[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

Hey I have the same remote, I was trying to figure out how best to connect it.
The remote comes with a 3 wire (12v, gnd and signal) wires, but my HU has 3 steering control inputs - can you share how you connected it ?

Same in my case, I think I only used 'INPUT 1 & 2' can't remember, below is the manual screenshot.

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by PhantomLord

Front Speaker slot is in foot-well, even though access is pain, the slot is well made. It's shallow, can't use deep speaker like STADIUMGTO620, but DB6502 fits like glove. There is even slot which looks just made for component crossover module(see left). Speaker slot actually tunnels and vents into A pillar, sound play is good considering speaker is near the foot.

Uploading missing Front Speaker Slot picture.

[howler]

@phantomlord: do you do all the work on your own at home ? I’m impressed at the level of detail you get into , I do hope Force is looking at this thread and use it to improve the gurkha

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by howler

@phantomlord: do you do all the work on your own at home ? I’m impressed at the level of detail you get into , I do hope Force is looking at this thread and use it to improve the gurkha

Yes, I mostly maintain all my vehicles myself, Gurkha is my new Gym . Apart from posting here, I do give my feedback directly to Force representative (Mr. Shekar), Shekar has been very helpful whenever I needed any support from Force Motors.

Comparing Extreme to BS6 it's a huge leap for any manufacturer, Force needs credit for taking the risk without any joint venture or reference design to download from. Whoever designed it covered almost everything, most of my feed-backs have been on execution rather than design. As an enthusiast, I feel Extreme Frame and Engine + BS6 body shell would have been killer combination.

Force seems to have taken damping of the interior very seriously and result shows(Here is QC tag on interior damping)


Audio in Gurkha both windows rolled down, audio recorded via Dashcam(rear view)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHeGyK9WLOg

[Tokengrip]

Originally Posted by PhantomLord

Yes, I mostly maintain all my vehicles myself, Gurkha is my new Gym .As an enthusiast, I feel Extreme Frame and Engine + BS6 body shell would have been killer combination.

The level of detail is incredible. Quite the DIY effort i have to say.

That combination would be something. Although i guess the focus on variants will only happen post the release of the 4 door version.

[adg_andy]

Whereas I salute you for being so thorough, this does not say good about the QC process being followed at Force. A customer, after having to spend so much on his vehicle , is not expected to go through the grind for basic paint process. The paint might be good quality , but what use is it , if the coverage is not there?

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by adg_andy

A customer, after having to spend so much on his vehicle , is not expected to go through the grind for basic paint process.

Agree, frankly I had set expectation based on details shared here and elsewhere on previous version of Gurkha, FORCE definitely bet my expectations. Apparently they have addressed most of the issues in BS6 version 2022, it even gets a dead pedal. It is available as accessory for older BS6 owners.

[PhantomLord]

Finally was hit with Gearbox oil leak issue. While returning from road trip on a hill climb clutch started slipping, this I guess is same RPM increase issue reported by some owners. It was not bad only happened in 3rd gear and above at peak torque RPM only if pushed hard. After reaching destination I noticed clutch smell, there was no doubt clutch was cooked. I think I had this slip from day one, after long drives there was some odd smell near bonnet, since it was mild I thought it could be oil from previous leak getting burnt.

This is same issue as what Manuuj reported earlier. In my case initially there was oil leak via breather hose located above gearbox(over filled transfer case). Gearbox was wet with some oil but I ignored it as related to leak from breather hose, since drain hole(Blue Arrow) did not have oil drip. If you want to verify if your Gurkha has same issue, just remove plate marked in green and insert a paper towel.


After loosening the bolts oil started dripping.


Fly wheel fry, puddle formed by oil leak is picked up by flywheel and circulated to clutch pack.


Clutch Cookie, Cooked pressure and friction plate.


You can see that drain channel needs some porting, channel is too thin and edge is raised a bit, small dirt can block it.



Here is example of 124's GearBox, you can see proper drain channel, which is deep and has raised tongue to prevent oil stagnation like you see in Gurkha (Right side is old straight hole design from W115).


Root cause is loose bolt that is not loose :-), actually bolt is longer by 5mm. Proper fix is to use shorter bolt, parts catalog lists it as M6x20, it should be M6x15.


Looks like Permatex flange sealant is used, which is correct for the purpose but gap should be small. Notice the oil channel(white arrow) partially blocked by excessive sealant. Make sure correct bolt length is used or at least washer is used to correct the excess length, avoid using excessive silicon sealant here.


There is sound and heat insulation on gearbox, not sure of its purpose, it is of good quality though, sound damping part inside looked like one used inside door panels on EU cars.


All drain bolts on Gurkha have magnet


Insulation had some damage and collected lot of dirt, so removed it and cleaned the gearbox.


New Clutch plates: Clutch plates were replaced under warranty, the release bearing boot had a cut and had collected oil, so that was replaced as well.


Fly wheel cleaned and clutch assembled.


Cross member on which Gear box is mounted had to be removed, cleaned and painted it as well. GB mount forms a cup(green arrow), it collects dirt and water so drilled a hole for easy cleaning.


Ready for assembly, did some porting so that oil does not stagnate, didn't make channel deep, was not sure if shallow channel was on purpose for off-road use. Anyway next time you see any oil wetting in this area, GB has to be pulled. After assembly shifted TC into neutral and dry ran the GB for 10 min shuffling between gears.


Pictured after more 300KM of testing

[DarkerThanBlack]

Sir, I would like your help on a matter. I was thinking of switching Thar's headlights with Gurkha's. So, can you let me know the measurement of Gurkha's headlight whether it is 7 inch or not?
Thanks.

[PhantomLord]

Originally Posted by DarkerThanBlack

Sir, I would like your help on a matter. I was thinking of switching Thar's headlights with Gurkha's. So, can you let me know the measurement of Gurkha's headlight whether it is 7 inch or not?
Thanks.

Front face is 195mm, you need 8 inch mount.

[PhantomLord]

Rain DAWG

[PhantomLord]

12K Update: It was joy driving Gurkha in rain everyday, no meddling only driving since past 7K, have not even washed Gurkha since June except for glass



Daily Drive:

https://youtu.be/-FYRnYLr8RI

Suspension: At least 12km of daily 32km drive was on poor roads, can be compared to pothole testing tracks. Gurkha suspension has been brilliant.

4 Wheel Hardware: Have been using Gurkha regularly in 4 wheel drive mode with diff locks, performed flawlessly.

Tyres: Have been running RT+ at 34 PSI due to poor roads, tyre is good on dry and fully wet roads, braking is adequate, has poor grip on drillzed road though. With RT+ and Gurkha's suspension you won't feel a thing on bad roads. Tyre depth when new was ~12.4mm, when I rotated the tire after 5350km it measured 9.6mm, I feel it should last 25K max with 5 tyre rotation. Usage is mostly 60% good road, 30% poor road, 10% off-road.

Millage: Measured tank full to tank full has between 8-9 km/l, not much highway driving, mostly driven in 3rd & 4th.

Night drive with D2 dually



Issues ? coming up....

[PhantomLord]

Windscreen Bar: Bar is well made, mounting could have been better. Major issue is bar creates huge blind spot for right handed turn (you could miss a bus) when driving in narrow winding roads, tall mirror adds to blocking the view. I think bar could be re-designed to eliminate right edge bar so that snorkel takes its place.

Roof Rack: Well made, jerrycan holder looks after thought, plan to remove it. I had roof bars earlier, much easier to clean, rack doubles the effort needed to wash Gurkha properly (like maintaining long hair).

Rear Ladder: Well made, has limited utility, recommend you use Anti-Scratch tapes like https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B08MY35KJT on rear door opening bottom and bumper, else in no time stepping on these or loading luggage will remove paint.

All above accessories have paint holes for painting internals but parts are painted only on outside, every-time you wash or drive in heavy rain you will have rusty water dripping on body leaving stains, ideally this should be addressed before fitting the accessory.

Rear Child Seat: Installed the rear child seats, with rear seats upright adults under 5.5' can travel for shorter distances. Main utility in my case was it compartmentalizes storage behind rear seats. You can tuck in tools and small stuffs under it, which would otherwise be projectiles. Seat needs some modification if you want rear seats to recline fully.

TPMS: Stock TPMS unit was not accurate and erratic, replaced it with Dhunikart D280, its been running fine since April. You can short green wire to ground in stock wiring harness to remove dash TPMS warning.

Moved it to center console to keep dash clean of wires.


External Sensor, BR bolt caps keep wheel bolts clean.New So Far So Good logo ?

[PhantomLord]

Regular rough road usage takes its toll on heavy vehicle like Gurkha.

Rear Door: Screws on door aligner and latch gets loose, needs periodic tightening.
Symptom: None



Rear Wheel Carrier Bolts: These bolts need periodic inspection for rough usage, was lucky to catch it when I saw wetting around axle joint.
Symptom: None



Propeller Shaft: Transmission to transfer case, these too need periodic inspection.

Symptom: Metal Clanking noise when hard shifting or lugging.



Spare Wheel Mount: Spare wheel mount had cracked, this is stock mount used for stock alloys. I just modified center bore to match my wheels. If you are using heavy tires and drive on rough roads then keep a watch. Mount itself is well made but it has reinforcement on only one side.
Symptoms: Creaking noise from rear door on rough roads

Fix: Welded the crack and added triangle web reinforcement on all corners to prevent the spread.

Cracked clamp



Mount Design: Marked in blue circle is stock reinforcement which is present on one side, its excluded on other side(crack location) to accommodate mounting bolts. Green line shows the triangle reinforcement I added.




Wheel Mount Take 2




Steering cylinder clamp crack: If you have Gurkha 2021 then this is known common issue, steering cylinder clamp breaks.

Symptom: When you start the engine you will hear chirping noise, which I initial thought was bearing noise due too much water splashing.

Fix: Temporary fix is to re-weld the clamp, this issue has been addressed in Gurkha 2022 with improved design which is permanent fix. Will do a separate post on Gurkha 2022 updates.



Rear stabilizer bushing: Once you get hang of Gurkha's steering and know where the weight is, you can sweep it like a hatch on smooth corners. Keeping this heavy cage planted takes it toll on stabilizer bushing.

[PhantomLord]

Occasionally when driven in stop go traffic idle RPM would stick at 1000 RPM instead of 750-800 till next restart. I suspected air leak so peaked under-hood to find there was oil leak in turbo circuit.



Initially thought it could be turbo, but after opening I saw it was from catch can.



Root Cause: I filled 7 Ltrs oil during oil change, it sat bit high in dip stick marking. I have changed oil and kept oil level lower than dip stick max marking, for now I am keeping a watch to see how it goes.

Fix: Most of the oil was in turbo and inter-cooler, removed and cleaned whole intake circuit.



Sooth in Throttle Body & Intake: Not much oil made into throttle body, sooth in intake and throttle body was from EGR, I guess it's good to clean this every 10K.





Catch Can: Caught Oil drains into sump.



Fan Clutch: Shroud build is poor with cracks here and there.




Cleaned Intake: Cleaned throttle body, connector and EGR pipe.




Cleaned Tubro & Throttle body:




All Done




Note: Pipe from Turbo outlet to inter-cooler is bit sensitive to length.
I had pushed it 10-15mm more on inter-cooler side, and there was air leak at hose connected to turbo outlet at full boost.
On trial run was pulling in 4th gear and suddenly Gurkha lost power, it started knocking badly and it was not drivable, check engine light came on.
I keep Veepeak OBDCheck in car, plugged it and ran a scan, error code returned was P0299.
Connector hose was popping out a bit on bottom side only on boost, it was fine with no load(parked), so I could not find the leak.
With no option except for towing, tried unplugging the Map sensor and car was drivable, kept it under 2000 RPM and reached home.
I think if you are stuck in remote area with turbo issues, above can be used as workaround.