This is an update on the 4th service before I get back to the undercarriage scrapes analysis.
BQ finished 15k kms in a little under 10 months and went in for her 4th service on the 28th with the odo reading nearly 15100. From an engine/braking/handling/electricals perspective, the car really didn't need a visit to the service centre at all. It was that smooth. So this was going to be just a regular periodic maintenance thing. In addition to the regular servicing I had some minor issues that needed resolution -
- Bad odour from AC vents (again). Not as frequent as it used to be but when it happens it's *bad*.
- Front seat (I think) rattle on certain roads. Occurs when it's just me in the car.
- Front bumper left corner has come loose. Can make it out via vibes in the throw of the fog lamp (when the car shudders in 1st gear, say).
- All-round suspension inspection (as suggested by mobike008)
- Front right suspension makes a metallic noise when going over sharp bumps or potholes at some speed. Doesn't happen always so I could only reproduce it once during the test drive near the service centre (and they obviously didn't catch it) but is 100% reproducible on certain roads.
- Periodic whirring sound seemingly from somewhere inside the dashboard. Typically happens when I turn the key to 'ON' position after a long stop. One can also hear it from time to time when the car is in motion. From other threads on the forums it felt like it could be an issue with the heater actuator coil.
Issue #1 has been fixed. Apparently there was a ton of fungus on the outside of the compressor and in the SA's words, heaps of it just kept falling as they washed it. Long-term resolution is to direct some pressurized air/water at the front grille when the car is washed. I'm not sure I completely get this. I didn't know the compressor was situated there, near the radiator grille.
Issue #2 - Not fixed.
Issue #3 - I have yet to check this.
Issue #4 was attended to. Apparently they re-torqued all suspension mount points.
An interesting aside w.r.t. issue #4 -
In a strange way, BQ suffered two scrapes at the hands of the service centre's driver during the test drive! Also later in the evening after I collected the car I visited an apartment complex with an insane ramp which led to another very mild scrape. The watchman was telling me that even the Alto with its short wheelbase gets the treatment on that particular ramp. My in-laws, who live in that complex now, do not take that ramp at all in their i10 and prefer another narrow entrance gate with a slightly less steep mud ramp.
Issue #5 - Ultimately not fixed. The SA suspected it could be a worn out engine mount. My heart skipped many beats when he said that, because this is an 8000 INR part and by all accounts on TBHP it lasts for around 40k km if not more. The SA however was saying they have seen many cases of 20k km old cars suffering worn out mounts. Despite what he said I knew that it could not be the mount as the noise is apparent only in a few cases, and I can never hear it when I crank the engine. Anyway, it turns out it wasn't the mount, and they said they couldn't find anything else. I can still make the noise out.
Issue #6 - Not fixed. The frequency has come down though. I don't hear it as often as I heard it in the days leading up to the service. However, the noise hasn't been eliminated completely.
Cost of service:
INR 1148 including wiper fluid top-up and all taxes. No parts were replaced.
Bottomline: This car is inexpensive to run as long as no parts need replacement.
So it was another middling experience and that's only due to Pride Honda service's lack of attention to detail and ability to understand and debug issues. Just like after the 3rd service, they'll probably end up sending the mobile crew again to tackle issues 2, 5 and 6. I just wish they could fix everything in the service centre itself.
The other long-standing concern is their absolute ineptness when it comes to interior cleaning. They focus only on the seats and mats, but they don't dust/vacuum the dashboard and all the various cubbyholes which tend to gather dust over time. I've pointed this out to them multiple times but they won't change for the better.
It's a good thing the car is inherently reliable and smooth and other than these minor issues and easy-to-do periodic maintenance, requires very little care.
Regards,
spadix