[vigsom]

Introduction

This story dates back to Oct-2015. A close relative bought this Nano when he was 55, thinking he would master driving and continue to use this car. However, two years into his quest for driving skills, he gave up trying to drive but ended up keeping the car and using an ad-hoc driver for all his local and outstation trips.

Unlike all friends’ cars and my cars that I have written about this far, I was not involved in the acquisition process of this Nano, except tossing between two options - a 1,00,000 km done 2000 model Zen and a 9,000 km done 2011 Tata Nano CX. I obviously recommended the latter. My relative paid a mere INR 67,000 for a 5 year old Nano that had done just 9,000km; even a Honda Activa would cost INR 71,000 on road then.

While penning this story, I bow down to all those owners who reposed faith in this machine, and I keep thinking of bhpian @TusharK and his Nano.

Why do I call this a James Bond Car?

Most of us can relate to the Tuk-Tuk chase in Octopussy (1983) featuring Roger Moore as James Bond, and the Tuk-Tuk adventure in the Visa commercial sometime in 2009 featuring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond again. You will note in both these clips that the Tuk-Tuk goes at unbelievable pace and ease through narrow streets; well, the Nano is capable of doing just that in the air-conditioned avatar and yours truly has been witness to some of the Nano’s unbelievable capabilities in tight parkings and navigating tight lanes. Read on and you will understand.

Meeting the Nano first time – March 2016 @10,000km

I first met this Nano in March 2016, a few months after my relative bought this car. My immediate observations on the Nano were as follows:

• Acres of space for such a small car
• Basic but functional interiors
• Adequate power
• Best headlamps that I have ever experienced
• Unrefined engine and drivetrain

Observations specific to my relative's car were as follows:

• Wiper was moving 360 degrees
• Tread wear on one of the front tyres was uneven

Parked tight




Acres of space in the front and rear







Tall rear



The front bay holds the brake reservoir, fuel filler, spare wheel and the AC condenser. The Nano is the only car in India where one needs to open the bonnet to fill petrol. Some fuel station attendants still remain confused.



First Highway drive in the Nano – Oct 2017 @41,000km

The Nano had clocked good miles having done several local and outstation trips, with one to Idukki too. My first highway drive in this car was in Oct 2017 when I drove the car from Madurai to Manaparai to Trichy, a distance of 150km . I wasn’t sure of the speed run capabilities and therefore restricted the max. speed to 80 kmph with the AC on. The wiper and tyres issues had been fixed, but there was an issue in the brakes with the pedal travel being a little higher than normal.

What I Liked

• Commanding view of the road ahead
• Easy maneuverability through the narrowest of lanes; the Nano beats auto rickshaws hollow in this department
• Parking was a breeze; the Nano could find a gap anywhere
• Steering felt tight at idle or while parking but was brilliant once the car set off
• Upright seating position offers unparalleled driver comfort
• Tall no.4 gear allows the Nano to move from 35kmph all the way to 100kmph in one gear; no.3 gear allows movement from as low as 15kmph
• Effective air-conditioning but the load on the engine could be felt
• Practically no engine noise when cruising at speeds of 85-90kmph
• Brilliant headlamps – these lit up the road like fire
• Very little electronics means fewer headaches
• Adequate seating for 3 average sized adults in the rear seat
• Remove the parcel shelf to create good boot space

What could be better

• Removing the engine cover for inspection is a royal pain; Tata should have provided clamps like what is provided on air filters in all cars
• Battery under the seat is not a good idea; the carpet and floor bear the brunt of acid leaks
• Fuel tank capacity is a mere 15 litres; this limits range to approx. 300km
• Windshield washer nozzles and tube are attached to the wiper arm; movement of the wiper arm causes the windshield washer tube to get cut
• No intermittent speed on the wiper; not a great omission but just calling that out
• The Nano takes its own sweet time to get to 80kmph from 40kmph in 4th gear; overtaking requires an immediate shift down to no.3 gear
• There is a slight kink in the firing when the engine is cold and one is moving up from 25kmph in no.3 gear. This vanishes once the engine warms up
• Engine braking is poor in no.4 gear – it took the Nano 14 seconds to retard from 80kmph to 60kmph with the AC off and accelerator pedal at idle

Driving at 80kmph - Oct 2017


Standing tall and bright against a tall building

[vigsom]

The Bond with the Bond Car is cemented – Nov 2020 @50,200km

I met the Nano again last month and by this time, the Nano had been done up very well with a new left ORVM, plus a brand new set of tyres. The car was much smoother, and the unrefined experience of March 2016 was almost non-existent. However, the car was ill kept inside and I decided to get down to doing what I love – Swachh Car Abhiyan (Clean Car Mission).

Windshield washer tube damage

The windshield wiper tube was observed torn at a bend just at the point where the wiper arm starts above the cowl. I detected this when the spray was vertical. The tube had a plastic reinforcement but that had cracked because of age, thus exposing the tube to the sharp edge of the wiper arm when the wiper was in operation. This, in my view, is a very poor design by Tata and I wonder why they didn’t provide the windshield wiper nozzles on the wiper cowl.

Replacing the windshield washer flexible tube has to be done in one piece from the washer tank to the wiper arm; instead, I just used a portion of the hard tube from an old Colin spray mechanism as a stent. It’s been working well.

Windshield Washer nozzles


Washer tube damage


Washer tube repaired


Bent License plate

I also observed that the license plate in the rear had got bent at the center. This plate is one of the old ones (non-HSRP) made out of some flexible material. From the looks, it appears that hot air from the radiator has created its own additional path. The 2013 Nano came with an additional grille above the number plate too. I would urge all old Nano owners to shift the rear license plate up and allow free passage of hot air from the radiator.




The old bumper and grille


2013 bumper with an additional grille


Floor Cleaning

It appears that the old battery had leaked big time and that had caused a lot of sulfation on the floor beneath. It took me 2 hours and a lot of concentrated detergent solution to clean the area up.

The dirty floor




After cleaning


Engine Bay Inspection

The engine in the Nano is behind the rear seat. To access the engine, I had to pull two straps to unbuckle the rear seat from its strikers, pull the insulation off the top of the engine cover, and then open six wing nuts to remove the engine cover. This is the most painful part in the Nano – opening the bonnet in any other car would take just 10 seconds, while in the Nano it takes a cool 10 minutes and a lot of calories. Phew !!!

I did not want to get the engine bay washed at a service station and therefore just inspected the engine and did some basic cleaning with a damp cloth.

1. The alternator belt was a tad loose. Used a 12mm ring spanner, opened the belt adjustment bolt, moved the alternator a bit back and tightened the bolt back again. There is no belt tensioner on this car.
2. Coolant was good, and so was its level in the expansion tank.
3. Engine oil was clean.
4. Spark plug wires were in good shape.
5. Replaced the radiator cap as the rubber in the old one had expanded causing resistance to movement of the spring loaded mechanism.

Rear seat in position


Rear seat pulled down and engine cover insulation off


Engine cover


Engine bay before cleaning


Engine bay after preliminary basic cleaning

[vigsom]

Driving 300km -Nov2020

I undertook a trip from Trichy to Madurai and back; not a big deal, but here was a car with a micro engine that wasn’t under my care, and I was always apprehensive of its reliability.

Missing a Heartbeat

I set off for Madurai from Trichy at approx. 6:45am one day, got a phone call some 10 minutes out on the highway and so pulled over to take the call. After completing the conversation, I switched on the ignition only to see lights on the dash flickering and relays chattering. I switched off the ignition and switched it on to see the same thing happening.

From past experience, I knew this was happening because the power supply wasn’t good, and all I did was check the battery cables and found the negative cable connection a little loose; just tightened it and the car fired up without fuss. This improper connection was thanks to the unprofessionalism of the battery guy who must have found installing the battery below the seat a harrowing experience, and therefore decided to just shove the negative cable in without tightening.

The battery fitted in the Nano was an Exide 38B20R (35Ah) while the OE spec is 25Ah. The bigger battery is an extremely tight fit under the seat and results in the fixed clamp towards the front becoming useless. Note in the image how the front fixed clamp is fitted.

38B20R battery is a tight fit


Navigating tight lanes in Madurai

Time to prove why I call the Nano a James Bond car. I was scheduled to go to a very tight lane in old Madurai full of small business establishments. The lane can easily accommodate a truck when there is no activity, but when it is business time, parking even a two wheeler here is a challenge. My plan was to reach this lane before 9am so that I can get the car into its parking spot before the hustle and bustle commences, and then figure out a way to move out for my return journey.

As scheduled, I was in the parking before 9am, and had to take the car in reverse all the way into the lane, and shoe horn the car into the tight parking as shown.



Doggie getting cozy with the Nano


By midday, it was time for departure, and this is what I had to navigate to get out of the lane




On the Trichy - Madurai sector, I decided to attempt bypassing the two toll plazas viz. Boothakudi (Viralimalai) and Kaththappatti (Melur) to see what it would mean w.r.t extra time and kms spent. The first toll bypass (Viralimalai) was a net 5.5km detour and 14 minutes extra while the second (Melur) toll bypass was just a net 3 km detour and 10 minutes, plus it gave me the opportunity to see some core countryside and also pass through the units of TVS Srichakra Tyres Limited. I bypassed the tolls again on the return leg (Madurai - Trichy).

Is a toll plaza bypass worth it? Yes, if the detour is no more than net 4 kms, if the route is free of thorny bushes on the sides and if it is not raining.

Bypassing Toll Plaza#1 - 14 minutes detour




Bypassing Toll Plaza#2 via TVS Srichakra Tyres Ltd. - 10 minutes detour



Overtaking an SETC Ultra Deluxe - all STC drivers have been instructed to save fuel by driving at 75kmph max.



Cruising at 85kmph towards Madurai


Stopping briefly for a quick picture


Verdict and closing comments

The Nano has held up quite well against time, and at 9.5 years and 50,500km, is doing very good. Unlike other cars that I have owned or maintained, this one never saw my close involvement in maintenance, but I do know that the Nano has seen

• a service every 10,000km
• one battery replacement and
• one replacement of all five tyres

The AC has remained untouched all these years and is still a chiller.

For those who like a simple no-nonsense car that can do a point A to B duty at a reasonable speed and go into the narrowest of lanes, this is the car to go for. It is, truly, a James Bond car !



More on the Nano in the coming days..

[GTO]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line (The "Assembly Line" Forum section). Thanks for sharing!

This cute car will be going to our homepage today or tomorrow

[Sreesh1009]

Hey, great to see another one of your threads about your ordeals with used cars
I've not been a fan of the Nano, but now that I've read this thread, I can understand why some people still stand by it. It does exactly what it was intended to, move people from point A to point B. And the size of the car is perfect for our Indian Lanes and roads.

I think timely general maintenance can help any car last longer than intended to and that is exactly what can be seen in your Nano as well.

Quick question, did you have to switch off the AC to make sure the car runs at 85 km/h?

All the best,
Sreesh

[Cessna182]

Great writeup. The Nano was a good product which people in India failed to appreciate for the value it offered. These days a 200 cc bike is more expensive than the CX Nano price when new.

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Quick question, did you have to switch off the AC to make sure the car runs at 85 km/h?

All the best,
Sreesh

Nano does upto 105 kmph with the AC on. After this the ecu cuts off fuel to the engine till the speed reaches 105 again.

[roadrunner_nv]

Lovely...

This reminded me of my own yellow devil which I had to let go as the number of cars in my garage were increasing. Tata miserably failed to market this fantastic product.

I have great memories of road trips in my Nano. Despite having thoroughbred highway cruisers in my garage, I would reach out to the Nanos keys just for fun. The glasshouse was so large that the external views would liven up.

I miss my Nano but recommend that you keep yours for a long time

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

did you have to switch off the AC to make sure the car runs at 85 km/h?

Thank You @Sreesh1009. I did a non-AC run for the most part, but the car could go casually at 90 kmph with the AC on, and at 100kmph too with a bit of engine noise; evidence attached.

Originally Posted by Cessna182

Nano does upto 105 kmph with the AC on. After this the ecu cuts off fuel to the engine till the speed reaches 105 again.

Thank You for this info, @Cessna182. After this drive, I'm really loving this car; 10/10 on practicality.

Originally Posted by roadrunner_nv

I would reach out to the Nanos keys just for fun. The glasshouse was so large that the external views would liven up

True, @roadrunner_nv. It is just pure fun driving this car. The fun increases exponentially when one has to pick the gaps in tight traffic and move forward.

[TorqueKnight]

Happy to see your Tata Nano review. Initially I had zero expectations with the Nano, owing to it's engine sound (our neighbor had one, which was not properly maintained) and the prejudice among the masses (I was one among them). All those perceptions changed when one of our friend bought a used Nano for 50k with 8K in Odometer. The first thing which inspired me was the rear space and the second one was it's bone chiller AC .

[sramven]

Thanks for beautiful thread on Nano and its experience. Does this not amaze everyone who comes across it? This car is close to my heart. I bought LX white one in the year 2012 and still hold it dear after 1.4L km, many trips in the south of vindyas. This is an engineering marvel

[Neversaygbye]

The Nano was truly an engineering marvel and deserved to be a success. James Bond car is the perfect description for it.

I remember being wowed when I drove one for the first time a few years back. It was a Zoomcar one and me and a friend had gone from Bangalore to Coorg in it. The ease of driving, pickup and overall ride quality for such a tiny (nano?) car was indeed admirable. The car I drove did 120 kmph (which was the end of the odometer) on the Blr-Msr highway without fuss but of course we did not need the AC as we had gone in November end and it was already quite cool and pleasant outside. It's a pity that such a wonderful car failed. Maybe Tata motors can bring it back in a new avatar with an upgraded engine? (Or even launch an EV version that would rival the E2O.) The engine was really harsh and the one aspect that could have done with improvement, imho.

[AdityaDeane]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Quick question, did you have to switch off the AC to make sure the car runs at 85 km/h?

As an ex-owner of a 2014 Tata Nano Twist XT, I can say with pride that I have driven in excess of 100Km/Hr on the highways with load and AC on many a times. It isn't as underpowered as people believe. Yes for a quick overtake or on a steep incline you do need to switch it off momentarily, but not on the highways while cruising.

[Gansan]

My wife and I went to Bangalore by morning train last year to attend a wedding reception. The plan was to return by night train after attending it. We went straight to the home of our former neighbors, and later they took us to the event by their nano. They were a family of three, and I was surprised by the space and comfort after all five of us were seated inside, with me in the front passenger seat. The same five people in my Alto would have been a tight fit. I had excellent leg and elbow room, the Ac was chilling and the engine pulled lustily.

That was the first and only time I had ever traveled by a nano and it came as a pleasant surprise.

[InsaneSpeed]

Hi Vigsom,
Nice review of a nice little car. I am generally a sedate driver and usually drive in the 80 - 100 kmph range. However I was pretty astonished when out of nowhere a Nano once overtook me at 110 - 120 kmph on the Mumbai - Pune expressway. My wife chuckled that now even the Nano is overtaking you. That day onwards I could believe that even the humble Nano was not "Nano" in any manner.

[kamilharis]

Man this car is a terrific little all rounder, I say this from my personal experience.

I have driven my uncle's NANO CX extensively and I can say that this is an engineering piece!

You know what ?? After owning one CX he bought another one and he had kept two CX at a time. Later he bought a NANO Twist and now they have a NANO Genx too in their garage!

Even though he has a Corolla , Innova and couple of other cars in the garage currently, I always seem him in the white NANO Genx these days. And he is 60 plus year 'young' car nut who has owned number of cars ranging from the Contessas & Armadas to Big Germans.