage, replace if necessary
  29. Check suspension arms & steering knuckle supports for looseness/damage , tighten if required
  30. Check suspension bushes and silencer hangers for damage, replace if necessary
  31. Check steering wheel (play, looseness), Check steering gear for looseness / leakages, pipelines, hoses, Check tie rods ends (looseness, damage, wear)
  32. Check battery electrolyte (level, leakage & charging)
  33. Check functioning of lights, signals, indicators, guages, window winders, horn and central locking, etc.
  34. Clean the fins of condenser with pressurized air and then with water (Ensure that the fins don't get damaged)
  35. Clean the fins of evaporator with pressurized air and then with water (Ensure that the fins don't get damaged)
  36. Check body and chassis for unusual noise
  37. Rear wheel hub greasing
Any suggestions/inputs from other members are most welcome.
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Old 20th November 2012, 22:59   #180
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re: Tata Indica DLX - 150,000 kms & beyond

Whoa! That's a comprehensive list. It's easier to get all of the mentioned done than penning it down.

I am sure you have taken excellent care of your car. Congratulations on more smiles per miles.

Any idea how much would you be spending on all the tasks. Why I say this is, is it still cheaper to maintain at 120000 kms rather than buying a new car or you keeping the car for emotional reasons?
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