[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by csateesh

naveen.raju - Any reason why you rejected Michelin, Yokohama and Conti ? Would like to understand your view on the same

How is the Bridgestone performing ?

Regards

-Sateesh

Michelin is pretty soft and not suited for my commute. I do very little long/highway drives so comfort was not my priority.

Bridgestone performed well so decided to go with it. It can take the abuse pretty well.

It's holding up very well and have no complaints though the road noise is a bit high I feel but not a deal breaker.

[naveen.raju]

Much awaited break (Cochin - Kumarakom - Trivandrum - Kovalam)



Thanks to the present situation, there's been nil outstation drives. My last drive was almost an year back. Since the Xmas weekend was long, I thought I would take a well deserving week off.

I decided to confine the drive within Kerala to keep away from quarantine and I didn't want to try out any hill station as it was super crowded. The only option was a beach destination. I did try few resorts and almost all were full while others were super expensive.

Finally booked Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom. Very good property and as it's very secluded, it was very relaxing.













Next stop was Trivandrum. Decided to take a break from backwaters, so settled in at O by Tamara near Technopark. Less than an year old and have been hearing pretty good reviews of their buffet. Checked in for couple of days and our Xmas was spent here. Their buffet was really good, especially the Xmas brunch. Highly recommend.

View from the room:







After Trivandrum, we had booked at Kovalam. Since this was a last minute booking, we couldn't find any resort in central Kovalam. So settled for Abad Harmonia (few kms from Kovalam). This was our second visit here and it's a pretty good place. Very reasonable priced and tasty food (compared to Kumarakom and Trivandrum).



Drive log isn't complete without the picture of the car. Here's the only one that I manage to click.



As for the road conditions, it was pretty good throughout. Traffic was pretty bad at few sections thanks to the single lane highways.

Odo - 61XXX kms

[naveen.raju]

Since it's been a while, thought of updating the thread.

Got the annual service done in Feb. Nothing much to report and the general service came to 8500. I had reported that I sometimes hear a strange sound when I switch on the AC and stays for around for couple of seconds. BHPian Yajaman also had this issue. It's the AC leak. Few months after the service, I noticed that the AC wasn't cool enough so took it to the FNG. They advised me to top up the gas and observe it for few days. It was definitely AC leak but wasn't severe. It's been around 3 months and going good, touchwood. Got the brake pads changed as well.





Got the wheel balancing/alignment done.



Since I had plans of going to Bangalore, I thought of getting some magnetic shades. Got these from Amazon. Good fit and much better than those road side shades. Anyone getting these, do get the ones with the zip.











There wasn't any long drives as usual thanks to the present situation. Had a wedding to attend in Trivandrum. Almost all the hotels had limited menu and only Tamara offered a wide spread. So checked in there for couple of days. This time, it was the other side.



Meanwhile, this was biting dust for a long time so decided to get this running. Since the fitness test is coming up, got a cosmetic upgrade. I have kept the old parts too since this now looks brand new for half a century old bike which I feel isn't good.





Odometer now stands at 68,xxx

[naveen.raju]

Annual Service update:

Got the periodic service done in April and it was a routine one. Decided to clean the air vents this time and it was a good move. They removed all the air vents and cleaned it thoroughly. Once it was cleaned, it's got a refreshing smell and the vents looked good as new. The clutch has been tight for sometime and they advised to use it for some more time (I got used to it's hard clutch by now). The total bill came around 10k including wheel alignment.

My AVN display was pixelated for an year now, then the reverse camera was full time on. I had disconnected the display for somehow this was connected with the boot so couldn't open it. Reconnected it and then the display sort of died eventually. Bluetooth, radio and usb were working though.



I then started my hunt for a new unit. Visited a shop here and checked the options. Almost all were pushing for the non branded Android units and was surprised that they didn't show interest when I inquired on Sony/Pioneer units. The average price was between 13k-15k with free fitment. I did see a polo with the Pioneer unit and it definitely looked small. I wasn't really keen on the Android unit as well for the following reasons:
1) Sort of unknown territory - Long term performance
2) Display was dull (I even saw many videos on Youtube)
3) Stock camera won't work. Although the unit came with a free camera, I didn't like the idea of drilling the camera on to the bumper.
4) Fitment - It sorted of looked as if a tab was stuck on the dash. It spoiled the clean look that the OE unit provided. This was my main concern.

Then came across shop based in Delhi that repaired all AVN's. Checked out their YouTube channel and was surprised to see that 99% of the units were Hyundai. Contacted him sometime in November and confirmed that they can repair the unit. Decided to wait for few months and check other options. Since I decided to stay away from Android units and wanted that OE look, I decided to go with the Delhi based shop. Removed the AVN, packed and mailed it to Delhi.

Drove the car like this for around two weeks



They repaired it in 2 days and mailed back the unit.
IC and display changed - Rs 5250 including courier. Got it fixed at HASS but charged around 900 for fitment. Anyhow, didn't want to try any accessory shop for this.



It was time to change the wiper and decided to try Spark Minda this time. Got the set from Boodmo.



Well, some new garage mates joined last December (Obviously not mine, but am driving these).



Had a small trip with the Innova few months back (My small thoughts on this - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5273030 (Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review))



Parting shot - Diesel Manual, Petrol AT, Diesel AT

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Then came across shop based in Delhi that repaired all AVN's.

Facing the same issue. Can you share the shop details?

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Facing the same issue. Can you share the shop details?

ISC555
Mahender Gupta
Shop no.555
Old lajpatrai market
Chandni chowk
Delhi 110006
Ph no.7678486507, 9811465406

You can reach him on WhatsApp.

[naveen.raju]

8 years update:

Next month will mark the 8th year of the Creta ownership and it’s been a good one. While my family and friends are upgrading the cars, I never felt the itch to upgrade (it wasn’t the case before I had the Creta). The main reason is that the budget doesn’t permit me for an upgrade, else I should downgrade or stick to the same segment. But I was kind of surprised to see the lack of quality in some cars while my Creta looked rock solid especially when compared with our Alcazar on which they have some cheap parts on the inside. So you can expect this thread to be active for couple of more years .

April was supposed to be the time for the annual service. The service is definitely “hit or miss” and the TeamBHP official reviews should mention this - Experience after using all HASS in Cochin except one with 4 different Hyundai cars with 3 presently in the garage. I decided to try a new HASS this time (more details below). As I didn’t find time, carried out the yearly service last week. It was a routine service with couple of issues reported:

1. Oil/Oil filter change
2. Skip Cabin filter - DIY
3. Skip Air filter - DIY
4. Replace lower arm bush - I might replace the entire set which comes close to 2.5k each in the coming months. So holding this for now.
5. Check the AC issue that was reported earlier in the group. There was build-up of ice in the engine bay some 6-7 months back. Haven’t had that problem again. The SA told it should be an issue with the Thermistor. Changing this will come to around 1800 including labour.
6. Check fogging happening on the windshield and air leak inspite of keeping the mode limited to the front vents. Since this requires removing the dash, I decided to skip this. This looks like a common problem in first gen Creta as I see a lot of cars with the same problem. Worse since it’s monsoon now as I didn’t have this or notice issue couple of months back.
7. Skip wheel alignment/balancing
8. There’s some squeaking sound coming from the front (might be due to the bushes) and rear. They couldn't find the rear noise and now after they worked on the suspension, I couldn't notice much. The only sound is from the rear parcel tray which I might remove.

The battery was replaced last month since the crank took couple of seconds especially during morning. My last battery died all of a sudden so decided not to wait. Went to the same shop and got Amaron. The last battery was replaced around the same time 5 years back. It’s a surprise that it lasted 5 years on a diesel car. Never had the chance to extract the life of the battery this long on my previous cars.

Cost was around 5900 after exchanging the old battery.

Old



New



Since the monsoon was fast approaching, decided to purchase few other items before giving it for service.
1. Bosch Eco Wipers - 26”/16”
2. Hyundai Cabin Filter
3. Bosch Air Filter
4. Detailing clay



Cabin Filter - Old vs New



Air Filter - Old vs New



I had tried different wiper blades from difference brands and none of them seem to work/last long enough except for the stock ones. Also, felt the windshield was slightly rough which contributed to the cause. So tried this detailing clay that I bought from Amazon. Applied cleaning liquid, gently rubbed the glass and wiped clean. I could feel the smoothness now after which I installed the wiper. There’s no squeaking sound and it does a clean swipe. Let’s see if the clay did any magic here.

Coming to the service experience - Although the previous HASS was good, it lacked the technical professionalism. Also, they were more concerned with the service rating rather than the customer issues/concerns etc. That was when I was approached by this new HASS. Booking was pretty simple and scheduled for the pickup/drop from my office. They did screw up with the booking initially but it was handled well. I got a call from the service advisor in an hour to summarise the service requests that I had pointed out during the booking. One thing I liked was that he didn’t push me for any add-ons/extras, although I did receive a call from their sales team trying to push some accessories. Also, he explained the issues that I had reported much better than my previous engagements with other HASS. Looks like this was one of better SA’s that I have encountered in these 8 years of ownership. Well, I reserve this comment and will see how they fare during my future interactions with them since all HASS will put their best foot forward to get new customers. Their pickup and drop-off should be better as there was a bit of a delay. But I might switch the Grand i10 and Alcazar service to here.

Service cost - 6k

Experience driving the car - The wash was pretty decent when compared to other HASS and the interiors smelled refreshing. The car felt smooth to drive but the biggest thing I noticed was the suspension setup. After using the Tiguan for a week, coming back to the Creta felt like I was driving a kid’s tricycle (the old one that had those wide plastic wheels). After the service, I could definitely feel it be a lot smoother (Easy to identify since there are couple of bad sections in my daily commute). Even though other HASS mention about checking the suspension, this was the first time I could feel some difference (not by a huge margin, but definitely noticeable).

Upcoming plans:

1. Tires - Might replace them in the coming months as the new set clocked 40k kms. Still have decent thread on it. Should I try 225/60/R17 this time?
2. Lights - Absolutely not an urgent requirement as am completely satisfied with the stock setup but heart says HIDs. Thinking of going for 6000k bulbs just to refresh the look of the car. I know 6000k isn’t the right choice especially during rains, but since I have less night drives, this looks like an option for me. Holding this for the past 8 years.
3. Car mats - I use the stock Hyundai rubber mats (super pathetic) and a felt mat on top of it that I bought it from Ford. It’s been really good but need to replace the front ones as it’s kind of worn out and also doesn’t cover the entire footwell. Saw Michelin rubber mats which looks good on paper and as it can be trimmed, it looks like a good option. But at 2.5k, should I go with some local 3D/4D option since that covers a lot more area?


Image Source - Google

Here’s the parting shot:



Odd stands at 86XXX kms

[naveen.raju]

Accessory Update - Sunfilms

After some highway drives when I got the car, we noticed the cabin did get hot especially due to the direct sunlight from the front. Got Garware Silver 70 installed on all windows except the front. After installing this, the cabin felt relatively cooler. But the mid-day drives were hot thanks to the lack of film on the front windshield. After adding the magnetic shades, it felt better but the idea of adding film on the windshield was still undecided.

Fast forward to August 2023 - I could really feel the cabin to be hot since I have an open parking at office. It tends to get so hot that the phone holder gets dislodged due to the heat. That’s when I decided to get films for the windshield. The obvious choice was 3M but have heard some issues with Fastag not being detected and to be frank, I didn’t research on it a lot. Couple of my friends got Saint Gobain SolarGard installed and they were happy with it. I saw the cars and it was almost transparent.

I had two options:

70% visibility, 85% IR heat rejection, TSER - 40%
70% visibility, 92% IR heat rejection, TSER - 45%

Decided to go with the second option which was the “Ultra Performance Plus 80”. Confirmed with the shop owner and decided to remove my old films, get the new films installed on all windows (Side, rear and front).

Initial impressions:
1. A lot lighter than Garware
2. I had parked the car outside over the weekend right after installation and found the cabin was a lot cooler than before. I have now removed the magnetic shades.
3. After driving against direct sunlight, felt it to be tolerable.
4. On multiple occasions, I had to park in direct sunlight for few hours and never felt the need to adjust the temperature to its lowest setting.

Here are some pictures of the sunfilm

The old Garware films



The new films









Drive - Pondicherry
The real test came few weeks later in the form of a drive to Pondicherry (More on the sun film later on). We decided to leave on Sunday to beat the weekend rush in Pondicherry and it was a good decision. Started at 4.30am from Cochin, took the usual route and reached Pondicherry at around 12.30pm. Traffic in Kerala was heavy for a 4.30am start. Cochin to Salem was an easy drive but found Salem to Pondicherry a bit tiring. Although the road conditions were good, found it to be bumpy and those single lane roads were a pain with those plastic barricade sort of thing preventing you from overtaking. Also the last stretch to Pondicherry (around 10-15kms) was super crowded and the roads were not that great. Traffic inside Pondicherry was really bad with two wheelers coming from all directions. The cops were least bothered as well. We stayed near Heritage Town as our main agenda was to explore the eateries in and around White Town.

Here are some of the restaurants that we tried. A brief review is posted here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...ml#post5617655 (A Guide: Eating out in Pondicherry)

Mel Whisks
Promenade
Coromandel Cafe
Villa Shanti
Le Dupleix
La Villa
Tanto
Bay of Buddha at the Promenade
GMT Ice cream
Baker street
French Bakery at Auroville

We started back on a weekday at 9.30am and reached Cochin at night after numerous breaks. Coming back to the sun films - It was a great addition. Normally we could feel the heat when we go to Bangalore and always had the ACC set at 22 degrees min. This time, it was 24 degrees throughout the journey and few times, my wife asked me to switch it off as well during our drive back to Cochin. Completed the trip with half tank to spare.



A parting picture



Odo stands at around 883XX kms

[krishnakumar]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

That’s when I decided to get films for the windshield. The obvious choice was 3M but have heard some issues with Fastag not being detected and to be frank, I didn’t research on it a lot.

Near transparent sun films is second on my list for the mods to be done. But this Fastag aspect is something I hadn’t thought of at all. I’d be really surprised if this would be a problem because plastics, glass and cardboard are considered to be completely RF-lucent. Has this been a problem for you?

Also, how’s the visibility at night? I heard from a couple of folks that visibility improved because of glare reduction but I’m a bit skeptical. What has been your experience?

[Yesterdaysnews]

Fast tags not being read because of Sunfilm -3M or any other brand is just a stupid rumour. Never happened to me, and I was really one of the earliest fast tag adopters + always have had sun film on the windshield.

And it is true that windshield film aids driving at night. It cuts out quite a bit if the glare from blinding oncoming full beams!

[Quatro]

Originally Posted by Yesterdaysnews

Fast tags not being read because of Sunfilm -3M or any other brand is just a stupid rumour. Never happened to me, and I was really one of the earliest fast tag adopters + always have had sun film on the windshield.

And it is true that windshield film aids driving at night. It cuts out quite a bit if the glare from blinding oncoming full beams!

I have the same experience. Sun film on both my cars. No issues with Fasttag.

[Jay_P2324]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Accessory Update - Sunfilms


The obvious choice was 3M but have heard some issues with Fastag not being detected and to be frank, I didn’t research on it a lot.

I have faced this issue. It is not the brand as such but the type of film. I have the 2012 Innova and the 2016 Innova Crysta. Both have sunfilms. Fastag is scanned through the Crysta but not through Innova. On doing some research, the type of film installed on the Innova was something called as a metallic film hence fastag could not be scanned.

[rroy92]

What was the cost of the Sunfilm and installation?
What was the difference in cost between the two options?
Any pointers on how to locate a dealer? The solarguard site points to a single distributor who happens to be in Bangalore.

Thanks

[Yesterdaysnews]

I wouldn’t touch 3Ms anymore. They are facing an acute shortage and there’s a huge influx of fake 3M CR series, which are being sold even in authorised 3M stores. Try solarshield. They are really good - better than original 3Ms as well.

https://solarshield.in/service/servi...ance-upgrades/

[Rahkehs]

Aren’t Sunfilms illegal? I was asked to remove the magnetic sun-blinds in my car by a traffic cop. He informed that sun-blinds are allowed only when the vehicle is parked.