[puneetakhouri]

Originally Posted by Arjun.hb

This is the infamous gargle noise of the varicor engine heard on both Hexa and Storme. More prominent on V400. Tata has a fix but the torque takes a hit. Nothing to worry. You will get a hang of avoiding it as you understand the gearing and engine characteristics better. Usually happens when picking up speed from low rpm but in a higher gear and revs are building and turbo is about to kick in. Lots of videos online for you to confirm if it’s the same.

Originally Posted by BulZire

Based on your description, I assume the sound you are hearing is not from the engine, But could be from the catalytic converter in exhaust system . If my assumption is right this is a usual storme thing and there is absolutely no problem.

Thanks a lot guys, at least I am relieved that this is nothing to worry about, rest I can learn to live with the noise.
I was also talking to @vigsom sir and he mentioned it could be the injectors making the noise due to insufficient lubrication in the injectors due to low sulphur content in BS6 diesel. He suggested adding 100ml 2T oil with 50ltr of diesel next time I refuel and that should help. I will try that out next time and see. If things work out then I know the fix and the problem and can live with it. But thanks a lot to everybody for the help.

Originally Posted by quadra

Living the dream there, you!

You mentioned that the truck was bought in Mumbai. What is the year of mfd for this one? and how is the scene of 10 year old rule in Mumbai? For diesel vehicles?

Thanks man, it is actually a dream come true to own your childhood favourite vehicle.
So the truck is Dec 2017 manufactured and registered on 30th December 2017. So 5.5 year old to be precise. There is no 10 year diesel rule in Mumbai yet, but recently with some surge in pollution levels due to rampant construction all over the city, it witnessed spiked pollution levels. So if the 10 year old diesel rule comes to any city next, it's gonna be Mumbai for sure. I plan to hold on to the vehicle for 5 years at least and if the rule comes then will sell it off to smaller town in MH where Safaris are in good demand.

[puneetakhouri]

Team BHP Directory solved my AC problems

As I had mentioned in my previous posts, the truck's ac had a leak and it was losing gas every 3-4 weeks and cooling became negligible. Add it to it the large glass area of the Storme was making daytime travel even more uncomfortable.
The problems in my truck's AC are mentioned below:

1. A leak in the system somewhere resulting in cooling loss in about 3 weeks. Also there would be a constant hissing sound from both the cooling coils, front and back.
2. The recirculation motor has failed and the outside air flap was partially open, resulting in lesser cooling and a lot of foul smell creeping into the cabin.
3. The temperature knob didn't work which was diagnosed earlier to the heater core being "cancelled". Which effectively means that the heater coil was bypassed at the water pump level itself.

I had been avoiding it for long given we found no leaks in condenser and the usual suspect in that case would be the cooling coil, but that also means opening up the dashboard which I didn't want to do. But this time I decided to tackle it once and for all and started looking for car AC specialists. I searched the team bhp directory and came across Unicool ac repair in Ghatkopar Mumbai. They had mostly positive reviews and hence I decided to pay them a visit.
I called up the owner in the morning and he told me to come over and he would be able to look into it.
I visited their shop at around 11:30am and was attended to immediately by an expert mechanic.
The best thing about them is that they were extremely methodical when they went about their business.
The first area checked was under the hood, they used a strong light along with soap water to look for oil leaks. There was some oil around both the low pressure and high pressure valves and they suspected this could be the problem. But when tested with soap water things looked fine so they moved on inside the car.
Now this is where an experienced mechanic makes so much difference. The guy mentioned that Storme usually has a leak in the pipes going to the rear cooling coil. He started looking around the B-pillar driver side near the base of the pillar and he found the leak there. The trims were opened and the pipe tested with soap water which confirmed the leak and showed that the pipe had rusted. Looking at the diameter of the pipe, I suspect it was the high pressure pipe which gave in. It was removed immediately and sent for repair. The mechanic told me that they would call me by 4pm.
And as expected I received a call at exact 4pm saying that the truck is ready and I can come and collect it. I confirmed with them if they have checked if there are any other leaks in the system. They replied that the truck was left with nitrogen gas in the system at 300psi for 1 hour and the pressure was maintained without any issues so no further leakage. So I went to collect the truck.
The cooling issue was gone and the truck was cooling brilliantly as all Tata vehicles do. The vent temperature was 5.5 celsius which was great.
For checking the heater core and the recirculation motor, they mentioned would have required a dashboard opening so it can be deferred for now as the heater coil is anyways never required in Mumbai. However, they did close the outside air flap and disconnected the motor hence it is permanently closed now which solved the foul smell issue also.

The total bill handed to me was 4000/-, which they mentioned would have been lesser if the vehicle has a single cooling coil as it consumes less gas. They had also topped up the condenser oil for the system.

Verdict
I am extremely satisfied with the work and professionalism of the experienced staff. Would recommend this place to anybody looking for AC repair in Mumbai. And special thanks to Team BHP for pointing me to these folks.

Pictures

At Unicool Ghatkopar


Four cars lineup one behind the other comfortably.


The B-pillar trim being opened up to access the leaking pipe.


The leak due to the rusted pipe at the base of the pipe.


Final temperature post the fix.

[svsantosh]

@puneetakhouri

Reading your post I can understand that team is very professional and extremely knowledgeable in their Automobile HVAC profession. I have worked briefly in a Garage chain in Dubai and could relate to the in-depth knowledge your mechanic should posses to carry out the leak repair job.

In future even if you have to remove the dash you must goto these guys, removing dash is not for the faint hearted but you will appreciate how intricate (read - difficult) such a major job is.

One question - how did they delete the motor for external/internal? To get fresh air inside the car you have to open close the windows once in a while. Do not forget to do that especially this is the monsoon season, do not risk breathing in CO2/own breath for prolonged periods. Ask this mechanic how to find a long term fix.

[kaushik.genius]

Originally Posted by puneetakhouri

They had also topped up the condenser oil for the system.

Why was oil charges to the condenser? I guess you meant the Compressor?

[puneetakhouri]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

In future even if you have to remove the dash you must goto these guys, removing dash is not for the faint hearted but you will appreciate how intricate (read - difficult) such a major job is.

One question - how did they delete the motor for external/internal? To get fresh air inside the car you have to open close the windows once in a while. Do not forget to do that especially this is the monsoon season, do not risk breathing in CO2/own breath for prolonged periods. Ask this mechanic how to find a long term fix.

From my visit to a few AC mechanics around the city, I have observed that most are not keen on working on the Safari Storme. Probably because not a lot of these used to sell in Mumbai. Even this mechanic was of the opinion that let it work as long as it's fine because if during any work, if some clip or pin breaks, then procuring them for a Safari could be a tough task.
Regarding closing the flap, I remember the mechanic told me that they hammered the flap close and the plastic on which the motor is connected, they disconnected it. Even after that there is some amount of outside air that does creep in.
While I do understand that it is usually advised to use fresh air intake during monsoons, but I have never opened the flaps ever in any of our cars. We usually would have a break every few hours or roll down the windows once in a while.

Originally Posted by kaushik.genius

Why was oil charges to the condenser? I guess you meant the Compressor?

Sorry my bad, you are right it was the compressor oil.

[puneetakhouri]

weird issue in my storme

Guys, very urgent, requesting you to please go through my post on official review this (Tata Safari Storme : Official Review) and help me out of possible.

[puneetakhouri]

A local mechanic solved my problem in 2 hours what Tata Service could not do in 10 days
So I suffered a breakdown on my Storme a couple of weeks back which was posted here (Tata Safari Storme : Official Review). The truck spent almost 10 days at Wasan Motors Deonar with no improvement. The staff had initial reservations on taking up work on the Safari saying they do not work on the Storme.
Over the course of 10 days that my truck was with the TASS, the only thing that they did was
- Clear error codes
- Go for trial runs hoping error codes do not come back.
- Error code would come back and they would be back to square one.

They initially said it was a wiring issue, and they were looking but they never found anything. Upon escalation, one of their senior managers went on a trial and found that when the engine used to shutdown, there would be lack of diesel pressure and they were looking. Yet nothing was done hereafter. Next Monday they tell me that the High Pressure Pump and the Injectors would have to be serviced and it would cost me 60-80k for the same. I said that the original fuel pump costs 42k on Boodmo then why this price to which he had no answer. Also I asked the guarantee that it would fix the issue, to which the SA had no answer again. Basically they just wanted me to take the Storme away and I could figure it out. The truck stayed with them for almost 10 days and they did nothing. Then I talked to my local FNG and asked if he would have a look, he said to bring the truck over. So I took the truck out of the TASS and took it home. No Job card or details were given regarding my vehicle by TASS, I guess they did not even create it despite me repeatedly asking for the same..
Due to the heavy rains I had the truck parked in my building for the week till Saturday when I decided to take it to the garage. But I also wanted to look out for specialist mechanics who work on big diesel vehicles like Innova and Fortuners. So I took an auto and went out scouting. Luckily the autodriver took me to a mechanic who fixes the Boleros for Mumbai Police. Upon hearing the issue he said, it looks like a choked fuel line and he would clean it up.
Last Saturday (22 July, I gave him the vehicle at 1PM and by 4PM they called me that the vehicle has been fixed and is out on a trial. They changed both the diesel filters, cleaned fuel line and the diesel tank. I also had a radiator leak that was fixed and fresh coolant added. All this was done in 3 hours and the vehicle was ready. I told him to keep the vehicle with him and take long trials, add new coolant and I would collect the truck the next day to which he agreed.
Next day we went on a long trial and vehicle behaved as normally as it would. The mechanic also added half litre of engine oil in the tank to lubricate the injectors, which I am told is a pretty regular thing done on diesel engines.
Overall, TASS made a mess of a situation which could have been a half day's effort. In the hope that I take my car out of their garage, they let it be there for 10 days doing nothing but OBD scans and error code checking.
Learnt my lessons, the only reason for which I would ever visit a TASS again is to get Spare parts for my vehicle. Otherwise local garages will be my best friend now. Attaching pictures of the Ordeal

The lights that popped up on the dashboard.


The error codes sent by TASS


Diesel Tank taken down.


The old diesel filter near the tank. Mechanic mentioned this was choked.


Front old diesel filter.


New Diesel filters from Delphi TVS



Radiator Leak fixed


Adding Engine oil to the diesel tank. The tank had 30 litres of diesel so technically almost 16ml per litre went in.


So, now that this ordeal is over, enjoying that the vehicle is back on track. This is the first time that the vehicle broke down and that too for such a small reason. Adding the poor experience of TASS worsened the experience. Hopefully I should be good for the next 50k kms post this. One thing still pending is the EGR cleaning which I plan on getting done this weekend so that nothing else remains after this.

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by puneetakhouri

[b]

Adding Engine oil to the diesel tank. The tank had 30 litres of diesel so technically almost 16ml per litre went in.

I've never heard of someone adding engine oil to the diesel tank for lubrication. I've used additives for fuel injector cleaners but this is the first one for me. Are you sure this is a good approach?

[puneetakhouri]

Originally Posted by sudeepg

I've never heard of someone adding engine oil to the diesel tank for lubrication. I've used additives for fuel injector cleaners but this is the first one for me. Are you sure this is a good approach?

There is actually a thread on team bhp around the same topic - here (Adding Engine oil with Diesel.). Even I had never heard of it earlier. Apparently, the new diesels have very low sulphur content which is a good lubricating agent. Adding engine oil gives some lubrication to the lines, pumps and injectors. Taxi guys do it all the time and apparently all the police Bolero and vans add engine oil in diesel from time to time.

[BareMech]

Speaking of the ASCs lackadaisical attitude when it comes to servicing the Storme- I too have experienced it firsthand.
The mechanics/ technicians act as if you're getting a vintage serviced. A so called technician at the local Tata ASC once told me that he wasn't aware of the Storme's electronics as he wasn't from that age when Storme was made (translated from Kannada).
The same problem was then identified by an FNG to be something trivial.
Let alone today, the chaps have been indifferent from day 1, fixing nothing. Add to this the long waiting time for spares.

[cpbopanna]

The typical tendency of an ASC is to replace as many (expensive) spare parts as possible without carrying out a root-cause-analysis.
There are two reasons for this.
The quality of most service advisors/mechanics is so pathetic that they really cannot determine the problem, leave alone come out with a solution.
The second but more important reason is the financials, isin't it easier for them to reach their service targets by replacing the necessary/unnecessary spare parts instead of attempting to repair them?
They don't stock spares of 'old' vehicles, so they don't want to waste their time when pretending to repair them!

[Iyencar]

Could you please share the FNG's contact details here and in the directory for other BHPians' benefit. Thanks.

[VINPAT]

A similar thing happened to me with my Skoda Rapid 1.6 Elegance. This is Bangalore, suddenly lost power for a speed of 100 kmph it came down to 30 kmph, somehow reached home with the hazard lights on for 20 kms. Next day took it to SASS, they said the fuel injectors have gone, need to replace two. The quote was 60k for two injectors and 10k for service with oil change another 6k. Showed it to local mechanic, he agreed for 40k for the entire job. But not all satisfactory. The pickup got screwed, knocking sound, NVH etc.
Now, the main part. On a highway the Skoda stalled, refused to move. Reached out to a VILLAGE mechanic, he towed the vehicle in the night. Next morning he started the job, said it will take three days, changed the four injectors, took one day for testing, he had a tab to connect to the ECU/OBD, no check light. He sent the Car to Bangalore with a Driver.
It is almost a year now and the Car is running as if you are driving a new Car. Hats off to this great mechanic.

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by puneetakhouri

A local mechanic solved my problem in 2 hours what Tata Service could not do in 10 days
.

This is really good to know that the problem got solved. I have myself moved away to a FNG now for the Storme though for the parts will have to still rely on them. Am also thinking since am approaching my 90k service, maybe shall give it to the TASC for that one for the regular servicing. Any costly replacements, repairs that they identify will get it reviewed and done at the FNG.
My experience at my FNG has been good as well till now, though the lack of some equipment like a proper hydraulic lift bothers me a bit. He relies on some partner garages as well for some of the things.

I remember you had used some other FNG as well in your earlier days of ownership. Do you still use that one or would shift to this newer one? In any case this FNG is it by any chance somewhere in Navi Mumbai? I can then try to visit them as well once.

Cheers,
Mayank

[gjnnbagal]

Originally Posted by puneetakhouri

A local mechanic solved my problem in 2 hours what Tata Service could not do in 10 days I gave him the vehicle at 1PM and by 4PM they called me that the vehicle has been fixed and is out on a trial. They changed both the diesel filters, cleaned fuel line and the diesel tank. I also had a radiator leak that was fixed and fresh coolant added. All this was done in 3 hours and the vehicle was ready.

Service center chaps are over burdened ( I’m not sure if they are given a daily target to service a minimum x number of cars, they work for quantity than quality. Most routine services mean oil change, oil filter change, air filter cleaning followed by a car wash. That’s it. Although service centers do have high end machinery, OBD scanners and other resources which FNG doesn’t)
FNG work on a limited number of cars daily, quality work over the quantity (there could be exceptions)
After warranty is over, I prefer FNG over service center.