[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

I will suggest not having them tied up in that manner. This does take away the view from the rear quarter glass and can be a safety issue. Due to the constant jarring and moving of the car they will work loose and the noise will reoccur no matter what u do.

Having them like i have shown below reduces the noise whilst giving full view from the last row glass area.

Secondly i read somewhere that you do not like or need the Fender Mirror. I am attaching a picture of the view from the fender mirror. I found it to be a real boon while navigating tight spots as it gave a very good view of the front and side of the vehicle. .the Admiral needs a periscope

Hi Manuuj, Thanks.
That half way opened jump seat option looks very practical. Shall deploy it in that position and see how it goes. Possibly on the weekend. Need time to play around with it properly and take it for a test run to a rough area. Should work is what I feel.

About the fender mirror - good one about the Admiral's periscope !
However it ain't still getting my Mojo bubblin' ! So will not think about it as of now.

[nilanjanray]

I usually secure the last row seats at the sides, but have often faced visibility issues. Will try out what you suggested, Manuuj.

@Guderian: Your Kundapur - Thane run was inspiring. Haven't done a really long drive for a long time - tired of the usual Bangalore - Mysore - Gundlepet shuttle run (before the jungles start). Maybe next time I have meetings in Mumbai, I will drive down - and even meet up with you when I visit my brother who stays in Thane.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I usually secure the last row seats at the sides, but have often faced visibility issues. Will try out what you suggested, Manuuj.

@Guderian: Your Kundapur - Thane run was inspiring. Haven't done a really long drive for a long time - tired of the usual Bangalore - Mysore - Gundlepet shuttle run (before the jungles start). Maybe next time I have meetings in Mumbai, I will drive down - and even meet up with you when I visit my brother who stays in Thane.

That, Nilanjan, would be swell ! You could keep a spare day or so and we could try out one of the nearby trails in Yeoor Hills or some such place. Even if not, just meeting up and comparing the vehicles would be great.
We could also rustle up other TFortians round these parts.
And......oh yes - Welcome to Mumbai & Thane in advance !

[dot]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi Dot, First things first - Not General - Admiral.

Ah, a silly civilian's ignorance. Am sure that Admiral Togo is now growling at me for this.

But, seriously, do carry on writing.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by dot

Ah, a silly civilian's ignorance. Am sure that Admiral Togo is now growling at me for this.

But, seriously, do carry on writing.

Aah ! That's fine dear chap, all is forgiven and all that - but just by way of abundant precaution don't come anywhere near his tyres for the next couple of days !

[Guderian]

Some Observations or Setting the Cat Among the Pigeons !

Had thought of putting this up a little earlier but didn't do so. Now's a good time as any !

1. Modern day cars do not have a speed restriction during the 'Breaking In' period yet all of us are terrorised into following a 60-80 KMPH or 80-100 KMPH restriction. I checked the LoH's Alto K-10 Owner's Manual. Just a few tips - no speed restrictions. In her case anyway you don't require it - she follows a maddeningly slowest speed manifest - of any vehicle on this side of the Suez Canal ! (A white K-10 christened 'Bunny' if you please ! After my first drive with her in it I mentioned that Bunnies were fast and skittish. She glared at me. And I promptly renamed it BoV, and whispered to the offspring - "Bunny on Valium".)

Checked the Admiral's 'Breaking In' guidelines. Again all about not towing heavy loads, rapid acceleration, ensuring varying speeds etc during BIPs (Chaps - nothing to do with that sultry Bollywood siren (air raid alarm ?) whose surname is Basu - just simply Breaking in Periods. Sorry to disappoint - or was that a relief ?!!). No speed or RPM regulations.
Checked with a couple of hard core engine (block) heads. Was informed that it was a legacy of the past technology of cylinders and pistons and metallurgy and not required currently in view of the modern metallurgy and sleeves in the cylinders etc.

2. Change of engine oil and filter after 500/1000 KMs. Not recommended now at all, but was a general advice some 10 years ago, to wash away all the metal shavings etc in the engine, which arose due to milling, lathe and turning activities on the block and other metal parts and other general residues in the system. But in today's manufacturing process ( in most of the auto factories at least) with super precise processes upto one thou of measurement/s or lower, no shavings or micro residues are generally generated and even if they are they are cleaned away in a precise manner. The T Fort's first oil & filter change is at 10K KMs.
Yet see the recommendation to do so - off and on.
After much thought and discussion with the T-ASC guys (they did not dissuade me or perusade me at all - just a healthy debate) decided not to do it and get it done only at 10K. And another thought struck me - would any auto manufacturer pass a chance to make some money on consumables ? They would have jumped at it as it adds to the dealer's kitty (labour charges) and the oil manufacturer's pocket - and so would have been a necessary to do advice, if it was indeed required.

Or do we operate on a basis of why take chances after having spent so much on the vehicle - on both points mentioned above ?

3. General advice not to use HiSpeed (BPCL) or other premium additive laden diesel for the common rail engines. Nosed around - couldn't find a reason. Finally the words of a good friend and a senior functionary from M&M (now earning his rotis in another auto company) in circa Oct 2005 came back to me. The comment was that most of the manufacturers carry out the standard tests and publish their results and later on carry out QC tests on the engines with standard (OK - sada, if you please) diesel and are not sure how much would be the variation, even on predictable basis or don't want to, if premium diesels were used. A general advice was to fill up with the premium fuel once a quarter. Which I faithfully followed. However in the last 12 months of owning the Scorpio CRDe I changed full time to Hi Speed. The engine turned ultra smooth, better pick up and the average jumped up by almost .75/1KM a litre. Where earlier I was getting about 11.25 -11.5 KMPL it went upto 12.0 - 12.5 KMPL.

Planning to switch to HiSpeed after 5 K KMs.

Any nay sayers ?

Your chance to stand up and say your piece before a ruling is passed on all the three points mentioned above !

(Statutory Disclaimer (in the interests of my well being really !): The above doesn't seek to, in any way, belittle any earlier practices or thought process or any individual or mock any person who follows these practices. May please be taken as a start (if at all it gets off the ground) of a healthy discussion to improve our or at best my thought processes.)

[hemanth.das]

Hello Admiral,

Thank you for such a wonderful thread!! lovely indeed.

I have a 2007 model innova and I am not sure if both the vehicles share the same engine block. In the innova manual it says not to use premium fuel. I know and trust that you may have gone through the entire TFort manual. But just my 2 cents. As I was made aware that it leads to a lot of smoking due to the variation in the sulphur content in the diesel which the innova engine is not designed to handle.

Good Day
Hemanth

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by hemanth.das

Hello Admiral,

Thank you for such a wonderful thread!! lovely indeed.

I have a 2007 model innova and I am not sure if both the vehicles share the same engine block. In the innova manual it says not to use premium fuel. I know and trust that you may have gone through the entire TFort manual. But just my 2 cents. As I was made aware that it leads to a lot of smoking due to the variation in the sulphur content in the diesel which the innova engine is not designed to handle.

Good Day
Hemanth

Hi Hemant - Thanks !
Does the Innova manual say not to use the premium fuel or talks about BSIII/BSIV fuel ? Basically the base fuel type remains the same - BSIII or BSIV (depending on metro and non metros) as the case may be and so the Sulphur content would remain the same in the sada and premium varieties of the same BS type. Only difference is that in the premium fuel the oil companies themselves add the additives and sell at a premium.

And oh, BTW - I am not the Admiral, I am a General, the T Fort is the Admiral !

[lamborghini]

@Guderian: If it helps, we used Turbojet on all of our cars. In addition to what I gathered on the forum, I realized it may not be very well suited to the engine.
In all the cars that we used Turbojet, the cars gave out much more smoke under acceleration. Of particular interest is our 2004 E 270, which belched out smoke! Also, the said car had a failure due to some particles in premium diesel being too big to pass on and causing a clog. I am not sure where the exact clog was, but I was driving the car at the time it started acting up and it wasn't fun.
You might say it could be due to Mercedes unreliability, but many other members and the mechanic feel it was due to the fuel.
So just as a heads up, check with the A.S.S. before.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@Guderian: If it helps, we used Turbojet on all of our cars. In addition to what I gathered on the forum, I realized it may not be very well suited to the engine.
In all the cars that we used Turbojet, the cars gave out much more smoke under acceleration. Of particular interest is our 2004 E 270, which belched out smoke! Also, the said car had a failure due to some particles in premium diesel being too big to pass on and causing a clog. I am not sure where the exact clog was, but I was driving the car at the time it started acting up and it wasn't fun.
You might say it could be due to Mercedes unreliability, but many other members and the mechanic feel it was due to the fuel.
So just as a heads up, check with the A.S.S. before.

Hi, Thanks for the heads up. Actually when I went in for the 1st service, did chat up with the A.S.S. Service Manager. He wasn't able to come up with a logical reason for the premium drink or against it and so the Q here ! I guess you could be right about the particulate size (which could be higher due to the additive's molecular size) and resultant clogging of the superfine apertures of the common rail's FI nozzles. But am still surprised at the PSU oil companies not realising it and coming up with better substitutes.
Or is there something more to it ?

Anyway guess what I'll try and do is to talk to someone from the Toyota tech team in India.

[hemanth.das]

Sorry General for calling you an admiral. Please accept my Apologies!! And please dont dismiss me into becoming a deck boy..

Yes it is mentioned not to use premium fuel in the innova manual.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by hemanth.das

Sorry General for calling you an admiral. Please accept my Apologies!! And please dont dismiss me into becoming a deck boy..

Yes it is mentioned not to use premium fuel in the innova manual.

Hi Hemanth, Ha ha - All is forgiven !
Thanks for the response.
Uh-oh.....if it is that clearly mentioned in the Innova manual, I better be careful and read the Admiral's manual carefully again and report back here !

[hemanth.das]

Scene
First head held low and looking at the boot, after the forgiveness.
Head held high and with a smile on the face.. thank you for the forgiveness general Guderian!

Aye aye sir! The report will be very use full to the other troops to.. it would save their war machinery on the battle front from any obscene malfunction, or unintended war dance to wake up the dying spirit.

Over and out.

[Red Liner]

Premium fuel was not recommended for all the car's I've owned till date: Fiat Palio (1.2 Petrol, 1.6 Petrol, 1.9 Diesel IDI) as well as the Scorpio mHawk. So I was quite surprised by you using it for your CRDE scorpio earlier.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Premium fuel was not recommended for all the car's I've owned till date: Fiat Palio (1.2 Petrol, 1.6 Petrol, 1.9 Diesel IDI) as well as the Scorpio mHawk. So I was quite surprised by you using it for your CRDE scorpio earlier.

Hi Venky, My Scorpio CRDe manual (Sep 2005) never mentioned anything about not using premium diesel. All it mentioned was to use BSIII fuel.
And the premium fuel really worked wonders in the last stages. If I am not mistaken a large number of our friends with the CRDe have been only using premium fuel right from day 1 !