Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Report @ 2000kms!

Just finished the second thousand kilometers and just wanted to share the status of the Beast.
  1. Engine is settling down well.
  2. Gear shift is crisper and slots in well.
  3. The Ride is less bouncy and seems to absorb bad roads better.
  4. The rear is squeaking away. Could be tail gate or the boot floor/side panels. Not any of the seats though.
  5. Have got used to the dimensions of the battleship and is a doddle to drive in city traffic now.
  6. Pick up is much better now. The "Lunge" is more noticeable now than before especially in the third gear when I suddenly need to overtake.
  7. Easier to park in most places now as I use the camera to better results now.
  8. Planning a trip to Goa once the squeaks are arrested. :-)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does the camera cover the entire width of the body and up, I mean, can you see the equivalent wide space at the back ??

What if an obstruction is present just near to the bumper at the corner ??

Vividisha said...

Great to hear your status and congrats on the 2000 :-) !! I did some serious off roading this saturday, and it was damn impressive. All of this with 7 folks in the battleship :-) I agree, once you get used to the dimensions, its pretty much easy to steer around in the city traffic.

bm-log said...

Hi,

About the rear view camera. It does seem to cover the width but have not done an actual test to see if the angle is wide enough to "see" passed the corners of the truck.

Personally I use a combination of the two side mirrors with the camera to back up into places.

The one thing that I still have to get used to is the steering in these situations. It is very vague with considerable play, hence one never really knows how much the front wheels have actually turned, just needs a lot of practice to get it right.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Thanks for the review. How is the vehicle now? How much is the fuel efficency? Are you able to get more than 10-12 kph? Also one problem the earlier version of Safari had was that the clutch rod was too tight. I felt like driving a truck. Is the clutch softer now?

bm-log said...

Hi MJ,

Yes, the clutch is soft now and more car like. The gears remain long throw but smooth and effortless to work with.

At the over 2000km mark apart from the tail gate squeaking all else is fine. The mileage seems to be over 10 now but have not done an exact test recently.

Sach said...

Hi BM LOG,

I have been following your reviews for a while and appreciate your dedication to this group. After reading all your views I am convinced and hence booked my beast today.

Will be soon getting the delivery. However, i have few questions and would be thankful if you could answer them.

1 what all should i look at before taking the handover of car
2 what is the speed i should follow for the first 1000 km
3 should i start using plain deisel from day one
4 what is the kind of average should i expect in delhi
5 tips to follow from day 1 for my beast.

Would be thankful if you could reply my comment at the earliest.

Cheers Mate

Sachin

bm-log said...

Hi Sachin,

Congrats on your new purchase, here is wishing you a great journey with your new beast.

I shall try and answer your queries:

1. Look for loose wheel nuts, low engine oil levels, pieces of cardboard in the engine bay and a few other things I mentined in an earlier post sometime in November 2007.

2. For the 1st 1000kms keep the RPM under 3000 and don't speed over 80kmph.

3. Use plain diesel with System-D from the first tank full onwards. I swear by this combo. The engine purrs....believe me!

4. In the City if you get 10 kms per liter with A/C on you should be happy.

5. Make a list all all squeaks and/or plastic/rubber bits that break/fall off and make sure you get the list dealt with by your dealer in the first servicing. Do some off-roading before the first servicing so as to bring all the loose bits out so that everything thats loose can be tightened at the service.

If you feel that the dealer has not really fixed everything to your satisfaction tell him that you will leave the car with him till he will fix it. Once you let them know you mean business they usually take you seriously.

Enjoy!!! and welcome to the Club!!!

bm-log said...

Hi Sachin,

Here is my old post for the list of things to look for before delivery.

http://newtatasafari2point2.blogspot.com/2007/11/list-of-known-issues-updated-261107.html

Sach said...

Hi BM Log,

Thanks for your reply. Will be looking for all those things you mentioned today while taking the delivery, that is if i get it today:-)

However, regarding the mileage i asked the dealer and he has been promising me that it should give me 12 to 13 in city with ac and on highway around 14 to 15. i guess would need to note that once i have my hands on beast.

will keep you posted with my events. have a great week ahead.

take care

Sachin

Sach said...

Hi BM Log,

how are you. Have been reading your updates as always and must say its always a great help. I got my beast in black color around 2 weeks back but due to work was not able to send a message before. Following things have been noticed from my end.

1 - Be care full of all the Bushes in the car as they seem to loose and creat problems. I got my truck with one missing on the jumping rod creating lot of noice. Have got it fixed now.

2 - Started using System D a week back. There certainly is difference but expecting a lot more improvement to come.

3 - The trucks FE has been alright. Have been getting 11 to 12 with AC on. I must mention that my drive every day to office has tight traffic road and expressway as well.

4 - There are few squecking which are happening and planning to get them fixed on sunday as the beast's first service is due.

Hope your's is working well.

Sachin