[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Guderian

But this is such a silly, easy maintenace process - I am sure everyone must be doing it one way or the other. Nothing great about it.
Though I think the trick is to do it religiously - every quarter or so.

Agree that many others are doing it, but you are doing it religiously - and I am sure I have not met many people who made it a point to make sure to do by themselves what it takes to keep their rides spick and span always - even braving rough weather. And fewer among them find pleasure in such detailed documentation and sharing the routine for the pleasure of fellow petrol heads. For your persistence, I salute you.


Took a small leaf from your Sunday Morning TLC Rituals (here by nick named SMTR) and showered some much needed TLC on Jai. He was all too happy to get the attention and I have a strong feeling that he really enjoyed all those poking and cleaning but I cannot tell the same about LOH.

"2.5 hours to wash a car", followed by a quizzical glance is what LOH had in store for the poor chap who came home expecting some cool drinks and cooler words after making sure that Jai is sparkling clean, inside out.

I already have a collection of bottles and nick knacks and what not - my essential tool kits for taking care of Jeevs and Letty, and if I add any more to that collection for Jai, I might be knocking at my friends' doors for a place to sleep

Got my eyes on some items from the stable of Collinite - sooner or later, I will succumb to the temptation.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

1. For your persistence, I salute you.

2. (here by nick named SMTR)

3.and showered some much needed TLC on Jai. He was all too happy to get the attention and I have a strong feeling that he really enjoyed all those poking and cleaning but I cannot tell the same about LOH.

4. "2.5 hours to wash a car", followed by a quizzical glance is what LOH had in store.

Hi teh,
Glad to see you back here ! Been a long time.

1. Thank you very much sir.

2. Nice stamp ! SMTR. It shall be henceforth known as such.

3. Great to see that we have another convert here ! Welcome to the SMTR club.

4. Oh - don't you worry. Soon the LOH will be thanking you for it and should you return a little early some Sunday, after a few Sundays down the line, the quzzical look and a frown would be followed by a Q - "Why are you back so early ?"

Have fun.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi teh,
Glad to see you back here ! Been a long time.

I am a frequent visitor to channel Togo, but I am afraid that most of the time, I am a silent spectator.

[ACM]

Hi!

That bit of leaf / branch that you found in your engine bay is from a X'mas tree. Have one in my compound, and some of the dead leaves / branches on the lower side are just like the one in your picture. Did you happen to make a nocturnal visit at my place by any chance.

The Alloys can be refinished just like steel wheels. The chipped area is treated with a filler. And the rest of the wheel is actually painted on post primer treatment.

A lot of the Alloy wheels available on CST road are post such a treatment.

Discovery Turbo has shown the process a few times on various programs like Wheeler Dealer where then rejuvinate older alloy wheel sets.

The Alloys on both my Safari and Laura have been in much worse condition after about 5 years of usage and were due for a repaint. Will get the Laura alloys done up post monsoon they are scratched all over. The Safari of course has moved on.

Am given to understand that the Matt Steel / Silver (that the fortuner and aria have) and Glossy Black are the two easiest to treat. The Chrome ones are harder to treat as well as to paint over once the gloss is lost.

They can even change the colour of the Alloy to something else that we may desire to match the vehicle. The tricky bit is the plastic cap in the centre like in the Aria or the Laura or at times the chrome Logo stuck in the centre of some alloys. One just needs to get the caps replaced by new ones the chrome on the plastic here cannot be restored. (Have done that with Neo Alloys Hulk design for the Safari - they charged Rs. 400 per alloy = Rs. 2000 for the set of 5). They also at times provide just the centre stickers for these third party alloys like Aura, neo etc. Rs. 100 per sticker.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

I am a frequent visitor to channel Togo, but I am afraid that most of the time, I am a silent spectator.

Aha ! The expert hand on land and an eagle flying above waiting to swoop.....!

Originally Posted by ACM

Hi!

That bit of leaf / branch that you found in your engine bay is from a X'mas tree. Have one in my compound, and some of the dead leaves / branches on the lower side are just like the one in your picture. Did you happen to make a nocturnal visit at my place by any chance.

The Alloys can be refinished just like steel wheels. The chipped area is treated with a filler. And the rest of the wheel is actually painted on post primer treatment.

A lot of the Alloy wheels available on CST road are post such a treatment.

Discovery Turbo has shown the process a few times on various programs like Wheeler Dealer where then rejuvinate older alloy wheel sets.

The Alloys on both my Safari and Laura have been in much worse condition after about 5 years of usage and were due for a repaint. Will get the Laura alloys done up post monsoon they are scratched all over. The Safari of course has moved on.

Am given to understand that the Matt Steel / Silver (that the fortuner and aria have) and Glossy Black are the two easiest to treat. The Chrome ones are harder to treat as well as to paint over once the gloss is lost.

They can even change the colour of the Alloy to something else that we may desire to match the vehicle. The tricky bit is the plastic cap in the centre like in the Aria or the Laura or at times the chrome Logo stuck in the centre of some alloys. One just needs to get the caps replaced by new ones the chrome on the plastic here cannot be restored. (Have done that with Neo Alloys Hulk design for the Safari - they charged Rs. 400 per alloy = Rs. 2000 for the set of 5). They also at times provide just the centre stickers for these third party alloys like Aura, neo etc. Rs. 100 per sticker.

Hi ACM,
Many thanks for a detailed post which cleared many doubts. About that coniferous leaf ? The jury is stiil out on that one !

Because of some of the issues with alloys - I never changed the steel wheels of my earlier ride the Scorp.
Also a feeling that for an off roader the best option is steel wheels and tubed tyres. Any comments from anyone on this ?
But I ran tubless Yoko Geos on steel wheels for more than 2 years, without issues. Though it is a big no-no.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Also a feeling that for an off roader the best option is steel wheels and tubed tyres. Any comments from anyone on this ?

I was of the same opinion (from an aesthetic view point) but some tastefully done up jeeps in the 4X4 section of Team Bhp made me retrace that stand. Some mean offroaders do look good with alloys too.
From a practicality view point, a steel rim will be much easier to repair if it gets a dent - a cracked alloy wheel will cause a hole in your pocket.

While we are at it, have you seen the steel pressed rims of Chevrolet Beat - It is like an alloy wheel made from pressed steel.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

I was of the same opinion (from an aesthetic view point) but some tastefully done up jeeps in the 4X4 section of Team Bhp made me retrace that stand. Some mean offroaders do look good with alloys too.
From a practicality view point, a steel rim will be much easier to repair if it gets a dent - a cracked alloy wheel will cause a hole in your pocket.

While we are at it, have you seen the steel pressed rims of Chevrolet Beat - It is like an alloy wheel made from pressed steel.

Hi teh,
Was looking at sheer practicality and not looks. But you are right - some of the 4x4s with alloys look great.
No haven't really looked at the Beats wheels. But the Scorpio (2005) CRDe's wheels were made from pressed steel and I thought it looked great - almost like alloys.
A snap for you:

[theexperthand]

For practicality purpose, i think Steel wheel + tubed tire will be the best bet.

Yes- the wheels on Scorpio also looks like an alloy made of steel.

Posting a pic of Beat from the TD thread by GTO :


But this is one of my all time favorite steel wheel - car combination is the Gypsy wheel on a well kept Ambassador (preferably black). Few pics from T-Bhp:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...tarlet-150.jpg

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...y-dsc05098.jpg

[Guderian]

A Quick Run to Pune...

...and over in a jiffy this morning. Was there for a short official meeting which got over as soon as we sat down for it. So a very enjoyable drive overall !

Weather nice and soggy - but very little rain. Clouds dropped down on us at a few spots.
Some snaps taken at around 9.30 am.







310.1 KMs clocked on the tripmeter and over in a blink of an eye. The Admiral's conduct of course was impeccable. Run lnto Pune was sedate at 100KMPH and the return was like a bull with its tail on fire. 140 KMPH. The MID showed a FE figure of 11 KMPL, on return, which included a slow, slow Pune city crawl of about 30 KMs.

Sometimes feel it is earier to run across to Pune and return, than to South Mumbai !

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by Guderian

A Quick Run to Pune...

Sometimes feel it is earier to run across to Pune and return, than to South Mumbai !

So true. I love my Pune trips over the painful slow south Mumbai trips. From my place in Mulund, I take the same time to reach Kothrud and Maker Chambers!

[Guderian]

Hi,
To keep you all informed that my query and all your responses on the GPS requirement has been moved here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...s-etc-137.html

We'll continue the discussions on the GPS on the thread linked above.
Thanks.

[Guderian]

Funny thing.
All these days when filling up fuel and measuring the FE, the tank to tank calculation generally showed a lower FE as compared to the MID something by and large to the tune of 0.30 KMPL.(Eg: MID - 12.8 KMPL = T2T - 12.5 KMPL.)
Today for the first time the tank to tank calculation showed a higher FE than the MID. As I had done a high speed run on the way back from Pune, the FE was lower than normal. The MID FE was 11.3 KMPL and the tank to tank calculations showed 11.4 KMPL.

Any views why ? Quite a conundrum this...

The difference in the two FE readings (tank to tank and MID) is something (and the only thing I guess !) that I have not been able to figure in the Admiral.

Just when I thought it was a consistent difference of 0.30 KMPL came todays totally different/surprising/reverse reading.

Is this the case with the MIDs on other vehicles too ? Civic/VWs etc ?

[ACM]

For me
Laura typically shows 5-10% higher fuel effeciency compared to reality.

Aria is mostly within 1% of the actual value so now don't bother to recalculate at the fuel station any more and just go by the reading in the display.

There is an error in FT to FT calculations as the amount a petrol pump attendent fills post autotrip varies each time. Also the auto trip too happens at different points depending on the pump, the speed at which it is dispensing and the gas in the tank at that point of time.

[dot]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Today for the first time the tank to tank calculation showed a higher FE than the MID.

Is this the case with the MIDs on other vehicles too ? Civic/VWs etc ?

Huh, General called? Ok, taking the call.

First of all, Scorponok's MID does not show FE, instantaneous FE or whatever other forms of FE (kmpl, l/km or other strangeness). And that keeps me very happy as tankful to tankful remains the only means to calculate FE. No confusion. All iz well.

Civics from 08-09 onwards have this ugly feature. However, as ever humans we are, this particular hot thread exists.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...nformeter.html

Now coming back to Admiral unusual readings, fortunately there is exists a simple way to determine why tankful to tankful gave better reading. Did you bunker at the same bunk. Did the auto cutoff work accurately. Is it possible that the second fill was somewhat lower than the first fill? If so, the answer is probably evident.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by ACM

For me
Laura typically shows 5-10% higher fuel effeciency compared to reality.

Aria is mostly within 1% of the actual value so now don't bother to recalculate at the fuel station any more and just go by the reading in the display.

There is an error in FT to FT calculations as the amount a petrol pump attendent fills post autotrip varies each time. Also the auto trip too happens at different points depending on the pump, the speed at which it is dispensing and the gas in the tank at that point of time.

Originally Posted by dot

Huh, General called? Ok, taking the call.

First of all, Scorponok's MID does not show FE, instantaneous FE or whatever other forms of FE (kmpl, l/km or other strangeness). And that keeps me very happy as tankful to tankful remains the only means to calculate FE. No confusion. All iz well.

Civics from 08-09 onwards have this ugly feature. However, as ever humans we are, this particular hot thread exists.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...nformeter.html

Now coming back to Admiral unusual readings, fortunately there is exists a simple way to determine why tankful to tankful gave better reading. Did you bunker at the same bunk. Did the auto cutoff work accurately. Is it possible that the second fill was somewhat lower than the first fill? If so, the answer is probably evident.

Hi ACM & dot,
Thanks for the response/s.

As mentioned in my piece on 'Bunkering Practices':

1. I always fill up from one bunker and if possible from the same dispenser of that bunker - so the auto cut off point variation/s by and large is taken care of I guess.
2. Always fill in the morning (and almost always around 8.15 am) - to get the best density of fuel.
3. The filling speed is always ensured at notch 1.
4. I have a colour marking on the fuel inlet point (thanks to Toyota's quality fastidiousness) upto which I always fill - almost exactly. And check that the level stays at that point for about 30 secs.
5. Always smile at the bunker attendant.

So still puzzled. And scratching my head - no dandruff/itchy scalp issue I can assure you.