Indian Autos Thread

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 29 Aug 2014 05:22

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car ... eview.html
Ford’s Ecosport 1.0 Ecoboost is lacking the small details that matter in such a competitive class
2 *

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-driv ... 1-0-a.html

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

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 29 Aug 2014 10:43

Any one using the Maruti Ritz diesel facing a problem of Mileage drop from 18 in city conditions to 14.5 in city conditions.

The car has 63K on the clock and, has no mechanical issues with the engine or the gear box. The clutch is also OK. This was certified by the workshop. Tyre pressure 36 / 33 front/ rear.

What could be the reasons for that.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 02 Sep 2014 14:00

Tomorrow Maruti is opening bookings for Maruti Ciaz.

SK Mody · Post by **SK Mody** » 02 Sep 2014 18:40

here-is-how-your-carmaker-has-been-fleecing-you-all-these-years

http://qz.com/258680/here-is-how-your-c ... ese-years/

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 04 Sep 2014 12:32

Regarding the Maruti Ciaz for such a big car, Petrol weighs around 1010KG and Diesel 1105 KG, Maruti claims this due to High Tensile steel. Does this mean that they have used exotic materials to build s real lighweight car or they have made the sheet metal and body shell as really flimsy.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 05 Sep 2014 06:36

An interesting story from 'Roo-stan: Some 40,000 'roos lost jobs due to exit of the 3 companies, and the auto industry is essentially dead there.

archan · Post by **archan** » 05 Sep 2014 07:29

^ Related to the above: Toyota Australia may help displaced engineers find work in Asia

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 05 Sep 2014 15:35

pandyan wrote:did you check if the airfilter is clean/nothing clogged? Do you see any difference in pickup/power availability?

I had the air / oil filter changed the engine / gear oil was changed. Yet the issue persists. No difference in the pickup / power availability. Mechanically the car is perfect. Yet the mileage has dropped.

It was taken to a different workshop last week. Even they said that nothing is wrong with the car.

Am beginning to suspect that some one is stealing fuel.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Sep 2014 22:58

Another regular maintenance item that can have an effect on mileage is spark plugs. Fairly easily replacement job. I do mine on my own, though it takes some time to replace all 8 plugs on my car.

Added: I read that yours is a diesel, so it can't be plugs. So another related item is the fuel injector. Diesel uses detonation using pressure, and it's possible one or more of yours is injecting more than desired fuel into the cylinders, due to age or other damage.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Sep 2014 09:36

V8 onlee saar

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 08 Sep 2014 10:07

do those techron spark plug cleaner additives work for short term? friend gave me an extra one and is lying around.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Sep 2014 10:09

I put Techron in my tank every 2-3000 miles. It does help, to an extent.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 08 Sep 2014 20:30

which car has auto trans - toyota etios or maruti swift? any competing models? Rs 7-10L range.

also looking good on/off road capabilities - tyres, 4x4/AWD, disc brakes, torque, and clearance.

archan · Post by **archan** » 12 Sep 2014 19:33

If you are looking for 4x4 then why mention etios and swift? Ford Ecosport comes closest but no 4x4 there.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 12 Sep 2014 20:38

Pratyush,

I would check your Oxygen sensor as well.

Any EURO II car will have oxygen sensors. These set the fuel air ratio. A defective oxygen sensor will cause the ratio to go haywire. Esp. if you change elevations. Say Bangalore to Chennai.

#1 cause of such dramatic fuel burn IME.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 12 Sep 2014 21:11

defective fuel injector sensors will screw up fuel burn anywhere. why do you have to change elevation for that?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 12 Sep 2014 21:42

Do cars in India have OBD in any form ? A defective O2 sensor will trigger a check engine light code through OBD. That's how I found and replaced mine in the past. Generally, O2 sensors are good until past 150K kms, but if it's defective, it's not usually silent. I don't advocate fixing things by speculative replacement. It's expensive and not guaranteed to fix the issue.

If O2 sensor is the issue, it's worth fixing quickly. If it's damaged, it can cause the car to always run rich (engine computer feeds too much fuel) or too lean. The result is that the catalytic converters are damaged after a while, which leads to an expensive repair. O2 sensors are something I can and have replaced on my own, but cats are not a user-maintenance item - they have to be cut out and a replacement welded in.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 12 Sep 2014 22:08

The problem sounds exactly like my O2 sensor problems that I have had on every car bought since 2000 or so. 4 Times I have had this problem on 3 different cars. Randomly the fuel burn rate will spike, exhaust starts becoming smoky, etc. I only notice because I am obsessive about my mileage which I have to track anyway for IRS purposes. But it could be something else too…

The one other time I had fuel burn problems is when the throttle valve started sticking. No check engine light. With the newer cars the throttle butterfly valve is varied continuously. In my Truck the valve blow back caused a sticky residue to build up within the throttle body, ergo causing the valve to stick closed/open. So my son & I disconnected the air intake, disconnected the mass air flow sensor, removed the filter housing and them extricated the throttle body. Sure enough there was a black substance coating the inside. I got some xylene brake pad cleaner spray for $1.50 and an old tooth brush. 1 hour of scrubbing and spraying later we inserted the sparkling unit back in place and the Truck sprang to life in perfect order. The stealership wanted to replace the entire unit for $2,300. $1300 just for the parts! Toyotas are expensive….
----------------------------

The O2 sensors set the default burn/fuel rate and the car kinda coasts at that level unless you change elevation. At which point the O2 ratio changes and the car should reset the default rate.

I have noticed that many Indians cars despite having all these sensors do not have a proper OBD. You often get no check engine light. On my dads Hyundai there is no check engine light at all or at least not on the drivers dash! I think the rules in India don’t require it or don’t require that system faults be visible to driver.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 12 Sep 2014 22:17

Regular maintenance of the engine air intake, from the filter to the MAF and throttle body, is a simple DIY handyman trick used to keep the car running well. If if breathes well, it runs well. Every once in a while I take off the intake and filter, as well as the MAF, vacuum the filter or replace if needed, and spray down the MAF. Improves throttle response noticeably.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 18 Sep 2014 02:58

Safety first: Auto makers to ensure crash test for cars, but that could hurt your wallet

This is good news. The govt. is also going to make ABS and airbags mandatory within a few years along with crash testing. A new govt. crash testing facility is opening next year it seems. These measures were sorely needed to improve road-safety in India.

However this also means that car prices will go up and it may cause another recession in our auto-market a couple of years down the line. Especially in small cars, the bread and butter of car companies in India. The only way to avoid that would be for the government to finally do something about the ridiculous amounts of taxes levied on cars in India. They need to get rid of the different excise duty slabs and bring in a flat excise regime. They currently levy >20% for any car longer than 4m which is absurd. This is in addition to the large one-time registration fees, octroi and other state taxes.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 18 Sep 2014 04:30

Suraj wrote:V8 onlee saar

What car?

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 18 Sep 2014 04:36

RB, when you were hunting for a new car and ogling at Japani and Oiro PYT's like IS and 3-series, did you consider the three all-american beauties - Mustang, Challenger, Camaro - as possible alternatives?

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 18 Sep 2014 05:23

Raja Bose wrote:
Suraj wrote:V8 onlee saar
What car?

This one. Looks the same, just not literally the same VIN.

sunilUpa · Post by **sunilUpa** » 18 Sep 2014 06:42

nachiket wrote:RB, when you were hunting for a new car and ogling at Japani and Oiro PYT's like IS and 3-series, did you consider the three all-american beauties - Mustang, Challenger, Camaro - as possible alternatives?

Cadillac CTS- V Coupe, 550 hp, as close to Bat mobile as you can get in real life!. My boss had the engine retuned to 630 hp. A gentle tap on the accelerator left black marks on the road. He had to get super soft tires to make it drivable.

If you frequently use Hertz, you will get a chance to use their Prestige collection for free..you can drive all the beasts.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 18 Sep 2014 08:19

sunilUpa wrote:Cadillac CTS- V Coupe, 550 hp, as close to Bat mobile as you can get in real life!. My boss had the engine retuned to 630 hp. A gentle tap on the accelerator left black marks on the road. He had to get super soft tires to make it drivable.

Excellent suggestion, though it eats tyres for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think it has negative camber on the rear tyres too (like mine does), which doesn't help in managing wear. That much power makes it hard to get moving from stationary position . Early on when I got mine I'd often jerk forward at start because my muscle memory pressed the accelerator like it did with my older 4-cyl car; took a while to do it like I'm stepping on an egg. Extreme low end V8 torque is fun.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 19 Sep 2014 13:45

nachiket wrote:Safety first: Auto makers to ensure crash test for cars, but that could hurt your wallet

This is good news. The govt. is also going to make ABS and airbags mandatory within a few years along with crash testing. A new govt. crash testing facility is opening next year it seems. These measures were sorely needed to improve road-safety in India.

However this also means that car prices will go up and it may cause another recession in our auto-market a couple of years down the line. Especially in small cars, the bread and butter of car companies in India. The only way to avoid that would be for the government to finally do something about the ridiculous amounts of taxes levied on cars in India. They need to get rid of the different excise duty slabs and bring in a flat excise regime. They currently levy >20% for any car longer than 4m which is absurd. This is in addition to the large one-time registration fees, octroi and other state taxes.

The main culprit is also state Govt which levy ~12.5% VAT plus ~10%-15% lifetime Tax-Octroi, Karnataka and Mumbai Govts are especially Bad, which is why Fat cats in Delhi will typically pay 10% to 15% less for a car than in Mumbai and Bengaluru. i.e why Karnataka cops are very severe with the stupid 1 month rule.

This is on top of the fact that these state Govts collect literally 30% of retail price of Petrol, Diesel as VAT.

Yup if add the fact that car manufacturers have to deal with customs duty, input CST, Excise, VAT, plus Import of Service rules, Service tax on various inputs, Onerus TDS rules regarding royalty plus lifetime tax paid by retailer the cost of a car in India is 200% of the cost in Dubai and GCC-ME. Before tackling the 110% import duty, we must look into how vehicles manufactured in India must suffer less from Direct and Indirect tax.

Cars are cheap in US and ME, that creates some snob value at Indians who will value an Ecosport say how much they value a BMW 3 Series in Dubai.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 19 Sep 2014 13:59

Suraj wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:quote="Suraj"]V8 onlee saar /quote]
What car?
This one. Looks the same, just not literally the same VIN.

For such a premium car it is Braking distance of 96-0 Km(note 100-0 will probably take a couple of feet more) of 123ft(40.35 meters) is as good as cars available for a fifth of the price. Mercs generally are the best in that area with 100-0 in 33 meter distance.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 19 Sep 2014 21:54

It's a heavy car. Personally I haven't had any noticeable issues with braking distance the 2-3 times I had to make an emergency stop, compared to my smaller, lighter car beforehand.

Added: I don't see Mercs having better numbers. This thread claims ~130ft braking distance for the last 2 generations of E class: http://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/ ... -long.html

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 25 Sep 2014 19:23

Mahindra launches all-new Scorpio at Rs 7.98 lakh

http://www.rediff.com/business/report/p ... 140925.htm

Zynda · Post by **Zynda** » 27 Sep 2014 21:13

The rear brake light colour on the new Scorpio is blue. Does Indian Motor Laws regulations, now allow vehicles to have any colour of choice for tail lights? I always was under the impression that brake light is red, turn signal is Orange/red (especially on Amreeki made cars) and backing up lights obviously of bright yellowish...I have seen off market mods, especially on taxi (SUVs, Indicas) and supposedly "enthusiasts" owned private vehicles having all sorts of colour combinations but how can an OEM come up with a colour scheme that goes different to regulations?

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 27 Sep 2014 21:28

Suraj, sorry did not get back to you, was mistaken since 10 years ago Mercedes were claiming thier braking distance from 100 to 0 was around 35 meters or so.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 26 Oct 2014 03:37

It is raining automatic cars in the low-end segment.
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/cheapest-auto ... =home-auto

vina · Post by **vina** » 26 Oct 2014 05:26

Bade wrote:It is raining automatic cars in the low-end segment.
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/cheapest-auto ... =home-auto

Pah.. All for Wimps and Wimmins and AmirKhan returned types.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 26 Oct 2014 05:36

Like you can zip around in B'lur. It takes a whole day to get to the airport from the south side.

Add even Kochi to that list. People driving around in Mercs and BMWs, actually sitting in their sedans showing off and going nowhere clutching at their manuals.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 29 Oct 2014 08:49

Waah My Ford ecosport delivery is getting pushed and pushed, I have paid all the Money and given all docs, yet dealer says cannot get it registered and delivered tomorrow, family says Friday and Saturday are bad days. I need to wait till next Sunday/Monday.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 29 Oct 2014 08:55

vina wrote:
Bade wrote:It is raining automatic cars in the low-end segment.
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/cheapest-auto ... =home-auto
Pah.. All for Wimps and Wimmins and AmirKhan returned types.

My Sister, mom and wife really love the automatics, sometimes in traffic I also find them nice to drive. Really happy about the new K10 ALto automatic. There are many men whom I know who dont have driving as a passion.

I predict that just like the Automatic scooter market, India will have a huge growth in automatics at the lower end of the segment. I find that unless one has learnt driving in early teens/ twenties like most urban yuppies, it is very difficult to people used to ungeared vehicles/ not driving riding to handle the gear/clutch along with Indian traffic, far easier to learn to drive in Massa/ME/Europe.

Thats cause many who are driving in India don't know what is right thing to do, unaware of braking distance, rules like what a double yellow line means etc.

negi · Post by **negi** » 29 Oct 2014 10:48

vina wrote:
Bade wrote:It is raining automatic cars in the low-end segment.
http://auto.ndtv.com/news/cheapest-auto ... =home-auto
Pah.. All for Wimps and Wimmins and AmirKhan returned types.

Automatics on the contrary are a perfect fit for Indian conditions , in stop and go bumper to bumper traffic old people find it much easier to drive an automatic than playing with the clutch. Now that entry level hatchbacks are in reach of common Indian as against chauffeur driven ambassadors and PALs 2 decades back an automatic transmission is a good thing in our conditions. Currently low FE in city conditions and reliability and cost are the only things preventing it from being the first choice among consumers . Look at the number of Honda City cars being sold with CVT transmission and even Hyundais they are increasing every year .

negi · Post by **negi** » 29 Oct 2014 10:53

Bade wrote:Like you can zip around in B'lur. It takes a whole day to get to the airport from the south side. Add even Kochi to that list. People driving around in Mercs and BMWs, actually sitting in their sedans showing off and going nowhere clutching at their manuals.

Sir they are also using tiptronic or DSG transmissions .

archan · Post by **archan** » 29 Oct 2014 13:27

negi wrote: Automatics on the contrary are a perfect fit for Indian conditions , in stop and go bumper to bumper traffic old people find it much easier to drive..[/b]

@#%&*@

I'd find them easier.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 29 Oct 2014 13:29

I also love automatics in peak traffic with crazy guys trying squeeze and bump into you, prefer manuals for highways.