[bluevolt]

General,

I am noob about this Insurance thingy but I got my City's first year insurance renewed from Honda assure read bajaj allianze for Rs. 20,000 with 0 dep.

First year insurance worth 26K for this kind of vehicle looks killer deal I must say.

[Guderian]

It was quite some time since Admiral was allowed to growl hard. Really growl hard and stretch his legs I mean. Thanks partly to the fact that an opportunity never presented itself, as well as my back refusing to back me up some time ago.
But now the back being back where it should be, Sunday presented the perfect opportunity for a drive out of Mumbai. A Pune TBHP meet at Lonavala.

Read all about it here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...a-dam-185.html

Admiral's turnout and bearing was again of sterling order - both on the highway and during the little time spent in the hills.

The MID FE reading after tanking up on Saturday and driving 30 KMs thereafter and just before the drive:


Drive out of Mumbai was peaceful - with 2 TBHPians.

At Kamshet Junction - Pawna Dam Road. Quite a few rough patches with two deep dives where there were no roads. All tackled with consumate ease.


Goading the rest on...growling !


When you have to wait...you wait !


Admiral and the Coxwain !


First of the Big Dads.


Two of a kind - with Monaro's dream.



The return run was a little more rumbunctious.
A few tight turns/curves were also tested. Admiral stuck to the ground like a limpet mine and not a hair out of place. None of the folks inside were even jostled. None of the expected rock and roll was felt, no tyres screeching either. Did this 5/6 times just to check the suspension condition and it felt great. Did this check for the first time at these speeds. Earlier checks of this kind were at 60-70 KMPH. No, I am not going to check this at these speeds again !

During this run I felt that the engine had opened up further and had settled down even more. Smooth, comfortable and rather quiet.
However the engine growl slowly starts penetrating the skull at high speeds.
But the engine is now truly a delight to move.

At a pit stop immediately after the Expressway.


Checked the MID. The speed run and dashes round the bends took its toll !


The MID on reaching home. Recovered a wee bit with some sane city driving !


Overall did about 250 KMs.

Yet another delightful run I'd say !

[Guderian]

Admiral Dry Docked - Stories from the Vth Service.

Everytime it nears the season to dry dock Admiral for his routine service I start getting extremely uneasy. This feeling of unease because past experience at ASCs across auto companies in India, for me at least, can best be described in a charitable mood as - miserable !
Yelling, screaming, keeping a tab, eagles eye on the tasks - all add to the day long Operation Dry Docking. The first four rounds of experiences at the Toyota ASC was just about average. Was still sceptical and annoyed with some issues which have been detailed in the earlier pages.

And so it was, since a week, the queasy feeling before the service chukker at the ASC.

Had some spare time today (don't I always for Admiral !) with the odo reading at 19,725 KMs I trotted off to the ASC preparing myself for a major battle.



In the end it turned out to be...hang on, wait till the epilogue.




- Drove in at 0930 hrs. They were waiting.
- Paperwork done by 0945 hrs.
- Admiral went under the lights by 1020 hrs.
- Was out by 1145 hrs after all the paperwork and payment.

Major tasks attended to:
- Oil changed.
- Oil filter changed.
- Tyres rotated.
- AC filter pressure cleaned.
- Air filter pressure cleaned.
- Front and rear brakes opened cleaned.
- Propeller shafts thoroughly greased - all 6 nipple points. They struggled of course. But finally got it right.
- Complete and thorough inspection all around & underbody.
- Body wash and interior cleaning, including engine bay. Underbody not washed as the ASC's hoist compressor - kaput and heavies like the Fortuners couldn't be raised. However they sincrely cleaned till where their hands could reach - so not too bad a wash job. Will take it outside after a month for a thorough wash.

The Nose Bleed: (Inclusive of taxes - Figures in Rs.)

Consumables:
Oil - 6.9 Lts - 1828.53.
Oil filter - 358.02.
Oil pan drain gasket - 32.76.

Labour:
Front brake cleaning - 238.25.
Rear brake cleaning - 397.08.
Service Inspection - 1091.97.

Grand Total - 3946.61 - RO - 3947.00

I was present throughout on the shopfloor and had a great time observing the goings on with interventions at the right time.

Some observations:

- Wednesday seems to be the best day to get all the attention the vehicle requires. There weren't too many vehicle vying for attention as compared to a Saturday. I was told that the days to avoid were Saturdays and Mondays. Discussions with the shopfloor Manager revealed that the cut off for daily intake of vehicles is 80. Today there wasn't any rush or shopfloor tensions.

- Engine oil - Toyota seems to have standardised a common oil for both their diesel and petrol engines. I was stumped. Went to the source - two barrels and found it to be true going by the labels. The specs - 5-W-30.

- And now they have no cans/tins of engine oil as it is standardised across models. They have an oil dispensing system - quite like the fuel dispensing system at fuel bunks. From a central point - a room with 2/3 barrels of oil a hose brings the oil to various select bays dedicated to oil change. Mid way there is a metering system console where the concerned Operator/Mechanic...OK...Grease Monkey...punches in the amount to be fed into the engine oil reservoir (in Admiral's case 6.9 Lts). The equipment starts pumping and as in the bunk the auto-cut off stops the flow of the oil once the mark is reached. To be doubly sure the Mechanic checks the dip stick after some time. First time in my automotive life have I seen this dispensing mode of engine oil. Trust the Japs to come up with it. First standardise the oil. Next standardise the dispensing system. Great savings on cans etc. No oil wastage. No accounting for cans and what not. Very environment friendly.

- Was delighted with all the work done and the timing. Obviously - the SA allotted to Admiral today was the most seasoned and a veteran at the ASC.

- All the departments did their tasks in a crisp, precise and quick manner.

- Everything inside was rather well cleaned too.





- The clean engine bay was a delight and a sight to behold. And a squeaky clean engine bay truly gets my Mojo bubblin' !










Admiral really felt cared for !



May be there was no rush, may be things - they are a changing now, may be they like me now, may be it's my smile...

Epilogue:
...Admiral's best ever service !

[nanduchitnis]

After meeting the Fleet Admiral and the Tank General in person, spent a few hours reading this review.

Fantastic read !!

All what I want to say has already been said.

Keep the wheels rolling.

Rgds

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Had some spare time today (don't I always for Admiral !) with the odo reading at 19,725 KMs I trotted off to the ASC preparing myself for a major battle.

In the first photo, service type "PMS"??? That too, so soon in the life of the Admiral?

On a serious note, a paid service tab of almost 4k INR is not bad for a Jap SUV at all.

Cheers,
Vikram

[dkaile]

Great Service write-up Herr' Generale'! Yes, you are right that mid week is the best time for a thorough and quick service. Haven't tried the propeller shaft greasing yet though. Will try it out at the 10K mark.

And Monaro's beast does look a tad bit more menacing than the Admiral in the 2nd photo. Camera angle? perhaps...

[Blow Horn Ok]

I have to divulge that i am following the TOGO channel devotedly since its launch. The style and the way Admiral is discussed is amazing.

The engine bay of Admiral looks as good as new. Super clean. How do they clean it? A soapy solution wash or anything special? The service costs are more than justified for a car of this size & value.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

The engine bay of Admiral looks as good as new. Super clean. How do they clean it?

The secret is 3M. After a thorough wash, they spray a 3M solution especially formulated for engine bays which gives it a better than spanking new finish.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by nanduchitnis

After meeting the Fleet Admiral and the Tank General in person...

Hi Sir,
Thanks for dropping anchor here ! Coming from you those words are a delight. Thank you for the kind words.

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

In the first photo, service type "PMS"??? That too, so soon in the life of the Admiral?
On a serious note, a paid service tab of almost 4k INR is not bad for a Jap SUV at all.

Hey cn,
Don't miss the fact that there is a promised 'delivery' too !

Yeah, those rates look fairly OK - though I grilled the SA pretty hard on what exactly was the value add of the charges for 'Service Inspection' when I had jotted and informed him of all that needs to be done at 20K and also visually showed him everything. Though he mumbled and fumbled there - I realised that you have to pay those charges to keep the warranty on or else someone could at a later stage, if and when a cock up occurs, state that "We did whatever you told us to we didin't inspect anything and advice or undertake corrective action/service. So warranty claim can't be cleared !" Or some such mumbo-jumbo. So better safe than sorry, so good to have it in your bill. Well worth it though, because sometimes they can catch something your eye can't and I did see the shopfloor boys carry out a thorough inspection all over. I was surprised this time when they lowered the stepney on the shopfloor and wheeled it away to wash and clean it separately. They even opened the battery knobs and checked the fluid levels which they never did earlier, besides of course the routine oil top ups etc.
This charge was something that I used to keep fighting about during the initial days with the Scorpio at the M&M ASC. Later on they never bothered to add a 'Service Inspection' or 'Check Up' charges. Sometime before I bring Uncle Toyota too to that level of friendship I guess !

Originally Posted by dkaile

Great Service write-up Herr' Generale'! Yes, you are right that mid week is the best time for a thorough and quick service. Haven't tried the propeller shaft greasing yet though. Will try it out at the 10K mark.

And Monaro's beast does look a tad bit more menacing than the Admiral in the 2nd photo. Camera angle? perhaps...

Hi dkaile,
Thanks.
Propeller shaft greasing(of the Fortuner !) is only to be done at intervals of 10K KMs with the first one being done at 10K KMs/III servicing. Or else within 24 hours, if the vehicle has been driven around in a submereged condition or in places where there has been heavy water splashing.
Please insist on it at the 10K/III service.

Admiral looking gentlemanly - Camera angle, yes. But also I guess because of the uneven surface and the fact that there is a slight loss of height and stance because the steering wheel was turned to the right.
And most importantly that the Fleet Admiral is an officer and a gentleman. And doesn't particularly like going around looking like a ruffian !

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

I have to divulge that i am following the TOGO channel devotedly since its launch. The style and the way Admiral is discussed is amazing.

The engine bay of Admiral looks as good as new. Super clean. How do they clean it? A soapy solution wash or anything special? The service costs are more than justified for a car of this size & value.

Hi BHO,
Firstly - welcome to TBHP ! Glad to have you here...all the way from Bokaro.

Thank you very much for being an old and valued subscriber of Togo Channel and the kind words too.

And as dkaile mentioned they use the 3M solution...

Originally Posted by dkaile

The secret is 3M. After a thorough wash, they spray a 3M solution especially formulated for engine bays which gives it a better than spanking new finish.

...but the 3M solution/plastic polisher has a problem. It is slightly sticky and invariably the cleaners at the ASC are not very thorough and leave some blobs of it all over, especially on the air filter cylinder cover - where the design is such that the white solution collects in the cubby holes - see the snap of the ribbed air filter cylinder cover. Normally they should be air blowing it away and drying it. They don't - so what happens is that after a week or so dust and muck settles in and the spots are very grimy. What I do at service, as soon as they finish the washing, is to have the chaps to air-blow away the residue. Sometimes I forget - like this time. So what needs to be done after one comes back home - is to take a cloth and mop it up patiently ! And generally wipe all the other surfaces too so that the excessive stickiness is removed and the engine bay/parts remain good looking for a long, long time.

And on to some general gup-shup I picked up while talking to the sales chaps at the dealer's sales office...

- They have yet to receive the new Fortuner. They are not sure when they'll get one.

- There is heavy pressure from the customers to immediately deliver all types of diesel vehicles to beat the implementation of the Green Tax on diesel vehicles likely to be effective from April 1, 2012. May be the sales guys are using this as a ploy to push the year end sales too.

- There are rumours that it (Green Tax/Diesel Engine Surcharge) would be a flat amount irrespective of the engine capacity and it could be as high as Rs.50-75K. Or if based on the engine capacity then the Fortuner's GT/DES could be as high as Rs. 75-100K.

Phew ! If true, that's quite a bit of money. And that fact should/would/could alone keep the market value of the Classic Fortuner in good nick !

Tally ho then chaps...

[Blow Horn Ok]

Well the modern communication tools have made the world small isn't it? And i am happy that i am able to interact with you all, living in this remote tiny winy city!

[Guderian]

Admiral at 10,799.14 Nautical Miles/ 20,000 KMs - on the Odo.

Feb 27 - Exactly a year, to the day, after Admiral was launched, we sailed past the marker buoy of 10,799.14 NM or 20K KMs this afternoon at about 1215 hours in Thane.

Touched in 1 year & 1 day.


Some brief stats:
Total fuel consumed - 1885.43 Lts.
Ave FE - 10.61 KMPL.
Best FE shown on MID - 15.2 KMPL. Best Calculated FE (Tankful to TF) - 14.9KMPL.




Service Costs:

Total Number of Services Completed - 5. - 3 Free/ 2 Paid.
Total Cost of Servicing - Rs. 6614/-.




Niggles Reported/Rectified during the period:
Nil/Zero.

Quality of plastics, general knick-knacks (ash tray/holders/glove box/seat covers/ switches etc) inside:
Excellent quality. Nothing shows signs of wear and tear despite moderately heavy usage. Feels new till date.
Sadly missing - New vehicle smell.

Service quality of Toyota ASC:
Average to begin with, last service experience was excellent.
Overall - Above Average.

Cribs:
Thinking...

Day:


Night:


Or dawn:


Ever ready for action !

[Blow Horn Ok]

Quite a remarkable day for the Admiral!
That's quite a running. The 0 level of niggles prove again that this thing is RELIABLE. The 20000km logs and updates will help many wannabe owners. All things go well for it. Looks, Presence, Power, Niggle free nature, Good Service and service Cost, Good Mileage.. things would go on & on.

What's your take on the ride quality and brakes after munching 20k kms? IMO, If someone nitpicks the negatives in a T fort, he would chose these two.

I like the last pic. As if the Admiral is gazing the naval battle, just won by his navy men!

[amitwlele]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Feb 27 - Exactly a year, to the day, after Admiral was launched, we sailed past the marker buoy of 10,799.14 NM or 20K KMs this afternoon at about 1215 hours in Thane.

Congratulations General and Wishing a Belated Happy Birthday to the Admiral. So did the Admiral get a special treat on its birthday. Some additional TLC.

You are munching miles at a furious pace. How much had your Scorpio done in the first year?

[mandheers]

Hearty horsepowers of congratulations Herr Guderian!!

That's a neat number you have clocked on the odo, must say.

Happy you have been enjoying the rides.

My aunt's new T Fort takes on Rajasthan in April, will update how it goes. I however am flying owing to several issues with the Cedia.

The Cedia's steering column has failed and what not, all the rantings on my thread.

Love dropping airspeed and altitude for a low pass over your thread sir!!

[Monaro CV8]

Hail Generale'

Wonderboy Admiral turning 1yr old and with a bang!
Heart Congratulations

That 20K Service report is spot on.

The pics of 'Ram' & 'Shyam' have turned up pretty nice too!