[Revy]

Originally Posted by Yamaha100

great revy, i will wait for ur reply. also did u check out for the front windshield sunfilm? is it ok for night driving and how much does the RTO approved front sunfilm cost?

Yamaha - Here is the contact number for Sachin's autoshop. 080 - 41104109 / 30201567.

The front glass films should not cause any issues with night driving, they are colorless. ( Hence more costly, I guess). Some people feels that it reduces the glare from headlights of vehicles coming from opposite side, so it is an advantage for night driving. For front film, they quoted 6.5 K for 3M Crystalline. Most likely I will go for that. VCOOL costs more, around 8K I think. May be you can check this while calling them and share the information here.

[chaudhrysan]

Originally Posted by Revy

DTE has to be taken more like a warning about refilling.

People have already pointed out about the wrong position of AC blower control. It should have been swapped with the mode control as we use the blower control more frequently.
Very True.
Similarly, the Tacho and Fuel has to be swapped positions ! We need to look at Tacho every now and then and the current position is not very convenient.
True.

That first point above is the reason why I maintain that Ford should have given us a regular temperature gauge and incorporated a digital fuel guage (maybe like a cellphone battery indicator) in the DTE display. This would have kept all fuel related information in one place. I am very uncomfortable with just high temperature warning indicator.

[Yamaha100]

Originally Posted by Revy

Yamaha - Here is the contact number for Sachin's autoshop. 080 - 41104109 / 30201567.

The front glass films should not cause any issues with night driving, they are colorless. ( Hence more costly, I guess). Some people feels that it reduces the glare from headlights of vehicles coming from opposite side, so it is an advantage for night driving. For front film, they quoted 6.5 K for 3M Crystalline. Most likely I will go for that. VCOOL costs more, around 8K I think. May be you can check this while calling them and share the information here.

Thanks Revy. I had thought that front sunfilm will reduce visibility considerably

[Revy]

Hi folks, unable to post any updates for many days, work schedule is so hectic that I don't even get to open T-BHP. The red hot baby is doing fine, now I have crossed 700 KM. Feels like the clutch has got a little harder and gear shifting more coarse..May be the effect of the initial euphoria of new car getting over ! Don't laugh at this - I had to upgrade my phone to match the car. My 5 year old Nokia was having no bluetooth and till date, I never felt the need to change phone. But for the red baby, I upgraded to a new phone. I am not very good in working with gadgets. Yet, it was not difficult to pair up with the car audio system. The voice is clarity is good while receiving the call. For the other wise, the voice is clear but there is a feel of talking away from phone. (Obviously as the microphone is at a distance). Still, the other side can hear it properly. These days I am waiting for call while driving ! But my style of turning off engine at signals is a pain now. Every time I do this and start engine again, the bluetooth connection has to be accepted again in the phone. FE is to be measured with a tankful method, waiting for the next refill. Based on DTE, it hovers around 14 which is not bad in Bangalore conditions. Eagerly waiting for the road trip next weekend where I can experience the car on highway and observe the FE.

[scorpio07]

Originally Posted by Revy

. Every time I do this and start engine again, the bluetooth connection has to be accepted again in the phone.

Have you added the ford connection to your list of paired devices on your phone. If you havent do that then it will automatically connect.

Search in New paired Device in your phone add the ford bluetooth and when it asks whether to authorize the device, select ok, it shud be done.

When u turn on bluetooth in your phone it will connect automatically. it does for me try it.

[Revy]

Originally Posted by scorpio07

Have you added the ford connection to your list of paired devices on your phone. If you havent do that then it will automatically connect.

Search in New paired Device in your phone add the ford bluetooth and when it asks whether to authorize the device, select ok, it shud be done.

When u turn on bluetooth in your phone it will connect automatically. it does for me try it.

scorpio - thanks for the tip, I am pretty new to my phone as well, need to do a lot of reading to learn all the features. If it can auto connect without me clicking "Yes" everytime, it is cool.

[gemithomas]

Originally Posted by Revy

Don't laugh at this - I had to upgrade my phone to match the car. My 5 year old Nokia was having no bluetooth and till date, I never felt the need to change phone. But for the red baby, I upgraded to a new phone.

So DIESELS are NOT REALLY a money saver.

[Vik0728]

Way to go Revy, see you soon on the meet buddy!!

[Revy]

I am eagerly waiting for the weekend..Red hot baby will get the taste of the long highway drive, some ghat sections etc. I hope she won't disappoint me ! It would be tough for me to avoid pushing her to higher revs as it is still early run in period. ( 700 KM so far). Heck, I don't get to go for road trips very often. In 5th gear, speed of 120 KMPH is attained with 3K RPM. I guess that will be the maximum I can test for now. My route is a mix of highway, curvy roads and then hairpins. So this would be the true test ! Bangalore - Mysore - Nanjangode - Gundalpet - Bandipur - Mudumalai - Ootty -> this is the route I plan. Any fellow BHPians who have gone by that route, please share your tips. I know the Mudumalai - Ootty stretch is not very wide road, but my friend regularly goes through that route with his Alto and says it is fine. Another route is through Gudallur which is about 40 - 50 KM extra.

[e-biz]

Originally Posted by Revy

I am eagerly waiting for the weekend..Red hot baby will get the taste of the long highway drive, some ghat sections etc. I hope she won't disappoint me ! It would be tough for me to avoid pushing her to higher revs as it is still early run in period. ( 700 KM so far). Heck, I don't get to go for road trips very often. In 5th gear, speed of 120 KMPH is attained with 3K RPM. I guess that will be the maximum I can test for now. My route is a mix of highway, curvy roads and then hairpins. So this would be the true test ! Bangalore - Mysore - Nanjangode - Gundalpet - Bandipur - Mudumalai - Ootty -> this is the route I plan. Any fellow BHPians who have gone by that route, please share your tips. I know the Mudumalai - Ootty stretch is not very wide road, but my friend regularly goes through that route with his Alto and says it is fine. Another route is through Gudallur which is about 40 - 50 KM extra.

Just been to Ooty-Wayanad. Took the Ooty-Mudumalai-Gudalur-wayanad and on the return took Wayanad-Gudalur-Ooty route. Roads are good on both the routes. Mudumalai - ooty road condition is good but is very steep. You have to stick to 2nd gear and you would definitely have to rest your car for sometime as the break shoes need to cool down and you if you are lucky you can spot some wild animals. On the other hand, the Mudumalai -Gudalur route, even thought its around 30k extra, you can zip through it as the road are much wider than the other route. However, if its the first time you are taking this trip, then try both the routes; Mudumalai -gudalur-ooty one way and Ooty - Mudumalai on your way back

[Revy]

Originally Posted by e-biz

Just been to Ooty-Wayanad. Took the Ooty-Mudumalai-Gudalur-wayanad and on the return took Wayanad-Gudalur-Ooty route. Roads are good on both the routes. Mudumalai - ooty road condition is good but is very steep. You have to stick to 2nd gear and you would definitely have to rest your car for sometime as the break shoes need to cool down and you if you are lucky you can spot some wild animals. On the other hand, the Mudumalai -Gudalur route, even thought its around 30k extra, you can zip through it as the road are much wider than the other route. However, if its the first time you are taking this trip, then try both the routes; Mudumalai -gudalur-ooty one way and Ooty - Mudumalai on your way back

e-biz - thanks for the update ! My plan is exactly as you suggested. Go to Ootty via Mudumalai - Masinagudi route. ( I had been upto Masinagudi before). While coming back, take the Gudalur route and then glide down to "Gods own country" via the "Vazhikkadavu - Nilambur" route.

Here is my observation on FE after doing a tank to tank method. Approximately 14 KMPL. All this is in the B2B traffic in Bangalore, with AC on 70% of time. I hope it is not bad at this stage. Others too get something similar. After my trip this weekend, I will get to know how it does on highway/long drive.

[Revy]

After my 3 day road trip, I reached my home town for a week's vacation. Will soon be filing a report of the drive. Let me give a hint of it - for most part of the trip, driving the Figo TDCi was real fun and joy ! But...and that's BIG BUT..I am very much worried about the performance on steep hair pin curves after my recent experience. May be I still have to learn the art of driving Diesel..I am not new to driving on mountain roads, but the Mudumalai - Masinagudi - Ootty route had some very challenging steep and long hairpins which tested my driving skills and the machine itself. To make it worse, there were frequent traffic blocks as many vehicles were struggling to climb up in a slow pace.

Ok, let me break the bad news...The engine nearly stalled though no "high temperature" warning lights were displayed. I really miss the good old temperature gauge ! When I get time, I will post the details of the drive. Barring this incidence, it was a breeze and I got decent FE as well.

[Revy]

I was expecting some curious questions and reactions about my previous post :-)
May be my concern is not very valid as giving proper rest to engine while climbing mountain roads is a basic thing I missed. Yet, the feeling is jittery..When the supposedly good TDCi machine refuses to pull the vehicle in first gear on a steep climb.

[gemithomas]

It happens when the engine goes out of breath. I mean when you dont downshift in proper time you might have to rev her a little harder after slotting into first so as to compensate for the gravity pulling the car downward (backward) on the slope.

I was thinking i would reply to the detailed post you had promised. I guess all of us thought so

Looking forward to more details of your long trip on the Figo.

[Revy]

Folks, apologies for the delay in posting a detailed drive report...Last week had been hectic though I was on vacation. Time to surf net was very limited.

Started the journey on 1 May (Saturday) from Bangalore to Mysore via the NICE road. Till Mysore, traffic was very heavy, but it was fun driving with Figo. Overtaking was a breeze and the steering response excellent ! Plan was to stop for breakfast at Kamath, but seeing the number of cars parked in that area, we changed our plan. When I pulled up at "Kadambam" near Mandya, another car (OHC) came and parked near me. The guy was mightly impressed with Figo, he was driving along with me for most of the part. The way Figo darts in and out of such heavy highway traffic, anyone could make out that it is so nice to drive - that was his comment !

Then comes the next stretch - nanjangode - Guldulpet - Bandipur. Though the roads are not very wide, they were in good condition and cruizing at 120 KMPH was possible on many stretches.

Now comes the tough part - We took the Mudumalai - Masinagudi route to go up which has 36 hairpin curves, some of which are very steep and long. And the traffic was somewhat heavy on the hills on that day, many times there is no other choice than inching up behind that slow moving truck or other vehicles. Very soon, I realised that 2nd gear is not good enough in this condition..I used to start a steep climb on 1st gear and then try to upshift when RPM crosses 2500. Many times, I felt that 2nd gear is not puliing enough and had to hurriedly downshift 1st gear again. These cycle continued for about 20 hairpins and then on a very steep one, I had to stop the car as there was a block. Then comes the horror..When I tried to start again in 1st gear, the machine is simply not pulling and the vehicle is going back. Engine felt powerless, people behind me started getting nervous whenever my car moved backward. Finally, I offloaded my family and with the help of 2 people, somehow managed to move up ! It was scary indeed. Immediately after that climb, I stopped and checked the engine. It was very hot, but there was no overheat warning. I decided not to take any risk, parked my car there for 20 minutes. Incidently, behind me was a Fiesta TDCi and he too parked near me. I went to apologize to him for the delay and to my surprize, he too was worried of engine overheating and decided to take a break !

Though I am new to Diesel, I am not at all new to mountain roads..May be the mistake was that I came non stop from Mandya ( about 150 km) and tried going up the steep curves. Still, this was not very confidence evoking performance..It was a very bad day for me overall with horrible traffic. My stay was planned in Koonoor and it took 3 hours for me to cover the 18 km distance between Ootty and Koonoor ! Horrible traffic blocks all along and I was feeling so nervous whenever I had to stop my car on a slope.

More about the journey downwards, in later posts. Please give your feedback on what I did wrong to make my red hot baby really "red hot" :-)