[AutoIndian]

Today evening when I went into my car park in my building I observed dark patch
on the parking floor (almost 2 feet in diameter) under the fuel tank. On
touching with fingers I could smell diesel. On taking a closer look underneath I
observed diesel dripping near the tank (from one of the pipes) at the rate of
one drop per 3-4 seconds. I called my mechanic, but he was in his hometown &
workshop was closed. I then thought of driving down the car to the nearby TASC
(Pandit Auto in Akurdi). Car started at first crank, drive was smooth. On
reaching there told the Service Advisor. He said that the car needs to be lifted
on a RAM & inspected. So the car was lifted up. Diesel was accumulating at one
of the bolts & dripping from there. The complete tank underbody was smudged with
diesel. The SA said that the tank needs to be emptied out, removed & inspected.
The tank was half full, so the diesel was emptied out in a bucket. The leakage
was from the joint of lower & upper half & the SA said that the tank needs to be
replaced. I asked if it can be welded, he said no. Unfortunately the stores was
closed by then, so could not confirm the availability & tomorrow being a Sunday
the TASC is closed.

I called up one of my expert friend & discussed the issue. He explained that the tank's two halves are joined by special welding & normal arc welding would result in undue stress, which may result in further leakage. There was no option but to replace the tank. He said that due to aging & fatigue this could happen & it is not that uncommon. He said the price of new tank is Rs 4696. Part No 270247100134".

I now have to go back to TASC on Monday morning. If I am fortunate enough & the part is available in stores I can get back my car by Monday afternoon, else God knows when the part will arrive.

One good thing is that this happened on a holiday. I was planning for an outstation trip next weekend. Had it been in the middle of the road in a remote place I wonder what would have happened. Will keep the group posted on Monday

[Johnny_]

It feels good reading your long term report.
Hope to see your car cross 1 lac kms soon.

[FourWheelDrift]

@AutoIndian : I have had the same thing happen to my Indica diesel fuel tank about a year and a half back.

The TASC would not attempt a tank repair (i.e. empty the tank, ensure it was dry and devoid of fumes, then gas weld or braze the point of leakage at the joint). They only wanted to sell me a new tank.

I elected to let my local garage seal the leak from the joint with some sealant. This costed me less than Rs. 300.

I have done over 10,000km since the fix, and the leak hasn't reappeared.

Just my 2 paisas ...

Cheers,

FourWheelDrift

[amitwlele]

Auto Indian congrats on the long term ownership. I am really impressed and inspired by your excel log. I have downloaded your excel file and plan to use it for my log (better late than never). Hope you do not mind the reuse.

If i have any queries would PM you. Since you are in Pune can get some tips from you on good service centres, accessory shops etc in Pune.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Johnny_

It feels good reading your long term report.
Hope to see your car cross 1 lac kms soon.

My pleasure Johnny & thank you for your good wishes. I intend to keep the car upto 150K kms or till such time that it gives me trouble free service.

Originally Posted by FourWheelDrift

@AutoIndian : I have had the same thing happen to my Indica diesel fuel tank about a year and a half back. I elected to let my local garage seal the leak from the joint with some sealant. This costed me less than Rs. 300. I have done over 10,000km since the fix, and the leak hasn't reappeared. FourWheelDrift

Good to know that FourWheelDrift. Could you pl share with us the details of the sealant used? Maybe if someone faces the same issue in future he can follow that option.

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Auto Indian congrats on the long term ownership. I am really impressed and inspired by your excel log. I have downloaded your excel file and plan to use it for my log (better late than never). Hope you do not mind the reuse.

If i have any queries would PM you. Since you are in Pune can get some tips from you on good service centres, accessory shops etc in Pune.

Thanks for your comments Amit. Surley pl go ahead & use the log. The sole purpose of attaching it here is that fellow members like you can use it & get to know how their car is performing (running & maintenance expenses). Please do not hesitate to PM me in case you need any help understanding the log or any kind of tips.

I forgot to post it here, but anyways repeating the content that I posted on "Indica Problems" thread. Though the SA had asked me to come at 10:00am, I went there at 09:30am only. Fortunately a spare tank was available in the stores & by 10:30am the new tank was fitted, diesel filled in (that was emptied out on Saturday) & car was ready. Changed a brake lamp that was not working, car was washed, checked air pressure in all tyres & car ready for delivery by 11:30am. Have to wait for almost an hour because the job card had not come from the stores to the billing section & the SA was too busy handling other customers. Finally at 12:15pm got the bill (handwritten) as the Siebel system was down & computerized bill could not be generated. Break-up is as follows:

Fuel Tank (including VAT) --> 4,757.00
Brake lamp bulb (FOC) --> 0.00
Total - Part Charges ----> 4,757.00
Fuel tank removal & replacement labor ---> 638.00
Service Tax (@12.5%) ---> 79.75
Vehicle washing (FOC)
Total - Labour Charges ---> 717.75
Part & Labor Total ---> 5474.00

I asked the SA if he can deduct the scrap value of the old tank. He said the TASC dosent scrap it. So I took back my old tank.

[AutoIndian]

From last two weeks I was noticing that the front RHS tyre pressure was reducing in 2-3 days. If I filled it to 32psi, within 2 days it would come down to 20psi. I was sure there was a puncture. (Note: My car is on Michelin tubeless tyres). So on Saturday I replaced the punctured tyre with the spare one & today morning went to the nearby tyre repair shop. The guy over there removed the embedded stones & then he also removed 2 nails & observed one more puncture, so there were 3 punctures in total. He fixed the punctures with the sealant. He then dipped the tyre in water & showed that there was leakage even near the valve (when actually there was none). He then turned & twisted the valve & made sure that it started leaking & the air leakage aggravated. I was aghast looking at the tyre helplessly. There was no option left out for me but to replace the valve. He showed me two valves one with brass tube & another with steel tube. I opted for the one with steel tube costing Rs 450/-. The break-up of expenses were as follows:

First puncture (1 @ Rs 80/-) 80.00
Two more punctures (2 @ Rs 70/-) 140.00
New steel valve 450.00
Discount -20.00
Total Charges 650.00

Since the total charges had come to Rs 670/- I told him to round it off to Rs 600/-, to which he did not agree & charged me Rs 650/-. I had a heated argument with him & I squarely blamed him for damaging my good valve. There was no point in stretching it further as the damage had already been done. I simply left that place with a bad taste.

Request all fellow group members, please beware of such unscrupulous tyre shops. This seems to be a new trick adopted by these guys to exploit customers.

[AutoIndian]

Today I got the Starter overhaul work done from Lucas TVS along with the 90K oil
change service. In the morning initially I had gone to my normal TASC, however
the main mechanic there had gone to Panvel for attending a vehicle breakdown & I
was told that work on my car can start post afternoon only. Late afternoon start
meant missing the first innings of the World Cup Cricket Final, which I did not
want an any account. Hence turned my car to Lucas TVS. Reached there at 10:00am.
Told @ the work. They gave me a quote of 3.1K for starter work. I gave them the
go ahead. One mechanic started removing starter motor, another one oil filter,
fuel filter.Was told that the parts in starter to be replaced are the armature,
solenoid, brush assly & bearings. Starter was ready in 1.5 hrs & fitted back,
Meanwhile oil & fuel filters were replaced. I handed over the 4 litre Castrol
GTD can & the new oil was filled. Car was ready by 12pm. Also told mechanic that
car horn was not working. He initially told that the twin horns had gone kaput &
need to be replaced (New Bosch horn costing Rs 700/-). Later he did adjustments
in the setting screw & one horn started working perfectly, the other was gone.
So he connected just one horn & I was fine with it, horn sounding as good as
new. The complete work was very quick & car handed over to me in 2 hrs flat.
Ofcourse the other stuff usually done at TASC like tyre rotation, brake shoe
cleaning/ roughening, car washing & cleaning was not done. I am planning to get
the tyres rotated myself tomorrow at home & then wash the car myself.

The part & labor charges were as follows:
Assly Oil Filter -1 nos (Lucas make) 115.00
15W40 Diesel Engine Oil - 4 ltr (Castrol GTD) 920.00
Fuel Filter Primary & Secondary - 2 nos (Delphi make) 270.00
Starter Overhauling
26256557 - Armature Assly - 1 Nos 1,118.00
26240135 - Solenoid Switch - 1 Nos 1,177.00
26240489 - Brush Gear Assly - 1 Nos 241.00
26254707 - Needle Bearing - 1 Nos 99.00
26243995 - Needle Bearing - 1 Nos 99.00
Add M-VAT @ 12.5% 341.75
Total - Part Charges 4,380.75

Engine Oil change 150.00
Replace Oil Filter
Air Filter cleaning
Applying petroleum jelly to battery terminals
Car horn repair
Starter Servicing charges 200.00
Total - Labour Charges 350.00

Total Part & Labor charges - 4730.75

Car engine now sounds very sweet while starting. The real test would be how the
starter behaves when the engine is extremely hot. Can test this only on Tuesday
after reaching office, till then fingers crossed

[AutoIndian]

Even before I could put the starter to test, the car tested my patience. On 2nd Apr reached home @ 04:00pm after getting the starter overhauled. Next day morning rotated the tyres, removed one puncture myself (tubeless tyre puncture repair kit came in handy). Then washed the car & alloys. It was almost 12:00 at noon. Tried to start the car, but it refused, tried thrice but no use. Got out of the car, gave 3-4 strokes to the priming pump, it became tight. Now gave the ignition key, engine came to life though hesitatingly. This was a clear case of air leaking in fuel line (after a gap of 20 hours). Called up Lucas TVS & explained them the problem. The guy there told me to bring the car so that they can have a look.

On reaching there I told the mechanic the sequence of events & hinted to the improper fitment of the fuel filters. He removed both the filter elements. Both seemed to be fine, also the "O" rings were good. He then inspected the fuel tank, but then found it to be new, hence ruled out the possibility of air leaking through tank. He then had a look at the Base Plate (The plate which fits on top of the two filter elements) & said that the gap between the rubber diaphragm & valve had increased though minutely. Got a new piece for comparison. Though it was difficult to believe for the naked eye, I gave him the go ahead to replace the plate which was costing Rs 430.00. There was no other obvious reason for the leaking air. He fitted the filter back on the car with new copper washers. Came back home @ 04:00pm. I then planned to repeat the scenario next day, ie start the car @ 12:00pm, to see if the issue had been sorted out.

Next day exactly at the stroke of 12 today, cranked the engine & relief at last, no hesitation, it came to life instantly. Now I am not sure whether this issue could have been sorted out simply by removing & refitting the filter elements or the new base plate has really made the difference. I have kept the old base plate with me. May be at the 100K service when I replace the primary filter element I would give the old plate a re-try.

[AutoIndian]

Glad to inform the group that the hot crank problem has been nailed at last. On 8th Apr when I reached office the temperature needle was exactly at the centre mark, with the radiator fan just kicked in. Switched off the engine, gave the ignition key & within a couple of seconds cranked the motor, no hesitation from a very hot engine. Have observed this on 3 different occasions. Now I can say with confidence that I have been finally able to fix this issue.

Thanks to all TBHP members who have helped me with their valuable inputs. Other
members who are facing this problem, I would urge them get their starter motor overhauled from the nearest Lucas TVS centre.

[AutoIndian]

My saga with the notorious buses continues. Yesterday night while returning home (just 2 kms away from home), there was a bit of pile-up apparently due to the accident of an ST bus & a truck. I tried to keep left most of the road. Ahead of me was a swift & parallel to me (on right side) was a company bus. Though the road was clear the swift was not moving, hence gave signal. It moved. As I started moving heard something banging/screeching at the right rear. Before I could realise what was happening the bus front bumper had already done the damage, uprooted my rear fender & a big scratch from rear till the front door exactly above the side guards. The bus driver probably turned his steering to left & moved into my rear right side without realizing that my car was there. This is the second instance when such thing has happened.

From now onwards I would never ever dare to park/stand parallel to a bus/ truck, when the bus is on my right side. From the bus driver point of view, his left front side is a blind spot & if the driver is negligent enough to left steer without caring to see if there is anything on the left side, then you are sure to take a hit.

[AutoIndian]

Just an update completed 95,000kms on my Indica 2 days back. I am not getting it serviced now & will wait for the 1,00,000 km mark to do the major service. Other than normal oil change servicing I would get the timing belt & coolant pump changed. Also will get the suspension spruced up. Will share the running & maintenance expense history on 10th July when my car celebrates her 7th birthday.

[amitwlele]

Great going Auto Indian. Wishing your car a Very Happy Birthday in advance.

[AutoIndian]

Thanks for your wishes Amit. How is your Vista QJD doing. Can you pl share the link of your ownership thread for your Vista?

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

My saga with the notorious buses continues.

I agree to your view. These big buses create many blind spots for their drivers. When in this situation, if I plan to overtake, I keep my horn pressed till i steer clear of the bus, OR just let the bus do whatever it wants, you keep waiting eternally. Most of the times, I prefer the 2nd option.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Just an update completed 95,000kms on my Indica 2 days back. I am not getting it serviced now & will wait for the 1,00,000 km mark to do the major service. Other than normal oil change servicing I would get the timing belt & coolant pump changed. Also will get the suspension spruced up. Will share the running & maintenance expense history on 10th July when my car celebrates her 7th birthday.

Thats some KM pile up. Congrats!! Good to see that the Indica has withstood all the brunt, despite it being criticized for many reasons. IMHO, Tata products are very good. Just the Taxi image makes them look worse in the competition. But, on the contrary, why millions of taxi business owners buy an indica and not a MS swift or the Alto, which are doing record breaking business day by day??? Something to ponder upon.

BTW, my Vista will also celebrate its 2nd birthday on 4th July, which is also our 5th marriage anniversary. In 2 years, I have done only 17,700 Kms and thats the reason I bought a petrol Vista. Total VFM and superbly spacious.

Congrats again! I feel this special milestone deserves a nice photo of your Indica.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

just let the bus do whatever it wants, you keep waiting eternally. Most of the times, I prefer the 2nd option.

After taking the beating twice from buses even I have started following the second option as you mentioned

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Thats some KM pile up. Congrats!! Good to see that the Indica has withstood all the brunt, despite it being criticized for many reasons. IMHO, Tata products are very good. Just the Taxi image makes them look worse in the competition. But, on the contrary, why millions of taxi business owners buy an indica and not a MS swift or the Alto, which are doing record breaking business day by day??? Something to ponder upon.

Thanks & rightly said, millions of taxi business owners buy an indica is a testimony to the durability of Tata cars. Have heard on many occasions that Maruti's start rattling after couple of years or at least within 50K kms.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

BTW, my Vista will also celebrate its 2nd birthday on 4th July, which is also our 5th marriage anniversary. In 2 years, I have done only 17,700 Kms and thats the reason I bought a petrol Vista. Total VFM and superbly spacious.

Advance congratulations to you on 2nd B'day of your baby (I mean car) & wishing you a very happy wedding anniversary as well. I think you made the right decision by going for the Vista Saffire.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

Congrats again! I feel this special milestone deserves a nice photo of your Indica.

Yes, will definitely try to get some good snaps on that day & 10th July being a Sunday makes it all the more easy.