[F150]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

4. Another improvement that I observed was in the braking ability. Now I am getting good response from the brakes. Both the front brake pads & the rear brake shoes were roughened by sand paper. Also the alternator was overhauled, hence in turn the vacuum pump. Could there be an increase in vacuum as the vacuum pump is working more effectively now after the alternator overhaul?)

Could you elaborate more on the process that improved the braking ? What vacuum pump is this ? Could you please get in the technical details of the braking system and parts involved ?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by F150

Could you elaborate more on the process that improved the braking ? What vacuum pump is this ? Could you please get in the technical details of the braking system and parts involved ?

F150, sorry but I am a layman with with very little technical background. I googled & got a document on "Lucas TVS Case Study in Alternator Manufacturing.pdf" (Courtesy: Lucas TVS). Though the complete document is not relevant here, but refer page 11 of this pdf file. Though its not very clear, is has a schematic diagram of "Braking system with vacuum pump working principle". Hope you find it useful.

http://www.eoq.org/fileadmin/user_up...ran_slides.pdf

Another one which explains about vacuum pumps & its usage in braking

http://www.wabco-auto.com/uploads/me...cuum_Pumps.pdf

My alternator had some oil leakage (could be from one of the O rings). This could also be resulting is loss of vacuum produced by the vacuum pump, hence less feed to the brake booster. Now that the alternator has been overhauled, fitted with new bearings & seals, the oil leakage has stopped, probably stopping the vacuum loss to the brake booster. Hence I now feel that the brakes have become more effective.

p.s All the above is purely from a layman's perspective, don't rely on it as technical inputs

[AutoIndian]

Today morning while cleaning the car I noticed few oil drops on the parking floor. On taking a closer look I found a drop of oil hanging from the engine oil drain plug. I also saw a couple of drops underneath the gear box. It seems the oil has started leaking from various points, & its both the engine oil & the gear box oil. I called up Harish (garage owner) & explained him the situation. He told me to get the car to his garage early in the morning tomorrow, so that it can be taken up on the ram & the underbody observed for the oil leakage points. I am suspecting both the drain plugs, that of engine oil & the gear box oil would not have been secured tightly & oil might be leaking from there. Would give you an update once I visit the garage

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

I am suspecting both the drain plugs, that of engine oil & the gear box oil would not have been secured tightly & oil might be leaking from there. Would give you an update once I visit the garage

Just now came back from the garage. When the car was raised on the ram, my suspicion of both oils leaking was converted into a reality.

The engine oil seemed to be dripping at the drain plug, however the source of leakage was not the drain plug (it was sufficiently tight), but above it where the black coloured "L" pipe from the alternator connects to the engine & it is clamped by a round clip. When I got the alternator serviced from Lucas TVS last Saturday, the mechanic there probably forgot to tighten the round clips at both the ends of this pipe. Sunday & Monday it was fine, but it started leaking slowly from Tuesday. Fortunately it was just dripping & there wasn't any significant drop in the engine oil level, as could be confirmed from the oil level on the oil dip stick.

Now the second leakage was from the gear box (trans-axle). The full outer casing of the gear box was smudged in oil & it was leaking from the breather pipe at the top & not from the bottom drain plug (as I thought it to be). The breather pipe was not sitting firmly in its seat due to the smudge/dirt accumulated & with the car bouncing the oil leaked from there. The mechanic then removed the breather pipe, cleaned it thoroughly & applied a red pasted around the portion where it seats in the hole on gear box. This would make a good seal & prevent the oil leakage from there. Fortunately the gearbox oil level was also found to be OK & there was very minor loss due to oil just dripping.

Sorry I didn't carry the camera, hence could not take any pictures. Hopefully both the oil leaks have been fixed. Will have to keep a close watch on the parking floor to check if any fresh oil drops get accumulated there or not. Will keep you posted.

[drsingh]

I have had my first breakdown! @102 k.....
@Autoindian: I'm posting my query in your thread as I hope it catches your attention.

My car had a starter problem that was fixed last year by an electrician.

Today my car started with the first crank as it does every day.after stopping 200 kms later.,the car refused to crank up again. The crank engaged lazily once and never again.

The battery seems fine.music system and lights working and car working fine after push start.
As I am on emergency errands I have parked my car at the dhaba it broke down and using my waggie r.

Will attend to the car tomorrow. Although the most likely candidate is starter motor failure, any other ideas?

The battery is about 3.5 yrs old.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by drsingh

I have had my first breakdown! @102 k.....
@Autoindian: I'm posting my query in your thread as I hope it catches your attention.

No issues you can post your queries/problems here & I will try my best to answer them. However suggest you also post it on the Indica problems thread, so that it is brought to the attention of other Indica users & you get multiple responses. You can post it over here ---> http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...oblems-71.html

Originally Posted by drsingh

My car had a starter problem that was fixed last year by an electrician.

Today my car started with the first crank as it does every day.after stopping 200 kms later.,the car refused to crank up again. The crank engaged lazily once and never again.

The battery seems fine.music system and lights working and car working fine after push start.
As I am on emergency errands I have parked my car at the dhaba it broke down and using my waggie r.

Will attend to the car tomorrow. Although the most likely candidate is starter motor failure, any other ideas?

The battery is about 3.5 yrs old.

I would suggest visit the nearest Lucas TVS shop. Get your battery & starter motor checked there. Even if the lights and music system are working there might not be enough juice left in your battery. Get the battery voltage checked. I am suspecting your battery to be exhausted as your starter motor was serviced only last year.

[drsingh]

^^^^^^^ I push started the car and got it home yesterday. Showed it to the electrician. Turned out the battery conked off. Was replaced by an amaron black maintenance free..everything is back to normal.


Damages: 4800-1000 (old battery) =rs 3800.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by drsingh

^^^^^^^ I push started the car and got it home yesterday. Showed it to the electrician. Turned out the battery conked off. Was replaced by an amaron black maintenance free..everything is back to normal.

Damages: 4800-1000 (old battery) =rs 3800.

Good to know that everything is back to normal now. Battery failures do happen all of a sudden, when everything seems to be working fine. How old was the earlier battery (in terms of years & kms running) & which make? The Rs 1000/- that you got for your old battery is quite good. Normally people don't give more than Rs 500-600/- for the old battery.

Also please share the specs of the Amaron battery that you fitted (The AH rating), the warranty etc

[drsingh]

^^^^^ I went to the same guy who serviced my starter motor .He has 18 years experience working in the battery business.he sells all kinds of lead acid batteries for various applications: office UPS systms,Inverter batteries,Automotive batteries.He also refurbishes batteries and assembles his own batteries.Basically the guy knows batteries

He offered me four choices :

1.Exide champion- Rs 4800 mrp
2.Amaron Black- Rs 4800 mrp
3.AC Delco Rs 4500 mrp
4.A-Star (His own brand) - Rs 2600 with old battery
The AC Delco was marked 'GM International Bangalore' 65AH.No information about place of manufacture or import.month of manufacture mentioned.Black in colour.I know Chevrolet uses this brand but decided to go for the current favourite AMARON .It also seemed the best built of the three.

warranty on all 3 is 18 month replacement guarantee.

12 month replacement warranty on his own brand battery.
He assured me his battery will last as long as the others.

Got Rs 1000 in return for old battery.my dad told me he got 1400 the last time in 2009!!!!!


As for the old battery:Exide express lasted about 3 years 5 and a half months.about 60k kms.

The model numbers indicate my new battery is similar in specification to the older exide.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by drsingh

I went to the same guy who serviced my starter motor .He has 18 years experience working in the battery business.he sells all kinds of lead acid batteries for various applications: office UPS systms,Inverter batteries,Automotive batteries.He also refurbishes batteries and assembles his own batteries.Basically the guy knows batteries

Got Rs 1000 in return for old battery.my dad told me he got 1400 the last time in 2009!!!!!

Thanks for sharing that info. Now I understand the reason, why did you get such a good price for your old battery. Since that guy manufactures car battery, he could potentially use that casing to manufacture his own brand of battery.

As for the old battery:Exide express lasted about 3 years 5 and a half months.about 60k kms.

I think that is decent enough a life. I am a little more fortunate. I have the same Exide Express (Heavy Duty) MHD700 fitted in my car. It has stood me good for 4 years & 2 months now & covered more than 78,000 kms (touchwood). But I have to be prepared now for a situation like yours, when one fine day, car might just refuse to start.

[drsingh]

^^^^ Now that you mention it, he had battery cases of all kinds used as tool boxes, stools, makeshift tables, and I think even water storage with a tap inserted in a battery case.

The first OEM battery, an exide was changed after 4 years 3 months as preventive maintenance by my father.

[AutoIndian]

Its more than a week now that my old workhorse is lying idle in my building's parking lot, reason being I am out of country on a 3 months assignment. I have told my BIL to start the car at least once in 2 weeks, so that the battery remains charged up. I am not sure whether the battery would be able to sustain till the end of March when I return, as it would be 4.5 years old by then. I am missing her so much. Wish someone in family could drive her regularly to keep her in tip-top shape.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Today is the 8th birthday of my car, brought it home 8 years ago on this very day. Just a snap shot below of the running & maintenance expenses till date:

Overall FE (kmpl) 18.46
Maintenance exp (Rs/km) 0.72
Fuel expense (Rs/km) 2.07
Overall expense (Rs/km) 2.78
Average running per day (km) 39.07
Average running per month (km) 1172.13
Total Running (km) 1,14,100
Total Maintenance expenses (Rs) 81686.02
Total Running expenses (Rs) 235463.76

Other than regular maintenance, some major maintenance repairs are as follows:

09-Dec-07 Alternator servicing at @ 40,450km 2057.00
03-Oct-08 Battery Replacement at @ 43,200 kms 4,679.63
02-Sep-09 Priming Pump replacement at @ 57,441 km 923.00
21-Dec-09 New Tyres at @ 62,320 km 13800.00
18-Sep-10 Glow plugs & relay replacement @ 79,778 km 1680.00
31-Jan-11 Fuel Tank replacement @ 87,374km 5474.75
02-Apr-11 Starter motor overhauling @ 90,245km 3275.75
14-Apr-12 Clutch kit replacement @ 1,10,00km 3393.00

Overall very satisfied with the car . Hope to keep it for 150K kms or 2 more years or until such time till I get a worthy replacement

Next major work scheduled @ 115K kms, front struts replacement & FIP overhaul @ Lucas TVS.

Thanks for the details AutoIndian. Just yesterday my Indica went to the garage for a starter motor overhaul. Your post with the prices help me a great deal to know the cost anda whether I am being cheated or not!

My Indica is at 72k now and I have done similar things as in your list - alternator, battery, glow plugs, starter motor, clutch. What's amazing is I also have a fuel tank dent which makes the fuel gauge go bonkers below 25% of the fuel, which may need replacement. Tyres are at the end of their life (has >1mm tread but rubber is hard), but the car is not being used much and only for short runs in the city hence pushing it.

Your list matches mine quite a bit - so I am assuming there are others too who have very similar problems. I wish Tata looks at this and uses this information to make better cars .

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Thanks for the details AutoIndian. Just yesterday my Indica went to the garage for a starter motor overhaul. Your post with the prices help me a great deal to know the cost anda whether I am being cheated or not!

Feels great to know that my post on starter motor overhaul was of use to you. That is the whole purpose of sharing experiences over here, it should benefit fellow TBHP members & non-members alike. May I request you to share your experience as well, with the labor & parts break-up.

My Indica is at 72k now and I have done similar things as in your list - alternator, battery, glow plugs, starter motor, clutch. What's amazing is I also have a fuel tank dent which makes the fuel gauge go bonkers below 25% of the fuel, which may need replacement.

So TML has at least this consistency of making cars, which have same defects/issues all across Yes the fuel tank structure & the level sensor is such that it cannot be repaired, it will need a replacement only. But then you can live with this problem by never letting the fuel go below 25% level. Replacing the whole fuel tank is a costly affair & could set you back by 6-7K rupees, so think again

Tyres are at the end of their life (has >1mm tread but rubber is hard), but the car is not being used much and only for short runs in the city hence pushing it.

I believe you are still running on your factory fitted tyres. If you are going to use your cars for few more years, then I would recommend replaced the tyres asap. Though you are doing short city runs, you never know when you have to hit the highway. With old tyres, due to rubber hardening the stopping distance increases considerably. So don't take any chanes with your tyres. 72K kms & 6-7 years is above average life for the tyres

Your list matches mine quite a bit - so I am assuming there are others too who have very similar problems. I wish Tata looks at this and uses this information to make better cars .

If wishes were horses No doubt Tata designs decent cars, if only they could make it more reliable & major focus would have been on quality than cost cutting, TML would have been in a different league altogether.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Its more than a week now that my old workhorse is lying idle in my building's parking lot, reason being I am out of country on a 3 months assignment. I have told my BIL to start the car at least once in 2 weeks, so that the battery remains charged up. I am not sure whether the battery would be able to sustain till the end of March when I return, as it would be 4.5 years old by then. I am missing her so much. Wish someone in family could drive her regularly to keep her in tip-top shape.

Hello Friends,

I am back from a 3 month's hiatus. Yesterday morning returned back to India & Pune. Since car was being used for minor errands while I was abroad I had not disconnected the battery terminals. It was washed & kept under the wraps after use. I didn't bother to look at it the whole day. I had a hospital appointment @ 6pm in the evening. Hence at 5pm I went to my parking, uncovered the car & then switched on the ignition. To my surprise the battery indicator on the dash didn't glow. First thoughts, battery might have drained off completely. I then tried to crank the engine. Absolutely no sound. Even the cabin light was very dim. There was no chance that the car could be started in the normal way, hence the only option was to push start it. Requested the help of the Security guard. My dad along with the guard pushed the car. 5 to 6 attempts did not yield any result. I then got the car back in parking bay & called up Exide Bat Mobile. Was told that their van will come in 45 minutes. To my pleasant surprise their van turned up within 15 minutes. Their technician checked the voltage first, it showed 10V across the battery terminals. He then checked the specific gravity of each cell. One battery cell was observed to be weak, causing the drop in voltage. From the battery number the technician could point out that mine was a 2008 manufactured unit. He told me that I need to replace my battery as no amount of charging would now help. I requested him to jump start my car for the moment & over the weekend I would replace my battery. He then connected the jump start cables to the spare battery & advised me to give the ignition (heater plugs) 2-3 times. I followed his instructions & then cranked the engine, the car started instantaneously. I raced the engine for few seconds & then took the car on a short drive. Drove it for 5 kms. I then told my brother-in-law to continue driving the car, while I would get ready for the hospital visit. As soon as I stepped into my home, my BIL called me back stating that he inadvertently killed the engine & now the car is refusing to start again. I then advised him to take my family for the hospital appointment in his car & I would manage my car. When I gave ignition, all the lights on the dash were flickering. There was absolutely no movement/sound from the starter motor. I again called up Exide Bat Mobile & now this time there was no commitment from them on the time it will take for their rescue van to reach my place. I then called up the Exide dealer & he too said that it will take at least 30 minutes for his technician to reach my place. He said that he had the MHD700 in stock & would fit it in my car as soon as I get the car to his shop. I was fine with it. I again thought of giving one more try to push start the car & this time I was lucky, it started in the first push (The earlier drive of 5 kms might probably have helped to get some juice back in the battery). I then straightaway drove to the Exide dealer. Got the replacement in 5 mins. The charges were as follows:
Listed price of Exide MHD700 (Heavy Duty) = 6,300
Repurchase price of my old MHD700 battery = 800
Discount at the dealer's end = 300
Net price that I had to pay = 5,200

Just to remind you this is my third battery in the last 8 years & 8 months. The OEM factory fitted Exide battery lasted me for 4 years & 3 months (43,200 kms). The replacement MHD 700, lasted me for 4 years & 5 months (80,210 kms). I think this is above average life that can be expected from a diesel car battery. Hence my trust in the MHD700. In the last 4.5 years I not even once faced any starting trouble, except for the odd event that happened yesterday.