[rohansachar]

Congrats on the awesome purchase! I'm sure with the attitude you have, you will love every kilometer of ownership.

Originally Posted by doc_zeus

CONS
Rattles, rattles, and rattles. Within a week of delivery, there started the infamous rattles in my Storme. Whenever I see an oil leakage in my Thunderbird, I think RE forgot to add this point in their list of specifications. I’m starting to think the same about rattles in Storme.

There's just no escaping this. Even guys at their service centers have given up

Originally Posted by doc_zeus

Not sure whether i would be having any use with the heated ORVM's in the south india, but a very good move by TML.

I've found the feature helpful even during rains, where some of the mist that accumulates, goes off using this.

Originally Posted by doc_zeus

I’ve ordered a DIY TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) about 5 months back, from aliexpress.com. Tried it on my Eon since then. Later transferred it to Storme. Really useful. I'll try to create a whole new thread on this TPMS.

Looks excellent. There are so many options there, would it be possible for you to share across a specific URL to me via DM. There's sometimes a risk in case the body type blocks the signal from the sensors. If something has worked for your Storme, it'll be a risk free decision. Thanks!

[doc_zeus]

Originally Posted by rohansachar

Congrats on the awesome purchase! I'm sure with the attitude you have, you will love every kilometer of ownership.

Looks excellent. There are so many options there, would it be possible for you to share across a specific URL to me via DM. There's sometimes a risk in case the body type blocks the signal from the sensors. If something has worked for your Storme, it'll be a risk free decision. Thanks!

Thanks a lot.
I'll share all the details of the TPMS, including pics, when I return home in a week. The TPMS I ordered is very accurate, but costs a bomb(around 13k INR). I'll PM you the exact details in a few days.

[Car&me]

Congrats on the Storme. Your observations on the Storme are spot on.

I too bought a Varicor 400 on 1st March. Its a 4x2, Astern black. So far I have done 5500 kms and I love to get on it every morning. So far my drives have been only in the city (Chennai). I have got used to the size and its maneuverability is unbelievable. I think that's to do with the high seating position and the colossal torque (and turning radius).
I just had one issue, the turbo whistling and the noise is quite audible. Started coming up in 4500 kms, reported it during First Service (5k). The acknowledged the issue and offered to replace the whole inter cooler and under warranty, without battling an eyelid.
Otherwise the beast is pulling like a train everywhere and I am looking forward for my first (in Storme) long trip to Ooty next week.

[doc_zeus]

Originally Posted by Car&me

Congrats on the Storme. Your observations on the Storme are spot on.

I too bought a Varicor 400 on 1st March. Its a 4x2, Astern black. So far I have done 5500 kms and I love to get on it every morning.
Otherwise the beast is pulling like a train everywhere and I am looking forward for my first (in Storme) long trip to Ooty next week.

Thank you. And congrats on your Storme too.
Storme is a perfect highway cruiser. I'm sure you'll enjoy your Ooty trip, especially with all that torque on the hilly roads. Please do post the details/travelogue of the trip, if you can, as even I'm planning for Ooty in the near future.

Any other issues/rattles you faced till now with your Storme, apart from the inter cooler?

[swiftnfurious]

A fresh breathe of Safari ownership. Loved the way you have narrated the pros & cons. One thing is very clear; though you are smitten, your review is very honest.

Thanks for sharing quite a few details of the car. This is one of the reasons why some of us strongly believe in not owning an Indian product at least for an year of launching. Guess Storme has been around for more than that, so its quite disappointing.

I hope they work really hard on the next gen Safari and incorporate all these learning and make a solid product.

Wish you a pleasant ownership in due course of time & hope all these problems are taken care of. And please keep updating your thread.

[TheARUN]

Thank you very much for the detailed review, the Varicor has become a rare species and Tata have upped the game with this machine. I think the Safari, after the 2.2 Dicor has reached perfection in this model, its all the Safari was envisaged to be in the first place, fully evolved if I should put it in another way

The value for money proposition is extremely good, the amount of car you get for your money

[doc_zeus]

UPDATE




1st SERVICE

Got the first service done on 27 April. Service rep was very reluctant to change the engine oil and oil filter. Finally pressured him enough and got them replaced. Charged me 2654/- INR (He initially quoted oil change would cost me around 5000-6000 INR).
I was allowed to stay with the Storme during the service. I never had this chance with my older cars. Had a chance to click a few snaps of Storme under-body. My apologies for poor picture quality(thanks to my Late Mr. Nexus 6).




The engine protective guard at the bottom which is removed to access the oil sump.



ISSUES
1) I feel the brakes aren't effective enough. I'm not able to cruise past the 100 kmph mark because of the fear of poor braking. I reported this to the service guy on my first service. He said braking was completely normal. Should get this checked up again during second service at 10000 kms.

2) Yesterday drove my Eon after a month. On pedaling the clutch, i immediately felt Eon's clutch was a lot more softer than the Storme. I felt the exact opposite on the day of Storme delivery. May be the clutch got harder or even better, May be I'm delusional. Will report this in the second service. I'm expecting the same answer again from the service guys "It's completely normal sir".

3) I loaded up the Storme's last row with luggage, up to the brim. At some point, i tried to open the door. I then realised the luggage was pressing onto the unlocking switch on the inside of the door. So i had to crawl up from the middle row, clear up some luggage and then unlock the door from inside. tsk1979 reported this in Storme official review long back.

4) In quiet environment, with the windows rolled down, I observed squealing from one of the wheels, on braking.

5) Child-lock of the middle row doors is switching on occasionally, without input from anyone. Any other Storme owners experienced this?

6) One more thing I observed, while driving the AC freezes momentarily, for a very very short duration ( a milli-second), as if it had a gasp. Again comes back to life. This is observed in econ mode and normal mode too. Is this normal? Should I be worried?

7) The signature door thud of the Storme isn't appreciable anymore. Or may be i got used to it. One thing i know is, I'm banging the doors of my Eon.

8) There's a difference of about 5 kmph between the speedometer in Storme and the GPS Speedometer apps in my mobile. I remember vaguely that this was a rule implemented by the Government.

GOODIES

1) Storme touches the 100 kmph very easily. The engine noise is really addicting. I turn off Infotainment system most of the time, as I listen to the engine, with the windows rolled down.

2) Not sure what to do with the S.O.U.L website, but i got myself registered finally, after a lot of struggle.

3) Lumbar support makes a really good difference on highway drives. I drove a 450km distance, without a break.

SHORT TRAVELOGUE

Had a recent trip to Indore, MP from my current place Hubli, KA, work related. Route taken was Hubli>Belgaum>Kolhapur>Satara>Pune>Thane>Nashik>Ma legaon>Dhule>Sendhwa>Mhow>Indore. A total of about 1250kms one way.

Day 1 Started saturday afternoon and reached Lonavala by night.

Day 2 Explored Lonavala. Lion's point, Bhushi dam and dried up Lonavala lake, both the wax museums, Karla caves, Sunny Dhaba, Lohgad Fort and finally original Maganlal chikki and Cooper's Fudge. Saw a convoy of Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Mercs, BMW's, etc. on the way to Lion's point.









Karla Caves, Lonavala



Lohgad Fort, Lonavala


Day 3 Started from Lonavala at 7am and reached Indore by 4pm. Explored the Sarafa bazaar, MT Cloth market, etc. One should taste Rabri and other sweets at Sarafa Bazaar, Indore, atleast once in their lifetime.

Day 4 to Day 13 Work, work and work(In Ujjain). Saw a humongous crowd on 9th of May (Akshaya Trithiya-An estimated 50 lakh visitors). Had a work-free day in between. Visited The Chittorgarh fort in Rajasthan. Started at 7am and reached back by 7pm same day. A beautiful place. Only pictures can do the talking.








Day 14 Started our return journey from Ujjain to Pune. Journey time including breaks 10am to 10pm.

Day 15 Woke up very late and visited the remnants of Shanivaar Wada, Pune by 10.30 am. Nothing much here. Reached home by 4pm.



A total of about 3400 kms trip. Completely 4 lane roads till Indore. Excellent route, except for few deviations from Pune to Karad, due to new road construction. Toll costs were 2940/-INR for the whole trip. Lost the track of fuel expenses as i had to switch from android to IOS, and sadly no "Fuelio" from now on.

Odometer now stands near 8300 kms in Storme. Will be back with updates after second service @ 10000 kms.

Thanks for your time.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

A fresh breathe of Safari ownership. Loved the way you have narrated the pros & cons. One thing is very clear; though you are smitten, your review is very honest.

Wish you a pleasant ownership in due course of time & hope all these problems are taken care of. And please keep updating your thread.

Originally Posted by TheARUN

Thank you very much for the detailed review, the Varicor has become a rare species and Tata have upped the game with this machine.
The value for money proposition is extremely good, the amount of car you get for your money

Thank you swiftnfurious and TheARUN.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by doc_zeus

SHORT TRAVELOGUE

Had a recent trip to Indore, MP from my current place Hubli, KA, work related. Route taken was Hubli>Belgaum>Kolhapur>Satara>Pune>Thane>Nashik>Ma legaon>Dhule>Sendhwa>Mhow>Indore. A total of about 1250kms one way.

Hey doc, that is one heck of a trip. It seems you are thoroughly enjoying your Storme. The pictures are awesome. I have been to most of the places mentioned by you except the Chittorgarh fort. The fort still seems to be in very good condition.

[ISO]

Thanks for the updates.

how to install tyre pressure monitor? And how accurate is it?

[doc_zeus]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Hey doc, that is one heck of a trip. It seems you are thoroughly enjoying your Storme. The pictures are awesome. The fort still seems to be in very good condition.

Fort is very well maintained. Worth visiting. Missed udaipur this time. Everyone there referred to udaipur as 'srinagar of rajasthan'.

Originally Posted by ISO

Thanks for the updates.



how to install tyre pressure monitor? And how accurate is it?

TPMS is very easy to install. Just screw on the sensor to the valve on the tire, just like you screw on the cap after you refill the tires. It's very much accurate, from what I observed.
I'll post a detailed report on the tpms within a week.

[phoenixash]

Originally Posted by doc_zeus

Lost the track of fuel expenses as i had to switch from android to IOS, and sadly no "Fuelio" from now on.

Thanks for your review, and great travelogue and congrats on the beast! Try Car Logbook or Fuel Monitor on iOS, both well-featured apps. Car Logbook has better features but a very rudimentary interface, while Fuel Monitor looks slightly more modern. Great apps for keeping track of fuel consumption and costs associated with your car.

[doc_zeus]

Thanks to Behram Dhabhar sir. Received a call yesterday from Tata Motors guy. He is the regional incharge of the maintenance care plans. It seems currently TML is offering only two kinds of plans. Gold AMC for 3 years/60,000kms costing around 44000 INR, for which Extended warranty is compulsory. Silver AMC 1,00,000 kms costs about 20,000 INR. Gold AMC is a one time thing. Can be opted only once. Silver can be opted in the multiples of 20,000kms with no limitations, let it be the odometer reading or the vehicle age. In special circumstances, TML can offer Gold AMC for 1,00,000 kms/4yrs, on request by the customer, but costs 96,000 INR.

Currently all the Stormes come only under the Gold AMC plan of 60,000kms and not 45,000kms. The 45,000 kms plan is for the first generation Storme, which had a service interval every 15,000kms. The TML guy quoted "Looks like the dealership forgot to read the circular". My AMC will be cancelled and a new one will be issued by paying an additional price of about 5000INR. He assured me the work will be done within a day or two. I informed my dealership sales manager regarding this AMC issue 3 weeks back and even I've been following up every day for the past 1 week, but till date not even a single call from him. The TML guy called me as soon as he received the email. Once again thank you Behram sir, for your help.

Originally Posted by phoenixash

Thanks for your review, and great travelogue and congrats on the beast! Try Car Logbook or Fuel Monitor on iOS, both well-featured apps.

Thanks a lot phoenixash. Fuel Monitor looks better. Copied all the data from fuelio.

[sourabhzen]

Hi Doc,

Its been long time. Waiting for your well written update.

Sourabh

[doc_zeus]

Hello readers.



First of all, my apologies, for not being active in this thread for the past few months. Every time I open my laptop to edit this post, some road trip comes up. Believe me; I’ve edited this post more than 10 times, each time adding some more info. I’ve done three trips to Hyderabad, and from there twice to east coast in Andhra Pradesh near the new capital city, two trips to goa and several other short ones too. Odo was around 10000 kms when I started this post. Now the odo stands near 16000kms (clocked 16k kms in 6 months). I might have mixed up the tenses because of multiple postponements, so please don’t mind. So here’s my update with a few interesting mods/add-ons. I’ve also gone in detail on all the accessories I’ve installed in my Storme.

UPDATES-
1) I noticed brakes squealing increased. It's audible only in quiet environment. Reported this in second service, but the service rep couldn't notice anything as it was broad daylight filled with noisy traffic. Still he offered to clean all the brake pads, but of no use. I found out later that the noise appears when I slowly start from stand still, especially on a cold morning (so might not be related to braking). Any help here as to what might be the problem?
2) I feel the clutch pedal play isn't as soft as earlier. I had knee pain on few occasions. I'm not sure whether this is the clutch issue or my seating posture. Service rep assured me that clutch is completely fine. I even feel clutch getting harder in long rides, after I drive about three or four hundred kms.
3) I didn't have a chance to take out Storme for a few days (three or four). After that brief gap whenever I took out the Storme and switched on the AC, I heard a loud thud from inside the bonnet. I have observed this several times earlier. The sound occurred only the first time I switched on the AC. This appears to happen only in hot summers, when vehicle is parked under the sun for longer times.
4) Loose connection of front roof lamp switch. Now it worsened even more and mostly non-functional.
5) I've installed wind visors as I planned for Dash cam. I’ve bought a set from the local accessories shop, which included 6 pcs, for all the three rows. As it looked hideous, I removed the last row wind visors. But wind noise is very high now because of the wind visors and also the magnetic sunshades.
6) The boot /3rd row door was rattling which got worse in the past three weeks. Visited the service centre for this. Service centre guys fixed it. The door clamp and the lock were misaligned, which gave the sounds whenever I passed on the pot holes. The mechanic hit the clamp with a hammer and aligned it. Even the driver door got the same treatment earlier.
7) The seat belt holder occasionally rattles. Not sure what’s the reason.
8) Low beam is not at all helpful in nights. Any ideas as to what to do or any recommendations on any auxiliary lights for low beam? Thanks in advance.
9) The bonnet opening lever started acting crazy. Service guys fixed it.
10) Here’s the main issue I’m worried about. The Air conditioner behaves on its own. I’ve observed this for the past three months or so. When in econ mode, if the temp dial is set to middle or even a bit left of it, the AC blows very hot air. So I have to take it down near the cool mark, which slowly pumps extremely cold air. So again I have to turn the dial to the right, which is useless as it pumps hot air. So in the long drives, I’m changing the temp dial every 5 minutes for the whole journey, which is quite irritating. The temp doesn’t maintain uniformly. Either it pumps extremely cold air or hot, but not the midway. The same thing happens in the blue mode too, except I’m changing the dial for every 20 minutes or so.
11) I always put the driver seat at the highest point. I observed the seat gradually comes down, to a very little extent, and again I’m pumping up the seat every few days. Also the LHS front door handle is stuck occasionally. The doors aren’t shutting on a single go. It’s turning out like an exercise for me, banging the doors over repeatedly . I’ll report all these minor issues during 20k kms service.
12) All of my alloy wheels have minor chips at the margins and loss of superficial coat at few points. There’s good gap between the alloy wheel margin and the tire, so no worries regarding tire safety, but should I be concerned at all? Is it related to the road conditions? Most of my odo has been covered on moderately maintained roads.
13)The spray of the windshield washers isn’t sufficient at all. The water jet hardly touches the half height of the windscreen. I remember a T-bhpian already posted this same issue in another thread.

(By the way, this pic is clicked by the middle row person, not me, and certainly not when I'm on the wheel).

Now coming to the interesting updates part. I’ve planned few aftermarket DIY things and other accessories on Storme. I’m adding the links in the description below, as i’m not going into the details of the accessories.

1)Rear view mirror Dash cam with reverse camera attached to it (without losing warranty status / without splicing any wires).
2)Interior Chrome strip moulding.
3)Heads up Display (HUD).
4)Dead pedal.
5)EL wire installation.

I've already installed Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) long back. I'll even cover regarding this here.

DASH CAM



https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best...608.0.0.AGtitV


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-...608.0.0.AGtitV


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-...608.0.0.AGtitV


Thanks to the T-Bhpian a4anurag for guiding me in this dashcam installation. I've been planning dash cam for a long time. My requirements were
1)Strictly no suction cup attachment dash cams. I think a permanent fix is preferable for dash cam, as it is left out in the vehicle itself almost all the time.
2)It shouldn't obstruct the view.
3)If possible, a rear view camera attachment to the dash cam.
4)Video quality of most of the dash cams are average, unless you're willing to shell out a good amount. Even if opted for such high end dash cams, the night time video quality is not that good, according to my opinion. So dash cam with number plate readability in the video serves the purpose for me.

So based on my above requirements, very few models of dash cams are available. As I wanted to attach the reverse camera to the dash cam, the screen of dash cam had to be bigger. So it narrows down to a very few choices. Only rearview mirror dash cam was ticking most of the boxes. Now here's the problem- Almost all the rear view mirror Dash cam length exceeds the gap between the front driver and passenger sun shades. So when unfolding them, the dash cam obstructs. The length between the front sun visors was about 30cms in Storme. So the dash cam length should be 30cms or less. I initially planned an android unit Dash cam, but the cost was too high, considering the aliexpress quality and reliability. In future, if I order an android unit, I just need to swap the dash cam main unit. No need of routing the cables again, as most of the android HU’s have the similar mini-usb port.


Ordered the dashcam and also a hardwiring kit, as I use the front charger port almost all the time. So the whole dashcam kit included-
1)Dashcam
2)12v to 5v converter
3)Fuse tap
4)Electrical wires for cable extension
5)Heat shrinking tube
6)Dashboard trim removal pry kit
7)32GB Sandisk high speed memory card

My initial plan was to route the reverse camera cables to the front fuse box and join them with a fuse tap to a fuse named “REV LAMP”. The dashcam power supply was planned with another fuse tap joined to cigarette lighter fuse. So no cables cut/spliced anywhere. After starting the process, I realised that the reverse camera doesn’t work the way I planned to. It didn’t trigger the camera on slotting the reverse gear. Also I couldn’t figure out routing the cables from the reverse camera to the fuse box. So had to consult an accessories shop guy finally. This guy after a lot of struggle, came up with a solution. Routed the dashcam cables in the front, as planned, and fixed them. For reverse camera, he opened up the tail light assembly and joined the reverse camera triggering wire to the reverse light wires without cutting/splicing them up. He opened up some black colored connector which housed all the rear light assembly cables and joined the reverse camera triggering cable to it(I’m not sure of what that part is called). This is hard to explain, but I made sure that no wires were spliced/cut. I’ve planned for reverse camera attachment to the spoiler, so that it covers a good area. Attaching it to the number plate area is still difficult, as routing the cables from boot door to front is another tedious task.

It took a good 4-5 hours for the whole fitting.



























PROS:
1)Worth the money. At this price the quality of the front camera video is very good. It also covers a wide area.
2)Quality of the whole Dash cam is fairly good.
3)Adjustment range of the front dash cam is excellent.
4)Reverse camera night vision is extra ordinary, for parking purposes. Even in pitch dark, I can see the rear area.
5)Both the front and reverse cameras record simultaneously.
6)The dash cam is very useful as rearview mirror. Storme original rear view mirror was pathetic, but had good manual dimming functionality.
7)Memory card can be easily removed. Even the whole dash cam assembly.


CONS:
1)The dash cam has its own mind. Switches on/off occasionally without any reason.
2)Reverse camera video recording quality is very bad. Reverse camera is strictly for parking purpose.
3)The switches of the dash cam assembly are worst. I don’t think they will last a year. Toggling through the menu is a pain.
4)The night dimming of dash cam mirror doesn’t function as good as Storme original mirror.
5)Every time the vehicle turns on/off, there’s an irritating welcoming sound.
6)All the excess wiring has been coiled up beneath the dashboard near the fuse box. I’m not at all comfortable with this, in regards to vehicle safety.

Overall I would say this dash cam is definitely worth the money. The quality of the product isn’t up to the mark. Also I’m a bit apprehensive regarding the coiled up cables near the fuse box. After the installation, the squeaks and rattles cranked up a notch.



For those who are planning for dash cam in their cars, there are quite a number of options available. If reverse camera isn’t compulsory, then the installation process is fairly simple and one can DIY easily. There are even other models which can be stuck to the windshield with a double sided tape and are very small in size, even without a screen. Another option for power supply to dash cam is to fix an additional charging port in a convenient location and use the dash cam charger provided. Power supply to the additional charging port from fuse box might be similar to the dash cam wiring installation. There are three different types of fuse taps available, based on your car’s fuse type. Most of the modern cars use the mini fuse (APM, ATM) and low-profile mini fuse (ATT, APS). Check out the type of fuse in your car before ordering fuse taps. Google automotive fuses for more info.

CHROME STRIP MOULDING


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-...608.0.0.AGtitV


Nothing much to write about this. The quality of the strips is top notch. But installation is an extremely painful DIY. I couldn’t hold a pen for two days after this installation. Looks wise it’s excellent for the doors and roof lamps, but not much for the dash board and the rear roof AC. Storme has uneven gaps at most of the panel junctions, so you need to push back in the moulding strip every few days. Overall I would recommend it, but prepare to give your hands a good rest for a day or two after the DIY.










HEADS UP DISPLAY (HUD)


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2016...608.0.0.AGtitV


Got an exciting discount on a HUD I was planning. So ordered it immediately. As storme windshield is curved at the borders, the HUD display isn’t straight. On a bright, sunny day the HUD display is very difficult to read. But very clear otherwise. The non-slip pad does the job. HUD doesn’t move no matter what. Coming to the real world usage, I don’t think HUD is useful enough. Only thing I look for in the HUD is the kmph or RPM readings. And now for the past three weeks I haven’t turned it on, not even once. I’m thinking to remove the HUD.







DEAD PEDAL


I miss the dead pedal in the Storme very badly. I'm not sure whether anyone else tried this jugaad in a safari.

Searched for any readymade dead pedals online, but I could find only one (it’s of jeep wrangler, in aliexpress), which wouldn’t fit the Storme, as Storme has very little leg space near the pedals. It’s not cramped as in my eon or other hatchbacks, but surely not wide enough (strictly my opinion). Also I feel the pedals are laid out very much to the right side. When in driver seat, the clutch pedal is in exact centre of me. The seating position is screwed up in Storme, with respect to the pedals. This might be the reason for my occasional knee pain.


Searched for alternatives and found out an old post in T-Bhp, someone suggesting a carved out wood block in shape of a dead pedal. So I’ve planned for this. I ordered a dead pedal aluminuim plate to fix it over the wood block, to enhance the looks. Quality of the plate is extremely good, but the plate is too wide to fit. So planned another jugaad with the plate too. I’got the wood block with specific measurements cut from a carpenter. Fixed Velcro on the left side and to the base of the block and Velcro sticks perfectly. No chance of the dead pedal moving when secured with the velcro. I’ve put PVC floor matting to the whole floor, including the boot, which covers up the dead pedal too. On top of this I’m planning to fix the aluminum plate for looks.


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Silv...608.0.0.AGtitV


I’ve tried this dead pedal in few long drives, and I’ve given extensive trials before fixing it up. Driving with shoes on might be difficult to operate the clutch, because of the narrow space. I would definitely recommend this, but takes a lot of time and patience to tailor this dead pedal.
It’s extremely useful in Storme, especially in the long drives. TML should include this.



EL WIRE


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-...608.0.0.INVN6w


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SF-C...608.0.0.INVN6w


First of all thanks to t-Bhpian rohansachar for his info on EL wire installation. Looking for chrome strips, I accidentally found these EL wires. Then I remembered T-bhpian rohansachar post of EL wire in his Storme. So pinged him up regarding few queries and ordered it. Similar to the chrome strip, this is also another painful DIY. But the looks of the Storme with these in the nights is extra ordinary. In the day, we can’t perceive the glow at all. So it doesn’t make a difference whether you switch it on or off. Also it looks a bit odd in the day because of the distinguishing color of the EL wire compared with the interior dark shade.


The EL wire converter makes a humming noise constantly (I was already warned by rohan). For the front row, I used two pieces of 4 meter EL wires and routed them from door to the dash board and then onto the centre console all the way till the rear blower. Here I joined them both with a connector and then to the charging port. For the middle row, I have ordered two units of 1 metre cable and extended their wiring. Fixed these from the middle row doors and routed the cable to the middle row charging port.




Overall worth the price. Looks awesome in the night. I didn’t plan permanent wiring for this, as I’m sure these EL wires won’t last long. Rohan informed me that his EL wire already stopped working.

TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)


I’ve ordered this long back and tried it on eon initially for about two months. Later transferred it to Storme. Most of the TPMS main unit utilize the charger port. So I looked for an alternative. Hence the solar charging TPMS. There’re two types of TPMS-one is with the screw type external sensor and other ones are fixed into the inner side of rim. The internal ones replace the whole valve. So no worries during refilling the tire. But a lot of extra work during tire rotation is needed. Also I wasn’t sure about the quality of the valves used, especially if they’re removed for every wheel rotation.


Now coming to the External sensors:
PROS
1)Quality of the main unit, external sensors is excellent.
2)No need of charging at all. I haven’t used the charging cable even once for the past 8 months. Though there’s a charging port in the main unit, I wasn’t provided any cable with the package.
3)Accurate readings. I’ve compared the readings of TPMS with the different petrol stations air refilling points, on several occasions. I never found any major difference between the readings.
4)I had flat tire twice in the past 4 months in Storme. Both times I found out the flat tire based on the readings of TPMS. Tire looked completely alright at that time. I even thought the TPMS sensor was malfunctioning at first. On careful examination I found out a huge bolt in the tire.
5)Sensors have locking mechanism. There’s a nut which is screwed onto the valve before inserting the sensor (a separate small spanner is provided with the kit). I’ve tried hard enough to unscrew the sensor with the nut on and it’s difficult to remove the sensor without damaging the valve.
6)The TPMS automatically lights up when it’s not solar charging, i.e in the evenings and nights, it’ll be always backlit. This is an excellent feature.


CONS
1)Each time I plan to refill the air, it’s a huge task. I have to remove the sensors, which take up a good time with the spanner. So impossible to do it in the petrol station with a long queue waiting for air refilling. But air refilling isn’t a regular job with the TPMS on. You would be knowing when to refill the air.
2)I’ve heard a lot of stories of solar charging TPMS batteries swell up and give up finally after an year or two. So I’m not sure regarding the battery life or safety issues.
3)Other TPMS have even the Temperature readings. I’m not sure whether it would matter if I know the temperature of the tire while riding.
That’s all. I’ve found out no other issues with the TPMS. I would definitely recommend the TPMS. I have purchased the Michelin Rapid Tire inflator, to make the refilling job even easier.



http://www.amazon.in/Michelin-12266-...inhydr18418-21


Both the types of TPMS (internal and external ones) have their pros and cons. Both are equally good as far as I know. So choose based on your convenience.
I would definitely recommend Steelmate brand TPMS, but these are much higher priced than the competition. Other good brands I found out are SPY and Victon, though I don’t have much first hand experience with these.





Finally I decided to go in for the seat covers, as the fabric seats were already looking dull and were difficult to maintain. Got hold of an exclusive car seats guy at my current place. Took him 2 days to stitch the covers and a good 5 hours to fit those onto the seats. Damage to the pocket was INR 11,000. I’ll the post the pics of seat covers within a day or two.The quality of the covers is excellent, made of some kind of art or foam leather. He also offered pure leather seats custom-stitched for storme, at a price of about INR 58,000. Bluntly rejected them as I’m not sure on investing 60k on seat covers.

A lot of new rattles and niggles popped up, but an absolutely trouble-free journey so far. I’m loving every minute I am at the wheel. Planning another trip to Hyderabad during second week of this month and if all iz well then a trip to kutch next month.



Any more updates will follow on.

I'm unable to post more than 30 pics at a time. So i'll be uploading the rest in the next post. Bear with me.

Thank you all for your time and patience.
sayonara.

[doc_zeus]

Here are some more pics

The dead pedal might look crude to some, but i prefer my comfort to the looks.















Here's few pics of EL wire in action.












Storme had a huge bolt in the tire, twice. Found out only because of the TPMS.









Any more updates will follow.