Well, the
Torqedo (or the
TorQueen as I have started calling her) has given me immensely enjoyable and exhilarating 5000 kms - and all these without any major issues. (The only problem I faced was the tyre damage issue posted earlier in this thread).
So the time had come for her first* servicing and I booked an early slot at Pashankar Autowheels. I had ensured that my car would be handled by Mr. Nachiket, a knowledgeable senior advisor. I had also arranged for permission to be present right next to the car when it would be getting serviced, to ensure that proper care would be taken and my car would be treated with due care!
*Technically this is the second service - the first being the 1000km assurance checkup - but nothing substantial is done then, so for me, this is the first service! Agenda :
Apart from the usual first servicing activities, there were
2 specific extras that I required to get done. My TorQueen had developed a slight creaking sound near the right front - this was very difficult to reproduce and would come only when the road was highly uneven or when I would try to accelerate very slowly with the front wheels against an obstacle (like a speed bump). The second activity was the replacement of the damaged tyre (
yes, Apollo finally replaced the tyre for me at half the cost - they called it a goodwill gesture).
So the activities were enumerated as :
- First servicing 5000 km
- Engine oil and filter change
- Resolution of creaking noise near front right of the car
- Replacement of the damaged tyre
I reached the service station on time and registered my car for the servicing, armed with my laptop and my Nikon (
I intended to photograph each and every activity). Mr. Nachiket was waiting for me and as promised, took my car in immediately. The Customer Service lady politely asked me to wait in the Customer Lounge and relax while the car would be serviced, to which I refused (equally politely) and told him that there was no way I would leave my car's side - afterall, I had it prearranged to have a free pass (didn't I?). A quick word with the Works Manager and I was all set to go.
Before taking the vehicle into the workshop, we went out for a quick drive to have a general assessment. Thankfully, we were able to reproduce the noise. Nachiket attributed it to some
unequal stresses developed in the chassis, possibly due to the
innumerable pieces of road scattered among the potholes . Being good at engg. mechanics, this statement sent alarm bells ringing right left and center. But the guys assured me (atleast tried their best to) that this was no big deal and
de-torquing and
re-torquing the chassis would resolve the issue. I was skeptical and imagined the entire car being dismantled and the chassis being torqued and nearly went into shock! But again, I was assured that nothing of this sort would happen - the only part coming off would be the oil filter! The job card was prepared and I was given an estimate of around Rs.1800 (now that was great news - no hole in the pocket, plenty left to spare!)
The job card
The car was then taken into the workshop - I was still riding shotgun, and got out only when they told me that the car would have to be taken into the servicing bay. Once out, I took out my Nikon, checked the lighting, made the necessary settings and was about to start clicking away when I had the uneasy feeling of being watched and possibly targeted. My intuition was bang on! I saw a security guard, the works manager and the supervisor running towards me. I didn't realize what was happening and my first reaction (thankfully inside my mind only) was to reach for my ICD (see
this for details
here). But as they neared me, they stopped the frantic run. and the works manager, trying very hard to be polite, told me that photography was not allowed inside the workshop. I tried my best to convince them (and even showed them the pics taken by Sreeji on tBHP), but to no avail. I realized that my free pass did not have all the benefits and I would have to settle for just standing there and watching the work in progress (the other option was to go to the customer lounge, have tea and watch TV).
The mechanic came in with the new oil filter and his set of tools. The car was raised on the ramp and the work started. The
de-torquing and
re-torquing turned out to be the loosening and re-tightening of 4 nuts of the chassis, under the body - the entire operation took 10 mins and I was relieved that nothing had been opened in the process (these guys should call it releasing the stress or something - re-torquing sounds much more complex). The air filter was taken off and pressure cleaned. The old oil was drained and the filter replaced.
During the oil change, I asked them if they would top it up with synthetic oil (5W40) and tried to have a discussion there. The Works Manager and the Technical Manager both came in again (though not running this time). They explained in detail how Elf (and Total) formulated the 15W40 oil especially for GM and how GM had chosen the specific formulation after a long research. They also told me that for the wear and tear the Optra's engine goes through, the 15W40 is most suitable and just because the synthetic oil is available, one should not go for it. The discussion was closed when they told me that changing to any other oil would void warranty! I then asked them if they would use flushing oil before the replacement, but again they told me that as I was servicing the vehicle on time, and there didn't seem to be any excessive wear and the oil that was being added was the same as the previous oil, there was no need of flushing.
The oil
I personally oversaw my TorQueen drinking more than 6 litres of the golden fluid (which turns black right at the first crank!). The majority of the work had been done. What remained was the normal inspection and lubrication of moving parts. Unfortunately, some other owner sitting in the lounge got jealous of my free pass and he too insisted on inspecting his car - this created a
Dharamsankat for the manager - I quickly resolved this by switching to the tea and TV option in the lounge - (I also got the pleasure of seeing the sulking face of the poor KLPDed guy whose wish of getting into the workshop remained unfulfilled).
After the servicing was done, the car was moved to the Final Inspection Bay. Mr. Jealous had gone off for lunch, so I took the opportunity of participating in the final inspection myself. The car had been serviced properly, the spare wheel with the new replaced tyre was balanced and sowed away securely in the boot, and the car was ready for the Pre Delivery Test Drive. Nachiket took the car out and then asked me to drive away.
I cranked the engine, and right there, I could feel the change in the engine - it had become butter smooth - a very nice feel! The air filter cleaning also resulted in a nice deep growl from the engine. The gear shifts were smoother. The TorQueen surged ahead as usual, and I drove for about 5-6 kilometres through varying terrain, testing all the functions. The lubrication and the engine oil change had made the vehicle very smooth. The creaking noise had disappeared. Many people say that there is an increase in the torque and power -
I felt no such thing. The engine was smoother, the niggles had disappeared and that's it! Overall the vehicle was in great shape. The only thing that I noticed missing was the grease on the hinges, so I asked Nachiket if they had forgotten the same, to which he replied that nowadays, they use some spray instead of the grease.
So after a satisfactory test, the car went for a bath, and I went for some lunch - the service station, Pashankar Auto Wheels also provides lunch to those who wait there for the vehicles - this was a welcome surprise - something totally new for me!
I was not able to take any snaps of the car while it got serviced, so when the car was brought out for washing, I satisfied my itch by
clicking away while she was bathing :P.
Both the interior and exterior were thoroughly cleaned, then dried up.
The engine bay was dried by pressurized air and the surfaces were polished using some cream.
The dashboard and other interior parts were also polished.
I eventually got tired looking at these 5-6 guys going over every inch of my car, ensuring that it was spotless.
I don't know whether they are so diligent every time or it was all because I was standing there clicking snaps. But the end result was good for me, so no complaints!
I also happened to meet Mr. Prashant (the one who sold me my car) and the AGM of sales, Mr. Bendarkar.
These snaps are for the benefit of any Chevy customer who wants to get in touch with either of these for sales / service.
Left to Right (Mr. Prashant - Sales Mgr, Mr. Nachiket - Sr. Advisor / Supervisor, Mr. Bendarkar - AGM Sales)
Overall, it was a great experience. Took me a total of 5 hours to get the vehicle back. My first experience was not very smooth, but this experience and the professionalism shown by the GM team helped seal my faith in them! Rated then a complete 10/10 in their post service survey. Now came the payment part - was pleased to see that the total bill including taxes was only
Rs.2200 - now if that is not VFM, I don't know what is!
The invoice Summary : Date of Purchase : May 2011
Date of first servicing : 18th Aug 2011
Running : 4997 km
Service Station : Pashankar Auto Wheels, Baner-Pashan, Pune
Appointment Time : 09:45 am
Service Advisor : Nachiket
Works Manager : Vishal
Action Items :
- 5000 km servicing
- Oil and Oil Filter Replacement
- Resolution of creaking noise - right front door
- Spare Tyre fix
Estimated expense : Rs. 1800 + taxes
Actual expense : Rs. 1965 + taxes
Parts Required :
Oil Filter Kit - 1
Washer - 1
ELF Motor Oil - 6.30L
Wheel Balancing Weights - 2
Total cost of parts : 1964.28
VAT: 245.53
Labour : 0.00
Total : Rs.2210
Total time taken 6 hours (10.17 AM to 04:18 PM)
After Sales and Service Experience : 10/10
Things I liked :
- Knowledgeable staff
- Spot on diagnostics
- Great hospitality (first service station I have seen that actually serves food for ALL it's customers)
- No hole in pocket
Things that could have been better :
- Time taken (6hrs was too long)
- They could have allowed me to click a few snaps. The only snaps that I got here were of the washing...
As a side note, any Chevy owners in Pune, if you give your vehicle for servicing at Pashankar, ensure that you give your vehicle to Nachiket!