[Guderian]

Originally Posted by yaji

1. Window beading expansion
2. Paint Scratches on the bonnet caused because of the ribbon which they tie while delivering the new vehicle !
3. Tyre damage which may have been the result of very high pressure in the tyres when the vehicle was delivered to me and which i had no way of checking unless i was shown the PDI of the dealer.

As an afterthought i hope I' am not going into denial mode now as anyways i have to live with whatever i have bought

Hi yaji,
Fair enough and appears plausible.
Now about the issues.
1. Even I had the beading quality problem - if you remember the first few pages of this thread. I raised a noise about it and they offered to replace the beading. But I decided against it as I didn't want them to poke around and open up the brand new windows etc. Happy now I took the decision as now the beading looks OK and less warped after a years usage.

2. Scratches - Some would always be there. Luckily we have a silver coloured skin and not much is anyway visible. But yeah painful. Ask them to touch it up and polish it.

3. Tyre damage - I suppose unless you had pointed it out when taking delivery of the vehicle it would be difficult to raise it up now as they'd claim that it was damaged under your watch.

Whatever - it is a tough vehicle and nothing deters it. So just hop on and enjoy the ride my friend. By and by everything will sort itself out...in your mind !
Good luck and have fun.

[yaji]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi yaji,
Fair enough and appears plausible.
Now about the issues.
1. Even I had the beading quality problem - if you remember the first few pages of this thread. I raised a noise about it and they offered to replace the beading. But I decided against it as I didn't want them to poke around and open up the brand new windows etc. Happy now I took the decision as now the beading looks OK and less warped after a years usage.

2. Scratches - Some would always be there. Luckily we have a silver coloured skin and not much is anyway visible. But yeah painful. Ask them to touch it up and polish it.

3. Tyre damage - I suppose unless you had pointed it out when taking delivery of the vehicle it would be difficult to raise it up now as they'd claim that it was damaged under your watch.

Whatever - it is a tough vehicle and nothing deters it. So just hop on and enjoy the ride my friend. By and by everything will sort itself out...in your mind !
Good luck and have fun.

1. The beading has literally opened up near the roof and it looks more like a funnel and it has to be replaced failing which it can create seepage issues. So i dont have a choice but to let them pry open the windows.

2. They have now agreed to remove the scratches and do some coating stuff..

3. One good thing i did was to inform the sales person as soon as i had the tyre issue and also made them aware that there was a pressure issue. I think they will replace it as i have made a hue and cry about it....lets see

and Thanks for the wishes...i guess if everything goes smooth then one may not really value the pain of gaining something

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by yaji

1. The beading has literally opened up near the roof and it looks more like a funnel and it has to be replaced failing which it can create seepage issues. So i dont have a choice but to let them pry open the windows.

2. They have now agreed to remove the scratches and do some coating stuff..

3. One good thing i did was to inform the sales person as soon as i had the tyre issue and also made them aware that there was a pressure issue. I think they will replace it as i have made a hue and cry about it....lets see

and Thanks for the wishes...i guess if everything goes smooth then one may not really value the pain of gaining something

1/3. Get the beading and tyres replaced asap and at all costs. With a new vehicle this is certainly not expected or acceptable. I would never have taken delivery of such a vehicle.
2. Do not get teflon coating. Try to get the scratches removed as best as possible with some carnauba based wax polish like Formula 1 + Rubbing compound combo.

Congrats on your buy and post a ownership thread soon.

[yaji]

Originally Posted by dkaile

1/3. Get the beading and tyres replaced asap and at all costs. With a new vehicle this is certainly not expected or acceptable. I would never have taken delivery of such a vehicle.
2. Do not get teflon coating. Try to get the scratches removed as best as possible with some carnauba based wax polish like Formula 1 + Rubbing compound combo.

Congrats on your buy and post a ownership thread soon.

The beading top side was the last thing i expected to have a problem and hence i did not notice it while taking delivery.
The tyres were after effect (which may be because of the high pressure kept on the tyres)

Whats wrong with teflon coating (if in case they do decide to do a teflon coating) ?

The vehicle handles like a dream and i forget all this stuff when i start driving it , it is so much of less effort as compared to my previous ride, but surely i cant leave these issues too and will get it sorted for sure.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by yaji

Whats wrong with teflon coating (if in case they do decide to do a teflon coating) ?

There are quite a few threads going on on Tbhp which have detailed that teflon coating causes more harm than good on the paint finish of new cars and it is mainly a money making scheme of dealers. You can go through those to clarify your doubts.

[yaji]

Originally Posted by dkaile

There are quite a few threads going on on Tbhp which have detailed that teflon coating causes more harm than good on the paint finish of new cars and it is mainly a money making scheme of dealers. You can go through those to clarify your doubts.

The body wax polishing is already done at the 1st service and that is when i was told that the deeper scratches on the bonnet cannot be removed with the polishing process so i guess they will go for something like teflon coating only to fill up the scratches.

Does the carnauba based wax polish fill up deeper scratches which are not filled up by the usual wax polishing that they do ?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by yaji

Does the carnauba based wax polish fill up deeper scratches which are not filled up by the usual wax polishing that they do ?

IMHO deeper scratches cannot be repaired by any type of polishing and re-painting is the only solution. You may try to see what best can be done though, before proceeding for painting if required or you may have to learn to live with it.

[Guderian]

Epilogue.
And finally after 14 thrilling days Admiral completed the Southern Odyssey.
In the end the tripmeter looked like:



Prologue.
Bangalore and Trivandrum drives have already been described earlier.

A few chapters thrown in between. Part I.
A drive to the family temple in a place called Chavara, Quilon (Kollam) - very close to the Ashtamudi Lake a part of the famed backwaters of Kerala.


The drive along the NH 47 was quite terrible. Treacly thick traffic and on return a political rally. Though the distance was just 200 KMs in all - the total drive time (to & fro) was 6 hours !

Admiral had a rollicking time in the capital of God's Own Country. Being washed every alternate day with a HP water hose:




Of course wouldn't travel anywhere without the Admiral's full field kit:



Which meant Admiral looked every inch resplendent and raring to go:



In the meantime I realised that the odometer was close to touching 25K KMs and Admiral needed to go for his periodic dry docking (landlubbers can read that as servicing). Gave it much thought, weighing all the pros and cons/ hemming and hawing of servicing a vehicle in the middle of a trip and that too in alien waters - which is a polite way of stating fighting sheer lethargy that descends on a soul during a vacation, besides fighting the thought of something going wrong during the trip if some grease monkey meddles with something he shouldn't etc etc !
But anyway finally took an appointment with Nippon Toyota in Trivandrum - who gave me a slot in the afternoon on speaking to them in the morning and describing the circumstances, despite being neckdeep with vehicles. That was rather nice of them.
And the service it self proved to be very quick and professional, as far as I could gauge in that rushed period of time. And done very neatly.



Many 'Mundas' with 'Mundus' spotted !


Good amount of space:



Wheeled in pretty fast:



Pretty place inside too:


Only standard checks and cleaning to be done I had requested them. No washing, no nothing.
Air filter cleaned:




AC filter cleaned:



Wheeled further in for an under chasis check:


All looks fine after a few pokes, jabs and punches much to Admiral's amusement:




Battery water level checked, despite my mention that it was not required, electricals checked, windshield wiperwash topped etc. Meanwhile the Service Manager arrived to check out the strange creature who had walked into his lair with a camera and had driven all the way from Thane/Mumbai. Introductions made, pleasantries exchanged, drive information shared and informatin shared from his side that the workshop receives absolutely no complaints at all about the Fortuners - despite a large number of them pottering about in the town. He too had a brief look at the underbelly before moving on...

Was out in less than an hour with all the checks done, the service booklet stamped, payment made and I was out. Total charges - Rs 652/-.


I was quite impressed with the systems and processes and quite efficiency, from what I could observe in the short period of time spent there at Nippon Toyota. Thank you for taking care of Admiral at a short notice !

Admiral in a couple of crowded spots of the city. A road off the place called Statue and Chalai Market.



Another drive to a nearby town of Mavelikara. On the way back at a pit stop:


NH 47 at peak time proved to be a real grind !

When Admiral was parked out in the open...


...I was scared of:
Falling coconuts and tree bits:


In general was worried about:
A family of feral cats and seven large mongooses which lived on the grounds of the house and their fondness for the Admiral.


Bugs, bugs & bugs. There would been approximately one million bugs per square inch out there. And if it were to ever get into the engine bay or cabin and call in their builders, real estate agents or developers !


In the end I realised my fears were totally unfounded - for they had better things to do !

(To be Cont'd.)

[Guderian]

A few chapters thrown in between. Part II.

Finally drove off from Tvm on May 11 to Kundapur, Udupi.
NHs 47 and 17 proved to be real killers. Despite a 4.00 am start - traffic finally caught up post Trichur. Heavy metal that - most of the time in 3/4 gear. What's the 5th gear for really ?
At a breakfast point somewhere near somewhere:


Crawled and crawled throughout - tip to tip of Kerala.
Meanwhile a political rally at Thalassery. 30 minutes did nothing except twiddling my thumbs - great exercise that I realised.

At places the NH 17 is so narrow (and yes charming) that neighbours exchange news across the gully while stading in their compounds, chicken, dogs and kids often run across to pay a visit to the other side, in a good neighbourly manner. You interrupt them needlessly.

Somewhere near Calicut/Kozhikode Admiral sailed past the 25K KMs (13,498.92 Nautical Miles) marker buoy.

Reached destination - Kundapur at 8.20 pm. Should have reached by 4 or 4.30 pm. Just 900 KMs. But anyway - the drive had its share of chills and spills. At least 5 narrow misses while overtaking. And two motor cyclists cutting in sharp and making their way to the otherwise - despite giving adequate warning of my presence behind them well in time !
It is during this grind of overtake, overtake and overtake on single carriageway highways (NHs 47 & 17) that I fully appreciated the power of the Fortuner. And yet I had about 5 near misses. And the brakes held well during the two scares with the motor cyclists with the ABS kicking in.
The grinning faces can be quite bothersome, post the event.

And at Kundapur a superb run to the Sri Mookambika Temple at Kollur:


At the Mookambika National Park/Wildlife Sanctuary:


The return run to Thane - May 14 - was a dream run - NH17 upto Ankola, Ankola - Hubli on NH 63 and then NH4 (GQ) from Hubli to Panvel.

Great roads, little or no traffic upto Kolhapur. Started at 4.00am reached base at 3.58 pm. Around 900 KMs.

At a brief pit stop on NH 63 near Hubli:

Felt great and took away the sorrow of the NH 47/NH17 drive in Kerala !
Fabulous average speeds. Which of course had a telling impact on the FE.
Home and dry in a jiffy though.

Final Figures:
Total KMs - 3945.70.
Total fuel consumed - 393.16 Lts.
Fuel Charges - Rs. 17,649.98.
Total Toll Charges - Rs. 1772/-.
Total Cost - Rs. 19421.98.
Cost per KM (minus maintenance/wear & tear chgs) - Rs. 4.92.
FE - 9.66 KMPL.
FE (by MID) - 9.93 KMPL. At modest speeds (read Granny's speeds) the MID showed figures like 13/14.5 KMPL etc but that was not to last for long.

Best Highway travelled - NH 7 between Bangalore to Nagercoil via Salem & Madurai. Really enjoyed the drive.

Needless to say, Admiral was the star throughout. Salute.

The real question I had to confront on returning - Did I have to get back ? Not very sure about the answer.

[Ayedongivadam]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Best Highway travelled - NH 7 between Bangalore to Nagercoil via Salem & Madurai. Really enjoyed the drive.

What a trip Guderian, in all aspects. What a descriptive write-up with the Admiral simply resplendent, as always. Absolutely loved your field kit (fauji connection?)! You Sir are inspirational!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Ayedongivadam

What a trip Guderian, in all aspects. What a descriptive write-up with the Admiral simply resplendent, as always. Absolutely loved your field kit (fauji connection?)! You Sir are inspirational!

Hi Aye,
Thanks for the warm words. But believe you me when I tell you this that I had nothing to do with this - it was all the delight of driving Admiral.
I have never ever had such a fatigue free driving. The Scorpio was very good but the Fortuner is stonking good as the handling and steering behaviours are far better. Besides the power and other systems at your disposal really makes it a great run anytime. Suspension was kind to my back. I wouldn't believe that I was laid up a couple of months ago with a injured back !
Yes did feel that the brakes could have been better - but in the few instances of crisis it played its role well as ever.
About the inspirational part - I have been inspired in turn by many fabulous drivers, who are also monster mile munchers, from this forum !
Besides seeking (and graciously receiving many a times even before asking) constant advice on the ways and means of our wondorous highways from one particular gentleman, who is more famously referred to by his three initials and is a chum...thanks HVK !

[noopster]

Welcome back to home soil, HG!

I missed some of your recent updates and only realised you had embarked on a Southern Odyssey today. Nearly 4000km in a single trip is fantastic. Interesting that you chose to service your vehicle in the middle of a long trip- I'd have done so either before the trip or after it.

So who were the lucky 18? To be fair you should have revealed a bit of the number plate else Bangalorean spotters would have rushed up to every MH registered Fortuner asking "Guderian? Admiral?"

I noticed something very interesting- your vehicle actually returns lower FE at high speeds. Compare that with my Vento that happily churns out 15.5 kmpl on GQ. It's at low speeds that I see horrendous numbers on the MID! Would happily have settled for the reverse since one spends so much time stuck in traffic!

[columbus]

Great updates General saab. What is most heartening to see is the care you take in keeping Admiral spic n span even on road trips. And some heavy ammunition you carry in the back for Admiral. Enough to last a WAR .

Noops

With regard to FE on highways my observation is that once you cross 100 then the FE starts decreasing drastically with every 10kmph increase. 80-90 is the range where i get the best FE. In city driving my Fort gives 11+ with AC. On highways at 80-90 i have managed 14+. Cross 100 and it comes down to 11-12.

[F150]

Originally Posted by noopster

I noticed something very interesting- your vehicle actually returns lower FE at high speeds. Compare that with my Vento that happily churns out 15.5 kmpl on GQ.

Yeah I too was disappointed after seeing the FE figures reported by the general.
But I think that is the trade off for owning such mighty beasts.
And our general was driving in pedal to the metal style. :-)

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by noopster

1. Interesting that you chose to service your vehicle in the middle of a long trip- I'd have done so either before the trip or after it.

2. So who were the lucky 18? To be fair you should have revealed a bit of the number plate else Bangalorean spotters would have rushed up to every MH registered Fortuner asking "Guderian? Admiral?"

3. I noticed something very interesting- your vehicle actually returns lower FE at high speeds.

Hey Noops,
Thank you !
Been a long time.
1. Yes, even I prefer that - before or after the trip. Very uncomfortable with anyone poking around the vehicle in the middle of the trip. But this time around, the return trip would have seen the odo coming almost close to the middle of the next 5K of running. Didn't want any warranty related violation to crop up - "No saar, can't do anything saar, you didn't get your vehicle serviced in the year 540 BC on time saar, so warranty was automatically voided saar...Now saar, can I go and attend other vehicles saar ?"
And of course, the curiosity to see another Toyota ASC in a different part of our great country !

2. To honestly confess the "Spot the Admiral" campaign was an unmitigated disaster. Statistics:
1. Received (only) 5 PMs from TBHPians in Bangalore.
2. All 5 claimed to have seen Admiral at rare and exotic places in Namma Bengaluru which the ol' chap never visited. Was there another silver MH registered Fortuner doing the rounds of Bangy at the same time ?

The fiasco resulted in the sacking of the entire MarCom team of Togo Channel besides the restructuring of the Sales and Accts Mgt team. A Senior Director from the team in India has been redeployed to Burkina Faso and couple of Sr Managers to Vanuatu (they'll be taking charge there as soon as they discover as to where their new postings are on the map) and a newly recruited Director and internally promoted Senior Managers will be taking over from them in India. So a busy period indeed for the Channel.

Originally Posted by columbus

With regard to FE on highways my observation is that once you cross 100 then the FE starts decreasing drastically with every 10kmph increase. 80-90 is the range where i get the best FE. In city driving my Fort gives 11+ with AC. On highways at 80-90 i have managed 14+. Cross 100 and it comes down to 11-12.

Hi Columbus,
Many thanks on the observations !

Totally agree with you on the behaviour (joys & sorrows) of the FE.
My report is as under:
1. 70-90 KMPH - 14.5 to 16.1 KMPL. Hover close to 75-80 in 5th gear, for a long period, you'll see a figure of 16+ KMPL at the next bunkering.
2. 90- 110 KMPH - 12 KMPL.
3. 110 - 120 KMPH - 10.5-11 KMPL.
4. 120 - 140 KMPH - Disaster - 9.5 -10 KMPL.
5. 140+ KMPH - Total Disaster - 8.5 - 9 KMPL.

Originally Posted by F150

Yeah I too was disappointed after seeing the FE figures reported by the general.

Hey F150, Why disappointed ? In any vehicle higher the speed lower the FE. Same when the speed drops below the optimum range. Want to get a fabulous return stay in the range. In the Fortuner it is of course 70-90 KMPH. In my old Zen it was 45-55 KMPH and in the Scorpio CRDe 60-80 KMPH.
But then of course the flip side is you reach two days after the party is over just in time to pay the bills. And calls for extreme patience of course. But then yes, like in life, there are some trips which are worth a great deal only when driven at slow speeds !

All these trip memories makes me realise that I have not yet come to terms with the reality of 'return' and so can't help but share some more snaps of Admiral from that idyllic southern odyssey.
Siiigh...

At Bangalore - standing with a twin of my old love !


Another ready for action moment at Trivandrum.


Admiral at the family temple in Chavara, Kollam(Quilon).




Admiral peeking into the temple to seek blessings from the Devi which were showered by her with of the LoH performing a small ritual.
Attachment 930016

On the way back, Admiral at another temple, the Snake Temple at Mannarsala.


Admiral loves greenery.



And other colours too.

Quite a eco friendly chap.

Views from various points.



Admiral inspects the night life of Trivandrum. Quite a bit of thumping - there ! Quite populous, that state.


All good things have to come to an end, like a great day and so does a great trip to God's Own Country.


Breakfast break during the great yet grindingly long drive to Kundapur, Udupi.


From the soothingly green Mookambika Reserve Forest.


View from the top at Kundapur, Udupi.


On the final leg of the trip - the return. At the breakfast stop at Ankola.


Inevitably one has to return from where it all began. The fundemental rule of life perhaps.