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-   -   New Scorpio VLX: Lemon or just a misfiring sensor? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/87105-new-scorpio-vlx-lemon-just-misfiring-sensor.html)

Just back from dinner (supposed top be celebrating the purchase of new scorpio VLX with airbag)
Really in bad mood
Got delivery of mystic purple scorpio vlx from india garage bangalore. the purchase process was smooth and easy.
I wanted a mystic purple without airbags but they didnt have ready stock of that and took a with air bag model.
After delivery, after pooja at Motor ganapathy was drivign towards the acccessory shop which just 2 km away. From there drove towards indranagar which is roughly 8 km away with my AC on and the scorpio starting giving its warning sound within 2 km of driving. Attention your engine temprature is high. I noticed the temprature one point above the half way. I assumed it should be something to do with the sensors but as a test tried switching off the AC and the warning sound went quite. then again i tried switcching on the AC and again the warnings. At the restaurant, checked the coolant level in both the ccoolant box and the radiator both wwere normal. But there was a real metal heated smell and lot of heat from the engine. Checked the engine oil level and it was ok. Not sure what is the problem
Called the sales person, he put the break down guy on line, I plan to take the vehiccle to the service center tomm morning to check what is the issue.

Over the last 15 days I have bought a fabia and scorpio and both have left a bad taste in mouth.
The fabia purchase experience at Vinayak skoda was real bad. (From one false promise to another, totally misleading)
Purchase of car is supposed to be a happy occasion puting our hard earned money into these costly machines and in both cases I am feeling real bad
This is the first time in the last 6 car purchases I have been feeling like this.
Damn

I think you got a lemon mate. Return it and get a refund as soon as possible. No new car we buy should ever have any issues.

Although, I must add that having a Scorpio myself and having experiences with Mahindra Customer Service, they will take care of it for you, if you prefer to hold on to your vehicle.

You should probably look up when a vehicle is classified as a lemon. It generally happens when repeated attempts to fix a flaw fails. A failure that can be serviced and repaired doesn't make a vehicle a lemon. Given that you have not even got a chance to take it to dealer, I find is surprising that you are already classifying your vehicle as a lemon.

A new car must not give out problems. Get another piece or ask for refund. If the car is already registered in your name, then give them one chance to repair else take other steps to either push for replacement or refund. But make sure that they dont give out words like " The car was already worked upon, so no replacement ".

It is hardluck mate, but do not let hardluck override on you and your personal life. Just fight for it and give Mahindra dealer a stun reply and ask for immediate replacement for your Scorpio. Do not budge on any of the freebies/assurances. Ask everything in written. Return the car asap to Mahindra dealer.

What were the accessories fitted ?

Hard luck, Balan, I hope the problem gets resolved. If not, press for a replacement at the earliest.

Please do keep the updates coming. Regards :)

Technically, it looks like a minor issue, such as a loose connection or a faulty relay for the AC condenser fan, which caused the overheating. That problem will be set right is 10 minutes, I think.

However, for a brand new engine which has not run-in yet, such overheating would have long-term effects, and a definite reduction in engine life. So I would fight for replacement, not repair.

EDIT: I hope no electrical accessories were fitted from the accessories shop, which might give M&M reason to void waranty.

And you bought a car on a Friday the 13th? :)

Could it be that this car was ordered for another customer? AFAIK, they don't routinely keep cars in stock and all cars are ordered after someone pays the booking amount. I think there is an inherent risk in taking cars that are in stock.

Could you please elucidate your above statement?

@SPIKE_ARRESTOR: What is your opinion of the issue that balan is facing? Would overheating be detrimental to engine life as I think, or not?

@ SS, it depends on the amount of overheating and the distance covered with an overheating new engine. With CRDi engines, as soon as the coolant temperature reaches alarming values the ECU automatically adjusts the fueling to reduce the power/torque output. Personally, I've driven a Xylo MEagle with a badly leaking radiator for close to 35 kms without any issues. The temperature gauge was well beyond the red mark and the engine bay was fuming profusely during the run. In this case, I would be more worried of the reason why the engine overheated in the very first place.

Spike

Agreed. How fast and how long are the big factors. I wouldn't do 35 km like that unless it was a matter of life and death, or if I was testing an engine under development! :)
That's a very interesting piece of information. But tell me, Spike, why can't the ECU be programmed to go into limp mode as soon as overheating happens, restricting the revs to, say, 1500 r/min? That'll save on some very expensive repairs...
I guess we'll have to wait for balan to tell us.

It may be that the accessories balan got fitted have to do something with the overheating part, may be that accessory would be fooling the ecu to adjust more diesel to the engine.

Lets see what balan has to say

Yeah, you are right, this incident happened during testing stages:). The ECU can be programmed, although the ECU's function in this condition is somewhat similar to the limp home mode, the only difference being RPM, which is not restricted. By not restricting to lower RPM's->comparatively higher speeds-> could provide better ram air effects, thereby assisting cooling.

Spike

Just back from India garage workshop at victoria road
Almost done 120 km of testing today. In the morning session, when their junior mechanic (MBBS level duty doctor) incharge of electrical / elctronics / ECU rode the vehicle, there was no alarm sound.
Morning when I rode from home to workshop, there was no alarm. We tried different roads, different driving conditions, tested it using their computer, the temprature was normal. I agreed it must have been a loose contact somewhere and drove back home. As I neared home, the same thing started. The alarm started coming on repeatedly. After a tese lunch drove back to the service center and as I neared the service center (50 m) the sound stopped. Real crazy. Another round of test drives and no sound. Then finally their senior technical manager (Dean of the medical center) came in the evening to the service center and he ran another round of diagnostic tests using their "Laptop" and during his test drive, the alarm sound started coming regularly. But the engine temp, coolant temp, etc were normal.

They have diagnosed the problem to be a faulty earthing "somewhere" in the car and hence have to check the wiring throughly. Hope they dont make a shoddy job of it.

I am not sure howw this problem didnt crop up when their driver took the veehicle to RTO
Why the senior technical manager didnt turn up from morning inspite of repeated requests and phone by the junior executive

Infact the engine / coolant temprature was normal yesterday night also
But I was in such a state of anger and tension that I didnt think logically even though I checked the coolant level, temprature, etc.

As for the metallic smell from the engine yesterday night, it seems to be the paint that is coated on the engine which starts giving the carbonised smell on heating and then evaporates off

The side of the scorpio gets a lot hotter than the previous july 2008 model I have coz the heat pads / sink provided in these new versions are different from the older ones. (This explanation was given by the servie person - Can experts confirm it)

Thanks for all the replies

My reply to all your queries

I dont believe in

@ SS, et al,
accessories, music systems, etc. I went to the acccessories shop to order a seat cover from Gsport
BTW, this vehicle ccomes with enough basic accessories.

@SS
Friday 13th or Feb 14th or what ever. Infact this is Aadi month for tamilians and Ashada for Kannadigas (bad month) I have picked up 2 cars this month.

@ak916
As per their stock record, the mystic purple (one w/o airbag and one with airbag) was on the way in transit when I first went to show room. The cheaper non airbag model got booked before I could place a commitment (at least thats what they said and I did check their stocck file when the guy was out somewhere)

I like the micro hybrid technology they have on this car. I generally switch off in signals if I know the signal will be more than 20 sec and this clutch on system is real cool. The follow me lights tend to switch on the moment I park in my open air garage. It needs a bit of training I suppose. Havent had chance to use cruise control and the auto wiper technology yet. Will have to drive to my guest house in mudumalai to try out both soon

The car was supposed to be birthday gift for Wife and when it turned out like this, I blew the top or say lost my senses. Maybe the Mods can move this thread to the dealer ship review about India Garbage (sorry India Garage)
Sorry if I have ranted too much

Best regards
Bala

I am in the market for a new car and have been offered a good discount for a certain model car, in a certain color and with immediate delivery, when any other variant of that same car or another color doesn't come with any discounts and has ~10 days wait period.

I was offered some discounts on a two wheeler (Shogun) about 10 years ago in a certain color but any other color had a wait period. I picked up an RX the same day since they had all colors in stock, in multiple numbers and they allowed me to walk through their 'yard' (small 150-200 sft room) and pick one. (I had already decided on buying the RX though).

However, if there was only one RX and I had to pick it, I wouldn't have. Hope that makes clarifies my point.

@Balan - I do hope that the rest of your ownership experience helps you put this aside as a forgettable and minor episode. And I agree with you on the bad day/good day concept. Everyday is a good day so long as you wake up to see it:)