[Rilke]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

So, I went ahead with Earth-1 to be on the safer side..... Will keep the thread updated once I clock more distance.

Any update on Earth-1?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Rilke

Any update on Earth-1?

So far, I have done some highway runs and city runs on these tyres.
Nothing very impressive about them. But definitely better than Firestones.
It is not noisier like firestones on the highway. And firestones gives an irritating thud sound when we go over potholes/speed-breakers. But on Earth1, this sound is milder.
Comfort level / ride is better too as its on the softer side when compared with firestone.
I like the stance of this tyre, nice looking
No comments about braking as it was a coincidence that tyres and brake pads were replaced in space of few days.

I am yet to drive in wet conditions or any twisty sections.

Based on my experience so far, this is a VFM tyre (Firestone is around 3K expensive per tyre) and considering the current situation, this is a safer option as its manufactured in India.

Even BluEarth is imported and not available in most of the stores.

Mean while ODO has crossed 55,000 Kms.

[arun_josie]

Wishing everyone a happy new year 2021 and many more happy and safe miles!



Fancy number 55,555



And ODO crosses 56,000 Kms.



Nothing much to update as the Jeep is doing its daily duties without any hassles.

Some random clicks.

[arun_josie]

Wheel Alignment/Balancing at Madhus:

Its 5K Kms since the last WA/WB, so I got it done @ Madhus. Especially since there was a slight pull towards left.





Bangalore - Sathyamangalam - Bangalore:

Onward journey was via Kanakapura - Malavalli - Kollegal - Germalam - Dhimbam and the return route was via Mettur - Thoppur.

- There are lot of diversions and speed breakers till Kanakapura. We need patience on this stretch.
- Once you cross Kanakapura, the road is good all the way till Malavalli.
- Malavalli to Kollegal, apart from occasional bad stretches/patches, the route is still good.
- The Germalam forest route and Dhimbam ghats are in very good condition.
- Destination was Sathyamangalam, and roads were good till here.

Stuck in Traffic at Dhimbam ghats for 3hrs:

Its a known fact that the Dhimbam ghats get clogged due to heavy truck traffic, the 27 hairpin bends and overzealous car and van drivers not respecting the truckers. But I never faced this traffic issue it till date in all my previous drives. Today, due to heavy fog and few car/van guys trying to overtake the trucks at hairpin-bends, it lead to a huge pile-up. It probably started at one of the hairpin-bends and then just extended to 3-4 Kms which included all the 27 hairpin-bends. Overall, it took us 3 hours to cross the 27 hairpin-bends.

Also, due to this stop-go traffic, we saw few cars struggling to take those inclines, probably they don't have much experience driving on the ghats.

Something to be noted is, this route doesn't have any stops for refreshments as it goes through some very remote villages. On the forest route, there are two check-posts and we were asked not to stop in-between.

If you have any time commitments, then it is better to avoid this route.

In spite of all these cons, this route is very refreshing when compared to the boring 4L route. Very scenic and keeps you entertained all through. we had hoped to sight some wildlife. But, it wasn't meant to be. Well, maybe another day.

Here are few pics,





Germalam forest route





Some clicks during the traffic,









ODO crossed 57K during this trip. The FE was around 17.5 Kmpl till Dhimbam, but later crashed down to 14.5 Kmpl due to the traffic at Dhimbam and at Thoppur

[arun_josie]

60,000 Kms Service Update:

As usual, I got this done at MPS/PPS Motors, Electronic City.



Its a normal service with replacement of engine oil/filter, air filter, AC filter, fuel filter and brake oil. I also got the wheel alignment done as there was a slight variation on the camber/caster setting on the front axle which Madhus asked me to check at the service center.











Billing:


Overall, the bill came to 13,352/-. I could have avoided brake oil replacement as it was done during the brake pad change 3 months back. I didn't want a separate visit for that. so, got that done with this service.

I felt that the engine noise level had gone up slightly during the last two months. Now after the oil and filter replacements, I can feel that it has gone down and I get the smooth ride feel.

Good for another 15K Kms



Engine Oil Level:

They have filled 4.8L now as they received an official updated service notification from FCA two months back. Earlier different service centers were following different levels and atleast now the FCA woke up and put a full-stop to this confusion.

Other Updates:

Clutch: Its good for now.

Suspension: Its good for now.

Battery: No issues so far. The health was good when it was tested during this service. Many initial customers faced battery issues, so I am not sure on whether I should just go ahead and replace it or test my luck :-)

Brake disc and Rear brake pads: It didn't require replacement for now.

Here is the maintenance cost so far.



And the parts replacement details.



Patch work done on the damaged part of the PPF:

Some time back, when I grazed a metal gate some part of the PPF peeled off but thankfully there was no damage to the paint. Last week I got some patch work on the damaged part @ Krithi Car Care, now it looks good. Of course, anyone with hawk eyes can figure it out. I also got a car wash done here.

Here is a pic taken before this patch work



After the patch work





And some random clicks taken after a wash

[arun_josie]

Valentines day drive organized by Bangalore Jeep Club.

This was a trail around a lake bed near Devanahalli. Around 40 Jeeps were part of this drive.

The drive started with a small talk about the importance of road safety and then we proceeded towards the spot. It is 3-4kms off from the highway and no proper roads once we leave the highway.

As an ode to the Valentines day, there was a formation of heart before the off road drive. Hats off to the organizers who were involved in getting this formation done to the perfection.

The trail started in two different convoys. It is a nice trail for beginners who want to try some soft off-roading and it also has some tricky spots to push your vehicle. Some of the spots are meant for a 4x4.

This is probably the first time I took my Jeep in such a terrain. Since we were there in a big group, there was no worry of your Jeep getting stuck in a risky situation.

The front bumper lip kept touching the ground multiple times but since this part is flexible, there are no damages to it. There was one minor hit to the under-body while trying to cross a big hump. Also, some minor scratches (lines) on the sides due to the bushes around.

On the 4x4 performance part, some of the tricky spots looked tough but the 4x4 made over it very easily.

Overall, it was a perfect Valentine's day with the machine you love

I couldn't take many pics during the drive.

Here are some pics, ALL red :-)

Short-clipping captured during the drive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uViBp-ltbBc

Some dashcam footage from the drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1YG4Y5kivY&t=14s

[arun_josie]

ODO crosses the 60K mark



Random clicks after a wash,

[CarEnthusiast10]

Some time back, when I grazed a metal gate some part of the PPF peeled off but thankfully there was no damage to the paint. Last week I got some patch work on the damaged part @ Krithi Car Care, now it looks good. Of course, anyone with hawk eyes can figure it out. I also got a car wash done here.

Hi , need advice- is it worth doing a full body Ppf or only prone areas and bonnet ?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by CarEnthusiast10

Hi , need advice- is it worth doing a full body Ppf or only prone areas and bonnet ?

I went with damage prone areas only (front bumper, bonnet, ORVMs, head light), especially to get protected from paint chips while on the highway.

However, I see many going for full body PPF these days. So, it depends on your requirement and budget.

[Aniket6]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Valentines day drive organized by Bangalore Jeep Club.

Hi Arun,
Where exactly is this place? Could anybody go there on weekend for off-roading?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Aniket6

Hi Arun,
Where exactly is this place? Could anybody go there on weekend for off-roading?

I don't have the exact pin but this location is around Venkagirikote Kere(Lake). No roads around this lake and we had gone at least two Kms inside from the highway. If I find the exact pin, I will share here.

[ram_bishop]

Hi Arun, you are running an awesome thread here, all the helpful posts and trip details

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I went with damage prone areas only (front bumper, bonnet, ORVMs, head light), especially to get protected from paint chips while on the highway.

I went through the entire thread but couldn't find out how much Krithi car care quoted for this. I'm also planning to get the same thing done for my new red Sonet, PPF for damage prone areas and Ceramic coating for rest, decided to go with Krithi car care after lot of suggestions for that place, can you please share the quote if you have, I ll visit them soon once I'm back to Banglore. TIA.

Cheers
Ram

[arun_josie]

A short breakfast drive. Of course, it was just an excuse for a drive with friends :-) We drove down to Murugan idli shop, Krishnagiri for a delicious breakfast.

To beat the crowd at the Attibele toll, we started early and reached the hotel well before its opening hours.

Some pics of our rides,





A drive to coimbatore, on the highway after quite some time. It was a nice and relaxed drive. During the onward journey, it took a little over 4 hours with a fuel efficency of 18 Kmpl. And it dropped to 17.5 Kmpl by the time I returned back.

Fuel efficiency till Coimbatore



Overall trip fuel efficiency. Also, ODO crossed 61,000 Kms.



During a quick stop near Salem

Originally Posted by ram_bishop

Hi Arun, you are running an awesome thread here, all the helpful posts and trip details

I'm also planning to get the same thing done for my new red Sonet, PPF for damage prone areas and Ceramic coating for rest, decided to go with Krithi car care after lot of suggestions for that place, can you please share the quote if you have, I ll visit them soon once I'm back to Banglore. TIA.

Cheers
Ram

Thanks a lot for your kind words.

Regarding the cost for the work at Krithi, its around two years since I took their service, so I am not sure about the current pricing. I would suggest you to contact them directly at the phone number in the below link.

https://www.krithicarcare.com/contact/

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Aniket6

Hi Arun,
Where exactly is this place? Could anybody go there on weekend for off-roading?

Here is the exact location, from the highway we took the entry after crossing the lake on the left side. Its a remote location so better to avoid solo visit.

https://goo.gl/maps/MRk5AmJgMi5Ydu8T8

[arun_josie]

Banglore during the Spring is a beautiful place to be. The Tabebuias are in full bloom and make the roads look dreamy. I couldn't resist clicking pics of Scarlett with the blooms.