[wheeledsoul]

The loud "khat" sound should be of the gear arrangement in the power window mechanism. When the arm misses one of the teeth of the rotary gear, it produces such sound. However do get it checked at the service center, coz if the problem deteriorates either the glass will be stuck (when rolled up) and you might not be able to roll it up/down or the glass will simply slide down (even if its rolled all the way up) and you will not be able to operate it at all.

I would suggest getting it fixed at the earliest possible, to avoid getting into a situation wherein the car despite being locked will have its window open.
Do check this link out:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/power-window1.htm

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by wheeledsoul

The loud "khat" sound should be of the gear arrangement in the power window mechanism. When the arm misses one of the teeth of the rotary gear, it produces such sound.

It turned out to be a completely different thing.

-----------------------------------------------------


SECOND FREE SERVICE @ 4907 KMs


The Service Camp, due to be held in the last week of June, was delayed for 2 weeks and finally the Service Truck arrived here for a 2-day Service Camp - on 13th and 14th July, 2014. I received no less than 5 calls from the A.S.S. at the dealership to confirm a slot, and everytime I confirmed it.

Also, a call came from the dealership manager, Harjinder, 2 nights ago that they would be formally starting the proceedings in the newly-started dealership in my city on the 13th of July, and I was invited as an honorary guest for the puja and start of proceedings. Accordingly, I left at 10:30 AM in the morning to avail Empress's 2nd Free Service and the muhurat. Reached the new Shubh Honda dealership at 10:45 AM (it's situated on the outskirts of my city) and my SA, Deepak, who had come with the Service Van, promptly came out and greeted me with a smile. I listed the work to be done:

- General check-up,
- Engine oil check, if needed replace, if not let it be,
- AC Filter & Air Filter to be cleaned thoroughly,
- Underbody check,
- Driver door window sound,
- Front Passenger door not fully closing on the first attempt.

I went into the dealership showroom and sat down till Harjinder arrived along with the priest and a few other local contacts. The puja started at 12 PM and continued for an hour, and the showroom was decorated in a simple manner to get things going. (details in the pictorial)

A more complete inauguration would be done on either 1st or 2nd of August, together with the Mobilio launch in my city. The Mobilio is pretty hot in demand right now, judging by the number of calls Harjinder was getting as inquiries/advance booking confirmations. He said they were sitting on 35-40 bookings of the Mobilio at the moment.

Empress's turn came at around 1 PM, after a line of Amazes got serviced. I explained the driver door problem to the two technicians on duty, and they promptly got to work. Lubricating the channels didn't help at all, and so they proceeded to remove the driver door panel. And as soon as the glass was slid downwards, the culprit came into view. It was the door holder bar, which helps in keeping the door open, when it is opened. Either the weight of the door had bent it out of shape, or the part was another manufacturing defect. Either way, the closed section of the bar had slid further outward, and this was stopping the glass from going down (a tiny part of it). The pointed-arrow part of the holder bar was touching the window glass, and when the glass moved downwards by rubbing against it, the sound ("KAT!")was being produced.

The technicians said that the said part cannot be repaired per se, and it should be replaced. Since the car is under warranty, Deepak assured me that it would be done free of cost, and he would send details of my (unique) problem to the company. They told me to use the glass very sparingly in the half-down position till the replacement is done (either on the next service or on my next visit to them at the Raipur A.S.S.), else the glass could get cracked.

I suggest others to get this checked in their Citys as well, and I hope (touchwood!) that none of you have this problem springing up in your Citys as well.

The front passenger door (which wasn't fully closing on the first attempt) was tackled next, and it was found that the door lock gears had slid slightly backwards. Deepak explained that the denting guys have an instrument which would help in jerking the lock gears forward back into place, and this could only be done if I could visit them in the near future. This problem was present from the moment I had taken delivery, so it's safe to assume that this is yet another manufacturing defect grossly overlooked by the Quality Control team.

In short, neither of the two problems could be solved, and both issues stay pending till the next service or my visit to the Raipur A.S.S. center. Coolant top-up, AC/Air Filter cleaning was done, all general checks were passed in a jiffy, and then they checked the engine oil. It was looking good, at least for another 1000-1500 kms, so I told them to let it be until the next visit (next month). I might pay them a visit earlier than that, since I have to attend a meeting and get the door problems fixed, and I might get it changed then.

Only 1 guy was available for washing, so he took some considerable time in cleaning up Empress thoroughly. I asked for vaccuum cleaning of the interiors and a complete shampoo wash (instead of a top wash which the Amazes received), and got it. Empress was cleaned thoroughly inside and out, and she was shining like a brand new penny when I drove out from there at 5 PM.

In between, refreshments and tea were served to all guests who attended the ceremony and the customers who had come to the Service Camp, and also an immediate on-the-spot sale and delivery was done in the afternoon - a sardarji and his son were very interested in the Amaze, and picked up an Alabaster Silver Amaze SMT i-DTEC. Cheque was drawn, handed over, and the delivery was done. They received a box of sweets as well.

Wishing the staff of the new Honda dealership the very best and congratulating Harjinder for this new step in their Honda journey, I headed home.

Expenses - NIL.


And now for the Pictorial:-

The new dealership decked with balloons.



Cars were decorated as well, and looked smart in their display line.



A Brio, 3 Amazes and a City (in that order).



The City SMT variant. Grille looks sober and slightly better than the gaudy chrome "moustache" of my Empress.



Interiors of the City SMT.



The priest starts his preparations.



The puja begins.



The puja ends after around an hour.



Service Camp in full swing outside.



Empress waiting for her turn.



The Service (On Wheels) Van, fully opened on all sides.



Drawing it's energy from...



Right (driver side).



Behind.



Left side.



A view from the other side of the road, as cars start coming in for servicings.



View of an Amaze getting serviced from inside the showroom while the Puja is on.



The tech starts with Empress's driver door window problem.



Door panel opened and the OEM speaker inside. I am told it's Panasonic.



The faulty part getting oiled.



The faulty part in question - door holder bar.



The small section which is hampering the window glass (highlighted).



Faulty part being re-fitted.



An Amaze SMT i-DTEC delivered on the spot.



Empress's washing begins. Note the water gun which looks more like an AK-47!



Scrubbing.



Shampooing.



Cleaning of the side profile.



Roof gets shined as well.



The serviced Amazes waiting patiently in a line for their respective owners, when I drove out. Service Van on the right.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I listed the work to be done

Isn't this the regular service or just a check-up? Reason I am asking is why no filter (Air and engine oil) and Engine oil changed?

- Front Passenger door not fully closing on the first attempt.

What did Honda say for this?

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

And as soon as the glass was slid downwards, the culprit came into view. It was the door holder bar

Good that the culprit was found. Now that the ASC knows the issue hope the future cars will not face this. And hope you get the replacement soon.

Anurag.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Isn't this the regular service or just a check-up? Reason I am asking is why no filter (Air and engine oil) and Engine oil changed?

Regular, 2nd Free.

Oil is still looking good (semi-dark grey, hasn't turned blackish yet), and they assumed it was good for at least another 1500 kms, so I told them not to replace it.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

What did Honda say for this?

Door lock gears have moved out of place. The problem is present from day 1 itself, so safe to assume that it's a manufacturing defect as well. Deepak went to test the passenger door of the City S MT on display, and it thudded shut smoothly everytime he closed it. So, it's a problem with my car.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Good that the culprit was found. Now that the ASC knows the issue hope the future cars will not face this. And hope you get the replacement soon.

Deepak called the Service Manager promptly and explained the whole problem. The Service Manager, Srikanth, told him to click the photos of the faulty part and send it to him via WhatsApp. They will email the photos and a detailed description of the problem to Honda directly and ask for doing a free replacement under warranty.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Door panel opened and the OEM speaker inside. I am told it's Panasonic.

This is definitely different than the one i got replaced recently , that explains the comparatively worse sound quality of SV (and lower variants) , so SV as i suspected not only comes without 4 tweeters but also with different set of speakers than V and higher variants.

[neel911]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

This is definitely different than the one i got replaced recently , that explains the comparatively worse sound quality of SV (and lower variants) , so SV as i suspected not only comes without 4 tweeters but also with different set of speakers than V and higher variants.

Very true. I'm just waiting to get my speakers replaced. I've been told a budget of 15K should do justice. I've still not closed on the speakers but I trust the accessory shop I usually take my car to for his recommendations. When I see all this, I just curse Honda on not having 'V' version in CVT. There are other things as well in 'V' which are difficult to get out market done on SV

[harry10]

Originally Posted by neel911

Very true. I'm just waiting to get my speakers replaced. I've been told a budget of 15K should do justice. I've still not closed on the speakers but I trust the accessory shop I usually take my car to for his recommendations. When I see all this, I just curse Honda on not having 'V' version in CVT. There are other things as well in 'V' which are difficult to get out market done on SV

Getting speakers upgrade is on top of my list too. In 15k budget it can easily be done.
V is real Vfm but the waiting period is such an issue here for V and VX. The SA told me production of city has reduced and priority is been given to Mobilio now so waiting has increased to 4-5 months minimum.

[vista_qjd]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

It turned out to be a completely different thing.

-----------------------------------------------------

The front passenger door (which wasn't fully closing on the first attempt) was tackled next, and it was found that the door lock gears had slid slightly backwards. Deepak explained that the denting guys have an instrument which would help in jerking the lock gears forward back into place, and this could only be done if I could visit them in the near future. This problem was present from the moment I had taken delivery, so it's safe to assume that this is yet another manufacturing defect grossly overlooked by the Quality Control team.Attachment 1261173[/center]

I think I may have the same problem. Do update with pictures once you have this fixed. Had complained about it twice, and every time the ASS just lubricate the door and give it back. The front door needs an extra hard push to get it to close compared to the other doors.
Honda quality is hitting rock bottom.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by neel911

I'm just waiting to get my speakers replaced. I've been told a budget of 15K should do justice. I've still not closed on the speakers but I trust the accessory shop I usually take my car to for his recommendations.

Originally Posted by harry10

Getting speakers upgrade is on top of my list too. In 15k budget it can easily be done.

If you guys are thinking of an all-component setup or even for components up front, I have the perfect recommendation for you, from my Pegasus's ownership thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3138263

Sound quality is absolutely top-notch for the price paid, and the speakers perform flawlessly even without an amp in the setup. You can just judge this from the fact that they sounded better than the Focals I had in my front doors. Highly recommended.

Originally Posted by vista_qjd

I think I may have the same problem. Do update with pictures once you have this fixed. Had complained about it twice, and every time the ASS just lubricate the door and give it back. The front door needs an extra hard push to get it to close compared to the other doors.
Honda quality is hitting rock bottom.

It's a compromise Honda was willing to make when they said last year that they were taking Honda "mainstream" in India. The list of manufacturing defects in my Empress is already significant:

1) Driver-side headlamp misting problem (replaced during delivery),
2) Moving panels on both sides of the rear bumper's top sections (can't be fixed),
3) Super-large panel gaps on the bonnet's sides and the boot lid,
4) "Engine Check" glow icon problem (rectified, due to ill-fitting of electronic sections),
5) Driver door window sound (culprit identified, gap increased by itself?!),
6) Passenger door doesn't fully lock (faulty lock gears, to be rectified).

I am just waiting to see what's next. (insert sarcastic icon here) Honestly, if it wasn't for the terrific i-DTEC under the hood and the legendary City in-cabin comfort, the 2014 City has stooped down to Tata/Maruti build standards. No, I am not exaggerating.

Case in point - our 4L Hyundai Eon has MUCH better fit and finish in all it's body panels than our 12L Honda City. Not even one complaint in the use and abuse the Eon gets through it's daily routine so far. The quality of Hyundai is absolutely unmatched - an example which all car manufacturers and their QC teams should seriously follow.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by neel911

Very true. I'm just waiting to get my speakers replaced. I've been told a budget of 15K should do justice. I've still not closed on the speakers but I trust the accessory shop I usually take my car to for his recommendations. When I see all this, I just curse Honda on not having 'V' version in CVT. There are other things as well in 'V' which are difficult to get out market done on SV

15k is enough to get 2 pairs of components and in most cases , it should leave you satisfied , you may add an amp or subwoofer later , but speakers like infinity Kappa series (i use JBL power series which are more or less the same) should provide plenty of midbass and would sound really good. I highly recommend damping the doors , this does boost the mid bass frequencies , eliminates all the rattles caused by the mid rangers moving air (i used power series for a couple of days without damping in my i20 and they would make the doors rattle like crazy), what's more they are known to effectively reduce some wind noise too. (Not to a large extent but many ICE dealers claim this)

Originally Posted by harry10

Getting speakers upgrade is on top of my list too. In 15k budget it can easily be done.
V is real Vfm but the waiting period is such an issue here for V and VX. The SA told me production of city has reduced and priority is been given to Mobilio now so waiting has increased to 4-5 months minimum.

I feel V is overpriced (No offence to Ravenavi or other owners of the V Variant , the following is just my thinking , according to my requirements) for what it offers over SV , frankly i had no hurry to get the car and budget was'nt a constrant either , but i hated those alloy wheels , so paying for those was pointless , next thing is the audio system , i had to install a subwoofer and amp anyways , but colored screen and camera are being missed , other features include electrically foldable ORVMs , chrome door handles , all of them don't justify a 1 lakh premium over the SV , had there been leather seats , leather steering wheel , push button start , i would have called it a VFM and would have been happy to pay 1 more lakh for it.
But they have all this in VX which is priced 2 lakhs over the SV and it was pointless to pay this much for a C2 Segment sedan anyways , it was touching 13 lakhs , we got our Cruze for 15.XX lakhs.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

If you guys are thinking of an all-component setup or even for components up front, I have the perfect recommendation for you, from my Pegasus's ownership thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post3138263

Sound quality is absolutely top-notch for the price paid, and the speakers perform flawlessly even without an amp in the setup. You can just judge this from the fact that they sounded better than the Focals I had in my front doors. Highly recommended.

Listened these in a friend's Polo and they are great VFM , a substantial upgrade over the stock audio , after having listened to speakers from various brands in this price range , i'd say nothing beats the Harman twins (JBL and Infinity) below 10k and they should please most.

[neel911]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I feel V is overpriced (No offence to Ravenavi or other owners of the V Variant , the following is just my thinking , according to my requirements) for what it offers over SV , frankly i had no hurry to get the car and budget was'nt a constrant either , but i hated those alloy wheels , so paying for those was pointless , next thing is the audio system , i had to install a subwoofer and amp anyways , but colored screen and camera are being missed , other features include electrically foldable ORVMs , chrome door handles , all of them don't justify a 1 lakh premium over the SV , had there been leather seats , leather steering wheel , push button start , i would have called it a VFM and would have been happy to pay 1 more lakh for it.
But they have all this in VX which is priced 2 lakhs over the SV and it was pointless to pay this much for a C2 Segment sedan anyways , it was touching 13 lakhs , we got our Cruze for 15.XX lakhs.

One main thing I seem to be missing which is difficult to get it done after market is the front map reading lights and position of bluetooth mic which is next to fronts lights as compared to the one on SV where it is on the Audio console. Though subtle, I am really missing them. I'm planning to probably change the dome lights to some bright LED based light. If anyone has any pointers, do let me know. I'm seeing a whole lot of options online and not sure which one to go for.

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by neel911

One main thing I seem to be missing which is difficult to get it done after market is the front map reading lights and position of bluetooth mic which is next to fronts lights as compared to the one on SV where it is on the Audio console. Though subtle, I am really missing them. I'm planning to probably change the dome lights to some bright LED based light. If anyone has any pointers, do let me know. I'm seeing a whole lot of options online and not sure which one to go for.

There are other small features here and there , the silver panels for power window switches being one of them , my point was they all don't really justify the 1 lakh premium over the SV.
My cousin recently changed the bulb of the dome light in his i20 to white LED from a local accessory shop , it surely makes a world of difference and is inexpensive (he got it for 300 bucks) , no it does'nt really makes up for the front map lights but it still lights up the cabin pretty well.

As far as bluetooth is concerned , the only not so good solution is to replace the entire OEM audio system with the ones from pioneer , you'll get a touchscreen and better sound quality as well , but the hassle you would have to go through does'nt seem worth it (because as far as features are concerned , i think the SV HU has all the neccessary ones, so other than better bluetooth audio quality and marginally better sound quality , there are no real benifits), the fitting for the new facia would never be as good as the original one.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

I feel V is overpriced (No offence to Ravenavi or other owners of the V Variant , the following is just my thinking , according to my requirements) for what it offers over SV

all of them don't justify a 1 lakh premium over the SV.

But they have all this in VX which is priced 2 lakhs over the SV and it was pointless to pay this much for a C2 Segment sedan anyways , it was touching 13 lakhs , we got our Cruze for 15.XX lakhs.

The tax bracket beyond 10 lacs ex-showroom is a killer for you guys in the metros. Here it's an uniform road tax rate of 7%, irrespective of the ex-showroom price and petrol/diesel. One of the benefits of living in a smaller city of a comparatively poor state, I guess.

When I got my Empress in March 2014, the V MT was only 60K over the SV MT and offered plenty more. It is easily the best VFM variant in the entire City lineup. The VX MT was at 1.05L over the V MT, which I felt was overpriced, yet I had my original booking for the VX MT petrol.

I think the guys in Jharkhand have their cars at a steal - it's only 4% Road Tax over there! Even lower than us!

--------------------------------------------------------------


Well, the DRLs I had ordered from eBay arrived on the 18th (via DTDC). The DRLs had 2 pairs of leads - one obviously for the earthing and the second to be set to the ACC point. In case you are wondering what's that, here's a photo explaining it which I downloaded from google:

Also, I received a call from my accessory guy that the door visors I had ordered had arrived (on the 19th), but since I have been sick for the past week, I couldn't get the fittings done. As soon as I felt slightly better today, I had them fitted earlier in the afternoon. Called up my electronics wizard, Sunny, to get the DRLs fitted. Meanwhile, the door visors were fitted in exactly 5 minutes.

Sunny arrived at 4:30 PM and promptly got to work, and even the pouring rain 30 minutes later didn't dampen his enthusiasm. He worked slowly and meticulously, packing all the wires carefully and testing each and every thing, every step of the way. The DRL position chosen by me was vetoed by him, who suggested a much better position which would enhance the DRL lighting a lot and also keep it safe from prying thieves and rain/water sprays. He also added a 15 Amp fuse to the whole DRL wiring system, so that if the DRL circuit gets fried, the fuse will blow and keep everything else safe.

I am very impressed by the end result, and I must say the LED DRLs are really, really bright. Everyone who has noticed it till now has commented how wonderfully bright they are, and how pathetic the stock lights (low beam, high beam, fog lamps) look all around it.

I'll let the pictorial do the talking.

The door visor set.



Specially made for the 2014 City.



Tag confirms it.



The finished look.
(Excuse Empress's manners, she's really dirty from the continuous rains!)



Sunny setting the DRL at my chosen spot.



Spot for fixing DRL changed.



Powering up for the first time.



From a distance.



All wires neatly packed into coiling tubes.



At night, in my garage.
Photo taken in complete darkness, with a single medium-lit garage lamp behind Empress.



Close shot. Looks menacing, like a pair of robotic eyes!
Finally the obnoxious chrome "moustache" is looking really cool.



Side view.
I love how the subtle effect from under the bonnet increases the intensity of the DRLs.



With Parking Lights on.



With the low beam on.



Direct view.



With the high beam on.



Direct view.



With the fog lamps on. All lights in front are on now.



Direct view.



My Princess striking a pose with Empress's lights.



The door visor with the chrome strip at night, immersed in rain drops. Looks classy.



It's been raining non-stop for the past week or so.
Really fickle weather for some, although I love the rains despite the sickness it brings with itself.



A parting roof shot.

Ciao, until we meet again!

[Leoshashi]

DRL's look awesome on your car, I'm sure pics are not doing justice. They have anyways reduced the mustache effect of the obnoxious front grill.

What was the cost, and can you share the link for the same please??

[Rocketscience]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The tax bracket beyond 10 lacs ex-showroom is a killer for you guys in the metros. Here it's an uniform road tax rate of 7%, irrespective of the ex-showroom price and petrol/diesel. One of the benefits of living in a smaller city of a comparatively poor state, I guess.

When I got my Empress in March 2014, the V MT was only 60K over the SV MT and offered plenty more. It is easily the best VFM variant in the entire City lineup. The VX MT was at 1.05L over the V MT, which I felt was overpriced, yet I had my original booking for the VX MT petrol.

I think the guys in Jharkhand have their cars at a steal - it's only 4% Road Tax over there! Even lower than us!

--------------------------------------------------------------


Well, the DRLs I had ordered from eBay arrived on the 18th (via DTDC).

Well first of all , the DRLs look stunning , kudos to your installer for finding this novel place to install DRLs , it surely looks something futuristic.
I'll get DRLs installed in the same place ASAP.

Coming to the V variant , it sure makes much more sense when charged 60k over SV , but this is if you love the OEM alloys , i hated them and had to get them installed anyways so it made little sense to me. I Could live with other things absent in the car and have spent about 60k (and counting) on the car anyways , so that was the varant to go for me.

P.S : Can you please provide the link to the DRLs you bought , would get them installed along with parking sensors and horn on my next visit to the car accessory shop.