[Venkat_Figo]

Hi AJ, nice crisp review. Highlighting all the points one should know before considering the Figo.
Good to hear the K&N filter has made a difference. You could couple it with a RaceChip or RD box, there would be no looking back.
Could also share feedback on the 130/100 Phillips Rally Vision head lamps, don't you think they could heat up the reflectors & the plastic moulding of the headlamp on prolonged usage. Was planning to upgrade the stock bulbs to 130/100 but read that 100/90 would be ideal & 130/100 could be an overkill.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Awesome review Arav and your Figo looks real nice with those alloys and the subtle mods that you have done. Rated 5 stars. You are an avid traveler and the hot hatch has found a great owner in you. Wish you many miles of happiness and time to put up all those pending travelogues

OT: I have driven the Figo just once and was impressed by the steering like all ford cars. Only wish they could launch a sports version with a bit more power as a hot hatch. I am sure that chassis can handle a lot more.

Thanks BlackPearl for the Rating and glad you found the review to be good. I hope we (my Figo and me) compliment each other through our times together.

Installing the K&N has indeed added that extra bit of punch to the Figo which it seriously lacked.

to share a Picture of my Figo here with the Sports Badge which it already has on it's boot :

Originally Posted by supertinu

Congrats AJ on your new car. Its certainly worth the money spent.

Good to get some feedback about K&N Filter. I have been thinking about it for my Figo as well to get some performance bump even if its marginal. Can you please tell me what was the model no of the filter?

Thanks supertinu !!

Unfortunately I do not have the Part Number of the K&N Filter with me. Actually the place where the Part Number is mentioned has a sticker on it. Attaching a snap of it :


You may check it online on www.amazon.in or get in touch with 'Methods' in Bangalore who apparently are the sole importers of K&N in India as per my knowledge.

Originally Posted by Venkat_Figo

Hi AJ, nice crisp review. Highlighting all the points one should know before considering the Figo.
Good to hear the K&N filter has made a difference. You could couple it with a RaceChip or RD box, there would be no looking back.
Could also share feedback on the 130/100 Phillips Rally Vision head lamps, don't you think they could heat up the reflectors & the plastic moulding of the headlamp on prolonged usage. Was planning to upgrade the stock bulbs to 130/100 but read that 100/90 would be ideal & 130/100 could be an overkill.

Thanks Venkat. As of now I am pretty happy with the K&N's and do not intend to install a RaceChip or a RD Box keeping the warranty issues in mind.

Even I had read a lot about the 130/100's being an overkill. Not using the plug and play relay with ceramic holders can be fatal. I had installed the 130/100 set up in my Etios around 7-8 months back and they are doing just fine. The first hand experience made me go for the 130/100's in my Figo as well as I found the stock set up to be a waste providing very poor illumination.

I took the risk then and I guess let the mystery unfold in the future to tell the real story.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

Even I had read a lot about the 130/100's being an overkill.

It's not that the 130/100 being an overkill the issue here. The thing is the poor reflector design hampers the efficiency of (even) these high wattage bulbs.

If budget and time permits, i would suggest reverting to stock bulbs and fitting a good pair of auxiliary headlights to be used in place of the high beam.

[AJ-got-BHP]

A few days ago, came across the figure of 11111 Kms on the ODO of my Figo !!





Though nothing new for me or as a matter of fact for anyone. Having done lacs and lacs of Kilometers in other Cars which have been owned prior to this one. The number just reminded me of the famous Cricket Umpire David Shepherd who used to hop (keeping one leg up) once the scoreboard ticked 111 (or multiples). Though the icon used to consider it as an unlucky number



We usually do not remember such numbers, rather remember and keep a track of the '_ _ 0 0 0' that is clocked on the odometer as milestones.

Figo........So far so good !! A pic of it's maker's name on the steering wheel :

[AJ-got-BHP]

It's been a few weeks that the Wheel Lug Nuts had been installed on my Figo at a reasonably high cost from M/s Indo Radial Club. Along with which the periodical Wheel Rotation, Wheel Alignment & Wheel Balancing was done at their Jaggu Bazaar Outlet opposite Homeland Mall.

However, this is the first time that I have faced the problem of extremely poor workmanship from them in my experience of over 10 Years with them. Probably the Machines in the particular outlet is neither maintained nor updated and tuned to perfection. Even the quality of manpower to do the concerned job has deteriorated. The quantity (rush) has taken over the quality of work aspect.

The problems faced :

• Steering Alignment was previously perfectly OK, after checking and realigning it's gone bonkers even after trying to get it sorted twice at Jaggu Bazaar
• There was no steering wobbling previously, after getting the wheels balanced, the steering started to wobble at 120kmph
• The Wheel Lug Nuts got rusted in weeks

Immediately took the Car to Indo Radial to notify them about the issue. Having known to owner for donkey number years this was not at all tolerable. However, on noticing the issue, they asked me to visit their D.H. Road outlet to get the issues resolved. According to them the facilities are better there.

A few pics to reveal the issue of the rusted Wheel Lug Nuts :

Before (a few weeks ago) :


After (a few weeks) :


The replacement Wheel Lug Nuts given by them Free Of Cost (FOC) :


After installing the New Wheel Lug Nuts again which I do not think will also last long enough as it is of the same quality from the looks of it :


An Observation :
What I understood is that these sub standard Wheel Lug Nuts are given to these Tyre outlets as a freebie along with the Alloy Rims from the Alloy Rim Manufacturer. These guys instead of giving it free with the alloy rims are making a quick buck out of it by selling them to the customers. Or else, a hand to hand free replacement is generally not a protocol as per the industry standards without the dealer notifying the supplier or the manufacturer about the complaint/ issue that has cropped up with the customer.

Post the 2nd Round of Check Up :
The balancing seems fine now as I have done a few longish drives in the last week without a wobble on the steering wheel. However, the alignment I feel can still be a notch better than what they have set it at. Will get it checked soon and get it sorted.

Please be aware guys !! The new nuts are also of similar quality if not better. I need to have a permanent solution to this problem as my gut feeling says that these new nuts are also going to rust off soon.

I would like to know as to from where good quality Wheel Lug Nuts can be sourced from at a reasonable cost. Please do let me have insights to this as this needs to be sorted.....still.

[AJ-got-BHP]

The monsoons have arrived and the Figo is certainly doing great Guns in the rains. Have driven approximately 1000 Kms in the past 10 days or so travelling to the nook and corners of rural Bengal.

People like posting snaps of their Cars right after it's washed !! Somehow I like to see the workhorse in all it's Avatars. Posting few random shots here :

Parked on NH :


Returns home after being out for 12 Hours in the Rains :


A Devilish Look :


A Retro Pic :


Driving through Slush :


Now the Rims look Good :

[AJ-got-BHP]

With all the driving in the past few days, it was this Sunday when I had hit NH-2 for a dash to Raniganj. On my way back to Kolkata I felt that there was some issue with my brakes !! I was thinking to myself .... already ??

There was slight vibration on the brake pedal while braking on speeds of 70-80kmph. However, at higher speeds of 120-150kmph the vibrations was not felt. But, while braking at higher speeds when the speed used to come down to 70-80kmph, the vibrations on the brake pedal and the steering wheel could be felt again.

It was today that I went to Alok Automobiles in Topsia to get it checked. The following was checked and rectified :

• The brake pads were fine and did not need attention
• The brake discs had become uneven and were sent for a polish/ resurfacing immediately
• The nozzles of the Windshield Sprayer were adjusted and aligned to convenience
• Wiper Washer Fluid Refilled as had gone empty
• Air Filter checked and found to be fine

The Figo @ Alok Automobiles - Wheels opened, Brake Discs opened and taken for a resurfacing :


This is how the brake discs look once they are resurfaced :




The resurfaced brake discs installed back to where they are supposed to be :


Had some errands to sort for the day at office so did not get much time to assess whether the job done has been effectively fruitful or not. I guess a little more running around through the week shall tell the story by itself. Keeping fingers crossed hoping the issue is resolved !!

[AJ-got-BHP]

Updating the thread with the picture of my Figo taken at the Team BHP Kolkata Monsoon Meet :

[AJ-got-BHP]

17th of July 2015 : A year ago exactly on the same date, I brought home my daughter's favourite and our very cherished Ford Figo home. It's been exactly 1 year of a hassle free ownership with the Ford Figo ZXi with the Odo @ 12,500 Kms

But more than that there is much more to celebrate about !! Any Guesses ??

Another Diesel Ford Figo comes into the TEAM-BHP family !! Not mine, but of BHPian Samba !! A White Ford Figo EXi (Diesel). Here is a pic of his ride which he could not resist to send me and I would like to share it here :



Congratulations Samba on your newest acquisition !! Wishing you many many Happy Miles with the Figo.

What a co-incidence, now we have these in common :

• We both have Etios (Silver) twins
• We both have Figo (White) twins
• Both our Figo's have been purchased on the 17th of July

Fellow BHPians Navsjab & Samfromindia made the day even more special by catching up post work for a sweet and short meet celebrating the Figo turning 1. Attaching some Pics of the evening :

From left to right : navsjab, myself & samfromindia with my Figo in the Background :


The Iconic Ford Line Up of us BHPians : A Mini Ford Meet u may say with the Ikon 1.6, Figo & the Ecosport which have been bread & butter of Ford in India over the years, as time has evolved :







Figo & Me :


Now this was the fun part of the day.

I would like to share Total Maintenance Cost that I have paid in the past 1 Year apart from the accessorizing and mods done to the Figo - Rs.2,820/= which comes to Rs.0.22 per kilometer !!

Again wishing Samba all the best for his Figo and to fellow BHPian Sam & navsjab for making the day special and sharing the photos with me with which I was able to update this thread !!

A 15-20 days Roadtrip shall commence in the next month and it will be my pleasure to update the thread yet once again. Till then, thanks for reading and following my thread.

[AJ-got-BHP]

Did just over 1000Kms since my last update. A business tour to Nadia and Murshidabad Districts which is cut through by NH-34 (which everyone in Bengal wants to avoid) which I had to take having to meet my customers who fall on that route. Just sharing a few snaps of the Figo just gulping in those horrendous road of NH-34 :









The upgraded Bulbs 130/100 doing a decently fair job :




A few snaps of the Figo which played around the bad, mucky & slushy roads :

[AJ-got-BHP]

10th of August 2015 : The Figo had to set sail for the Grand Ladakh Trip which was due to commence w.e.f. the 19th of August 2015 for which I wanted to get some some critical Check Ups done with some added modifications prior to this.

Considering the illumination issues that I had been facing with the Figo's Headlights inspite of a Bulb Upgrade (as mentioned earlier); after a lot of permutation and combination I decided to fix up a pair of Hella Spot Lights.

There was a lot of resistance that I was getting from people around me regarding the same, but Suman Da @ Alok Automobiles gave me the assurance and pushed me to go ahead and procure the same which would suit my long term needs. Cost paid for the Hella Spot Lights - Rs.4,800/=

Attaching some pictures of the Hella product Pack which comes with the a Pair of Hella Lamps, Covers for the same, Wiring with Relay Kit and a Switch :






Note the Item No.7 on the Box which is the switch provided by Hella; I did not need to install by cutting through my Figo's Dash Board as it could simply be fixed with the OEM Set Up which provides an extra Pull Switch for the Rear Fog Lights. Since my Rear Fog Lights are connected with my Front Fog Lights that switch was idle and the Hella's connection could be easily done with the given resources.

Apart from the above, I desired to add some bling to the Car and thus convinced Suman Da to Paint both the LHS & RHS ORVMs RED !! Only if that was not it, I suggested to do away with the Tow Hook Flap and Fix the Tow Hook by painting it RED too.

Leaving the bling part aside, putting in the tow hook was making practical sense, just to be on the safer side, considering the challenging terrain that the Figo was about to face, it would have been better if I traveled with the Tow Hook installed & Fixed.

Other Figo owners may understand why I did this. The mere reason was that since Ford Provides the Tow Hook with the Jack which is locked under the spare wheel. Now, in case the vehicle needed to be pulled at any juncture, it would be fatal for me to unload and load the vehicle just for a Tow Hook.

Here are some pictures of the Figo after doing these changes :

Parked at Alok Automobiles :


Parked at my Garage :


Apart from the above, got some necessary check ups done as mentioned at the Ganges Ford Workshop in Kolkata :

• A thorough Check Up done
• Got the EGR Cleaned
• Got the K&N Air Filter cleaned (with an air blower)
• Got the Battery Health Check Up Done
• Bought a Spare Oil Filter & a Set of Fuses for the Trip

Would like to give a Special Vote of Thanks to Works Manager Mr. Bhaskar Da for arranging to get my vehicle fixed up in such a short notice and in such a short while.

The Figo was now all set to let itself free on The Land of High Passes.

Now that I am back from Ladakh, some pictures of the Figo in it's Full Form from the Ladakh Diaries shall be updated on this thread sooner than later. Watch out for them ...

[AJ-got-BHP]

LADAKH Road Trip : From 19th of August 2015 to 5th of September 2015
Make the FIGO Venture to the Land of High Passes during this period it clocked about 6500 Kms in 18 Days crossing the 20,000 Kms Mark on the Odo; the itinerary as under :

DAY 1 Wednesday 19-08-2015 Kolkata to Kanpur
DAY 2 Thursday 20-08-2015 Kanpur to New Delhi G.T. Karnal
DAY 3 Friday 21-08-2015 New Delhi to Jammu
DAY 4 Saturday 22-08-2015 Jammu to Srinagar
DAY 5 Sunday 23-08-2015 Srinagar to Sonmarg
DAY 6 Monday 24-08-2015 Sonmarg to Leh (Via Kargil)
DAY 7 Tuesday 25-08-2015 Rest Day @ Leh
DAY 8 Wednesday 26-08-2015 Leh to Nubra Valley (Diskit)
DAY 9 Thursday 27-08-2015 Diskit to Leh
DAY 10 Friday 28-08-2015 Leh to Pangong - Stay at Tangste
DAY 11 Saturday 29-08-2015 Tangste to Leh
DAY 12 Sunday 30-08-2015 Leh to Hanle
DAY 13 Monday 31-08-2015 Hanle to Tsomoriri
DAY 14 Tuesday 01-09-2015 Tsomoriri to Keylong
DAY 15 Wednesday 02-09-2015 Keylong to Manali
DAY 16 Thursday 03-09-2015 Manali to Karnal
DAY 17 Friday 04-09-2015 Karnal to Kanpur
DAY 18 Saturday 05-09-2015 Kanpur to Kolkata

Completely a Personal Achievement of clocking over a 1000 Kms in a Day while travelling from Kolkata to Kanpur on the 1st & Last Day :


Ford : Live To Drive :


Jammu To Srinagar Highway :


Playing around for a Bit :


At Sonmarg :


At Dal Lake, Srinagar :


At The Drass War Memorial :


Approaching Kargil :


Some Sand Bashing at Hunder, Nubra Valley :


At the Khardungla Pass @ 18,380 Fts - World's Highest Motorable Road :


Enroute Pangong :


Some Posing at Pangong Tso :


Enroute Hanle - Some Random Shots :




Enroute Tsomoriri from Hanle :




A Gorgeous at the Gorgeous Tsomoriri Lake :


After Crossing Rohtang La :


Approaching Manali - Finally some Greenery after the barren mountains :


The Car completed the Trip without much of a hassle whatsoever and proved that Low Ground Clearance Vehicles can do the Ladakh Circuit to be a myth, yet once again. Yes, one does have to be watchful, careful and calculative in the risks that needs to be taken and things are fine that way.

Once back from the Ladakh Trip, gave the car for it's 3rd Periodical 20,000 Kms Service at the Ganges Ford Workshop. The car just returned today and I shall update on the that in the next post on ASAP basis.

Till then enjoy the eye candy provided !!

[Samba]

Quoting a line from your introduction thread in Team Bhp. A time when we never knew each other.

Originally Posted by AJ-got-BHP

My Dream Drive : Kolkata-Delhi-Leh-Srinagar-Delhi-Kolkata

And my reply was-

Originally Posted by Samba

Its the dream drive of many over here and few of us from Kolkata are planning to do this drive next year. You can join us !

Thanks to Team Bhp for making a platform for all like minder people in one place!

Coming back to the topic. Excellent pics of your hot looking Figo. The way your car performed through the twisty hill roads is definitely worth a mention. People say Ford is famous for handling and in this trip i could realize it very well in every sharp turns you took! I had a great time tailgating your Figo in many occasions.

Sharing few pics of your car i took during the trip.

On the way to Khardungla.


At Hunder


At Pangong


On the way to Hanle


At Hanle

[AJ-got-BHP]

Originally Posted by Samba

Quoting a line from your introduction thread in Team Bhp. A time when we never knew each other.

Thanks to Team Bhp for making a platform for all like minder people in one place!

Coming back to the topic. Excellent pics of your hot looking Figo. The way your car performed through the twisty hill roads is definitely worth a mention. People say Ford is famous for handling and in this trip i could realize it very well in every sharp turns you took! I had a great time tailgating your Figo in many occasions.

Samba perhaps very few people would have recollected what you quoted from my initial post in the Introduction Thread on Team-BHP. Appreciate your presence of mind and am really touched by what you mentioned. Thanks to our association with Team-BHP that like minded people like us could get together and plan such an amazing trip together; a milestone in our lives for sure !!

Cornering the Figo was delightful as in the case of most of the Ford make Cars which have immaculate handling. Waiting to hear your review on the same once you make make your Figo hit the hills; which I suppose shall not be too far away.

To sum it up posting a snap taken by you of our Cars together (while travelling from Leh to Hanle) :

[AJ-got-BHP]

Now coming back to the how the vehicle performed in those rugged terrains and the maintenance work done on tour and after I returned from the Trip.

A note on some of the issues faced -

Front RHS Fog Light got cracked :
Enroute Kanpur to Karnal on Day 2 of the Trip, we just parked before the Yamuna Expressway Toll Road and BHPian JKDS observed that the glass of the Fog Light had cracked. I suppose it was a stone chip damage where one of the flying stone chips must have hit the same and cracked it. Did not bother as the light was working.

The Malfunction Light went ON at Khardungla Top :
I presume it to be my mistake I turned off the engine while returning from Nubra to Leh on Khardungla Top. Considering the altitude of 18,380 Fts. I should have avoided doing that. Once, I restarted the engine, the malfunction light went on. However, drove down to Leh with the malfunction light being on. The vehicle's behavior had changed with the light coming on. The acceleration had become less responsive, an element of considerable power loss was felt, the engine had become more noisy. Understanding the cons of this warning from the Owner's Manual which said not to rev the engine. I called up the Works Manager at Ganges Ford and understood that any one of the electronic sensors had malfunctioned and that it's better to upshift earlier than usual in order to minimize the factor of revving the engine. The car reached Leh and after checking into the hotel I decided to take the car to the local Maruti or Mahindra Service Centre as there is No Ford Service Centre available in Leh. Went to the Maruti Service Centre and they outright declined to accept the vehicle and could not provide any assistance of any sort to an outstation Traveler to the likes of myself. Once, I restarted the Car to head to the Mahindra Service Centre located on the Leh Manali Highway, the Malfunction Light had gone OFF. Strange !! I guess it was because of the altitude as suggested by fellow BHPian and Friend LoveCars21 who had recently traveled to Leh in his Figo as well.

A cut in the Front RHS Mud Flap :
I observed that something was rubbing onto my Front RHS Tyre when steered and found the Mud Flap to have had a cut; thanks to one of the stones that had got stuck between the tyre and the mud flap and had come off on it'sown damaging the the rubber mud flap.

A visit to the Mahindra Service Centre sorted out these above issues. They were very cordial and extremely helpful. I got the K&N Air Filter cleaned by blowing some air through it and used the air compressor present with them to clear the engine compartment of all the dust that it was carrying. Also, they stitched up the cut Mud Flap with a wire and it just did fine. Cost Paid - Rs.248/= only.

Again, the malfunction light went ON at Tsomoriri :
The car did amazingly well upto Tsomoriri; which was the coldest place out of the lot through which we had traveled. An early morning start at Tsomoriri and again the Malfunction Light went on Our targeted destination being Keylong (in Himachal) and considering the cold and the altitude to be a reason for the Malfunction Light coming on as in the earlier case. I did not bother and drove with the light on throughout the day upto reaching Keylong; the Light did not go off with the decrease in altitude and with the increase in outside temperatures. The next morning got onto the job of checking the Air Filter myself. This is where carrying a comprehensive Tool Kit really helped. The K&N Air Filter was completely blocked and choked. It had done it's job and I decided to replace it with the Ford Stock Air Filter that I was carrying with me. Right after I did this and started the Car, the Malfunction light went off and it did not bother me till I reached Kolkata.

Once back to Kolkata, the car had to go in for a periodical service of 20,000Kms. I put the car in to the Ganges Ford Workshop. A list of the work performed is detailed hereunder :

Under Warranty :

• Under Belly Check Up & Re-coating of the 3M Protector
• Some plastic squeeking noises from the Front Windows, Rear Doors & Dashboard

On Chargeable Basis :

• Servicing
• Engine Oil & Oil Filter Changed
• Drain Plug Gasket Replaced
• AC Filter Replaced
• Brake Oil Replaced

Total amount paid for the 3rd 20,000kms Service = Rs.5,044/=

Extras Paid for Optional Work Done :

• The Broken Front RHS Fog Light needed a replacement - Specific Cost Rs.2,476/=
• The Car was extremely dust laden and deserved a thorough Interior Exterior Cleaning & Polishing - Specific Cost Rs.1,800/=

A picture of the car while taking delivery of the same from the Ganges Ford Workshop; As Fresh As Ever :


Due to the Polishing, a lot of stone chippings were observed that had taken place in various parts of the Figo - Thanks to the Ladakh Trip. Sharing a few pictures of the same here :




Though hardly noticeable, it came to my notice and shall remain with the car as a mark of it's visit to the Land of High Passes !!

Now coming to the Tyres. I have Yokohama Earth 1's on my Figo of 175/65 R14 Stock Specs from Day 1. I decided to get the tyres checked for any cuts, bruises and thought of getting a periodical Wheel Alignment and Balancing done. Thankfully, no damages to the tyres and they were all doing well. However, got the Alignment & Balancing done at a Cost of Rs.850/= where it was observed that the Alignment did vary marginally and the balancing of 2 tyres required attention and was sorted.

Also, I got rid of the Low Cheap Quality Alloy Wheel Lug Nuts that I had on in my Figo. Had a tough time opening the wheels. None the less, I had preserved the OEM Wheel Nuts and reinstalled them. Now searching for a set of good quality yet affordable wheel lug nuts. Will get my hands on them in the due coarse of time.

Now the Figo is all set and ready to roll smoothly in the times to come !!