[simplyself]

It is amusing to see the fight for the definition of what is an SUV. Also amusing to see that the attributes that made Bolero what it is are not very much discussed.

Disregarding semantics, what is it that made a Bolero a success? Price? Reliability? Peanuts on maintenance? Easily available and reasonably priced genuine spare parts? Comfort for the 5 passengers? Very effective air conditioning? Superb brakes? And not to mention the long life its DI engine offers?

[Spitfire]

@simplyself: You really really must read all the posts on a topic and not read the last 4-5 posts and come up with your take on where the discussion is going.

Most of the points you have written above are what makes the Bolero a good seller. If you really spend some time in reading the whole topic it will give you all you are looking for and much much more. Amusing it is not. Matter of fact it is.

[shankar.balan]

talking of the dear old Bolero grinning at its more expensive cousin it probably has something to do with the shape of the radiator grill also
but wanderer, I can easily believe and appreciate what you say, because truly, the Bolero can withstand tremendous abuse without whining.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Go to interiors in Himachal and see what Boleros, Commanders are doing to the roads( i am calling them roads since these vehicles ply on them, otherwise you wont recognise them as one). Just last weekend I came back from a whirlwind trip to a place called Kupvi where the road through Sainjkhud has been opened just 3 months back and is primitive to say the very least. I was travelling in the commander 4X4 750 DP and trust me I think I would have wasted my money buying a Scorpio (if I didnot have to drive it in the city that is) to travel on those roads.
The Bolero in all their avtaars were there and trust me when Himachal Govt buys them in bulk they know what they are doing as these vehicles are meant to go everywhere possible. There is no denying the fact that Bolero is a very capable vehicle and if what I saw an IPH driver doing with it while climbing up the Chanshal Pass, it takes my vote as the best SUV this side of 10L. I was driving the Scorpio and would have loathed to drive like what he did in his Bolero and absolutely no whine from the vehicle. If I could see anyhting in the Bolero's demeanour it was a slightly self congratulatory smile mixed with pride towards its more expensive cousin.

[simplyself]

I read through most of the posts, Spitfire. I just would like to see more on this than the semantics. Like talking about the maintenance, problems in the vehicle, cost of the spares etc. As for the 'fact', I should know. I own a Bolero Camper with the DI NA engine, 4 speed gear box. And it clocked more than 8.5 lakh kilometres before overhauling the engine...that too because of the stupid driver who didnt find a radiator hose leakage and didnt look at the temp gauge.

Am now trying to find an used Bolero DI with 4-speed gearbox and leaf springs in the front. They were sold along side the XD3P and the XL but the model is now discontinued.

[jp1]

Originally Posted by simplyself

I read through most of the posts, Spitfire. I just would like to see more on this than the semantics. Like talking about the maintenance, problems in the vehicle, cost of the spares etc. As for the 'fact', I should know. I own a Bolero Camper with the DI NA engine, 4 speed gear box. And it clocked more than 8.5 lakh kilometres before overhauling the engine...that too because of the stupid driver who didnt find a radiator hose leakage and didnt look at the temp gauge.
....

I am into my second Bolero (both with Pugeot XDP engine), the first one being an GLX, used for 5 years and the 2nd one, SLX completed 2 years and done around 14000kms, till to-date no breakdowns or no parts failed including electricals. My usage within the city is very low except occasional out station long trips with family. Past six months, I haven't even taken it for a service (means nothing spent) which is overdue and planning to do it this week.

[Spitfire]

Recently changed all the belts, all 4 glowplugs and the switch. Cost 3.8K, labour cost itself came to around 1.2k, so spares cost me 2.6k.

I have the old IDI Peugeot Diesel. Run around 1.4 lakh kms.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I dont think this problem has yet really been solved
you see, those front flaps are only stuck on, not bolted on, so they arent very strong.
one of these days when the rains beat down in Bangalore Im going to test the new bolero with the front flaps - and see for myself if they help to the extent claimed.
In the new Scorpio, they do help - but this new bumper has moulded flaps at the bottom and is stronger.
In some old gypsy's and boleros ive seen that the owners fixed the same type of mudflaps as are located behind the tyres, in front of the tyres - it looked very ugly but it was highly effective to prevent water splashing onto the bonnet and windscreen.

This is just to confirm that "splashing issue" is NOT resolved yet.
I experienced this yesterday on OMR Tin Factory flyover. There was a shallow pool and the splash blinded me....and i couldn't speed up the wipers in time. Believe me.. it's scary.

:(

Can any of you think of an ingenious way to resolve this......apart from NOT driving over shallow pools?

[shankar.balan]

my earlier post - the one you quoted, offers a solution to this.
some older vehicles (mahindra jeeps and gypsys) I ve seen use additional mudflaps in front of the tyres.
looks weird but does the job for them

Originally Posted by Torqy

This is just to confirm that "splashing issue" is NOT resolved yet.
I experienced this yesterday on OMR Tin Factory flyover. There was a shallow pool and the splash blinded me....and i couldn't speed up the wipers in time. Believe me.. it's scary.

:(

Can any of you think of an ingenious way to resolve this......apart from NOT driving over shallow pools?

[Torqy]

Mine is a 2007 model with the extra flaps you mentioned.

[simplyself]

I think the problem of splashing water is, to some extent, due to wider front track of the vehicle. The tyres do protrude a bit in front and the FRP lining over the fender is not adequate to stop the splash.

[shankar.balan]

if you put alloy wheels on the Bolero the problem is heightened because the tyres stick out more.

Originally Posted by simplyself

I think the problem of splashing water is, to some extent, due to wider front track of the vehicle. The tyres do protrude a bit in front and the FRP lining over the fender is not adequate to stop the splash.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by simplyself

I think the problem of splashing water is, to some extent, due to wider front track of the vehicle. The tyres do protrude a bit in front and the FRP lining over the fender is not adequate to stop the splash.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

if you put alloy wheels on the Bolero the problem is heightened because the tyres stick out more.

Yes, that exactly is the problem.

[simplyself]

One niggling problem I encountered is the electricals. The fuel meter wasnt working from day One. The service station guys changed the unit twice but no use. Then in a matter of two and a half years every meter in the dash went kaput.

My vehicle - the Camper - is used for newspaper transport. Almost 75 % of the 400 odd kilometres it travels a day is in dark. And the headlight bulbs fuse every 20 days on an average.

I observed the original 235 tyres give less life than the 215s I use now. There is no point in burning a hole in one's pocket if every aspect on braking, stability and handling are met with lesser cost and more life. All the 235s I used never saw a kilometre outside 80 K whereas the 215s I now use have clocked, on an average 120 K. I dont know the reason for the lesser mileage for heavier tyre but every single tyre - 10 of them - prematurely cut, the steel radial protruding and damaging the tube.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by simplyself

One niggling problem I encountered is the electricals. The fuel meter wasnt working from day One. The service station guys changed the unit twice but no use. Then in a matter of two and a half years every meter in the dash went kaput.

Odd. Even after the whole assembly was changed its surprising that it still fails. Have you heard of the same problem on other Campers?

My vehicle - the Camper - is used for newspaper transport. Almost 75 % of the 400 odd kilometres it travels a day is in dark. And the headlight bulbs fuse every 20 days on an average.

Do your headlights switch off once the engine is turned off? If they do then check the headlight fuse - check if its the correct rating.

If the headlights dont switch off after the engine is stopped - then see to it that you turn off the lights before you crank the engine again.

How does your battery perform?

I observed the original 235 tyres give less life than the 215s I use now. There is no point in burning a hole in one's pocket if every aspect on braking, stability and handling are met with lesser cost and more life. All the 235s I used never saw a kilometre outside 80 K whereas the 215s I now use have clocked, on an average 120 K. I dont know the reason for the lesser mileage for heavier tyre but every single tyre - 10 of them - prematurely cut, the steel radial protruding and damaging the tube.

The 235 and the 215 were from the same brand? And 120k is a great mileage for the tyres.

[simplyself]

Spitfire, Only one other vehicle was found with the problem of non-functioning fuel meter. The problem seems to be with the meter the in dash and not with the unit in the fuel tank. But I did not think much of it because the tank is always full.

But some problem or the other is always in the meter board. I have seen it in the Bolero Sportz too.

I havent noticed whether the headlights switch off if the engine is turned off because I always turn off the headlights before engine is switched off. Same with headlights on because I never crank up the engine with headlights on. After facing the problem of frequent fusing of bulbs we resorted to adding a "cut-out" which bypasses the fuses. The battery lasts around 15 months - almost all the brands perform similarly.

The company fitted Goodyear 235s are the worst lot. MRFs performed a lot better but still not as good as the 215s. I mostly use MRF Zigma GP and sometimes the ZVT. Ceat 215s looked great but didnt give life....at the most a Ceat 215 had given me around 80 K. The maximum I got was 160 K on an MRF ZVT 215. But average life is about 120 K.

What amazed me was the fact that the vehicle stops in straight line no matter what the load or speed is and it does stop quick if loaded within the payload it was designed for. But if overloaded, the engine chuggs along without any sign of strain but the braking efficiency is drastically reduced. The tyres lock but skid on the road.