UPDATE: 1st Service completed!
I got the 1st service done yesterday. The car had done 930kms (in 20 days). I'm planning a trip to Trivandrum this sunday (about 500kms round-trip from Kochi), so I thought I'd better get the 1st service done before I go.
I called the MASS (EVM Maruti) and fixed an appointment 3 days back. They called me back the day-before-yesterday and conformed the appointment. I gave the car for service at 9.30AM. There are no issues as such, except for the scratch in the bumper (and fender) and a persistent rattle in the rear-seat (gets worse of somebody is travelling in the rear-seat). They promised delivery at 2.30PM.
I went over to collect the car at 2.00PM and the car was already ready, washed and all. They had done a pretty good job on the front bumper. The scratches are evident only when we look closely. A very small part (about 0.5cm long) of the fender had a deep scratch and that part was touched-up. But they'd rubbed it well, so it can't be seen at all. The rattle was fixed. I paid Rs.698.00 for the oil change and the oil filter. Drove out by 2.15PM.
I wasn't charged any surprise figures/items and I got delivery on time. That's all I ask. Thank you! Please do the same next time (and every other time), EVM!
Over three full-tank to full-tank refills (since I took delivery of the car) at the same pump and same dispenser, I'm getting an average of just under 12.5kmpl. Not bad. Some Mini-Mods
1) Headlight-bulb upgrade: I upgraded the stock headlights to Osram Nightbreakers (H4, 60/55). I had 100/80 Philips RALLYEs on the Palio, and the Osrams are almost as good. They claim 90% more light and 10% whiter light than ordinary 60/55s. I must say their claim holds up. I could test them with about an hour of night driving (mostly city, just a bit of highway).
The light is much brighter and better defined in dim-mode. Objects on the road are illuminated very well. The area of light is also very well-defined, with the borders of the light very evident, and cut-off almost surgically. The light is almost as bright as the 100/80s I was used to, and the light is indeed a bit whiter than the stock H/Ls. All this at the same wattage as stock.
In high-mode, the throw is longer (than stock), and the illumination of far-off objects is excellent. However, illumination of the area right in front of the car is poorer than stock. But then, the driving-lights/puddle-lights do a great job of lighting up this area, so I have no issues there. I did not upgrade the bulbs in the driving lights.
I took a while to decide on these, as they are actually a bit more expensive than a pair of 100/80s with a relay. But because these are of stock wattage, they are plug-n-play: No relay needed. One issue here is that if one bulb blows, I'll need to buy a pair as replacement - these are available only in pairs. But then, the risk of these blowing is much lesser than 100/80s. And, these (supposedly) generate lesser heat than the 100/80s, so the life of the headlight dome (blackening issues) is much less, as against 100/80s.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the light-upgrade. 2) Horn upgrade: I had Hella Redgrills in my Palio, and I was missing their sound, and the way they would magically create a path in front of me, when confronted with a wall of slow-moving 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers. I gat a pair of Redgrills installed yesterday. Got them installed with a BOSCH relay. I thought the sound would intrude a lot into the cabin (as the sound from the stock horns does), but the sound inside the cabin is just as much as the stock horns. 3) Armrest between front seats: I didn't really need this item, and I was debating in my mind about them, when I got to sit in a Swift with these installed, at my installers'. I liked the fact that I could rest my elbow on it, and the additional bit of storage space inside. I'd seen an MGA Armrest at the MASS, and the armrest I got from my car accessories shop is of the same quality. Installation is a snap. This thing slots right into the rear-cupholder, and is secured there with a couple of screws.
As usual, all this was done at Emperor, Palarivattom. And as usual, they did a great job installing all this.
Last edited by hydrashok : 9th May 2008 at 08:52.
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