[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Update: Got the HU version updated to MD-0921(Sept 21 release).

Hello Shashi, have you faced any issues with HU while using Android Auto ? In my vehicle (Swift) it freezes and only after full restart (turning off the vehicle and waiting for 30 seconds) works again. This happens quite frequently and there is no set pattern when it happens.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

Hello Shashi, have you faced any issues with HU while using Android Auto ? In my vehicle (Swift) it freezes and only after full restart (turning off the vehicle and waiting for 30 seconds) works again. This happens quite frequently and there is no set pattern when it happens.

It used to happen earlier whenever Android Auto was being used along with music being played in the background. The recent update has perhaps worked and I'm yet to experience it, touchwood.

A workaround for me when it happens is, to keep music off, or leave the display on homepage and rely only on audio guidance for navigation. Also, have noticed this freezing issue to be frequent when the car has been baking under the sun for a long time.

[TurboKat]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Update: MID threw warning for the first time about Fob battery being low after 2 Years and 3 months of usage. Replaced battery for both fobs for peace of mind.

Was pretty easy to open the fob:

Attachment 2365800

Panasonic battery came from factory:

Attachment 2365801

Both done:

Attachment 2365802

Regards,
Shashi

PS: Teaser with UV cut glasses:

I guess Panasonic batteries are offered by most manufacturers. The keyfobs of our Grand i10 and a friend's Ecosport S came with Panasonics from the factory.
PS: The UV cut glass is a great addition for your car. I wish Hyundai provided something similar for its cars.

[jalex77]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Upgraded stock horns: While it wasn't a near miss, still I felt the need of better horns for the highways. The stock ones didn't get the respect a car should get.

I was wary of opening bumper etc since it's a pain in the XL6 and I have seen fit and finish going down the drain when opened. Thankfully, Maruti has designed a superb location for the horn. It's located behind the grill. The grill itself is designed brilliantly and is a two part setup. The top part is easily removable and that gives enough access to the horns.

I first tried Crysta's horn set since it's too irritating and gets the attention immediately.

Hellas:

Attachment 2183893

Attachment 2183894

I used to envy Crysta owners since the horn is so easily accessible for them, and irony is that their horn is so good that they rarely change it. However it's not too bad in the XL6 too, thankfully. We just need to remove the few plastic clips, 4 bolts and first the rear cover comes out and then the grill can be pulled out by holding the chrome bar firmly.

Attachment 2183895

This is the schematic diagram, if it helps.

Guess what, I too swapped the horns on my car.

Used the ones that I had retro fitted on my 2013 Vespa VX which is now sitting in the porch dead for the last two years for need of parts.

I was checking your post repeatedly through out the job so that I don't miss a step or mess up. I did have a little difficulty removing the clips inside the grill, they weren't coming off and I couldn't grip the chrome centre garnish of the grill properly to pull it out. Was also worried if I might break something pulling it hard or the wrong way, so googled to see if there are any videos and then saw this one -

https://youtu.be/5wcZlb_1N1M

Finally I managed to fit the horns successfully. The horns are Roots Windtone W90 make. They are loud and the only downside is that being bright coloured, they can be seen through the grill.

I also have a doubt, do we need to use a seperate horn relay for these horns? The Roots I have fitted are 5A each.

Now waiting for your detailed post about the UV cut glass swap. And hopefully, that is on my mind too. Heat here in Kerala is unbearable these days and it's getting worse with each passing year.

[drsarao]

Driving impressions on my first long road trip in new XL6 (2022) from Delhi to Tehri.

I decided to go to a hill station relatively less travelled. New Tehri in Uttarakhand is a name I recognized and at the same time it did not seem to be a very popular tourist destination.

It is about 350 kms from Delhi. My route was Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut-Muzaffarnagar-Roorkee-Haridwar-Rishikesh-Narendranagar-Chamba-Tehri. We started at 6am and reached at 1pm (7 hours) with a short break at Jhilmil Food Court just short of Muzaffarnagar.

The road was very good throughout with 4 toll road stretches costing a total of Rs 350 one way. I kept to speed limits – 50-60 kmph in cities and 80-100 kmph on highways. I You-tubed my way to adjusting the seat height-tilt-position and steering wheel tilt-telescope to get the optimum comfort. It paid off ultimately, as I ended the journey without any pains or aches and no fatigue at all. The long drive enabled me to learn the peculiarities of the new car. I was then more confident of handling it during the return trip and managed to complete it in 6.5 hours – doing up to 120 kmph in some stretches. I did not find any ‘safe stretch’ of road to try it beyond 120 kmph.

I had installed a dash-cam for video-chronicling the trip (DDPAI Mini 5) and to document any ‘events’. I managed to get some good footage in the winding hill roads and the suspension bridge.

I carried a small backpack with emergency tools and maintenance stuff – Jump start battery (70mai), analog tyre pressure gauge (though my car has TPMS), puncture kit, vacuum cleaner (Bergmann Stunner), WD-40 spray, torch, duct tape, electrical tape, nylon zip ties, aluminium foil, tissue roll, wiper fluid, small microfiber cloth and a larger dusting cloth. This back pack was stuffed with bubble wrap (for protection of tools and to create a snug fit in the space to avoid any rattle) I stowed it in under-the-boot compartment wedged to one side. Fortunately, none of the tools were needed except the dusting cloth and vacuum cleaner! Anything else essential one needs to carry? – maybe tyre inflator.

Duplicate key was carried by my better half in her hand bag. I wrapped it in quadruple layer of aluminium foil to avoid interference. It worked. Again, the duplicate was not required during the trip.

My observations about the trip and XL6 (not in any particular order):

Engine Power. The car for its size is under-powered. I felt constrained, especially while overtaking at speeds above 60 kmph. However, after a few hundred kms of highway driving, I got used to the XL6 ‘way’ of doling-out power and how best to use it. Basically, just do everything in a relaxed manner and planned way without hurry. I was pleasantly surprised by the grunt it gave up to 60 kmph if you just take care to use the accelerator optimally and lovingly?! (It is impossible to explain – but easy to learn). I do not overtake above 80 kmph anyway – so it was ok for me. Under powering is more than compensated-for by the fuel efficiency.

Transmission and safety. During the hill driving, the Automatic transmission with Hill-hold made the whole driving experience totally stress free – no timing of foot from brake to accelerator. Previously, I drove a Manual transmission Innova for 15 years and quite comfortably too, but now I am just in love with AT! Never had the occasion to experience ABS, ESP, brake-assist etc. But then these things work in the background – so, even if one of these kicked-in, I might not have known it. The warning lights came on only once during the whole trip due to unreleased handbrake – rookie mistake I know. Beeps and clicks when you cross 80 kmph are a bit annoying but I don’t think it can be disabled.

Smart hybrid does provide some boost when required – you need to learn to coax this out too. Incidentally, I was worried that my lithium battery was not getting fully charged. But on this trip during downhill runs, all 5 bands in battery indicator turned green (photo below). Auto shut-down of engine while idling and restart were quite smooth and seamless.
I used cruise control for some time but am still not comfortable with it yet. I will keep trying.

Driver side A-pillar obstructs the vision a lot, especially when taking a right turn. I think the Innova A-pillar was narrower/better designed. This is a safety concern with probably no solution, you just have to be mindful of the risk and compensate for it.

Being able to fold-unfold the ORVMS by pushing a button without opening the window is very convenient when negotiating narrow, single lane traffic in small hill towns with parked vehicles and heavy pedestrian flow. The 360° camera is also a useful tool in tight situations.

Driving comfort. The suspension is on the firmer side, felt more so with just 2 riders. Engine noise is minimal except when revving beyond 100 kmph and pedal-to-metal during overtaking (tachometer > 3000). Cabin noise is negligible at speeds < 80 kmph. I kept the windows closed and AC ‘on’ throughout. Though under-loaded with just 2 passengers, a suitcase and 2 bags, the car was very stable on straight roads and handled cornering at even 50 kmph quite well.

Infotainment. I found Smart-Play Pro infotainment system good and 7” screen estate is practically more than enough. Understated, predominantly black and white display is less distracting to driver. Touch controls are very smooth but quite awkward to use for the driver. (Old style push buttons were much easier to use without taking your eyes off the road.) Steering wheel controls are quite useful and convenient. The volume control on steering is not well designed and is awkward to use. Bluetooth connection for calls was good.

Android Auto connection was not Wi-Fi but through a USB cable – it always disconnected on first try during a new trip but was completely stable after the first-reconnection. I switch on the car, wait for "Android Auto not connected" message, pull out the USB cable and put it back - that's it. Google maps on the screen was very comfortable for driver as well as the better half. Since there is only one USB input port, if I wanted to connect a thumb drive filled with songs, the Android Auto has to be disconnected. I will try out a USB hub solution.

Night driving. The headlights threw a good wide arc. I found these LED headlights better than halogens in my previous car. Weather was fine, so I used Fog lights only once for testing normal use case – does not make any difference. A Dec/Jan trip will test the effectiveness in Delhi weather.

Fuel Efficiency. Highway driving gave 18-20 kmpl consistently with AC always running and 80-100 kmph speeds. City driving gives about 13-15 kmpl. Apparently, I can coax out more as per some of the threads on Team BHP but I am quite happy with current figures.

New Tehri - the destination was uncluttered, serene and quiet place with few tourists. It is a huge lake with water sports (motor boat, jetboat, banana boat, jet-ski, parasailing etc). We stayed at GMVN Tehri Lake Eco Huts. The lake also has a unique private floating huts hotel. There is a quaint suspension bridge in Dobra with amazing dynamic lights display during night - about 17 kms away. Tehri dam is impressive sight and there is a rope-way close to it crossing the river (Madan Negi rope-way). We also went to Kanatal (45km-1 hour) which is quite touristic with many camping sites for schools and corporates.

Overall, I am very happy with the car. I would recommend it to anyone with road-trip bug and calm laid-back style of driving. Even if only 2 people are riding, the driving comfort on long trips is way above the popular compact SUV segment cars – especially for taller people. “Need-for-Speed” types will be disappointed. It is an optimum people mover for 5 persons with their luggage.

Some photos:

[India2022]

@LeoShashi - any idea if gear lock will affect car warranty (pin based gear lock in manual mode car)?

[drsarao]

Help on tiny dent on bonnet which has started rusting.

Hello friends,
During my trip to Tehri my car bonnet was hit by a pebble falling from hill above. It seemed liked a tiny 'ding' on examination. (Photo 1)

However, after some days and rains, it started showing some browning. A magnified photograph showed rust formation (Photo 2)

I don't mind the tiny ding.

What I want to know is how best to protect the exposed rusting part without resorting to maybe full bonnet paint job.

Paint? Colorless lacquer? Superglue?

Thanks.

[Kirubakaran_G]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

This is my experience with stock suspension of pre facelift XL6 on stock as well as 195/65R15s. Ride was on the firmer side for sure, but on a recent highway trip, I noticed the ride at rear at 90kmph moving like ripples on water surface. It was a shock to me because with our Innova, I never knew that road to be of that kind. Also, at city speeds, I was not happy with the way it went over road reflectors where the cabin received a not so refined jolt, followed by vibrations everywhere. This is something I have been checking on almost all cars now, and found the same kind of reaction in older Kia Seltos too which was known to be stiff. In short, I felt the XL6 to struggle a bit when the bumps/undulations were small and sharp.

Also, I guess all XL6/Ertiga owners have experienced the violent sideways movement on potholed roads/roads with muddy humps at slow speeds. Driving dead slow was the only option we had.

When I set out to swap the wheels to 16s, I always had in mind to check the ride quality of the New XL6 beforehand. It's a common belief that swap to low profile rubber robs the ride quality, and thus any kind of degrade wasn't acceptable to me.

What happened was that I was blown away by the ride it had to offer, it no longer shivered on the sharper bumps and road reflectors at low speeds. There is a feel of underlying firmness but the way it handles the bump is far more composed and matured. Thus I ordered the Alloys, tyres and entire suspension setup of the new XL6.

We, a family of 4adults and 2children, are inclined towards buying an used Innova Crysta 2.8 AT, while keeping an eagle eye on New XL6. We mandatorily need the best comfort in all three rows.
Application will be mostly on the well paved NHs across India.
Having heard that Crysta is rock solidly stable in straight line, it is hard to resist the urge of getting one. But the used Crysta costs close to the new XL6.
We felt that the XL6's ride is unsettled in the third row under full load in the pre-facelifted version. There is constant bounciness aka vertical movement especially in the third row.
Is it the same case with the newer version too?
Having experienced both the cars, could you please guide us for our next purchase?
As a lover of reliability and comfort for years to come, which car would be better?
Thank you Leoshashi!!!

[rich_heart]

Originally Posted by B-Taurus

I did read about the Osram Nightbreaker H11, can one of you post a link of that lamp on Amazon or Boodmo?

This is what I found: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07RCM5B39/...BJPT49P7?psc=1

What confuses me is the mention of dangling controller in your post, but these lamps are without any controller. Can I just replace the existing lamps on the Valeo fogs with these? Please throw some light (no pun intended).

Which LED bulb did you go for finally? Please share experiences and link.

I recently went on a drive to Kukke and encountered dense fog along Bisile ghat. The stock headlight +fog light are useless at best

I have decided to go for this setup of Valeo +LED.

One question on Valeo fogs is, whether they will be compatible with my 2nd Gen Ertiga?

I also plan if I can replace stock headlight halogen with Philips extreme vision, which I had installed in my earlier Swift. It was available as MGA and I had it installed at Maruti service centre itself.

@Leoshashi, B-taurus or Anyone else has any latest experiences/suggestions, please do share

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by rich_heart

One question on Valeo fogs is, whether they will be compatible with my 2nd Gen Ertiga?

Since you own an Ertiga, my recommendation would be to get Valeo fogs plus some nice halogen bulbs, 55W or similar and Philips Racing vision or something similar. Google around and there are a lot of upgrades available over Xtreme Vision for stock rating from Philips and Osram.

Originally Posted by drsarao

Help on tiny dent on bonnet which has started rusting.

Exposed metal will eventually rust, get the rust cleared, also remove some paint around the rust to check if it hasn't gone under the paint and spread, get it touched up or the entire panel painted as per your preference.

My car has some minor stone chips which are inevitable on highway drives, I get them touched up as soon as I spot them, since they'll eventually rust if left untreated.

[Leoshashi]

Quick Update: The XL6 completes a 4,654 km drive, over the last 15 days. It includes exploring Rajasthan, to a medical trip for mom when stationed at Lucknow. Some pics of the XL6 from the drive:

Tanking up at Ranchi, before the drive:

At Pokhran:

Tin vs Tank , at Jaisalmer:

Witnessing the sunrise at Sam Dunes, Jaisalmer:

About to enter the Land of Braves, Longewala:

At Indo-Pak Border, Bavalian check post:

XL6 next to a "true XL"

At Lucknow, for mom's Physiotherapy. Dr. Venkatesh Mishra is known for successful treatment of Sciatica, and he didn't disappoint. Happy to report that the ailment is entirely gone now after multiple sittings:

Refueling post reaching Ranchi:

Odo reading right now:

The XL6 performed flawlessly throughout the drive. The newly installed IR+UV cut glasses were a boon for this drive through Rajasthan, and earlier where I found 24 degrees lacking on ACC, this time almost the entire trip was covered at 24 degrees setting. There is a remarkable difference in comfort due to the glasses, and I also found them a bit better than older ones in terms of controlling NVH. More on this on a separate post regarding UV cut. Got 17.2 kmpl efficiency over the entire journey. With 31.4k on the odo, service is overdue. Opted not to get it serviced in between the trip because A. The oil was anyways changed at 25k, and was in good condition, and B. Didn't want to tamper with a perfectly functioning car in middle of a long drive.

Regards,
Shashi

PS: Will post few pics with minimal caption of Jaisalmer War memorial, Longewala battlefield and Indo Pak border after this.

[Zeek]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Attention all 2nd Gen Ertiga and XL6 owners: There is a recall, based on complaint, for changing rear axle. This isn't a mass recall, but only for those who have issues.

Hi LeoShashi,

I own a 2019 Ertiga ZXI AT and the car is on Stock Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, The ODO stands at ~38000kms

I see uneven wear on all 4 tyres. For all four tyres, The tread wear indicator is more visible on outer part, however for the inner part is a good couple of mm deep

The tyre rotation is carried out every 7-8k kms and the 90% driving is primarily on Good national highways
I am not really sure if its because of the alignment OR because of the faulty rear axle you mentioned. (The part number matches 72R10)

Please let me know if you think, its the case of faulty axle.
I am planning to visit the Workshop in the coming days to get an opinion as well.

Attaching few pictures for reference

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Zeek

Hi LeoShashi,

I own a 2019 Ertiga ZXI AT and the car is on Stock Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, The ODO stands at ~38000kms

I see uneven wear on all 4 tyres. For all four tyres, The tread wear indicator is more visible on outer part, however for the inner part is a good couple of mm deep

The tyre rotation is carried out every 7-8k kms and the 90% driving is primarily on Good national highways
I am not really sure if its because of the alignment OR because of the faulty rear axle you mentioned. (The part number matches 72R10)

Please let me know if you think, its the case of faulty axle.
I am planning to visit the Workshop in the coming days to get an opinion as well.

I'd say it's a case of Rear axle issue, since you are regularly rotating the wheels. Rotation caused the issue to happen on all 4 wheels. What is your frequency for Wheel alignment?

Regards,
Shashi

[Zeek]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

What is your frequency for Wheel alignment?

Thanks for the response.
The tyre rotation, balancing and alignment is done every 7-8k kms

[India2022]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

It includes exploring Rajasthan, to a medical trip for mom when stationed at Lucknow. Happy to report that the ailment is entirely gone now after multiple sittings

Happy to know on the treatment front.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Newly installed IR+UV cut glasses were a boon for this drive. There is a remarkable difference in comfort due to the glasses, and I also found them a bit better than older ones in terms of controlling NVH

Congratulations on installing IR+UV cut glasses. I am very happy with NVH levels in my XL (facelift), gives super comfort inside. Last weekend while at 90-95 speed, car was not shaking and no outside noise.