[AutoIndian]

Hey Ravinder, just now I read your complete post, the first thing after reaching office. I must say I have to agree with all your observations, it is a very capable car.

The one point, which I like to point out is that if M&M plonks the 1.99 L mill under the TUV hood, it will come out of the compact car bracket (diesel engine size under 1.5L) and with increased excise duty M&M will not be able to price it competitively. It may see a bump in price to the tune of 2 lakh rupees. Having said that, there could still be many takers for this version, but then it could also cannibalize its older sibling, the mighty Scorpio. So I don't see this thing happening soon.

I know the Xylo replacement is on the cards, but that would be more of an MUVish car (to compete with Innova) rather than a SUVish car, so in all probability the TUV5OO, if at all it comes, would be the Xylo replacement.

[procrj]

3rd Service - Another forgettable experience

I was naive enough to assume that if I coordinated well in advance with IG and involved their senior folks, I would not have to waste an entire day at the service center. I was proven wrong and today was probably the last straw. I dont think I'm ever going to take my car to IG for service or repair.

The list of things that were done today:
1. Oil filter replacement & oil change
2. Brake pad check and clean
3. Air filter replacement
4. AC filter cleaning
5. Driver & Passenger seat belt replacement
6. Car wash & clean

Total time taken - 7 hours!!!

I had confirmed multiple times with the service manager that the seat belts were available for replacement and he in turn assured me that everything is ready and it will not take more than 30 minutes to replace both seat belts.

Arrived as usual at 9 am and work started only at 9.45 am. The first 4 activities were completed by 11.15am and I was actually hopeful of leaving IG by 1.00 - 1.30. This was even though we had a couple of hiccups:

1. The Alternator wiring was not done right and hence the technician was unable to replace the oil filter. Had to remove the alternator wiring and then replace the filter. I noticed that the new oil filter was half the size of the old one and the tech mentioned that this was the new TUV oil filter.

2. Air filter - Whoever designed the TUV must be a big fan of complexity. What should have been a simple task turned into a complex maneuver thanks to the placement of the air filter. I had asked the tech to only clean the filter but 1 look at the filter and I realized there is no way anyone can clean this.


The air filter is just a sponge dipped in some kind of oil. Even my WagonR had a much better air filter which could be easily cleaned. This sponge can never be cleaned and I wonder how M&M decided that this will be good for 40K kms! I am not sure if K&N makes air filters for the TUV but I sure am going to search for a replacement filter as this one is just not designed to last long.

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Air filter

Deepak - take a look at the dirt and dust in the air filter housing. You should seriously consider cleaning your and not wait for the 20K service.


I ask the service manager to replace the seat belts and then the dance starts. He wasted 45 minutes walking around and stalling and when I cornered him and asked him what the problem is, he mentioned that they had by mistake ordered 2 passenger seat belt spares. So now we had to wait for the driver seat belt spare to arrive from IG Whitefield.

Lunch is done and dusted and at 2 pm I blow a gasket and ask the service manager to call his boss. He then fishes out the driver side seat belt and in 15 minutes flat they replace the same. He then drives the car to the wash bay and I ask him to check for any kind of warning signs on the MID and he says everything is fine.

4.30 PM and with a big sigh I walk up to my car and hope to drive hope. Turn on ignition and the airbag warning refuses to go away. This time my SA was the one who bore the brunt of my anger and they quickly check the error codes and realize its the driver side seat belt. Once again they dismantle and find that the connector was not connected right and hence the error. 30 frustrating minutes later I drive out with the thought that I am never going to set foot in IG Peenya ever again!

Total bill Rs 3,125 inclusive of the air filter.


Now the tank is all set to get to Jog and discover a few more hoysala temples on the way

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

3rd Service - Another forgettable experience

Total time taken - 7 hours!!!

Other than Toyota service centre (and may be to some extent Maruti), you can never expect to get your car serviced from a Mahindra or a Tata in under 2 hours. You have to reserve one full day for getting your car serviced from MASS.

2. Air filter - Whoever designed the TUV must be a big fan of complexity. What should have been a simple task turned into a complex maneuver thanks to the placement of the air filter. I had asked the tech to only clean the filter but 1 look at the filter and I realized there is no way anyone can clean this.

The air filter is just a sponge dipped in some kind of oil. Even my WagonR had a much better air filter which could be easily cleaned. This sponge can never be cleaned and I wonder how M&M decided that this will be good for 40K kms! I am not sure if K&N makes air filters for the TUV but I sure am going to search for a replacement filter as this one is just not designed to last long.

Deepak - take a look at the dirt and dust in the air filter housing. You should seriously consider cleaning your and not wait for the 20K service.

"Yuck" is the only word that I could recollect on seeing the condition of the filter. Had I seen this post of yours during day time today, I would have made every effort to clean it as a DIY, before embarking on the long drive tomorrow morning. These kind of sponge filters are fine for bikes or scooters, not for modern days diesels. Even my humble Indica had a ribbed paper air filter, which was very easy to clean by blowing compressed air on it. On the other hand my Innova had a cartridge filter.

Now I understand why Mahindra manual has skipped the air filter cleaning at the 10K service. Why the hell it is costing Rs 560.70/-. It is not worth even a 100 bucks.

Total bill Rs 3,125 inclusive of the air filter. Now the tank is all set to get to Jog and discover a few more hoysala temples on the way

Bill is quite reasonable. All the best for your future trips and looking forward to your poetic travelogues.

[procrj]

Did something stupid today!

I did not get a chance to drive the car much after service on 24th Dec.Wanted to take it out and stretch its legs and ensure that everything is working fine before the upcoming trip. Drove the car for 30 minutes yesterday and realized that every time I brake, there is a strange sound coming. It sounded like the click of a relay or actuator and was not a metallic sound from the brakes or the khat khat of ABS kicking in. Moreover, the sound seemed to be coming from behind the MID or near the Fuse box. I had not come across this sound when driving home from IG after service on 24th Dec and now and I was worried.

Drove to IG Peenya and was irritated to be back there again. My SA and a few of the techs immediately started checking for loose parts and did a quick scan and no errors popped up on screen. Upon driving a little more, we realized that the sound was not appearing when you braked while reversing the car and only occurred when you are moving forward and brake. Brake/ABS module bleeding was done and sound still persisted.

The Senior Tech then started checking the relays while braking and they were not the problem. Dismantled plastic panels below the steering and checked for loose parts - result was zilch. Brake connection to relay board was disconnected and even then the sound persisted. After about an hour and a half of checking everything they said it is mostly the AC flaps behind the dashboard and they will need 2 days to remove the dash and check/fix. As the problem was not the ABS/Brakes or any other electronics, I decided to complete my trip and then leave the car at MASS in the 1st week of Jan. Just before the service folks put everything back in place, my SA checked and the problem still persisted.

It was getting dark on the service floor and I removed the torch which I store in the pull out draw under the driver seat and gave it to my SA. He and couple of techs quickly put everything back in place and I drove out of there. I was happy that I didnt have to leave my car there for some major fix and at the same time was apprehensive of what rattles/creaks and other problems will crop up when they open the dash to fix this issue.

On my way home I was listening for that click sound and it did not reappear! Now I started thinking about all the things that were done from the moment my SA checked for the sound before fitting all panels back till the time I drove out and I realized that there was only one logical reason for the click sound. The torch!

When I had taken out the torch from the storage draw, it was in the middle of the draw where as my usual location for the same was in front. I usually wrap it in a MF towel and keep it there to avoid rattles but this time after the service, I had not done the same as the MF towels were drying at home after a wash

Realized that I just wasted 2.5 hours of my time plus the time of folks at IG just because I had not stored something properly in the car! Went back home and ensured that everything in the car is sitting tight and will not rattle or create any additional noise. Came home and told my wife the story and she had a very good laugh at my expense.

Moral of the story: Before you blame the service folks, ensure that you haven't done something idiotic!

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by procrj

Did something stupid today!

That's actually hilarious Ravinder We tend to blame everybody when it comes to a small niggle in our vehicle right from service folks to the higher head in the company, only to realize it is our mistake and then we grin about it. It has happened to me many a times and I have done the same thing, except for visiting service center and spending time to debug the issue.

Good to know everything is fine now and you can do a peaceful trip Happy Journey!!

[procrj]

Originally Posted by fusionbang

We tend to blame everybody when it comes to a small niggle in our vehicle

Saw the update on your thread.All the best for your new innings in Jan

[abirnale]

Just went through the thread after a long time. Your Red Dwarf has done huge mile munching! Congratulations for maintaining your car so nice! I envy!

By the way, if you plan to change your service station from IG to Anant - Sunay can help with contact while if you choose to move to Sireesh, I can with a reliable reference

Wish you many more happy (s)miles and safe, fun trips!

[procrj]

Originally Posted by abirnale

Just went through the thread after a long time. Your Red Dwarf has done huge mile munching! Congratulations for maintaining your car so nice! I envy!

Thanks Avinash. You seem to be doing Goa trips at the drop of a hat . Your recent pic of Murudeshwar beach looks very inviting. Never ventured to that part of Murudeshwar beach - looks very clean and uncluttered. How does on reach that part of the beach?

Also wanted to check with you if you are using Fasttag? Planning to drive to Sagara via Ranebennur and wanted to know if Fasttag lanes are functional and working on tolls till Ranebennur. Also if you can share location of speed guns/interceptors, I can keep an eye out for the same.

By the way, if you plan to change your service station from IG to Anant - Sunay can help with contact while if you choose to move to Sireesh, I can with a reliable reference

Thanks. Will reach out to both of you for contacts.

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by procrj

You seem to be doing Goa trips at the drop of a hat .

He he he! The secret of happily married life is - don't say NO for a visit to your in-laws place. Apart from special hospitality as "jamai", happiness on spouse's face and kid's excitement is worth every effort!

Your recent pic of Murudeshwar beach looks very inviting. Never ventured to that part of Murudeshwar beach - looks very clean and uncluttered. How does on reach that part of the beach?

So actually it is a simple approach. We know the destination vaguely. We look at Google. We went to the place and were sure to not stay there overnight so no extra effort of booking etc. Upon noticing the crowded beach and holiday rush, we decided not to get in those beach water. Google maps to rescue - see the image below. I look for that white lines/ roads that take us closer to beach. For sure, no folks would be there or say least crowded for sure. Took the plunge - simply drove there. We were prepared to leave car behind and walk - luckily, it was not needed. And hence the results - efforts paid off. The exact location we were at - https://goo.gl/maps/wq7ZpxkZUVG2

Also wanted to check with you if you are using Fasttag? Planning to drive to Sagara via Ranebennur and wanted to know if Fasttag lanes are functional and working on tolls till Ranebennur. Also if you can share location of speed guns/interceptors, I can keep an eye out for the same.

I don't have Fastag :( I can drive to Goa or Kolhapur but not the Electronic City/ Fastag POS location.

All the Fatstag toll booths on NH48 (BLR- Ranebennur) are operational. So no issues there. Cant help with non-fastag herd pushing their way on to those dedicated lanes at peak time though.

The Speed monitors are between Haveri and Davangere - one prominently as soon as you leave Davangere town behind by 5-7 Kms. From there for next 40 odd Kms, watch out for a rear door open - Tata winger on the left shoulder most of the times. They specifically target around 2.30pm to 6pm. It's very easy to get carried away on this stretch due to straight road and comparatively less traffic.

[procrj]

It's been a year since I got the red dwarf home and apart from a couple of hiccups, the rest has been a lot of fun. I did take a look at the points I had made at the start of this ownership review and almost all of it still seem to be right. A quick summary after 22K kms of driving:

What I like:

• Low end torque - more than enough to get a move on and get in front of slow moving vehicles. Even at 1300-1500 rpm. Thanks to the torque, I don't really have to drop gears even when I slow down and hence feels like driving an automatic
• High speed stability - easy to change lanes at triple digit speeds and as solid as a rock. Steering weighs up well and you are never in doubt
• Goobles up all kinds of roads - suspension is good and the body on frame allows you to drive over any kind of flat terrain without a worry. The only thing you need to be careful about is when there in a sudden upward slope/rise as that at high speeds makes the car jump
• Seating & Comfort - Big thumbs up to the firm seats and lumbar support. Even the second row is not bad and my folks haven't complained even after spending some serious time in the back seat during day trips
• Presence - City or Highway, people think twice before cutting you off and that at the end of the day makes it feel easy to drive
  
  What I want:
• 6th Gear & Cruise control - Will make this a really great highway cruiser while improving FE as well

As you can see, my want list is very small. The car is the right fit given my driving needs right now but with plans to do longer road trips, the need for better FE(~13 kmpl in city & ~14.5 kmpl during highway drives) and cruise control is only going to increase.

Having said that, I can't think of any other car that I might want to own right now in the 10-11L price bracket. There are days when I look at the Pajero sport zipping by on the highway and drool at it but I do know that it comes with its own set of problems and it is way out of my current price range.

Couple of pics from yesterday's drive




Here is a loong video of the journey with the dwarf over the last year.

https://youtu.be/uFui0U8mZ-g

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

It's been a year since I got the red dwarf home and apart from a couple of hiccups, the rest has been a lot of fun. I did take a look at the points I had made at the start of this ownership review and almost all of it still seem to be right.

Hey Ravinder, many congratulations on completing a successful one year with your Red Dwarf . I think most of us TUV owners have come over the initial hiccups and nowadays you don't see any new niggles being reported on the TUV official review thread. This product from Mahindra has stabilized faster than expected.

A quick summary after 22K kms of driving:

What I like:

• Low end torque
• High speed stability
• Goobles up all kinds of roads
• Seating & Comfort
• Presence

Spot on mate, these are the very attributes I like about this car. Adding a few to the list like Good all round visibility, Powerful AC for a car size this big (rear AC vents are not sorely missed), shorter turning radius etc

What I want:

• 6th Gear & Cruise control - Will make this a really great highway cruiser while improving FE as well

I don't miss it so much as the longest trip that I have done till date is the 875 kms recent Coastal Konkan trip. Most of the usage has been in and around the city or shorter trips of 200-300 kms. But yes for owners frequently doing long highway trips the above two would be a big boon and even I would have bought that version had it been made available.

Here is a loong video of the journey with the dwarf over the last year.

Wonderful compilation of the videos. You have got a good knack of telling stories be it through pictures or videos and I believe your Red Dwarf inspires you only more to do that.

Keep it coming and here's wishing you a blissful and happy TUV ownership in the years to come

[procrj]

Back from the mandatory pondy trip - drove almost 1100 kms over the last 4 days.The car was a joy to drive on both the 2/4L roads. 4L tolled stretches, maintained a steady 110 kmph with a few short bursts of speed for overtaking slower vehicles and the tank was steady as steady can be. FE based on the two tank fulls during the trip is 14.5 kmpl with 90% AC on AC econ mode.

A few pics from the weekend

Our stay for the weekend - Le Pondy


Waiting for sunrise


Nobody's home


Wrecked


Sun up


The odo now stands at 23.2K kms and I am still loving it

5 2's comes up in 13 months

[procrj]

The Odo touched 25K on the trip to Badami last week. Not much to update as the car is driving fine and is taking me to all the places that I want to go

Badami TLog posted - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...akal-more.html

[procrj]

Just back from another drive to Sringeri. I must say that the best part of ~750 kms drive over the weekend was the 140 odd kms of twisties between Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Sringeri. The roads are butter smooth and the tank just ate up the roads. Just can't get enough of the drive up and down the hills with sunlight streaming through the coffee plantations

Sunset on the way to Chikmagalur


Fog & Mist - On the way to Belur


After all the hoysala temple hunting over the last few months, I was ready to pay homage to the pinnacle of Hoysala art - Chennakeshava temple, Belur. In my heart of hearts I was not sure if the temple will live up to its name as I had already visited some real beauties in the past. Now there is no doubt that the Belur temple is the best example of hoysala art that remains.

Chennakeshava Temple - Belur






Decided to reach the temple by 7.30 am to beat the busloads of tourists who drown the place over weekends. Even then we had a steady stream of devotees & tourists streaming in and out.

Some History

The temple was commissioned by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 AD. Scholars are divided about the reasons for the construction of the temple. The military successes of Vishnuvardhana is considered a probable reason.Some scholars believe Vishnuvardhana commissioned the temple to surpass his overlord, King Vikramaditya VI of the Western Chalukya Empire (who ruled from Basavakalyan), after his initial military victories against the Chalukyas.

According to another theory, Vishnuvardhana was celebrating his famous victory against the Chola dynasty of Tamil country in the battle of Talakad (1116 AD), which resulted in the annexation of Gangavadi (modern southern Karnataka) by the Hoysalas.Another theory points to Vishnuvardhana's conversion from Jainism to Vaishnavism (a sect of Hinduism) after coming under the influence of saint Ramanujacharya, considering this is a predominantly Vaishnava temple in sculptural iconography.

Source - Wikipedia

Vishnuvardhana with his queen Shantala Devi


My take: I lean towards the victory over Cholas as the violent inspiration for the temple. Why? 2 main reasons:

1. The image of the lion/tiger subduing the elephant is every where in the main temple. The elephant represents the great Cholas and the lion/tiger represents the hoysala kings


2. The recurring theme of Ugra Narasimha - right from the toranas on the entrances to the ceiling of the main hall to the wall panels. Everywhere you turn, you will see this image of Narasimha killing hiranyakashipu and unlike other narasimha figures in various temples, these actually show Lord Narasimha pulling out the asura’s entrails.

Ugra Narasimha - Main Sanctum Ceiling (Cropped)


Note: When in the main sanctum, pay the Rs 30 camera charge and ask the lady to light up the ceiling. You have got to look at it and experience the detailing as words and pics don't do justice.

Ugra Narasimha - As center piece of Ashtadigpalakas


Ugra Narasimha - Wall Panel


The temple took at little more than a century to build from the time it was sanctioned and had multiple well known sculptors contributing. The most famous of them is Jakanachari, who was the master craftsman.

The temple in itself is a masterclass in artistic detailing with each frieze, panel, ceiling and mini temple capturing every small detail of size, shape & form. Right from the small bells that adorn anklets to various weapons of war, every detail is just about perfect. The bigger surprise is that all of this still exists as on date and has survived the vagaries of nature and changing fortunes of the land.

Don't miss the woman theme running across the wall panels of the main hall. This is again a surprise as most of the hoysala temples don't focus as much on women and tend to fill their walls & ceilings with gods & demigods. Shantala devi, wife of King Vishnuvardhana who commissioned this temple could have been a big reason for this recurring theme as she was supposedly a fine dancer. Local folklore also mentions that the ‘Shilabalikas’, maidens adorning the top of each pillar, are modeled around Shantala devi.

Ladies on the wall panels




Trivia - The Kappe Chanigaraya temple got its name because a frog was found embedded in the Chennakesava idol that was carved for the temple.

As the story goes, Jakanachari left his family and entered the services of the various kings of Hoyasalas and produced works by which, his fame is upheld even today. His son Dankanachari grew up and decided to go in search of his father and reached Belur . At Belur , the Chennakeshava temple was in the course of erection , where the young man remarked that one of the images had blemish. Challenging this remark, the sculptor, who was none other than his father Jakanachari ,vowed to cut off his right hand, if any defect was to be found in the image.

In order to test this, the figure was covered with sandal paste and to everyone's surprise ,the paste dried everywhere except on the navel. On further examination, a cavity was found which contained a frog, sand and water. This way, the idol got the name of "Kappe Chanigaraya"(Kappe=Frog in Kannada). He had no choice but to cut off his right hand as per his word. On further inquiry about the boy, they became aware of the relationship between the sculptor and the boy.

Source - http://teamgsquare.blogspot.in/2010/...l#.WLwnS2997IV

Kappe Chanigaraya Temple


The most talked about part of the temple is the Shilabalikas or śālabhañjikā meaning 'breaking a branch of a sala tree'. It's hard to miss these beautiful women in various forms who adorn the top of every pillar in the temple.

Darpana Sundari Shilabalika - Woman staring into the mirror


One part of the temple that none of the online sources talk about or even mention is the pillared walkway that adjoins the temple wall right next to the temple pond. This walkway contains an assorted mix of idols & sculpture, which I guess has been bought here from various places, none of which belong to a single time period. Some of the interesting idols that caught my eye


[b]Vishnu in various forms[b]


Hanuman


Nagaraja


Few more pics from the visit

















Thus ended a totally satisfying weekend and now its back to the grind for the next few days. As usual, the car did not throw up anything unusual and returned a FE of 14.5 kmpl.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by procrj

Just back from another drive to Sringeri. I must say that the best part of ~750 kms drive over the weekend was the 140 odd kms of twisties between Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Sringeri.

Again masterclass narration, thanks for sharing it Ravinder. Brought back memories of 2003, when I along with my friend did a one day return trip in his humble Maruti 800 to Belur, Halebidu & Sravanabelagola.

However I am missing your Red Dwarf's pictures in the above travelogue. Why was it left out?