[ph03n!x]

I owe this thread an update - and a nice long one at that, what with my Thar crossing the 15,000 KM milestone last month! But this is not that update. This is something more present, and surprisingly not something I came across in the forum or elsewhere.

I got a call from my dealer's service reception yesterday at about 5.30pm. I was wondering why, coz my Thar is not due for its next service - not until March '22, or 20,000 KM - both are months away! The receptionist had a different agenda though.

There is a Service Action for your Thar, sir. It will take 30 min to complete - if you are available, we'll send someone to your residence to complete it.

What is this about, ma'am? (Surprised, in my head am wondering how come I did not know about this from the forum or other online sources).

It is a minor activity sir, something preemptive that M&M has asked us to complete. I will have someone call you tomorrow morning and come over if it is fine by you.

Sure!

My head is racing now. What Service Action is that - which cannot wait until later, and they want to complete tomorrow itself? I was actually thinking of taking the jeep in to the service center to have a between-services oil change. Why can't it wait until then?

I called my trusted Service Advisor next - he assured me that it is minor, nothing to worry. It ain't anything major, which is why they are doing it at my home itself. Something about a protective cover to prevent water ingress in the wiring - was proactively identified based on some RCA.

That was not all that I wanted to hear - I wanted to know what exactly was it. It loosened me up for the evening, though.

10.24am this morning, the call came promptly. The Service Technician confirmed my availability and said he will be there in an hours time. 55th minute, my security announced his arrival. Impressed yet? Wait for it.

I met him at my parking, and asked for the details - he showed me this:

Before the wicked minded amongst ye'all get dirty ideas like when I saw this, let me explain what it is.

See that red marking in the next photo? That is the front driveline disconnect motor. M&M has identified a potential water ingress issue with this harness that might lead the driveline disconnect to possibly malfunction. This is right behind the radiator, accessible from under the body.

Now, my Thar's crossed 15,000 KM (yes, yes - I will post an update on that! Please bear with me..!). I have driven through so heavy a rains that visibility was meh. I have waded through slush in which an Innova had sunk to almost its entire wheel's height, and through flooded road underpasses that most vehicles won't attempt.

The technician confirmed that there is no water ingress in the plug/ socket. Nevertheless, M&M wants this fixed. Wow.

This is how the contraceptive.. errr.. protective cover is applied over the plug...



...and connected in place with layers of protective insulation tape to ensure any life that is stuck inside suffocates pretty much immediately.

The whole action took less that 30 minutes - most of which was spent removing the radiator's plastic shield to access this motor and in affixing the shield back. M&M had already bowled me over with the comprehensive service action during my 10,000 KM service in March '21, and how they went about it.


But this is a new high - reaching out to fix something that could potentially go wrong, esp. in a Thar like mine that has already been there, done that - Hats off, M&M!

Now for the wait for it part -

Did anyone notice the expectaion viz-a-viz the time - of the Service Technician to arrive, or for the job to be completed? I am super impressed - they were on the dot. I have been trumpeting this several times across posts - my dealer (CAI Mahindra) has among the best service teams I have come across manufacturers whose vehicles I've owned, and cities I have lived/ serviced one of my vehicles in!

The last time I posted about the recall and service action, there were some interesting conversations on how we are being used as guinea pigs - I beg to differ.

There are enough and more issues that are being reported in this forum on new launches, or even on cars that are years old in the market but yet are niggle-ridden - across manufacturers, domestic or otherwise.

I will safely recommend anyone to trust M&M's first batch - coz even if niggles arise, they are swift in fixing it - even before they become a niggle! They have not shied away from acknowledging issues. They have not silently/ secretly fixed issues when vehicles come for service. They proactively reached out. And took action - twice for me - though I was sure my jeep is running just fine!

If anyone in M&M is reading this, THANK YOU!!!

[2himanshu]

Mahindra had done some insulation to wires behind the battery in my Scorpio S10 by sending a technician at my place few years back

[rpmmachine]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

I will safely recommend anyone to trust M&M's first batch - coz even if niggles arise, they are swift in fixing it - even before they become a niggle! They have not shied away from acknowledging issues. They have not silently/ secretly fixed issues when vehicles come for service. They proactively reached out. And took action - twice for me - though I was sure my jeep is running just fine!

If anyone in M&M is reading this, THANK YOU!!!

Many thanks that you took the initiative to post a good picture of Mahindra. I am impressed too with this. Soon Mahindra will Replace Toyota in INDIAN Market in terms of reliability.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

If anyone in M&M is reading this, THANK YOU!!!

Would like to chime in. Mahindra has been impressive to me too. I had a great experience with their CS recently. It was about the old Thar, and I was not finding the right part anywhere.
Quoting my own response from Thar V1 review:

Originally Posted by amol4184

Update on blown hose:

Forgot that shops close at 4pm. I can't go out in the morning to search in shops because of work commitments.

So I twitted to Mahindra customer care about this part. They quickly responded and someone called me yesterday morning.

I sent them the photos on Whatsapp and waited.
The part was available in Pune as per inventory check. They were ready to ship it to me urgently. I paid and the part was shipped out within an hour. All this in matter of 3 hours!
The shipment is here today. I'm mighty impressed with the way Mahindra handled this. Credit where it is due.

Attachment 2173529

[Raghu M]

I can also say that I have been extremely satisfied with M&M's service. They have been brilliant, better than MSIL in my experience. I own the XUV3OO and there initial apprehensions of owning the brand while all our reviews are written in bold 'Mahindra's service remains a gamble, is a hit or a miss'. I think we can get rid of this line. M&M has improved by leaps and bounds.

From booking your service to the SA attending to your needs everything is perfect and a smooth affair now. I visit the VVC Motors Nizampet (Hyd)

I had the issue of a very small rattle in my IRVM (auto dimming one). I called them up and told them that I want it fixed. They patiently did a thorough test drive with me. The noise is barely audible. Yet, they were patient enough and acknowledged it. They asked me to wait for an hour and fixed it, they even test drove a couple of times to ensure it was gone completely. While the issue was resolved, it came back (hardly audible) after a couple of months. I think a regular user would not even bring it up to them. I am allergic to cabin noises and rattles. So, called them up again. They confirmed that M&M reached out about the issue and gave them a fix and said they will get back to me soon. I get a call after 3 days and I drop my vehicle while I wait in the lounge. They work on my car and fix the issue well this time. All in all, I have great experience with them in my short ownership period.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

They asked me to wait for an hour and fixed it, they even test drove a couple of times to ensure it was gone completely. While the issue was resolved, it came back (hardly audible) after a couple of months. I think a regular user would not even bring it up to them. I am allergic to cabin noises and rattles. So, called them up again. They confirmed that M&M reached out about the issue and gave them a fix and said they will get back to me soon. I get a call after 3 days and I drop my vehicle while I wait in the lounge. They work on my car and fix the issue well this time. All in all, I have great experience with them in my short ownership period.

Always reassuring to see positive feedback about our home-grown car makers and their service. We see a lot more reporting of issues but little of positive experiences in general in all aspects of life. So the rare positive ones - help build confidence for sure.

Off topic - by chance did you get to know what the culprit for this rattle was and how they fixed it? That might be a useful tip to fellow owners. Thanks.

[Raghu M]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Always reassuring to see positive feedback about our home-grown car makers and their service. We see a lot more reporting of issues but little of positive experiences in general in all aspects of life. So the rare positive ones - help build confidence for sure.

Off topic - by chance did you get to know what the culprit for this rattle was and how they fixed it? That might be a useful tip to fellow owners. Thanks.

Thank you. It was a loose part inside the mirror, that's what my SA told me. They used a thicker 3M tape to fix it. He also explained what he had done. He told me that the job was simple but removing the mirror out of the plastic casing was not a simple task, he even told me that it will take all of 20 mins and finished well under that time.

[MithunSathianat]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

I got a call from my dealer's service reception yesterday at about 5.30pm. I was wondering why, coz my Thar is not due for its next service - not until March '22, or 20,000 KM - both are months away! The receptionist had a different agenda though.

There is a Service Action for your Thar, sir. It will take 30 min to complete - if you are available, we'll send someone to your residence to complete it.

What is this about, ma'am? (Surprised, in my head am wondering how come I did not know about this from the forum or other online sources).

It is a minor activity sir, something preemptive that M&M has asked us to complete. I will have someone call you tomorrow morning and come over if it is fine by you.

Sure!

Hi ph03n!x, Do you know if this service action could have been identified using the below link?
https://auto.mahindra.com/service-action


When I checked, I don't see any service action due for my Thar.
Not sure if they are updating the need for this, online, or only passing the information to dealer.
Lucky that you got a pro-active dealer

Mahindra should ensure that the dealers should complete service actions proactively!

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by MithunSathianat

Hi ph03n!x, Do you know if this service action could have been identified using the below link?
https://auto.mahindra.com/service-action


When I checked, I don't see any service action due for my Thar.
Not sure if they are updating the need for this, online, or only passing the information to dealer.
Lucky that you got a pro-active dealer

Mahindra should ensure that the dealers should complete service actions proactively!

Hey Mithun, I spoke to the dealer's service principal yesterday, and touched on this recall (there are a few more, but read on).

For my Thar, there were 3 more service actions in addition to the one already done, plus an update for the instrument cluster software. All of these are related to components or parts not critical for functioning, and will not leave us stranded - these will be taken care as a part of regular service.

Service actions that are considered critical (like the camshaft replacement) will invite a reach out and out-of-turn fix.

While the one done at my home was not critical, my dealer's service principal said that they wanted to cover service actions so that it doesn't pile up - and this was simple enough to be done at home.

You can talk to your ASS and take the beast in to get these done. Will take about 3 hours for getting all of them done if you go in as one of the first vehicles they take in.

[MithunSathianat]

Originally Posted by ph03n!x

Hey Mithun, I spoke to the dealer's service principal yesterday, and touched on this recall (there are a few more, but read on).

For my Thar, there were 3 more service actions in addition to the one already done, plus an update for the instrument cluster software. All of these are related to components or parts not critical for functioning, and will not leave us stranded - these will be taken care as a part of regular service.

Service actions that are considered critical (like the camshaft replacement) will invite a reach out and out-of-turn fix.

While the one done at my home was not critical, my dealer's service principal said that they wanted to cover service actions so that it doesn't pile up - and this was simple enough to be done at home.

You can talk to your ASS and take the beast in to get these done. Will take about 3 hours for getting all of them done if you go in as one of the first vehicles they take in.

Thank you! I will check these when I go for the second service.
May I know what was those 3 more additional service actions?

Few Thar owners whom I know also got completed their second service, but they are not aware of these service actions. May be the dealer might have done the job, but service advisor did not communicate to respective owners.
Wish all these information is visible in WithYouHamesha app.

Really appreciate the proactiveness from your dealer

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by MithunSathianat

Thank you! I will check these when I go for the second service.
May I know what was those 3 more additional service actions?

Few Thar owners whom I know also got completed their second service, but they are not aware of these service actions. May be the dealer might have done the job, but service advisor did not communicate to respective owners.
Wish all these information is visible in WithYouHamesha app.

Really appreciate the proactiveness from your dealer

These are the 3 additional service actions -

• AT thermal bypass valve replacement
• AT pigtail replacement
• Addition of clamp in radiator inlet hose

These are actually visible in WYH app when the repair order is generated, but not after the invoice (though 0 cost) is closed.

Either way, the service advisor will be able to check the system, tell you what's been done and if any other service action has been added.

Yeah, I'm very happy with my dealer and service personnel they have! I have experienced the ASS of quite a few manufacturers - even M&M across 3 cities - but this is the best experience, by miles!

[highwaypatrol]

Hello ph03n!x !

Hope your Thar and you are getting along pretty well. Some of the widely reported issues of Thar are as below. We wish to hear about your experience against each of these issues.

a. Windshield fogging issue
b. Tire rubbing on stabilizer bar
c. TPMS reading wrong figures
d. HT leaks
e. DPF issues as reported by many
f. Poor throw of stock head light
g. Play on break pedal
h. Flimsy a/c vents and breakage of knobs
i. Issue with rear drums

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Highwaypatrol

[ph03n!x]

Originally Posted by highwaypatrol

Hello ph03n!x !

Hope your Thar and you are getting along pretty well. Some of the widely reported issues of Thar are as below. We wish to hear about your experience against each of these issues.

a. Windshield fogging issue
b. Tire rubbing on stabilizer bar
c. TPMS reading wrong figures
d. HT leaks
e. DPF issues as reported by many
f. Poor throw of stock head light
g. Play on break pedal
h. Flimsy a/c vents and breakage of knobs
i. Issue with rear drums

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Highwaypatrol

Hello mate! 16k KM and going strong

1. Exists, when it's raining, the bottom middle part of the windshield fogs up. I haven't gotten to taking it for a fix - maybe in 20k service.

2. Nope, doesn't happen in my jeep

3. The readings are pretty accurate. But if the wheels are rotated, it won't auto-learn the new position and will have to go through the TPMS learning sequence. Else the reading will not match the tyre it indicates! I'm told that if the spare is used due to a puncture, it'll auto learn the swap, never got a chance to see this year

4. Mine is a CT. And no leaks! The kids enjoy the occasional, mild drizzle when the roof is down though

5. Zero DPF issues. More than 2000 out of the 16k KM has been in city traffic, and this are looking fine. I had posted elsewhere - the Technical Head of my MASS was telling me the other day that the issue occurs only if a Mahindra BS6 Diesel is driven for short distances (less than 5 km) repeatedly/ consistently, and turned off. For use cases like, say, a Bolero camper that's delivering vegetables, his advice is to not turn off the engine when hoping from shop to shop. Similarly, even with pre BS6 diesels it's not ideal to repeatedly use a Diesel engine for very short distances. I have used my jeep for 5KM + stop for a few hours + 5KM drives maybe once every fortnight, but haven't resulted in any exhausted related troubles.

6. The throw is not bad, but even in high beam (say, through the woods or ghats at night) the low beam is off, leading to a dull spot that the fogs can't fully cover. Even with the Osram Nightbreakers that I changed to, this is a bother. The throw and spread are actually not bad at all.

7. Mine jeep has a ~2 mm play - which doesn't bother me at all, and was pretty much "invisible" until I went looking for it last week!

8. The AC vents do feel flimsy, and I don't usually adjust them much. Touchwood, they are holding up good so far.

9. No issues with rear brake drums!

It's going to be a year of ownership in a month+, and I'll post a detailed update soon!! So far, the only trouble I had was the water-in-fuel wiring issues that got sorted long back - been a blissful ownership with this tarmac-friendly offroader.

[ph03n!x]

After a deafening lull, here's an update - a mega one that sums up 13+ months and 23,000 KM of ownership!

Owning a car is, to an extent, akin to getting into a relationship. A marriage, if I may.

You assess your prospects - think about what you want, look up your options, ask around for others' opinions - or fall in love at first sight.

Once committed, its all gleaming, hunky-dory for a while. You appreciate the little pleasures, enjoy the company, learn more about your relationship.

You start understanding what you have really gotten yourself into - and either get a good understanding, lead a long-lasting journey filled with memories.

Or sheer coexistence.

Worst case, have a costly, premature divorce - death do us part be damned!

You can trade up your car for a better model though. And your car's door ain't gonna whoop your end-can, castrate your tyres. Or drag you to court.

(I do hope my wife ain't reading this - ye'll know what will become of my end-can if that happens!)

With each car I have owned, I have come to observe a certain pattern - stages to the ownership, if I may:

Stage 1 - The Choice

Deciding what one wants, and getting it - has been fairly straight forward for me across my car ownership - until the Thar. This thread's first page has the Thar story in detail with all masala and drama (in case you are tuning in late)!

Stage 2 - Courtship

How does it sound normally - the engine, transmission, pedal, steering, pedals, doors, each panel.

What are the limits and boundaries over a spectrum of speeds, road conditions, etc.

What kind of mods/ changes can I make without breaking the bac(n)k.



All of these usually happens here. So does potential issues - like with marriages, a potential deal-breaker might rear its ugly head in these early days.

This is usually the first 5,000 KM for me - and with the Thar, this is where I had my first/ only major niggle too - and once this was sorted, it is all Stage 4 for me!

Stage 3 - Making Your Bed

You make incremental (or drastic) improvements to the car to make it more comfortable/ liveable - cosmetic, performance, comfort et all happens here.

This phase does overlaps with the forthcoming stages too. By design, a jeep is meant to be customized, accessorized - there are loud mods, and there are subtle ones.

A flashback of the mods I've documented here earlier with a few lines of how they've been in about 400 days of ownership, and a few that I haven't yet -

Bug Deflector

A must-have - unless you like to wash a bloody windshield clean every two hours of driving through forest trails or critter infested mornings/ evenings.

While the bug deflector itself works as intended, it's come off twice, the right edge just doesn't wanna stay! I have stuck 'em on as a DIY with 3 rows of 3M High Strength Double-sided Bonding Tape. Let's see how long this one lasts - could because my Thar has PPF, and this is being stuck on top of the PPF...

Rain Visor with Chrome Insert

They serve the purpose, and I can crank the window open half a centimeter when parking under the sun. Or when it is raining bad and I don't want all the fog effect to change the mood in the jeep.

Steering Wheel Cover

Could have been better. But for the price, it is not bad at all. And it has survived more than a year with me. Must have done something right, it must have!

Door Sill Protector

I almost forgot I had this and was about to order one in M2All again! Oh well, it is there in my Thar alright - does add to the ambience, now that I've rediscovered it!

Side Body Cladding

Am always wary about bikes and bicycles squeezing in when you are in traffic or in signal, and that's why I got this. Looks a bit faded off late, should 'rejuvenate' its colour back!

(Pics of these three are in this post)

Front and Rear Mud Protector

They serve an aesthetic purpose, for sure. But.. ummm.. mud protectors are supposed to PROTECT from mud splashes? Well, these don't do that so well, at least not the front ones.

Your Thar's foot rest will have a nice muddy bath whenever you drive through water, be it after a shower on the tarmac or when you are off fishing.

The answer is to fix a small piece of rubber, like from a used bicycle tube, such that it covers this nice li'l peep-hole. Like this -


A closer look at this jugaad...

This reduces the welcoming mud on the footstep by much - but then the step is also open on the sides and at the back, so there is only so much you can un-expose!

Those who want to try this, I used a cracked inlet hose from a Merc - it was about 8 inches circumference, and I cut a 6 inch cylinder off, halved it, treated it in boiled water for 10 min and straighten it a bit under weight. I did not want to flatten it completely - if you look at the pic, the top part kind of wraps around the gap...

Piano Black Tail Lamp Applique

This is just for the looks, like that door sill protector. But I ended up with minor fading on the plastic of the tail lamp, and this one covers those nicely.

Camouflage Full Body Cover
Just about placed my order for this. Mine being a convertible soft top, wanted to have a cover in case am parking in the open during my travels.

Magnetic Sun Shades Set
Useless. Returned it promptly.

Sporty Pedals (from the XUV7OO)
I like my pedals with metallic finish, and when the XUV7OO's accessories came out, I zeroed in on one of its accessories - this:

A closer look


The brake pedal is a direct fit - remove the stock rubber cover, and fit the 7OO's over the pedal's frame


The accelerator pedal however does not fit. At least not rightaway!


I had to gently bend the 7OO's accelerator pedal to match the Thar's curvature before I could put 'em on. Again, a crude jugaad, but worked!

Dead Pedals
While the seat's position does not necessitate a dead pedal, it definitely does add to the comfort if the Thar had come with one. Aftermarket to the rescue - and I chose the Bimbra dead pedals. They felt better made than the others - I got this done at Xenex, Hyderabad.

The Autofurnish ULS 7D Economy mats has two layers - the bottom layer just folds over the dead pedal, no problems. The noodle mat layer, though, had to be cut to shape to accommodate this mod.

The corner of the noodle mat chopped to make way for the new mod...

Front and Rear Arm Rests
I had observed earlier in this thread that I do not miss the front armrest coz the Thar makes sure I am both hands on at all times. What did I say about marital bliss?!

The Bimbra-made front ones are bolt-on, no modifications required. They have a play though, but nothing that shows up if you use them for their purpose. Under the armrest, there is a cubby hole that is 6" deep and 5" wide - in a vehicle like Thar, any addition of storage space is more than welcome!

Bolt-on, no modification required. They do have a minor play - they pivot up and down a wee bit though.


This is how it looks - matches with the rest of the jeep pretty welll...


...and gives you a cubby hole to leave your wallet, phones, etc. out of sight!

The entire set is made with a plywood base, feels solid too.

The rear ones, however have to be drilled in place. They come with two USB charging ports each side - I have decided not to wire these.

These do give a more finished look, and adds a bit to the comfort for the kids...


...and a cubby hole at the rear to - perfect for the kids to stove off their Harry Potter!

The ICE mod
This is more of a speaker swap - swapped out the front coaxials under the dashboard for a pair of Pioneer TS-A1605C Components (60W RMS), placing the tweeters at corners of the dashboard. I disconnected the over-head stock tweeters as well as replaced the speakers with a pair of Pioneer TS-R1651S Coaxials (40W RMS). The objective was to find the least powered speakers as I have no intention of adding an amp, damping, adding a sub - mine is a convertible soft top, there is only so much SQ and sound stage I can create amidst all the flapping canopy.

More details in this post.

70mai Dual Channel DVR + rear view camera
This has been doing its job. Except for those odd times where over-enthusiastic friends adjust the RVM before they even turn on the ignition for the LCD to show the rear view, these are pretty good for their purpose.

More details in this post and the last part of this one.

Headlights
I wanted better headlights - but do not want to alter the classic jeep look either. So the fancy/ (barely) functional aftermarket headlamps were not in consideration.

After some experimenting with LEDs, I have settled for good ol' Osram Nightbreakers - they are good enough for me, though I would have liked the High Beam to be not artificially made white-ish with that blue coating on the bulbs

More details in this post.

Farad Galaxy Lock
These locking nuts are for peace of mind - especially when I am traveling and have to park in public car parks.

I had initially contacted over email in early Sep '21, and someone called Kalpesh responded. I had inquired about set of 5 locking nuts for the Thar, he asked for my address but that's it. I followed up again in Nov '21 - no response except for saying it will be available 'soon'.

I took the contact details from BHPian @getsurya's post and contacted Mr. Mahendra over phone. Placed the order on Nov 23rd, got it on 26th!

And here they are...




My MASS was kind enough to have them bolted on the wheels...


...and the spare wheel as well!

These nuts come with a key, as expected - and this key has a unique serial number. So it is not like someone can buy another set and steal all our wheels!

The big one - Arka/ AVO Suspension Upgrade!
I live 10 minutes away from Arka Motorsports, and Mr. Leelakrishnan was kind enough to let me try his petrol MT Thar through bad roads/ no roads/ good stretches to understand the ROI on the investment.

Mr. Karna Kadur was very patient and kind enough to explain how this suspension mod came to be, how they designed and tested it, why AVO UK as manufacturing partner, and the reason behind the steep price. The AVO suspension comes with both springs and dampers for the rear, and dampers alone for the front.

The dampers are adjustable across 17 steps - full clockwise (step 0) is fully hard, and full anticlockwise (step 16) is fully soft.

This is where the suspension/ damper is designed.


Stock Helical Spring vs. Arka/ AVO UK Spring.

The AVO helical springs have the same # of loops, but are more evenly placed unlike the stock springs which are placed further apart at the top and closer together at the bottom. From little that I know, the stock design is more loading friendly - have to see how the AVO springs behave if I had to load up the Thar.

The springs are in place...


..and the dampers are a-posing!


Alright, this is it for the rear!


Front Stock vs. Arka/ AVO UK


Mounted and ready...


And we are ready to roll.. almost!

This is a completely repairable suspension - one-time purchase/ serviced for life is what I am told. They are not for hardcore offroading (neither are the stock Gabriel ones), and are designed to be better on tarmac while can take a bit of offroad abuse too.


The cost is steep, no doubt - but I am putting this down as a part of the purchase cost, It definitely makes owning a Thar much more easier, especially for daily/ on-tarmac use. And the fact that I got the Thar as a part of the first lot, before all the price hikes did help

After using this aftermarket setup for about 4,500 KM, I know what I have missed for the first 18,000 KM! The body roll is so well contained that the first speed-breaker you'll drive over will tell you the difference. I was running at 11/ 13 initially, but have switched to 12 / 14 for now (softer). Let me see how this goes. If the Thar's body roll and handling are you biggest complaints, save up for this - you won't regret!

And with this, I have reached the 30 photo limit for this post. Let me continue in the next...

[ph03n!x]

(Continued from the previous post)

Underbody Protection
Ever since my offroad adventure with the Terra Tigers, I have been on the lookout for a good set of under-body protection. I did not have much of a choice back then, and offroading has already taken its toll with some dents and scratches under the Thar - so much that I did not want to go on another offroad without having the underbody protection in place.

While many such have come up since then, I felt the Arka underbody protection is better -

• Aluminium alloy design - the entire underbody plate adds all of 24.5 KG to the GVW
• Everything except the end-can (the actual exhaust end-can, ain't implying anything else - unlike the previous post ), the DEF and the Rear Diff are covered - there is a separate DEF guard, and a Diff guard is in the making. The end-can does not need a cover, it is kinda well protected (cough cough).
• The design accounts for changing engine oil, front diff oil without having to take the entire plate off
• Looks sexy!

I also got the DEF Tank shield from them, which is another 4 KG - so for less than 30 KG, most of my Thar's underbody is protected.

If you are going to use the Thar like it should be, yes! The battleground bruises my Thar has had would definitely have not been as bad if this was available a year ago. I have some paint scraping/ touch-up work that I have to do one of these days...

Some pics -

Look closely. Battle scars, superflous rust, dents - he has it all I will be doing a underbody scrub/ repaint one of these days...


The more recent Thars do not come with these two mount points at the rear - the underbody kit comes with a mounting adapter for the DEF guard for newer Thars. Also note that the Thar does not have a K-member to bear the load if you are towing, say, a caravan.


The underbody plate uses existing provisions to add mount points like this...


...or this, on the fuel tank mount...


...or adapts it like this one on the center cross member that holds the Aisin Seiki transmission in place. Look at that rust - I do have my task cut-out - next project is a repainting the underbody nice and clean...


This mount under the radiator...


...holds this real solid support bar on which the underbody plate gets attached to


Even the mounting washers reek of quality - Aircraft grade 6000 series Aluminum Alloy quality!


This is the plate that covers the engine. Look at the drain hole (top left in this image) for changing oil without having to take the entire thing off. And the air vent opening that gets covered by...


...this FRP scoop...


...which is mounted with TVS hex head. Again reeks quality.


With the mount points in place, all that is left is to close it all up - for a clean underbody

The earlier design had the Arka branding up front, and did not have oil drain holes. Mine is a revised design, the most recent revision apparently.

The rear DEF guard is a separate component, has the Arka branding. That scratch on the left? A Swiggy delivery guy in a hurry...

With these, the Stage 3 of my hook up draws to a close. Now for...

Stage 4 - Marital Bliss

As you continue driving, you understand your car more and more.

You know the meaning of each sound/ noise, or when something is amiss.

You know exactly how the car reacts to road/ external conditions plus your actions behind the wheel.

You know the kind of mileage you'll get in real-time based on how've been driving.

You can tell the tyre pressure is off, or if the air filter is clogged without even having to check.

One more things happens here for Diesels - the engine opens up at about 10,000+ KM mark. Those who test drive a new Diesel car might've felt things to be a li'l tight (and not in a good way). Throttle response, turbo lags, ride and smoothness, etc.

But if you own a Diesel bought brand new and have clocked up 10,000+ KM with it, you may have observed it singing Canção do Mar for you like Dulce Pontes - If you own a 10k+ driven Thar, test drive a brand new one - you'll see what I am saying!

At this stage all that is left is maintaining the status quo - running cost, preventive maintenance, et all. So costs. Let me break mine down, starting from the top -


Cost of Ownership

This is the entirety of my expenses EXCLUDING FUEL for ~23,000 KM

• The initial cost includes ex-showroom, lifetime tax, insurance, registration charges, handling charges and fastag costs
• I took the full five year extended warranty, and 5 year RSA too (RSA is available for the 6th year through the With You Hamesha app, I noticed)
• Labour Cost is for the one time where I had to fill DEF out of turn, more on that later
• Additional Service Expense includes engine oil/ filter/ diff oil changes that I ask for across all services (example, first service does not change anything, but I insisted...)
• Consumables includes 24 liters of DEF and a bottle of Waxpol rain repellent
• Running expenses are for wheel alignment, balancing and weights

So the recommended service cost has been Rs. 0.44 per KM so far. I'd expect this to go up a bit, now that free services are over - and replacement intervals for stuff like fuel filter will be coming up eventually.


Fuel Costs

Mileage, you ask? Refer to my previous update for some context - here is the overall -

• My Thar has drank 1900 liters of with an overall mileage of 11.61 KMPL
• Reliance and Shell are invariably my highway tank-up. And ye'll know how great a mileage champion the Thar is when driven above 100 KMPH!! Shell especially suffers because Bangalore - Hyderabad road is S-E-X-Y, at least till Kurnool!
• Bangalore might be costlier for several things, but Diesel @ Rs. 85 per liter makes it cheaper than anywhere else I've been in recent times!
• The overall mileage is over 71% Highway use, 23% City running, and a sad, cringe-worthy 6% on the Ghats/ Offroads. I intend to correct this aberration soon!
• On an average, my MID optimistic by 1.6 KMPL!
• My worst mileage is 9.95 KMPL, best being 13.83 KMPL. But I am not going to attempt any mileage records - driving a Thar at 70 to 80 KMPH is a PITA, more so after I have invested in making it a better mile muncher!!
• The best tank range I had was 740 KM, sipping 53.5 Liters of Diesel - I usually plan for a 600 KM as the tank range

All in, I've come to expect 11.5 to 12.5 KMPL - anything more is a bonus gifted by road conditions!

Including fuel costs of Rs. 7.58 per KM, the running cost has been Rs. 8.02 per KM so far. This, of course, excludes all additional expenses - mods, accessories, additional stuff I had done during service, and Insurance renewal costs.

Insurance

With the renewal due in Nov '21, I started looking up for quotes even while people from Royal Sundaram (original Insurance and 3-year third-party insurance provider), Iffco Tokia (have other cars insured with them), as well as CAI Mahindra. After comparing multiple quotes, I renewed through CAI Mahindra - but chose ICICI Lombard with the following covers -

• Consumables Cover
• Engine Protect Plus
• Return to Invoice
• Key Cover
• RSA
• Zero Depreciation
• Tyre Protect

The reason why I chose ICICI Lombard - they gave the maximum additional covers! And I chose CAI Mahindra though the quote was a little high vs. online aggregators because I am happy with them. Peace of mind is priceless!

Next up, one of the most controversial BS6 topic -

DEF Issues

Let me start with this - I have had ZERO DEF Issues.

I may have been lucky. Or maybe I have not gotten a chance to drive in conditions that triggers a manual DEF regen.

Yes. I've never done a manual regen. Ever. Not once in 23k KM.

• During the second service (10,000 KM), my Thar consumed 8 liters of DEF @ 74.50 per liter.
• A month before the second service, that is, at about 17,900 KM, I got the alert warning me that DEF is low, and my Thar won't start in 2,400 KM
• Took it in to my favorite service center, and was topped up with 16 liters of DEF (see the pics after these bullets for some details around this)
• This time M&M had increased the price of DEF to Rs. 93.50 a liter - an increase of Rs. 19 per liter in 8 months!
• Occasionally, I have noticed that the transmission will not shift to 6th at speeds till 100 KMPH as against the norm of ~85 KMPH. 100 KMPH is 5th is approx 2000 RPM, and am guessing this is the DPF doing its thing

Unlike a few other BS6 cars, the Thar does not have DEF level indicator. All you get his something like this -

The rule of thumb I am told is 600 KM per liter of DEF - a 20 liter tank should take you 12,000 KM. Now, I had to refill only 8 liters during my 10,000 KM service (done at approx. 9,350 KM). I got the warning that my Thar will not start in 2,400 KM after clocking 8,350 KM approx after that service. Which means I had an awesome DEF mileage during the first 9,350 KM, and abysmal mileage in the next 8,000 KM. Go figure!

So the Thar does not a DEF level indicator. And the user manual gives this grave caution -

How do you know how much DEF you should pour in? If you get the 2,400 KM warning, it means there is 4 liters of DEF in the tank. Reduce a liter for every 600 KM from this limit. So if you get the 2,400 KM warning and are in the middle of nowhere, you can safely top up with up to 16 liters of DEF - the suggestion is to get maybe 4 liters in and keep moving to the nearest MASS whenever you can before it gets used up.

This is how the MASS monitors the remnant DEF level before topping it off -

WARNING - DEF is extremely corrosive. Even a drop on paint will result in rusting. M&M has recommended that customers do not refill DEF on their own for this reason, and do it only at MASS.

Either way, the DPF/ DEF related issues are non-existent for me - I plan to do a Leh/ Ladakh during winters next, let me see if I run into one.

In the meantime, this is the condition of my DPF after 17,900 KM -

Note that it is detecting less than 15g of soot. If I remember right, auto regen will occur when this cross 20g and manual regen at 25g. Limp mode at 30g - these numbers could be off, I don't remember the exact values, but they should be in the ballpark.

Service Experience
CAI Mahindra (Coimbtore) has been my go-to for all services, recalls, etc. And as if to reiterate how good they are, I got a call about an urgent service action to change the of the hood from my service center - I was in Hyderabad then for a short visit. I asked them if it can wait until I drive back - they recommended that I get it done ASAP as it has been marked high priority.

With the experience of having serviced a XUV5OO in Hyderabad for 27,000 KM, I headed to VVC Motors in Kukatpally at about 12 noon. The concerned person was not there, so I had to wait for about 45 minutes - only to be told that it will take a day to carry out the service action, and I can leave my Thar and come back tomorrow - this in spite of me telling them I am from out of town, and have to drive back. I've always felt that Automotive Mahindra is a better service center, but they were in the other end of the city.

I was in no mood to leave the Thar overnight, so excused myself.

Then it so happened that one of snap-on locks of my front high security number plate broke. Now, I was about start back to Coimbatore from Hyderabad, and did not want to drive without a front number plate - it was a weekend of a holiday so RTO and related shops were closed. I went to VVC Motor's body shop in Hitech city with a friend, and they help punch the plate back in 10 minutes!

I have written enough about CAI Mahindra - but I should tell this again. These kind of mixed bag experiences never occur. They have been very professional, honest and the workmanship is something you can trust. The same service action that VVC Motors wanted me to leave the vehicle behind for, took all of 45 minutes.

These are the service actions that my Thar has undergone -

• Thermal Bypass Valve Replacement (this is for the AT transmission - the valve had a leak)
• Wiper Motor Breather Cap Addition
• AT Shifter Screw Retighten
• Seat Shoulder Bezel Shaft Replacement
• Remove 4WD Shift Cable from Mounting Clip
• Camshaft replacement
• Radiator inlet Hose Clamp Addition
• Instrument Cluster Software Update
• AT Pigtail Replacement
• Hood Latch Assembly Replacement
• E-Disconnect Connector Cap Addition

All of these have been carried out proactively - and except for the Thermal Bypass Valve, I never had an issue with any of these. A special thanks to M&M Team - Mr. Sihabuddeen and Mr. Senthil, as well as the CAI Team - Mr. Dileep, Mr. Saranth, Mr. Dhamodaran, Mr. Arun and everyone else who've been very helpful and supportive.

Issues/ Niggles
Well, there are a few - I am living with them for now:

• Android Auto/ Apple Carplay keep disconnecting. This happens especially during long drives, and happens once an hour or so. Have tried different phones, different cables. Still happens, and is irritating like crazy when it happens. Imagine playing your favorite song when on a highway drive - and Android Auto/ Car Play cuts off leaving you with white noise (coz you are not in the range of the last FM you'd have listened to), or a crappy song/ Ad screaming out from the last FM you listened to. And then Android Auto will connect back after about 5 seconds automatically. Crappy experience
• Bluetooth wont connect at times. This happens at cold starts once in a while, and the solution it to turn off the ignition, remove the key, and turn it back on
• Windshield fogging occurs when you are driving in rain/ humid, cold weather. While someone had posted the solution, I am not opening the dashboard for this - instead have bought some non-slip mats to cover the windshield vents!

A few misc. stuff

Carrying loads - lots of discussion has happened around this. There was some discussion doubting the weight carrying capability of the Thar, what with the back seat's backside seemingly being flimsy. Here is what I have done - twice already, over a 1,000 KM drive, at that:

Each box is about 28" x 18" - 6 boxes stacked with the seats folder. You can carry 3 cabin-sized luggage similar to the one in this pic if you stand them up side by side




The jeep is loaded - how will you use your IRVM? Isn't it dangerous to drive with the reverse view blocked?


70mai to the rescue - my IRVM is a dual channel DVR!

Before I sign-off, not sure how many of you have noticed this easter egg - I couldn't find it in Team BHP at least -

With that, let me draw this loooonnnnngggggg update to a close. Let me know if you have any questions, doubts or need any help.

Marital Bliss be like...