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-   -   Review: 1st-gen Ford Figo (2010) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/74219-review-1st-gen-ford-figo-2010-a-423.html)

I can think of the following things-
1. AC filter clogged (if you want to check it as DIY, check http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ford-figo.html)
2. Thermostat cutting off too often (you can check it by noticing if your engine doesn't get strained as it should have been when AC is on)

I've been thinking since long time to get sunfilms on my Figo because even during winters, I need AC! The only problem is price. I need tint on all windows + windscreen + hatch glass. The cost might go north of 30k. It would be cheaper to simply run AC. What do you think?

Personally, I think that the costs are way over board. It shouldn't cost more than 15K tops for branded sun-film all around. Look at 3M and Garware (higher end ones), as they are almost as effective as some of the high priced brands, but a lot more affordable IMO. You can also do it in stages, like get a clear sunfilm put on the windshield, and then later on the sides and hatch - or vice versa.

If the wiring is cheaper (both cost of cables and cost of installation and maintenance) then some would argue that Ford should not have used the same wiring - EXi is a cheaper version, and the functionality you are ruing about can be easily obtained by having a LED flashlight in the car at all times (in any case a very desirable thing - there is no lamp to assist a tire change in the dark on any car)

Thanks for the DIY link, may be useful to me !
I got sun-filming done , and immediately noticed less feeling of burning on my exposed skin this afternoon. Some heat is still felt, but the film does help. I paid 10k for all round , why is it 30k for you - unless you're going premium film only ?

Two observations about Figo-
1. Finally I've came to know meaning of "downshift to overtake". My 1.2 Figo was at 80kph on a highway in 5th gear. I wanted to overtake a truck by increasing speed. Pressing a bit more throttle wasn't helping much in accelerating. Instead of downshifting, I patiently waited. It took like 3-4 sec to reach 100kph from 80kph! Looks like 1.2 Figo is indeed no highway sprinter. Not that it matters to me because my 95% drive is in city and within 90kph.
2. Stock MRF tyres might be quite sturdy, safe from sudden rupture on highways & long lasting but they don't have great grip. I was on a road beyond Snow View Point in Nainital. The road was snow-wet, I accelerated a bit and My Figo slid a bit sideways!

Yeah, I was looking at top-end Vkool films. I think I'll skip sunfilms since I would still need AC. I don't see any cost saving on AC consumption even if I went for 10k sunfilms.

I got 3M films done on my car all around. At Cochin, it cost me Rs 7K for front windshield and Rs 8K for the rest. So a total of Rs 15k. The film is warrantied and is of great help in keeping your car cool.
I would suggest that you consider tinting your glass. I am also a person who uses 100% AC. However, window tinting is still highly recommended.
1) It keeps your car from getting heated during extended periods of being parked in sunlight. Ambient heat which stays inside the car not only breds odour within the car, it also is detrimental to the interiors
2) It greatly improves the aesthetics of your car. That point is beyond comparisons to any amount of money. (remember the visa ad? "priceless!!"
3) It reduces the IR radiations and UV rays ingress
4) By reducing the ingress of heat to the car, it greatly reduces the work load of your AC for the initial heat neutralisation it has to do to get the temperatures to comfort ranges

As Dhanush points out, film still has its uses. Without the film, the strong sunlight will still prick the skin , and heat the insides. Sun film will reduce both these. By reducing internal heat, the AC has to work less to cool the cabin, and like domestic AC, all ACs have some power consumption which is drawn from the engine. So with film, AC load is reduced, which should reduce the load on the engine too , though perhaps not noticeably so in urban cycle.

Sunfilm is not just keeping your car cool. In addition to above points mentioned, sunfilms provide a certain degree of privacy and protection from prying eyes.

The biggest advantage is, it blocks UV radiation that makes the plastics of the car brittle over time. Faded interior plastics bring down the resale value of cars considerably.

Which film did you use on windshield? 3M CR-70? Where did you get this done?

V-KOOL is better than 3M ?

I am not sure, but I guess you V-KOOL will have cost around 11k.

Had another new encounter with my Figo.

The last time I had filled up my tank, my fuel gauge did not move at all even after brimming the tank till auto cutoff. I switched off and switched on the car, and it was the same. The DTE too remained static even after driving 20+kms. So I took it to FASS and he asked me whether I had refuelled with the key in ignition. I recollected and realised that I had switched off the engine but did not turn it completely counter-clockwise all the way(even though I usually switch off completely by default). The Service guy told me that the ECU does not sense this change in fuel and remains static. He reset by disconnecting the battery and entering code; and it is now it is back to normal.
Just wanted to find out what had just happened. Is it true that you have to completely turn off everything for the fuel gauge to sense. Because, it seems like to could so easily happen that ppl may not turn it off completely, and its mentioned nowhere in the manual IIRC.

Also, while I was at it, just showed him some rattle from the rear, and he said that they have received a new TSB to fix that which will take a day since it involves replacing something in the C pillar by removing the panel. Just for the benefit of ppl going for service anytime soon, they could get this done.

Similar incident happened to me. I was testing the mileage with my 15" using the full tank to full tank method. I covered a total of 180 kms after full tank and filled the tank later without turning off the engine. The needle did not go up neither did the DTE. But the mileage was at 20kmpl as per the amount of fuel consumed. Later when I gave the car for service the following day, The S.A disconnected and reconnedted the battery. The fuel gauge showed full. Above the full mark and DTE was at around 700+ . Also the rattling sound happened to me too. It's a simple fix. All they do is remove the inside panels of the c-pillar and put some double sided tape to remove the rattling sound. It's been over a couple of months till date and the rattling sound did not appear again.

My Figo does not show this charecteristic. My key is always in the keyslot with the engine on standby. I like to see needle move up as I fill :).

@kart19: In the old fiesta and fusion, DTE does not change for the first few KM after refueling. In my figo, I never switch off the engine while refueling and DTE increases immediately. Hope this was helpful.

My needle goes up too when the engine is running. It din't go up only once. Maybe because the needle was just below the F mark when I refueled that day. I usually refuel at half tank mark and the needle goes up slowly as the tank gets filled.

This seems to a case with a handful of Figo's .
I have never turned off the engine to fill the tank, be it from half tank or an empty tank and never encountered this issue. Dont think what the technician gave you is a valid explanation either.
Was this is a one off scenario or does it happen everytime the tank is filled with the engine running? If it happens everytime, you may want to get a second opinion as it may also be an issue with the fuel level sensor or float which will lead to wrong readings.. Im not sure floats are still around on new cars.