[auto_enthusiast]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Goodness gracious!
The Ford team has responded by diverting the email to the service center and the service center is now maintaining that paintwork does not carry any warranty anyhow.

Does anyone have the email IDs of the bosses of the buffoons manning the customer service?

Do check the owner's manual for the anti-corrosion warranty clause or you can google it out. Write to them mentioning that you had complained for this issue previously too and its not that you are complaining after four years of ownership. Insist them on getting it done under warranty.

I don't have any ID of the bosses out there but mailing on these two IDs simultaneously should help you on this issue.

write2md@ford.com
custmail@ford.com

[auto_enthusiast]

Got my car serviced for the scheduled maintenance of 30k kms. Proved to be quite expensive. Service cost approx. 5400/- plus oil 2000/-(provided by me). Apart from oil filter, diesel filter and air filter, the LHS indicator stalk was also malfunctioning which needed replacement. Cost of the indicator stalk 1700/-.

Both the front shock abs, and the link rods were changed at 23k kms under warranty but now at 30k kms there is noise from the link rods again, which needs to be replaced. A set of new link rods lasting just 7k kms and that too when my driving is generally on well paved roads. I'm looking for replacement under warranty but ford says that warranty is for 6 months or 10k kms whichever is earlier. The A.S.S guys have asked me to wait for a day or two for the warranty claim or else it would cost me around 3500/- more.

Who says figo is inexpensive to maintain??

[fiat_tarun]

A friend noticed this oil stain (?) on the engine cover the other day and we were wondering where it could be from. There doesn't seem to be a leak (no drops when parked) and the oil level is also fine. What could it be and should he visit the A.S.S ?

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

A friend noticed this oil stain (?) on the engine cover the other day and we were wondering where it could be from. There doesn't seem to be a leak (no drops when parked) and the oil level is also fine. What could it be and should he visit the A.S.S ?

Are you referring to the whitish stain to the left of the oil filler cap? From these pictures, it seems to be more like salt deposits that have come out of water drying up.

Its either water that's come flowing down the windshield/cowl, or a leak from the windshield washer tubes. Can you check the latter?

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Are you referring to the whitish stain to the left of the oil filler cap? From these pictures, it seems to be more like salt deposits that have come out of water drying up.

Its either water that's come flowing down the windshield/cowl, or a leak from the windshield washer tubes. Can you check the latter?

Sorry I should have been clearer in my original post. I have marked the area in the picture below. The wiper line runs from the right side, and this feels like oil to touch, so definitely not water.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Sorry I should have been clearer in my original post. I have marked the area in the picture below. The wiper line runs from the right side, and this feels like oil to touch, so definitely not water.

Ah, ok, I see those stains now - definitely appears to be oil or oil-based.

Can you remove the plastic cover and check the actual engine head to see if you can make out any stains?

Also, given that the stains are more on the front-left of the plastic cover (hence possible that the source is actually not the engine head/block), can you also check for the other fluid reservoirs - brake fluid, power steering fluid, etc.

[Red Liner]

The music system in the Figo Diesel I drive has been switching off (whilst driving) intermittently over the past few day. This morning alone, I faced a switch off/on of the music system thrice.

Plus, last night as I switched on the extra aux lights, the car completely shut down for a millisecond but powered back on again as I was driving.

I checked the battery out a few days back and found the main cell's capacity of distilled water extremely low and had it topped up. However, prior to topping up, I checked the voltage and it seemed okay at 14.3.

Could this be a battery issue?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The music system in the Figo Diesel I drive has been switching off (whilst driving) intermittently over the past few day. This morning alone, I faced a switch off/on of the music system thrice.

Plus, last night as I switched on the extra aux lights, the car completely shut down for a millisecond but powered back on again as I was driving.

I checked the battery out a few days back and found the main cell's capacity of distilled water extremely low and had it topped up. However, prior to topping up, I checked the voltage and it seemed okay at 14.3.

Could this be a battery issue?

Battery is one possibility. The other could be alternator in worst case. Get the alternator checked once to ascertain that it is generating the rated power without any malfunction.
Do you face any problems in starting or feel that the light illumination is dimmer than it used to be?

How old is your battery?

Do you have a lot of load like amplifier and large halogen fog lamps?

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Sorry I should have been clearer in my original post. I have marked the area in the picture below. The wiper line runs from the right side, and this feels like oil to touch, so definitely not water.

Has the car been to service recently? If yes - this may be something as simple as spillage during oil replacement by the mechanic.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Battery is one possibility. The other could be alternator in worst case. Get the alternator checked once to ascertain that it is generating the rated power without any malfunction.
Do you face any problems in starting or feel that the light illumination is dimmer than it used to be?

How old is your battery?

Do you have a lot of load like amplifier and large halogen fog lamps?

Thanks Rein. The battery is about 2+ years old. Its the stock battery on the car. I feel its a little too early for the battery to give up, but to hell with it.

I don't face any trouble when starting the car - no, nothing dims. The only additional load is a new pair of roots horns, and a pair of Hella Fog lamps (60wx2).

When I start the car, the ABS light does come "back" on again on the dash and then switch off (with a beep). On some research I understood that this is one of the initial signs that something could be "off" with the battery. This ABS light thing has been going on for the past 6 months.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Thanks Rein. The battery is about 2+ years old. Its the stock battery on the car. I feel its a little too early for the battery to give up, but to hell with it.

I don't face any trouble when starting the car - no, nothing dims. The only additional load is a new pair of roots horns, and a pair of Hella Fog lamps (60wx2).

When I start the car, the ABS light does come "back" on again on the dash and then switch off (with a beep). On some research I understood that this is one of the initial signs that something could be "off" with the battery. This ABS light thing has been going on for the past 6 months.

Yes too early for a battery pass away. And the added load isn't too much either. As a first step, get your battery checked from a nearby friendly guy. Tell him to check the electrolyte acid level with the simple dip device in all cells. Your acid may have crystallized due to low water content for too long.

Also - you said the voltage was 14.3. Generally the voltage should be seen around that level as the alternator "output" that charges the battery back. Was your engine running when you checked the voltage? With engine off, the voltage should read something around 13-13.4 I think.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Yes too early for a battery pass away. And the added load isn't too much either. As a first step, get your battery checked from a nearby friendly guy. Tell him to check the electrolyte acid level with the simple dip device in all cells. Your acid may have crystallized due to low water content for too long.

Also - you said the voltage was 14.3. Generally the voltage should be seen around that level as the alternator "output" that charges the battery back. Was your engine running when you checked the voltage? With engine off, the voltage should read something around 13-13.4 I think.

I think I checked it out with the engine running. Let me head over today and check the rating with the engine switched off. Yes, I did check the acid level, and the first cell from the left - apparently the main cell was extremely low, and the battery guy said this cell is very weak, and had to do an almost full top up. Does this ring any bells for you?

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I think I checked it out with the engine running. Let me head over today and check the rating with the engine switched off. Yes, I did check the acid level, and the first cell from the left - apparently the main cell was extremely low, and the battery guy said this cell is very weak, and had to do an almost full top up. Does this ring any bells for you?

Rings Big-ben's gong for me . Exactly 1 month after this exact symptom of 1 cell being weak (the +ve terminal it was) my battery died. Well only that cell died. The potential difference dropped exactly to 10.3 volts. This was after 3.5 years of usage of the stock Exide battery. I had to buy a new one.

I'd suggest you keep an eye on the battery regularly now & be prepared for a replacement.

However, get the alternator checked once still. The car "resetting" while running when aux-lamps are switched on may or may not be a straight result of the weak battery.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Rings Big-ben's gong for me . Exactly 1 month after this exact symptom of 1 cell being weak (the +ve terminal it was) my battery died. Well only that cell died. The potential difference dropped exactly to 10.3 volts. This was after 3.5 years of usage of the stock Exide battery. I had to buy a new one.

I'd suggest you keep an eye on the battery regularly now & be prepared for a replacement.

However, get the alternator checked once still. The car "resetting" while running when aux-lamps are switched on may or may not be a straight result of the weak battery.

Hmm, I am going to check the battery out again this afternoon with the car switched off...but I am tending towards replacing the battery outright anyway. If that positive terminal cell is gone, it makes no sense playing a waiting game. Might as well be done with it. I'll get the local battery guy to also have a look a the wiring and measure the charge-out put by the alternator just to be sure.

Thanks for the heads up man!

[Red Liner]

Okay, so it was a bit of a false alarm. The Positive terminal had an unbelievably minor loose connection and this was shaking things up inside the car. So I had it tightened and its back to observation.

But, the battery definitely needs to be replaced...especially with that last cell going almost defunct.

[Deep Blue]

I have a very funny problem with my Figo. The AC doesnt come on many times these days. It only blows warm air. But consistently if I hit a pothole, AC comes on just like that. Initially I thought it was just a coincidence. But now everytime the AC doesnt come on, I just have to hunt for a pothole/hump or some sharp edge on the road and viola! a waft of cool air comes in. I guess there is some loose connection somewhere and plan to get it tackled at at the 70k service.