All Souled Out!

Today was D-Day and the Beast has left the building. Time to move on to another car and another Blog. The person who bought it was very pleased and I wish him many happy miles in it!!!

Nuff Said.

FOR SALE A Silver Safari 2.2 4X4 VX in Pune!

SOLD

Yes, my friends you read that right. I have decided to let go of my Beast. Due to pressures at work there will be no time left for recreation in 2008-2009, I rather someone who will really enjoy the beast take over as otherwise she is going to spend pretty much of most of the next 12 months sitting in the garage.

You can read her story for the last 12 months here on this blog. Just to recap what she's got:

1. Tata Safari Silver 4X4 in VX trim still under TATA warranty for another 36 months. (Kms done: 12460)
   
2. V-Kool Platinum Sun Film (Rs.32000/-)
3. Upgraded Speakers X 4. (Rs.5000/-)
4. Wireless Steering Remote for Music System. (Rs.1900/-)
   
5. I-pod dock cable. (Rs.5000/-)
   
6. 12 volt Fridge/Warmer. (Rs.9000/-)
7. Completely scratch and dent free in Mint Condition. (Priceless.)

The asking price inclusive of all the above is Rs.9,50,000/-

Do reply to this post to get my contact details.. Act fast as it won't hang around long enough. The dealers are already queuing up with quotes but I want someone who will truly look after her to have her.

All for now.

t

Grande O Grande Where Art Thou!

On my recent visit to the Tata Showroom I finally go a chance to get up close and personal with the New Tata Sumo Grande. When it was launched I was quite taken aback by the bold design cues and it kind of me excited as showed the path TATA Motors are going to walk down in terms of styling of all new products from here on.

Then why have we not seen the roads chock-a-block with Grande's? (Given the excellent price point.) Why are they not flying of the ramps as I first thought? For one the rubbish advertising campaign did not help. Tag lines are strange creatures, they help build your brand when you get them right and mostly singlehandedly can also kill your product if you get them wrong.

"A Family Car that looks like an SUV" is a great example of the latter. This line tells us that the Sumo Grande is neither a family car, nor a SUV. It has been sent to the wasteland of insignificance in one fell swoop.

Leaving the ads aside let us actually look at the product. For one it is cramped inside. All 6ft of me could not get into the drivers seat without a big knee rub courtesy of the steering column. The driving posture is more 1908 than 2008. In a rush to fight the Scorpio and the Innova, TML has got the internal design all wrong. Space has not been fully utilized. The much touted 3 row A/C vents are a waste as the third row of seats is purely ornamental. Plastics continue to be El Cheapo.

So really from the inside out it is not much different than the Standard Sumo. All it gets is a smart new skin and that's it. Let's hope the next big product launch from TML is more than just skin deep.

Fuelorama!

Apart from the fact the fuel prices across the world are going through the roof, us Tata Safari 2.2 owners have the luxury of still choosing the "best" fuel for our beasts. My personal choice has been normal diesel with additives. I did use HP turbojet for about the first 2000 kms but found the engine to be quite noisy and unsettled with the same. As you probably know I have tried both System-D and STP. With System-D the following was reported:

• Engine became smoother and even more silent.
• Vibrations lessened.
• Slight increase in pick up.
• Overall better running in the city.
  

With STP this was the story:

• The pick up really improved.
• Engine smoothness increased.
• Overall better results on the highway.

Have almost done ten thousand kilometers now and the engine is zippy like never before. I have resorted back to System-D for now as I feel the engine sounds a bit harsh with STP in the city. At the end of the day the difference between the two is only slight in the city in terms of performance. On the highway though STP is the clear winner. Anything after 120 kmph with STP seems/sounds less strenuous.

Please note I am not an automobile engineer and am just sharing with you all my layman experience with the different fuel/combo options I have tried.

Trip to Mumbai coming up this week.

The Bump & Grind Of It All!

The beast has now got a new front bumper. It was done by Friday last as promised. My first experience with Insurance Companies in India. Largely the whole process was quite smooth. Here are the details....

As you know I did have a slight bumping into a few weeks back. Mainly the front bumper bore the brunt of the what I thought was a slight impact. But as the photo below suggests it was a little bit more than slight. Anyways went into the dealers and this is what I needed to get the job done:

1. Un-painted front bumper = 9032.00
2. Sump guard assembly = 2714.67
3. Front LHS Fog Lamp = 1068.44
4. Painting & labour = 3750.00

After Tax my total came to Rs.18,167.00

Decided to go with Insurance as wanted to keep my costs below the 10k mark. I paid 50% (Rs.8208.00) of all the parts mentioned above. As plastics and "delicate" parts are only covered for half their value.

Also got the Front Headlamp changed under warranty. Hope this one don't leak!

The picture of the Newly restored beast will be up soon.

Also, almost reached the 10000 kms mark. So will report on the same as well.

For The Love Of Cars & Other Things Nice!

Just found out a way to read the latest Car & Drive U.S. Edition right on your browser for FREE!

(Warning: Will get you access to other types of beauties as well!)

Click here for the instructions. Enjoy!

Back With A Bang!!!

The Beast is at the hospital getting a make over!

Bumper Blues!

I apologize for doing the disappearing act on this Blog. The last six weeks have seen my running around all over the place. Some of it in the Beast. Two Pune-Mumbai-Pune was the main run in the last few weeks. Clocked almost 9500 Kms and the engine sounds good. Opening up nicely and no big dramas. On the other hand the front RHS Headlamp is again filling up with condensation. This was replaced a while back but the problem has returned to the replaced part as well.

Was looking for time to run up to the workshop to get this fixed again and today got a real good excuse to pay them a visit first thing tomorrow. Just heading out of Pune for lunch when at a traffic light the Scorpio in front braked suddenly and I went in to the back of him. I did feel a slight "pat" when I hit him but sounded quite weak to warrant an immediate look at. So went on ahead. The drive there was fine and stayed mainly around 140 on the Express way with ease.

On getting to our destination got out and had a look and was greeted by a huge dent which looked more like a folded front bumper. Believe me it felt only like a little tap inside but outside it looks like a major bang. Anyways taking it in for a new bumper tomorrow at 9am.

Looking at the bright side, at least its got me back on the blog. :-)

Of pulley changes and Lonavala Lunches!

Last Sunday saw us off to Lonavala for lunch. Any excuse to get on that highway in the Beast. The one big change since the switch to new modified pulley is that the engines feels and sounds more together. There was an extra sound or two earlier that now seems to be history.

Also have clocked over 8000 kms now and the 140kmph mark is reached without any drama at all. My favorite point on the speedo of 160 seems less of a strain on the engine too.

In the city the "Magic of the 3rd gear" seems to have gotten better.

The STP + Normal Diesel continues. Have yet to get my hands on the "Magic Pills". If any of you have already tried them do let us know how they have or have not changed your Safari's life.

The Pulley Change!

Ok, got a call last Saturday about bringing in the beast for a New Modified Pulley in on Tuesday. Have just returned back from the workshop. Should be ready to be picked up by 4 pm today. In my brief interaction with the Exec present I gathered from them that this is not a "Super Urgent Very Critical" recall of any sorts.

He said that this part was being changed in all 2.2's as and when they came in for a service. Going by what we have read on Team BHP on this it seems only Manipal Motors in Bangalore is getting this done on a priority basis. Or maybe certain vehicle batches have the need for this change more than others. Most of our readers around the country have had no intimation from their respective dealers on this. Perhaps they too will change the pulley on the next scheduled service.

In any case I have not had any complaints with the engine as of yet! [Touch Wood] :-)

The change over to the new pulley has now been completed. Got a call at 4:30pm to come and collect the vehicle. The only perceivable differences are slightly less noise + vibration levels (they were already very low) and less of a shudder on starting the engine and at switching it off.

Have just driven it for about 5 kms back home. Will take it down on the highway soon to see if there is any new magic that awaits us. ;-)

Landrover and Jaguar are now TATA Brands!

Bless! Tata Motors has done the do and signed on the dotted line today. Once again the Nay sayers are out in full force. I have one word for them - NANO!

Remember that 1 lakh car that was not build able? TML did it and how! Now, everyone is saying they might have bitten off more than they can chew with this 2.3 billion dollar deal with Ford. Why? Come on guys give TATA's a break. They have done India proud in the past and will do so in the future! Just my 2.3 cents.

MP6ty Cetane Booster!

Magic Red Pills Anyone?

Ok, It's called Mango MP6ty and it retails at Rs.595 for a pack of 10. That's works out to about a Rupee extra per liter of Diesel. Has anybody tried this and where does one get this. Has been in the Indian market for 2 years already so where is it?

Important Announcement!

Please note that some/most/all Tata Safari's 2.2 delivered till the middle of March 2008 will need a Crankshaft Pulley Change. This will be done at the dealers end free of charge. Kindly contact your friendly neighbourhood TML Dealer and get this sorted ASAP.

If you have already got this done then please share your experience with us and let others know what exactly is in store for them.

Cheers!

MapMyIndia Navigator Re-Visited!

My earlier review of the Map My India Navigator was rather glowing. Well understandably as GPS in India is new and actually quite indispensable. Since then I have seen at least 2 other products advertised offering all India Navigation Products. Since I got to test the MMI Navigator on the run to Goa I must add that I have now developed mixed feelings for the device. Before I set off I upgraded the software to Ver 1.1 Also spoke to the support staff in New Delhi. They informed me that the roads for Goa we not yet included but all major roads and highways were present.

So I set off not knowing what to expect. One point to note is that all POI (Points of Interest) for Goa are present just the roads to them don't exist. So for instance I can set it to go to Baga Beach but when I click "Start Route" it says cannot access POI. Anyways it "saw" the NH4 and helped me through Kolhapur towards Ratnagiri and then somewhere there it got all lost. After that the help it provided was sporadic at best. The NH17 was sometimes there and sometimes not.

On the way back as well it only helped me once I was back on the NH4 after Uttur and before Nimpani.

To cut a long story short in my opinion the Software is not ready to leave the cities yet. Which is quite useless for a device that costs 20K. Currently they only cover 18 cities and 7 states, hope that updates are frequent and free for us early adopters as in its current form the Map My India Navigator leaves a lot to be desired when it actually comes to interstate travel. :-(

Pune - Goa - Pune!

Finally got some time after my return so thought I shall share my recent exploits. As you know this trip to Goa has been on the cards since last year and eventually materialized last week. It was my first Interstate trip in the Tata Safari and as far as the beast is concerned it responded well to the task.

On the way to Goa from Pune I did the NH4 till Kolhapur and turned off towards Ratnagiri. About 20kms before Ratnagiri turned left on the NH17 Mumbai-Goa Road to Goa. Left Pune at 8:40am and arrived at Baga at 6:10pm. We had 3 ten minute breaks on the way. The road was good through out. Missed NH 4 though as the NH 17 feels too outdated now.

Was in Goa for 4 full days and traveled around a lot. Total Kms done including the return trip is approx 1500.

On the way back did this route:

Goa - Sawantwadi(NH-17) - Amboli - Ajara - Uttur - (NH-4) Nimpani - Kolhapur - Satara - Pune.

Left Goa at 9am and was in Pune 4pm this included 3 ten minute stops. For most part the road is good. Sections between Amboli, Ajara and Uttur were bad but nothing the beast could not deal with.

After either trip I felt no more tired than if I had been in the drivers seat for a couple of hours. The comfort levels are amazing. Used STP with every tank full. Have recorded 13km/ltr with both A/C's on the highway.

I bought the Tropicool Car Fridge. It helped us save on stoppage time and also did its job very well in the blistering heat. Cost Rs.9000/- MNTS rating *****/*****


Also picked up this tray for the kid at the back. Did it's job well.

All in all the trip was great and a much needed break. Already planning the next adventure. :-)

E = Empty!

Ok so this Sunday have not had much luck with the cops and now this. Was running in reserve on the way back to Baga when noticed a massive queue at the gas station. Since the needle was a bit away from the "E" mark and with the afternoon sun bear down on us we decided to get to a pump closer to the hotel. A bad move it was.

On reaching the pump in Candolim we realized that it was not operational. So stopped (left the engine running for the aircon) at some shops to ask for directions to the closest pump. I got back into the truck it had stopped. Now we were out of gas, great! Luckily for us we were nicely parked on the road side in some shade. Got an empty 5 liter water bottle took an auto to the closest HP station about 2 kms away and got back. Of course after filling the fuel the engine was still dry as the pipes we completely emptied out. So opened up the bonnet and looked for the manual fuel pump thingy. Again it is nicely positioned and after a few squeezes was full of fuel once again. A few stomps on the accelerator and the engine was alive again. Went back straight to the pump and filled up the tank. No more getting close to the "E" for ME again!

My First Speeding Ticket!

I could not resist sharing today's events with you all so have finally whipped the Comp out and fired up my Tata Indicom Plug2Surf Dongle to bring you the news that I got my first Indian Speeding ticket from some very chilled out and friendly Goan Cops.

Had gone to South Goa for a run and on the way back was stopped by a bunch of traffic cops. It cost me Rs.600 for speeding in a 50km zone. :-)

Center Stage!

I think it was Akash who had requested for a Center Console pic. Here it is. Going to Goa tomorrow and busy packing bits into the car to make the journey there and back as comfy as possible. More on my return.

What's your Story?

This would be a good place for all New Safari owners to share with us their experiences with Dealer Quality of Service issues.

Are you happy, sad or simply ecstatic with your Tata Motors Dealership? Let us know and share your tale with the world!

Pre-Flight Check Done!

The Goa trip is getting close so the Beast was sent into the workshop for a quick checkup today. All fluids were checked and the RHS Headlamp was replaced. Also, the Map Light cover that had fallen off last year has been replaced as well.

The truck was taken by the Pandit Auto staff at 10 am and delivered on time at 4 pm. Everything replaced/checked cost me nothing. In fact the cost of this complete exercise was nil!

I am happy to say the dealer has exceeded my expectations this time around and full marks to them! Hope all Tata Motors Dealers across the country provide service like this to their customers. :-)

The New King in the Block!

Ok guys as I limp back to normal after a bout of flu I have the results of my first encounter with the STP fuel additive. In one word AWESOME! Just when I thought that things could not get any better after using System D, STP has completely bowled me over. Yes, try it for yourselves and see. The engine is now even smoother and quieter. At speeds above 60kmph the noise levels inside the cabin are now in petrol engine territory.

Since you chuck a whole bottle in at once you need to fill 52 liters of fuel to use the magic potion but boy is it worth it. I also got more accurate FE figures for a 50% City and 50% highway/expressway run on my last trip to Mumbai. The magic number is 12.43kmpl with always A/C on!

And since my average speed on the express way would be at least 120kmph you can't say I was looking great FE figures. Now all I have to do is keep STP bottles stocked up which will be interesting as it is known to be in very short supply. Well now we now why!

A Mumbai Kinda Weekend!

Another trip to the City on the Coast coming up this weekend. Since I got the Safari, Pune and Mumbai seem almost fused together now. The comfort levels for the driver and passengers are very high on this run and every trip is looked forward to by all in the family. A true measure for the beast that does its job well.

Also coming up a review of the STP Diesel Additive. I have been using System D but many people have suggested STP as a better alternative. It is mostly never in stock so today I was lucky to get 4 bottles from Poona Motors. ;-)

Since this is used with every tank full I will have to wait till my return trip from Mumbai to test it out! Watch this space for the results.

@ 5000kms Report!

Crossed the 5000 mark a few days back and thought it would be a good idea to share the current state of my very own "Highway Star". The overall status is satisfactory. None of the squeaks came back after they were fixed a few months back. The engine is smoooooth and so is the gear change. The plain diesel + System D combo continues to work well.

On the minus side the front RHS headlamp is collecting condensation on the inside and the map light cover fell off a few weeks back. Other than this the beast carries on to thrill everytime we hit the highway.

Trip to Goa on the cards in mid March. Will probably take it through to the workshop to check all fluids and get the headlight sorted before that happens.

The new Blaupunkt speakers do their job very well and the need for an extra sub-woofer has diminished.

The highest speed clocked has been 165kmph on the Pune - Mumbai Expressway with engine not sounding troubled at all.

The MapMyIndia Navigator will be getting its first free software update in a day or two. Hopefully they have added Goa to the list of cities. :-)

To The Hills We Go!

This Saturday saw us off to Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar for the day. It took 2 hours either way and the journey was comfortable. My first trip on the NH4 going South of Pune and was pleasantly surprised by the good condition of the highway.

The MapMyIndia Navigator did well while on major roads but it got a bit lost once I went off the main roads. To be fair the little towns are not yet mapped and am awaiting the first update any day from their office in New Delhi.

With 5 people and A/C on the beast had no trouble climbing the ghats in third. System-D continues to help keep the engine super smooth and crisp.

Mumbai for Lunch!

Ok, as mentioned earlier Thursday was the day I had to run up to Mumbai just for a few hours. It gave me a good opportunity to test some of the new bits that have been added to the Beast since my last highway trip. Before I get into the specifics generally the truck behaved well. I have now clocked 4009kms and was doing 160kmph on long stretches on the highway without an signs of the engine stressing or getting into any drama. It seemed it could go faster but the traffic plus road situation at the time did not permit a higher speed.

I pretty much overtook everything in my path, including the Mahindra Mhawk Scorpio. :-)

Going to Mumbai there were no passengers or luggage. The A/C also only came on after the halfway mark as it was still quite nippy early in the morning. On the way back I had two adults plus me with 2 big suitcases and a few little carry bags. A/C was on for the whole trip back. On an earlier trip there was a 140kmph ceiling that when crossed led to engine making a whining sound and sounded very stressed. There was none of that this time and I can now safely say I am the proud owner of a Highway Star!

Ok, now lets get down to the details, the following is a list of new components added to the Beast since my last highway run and the results of the same:

• Plain Diesel: As mentioned earlier the beast is now running on plain diesel. The noise and vibration levels had come down considerable after the fuel change. But the perceived zip also seemed to have reduced a little. Hence, decided to give System-D a shot.
  

• System-D: Filled up 40 liters of diesel before the trip and added 40ml of System-D to it. After a few kilometers I noticed the difference straight away. Even lesser noise and vibrations than before and now the engine was smoother than its ever been. I will highly recommend this to all Safari owners.
  

• MapMyIndia GPS Navigator: I was really looking forward to test this baby out. It worked as expected, flawlessly. It also came in handy to get a more accurate max speed reading with this. It showed the speed about 5 kmph slower than the in-car analogue speedometer. The highest speed it recorded on this run was 159kmph! The first Map update is to be released on the 1st of Feb so it should be with me soon!
  

• New Speakers: These guys helped a lot to keep the boredom away. Sound is now much fuller and also the helped in suppressing the wind noise after 120kmph. Having said that the insides have bin very quite all round after the last go that Pandit Auto had with it. The squeaks have not came back and that is good news!

• Blaupunkt RC-10 Remote: Makes life much easier. You don't have to take your eyes off the road to change tracks or volume. The music system still remains clunky to use with mp3 tracks on disc and the iPod usage has been pretty much written off!
  

Blaupunkt RC-10 Remote - Installed!

As mentioned in an earlier post I got the Blaupunkt RC-10 installed today. Controlling the music system whilst driving has to be the worst activity for the driver of a TATA Safari. Life is now much easier. Have got a same day return trip to Mumbai coming up in a couple of days so this baby will get a lot of work coming its way. I shall update you guys on the user experience on my return.

Cost Rs.1900/-.

Next on the shopping list is this dude: The THB210A Active sub-woofer. ;-)

MapMyIndia Navigator Review!

Ok, before I set off doing the length and breadth of our great nation in my great beast one piece of technology is indispensable. The GPS Navigator. Currently we have only two real choices. One is the SatNav Navigator and the other one by MapmyIndia. I went with the later as it comes pre-loaded with the following:

Anywhere to anywhere travel in India:

Drive from anywhere to anywhere across India using national and state highways.

Connects 55,000 villages and towns

Contains important landmarks of 150 cities

Navigation within 18 major cities:
Highly detailed, street and locality level navigable maps for 18 cities:

Delhi NCR (New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad)
Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula
Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane
Pune (including Pimpri Chinchwad)
Bangalore
Hyderabad, Secundarabad
Kolkata (including Bidhan Nagar)
Chennai

Tourist and business landmarks:

Directly navigate to the desired point of interest, using name or category.
2,00,000 points of interest across 52 categories.

Continuously expanding coverage:

Roadmap for expanded coverage with updates on new territories and cities, and more POIs.

Continuous up-gradation of existing maps keeping them current.


I bought the New AMAX 06GP5A Model. The other model they have is a Delphi NAV200, I chose the Amax as I preferred not having any hard buttons. The touch screen is easier to deal with when on the road I feel. The unit works as mentioned. All the roads in Pune seem to be in there proper place. Some place names have their spellings all wrong but nothing too dramatic. At this point I am just grateful for having this system in the first place. For a country as unplanned as ours, in-car navigation is not a luxury but a necessity. I have used GPS systems extensively in Southern Europe so as systems go learning my way around the MapmyIndia Navigator was a breeze.

The one thing that surprised me was that the unit itself is quite small. The picture on the box and in the Newspaper ads make it look bigger than it is. The screen is 3.5 inch in size which is common for GPS systems no doubt but the complete unit is only about 4 inches square and about and inch thick. It is tiny and truly portable.

The bits that come with it include:

• 1 GB SD card containing complete all India maps and software.
• A-MAX 06GP5A hardware.
• Wall and car charger.
• Windshield/Dashboard mount.
• USB Cable.
• Owner's Kit- Includes Quick Start Guide, User's Manual on CD, Customer warranty card, Easy tips guide and Terms of Use.

The one thing I miss not having is a carrying case for the navigator. When Parked in most places I do take the unit off its perch and carry it with me and not having a soft carry case included in the list above is the one gripe I have in otherwise quite a wholesome package. The re-route function works quite fast. That is when you take a turn off the route it sets for you it re-routes automatically from wherever you are in relation to your destination.

The other good function is the Trip Computer. It gives you a real time speed reading the digital meter. It also shows you your average speed and other interesting data. Also the unit doubles up as a music/video player if needed. Of course those functions do not work when it is navigating so I don't really will need that capability.

The one other interesting point about the package is the fact that the Navigator is Made in China and the windshield/dashboard mount that comes with it (which is superb) is Made in Germany!

I have the unit for less than a week and have yet to test it in an intercity run. But a trip to Goa might come through in a few weeks to the Little GPS will have to work hard for its money. Which by the way was Rs.20500/- at Poona Motors.

In the end I would say that if you must get one accessory for your car make it a MapMyIndia Navigator as you will soon realize - how did you ever manage without one!

MNTS Rating: *****/*****

Speakers Upgraded!

A few days back the 4 speakers in the doors were changed to the Blaupunkt GTx663 model. The installation was done in 40 minutes and the sound quality now much improved. The original speakers were to put it mildly rubbish!

The total cost was Rs.5000/-.

The New TATA SUMO Grande!

If this is the New TATA Sumo Grande then all I can I say is that get ready for an amazing New Safari! A new SUV to replace the current Safari is in the works and should be launched by end of 2008 or early 2009.

TATA has taken the battle to the Scorpio and Innova with this SUMO no doubt. With very contemporary styling and the new refined 2.2 engine doing duty in this monster it looks like a win win.

Fuel the Beast with Plain old Diesel!

The verdict is in. Plain Diesel is the staple diet of the Safari 2.2. Many owners have now reported that the 2.2 engines run better on Plain Diesel. Hence, I have now moved my beast to the cheaper more ordinary fuel. If you have had the same experience or otherwise do drop in a line.

Cheers!

The TATA NANO - Friend or Foe!

So much has been said against the TATA Nano that I am sick in the stomach to talk about it, but so I must. As the case FOR it must be highlighted now more than ever. Driving around Pune on a Sunday evening is proof enough that India not only needs a small inexpensive 4 door car but craves for it. The hundreds of 4 to 5 member families moving around precariously about the city on two wheelers is to say the least a scary sight.

Many nay sayers say that the roads will get even more congested. Well if that will push our Government to get their act together and build better roads, ring roads and flyovers then so be it. Please remember we are a nation of over a billion so I think it is a little too late for "Congested". That we already are!

Almost every point stated by those who are against the Nano in fact is also a positive. They say it will add to the pollution. If it takes a certain number of two wheelers off the roads and emits the same levels of pollution as a two wheeler then I don't foresee any big difference.

Also it is said that it will not be very safe. Well TATA will be stupid to bring an unsafe car to the masses as it will not only not sell but TML will have to face the peoples ire which I am sure they don't want after all this hype. And anyways how safe is it to have a 2 kids on the petrol tank of a two wheeler?

I think it will be super fuel efficient for a car. Take up less room on the road than any other car presently sold in India and finally it will not be very fast. It will get you from point A to B and thats it. By not being very fast it solves three things. It becomes safer, more fuel efficient and cleaner to run.

What do you think?

Change of Fuel - Suprising Result!

As you might know I have been driving the Beast on HP Turbojet since acquiring her. Yesterday had to fill up at the closest pump as the tank was almost empty after returning from the 2 day de-squeaking stint at the workshop. Filled up some BP normal diesel.

Today did about 50 kms with a mixture of highway and city run. The engine is sounding much better and noise levels have decreased. The feel is crisper and the vehicle feels more responsive after the change to normal diesel. I don't know if this is just in my head but the engine noise & vibration levels are definitely down.

I shall confirm this change to plain diesel with the Works Manager tomorrow and let you guys know. But as things stand today the ride with the plain fuel is much better.

What are your experiences with the different Brands of Diesel available today and what do you use?- do drop in a line. Thanks.

In A Word - WOW!

Got the beast back and all the stuff seems to have been sorted. (See list below). The truck is now one smooth operator and has not sounded so quite ever. It took them 2 working days but the results are there to savour. The parts that were problem areas have all been replaced. The car was taken from my residence and dropped back. The cost of this complete exercise was Rs.0.00/-

Full marks to Pandit Auto in Pune for first organizing the CARFUN event and then backing it up with good service. Now I can finally have some fun in my car!!! Hooray!!

Back In The Dock!

Today the Beast was sent back to the workshop with the main intention of de-squeaking. I shall have to wait till tomorrow morning to see if the operation was successful or not. The other thing that needed fixing was the "Hairy" Engine cover.

Here is the complete list of the things that needed fixing:

1. Tailgate Squeaking. Fixed!
2. Rear scuff plate not fixed to the floor properly. Replaced - Done!
   
3. Clicking sound from RHS rear seat. Fixed!
   
4. One loose vent on the Roof Mounted A/C. Fixed!
   
5. Central locking not opening all doors every time opened manually from the drivers door. Is meant to be this way - Another Security measure - So I am told.!?!?
   
6. Rear 12v socket not working. Fixed!
   
7. Front Seats squeaking. Fixed!
   
8. Acoustic wool stuck to engine cover. Cleaned up!
   
9. Engine Oil Level to be checked. Checked and All OK!
   

Kms done 2814.
Kms done after fix 2884

Scoop!!! Mahindra Ingenio Spotted...Maybe?

Coming back to Pune on the Mumbai Pune Expressway a heavily disguised MPV was hurling passed me at over 140kmph. Thus began the cat and mouse game of me in the 2.2 Safari giving chase and capturing some portions of this run on my phone video cam. Please be patient for this video as some editing and format conversion is necessary to publish online.

The overall dimensions of this vehicle are much smaller than the innova. It still could be a TATA car but the front grill seemed more of the Scorpio variety.

The driver finally realised he was being filmed and jammed on his brakes to get away from me. :-)

Happy New Year!!!

May you and your Beast have a great 2008!