[motomaverick]

First of all hello to all once again. After perhaps my Ladakh Travelogue this is the first time I am writing in this forum after 5 long years.


Inspiration?

The Fiat Linea

Yes, being a petrolhead getting hold of a drivers car can be an exhilarating experience. The feeling of being on the road driving the car is so intoxicating that any pretext for being able to stretch its legs is welcome.

One such occasion came on 22nd Sept when I had to take this Linea for a major service to The True Sai Motors, Salem. This car is my friends, he had bought used but it was not really taken care of by the previous owner.

The suspension was a goner, the body had dents, internal parts were falling, some lights did not work, wheels wobbled but despite all these failings the car has a strong heart (it was checked as well )

So as part of revamping the car my friend and I decided that I will use the vehicle as my daily driver and get all the issues fixed as and when I find out the work that requires to be done. Now coming back to the travelogue, because the suspensions needed an overhaul it was decided to go for the Ground Clearance kit for Linea. The part was not available with any of the Fiat dealers here in Bangalore, and the closest and reliable workshop that had this part was in Salem. So last Saturday I booked the service for the car.

As soon as I divulged my weekend plans to my family, they were, as usual, wanting to tag along. Despite me telling them its just a service visit, they ended up coming with me with a plan to visit Yercaud when the service was getting done.

So we set out at around 6AM, instead of the fixed 5.30AM so that I could be in the workshop by 9AM. We needed the car back the same day so giving it on time was paramount. But when you have a kid who needs to be woken up and carried along, the early starts are bound to be delayed. Anyhow Salem being approx 200kms away from Bengaluru on the beautiful NH44 I did not think too much about 30 mins late start. Having started relatively early on a weekend meant I was able to beat most of the weekend travellers heading out of Bengaluru. Traffic was light all the way till Krishnagiri. Since from Krishnagiri most of the traffic moves left towards Chennai the NH 44 to Salem has even lesser vehicles on the road.

The drive was a bliss till Thoppur. We stopped at the A2B Thoppur so that we did not have to look for a breakfast place in Salem town. Stopping for breakfast meant we lost almost 30 mins time. This stop added further delays, but then when you are travelling with a family it kind of ensures that they are also happy at having been able to stretch their legs.

We finally reached the workshop by 10.15 AM almost 1 hour after my intended arrival time. My service advisor Mr. Vignesh already knew all the work that needed to be done, so the job card was made quickly and the car finally went in for the service at around 10.40 AM. The workshop was not sure of delivering the car the same day due to such a late arrival but since they were closed on Sunday, I had to request them to give the car the same day no matter how late in the evening. They finally gave an estimated time of 7.45PM for delivery.


Finally arriving at the workshop


After knowing how late we will get the car, our plans of a day trip to Yercaud looked bleak, we were confused as to what can be done for such a long duration. The question also came if it was prudent to stay back or head back for Bengaluru at night. Finally, we decided to hire an outstation Ola taxi to Yercaud, stay there for a night and drive to Bengaluru the next morning. In the meantime, I would be coming back in the Ola taxi in the evening, collect the Linea and head back to Yercaud.

I know you guys will think the plan sounds crazy, well we thought so as well because there was a big item we did not have with us. We had not bought any spare clothes for a night stay not even for my daughter. But then there was no other way than to stay back, and since we need to stay we decided to buy some spares and stay in Yercaud. I looked up some resorts and found Grange. Had heard about this place earlier but online there weren't any bookings available for our dates. But with no luggage and so much time to kill, we booked the taxi with the intention of walking in for a room. In case Grange did not have any place we would go for TGI Star Holidays. We had stayed there last year, though the rooms were good and clean, the food was mediocre in TGI.

So below is the list of work that was planned for the car.

1. Ground Clearance kit along with elastic pads, lower arms, link rods etc
2. EGR and Intake manifold cleaning
3. All essentials oil replacement such as Engine, Gearbox, power steering, coolant etc
4. Engine mounts
5. Smaller Knick-knacks such as broken ac vents, door link rods, AC filter, air filter etc

All the above was being planned to be completed in 9 hours. How they would manage I did not know but they did promise to deliver the car the same day even if late.

Booking Ola has been a breeze till now for me but I did not know that Salem Ola works differently or at least the first Taxi fellow did not know. The first Ola I booked, the driver called up and said he will come and discuss the rates with us for Yercaud. I informed him that Ola showed be 1200 bucks for the rental trip. He started telling me that at 1200 it is not possible for him to go and that it is not the going rate. Though the situation was funny when we think about it later but at that time when nothing was certain my better half just lost her fuse and since she is a Tamilian started scolding the driver telling him he is being booked via Ola and that he should discuss the rates with them. Since it looked like he will not be coming, we wanted to cancel for which the driver was adamant that we not use "Driver denied duty" option. Of course, we could not select anything else as that was the truth. But this little incident was a blessing in disguise as the 2nd taxi that we booked from Ola was very good. He was a young chap and even obliged to stop at different shops for us to be able to shop for bare essentials. So Ola added a little more masala to our already spicey morning.


Grange Resort Panorama


By around 12PM we reached the resort and got a booking. Somehow Yercaud always seems to be expensive than other hill stations in TN. But as they say, beggars can't be choosers so we checked in to our standard cottage at Rs. 2771 per night. We opted for a cottage with a view of the jungle. With no plans of doing anything, we just lazed around in the resort, ordered food, the kid played in the swing, sat in the front porch looking at the plantations, before retiring for an afternoon Siesta. The weather was quite pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold. Though in the sun it was burning but being an erstwhile coffee plantation estate, the resort was full of trees. All this doing nothing was a blessing for us as it helped us relax. Both my wife and I work so having a break away from the city humdrum is a luxury commodity. Plus having a 5-year-old bundle of energy certainly adds to our weekday humdrum.

She loved to play in the swing who doesnt.


A random room type structure


Next was the slide


In the evening we decided to go to the market area to buy some spare clothes for the night. Came down to the lake area, did not find any shops so it was decided that I will pick up somethings from Salem that evening when going back for the car. With some more time to kill, we headed to the boating centre after a lot of coaxing from my daughter. Opted for the motorboat as we both did not have the energy to paddle or row. Thankfully, we could split the 500 bucks cost with another couple so for 250 bucks we did a full circle of the lake.

Though the ride was over in 10 mins it was still fun zipping through the waters. When on a boat the kid inside all of us comes out no matter what our age. Driving a car is exhilarating but driving a boat has its own share of fun.

Below shots are taken from the boat ride








This is perhaps the best shot pic of the trip, very rare to see all 3 laughing in the same frame


A timelapse of the boat ride

http://youtu.be/rynJ_XVg8vk

After the quick boat ride, we headed back to the resort dropped my family there and I took the taxi back to Salem. I decided to head to some Reliance mall in Salem for buying the spare clothes as it would be painful for me to haggle in local shops in the local language. Interestingly in TN I invariably start speaking Kannada to the localities. In all this time when we were relaxing and I was on my way back to Salem, Mr. Vignesh was constantly in touch updating me on the work that was getting done on the car. By around 7PM the car was almost 98% done, they were doing some test rounds to check the suspension. When I arrived at the workshop at around 7.40PM the car was ready except for the new coolant.

Seeing the car come off the workshop after the GC kit fixing was really exciting. Having struggled with bottoming the car at every speed breaker in Bengaluru, it was painful to hear the thuds. Thankfully, now that would be a thing of the past.

Linea height after the GC kit


The gap in the front suspension is tremendous


The rear suspension feels even more raised




They worked till late evening to deliver the car was truly awesome


All the items changed were given back, would have weighed some 30 kgs


Took a test drive of the car, the suspension change was evident as soon as the car started to roll out of the workshop. The short test drive was done on a broken down road and there was absolutely no sound from the car on the potholes. Mind you Mr. Vignesh and I was not gentle on the car but the new suspension was doing its job perfectly. No clanking sounds on full lock as well. The oil changes, valve cleaning made the car very smooth. All the vibrations on the gear lever and the dash were gone, my guess the new engine mounts made all the difference. Only the wheel alignment could not be done due to lack of time. That I can get it done here at Bengaluru.

After settling the bill, I was able to start back from Salem at around 8.45 PM only with an off-centered steering due to no alignment. With no Airtel coverage at the resort, I had to use the hotel staff to keep my family informed about my start. The drive from Salem to Yercaud at night was perhaps one of the best drives for me in recent times. The other best night drive was on our Ladakh trip. With a new stiffer suspension, cleaned up engine, the Linea truly transformed into a drivers car. Took just 30 mins to complete the climb. Hardly any traffic at that time, with a clear sky it was a bliss doing the hill climb. I could really appreciate the balance of the car during this drive. Took a video of the climb below is the youtube link.

Youtube link of the Yercaud climb at night, you will hear clangs of a coin box shifting at every turn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ94wV03bxs

What else do we need, a house on the hills, and a great car


Bidding goodbye to Grange for a lovely stay


Next day morning after a lazy breakfast, we started back for Bengaluru with a plan to reach by lunch time. We reached back home around 2.30PM after a 3 hour nonstop drive from Salem. All in all, it was a very unexpected yet satisfying trip.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

One such occasion came on 22nd Sept when I had to take this Linea for a major service to The True Sai Motors, Salem. This car is my friends, he had bought used but it was not really taken care of by the previous owner.

I've heard only good things about True Sai. South Indian Fiat owners swear by that service centre. Good to know you took your friends car there for much needed TLC.

Now coming back to the travelogue, because the suspensions needed an overhaul it was decided to go for the Ground Clearance kit for Linea. The part was not available with any of the Fiat dealers here in Bangalore, and the closest and reliable workshop that had this part was in Salem. So last Saturday I booked the service for the car.

May I know the reasons for upgrading to the higher GC kit? The lower GC might scrap a bit here n there if one is not careful but offers the best handling.

So below is the list of work that was planned for the car.

1. Ground Clearance kit along with elastic pads, lower arms, link rods etc
2. EGR and Intake manifold cleaning
3. All essentials oil replacement such as Engine, Gearbox, power steering, coolant etc
4. Engine mounts
5. Smaller Knick-knacks such as broken ac vents, door link rods, AC filter, air filter etc

Can you share an approx. cost for the above work?

Next day morning after a lazy breakfast, we started back for Bengaluru with a plan to reach by lunch time. We reached back home around 2.30PM after a 3 hour nonstop drive from Salem. All in all, it was a very unexpected yet satisfying trip.

Nothing like a drive to get work done on your car. You made it a holiday out of it, while pampering the Linea.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

I've heard only good things about True Sai. South Indian Fiat owners swear by that service centre. Good to know you took your friends car there for much needed TLC.

Yes, they are pretty decent and professional and what was committed the work was done correctly. Mr. Shaktivel is still there so I guess he manages a tight ship.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

May I know the reasons for upgrading to the higher GC kit? The lower GC might scrap a bit here n there if one is not careful but offers the best handling.

Going for high GC vis-a-vis handling is a small tradeoff that is more inclined towards the satisfaction of not hitting the underbelly every now and then. Besides Bengaluru speed humps and roads are not really suited for low gc cars. Also, the fact that Linea suspension is on the softer side coupled with low gc is sometimes really bad on full load. Even the ramps in malls etc are not low GC car friendly, especially with the longish overhang of the Linea.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Can you share an approx. cost for the above work?

In total we spent around 50k for all the things including labor and parts.

[GrandTourer]

It feels so great to hear about a good ASC experience. Feels like one of those "Faith in humanity restored" moments but for cars.
It's such a rarity these days.

Kudos to you and your friend for rejuvenating a driver's car.

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

First of all hello to all once again. After perhaps my Ladakh Travelogue this is the first time I am writing in this forum after 5 long years.

Next day morning after a lazy breakfast, we started back for Bengaluru with a plan to reach by lunch time. We reached back home around 2.30PM after a 3 hour nonstop drive from Salem. All in all, it was a very unexpected yet satisfying trip.

Wonderful travelogue motomaverick, these spur of the moment trips are super fun. Great to hear a good experience from a Fiat Service Center too, i have been lucky enough to have had the same from Vecto Bangalore and now DRS Gurgaon.

I agree the higher GC will surely help on the massive Bangalore car breakers (thats what i call them) but at the cost of a slightly bumpier ride.

Also, congratulations again on the new addition to the garage , a Fiat is a Fiat.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by GrandTourer

It feels so great to hear about a good ASC experience. Feels like one of those "Faith in humanity restored" moments but for cars.
It's such a rarity these days.

Kudos to you and your friend for rejuvenating a driver's car.

Yes, you are right these experiences does restore some trust with service. I also had a good experience with KHT Motors in Bengaluru though the work was small

Originally Posted by sammyboy

Wonderful travelogue motomaverick, these spur of the moment trips are super fun. Great to hear a good experience from a Fiat Service Center too, i have been lucky enough to have had the same from Vecto Bangalore and now DRS Gurgaon.

I agree the higher GC will surely help on the massive Bangalore car breakers (thats what i call them) but at the cost of a slightly bumpier ride.

Also, congratulations again on the new addition to the garage , a Fiat is a Fiat.

Thanks. Did not feel the bumpiness during the return journey or for that matter on the trip to Mangalore in the same car. But did notice a slight change in handling.

[Reisender]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

By around 12PM we reached the resort and got a booking. Somehow Yercaud always seems to be expensive than other hill stations in TN. But as they say, beggars can't be choosers so we checked in to our standard cottage at Rs. 2771 per night.

Grange Resorts yeah? They had pretty decent cottages though. Did you try the ATV ride besides their plantation by the way?

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by Reisender

Grange Resorts yeah? They had pretty decent cottages though. Did you try the ATV ride besides their plantation by the way?

No, we didn't and actually did not have plans as well. One time I tried it but it was a weird experience like driving a car but with a handle. So every time I tried to turn invariably my legs would come down like in a bike subconsciously.

Anyhow, we didn't really have that much time luxury plus wanted to relax. The wonderful lunch just made us very lazy. I later found out that the cooks were from Bengal.

[arun_josie]

Short and sweet travelogue Nice way to service your car plus spend some time with nature. Next time you can try Kolli Hills, another hill station near Salem.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

The drive from Salem to Yercaud at night was perhaps one of the best drives for me in recent times.

I totally agree to your point. This is a very nice section to drive especially late night when there is no traffic. During my last visit to Yercaud, after dinner I drove down solo and returned back to hotel, it was super fun.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Short and sweet travelogue Nice way to service your car plus spend some time with nature. Next time you can try Kolli Hills, another hill station near Salem.

Thanks, made a note about Kolli Hills a definite try since Salem isn't very far from Bengaluru.

[KartJ]

Could you please forward me the GC kit details and cost factor involved.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

First of all hello to all once again. After perhaps my Ladakh Travelogue this is the first time I am writing in this forum after 5 long years.

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by KartJ

Could you please forward me the GC kit details and cost factor involved.

Its called GC Kit Linea and it retails for 13044 from Fiat (59117352 is the part number for Multijet). Apart from that, you will also need to change the link rods, elastic pads, mounting pads, and lower arm so that there isn't an issue later. Altogether the cost would be an approximate 25-30k for parts alone. Since in this car the suspension was already pretty bad and needed a change, my friend went with the GC kit.

[ARAY]

A good service for a FIAT car is always a good news. Here in Hyderabad after Jeep intervention things are bit better, however would love to see Fiat launch some more cars. I owned the previous gen Punto 90HP and still miss the handling. It came equipped with the new GC kit but few of the people I know did upgrade their Linea to the new Kit that was offered back in 2012, was some 12k change back then. I have driven the Linea with and without the GC kit and didn't feel too much bargain in handling or body roll. On the pro side Trail braking was even more fun and the body muscles were easily at par with the front weight transfer at hard braking in straight line and then easily doing the corner. Oversteer to some minute extent but that would be nitpicking . Linea had been my dream car always. Very happy to see a FIAT owner who found the right stable to take care of the steed. 5 years or not, thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us.