Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

[white-rabbit]

Originally Posted by superutp

Thanks, but unfortunately I wont be taking the car to the service centre for repair since owing to the nature of my parking space, another scratch in inevitable. Maybe its a wake up call to not take walls for granted

Maybe in a few months when I shift out to a better parking space..I mean house Ill get it covered.

My friends used to tell I look for a parking space for my car than a house for my family.We are in the same boat.

I will be taking my car for 15000 service tomorrow.Its under CPCOO. Anything I need to be aware of before I give it for service?

[Mr.Beat]

Originally Posted by white-rabbit

My friends used to tell I look for a parking space for my car than a house for my family.We are in the same boat.

I will be taking my car for 15000 service tomorrow.Its under CPCOO. Anything I need to be aware of before I give it for service?

Make sure they put the right engine oil and if you opt for Wheel Rotation and Balancing make sure that you are present when they do it as sometimes Rotation is not done at all.


Guys, regarding my windshield breaking chevy guys have done a good job. The total costs for me was about 1100 bucks with Reliance paying entirely for the glass. It took them just a day to fix it so that was commendable.

However there is one thing that caught my eye, if i had not claimed the insurance the cost of the windshield to me was quoted to be 7000 INR, however when i claimed the insurance the cost of the glass written on it is 2650 INR, why is there so much of difference? When i asked the SA about it, he mentioned that when the customer pays himself the costs is always higher than the cost at which the insurance company buys.

[white-rabbit]

Just got my car after 15000 km service.

Breakup is :
Gasket - 17.54
Pad Kit - 871.05
ELF Genuine Petrol oil 3.75L - 1105.26
Filter ASM - oil - 70.8

The amount I paid is 0.00(Thanks to cpcoo)

But I was shocked to hear that Break pad was completey torn out.It came just 14700KM.What will be the break pad life usually?I belive it should last atleast 25000-30000KM.
The 'Thud' sound is stopped for the time being,but I am not convinced.
Rattling from left dash is fixed(he said its common issue)
Dual horn is fixed.

Little worried about the FE.

I insisted them not to flash ECU setting and not to do WA/WB or WR.
SA told its always better to do those from outside.

Car was clean,performance is increase.Engine rough sound is considerably reduced.
Break pedal and Steering seems little hard.But I must say,rattling has stopped.I felt like I am driving a different car.

[Mortis]

What is WA/WB and WR ?

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by white-rabbit

But I was shocked to hear that Break pad was completey torn out.It came just 14700KM.What will be the break pad life usually?I belive it should last atleast 25000-30000KM.

Mine lasted a tad over 20k kms. The A.S.S. blamed it on the maddening city traffic condition the car has been driven in. However, i still think it's a bit too early and your case does raise my eyebrow. Are we looking at a part quality issue here?

By the way, did they hand you over the worn out part ? Did you inspect the wear in person. A worn out pad will first emit a chiming noise to indicate the driver that the pads are wearing out, a small metal clamp like protrusion is built in the pads for the exact purpose. Once the pad wears/thins out, the clamp kisses the disc making the noise to make users aware and avoid damaging the discs. Did you hear any noise?

[white-rabbit]

Originally Posted by mi2n

Mine lasted a tad over 20k kms. The A.S.S. blamed it on the maddening city traffic condition the car has been driven in. However, i still think it's a bit too early and your case does raise my eyebrow. Are we looking at a part quality issue here?

I remember reading some one's post of replacing breakshoe too early for beat.If this is common,we seriously have to doubt about the quality.After all,like the SA said about WA/WB 'sir,its all business'

Originally Posted by Mortis

What is WA/WB and WR ?

WA- Wheel Alignment
WB - Wheel Balancing
WR - Wheel Rotation

[adg_andy]

Originally Posted by white-rabbit

I remember reading some one's post of replacing breakshoe too early for beat.If this is common,we seriously have to doubt about the quality.After all,like the SA said about WA/WB 'sir,its all business'

WA- Wheel Alignment
WB - Wheel Balancing
WR - Wheel Rotation

Its kind of weird, but I am feeling some spongy effect in my brakes, although they are doing good as of now.btw, I completed my first 1000 kms 2 days back funny, but the first month was 300 kms and the second 700.

Completely OT, but can any of you guys help me out with an aftermarket antenna? GM folks from Kropex are charging an astounding amount (Rs 1800). Also I need fog lamps-also after market for my Beatie. Any pointers will be appreciated.TIA

[ariendj]

the beading on the driver side window has come out!
have no clue where that excess goes in!will have to go to SA!!

Also had a bad experience few weeks back when i drove the car on a newly tarred road(which had bits of tarred stones)
heard a bad screeching (metal to metal rubbing like) sound as the wheel rotated.
kept going few meters with the sound and lost my patience and then just slotted to 2nd gear and went a 100 meters and the sound disappeared!

should i make note of it to the SA!the brakes do make the little screeching noise as if been used for many years(the beat is just 4.5 months with 2600 on odo!!)

[white-rabbit]

Originally Posted by adg_andy

Its kind of weird, but I am feeling some spongy effect in my brakes, although they are doing good as of now.btw, I completed my first 1000 kms 2 days back funny, but the first month was 300 kms and the second 700.

Completely OT, but can any of you guys help me out with an aftermarket antenna? GM folks from Kropex are charging an astounding amount (Rs 1800). Also I need fog lamps-also after market for my Beatie. Any pointers will be appreciated.TIA

Spongy effect in breaks are only becouse of the smoothening of break pads.There will be a glass finish build up which needs to be removed for a better grip.SE will do it once you leave it for 5000KM service.

Why dont you try in JC road for antenna?I have seen those in many shops there.Else go for internal ones.It will look neat too.(I personaly like beat with exterior antenna.It adds up to the alien look of the car)

I am looking to upgrade the fog lamps.Didnt get enough time to do R&D.Let me know if you have any ideas.

Originally Posted by ariendj

the beading on the driver side window has come out!
have no clue where that excess goes in!will have to go to SA!!

Also had a bad experience few weeks back when i drove the car on a newly tarred road(which had bits of tarred stones)
heard a bad screeching (metal to metal rubbing like) sound as the wheel rotated.
kept going few meters with the sound and lost my patience and then just slotted to 2nd gear and went a 100 meters and the sound disappeared!

should i make note of it to the SA!the brakes do make the little screeching noise as if been used for many years(the beat is just 4.5 months with 2600 on odo!!)

Please get the break shoes checked,as I feel there is some known issues regarding the break shoes.In your case,I believe it is some small stones or dry stick which got in wheels made the sound.

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by ariendj

the beading on the driver side window has come out!
have no clue where that excess goes in!will have to go to SA!!

Happened to me too during the very first month of ownership. However, I managed to put it back in place with the help of a friend. U need to open the door panel and pull that rubber beading back in along the channel. Some lubrication will help. The issue has not re-appeared since.

[thoma]

Since we are on the topic of door beadings, I'll share some things I noticed which seem not so important, but a bit irritating.

I am hearing slight noise from the door not being fully tight against the door beading, when travelling on undulating roads. The noise matches in character to the door closing 'thud'. I am pretty sure that the Beat's door is a heavy one and it is not fully press fitted (held vertically) against the beadings, though I am not telling there is any air gap. This phenomenon is easily felt, when the windows are rolled up and you are less distracted by ICE, and since the source of sound is very close to your ear, while driving.

Apart, every single person closing the Beat's door (front or back, left or right) needs to close it a second time if not closed with much force. Since this is only when all the windows are rolled up and not an issue when any window is open, I assume, this is due to air not able to escape from the cabin while closing. And, in no other car I have felt the Beat's 'thud' (a peculiar one) upon closing the door.

I have been scrapping the front nose under body on a regular basis, thanks to the inclines in front of innumerous houses in Kerala and the longer nose of the Beat.

In some other thread (or might be in this one only), I have mentioned that outside odor should generally not enter inside the cabin if in re-circulating mode, unless it is a bad design or an issue with the re-circulating flap. Recently I found that the Beat do allow some of the outside air to enter the cabin even in re-circulating mode. Since our Baleno does not allow any outside 'fragrances' and that I do not think there is an issue with the Beat's re-circulating flap, I have to attribute it to bad design of the re-circulating flap by Chevrolet.

Enough bashing the Beat by myself. Now for one real positive point of the Beat. The low NVH on long drives and non-labor-some driving (except at low RPMs) is in stark contrast to the aging Baleno in our family.

[superutp]

After driving almost 400kms in the last week I have now realised what BHpians talked about regarding pathetic roll on times in 2nd gear especially at low speeds and AC on.

Enter at 50 in 4th to slow down for a bump, shift to 2nd, take the bump at 5-15km/hr (depending on the size of the bump) and you are pretty much competing with rick's for the quarter mile drag race, and this is with me driving alone.

[Mortis]

Hey anyone got a link to download the workshop manual ?

[adg_andy]

Guys,

Just returned from a round trip from Shivanasamudra falls and Talkadu. Todal distance was about 400kms. Had a tankful of petrol. Mileage calculated was around 13. I can live with that. But a friend of mine commented that my Beat was as silent during running as his Ritz is during idling . Now this is priceless
On the flip side, it has been almost 2 and a half months and Kropex is yet to provide me with FOC mudflaps.

Apart from a slight dashboard jarring noise sometimes, my beatie is doing perfectly fine. A little bit of better mileage would have helped, but I am not complaining, remembering the comfort it provides.

@ Jai: I found a pair of fog lamps on ebay for Rs 650 a pair, but am unable to locate them now.

[Auto freak]

My baby Beat got her latest make over yesterday - smoked tail lamps!
It was a DIY. The transluscent paint used is VHT-Night shades SP-999.

Many thanks to bhpian Salbin for his detailed post on doing the same and helping me source the paint can.

Here are the pics!