[abhikb]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

The weight of your legs should not rest on your tail bone, the seat base should support your thigh to make that happen. Height of the seatbase is one way to make that happen, adding extra foam should definitely help in that area.

Thanks for the inputs, let me figure out what to do to suit the usage. Pls check your PM once, need some details on the arrangement made at your end.

[abhikb]

With the road tripping and other socializing activities taking a back seat since last few months due to Covid-19 situation, to compensate that we go out for a couple of hours drive in the Thar every Sunday. The drives are totally unplanned and we decide where to go after leaving home .

Today took my wife and daughter for a small drive of 50-60 kms near Thol village and Vadsar area. Every monsoon we drive this trail atleast once as the surroundings during this time are very picturesque. The cover page of this thread was also clicked there last year. It takes around 3 hours to start and reach back home depending on the number of Photography stops. Overall those love to drive around the natural surroundings this trail is good enough. The route goes as Shilaj-Rancharda-Thol-Khatraj-Vadsar and then to SP Ring road. Since we travel with a toddler with us, we make it a point to not get down at crowded place and spend most of the time in the Thar itself. That means we need to plan well in advance about the precautions to be taken and what all stuff to carry such as food, water etc.

Anyways nothing much to write on this, Pictures clicked as below:

[abhikb]

Stop gap solution to rectify seating height problem:

I had elaborated and gone through few options with regard to making the driving seat more comfortable and mainly to reduce the tailbone Pain which I was experiencing after few hours of driving. Bhpian Kosfactor made a right comment on this thread earlier that the height of driving seat In the Thar is little downwards due to CMVR reasons which is primary source of the tailbone pain. Increasing the height by couple of inches can reduce the issue.

So I weighed down many options on how to get it done and also I needed something which would be a temporary arrangement as short height people in the family will not have that issue which I was facing. Henceforth came across a nice seat cushion on Amazon (Shown in the pic), the reviews were positive and description said it can be used in car seats also. So ordered one right away and It costed around Rs. 650.

It has been more than week since I am driving the seat cushion and it has done wonders to resolve the issue. It took me around 2 days to find the right seating posture and since then it has been fairly comfortable. Due to work and family commitments, I am driving the Thar for almost 70-80 kms each day and that too in city traffic. There is a vast difference in the before and after condition with the seat cushion for now and it seems to be ideal way out.

Below are the pics of the product and in use at the front seat:

[abhikb]

There hasn’t been much adventurous stuff happening with the Thar, it is doing its daily duty for my office commute and weekend strolling with wife & the Kid. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still at large, with a toddler to take care off we are taking it slow and waiting for the threat to subside a bit before we start doing road trips the pre pandemic way.

The odometer is at 19,500 kms presently which has been covered in a span of 15 months. The next service is due at 22,000 kms which should take a month to cover with the current usage unless an impromptu plan is made (PS: desperately need to do a road trip).

Signing off with photos of the Sunday evening strolls around the town with my 3 beauties:

[abhikb]

Got a chance to stretch the legs of the Thar as we made a short drive to Surat to visit my In-laws. The Thar crossed 20,000 Kms during this drive over an ownership period of 15 months. There hasn’t been any issues or niggles so far apart from the steering wheel remaining tilted to the right or left and then getting back to its original position on its own. I have a habit of checking the oil and coolant level before any long drive along with the air filter cleaning, surprisingly the coolant level dropped below Low level in just 1 month time of previous check. I suspected it to be a leak somewhere hence got the coolant topped up and kept some reserve for the journey. The coolant hasn’t dipped after completing the to and fro drive which lasted 700 Kms, I guess at times Jeeps have the special power to heal on its own .

While in Surat, we took some time off and had a short spin to the infamous Dumas beach also known to be one of the most haunted places in India. Though in my numerous visits to the beach never found anything spooky or haunted. Anyways, I had been dying to let the Thar flex it’s off road muscles so far and the beach drive was the perfect getaway to enjoy the off road capabilities of the beauty. It’s a 30 minutes drive from the city and there are many people who flock the beach during the day time.

After driving around on the beach for a while where most of the people had flocked to we embarked far into the wetlands where no 2WD vehicle would dare to go. As we got deeper into the wetlands the Thar started slipping and kept loosing traction in 2W mode. Switched for 4H and slotted into 2nd gear and it started taking on those slippery surfaces without any fuss. Even though it slipped a bit in 4H but didn’t require to get into 4L, just maintained the momentum and slotted into 1st gear whenever required. The Thar is a very capable machine when it comes to going off road and we experienced just that in 1 hour beach drive. Our daughter Ayona (about 14 months old) had her first share of off the road experience in her Dad’s Jeep.

[abhikb]

22,000 Kms Service Update:

Been a while since I updated the thread, the Thar went in for a routine service after a gap of 10,000 Kms from the last service. Following were part of the routine service:

1) Engine oil change- Rs. 1688
2) Diesel Filter- Rs. 1351
3) Oil Filter- Rs. 169
4) Wheel alignment- Rs. 600
5) Maxi mech care- Rs. 300
6) Steering alignment- Rs. 800
7) GST on above- Rs. 886
8) Total Service cost- Rs. 5804

There were couple of niggles which I got checked during the servicing:

1) Knocking sound whenever the Thar goes over a pothole or a bump.
2) Steering tilting to the Left at all times.

The knocking sound issue was caused due to loosening of front suspension link rod. This same issue happened the last time Thar went into the service. The SA said that it’s an inherent problem with the Thar and will only need a bit tightening whenever the sound comes up. This means I will need to visit the workshop every time this issue comes up. Will require advice from Jeep gurus on this for permanent solution.

The steering wheel misalignment was a issue since the day I bought the Thar. Post servicing it would again crop up after couple of days of usage. Till now I tried to adjust and live with it but this was something which I couldn’t let go without find a root cause and a solution. I asked the SA to check on it during the service and he assured that the same will be taken care off through wheel balancing and steering alignment. I told him that the same assurance during the last servicing but the issue has been unresolved till now, yet he assured that it will be taken care off.

Anyhow, I picked up the Thar in the evening time post servicing and started the drive back home. A few minutes of driving and the steering wheel again started tilting to the left by almost 15 deg. I drove back to the service station and gave a mouthful to the SA, it has been 17 months since I brought the Thar and they are unable to find a permanent solution to this issue. On seeing the chaos, the Service manager quickly came out and asked what the matter was. I explained it again and showed my displeasure on ASCs inability to solve this issue. The service manager sat with me for a trial and witnessed the issue, he quickly said that he has understood what the issue is and asked me to leave the Thar for 1 more day at the workshop.

I left the Thar as suggested by the Service manager with the final warning that if they are unable to resolve the issue this time I will take things higher to M&M management. The next evening i got a call that the Thar is ready for delivery and I can pick up. I took a small trial along with the SA and found that the issue is resolved, the steering wheel now remains stable and doesn’t tilt to left or right. Post taking the trial, met the Service manager who explained that the Torsion bar setting was not proper and hence the Caster and Camber alignment was not yielding any results. As per them the torsion bar was misaligned by a few degrees which led to the issue, hence they made necessary changes to the Torsion bar setting followed with Caster and Camber alignment and steering wheel alignment. The Thar now runs much more stable than before and for the first time the steering wheel remains in straight line. As per the ASC they said 90% of the thars have this issue and requires rectification. One of my friend (also a fellow bhpian) owns a new gen Thar who faced the similar issue and had to get it rectified at ASC.

I wonder why doesn’t M&M bother to get a permanent solution to such issues when many owners complain on the same. The old gen Thars carried this issue and is even coming up in the new gen Thar that too after spending more than in development of the new model.

Well the Thar is running smooth for now and has been absolutely niggle free. The ODO stands at little over 22,000 Kms and hope to munch miles soon.

Special thanks to bhpian Kosfactor for pointing out that the steering wheel alignment issue can be resolved through Torsion beam setting by posting earlier on this thread.

I seriously look forward to suggestions from experts on how to get the suspension link rod loosening issue resolved permanently and the improving the near dead performance of Thar in 1st gear or at low rpm.

[KkVaidya]

Originally Posted by abhikb

22,000 Kms Service Update:

I seriously look forward to suggestions from experts on how to get the suspension link rod loosening issue resolved permanently and the improving the near dead performance of Thar in 1st gear or at low rpm.

If you availed service at Punjab Motors then I am sure they did not do anything to resolve your steering alignment issue. They have a crew of jokers attending vehicles and think customers do not know anything! Wheel alignment is a cumbersome job in Thar as they have to put/remove shims for adjusting Caster/Camber.
The link rod matter what the SA is telling you is 100% crap. My 2014 model is at 73,000kms and have never faced this issue.
Do check the Torsion bar setting by measuring the ground to the lower bolt of the lower arm; Specification is 270mm (+/-5mm). No one knows the specs and they just adjust it to their gut feeling.
I have recently gone through ALL this and could finally resolve it with my own R&D

[Kosfactor]

Alignment is a specialist job - as in outside specialist job. It takes years of practice for them to get there and cannot be done by just using some fancy 3D equipment. For vehicles like Scorpio \ Thar \ Bolero etc , it should always be done outside.

Please find a reputed alignment shop in your area where they know how to align a torsion bar suspension, you have to find an old shop with experienced masters who knows what they are doing. (Ask Tempo traveler drivers or Jeep drivers).

Sequence as follows.

1. Test drive
2. Align
3. Test drive
4. Align \ Make final torque down.
5. Final test drive.

Link rod should not come loose if tightened to factory spec using a torque wrench - by the way even the wheels are torqued down using a Torque wrench to correct specs in Mahindra ASS here, else they will fly off or wont come loose when you have a puncture.

I did not feel any loss of pick at low speeds - please get the air filter checked \ replaced as well as see if EGR Vacuum modulator is working properly.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by KkVaidya

If you availed service at Punjab Motors then I am sure they did not do anything to resolve your steering alignment issue. They have a crew of jokers attending vehicles and think customers do not know anything
The link rod matter what the SA is telling you is 100% crap. My 2014 model is at 73,000kms and have never faced this issue.
Do check the Torsion bar setting by measuring the ground to the lower bolt of the lower arm; Specification is 270mm (+/-5mm). No one knows the specs and they just adjust it to their gut feeling.
I have recently gone through ALL this and could finally resolve it with my own R&D

Hey mate, I totally agree with you on this. So far my Thar has been to workshop 4 times so far including routine service and they couldn’t get hold of the issue till now unless I had to heat them up a bit. Prior to the last two services there’s a knocking sound whenever I would drive on the potholes or bumps. Since last two visits they have been saying that the lock nut is getting loosened.

Can you recommend a good garage in Ahmedabad who can check it once?

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Please find a reputed alignment shop in your area where they know how to align a torsion bar suspension, you have to find an old shop with experienced masters who knows what they are doing. (Ask Tempo traveler drivers or Jeep drivers).

Link rod should not come loose if tightened to factory spec using a torque wrench - by the way even the wheels are torqued down using a Torque wrench to correct specs in Mahindra ASS here, else they will fly off or wont come loose when you have a puncture.

I did not feel any loss of pick at low speeds - please get the air filter checked \ replaced as well as see if EGR Vacuum modulator is working properly.

I had the bitter taste with ASS and will be going for alignment work from outside and these people are dumbstruck and don’t take the pain to get to the root cause. will check on the link rod issue from a good mechanic outside.

The pick up at 1st gear on an uphill drive feels very sluggish probably due to short gear ratios between 1st and 2nd. I have owned a Xylo earlier which had the same CRDe engine and 5 speed gear box and found its performance way better on uphill drives in 1st and 2nd gears than that in the Thar, again this is not an precise comparison but considering it as a reference.

Does your Thar has the insect mesh installed in the front grill? I at times feel that the mesh gets dirty in regular use which could be a reason.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by abhikb

I had the bitter taste with ASS and will be going for alignment work from outside and these people are dumbstruck and don’t take the pain to get to the root cause. will check on the link rod issue from a good mechanic outside.

The pick up at 1st gear on an uphill drive feels very sluggish probably due to short gear ratios between 1st and 2nd. I have owned a Xylo earlier which had the same CRDe engine and 5 speed gear box and found its performance way better on uphill drives in 1st and 2nd gears than that in the Thar, again this is not an precise comparison but considering it as a reference.

Does your Thar has the insect mesh installed in the front grill? I at times feel that the mesh gets dirty in regular use which could be a reason.

Talk to the manager and ask for a senior technician or supervisor, get a test driver and go for a test drive. Afterwards let them put the vehicle on the lift and further examine if needed. Be patient, be polite but insist on getting your vehicle in top shape no matter what. Preferably go on weekdays with prior appointment.

Alignment needs to be done outside, that is a given.

Considering the cooling needs in comparison to the older engines that produced a lot less power, I prefer to let the grill get as much airflow as possible.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Talk to the manager and ask for a senior technician or supervisor, get a test driver and go for a test drive. Afterwards let them put the vehicle on the lift and further examine if needed. Be patient, be polite but insist on getting your vehicle in top shape no matter what. Preferably go on weekdays with prior appointment.

Alignment needs to be done outside, that is a given.

Considering the cooling needs in comparison to the older engines that produced a lot less power, I prefer to let the grill get as much airflow as possible.

Thanks will take it up with the local ASS.

[abhikb]

Update:

COVID-19 is again making it presence felt accross the country and this time in a more dangerous way. Unfortunately, our road tripping activity is getting delayed for some or the other reason. We had planned to hit the mountains in April which would have been a first for the Thar and our daughter Ayona, but unfortunately, this time I was not that lucky and contracted COVID. Currently, sitting under home quarantine, isolated and wondering when will we finally be able to do that road trip which we have been itching to go since more than a year.

However, to make the best use of this quarantine period I thought why not update this ownership thread, due to busy routine at work since last few months hardly got the time to put much of an info. Before we get on, few basic details about the Thar is as follows:

1) Ownership period: 19 months
2) KMS clocked as on today: 23658
3) Modifications done till now: Refer to post No. 60 of this thread.
4) Issues and niggles: None so far, apart from the wheel alignment issue which the ASC could have resolved much earlier.

So, let me start this update with the most said statement about automobiles “kitna deti hai?”, for a country that’s obsessed with mileage this question is quite obvious. Over the ownership period I have been maintaining a fuel log through Mahindra’s With You Humesha app, in complete city usage the Thar gives a mileage in the range of 11.5 kmpl-12.5 kmpl. Being a daily drive, my average city usage is around 25-30 kms per day. On the Highway runs the mileage climbs up to 14 kmpl-15 kmpl, I have a sedate driving style on the highways maintaining a speed of 90-100 km/hr with the rpm level hovering around 2000 rpm. These days I am bit hooked up with Bhpian Prasannadhana’s ownership thread on Safari storme and how he has been extracting industry leading mileage from the beauty. This makes me wonder if the Storme can then the Thar can also give me better mileage probably higher by another 2 kmpl.So my target is to extract 13kmpl-14 kmpl in the city and upto 16 kmpl on the highways. Let’s see, will remove the insect mesh once I am out of the quarantine period, it gets dirty every now and then slows down the vehicle.

If you go through the previous updates, you would know that in order to compensate the itching for road tripping we do short strolls in and around Ahmedabad every weekend. These strolls last from 50-100 kms every weekend. This helps us in getting a little break from hues and cries of city life, also helps our daughter Ayona getting acquainted to traveling on road. Following this routine for last 6 months has got Ayona used to traveling in the Thar, during daytime she remains playful once it gets dark she doesn’t like it anymore as she is unable to see anything outside. For us it is pretty much clear that whenever we travel we need to use the Sunrise to Sunset timing, anything after sunset will stress the little one out and in turn us.

During the last few instances we also visited couple of places near Ahmedabad which are flocked by off road enthusiasts. It’s like Go in-Get in-Get stuck-Engage 4X4-Come out without a fuss. We tried doing it at Sant Sarover dam in Gandhinagar followed with Ambod last week. No wonder Ayona stands beside the terrain and watches the Thar doing some off road stuff. However, for engaging from 4WD to 2WD, Thar needs to be reversed a few meters to get the hubs disengaged. This activity is seriously frustrating as one needs to pay attention to a clanking noise while the hubs disengage, with all the high ambient noises.

Thar 700 CRDe 2019 VS Thar Mhawk 2020:

Last month I also had the opportunity to catch up with Bhpian Sportsmedicine(Dr.Kushal Parikh) and his brand new black Thar 2020. This was the first time I saw the updated Thar in person, his is the Hardtop Diesel automatic variant in black color. The new Thar certainly is designed leap ahead of the CRDe model. I did a good test drive of the new Thar and following are my observations:

Exterior:

The overall dimensions of the new Thar is definitely increased than its predecessor, the plush touch ups all over the body gives an upmarket feel, the rawness of the old Thar is definitely not seen anywhere.
The ORVMs are positioned well and has less blind spots then the old Thar. Thinking of getting a pair for my Thar. The doors don’t open and close with a rattle and is rather car like now. However, what it misses the most is the character and the Jeep type aura that the older Thar carries. I wish M&M would have found out a way to hold on the original design of the Thar, it would have wreaked havoc. Anyhow the low radiator placement is going to piss off many off road enthusiasts as the approach angle has been compromised to an large extent. Lastly, the hood latches are not confidence inspiring, it’s a bit more sophisticated than the older ones and will tend to break easily.

Interior:

This is where Mahindras R&D team has done a commendable job as compared to the old Thar. They have paid attention to almost all the flaws that the older Thar had in terms of interiors. Have listed a few is them for ready reference, all of the below points have been listed as areas of improvement in various Thar CRDe reviews:

- ICE that supports Apple car play and android auto
- Digital MID and updated instrument cluster
- 4WD lever is at easy accessible distance.
- Gear lever is now short in length at the visible level and vibrates less.
- Front facing rear seats. Though these are best left for kids for long highway runs, still the erstwhile CRDe’s bench seats were removed the first thing by owners.
- Rear defogger
- Floor board is now flat, in the older ones you cannot see through the front windscreen from the rear seats.
- Though you need to climb into new Thar, the door opening is wide enough.
- Doors now close with a solid Thud and not a clank.

Looking to the above, it clearly indicates that Mahindra has listened to customers wishlist and have ensured most of them are incorporated in new version. The same thing happened when the Thar CRDe was launched, they took a note of what MM540/550 and other Jeep owners complained all those and incorporated most of it in the CRDe.

Driving Experience:

The NVH levels have been controlled well in the new Thar, the refinement of the Mhawk engine is seen from the first tap on the accelerator. The automatic gearshifts are very smooth and you will hardly feel jerks while shifting. If you are acquainted with the driveability of the Scorpio and Xuv500, the new Thar moves in a similar way. With the 6 speed gearbox the highway cruising in the new Thar is much more enjoyable now. Just like the old Thar, the new Thar eats potholes and bumps for breakfast, there’s minimum body roll observed at high speeds though like it predecessor this one is not meant to do high speed cornering.

Being a fan of the tall driving position of the CRDe, I noticed that the new one has lower seating position in comparison. Though in isolation, the new Thar’s seating position is not bad but once you are acquainted with CRDe’s tall seating position the new ones seating position just didn’t appeal.

While one thing is common, these two beauties surely attract a lot of eyes and attention on the road, furthermore they can be blend in any occasion and environment.

So, does the new Thar appeals like the older one? - As a separate product yes, but more than the older one, big NO.

Is it easy to live with? Absolutely, it’s the same way what MM550 owners would feel about Thar CRDe.

Is it refined and smooth? Hell yeah !!!

Would you exchange your Thar 700 with a 2020 Thar? Hell No, Are you crazy, the new one is a Thar whereas the older one is a Jeep and I loved Jeeps since the time I was a child

Few pics from the meet:



That’s me with Bhpian Sportsmedicine









Further mods planned:

Next up I am looking to install captain seats at the rear, as the luggage occupies the rear space when traveling and the whole purpose of going for the bed type seats get defeated. Looking to install the seats in such a way that some space is left behind the seats which can be used to put couple of bags. Hoping to get a pair of used Thar CRDe front seats for the rear since they would be easy to source as most of the CRDe owners replace the stock seats. Any donor here, PM me would be happy to buy it. Would also appreciate if anyone can guide on the correct way to have front armrest installed with the stock seats.

[SportsMedicine]

Wow Abhik, i never knew this thread existed. Kudos to you for such a detailed write up and updating it so regularly. I will go through it very soon.

Regarding Thar 700 versus Thar 2020, I missed buying Thar 700 by an inch. While i do repent that but glad that I got the new one. And as correctly quoted by you, new Thar is Thar but Thar older generation had a true blue Jeep character. I agree that worst thing about new one is the radiator placement.

[abhikb]

Originally Posted by SportsMedicine

Wow Abhik, i never knew this thread existed. Kudos to you for such a detailed write up and updating it so regularly. I will go through it very soon.

Regarding Thar 700 versus Thar 2020, I missed buying Thar 700 by an inch. While i do repent that but glad that I got the new one. And as correctly quoted by you, new Thar is Thar but Thar older generation had a true blue Jeep character. I agree that worst thing about new one is the radiator placement.

Hey mate, it’s great to read the above coming from you. Yes the new Thar lacks the true blue Jeep character but then change is inevitable. A decade ago, who would have imagined that there will be a Jeep which would have 100+ horses and oddles of torque. Imagining a Jeep do 120+ kmph all day long was a distant dream a decade back, with time the same has been possible with the Thar CRDe but what it lacked was the comfort and convenience to compete with the main stream vehicle. With the new Thar it is giving serious heads up to the main stream vehicles.

[Kottayamkaran]

Originally Posted by abhikb

Update:

Next up I am looking to install captain seats at the rear, as the luggage occupies the rear space when traveling and the whole purpose of going for the bed type seats get defeated. Looking to install the seats in such a way that some space is left behind the seats which can be used to put couple of bags. Hoping to get a pair of used Thar CRDe front seats for the rear since they would be easy to source as most of the CRDe owners replace the stock seats. Any donor here, PM me would be happy to buy it. Would also appreciate if anyone can guide on the correct way to have front armrest installed with the stock seats.

I would suggest you to get innova captain seats. That would be more comfy i believe.