[arun_josie]

Bangalore – Kasaragod – Bangalore:

A long drive after the 90K servicing and it was to Kasaragod for some work. Since I was going with family, initial plan was to stay either at Kasaragod or nearby places and return on the next day. But, due to other plans we decided to return the same day.

We started around 3:45 am and by the time we hit the NICE road from BG road, it was 4:00am. This time we took the Mysore road. Its long time since I drove on this road and as we were starting very early, I thought the traffic will be less. But looks like the traffic on this road will never go to sleep, traffic was more than what I expected but very much manageable.

The multi lane construction is still going on and hence frequent diversions. At some places you get to drive on the new roads which is excellent. The average speed was more than what I used to do here normally but during peak hours there won’t be much difference. After Srirangapatna, we exited from this road and took the KS road. This stretch is bad till it connects the SH at Yelwala. From here it was a a peaceful drive and I was able to maintain good speeds.

We reached Madikeri by 7:40 and stopped for breakfast. Breakfast @ Hotel Green Land was good. We had pathal with fish curry. The coffee was very good too.



After breakfast we resumed our journey on some nice twisty roads, some of them via dense forest. It was fun to drive with minimal traffic. We reached Kasaragod by 10:15am.

After we finished our work there, we had our lunch at Viceroy Restaurant. The Kasaragod style Biriyani (Chicken and Prawns) was very delicious, and we loved it.

Clicked this pic at an open ground on the way after lunch



For the return, we didn’t want to try the same route and hence took the Puttur / Shiradi ghat route. I was aware that the roads on either side of this ghat is not good but still decided to take this route. It was all good till Uppinangady, the challenge is once you enter the Mangalore – Bangalore highway.

Initial challenge is about frequent diversions due to the construction work. And wherever there is a diversion, you will have to get on to the gravel roads or muddy roads. As it was raining as well, the terrain on which you are driving keeps changing. Nice smooth wet tarmac to gravel roads to muddy roads and this keeps repeating. Some people won’t like this but I really enjoyed while driving on these conditions

Few pics after this rainy and muddy section







The most irritating part is the bad roads after the cement road section on this ghat. It is really in a bad shape and with no rains here, the dust was flying all around. We got stuck behind a KSRTC Scania and at times the visibility was very low due to the dust kicked off by this bus.



Here is a small clipping of the same,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frDOnheD97o

And after this the Sakleshpur – Hassan also has frequent diversions with occasional bad stretches. This was manageable though.

From Hassan it was a peaceful drive with a quick pit-stop at Channarayapatna A2B + refueling at BPCL COCO which is next to it. The diversions on this road look little risky as there is no proper lighting when you join back on the highway. After Kunigal the traffic was bad and it was like racing. This continued till the NICE road exit at Bannerghatta road.

Overall, this was a very nice drive.

ODO at 88,888 Kms :-)



Overall trip details

[arun_josie]

Wiper Replacement (Size 18/24):

As mentioned earlier, ther wiper had started leaving lines and also was not smooth in action. So, I decided to replace these Bosch wipers with another set of the same kind. These wipers are cheaper(900/-) and naturally, their life is less too. The factory-fitted wiper gave a life of 68K Kms (5000/-) but these Bosch ones could withstand only 20K Kms. Planning to try Valeo wipers next time.



After the previous drive, the car was super dirty. So, I got it washed at the nearby car wash center.



A random click



ODO @ 90,000 Kms

[JoshMachine]

This is not done, Arun. While the previous Linea clocked 200k kms in 5 years, how can the Compass do only 90k kms in 3 years!
Something is amiss, am sure

Jokes aside, congrats on yet another milestone .

Your Compass is clocking mileage faster than anyone can even say the word JEEP completely. Looking forward to many such milestones, keep sharing them with us.

[Rookie_Jeeper]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

@ 90,000 Kms

Great to see regular updates from you Arun - super helpful for other Compass owners like me. Scarlett still looks good as new even after racking up 90k kms.

It would be helpful to get your feedback on your insurance provider as wel. Have you had any claims so far and if so please share your claim experience if possible.

Mine is up for renewal soon. Currently my provider is Bharati AXA (acquired by ICICI lombard now). Spoke with PPS Bangalore, got to know from them that they offer cashless with ICICI l, Reliance, Tata AIG, Future Generali and one more which I forgot. My only criteria are cashless claim, zero dep and a decent IDV. Anything else I need to consider?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Rookie_Jeeper

Great to see regular updates from you Arun - super helpful for other Compass owners like me. Scarlett still looks good as new even after racking up 90k kms.

Thank You

It would be helpful to get your feedback on your insurance provider as wel. Have you had any claims so far and if so please share your claim experience if possible.

I have one claim when I had to replace the front windscreen due to a crack in it. This was during the first year and my insurance was with Royal Sundaram then. It was cashless and I didn't face any issues with the claim.

Mine is up for renewal soon. Currently my provider is Bharati AXA (acquired by ICICI lombard now). Spoke with PPS Bangalore, got to know from them that they offer cashless with ICICI l, Reliance, Tata AIG, Future Generali and one more which I forgot.

From second year onwards it is Tata-Aig, but no claims so far. I think Tata-Aig has cashless facility with all the Jeep service centers across India, get this verified though.

My only criteria are cashless claim, zero dep and a decent IDV. Anything else I need to consider?

Yes, this should be fine but I took a complete coverage including Return to invoice as well.

[arun_josie]

An update after long time:

It was all city drives during the last few weeks and I didn’t even get a chance to hit the NICE road . So, whatever I drove during this time was all within the city limits which amounted to 440 Kms. Also, this ended up as a good sample data for FE within city which was 11.3 Kmpl.



Bangalore – Kasargod – Mangalore – Bangalore:

With monsoon rains in most parts of KA, I was itching to go on a drive. So, when we had a chance to visit Kasargod, there was no second thoughts at all. We started on a Friday afternoon around 2:15 PM and plan was to reach Kasargod before 10:00 PM. The weather was perfect for a long drive, it was cloudy with a slight drizzle. The traffic on the NICE road and till Nelamangala was on the heavier side. Once we hit the Mangalore highway, the traffic reduced. Beyond that it was a spirited drive till A2B, Channarayapatna with the FE down to 13Kmpl. This is probably the lowest FE on the highway for me. However later I reduced the speeds as it started raining heavily. From Hassan till we reached Kasargod, it rained all through and I enjoyed the drive.

The Hassan – Sakleshpura stretch is good now but with multiple diversions though. Once in a while there were some bad stretches but it didn’t bother me much.

However, after crossing Sakleshpura, the roads are really in a very bad state till we reached the cemented section on the Shiradi ghat. As usual, the cement section is fantastic to drive.



From Gundya, we took left and drove via Subramanya, Guttigar Pete and joined near Sullia. This route was very nice and took us through some dense vegetation. I enjoyed driving this stretch. There wasn’t much traffic in this route and it rained throughout.



Even though the plan was to reach Kasargod by 10PM, we reached there by 8:45 PM. It was raining heavily there as well.

Next day after we were done with our work by 10:30am, it was time to return. However, since it was raining everywhere I was confused about the return route. The concerns were road safety and traffic jams on the ghats. And before I could decide, my wife and kids insisted that we go to Pabbas at Mangalore. Mangalore is about 1+ hours from Kasargod. So, without wasting anymore time, we started towards Kasargod and reached there in little over an hour’s time.

Spent a relaxed 1 hr at Pabbas relishing some ice creams.



Meanwhile I checked with speedsatya about which route to take for the return and he suggested me not to take the Shiradi route as there was some heavy traffic jam happening there. Google showed some long red as well and this was near Upinangady. The route via Sullia also showed a huge traffic jam. So, we took the Charmadi route. The rains intensified and it rained heavily for some 30 Kms. Thankfully the route via Charmadi was not crowded. The roads were good all through.

Charmadi Ghats:

It was still raining and we really didn’t get any chance to stop and enjoy the scenic view or take any pics. Thankfully the traffic was not much and the roads are good too. We crossed lot of streams and small water falls along the ghats and it was a treat to our eyes. We crossed this ghat around 2pm and it was misty and cloudy.

Here is a small clipping and some pics captured during this drive,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmRqssSJaDs

After the ghats, it was a straight forward drive via Belur. We again stopped at A2B, Channarayapatna for a quick bite and also, I tanked up at BPCL COCO which is next to A2B. After this, it was the regular 4 lanes all the way till Bangalore. Traffic increased after Kunigal.

Overall, a very nice drive after long time.

Trip details (ODO getting closer to 92K)



Wheel Alignment / Balancing:

Noticed minor tyre wear on the inside of both the front wheels, so got the WA/WB done at Madhus. I also checked with them on whether this needs a replacement, they said its good for another 4-5K Kms at least. It has given a life of 40K Kms so far. I will most probably replace them soon.

[arun_josie]

A monsoon drive to the MH in July has become an annual ritual for the past few years. We were glad to resume it after a 2 yr break due to the pandemic. We did a 3-day monsoon drive to MH coastal region from Bangalore via Tilari Ghat and back via Phondaghat over this weekend. It was an excellent drive via these ghats and along the coast from Ganpatipule to Malvan. Rains accompanied us on all 3 days. There were some real bad stretches which gave us the feel of off-roading while on road. We were a gang of 15 cars and 29 humans. I will try to write the travelogue sometime later with all the details.

Here are some pics captured during this drive.



At Tilari ghat view point







Overall trip details:

Total Kms: 1753 / FE: 15.8

[PearlJam]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Charmadi Ghats:

It was still raining and we really didn’t get any chance to stop and enjoy the scenic view or take any pics. Thankfully the traffic was not much and the roads are good too.

Excellent drive and beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing.

Did you do the trip last weekend? Because I heard reports of flooding in and around Charmadi ghats around 10 days ago. Did you face any issues here? Thanks!

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Excellent drive and beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing.

Did you do the trip last weekend? Because I heard reports of flooding in and around Charmadi ghats around 10 days ago. Did you face any issues here? Thanks!

Yes, we took this route 10 days back (on 9th) but we didn't face any issues. It rained heavily though.

[arun_josie]

ODO @ 93,650 Kms - Deep Interior Cleaning (Advanced), Glass Coating and a Water Wash @ Krithi Car Care:

Its been more than two years since the interiors were cleaned. I've been planning to get it done for a while now. I decided to get it done at Krithi Car Care and contacted Krishna who updated me that they are moving to a new and bigger location. So, I put it on hold and after the recent Monsoon drive, I checked with Krishna again. He asked me to come over for detailing even though the new setup is not completely finished.

This facility is huge when compared to their previous setup.

He recommended me to go for deep interior cleaning (advanced) as it has been more than 2 years since it was last done. I also requested for the glass coating to be applied. Overall damages to the pocket, 10.5K

Here are some pics after the interior cleaning, I missed to take the before pics. Now the interior looks as good as new. While buying the Jeep, we were concerned about the beige interiors and the maintenance. But, it hasn't been too much effort to maintain it so far.

Interior:











The quality of these switches and vents are really good








Exterior:

After the Monsoon drive, it was all dusty both inside and outside.



Here are the pics captured after the wash. These lighting's helped to get a glossy look.





Some pics from top-angle





And during a random drive

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

A monsoon drive to the MH in July has become an annual ritual for the past few years. We were glad to resume it after a 2 yr break due to the pandemic. We did a 3-day monsoon drive to MH coastal region from Bangalore via Tilari Ghat and back via Phondaghat over this weekend. It was an excellent drive via these ghats and along the coast from Ganpatipule to Malvan. Rains accompanied us on all 3 days. There were some real bad stretches which gave us the feel of off-roading while on road. We were a gang of 15 cars and 29 humans. I will try to write the travelogue sometime later with all the details.

The travelogue on this Monsoon drive is here,
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...bangalore.html (16 cars & a wet tarmac - 1800 Km of Monsoon Drive to Konkan Coast from Bangalore)

[arun_josie]

Independence Day Drive with 80 Jeeps:

This was a short drive organized by the Bangalore Jeep Club(group of Jeep owners). The drive was to a home stay (Devadhama Estate @ Irlapodu) via some scenic roads. The initial plan was to go via Kanakapura but when the number of participants increased, the route was changed with the assembly point at a huge ground on Harohalli road and then a convoy drive (split) via Kulumedoddi, Kumbaradoddi to Devadhama Estate @ Irlapodu. This is a scenic route and passes via few small villages.

Around 80 Jeeps participated in this drive. The plan was to meet at the assembly point, drive to the home stay, park the Jeep in a formation for pics, flag hoisting, have breakfast prepared by the home stay, a walk to the river/stream nearby, and then a short off-road drive inside the estate, some fun games, lunch and an option to stay till evening and return after tea/snacks.

It was a very nicely organized event by the BJC admins and volunteers. Handling 80 Jeeps and 130+ people is no small feat and requires lot of time and energy. It was flawlessly executed by the organizing committee.
Also, some goodies and a t-shirt to commemorate the day were distributed to all the participants.

PPS Motors had sent a technician along with a Meridian for test drives.

It was nice to meet some team-bhpians as well

Here are some pics

51 Jeeps parked in the famous Jeep grill formation and the No. 75 to mark the 75th Independence day.



A pic from ground level, this looks more like a stock yard



Flag hoisting was done as well





This was at the initial assembly point







Waiting for my turn to park in the formation





A river/stream nearby.





A drive to Hyderabad and back:

I started around 12:30 PM from Bannerghatta road (near Meenakshi mall) and it took me 2 hours to exit the city. Once on the highway, it was a nice and smooth drive except for some random speed breakers. I maintained the speed in the 110 range. I hit the Hyderabad ORR around 7:45 PM and reached my destination near Gachibowli by 8:15 PM. So, it took me 7 hours and 45 mins from door to door.

Hyderabad city from ORR looks really awesome! Also, the city has developed a lot recently with lots of skyscrapers and flyovers all around.

Looked very futuristic in the night.

I experienced the Hyderabad traffic and some nice biriyanis for two days. Started the return journey at 2:30 PM yesterday. I stuck to the same speed range of 110-120 Kmph with a 45 minute dinner stop near Devanahalli. I crossed the Hebbal flyover at 10PM and reached home in another 45 minutes. Thankfully the bangalore city traffic was lesser than I expected.

During this drive, I noticed lot of new eateries on this highway. Few years back, we had to search a lot for a decent stop. Now you have options like Paradise Biriyani, KFC and few other popular ones as well on the highway itself.

While going to Hyderabad



ODO @ 95,000 Kms



During the return in front of Kia factory



Overall trip details.

[AshwinRS]

Wow! That's some feat to manage so many cars and people! Kudos to the organizers!
Really wish something like this happened in Delhi-NCR too! Why the Jeep Clubs here aren't so active? Or am I still not aware? Happy to be enlightened!

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by AshwinRS

Really wish something like this happened in Delhi-NCR too! Why the Jeep Clubs here aren't so active? Or am I still not aware? Happy to be enlightened!

You can check the below page for the Jeep Delhi-NCR group,

https://www.instagram.com/jeepdncrtr/

[livetodrive]

Thanks Arun for sharing the story on TBHP. It was nice meeting you. Enjoyed the chat with you on the way to river walk and a sumptuous lunch