[shajufx]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

.....I surely am going to demand a repair FOC. What say?....

Not very sure how a repair can solve the issue. They will do the same lifting at next service and you are back to the issue or you should specifically tell them no more lifting. If its a common issue at your service point, why no one is complaining ? I dont think even a rickshaw guy will ignore a hairline scratch that comes through service.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by shajufx

Not very sure how a repair can solve the issue. They will do the same lifting at next service and you are back to the issue or you should specifically tell them no more lifting. If its a common issue at your service point, why no one is complaining ? I dont think even a rickshaw guy will ignore a hairline scratch that comes through service.

I actually called their helpline number and reported the issue and told them that it must be a problem with their equipment. And I guess it should be a common issues. Spotted a few Indicas and Indigos with the same problem. Might be that they don't notice these stuff. And the SA was telling me that Nano is a cheap car and the metal used is very flimsy too. Hence the damage! I felt like strangling him !
Telling them not to lift the car is not possible I guess as to do the works, they will have to put the car on the ramp.

I'm worried about the 3rd service. I do not want this thing to happen again. I thought of giving it to Mohandas Motors, but heard a few people saying it ain't so good! Let me try registering a complaint once again.

Thanks!

[silverado]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

I'm worried about the 3rd service. I do not want this thing to happen again. I thought of giving it to Mohandas Motors, but heard a few people saying it ain't so good! Let me try registering a complaint once again.

Thanks!

i am sure they not using the right kind of lifts for nano.
from your experience this was the first question i asked my SA, and he mentioned they have different lifts for Nano.

And indeed i did not see any issues after first service related to lift damaging the body.

[silverado]

[quote=freakmuzik;2392106]

Originally Posted by silverado

Padmini was getting neglected for over a year due to some problems and hence we decided to work on it.

I know its here, but My padmini has got timing chain replaced and sounds little better, but tappets are sounding louder now.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by silverado

i am sure they not using the right kind of lifts for nano.
from your experience this was the first question i asked my SA, and he mentioned they have different lifts for Nano.

And indeed i did not see any issues after first service related to lift damaging the body.

Oh, so I surely have to do something regarding this. If its not working well at the A. S. S, I am going to lodge a complaint. God knows how it is going to turn out. Thanks a lot for this piece of info

Originally Posted by silverado

I know its here, but My padmini has got timing chain replaced and sounds little better, but tappets are sounding louder now.

That's nice. My Padmini is in the workshop, painting yet to be done. But I am sad that I could not look after the proceedings at the workshop, one, due to my exams, and two, because the place is some 35 km's far from my house!

I checked the car day before and sadly the work isn't so good. There are innumerable finishing touches missing and the panel gaps are uneven in the boot area! The sad thing is I have no means to go check the car often! Anyways, the car is getting a fresh coat of White paint, instead of the earlier silver. I'l update on it in my PP thread.

Cheers!!

[akshay4587]

Nice review,good to know that the Nano is serving you well.
Ours is a BSIII version,and it has a Engine check light,as in other cars,instead of the service indicator in the console?
What is the purpose of service indicator(I havent read the manual till date:( ).

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Nice review,good to know that the Nano is serving you well.
Ours is a BSIII version,and it has a Engine check light,as in other cars,instead of the service indicator in the console?
What is the purpose of service indicator(I havent read the manual till date:( ).

Thanks.

According to my Nano Manual, the Service Indicator comes with the BSIII variant and the BSIV comes with the MIL Indicator, which I guess, is the Engine check light.

This indicator indicates any malfunction in the engine, wiring harness, EMS, etc.
The Manual says:
"The indicator,
1. Remains ON while engine is running and malfunctioning occurs.
2. Starts BLINKING if continuous problem or malfunction is observed."

So I guess, the function of both the indicators are just the same. Its only that they look different.

[freakmuzik]

Guys, just a small update regarding the FE.

For the last run of 123 kms, which has used ~7.5 L, strictly within the city, the FE stands at 16.4 km/l.

I guess it would get even better once the 3rd service, due on August this year, gets done. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the FE, which also says that my sister is driving better!!!

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

BTW, all Nano owners, please help. I had earlier posted a picture of the under body damage which occurred when the car was lifted in the ramp at T. A. S. S. I say this is a DAMAGE but they say its NORMAL and that it happens to all cars. This happened when the car was given for its second service. T. A. S. S say that the car is not lifted using the ramp during the first service.

Cars are not normally lifted on jacks/ramps for routine servicing. Also when they are, the jack is usually positioned between the RHS and LHS wheels and not on the sides/edges of the body.

The dents/damage you have shown in the pictures can very well occur if the car was riding low on a speedbreaker or similar obstacle and brushed its underbody against it. I could show you similar marks on my Santro too.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Cars are not normally lifted on jacks/ramps for routine servicing. Also when they are, the jack is usually positioned between the RHS and LHS wheels and not on the sides/edges of the body.

The dents/damage you have shown in the pictures can very well occur if the car was riding low on a speedbreaker or similar obstacle and brushed its underbody against it. I could show you similar marks on my Santro too.

According to what I saw at the A. S. S, they do lift the car for the second service. And I noticed this dent right the next day after I got back the car from the A. S. S. (Note: The pic was taken a few days later, hence the car looks dirty). I did check it before giving it to the A. S. S and there were no dents. And if this happened while riding over a speed breaker, how come most of the other Nano's in the service centre have the dent in the same place?

According to what silverado said, the ramp/lift used for Nano is different from that used for the other cars. But anyway, I am going to check it soon at the A. S. S and will update regarding the issue!

Cheers!

[honeybee]

I checked the photos (I think they are on page 5?) and the dent. It sure looks like the one caused when the car goes over a speadbreaker and brushes against it. It's also approximately in the middle.

If you are still sure it was caused in the workshop, please check how they are mounting the car on the lift. The mounting points should be nearer to the wheels (this is how my car wash guys lift the car). Also please check if there are any abnormally shaped speedbreakers in/around the workshop where the car could have brushed against it.

[freakmuzik]

MODS: Please change Thread Title to - My cute little toy - Sunshine Yellow Nano - 13,500/4th service Update!

Hello everybody!

Firstly, Wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous ONAM!!

It’s been long since I posted in T-Bhp. One year back, I used to feel really happy just to think about the vacations that I’ll have after my school closes! Sadly, I was totally occupied with stuffs and was out of station for quite a long time. But still I was able to visit Chennai and Hyderabad, thanks to my parents and my aunt . And finally, I thought I’d get back home and write the report but got into a show, which went on for one full year! There stopped my Nano report writing!

The car has now completed 13,500 kms and is going strong I should say. The fourth service just got over and the car is butter smooth now.

General Observations over the past two years of ownership:

+ves:

• Very easy to drive
• Peppy engine with enough low end torque
• Pretty stable at speeds around 80
• Great steering I would say, gives a go cart like driving experience
• Chilling Air-con
• Low maintenance costs
• Fuel efficiency
• SPACE SPACE and SPACE!!

-ves:

• Clutch – has a mind of its own at times
• Brakes – are good, though not great
• Steering – a little too tight at parking speeds
• A couple of rattles and a squeak.

I must say the Nano is holding on quite well. It was driven through horrible roads for almost one year. So I did expect a few rattles for sure. And I feel the car won’t give you much trouble even if you use it roughly. No plastic part has fallen down. Interiors are still fine. Plastic quality ain’t great, but, come on!! I paid 2.08 lacs and I feel some plastics are better than cars priced higher, let alone the M800! Body panels seem to be quite rigid for the price. Now I’l update regarding the services.


3rd service - August 2011

The car had completed 8000 km’s while going for the 3rd service. My Nano was stuck at the dealership for almost 5 days due to some issue regarding the issue of an AMC. More on that later.

A couple of issues were reported:
1) Noisy wiper blades.
2) Decrease is Air-con air flow.

The Air-con was back to its good old days and the engine had become smoother and much nicer to rev after the oil change. The engine noise was also relatively less. But, the clutch had become a tad tight and rubbery. The car’s interiors and exteriors were cleaned very well. Overall, it was a very good job. Phew! After a long time, my dad was able to walk out of the service centre without any harsh words! :P All thanks to Mr. Santhosh and Mr. Rakesh as they were very helpful.

And the even better part was that I did not have to pay even a single penny as TATA motors had provided us with a complimentary Silver AMC. I had not received the AMC booklet before the service. So I had to go again to receive the AMC booklet and later handed it over to the service section. Next day, the SA, Mr. Santhosh told us that the TATA Motors Higher Officials aren’t allowing them to avail the AMC as the car hasn’t reached 10,000 km’s! It was so foolish of these higher officials to say that because it is clearly stated in the AMC booklet that it’s either a 10,000 km interval or the specified period of scheduled maintenance. Mr. Santhosh talked to them and cleared the matter. But, I still have to say that it’s very nice of TATA Motors to offer a complimentary AMC. One good thing that I noticed is that the dealership seemed to have bettered, maybe due to more sensible SA’s or due to better training.

I once again discussed the under-body damage and asked him to show me a car on the service lift. He took me there and showed it to me. Though there wasn’t a Nano on lift, but I was able to see how the cars were lifted. I again asked him how this happened and whether it’s common with all the Nano’s. He said a sure YES and stated that the body edge as shown in the picture is projected a little more in the Nano’s and that’s the reason it gets a dent. The lift has two circular horizontal plates like stuff which is placed right in front of the rear wheels. And there’s a beam that holds these two circular plates that runs across the ends and is place even farther from the rear wheel. The SA says that it’s this beam that creates the dent while it rests on the projected body panel. And as suggested by honeybee, I checked around for any speed-breakers but could not find any. Also, the dealership is located right beside the National Highway and there are no speed breakers anywhere around there too. So the service lift should be the culprit, and the SA’s words have confirmed it. But I do not know what is to be done. Because, if it’s the problem of the service lift not being OK for the Nano, then there’s no use of getting it repaired. Can other Nano owners please check and let me know whether there’s anything like the dent shown in the picture in your car?

4th service – August 2012

The car had run approximately 13,400 kms when it was due for its 3rd service. It did have a few issues this time.

1) Brakes were weak and the car was pulling to the left while braking.
2) Steering alignment was a little off
3) A/C air flow was drastically down
4) A rattle from the Left front door
5) A high frequency noise from the engine bay at low Rpm’s
6) Engine noise was getting a tad higher
7) The Rear Left door lock wasn’t working with the central locking.

While we contacted the dealership for service, got to know that many of the staff have changed. I wasn’t home so my sister gave it for the service and mentioned all these issues. It took around five days for them but I’m happy to say that nearly 90% of the work was completed very well.

The SA said the car’s front suspension must have taken a hit because he noticed a small dent in the lower arm which was rectified (one reason why the car pulled left and gave a weird noise while braked hard). Plus he also said there was some problem with the wheel cylinder too and that they will try driving it to sort it out so as to pin point to avoid changing each and every part related to the issue. Later they identified some pin or something in the wheel which needed to be changed I guess. They didn’t have the central lock kit in stock so they said I’l be informed in a week or two. The SA also intimated me about the availability of the Left ORVM plus the glove box (Finally!!). I am attaching the Invoice which has the details of all the work done.

Got the car back when I was home and the car was sparkling clean, inside and outside! I drove it inside my colony for some distance, tried braking hard, and checked the A/C and everything was working great. The engine was silent and super smooth. No more low RPM noises or rattles and the clutch worked well. Great work indeed!

Total Bill – Rs. 12( for some cotton waste cloth!!)
But had to pay Rs.400 for the petrol they used for test drive. Gave me proper bills for that and the odo did show that they did run the car.




Only grouse was that the cover of the Right ORVM arm was missing. I informed the SA and he promised me to rectify while I go there to get the central locking work done.

I’m definitely one Happy Nano customer now! Comparing to the service offered around a year back, they have improved like anything I feel. The SA called me each time and informed whatever was happening there, asked me before they test drove the car to sort out the issues and told me what extra work was to be done over the phone! I’m impressed indeed! Hope I, along with all Nano customers, get to experience the same from now on.

P.S: Maintenance cost of the car- Rs. 275 for 13,500 km = 2 paise/ km!

Do I have any reasons to complain????

Shining after the 4th service!



Leaflet received from TML


The reason for poor air flow-yuck!! very dirty indeed!


Something that amazes me even now - The rear seat legroom!


Plastics haven't faded off or anything and holding on quite well


The AMC booklet.


Silver care package - The one I have


Gold care package


Platinum care package


Cheers!!!!

[amit162]

Have a similar dent in my Nano probably due to the service lift ,as you noticed. Had raised the issue with the service staff who were very nonchalant about it. Have not got it rectified as there is no guarantee that it wont happen again during the next service with the inherent casual attitude of the servicing staff!

[freakmuzik]

A quick update !

The Nano has now clocked 17,500, which is not so much considering its been 2 and a half years since the purchase. Its been serving really well and right now I'm using it for my daily college commute, which is making me more and more intimate with the car!!

The Positives:
1) Amazingly peppy engine!!!
2) Awesome fuel efficiency
3) Good low end torque
4) Great space for 4 adults
5) Mechanically seems to be quite reliable as of now
6) Direct steering
7) Pretty stable till 80 kmph

The negatives:
1) Weirdo clutch
2) Lack of grip
3) Insufficient seat bolstering
4) Tight steering in standstill/ extremely low speeds
5) Seatbelt length is lesser than the standard
6) Very minor niggles

I have been taking it to my college since November, 2012. Its a 38 km journey (to and fro). Of the 19 km( one way):

• 8 kms - Mediocre ghat-like roads with sharp bends and inclines. Mostly 2nd and 3rd gear.
• 2 kms - Completely in 4th gear, but at times in 3rd
• 9 kms - Mediocre to good roads with good to heavy traffic. Mostly in 2nd and 3rd gear. Occasionally in 4th and rarely in 1st.

In such a driving cycle, I've been able to test the FE of my car multiple times in multiple driving styles!

1) Very sedate driving, maximum use of engine braking, upto 25% A/C, proper gear shifting intervals - I get around 22 to 23 kmpl !!

2) Sedate driving, occasional high revving, upto 50% A/C - 19-20 kmpl

3) Same as (2), but 100% A/C - around 18 kmpl

4) Hard driving, 75-100 % A/C - around 16 kmpl



But the grip levels are pretty poor. Sharp corners plus not so good roads makes the front wheels scream just @ 25 to 30 kmph! And i notice that while the rear tyres look like they have lot more life in them, the front ones seem to wear quite quickly, which might also be the reason for the loss of grip. To be on the safer side, I'l be replacing the front pair at around 22k - 23k km mark.

Cheers!

[freakmuzik]

Tata Nano LX vs. Maruti Wagon-R VXI (ABS+Airbag)

This might seem funny as the latter car costs nearly 2.5 times than the Nano, but as I own both the cars and get to drive both in similar conditions, it might bring out some interesting aspects!

1) ENGINE:
W-R: K series 1L engine. Poor low end torque but very strong mid and top-end! Just a downshift makes overtaking a breeze! Better suited for above city speeds.

Nano: Very good low-end torque! Good mid end but a poor top end. Sounds coarse while getting up the revvs!

2) TRANSMISSION:
W-R: Cable operated and doesn't give a mechanical feel. Adequately precise. 1st and reverse a little difficult to slot at times. Gear ratios aren't the best I feel. 1st is a little short, might be due to the poor low end torque. The rest of the ratios seem fine. One cant lug around till the 20-25kmph mark in 3rd, making frequent shifts necessary.

Nano: Precise and feels fine, just that the clutch NEEDS to be depressed completely, i mean, COMPLETELY! Even a micrometer gap between the pedal and metal makes the transmission groan! Gear ratios are great, 3rd is amazing and pick up from 20 till around 60-65 is really a boon. 4th is slow and LONG! Thanks to the low-end torque, it won't complain @40 kmph over flat stretches.

3) STEERING, GRIP AND HANDLING:
W-R: Neat steering, good to hold and a boon in the city. Not as lifeless at speeds as the old W-R but still can be categorized somewhere close to the 'Dead' category. Grip is adequate, thanks to 155 section tyres in the VXI trim. Handling is predictable and safe if you know the cars limits. Pretty composed and stable at speeds too.

Nano: Direct steering, gives a go-cart like feel! Steering wheel is small, cute and easy to use, though really tight at parking speeds. Feedback is GOOD. Grip is average/poor, especially the front wheels owing mainly to the 135 section tyres. Rear tyres hold on quite well. Handling is average/predictable, nothing to write home about. But the car very much feels stable at speeds till around 90 kmph. Haven’t gone above that.

4) RIDE & SUSPENSION:
W-R: Good and handles bumps and pot-holes in a very good manner. Even at speeds, it doesn't bob around even in slight undulations. I'm HAPPY with it!

Nano: The ride is stiff and one can feel what’s under the wheel. It might be due to the stiff setting that the car remains stable at speeds but going through bad roads feels a little tiring and noisy in the Nano as compared to the W-R.

5) FUEL EFFICIENCY:
W-R: Nothing more than 16 with 100% A/C within the city. Got a maximum of 19 kmpl with 100% A/C on the highways in Kerala

Nano: Amazing FE. As you can see, I can easily manage 20 kmpl within the city, if not more. Sadly, have not taken it to the highways yet!!

6) SPACE, COMFORT & PRACTICALITY:
W-R: Good but not Great! Split folding rear sheets, adequate storage spots do help. Not great due to the poor boot space with all seats up and lack of proper bottle holders. Underseat storage, though good as a provision, is quite impractical as each time you’ll need the passenger to move out of the seat! I have slight issues with the front seat lumbar support during long drives. Under thigh support, in comparison with the vehicles of the same segment (Tallboys) seems good.

Nano: Average/Good. Space is abundant for 4 adults, especially the legroom. Ingress and egress is a piece of cake! Front seats are well shaped and I don't face any issues, unlike the W-R. Under-thigh support is good too. But the bolstering could have been better. And around the corners, the seat doesn't grip you well. Rear seats are, hmm, benches in fact, with no support at all. But backrest angle is good. Nano 2012 has better rear seats I guess. Boot space is almost non-existent. Actually, there has never been a need to stow stuff in my Nano, so can’t comment on that. Lack of glove box used to be brownie, but I'm quite getting used to it and don't feel it as a lack. BUT I seriously feel there should be some safe space to keep the car documents, valuables, etc. Checked out the new glove box, but the quality seemed downright cheap!

7) A. S. S:
W-R: Having been to Popular Automobiles all the time, service is good though not cheap. They do try to fleece you if you don't think twice before deciding. Mostly on-time though!

Nano: Average. Had more than a couple of instances when I had to visit the A.S.S again to resolve unattended stuff or shabby works. They most often don't stick to the given dates. Bodyshop is good though.



On the whole, both the cars are quite neutral, I mean, nothing so enthusiastic about them (Nano feels more enthusiastic I guess ). These are practical and very user-friendly vehicles. The Wagon-R is something your head can never say a NO to. The Nano belongs to the same category too, but, for me, there's an emotional tie with my cutie pie. It seems to have more life in it! I always prefer the Nano over the Wagon-R whenever I need a car.

And if you are in need of a car for city use and are ready to put aside your ego, the Nano seems a way better buy compared to most cars that come under 3.5 lakhs in my humble opinion. It turns more heads, cheap to run, cheap to maintain and quite user-friendly. Additionally, you can invest the rest of the money for everything else you need!


Cheers!!