[LobsterB]

Last week completed second service @ 5000km. The immediate reason for middle of the week service was a 'Brake Fluid Low' warning. Apparently there was a minute leak of brake fluid near the right rear wheel. The unit was replaced under warranty.

The 5000kms was almost completed in the (previous) weekend trip to a jungle resort in Chekkadi, Waynad (Wikimapia, Website). The vehicle was 'fully loaded' with three families (ajithbc's, civic-sense's and mine) and their luggages.

The resort is in the Waynad Wildlife Sanctuary area and couple of kms away from tarred roads. We were given the option to park the vehicle at a 'safe place' and transfer by jeep; but chose to keep the vehicle with us at the resort. The resort had trenches all around to protect it from wild elephants, except for this narrow and steep (around 40 degrees I suppose) approach path.



Parked almost at the same latitude and longitude in Wikimapia URL.



Thanks to ajithbc and his friend Thomas for the planning and arrangements in Waynad. Thomas and his friends had a place nearby where they are planning to build a resort. It was "quite close-by" in the forest and civic-sense & me (and our families) in the Aria followed ajithbc & Thomas's mm540. This forest trip turned out to be a mini off-road adventure of approx 40kms (as per my trip odometer calculations). The ground-clearance of Aria was just about ok, once the suspension travel was kept in control. Grip of the Goodyear Wranglers felt very good. AWD was helpful even-though there wasn't too much of slushy patches.



Two more photos from the trip.





Overall FE was 9kmpl for the full round-trip of 656kms.

[sbraj]

Nice photos there.

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Apparently there was a minute leak of brake fluid near the right rear wheel. The unit was replaced under warranty.

Did the service folks mention any reason why the leak happened in the first place?

[condor]

@LobsterB, good to see you clocking the miles. Keep going !

LobsterB : Overall FE was 9kmpl for the full round-trip of 656kms.

FE looks on the lower side. Any thoughts on this ? Have you tried diff brands yet ? (Personally find IOC regular to be the best - both on my Sumo & the Ikon).

[LobsterB]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Nice photos there.

Thanks to ajithbc and civic-sense for those snaps

Originally Posted by sbraj

Did the service folks mention any reason why the leak happened in the first place?

It was said to be a component failure/defective component.

Originally Posted by condor

@LobsterB, good to see you clocking the miles. Keep going !FE looks on the lower side. Any thoughts on this ? Have you tried diff brands yet ? (Personally find IOC regular to be the best - both on my Sumo & the Ikon).

If I remember correctly, the onward journey FE was 12.x and this was on a previous day full tank from my regular BP bunk. The 40kms in the jungle was mostly on first gear and return trip fuel fill was at rusty old HP/IOC bunk at sultan battery. Perhaps these might have brought the overall FE down.

[sbraj]

@LobsterB,

By any chance, were your Aria being driven on NH7 on Dec 23? I was enroute Trivandrum from Bangalore and was driving along an Aria from Namakkal till Dindigul toll gate. This was a maroon, KA51MAxxxx Aria sporting TBHP colors.

Cheers

[LobsterB]

Originally Posted by sbraj

@LobsterB,

By any chance, were your Aria being driven on NH7 on Dec 23? I was enroute Trivandrum from Bangalore and was driving along an Aria from Namakkal till Dindigul toll gate. This was a maroon, KA51MAxxxx Aria sporting TBHP colors.

Cheers

Yes, it was me. Where you the one on a red Getz(if I remember correctly)? It was a pleasure driving in tandem with that driver. I had to break-off at the toll-gate and make a detour into the nearby town for a refuel. After that till someway past Viruthanagar it was a boring drive with no company - till I came across a Fortuner doing around 140 kmph.
Came back from Kerala only this weekend. Sorry that I didn't notice your post earlier...

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Yes, it was me. Where you the one on a red Getz(if I remember correctly)? It was a pleasure driving in tandem with that driver.

Well, the pleasure was mine. Aria was really impressive at those speeds and we were admiring the car while driving in tandem.

It was a KA02 registration green Getz.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by sbraj

@LobsterB,
This was a maroon, KA51MAxxxx Aria sporting TBHP colors.

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Yes, it was me. Where you the one on a red Getz(if I remember correctly)?

Originally Posted by sbraj

It was a KA02 registration green Getz.

Well, Maroon or black? Red or green? Looks like two Arias and two Getzs travelled via that road that day.

[LobsterB]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

Well, Maroon or black? Red or green? Looks like two Arias and two Getzs travelled via that road that day.

Well, in my 8500+ kms so far, I saw only two other Aria's on road - one in Sultan Battery(Wayanad, Kerala) and second near Paripally (NH47, Kerala).
Also Night Shade Black is Burgundy/Maroon/Brown depending on the lighting. And yes it was a KA02 (light-green?) Getz only that gave us company. Anyway there were very few vehicles on NH7 beyond Salem.

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

Well, Maroon or black? Red or green? Looks like two Arias and two Getzs travelled via that road that day.

Maroon, KA51 registration Aria with TBHP sticker on rear bumper.

Originally Posted by LobsterB

And yes it was a KA02 (light-green?) Getz only that gave us company. Anyway there were very few vehicles on NH7 beyond Salem.

Yes, light green. Hyundai calls it Forest dew. And yes, NH7 beyond Salem towards South has less traffic and it is easy to take note of other vehicles.

I had pulled over near Tirunelveli as my son needed a break. During that time, I saw a grey or white Fortuner whizz past immediately followed by a maroon Aria. I could not locate the TBHP sticker due to the speed. Now I realize that it was LobsterB.

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Well, in my 8500+ kms so far, I saw only two other Aria's on road - one in Sultan Battery(Wayanad, Kerala) and second near Paripally (NH47, Kerala).

Were you, by any chance, at Mohandas Motors (Tata dealer) in Trivandrum with the Aria? DBHPian JKDas had pinged to tell that he spotted a Aria with TBHP sticker there.

[LobsterB]

Originally Posted by sbraj

I had pulled over near Tirunelveli as my son needed a break. During that time, I saw a grey or white Fortuner whizz past immediately followed by a maroon Aria. I could not locate the TBHP sticker due to the speed. Now I realize that it was LobsterB.

Well, I suppose the Fortuner guy didn't enjoy my company that much. After some time he stepped-up to 160+ kmph for sometime and then slowed down considerably a few times (on empty roads). Finally just before Nagercoil slowed down to almost stand still and it looked clear that I should not bother him any more.

Originally Posted by sbraj

Were you, by any chance, at Mohandas Motors (Tata dealer) in Trivandrum with the Aria? DBHPian JKDas had pinged to tell that he spotted a Aria with TBHP sticker there.

Yes, that was me again. A pedestrian tried to cross (through a gap in barricade) looking the wrong way and t-boned the left ORVM. This was at 20-30kmph, but still the ORVM mirror panel had cracks. Seeing JKDas's review of Mohandas motors, went there. The Mohandas motors guys very courteous and helpful. Didn't have mirror in stock and so had to visit them again few days later for replacement. They took extra-ordinary effort to match the color for body color matching. Thought of adding this to JK's review thread itself, but then seeing Manuuj's Fortuner ORVM replacement cost (Rs. 15K per mirror) I thought the Rs.2.5K for Tata Aria ORVM is a bit extraordinary and is better to be mentioned here.

Thanks JKDas for your recommendation of Mohandas Motors. So far both the TASS centers that I visited had the right attitude and was eager to help. Hyundai also was similar, but they were typically overwhelmed by the sheer volume of vehicles and as a result going that extra mile wasn't really there compared to TASS. With Honda (Whitefield Honda in particular) there was a bit of take it of leave attitude (Peninsular Honda, TVM was perhaps better). Btw for all three, I prefer service centers in Kerala over their Bangalore counterparts.

Btw, only after this cracked mirror panel did I realize that the mirrors have heating elements. I had seen this feature listed in buildadreamcar site, but the brochure, manual and tataaria.com is silent about it. Didn't really have a chance yet to check whether it is working or not!

[ACM]

Lobster this mirror cost is great news and gives further pride in the ownership. It sweet even compared to the Safari mirror cost, when we see all that one gets with it.

Let me add that the Laura mirror cost Rs. 16,000 (per unit) (and does not fold though it has heating element, blinker and auto dim feature)

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Yes, that was me again. A pedestrian tried to cross (through a gap in barricade) looking the wrong way and t-boned the left ORVM. This was at 20-30kmph, but still the ORVM mirror panel had cracks. Seeing JKDas's review of Mohandas motors, went there. The Mohandas motors guys very courteous and helpful. Didn't have mirror in stock and so had to visit them again few days later for replacement. They took extra-ordinary effort to match the color for body color matching. Thought of adding this to JK's review thread itself, but then seeing Manuuj's Fortuner ORVM replacement cost (Rs. 15K per mirror) I thought the Rs.2.5K for Tata Aria ORVM is a bit extraordinary and is better to be mentioned here.

Thanks JKDas for your recommendation of Mohandas Motors. So far both the TASS centers that I visited had the right attitude and was eager to help. Hyundai also was similar, but they were typically overwhelmed by the sheer volume of vehicles and as a result going that extra mile wasn't really there compared to TASS. With Honda (Whitefield Honda in particular) there was a bit of take it of leave attitude (Peninsular Honda, TVM was perhaps better). Btw for all three, I prefer service centers in Kerala over their Bangalore counterparts.

Btw, only after this cracked mirror panel did I realize that the mirrors have heating elements. I had seen this feature listed in buildadreamcar site, but the brochure, manual and tataaria.com is silent about it. Didn't really have a chance yet to check whether it is working or not!

Aha, so it was your

Do add a post on the Mohandas thread. Will be helpful for others.

The heated OVRM are very useful when its raining. Heating for OVRM will be linked to the rear glass defogger (its so in Safari).

[diesel_head]

Excellent pics! The second last one is screen saver material!

[dark_horizon]

Originally Posted by LobsterB

Yes, that was me again. A pedestrian tried to cross (through a gap in barricade) looking the wrong way and t-boned the left ORVM. This was at 20-30kmph, but still the ORVM mirror panel had cracks.

Thats strange. Recently on a trip to Rajkot from Mumbai, I was driving my Aria at 100 Kmph on a single lane highway at night. A Maruti Van, overtaking, from the opposite side, brushed my ORVM. Not sure what part of the Van connected to it, but no damages/cracks whatsoever.