[dkaile]

15.2 is Incredible!! What was the total distance covered to get that mileage? On longer distances (around 600km runs) my Falcon averages out to around 10~11kmpl in semi-urban conditions (60% city). Long highway runs (5-600km+) still to be undertaken. I imagine that mileage is possible only on those long highway runs (and of course, driven like a granny... lolz)

[bkishore_77]

Originally Posted by Guderian

No issues coming down here for a Sunday tamasha. But let me warn you that two pairs of feet sticking out from under the Admiral, on a Sunday morning, will not be taken too kindly by the conservative, middle class colony where I stay...!

Sir , you had me in splits. I've been following your report from day 1 and it is such a pleasure to read your ownership thread that has a good amount of raunchy humor thrown in. You never miss an opportunity to pass these tongue in cheek remarks ...do you ?
You find humor in every innocuous little comments made by others and they would be stunned to find their statement twisted and hidden meaning attached.

Though this is my first post in your thread, rest assured I've never missed a single post in this thread.

Keep goin

cheers
Kishore


PS: Very apprehensive on how you are goin to reply to my innocuous little post. I guess you will find nothing

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by Guderian

And it was an electromechanical day.
And so it began with the battery.
Attachment 862794

And that reminded me of a point raised on one of the threads here (think from Nilanjan) quipping as to why is it called 'Maintenance Free' battery when so much of care is still required. To my mind it is that it is 'Maintenance Free' between services. Meaning the MF (not an expletive please - refer previous sentence !) feature is at the owner's end between services and it has to be maintained only by the ASCs - as opposed to the earlier days when the owner had a weekly/monthly responsiblity vis a vis the battery. But unfortunately at the ASCs the battery is the last thing they look at, unless specifically asked to, even after that it could be a hit or miss as you as an owner have no way of verifying the task done unless you stand there on their heads. So it's safer to...you know !

Hey General, Nice photographs out there.

I too add distilled water to my WagonR's battery irrespective of Service adviser's so called top up. And the wonderful thing is that this little exercise really increases battery life. My WagonR's Amaron will complete 5 years in April and I hope it will last even more. Same goes for my bike's battery i.e. Karizma, it will complete three years in Feb and still starts the engine in single crank. I don’t trust A.S.S guys for this important job.

Though haven’t checked City's battery yet, will do soon.

[AlphaKilo]

Hail General!

to the FE! I guess, the Fleet Ship is going to break the records soon! by soon bettering the fuel efficiency of a nuclear submarine(not considering the surfacing time for ration replenishment or crew replacement!!)

I am sure the political class doesnt like the military class(no no i am in no sense talking about the current DoB issue! believe me!) and that they prefer the Pajero/prados/or any thing that starts with "P" well paisa and so on.. Obvious that the garage is shared with some prados and land cruisers correct?
An interesting comparison between the two and good to see the driver having such a good knowledge on the vehicle and given an unbiased comparison.

Why do you try to understand ur clutch in a hill climb? isnt it bit dangerous?I mean, i am sure, you are sensible enough to do it in a safe environment, but a little bit of technical insight on what exactly you do would be helpful for learners like me.

over n out
AK

[Guderian]

Awww...shoot !

The moment I put up that snap with the FE figure I knew I was in trouble. Only thing I didn't know was how much.

And now here are a bunch of guys making me feel rather guilty.
Making me feel like that guy in the first bench of the class, who raised his hand to every question by the teacher, was Mr Propreity himself behaviour-wise, was the sweet pet of the teachers but a mother mighty pain and who tattled on his classmates to the teachers. I used to hate such specimens in school. And now to be equated to them.
All because of a silly FE figure !

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

1. 15.2! Not fair - we are not supposed to drive the Fortuner like old grannies!

2. Yup, a cross between the Pajero and Fortuner would be very interesting and give the best of both worlds. Anyone for a Forjero?

3. (personally, given that I like doing fast highway driving, I am willing to live with bumpy ride and average braking than with straining engine on highways or having to plan out every overtake in advance. The Fortuner can go where the Pajero goes but leaves the occupants more shaken and stirred)

1. Reminds me of the old Hollywood movies where this Gramps or Grams is driving on an country lonely road in an old, old Ford pick up piled with farm produce...well the scenes here were quite reminiscent of that. Early morning darkness, lonely roads, no rush, windows down, cold breeze on your face and a very sedate 70 KMPH. Nothing like it. Oh yes with some old jazz/blues on the box. Great fun to drive.

2. I thought a Pajuner sounded good too !

3. Same here mate. On the rough roads have gotten very used to the Admiral's movements of all kinds. Occasionally when I take the old girl's hatch feel sick. Can't sense the movement, no feel of the road no nothing. Rock n roll's the way to go !

Originally Posted by dot

I have this mentioned this before, but will write again. Pajero's interiors is a big put off for a vehicle that has a 2 mil+ bill. Maybe it is an off-roader first, then an SUV.

Hey dot,
When you step into the Pajero it is as though you've walked into a 60s set. But believe you me, on the occasions I have sat in the Pajero I have felt extremely comfortable. It's like sitting with an old, old friend. Maybe I like its period look.

Originally Posted by dkaile

15.2 is Incredible!! What was the total distance covered to get that mileage? On longer distances (around 600km runs) my Falcon averages out to around 10~11kmpl in semi-urban conditions (60% city). Long highway runs (5-600km+) still to be undertaken. I imagine that mileage is possible only on those long highway runs (and of course, driven like a granny... lolz)

Mea culpa. I am guilty !

- Did a total of 502 KMs since the last fill before I topped the tank up again upto the gills. 85% of it was done in light or no nearly no traffic conditions. 15% in moderate traffic. I guess if it was totally empty roads it would have touched 15.7 KMPL which the MID flashed for some time briefly before the final figures.
- I confess there was a Pune run too, very early in the morning - to the outskirts of Pune for a lecture at an institution which is almost bang on the expressway. No traffic, no rush at the toll booths either.

Some facts:
- A good number of KMs at 70KMPH/1450 RPM/5th gear. Yeah, yeah like a granny.
- Tyre pressure at 32 psi. 2 psi above the recommended 30 psi.
- Gear changes exactly at 1500 RPM.
- Cold weather helped too I guess.
- Some distances (10% or so) without AC.

No sir, I am sorry sir. Will not repeat it again sir. Ever.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Hey General, Nice photographs out there.

I too add distilled water to my WagonR's battery irrespective of Service adviser's so called top up. And the wonderful thing is that this little exercise really increases battery life. My WagonR's Amaron will complete 5 years in April and I hope it will last even more. Same goes for my bike's battery i.e. Karizma, it will complete three years in Feb and still starts the engine in single crank. I don’t trust A.S.S guys for this important job.

Though haven’t checked City's battery yet, will do soon.

Hi bluevolt,
Thanks. Glad you liked the snaps.

Darn right that this practice improves the battery life. Over the last 5 battery changes I have received an average life of about 4.5 years/battery. Of course a few other factors count too - like not loading power hungry gizmos or not starting with the gizmos on etc which can shorten the life. But yes, the practice of wetting the parched gills of the battery frequently helps a great deal.

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

Why do you try to understand ur clutch in a hill climb? isnt it bit dangerous?I mean, i am sure, you are sensible enough to do it in a safe environment, but a little bit of technical insight on what exactly you do would be helpful for learners like me.
over n out
AK

Come in AK...
Not dangerous at all. All you are doing is allowing the torque to take over.
I started this check with my Scorpio to test out its clutch system especially the plates and before any long trip particularly when you suspect that the clutch plate is at the fag end of its life.
By this, one checks whether there is any clutch slippage (signalling worn out plates) and one keeps an ear out for engine noises - racing/straining and other noises etc.
And for of course the grand feeling of an extremely 'torqueative' fellow !

Originally Posted by bkishore_77

...you had me in splits...

Hi Kishore,
Thanks for being a regular and patient reader of the tripe and drivel I put up here.
Tripe and drivel it certainly may be but raunchy ? No,no.Well, may be a sharp look at times and customs, yes. But never raunchy. Whatever gave you the idea ?!!
Tongue in cheek ? I trust you are talking about the cheek that lies above/north of the neck !

Finally - extremely sorry to have hurt the feeling of many folks here. Firstly by the inexcusable act of putting up that snap with the silly FE figure and secondly for having dared to drive Admiral, a Fortuner, like a doddering ol' granny. Oh the shame of it all.

Our Father who art in heaven, forgive my trespasses, forgive me for I know not what I drove...

[Manuuj]

Silver lining: continues to be the FE figures. Notched 15.5 KMPL over two days driving on the National Highway and single lane state highway while even passing through heavily congested towns.

I must mention here that i was driving unnaturally where i was really trying my best to extract the maximum mileage i could.

I did this by driving with a really light foot..i mean really light just holding my foot over the accelerator at most times and hardly depressing it more than and inch while picking up speed.

The maximum speed were kept below 80-85 kmph and there was no sudden braking or pickups. Most of the highway traffic was overtaking me.I was alone in the car and there was minimal luggage, tyre pressure was 33 psi and the AC was ON the whole time. It was a very relaxed drive and i was surprised to note that the time taken to complete the journey was almost the same as when i drive harder and faster (about 90-100 kmph)

This is an excerpt from my review of the Fortuner from 28th July 2011. The mileage figures of over 15 were not difficult to achieve if you drove (in Nilanjans words) like an old granny.

I must confess here though that since that post i have never driven or should i say the Fortuner has never allowed itself to be driven in that sedate a manner over long distances.

On the recent Rajasthan excursion speeds were usually around 130 kmph on the highway and depressing the accelerator further resulted in a whooshing sound that deposited us on the other side of the 160 kmph marker quite effortlessly.

The FE fell to around 10.7 but was it worth it??..YES!! I dont care if i see a FE of 15 and above ever in my life again!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

I dont care if i see a FE of 15 and above ever in my life again!

Aha ! So here is a front bencher all his life, teacher's sweet pet, goody two shoes - who suddenly on seeing bad guys, throws away his great FE figures just to be a part of the bad boys (Low FE) gang...hmmm.

But seriously speaking I think with some real sedate driving for about 650 KMs on the H/W and with the right gear changes etc one can touch 16 KMPL and beyond. We should try it sometime for a lark and see the outcome. But yes driving 650 KMs at 70 KMPH can be a trying torture for a best of us. So it has to be some kind of FE challenge !

But all said and done (and like what a wit mentioned to me sometime ago - when all is said and done more is said than done !), keeping a close eye on the FE is a great way to keep a tab on the health of your vehicle and all the major systems and sub systems in it - engine, clutch and what not. As long as one is able to explain lower than usual FE returns - like aggressive driving etc it should be fine.
But then of course sometimes curiosity creeps upon you to see what is the vehicle rally capable of achieving sometimes in terms of FE and at times in terms of dash and elan characterised by high speed runs and some other times in terms of toughness by attempting to go where normals wheels just can't even dream of...
Boys will be boys and bad boys badder.

Drive safe though !

[Guderian]

Finally can report some 'respectable' FE figures after days of ignominy of 14/15+ KMPL.

- Aggressive runs.
- City rush - maddening crush hour wanderings.
- What me worry outlook.




Now - who or what is a granny ?



Aloha !

[AvonA7]

Pics 08 onwards in this post - hats off to you
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2628876

This shows the attention to detail you pay, brilliant There are many excellent ownership reviews in Team-BHP and this thread along with few other belongs to some kind of Hall-of-Fame of ownership threads (not sure though if we have that category), IMO. Every post of you is so interesting and different from the previous one covering each and every aspect of your T-Fort.

Did you get the underbody of T-Fort cleaned regularly or during service, I mean so much dust accumulation? Just checking ... doesn't dust accumulation affect the longevity of the parts?

It's amazing if driven appropriately, how we get surprised by the FE, what your T-Fort returned is amazing considering its size and weight. I also have a plan to drive for FE once (BTW my vehicle is 1/2 the weight of your T-Fort though) and find out the time difference over same distance and of course the FE.

Though very late, still checking ... believe you recovered completely from your injured back, yes I know, I shouldn't be asking this as you had to bend your back to take those under-body pics of your T-Fort

[dot]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Finally can report some 'respectable' FE figures after days of ignominy of 14/15+ KMPL.

Now - who or what is a granny ?

I can almost hear Admiral giving out a loud sigh of relief, "finally back in real business, thanks for mollycoddling me and thank you".

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

1. Every post of you is so interesting and different from the previous one covering each and every aspect of your T-Fort.

2. Did you get the underbody of T-Fort cleaned regularly or during service, I mean so much dust accumulation? Just checking ... doesn't dust accumulation affect the longevity of the parts?

3. Though very late, still checking ... believe you recovered completely from your injured back, yes I know, I shouldn't be asking this as you had to bend your back to take those under-body pics of your T-Fort

Hi AvonA7,
Sorry...a little delayed in responding !

1. Thank you very much indeed for the comments, observations and for stopping by. Glad that you like the thread. Well just putting on paper what I experience with the Admiral- must say I have great fun doing that.

2. Till date I have got the underbody washed only during the regular servicing. I must admit that is a failing - should be taking it once in a month to a car wash bloke and have the underbody cleaned up. It helps reduce the unnecessary weight you carry around (yes - I am told almost 10-15 KGs of muck on an average gets cleaned out) and therefore very marginally improves the FE besides the other advantages of preventing, over a period of time, muck entering the vital joints etc. Especially during monsoons or after having driven in slushy conditions. But I am a little wary of taking it to non ASC joints as yet for this - just out of fear of collateral damage. Too much of a high pressure blast at a wrong point could damage/dislodge something (I am assuming ASCs know their stuff !) and then those guys would know a thing about it. Secondly as I have not been driving around in too much of a slushy condition/s as of now- so not very concerned.
Besides I have noticed that Admiral has a tendency to pick up a lot of under body particulates. Possibly so because, if you recollect in the early pages of this thread I had mentioned that I had asked the ASC chaps to do a thorough job on the anti rust Wurths treatment - they did so and possibly over did it as a result of which the underbody surfaces have all a thick and rough layer creating an ideal surface for muck to latch on. But then it forms a wonderful protective layer too and helps among other things filtering/dampening of noises into the cabin.

3. Thanks for asking - yes much better now (touchwood !) and should I dare say fighting/driving/cleaning/twistingtotakeunderbodysnaps fit. Well, I believe one should get these occasional knocks on the head to prevent one from taking the body for granted.

Originally Posted by dot

I can almost hear Admiral giving out a loud sigh of relief, "finally back in real business, thanks for mollycoddling me and thank you".

Hey dot,
You bet ! For a while it was total confusion in the old boy's brain (read ECU) whether he had been admitted to an old age/Cheshire home, what with all the genteel driving circumstances.

[Guderian]

Insurance Blues !

And how time flies...by the end of this month Admiral will have completed one year of running around on the roads of India...and with that comes the annual ritual of untying a Gordian knot called vehicle insurance !

In the first year Admiral was insured with Bharti Axa through the dealer. So as usual at the end of Jan got a call from the insurance blokes of my FNTD - Friendly Neighbourhood Toyota Dealer. And then began the ping pong game - starting with a fancy quote from them and I topspun the ball back to them asking them to be reasonable etc.

Meanwhile did the net search - Policybazaar comparisions, talked to ICICI Lombard, Bharti Axa directly etc. Quotes also received from couple of PSU Comps.
Wide ranges of charges and wider range of terms. On and on it went along for a merry 15 days. Variations in the IDV too surfaced.

Till finally, the deal was struck today with Bharti Axa through FNTD. As the vehicle was originally insured with B. Axa - thought would go with them.

Squeezed the FNTD yesterday and compared rates with the company directly again and found the deal quite reasonable.

Giving below the details (all figs in Rs.):

Keeping the IDV under wraps for this post - but the value was 10% lower than the first value insured.

1. Basic OD - 59,895.
(-) NCB (50%) - 29,948.
(-) Discount (55%) - 16,471.
2. Tot OD Premium - 13,476.
3. TP Calculations:
-Basic TP - 2,750.
-PA - Owner-driver -100.
-Unnamed PA (50K) for passengers - 175.
-LL Driver - 25.
Total TP Premium - 3,050

I wanted some 'Add On Covers' for various heads - like zero depreciation etc so:

4. Add Ons:
- Depreciation Cover - 5,376.
- Hospital Cash Cover - 700.
- Medical Expenses Cover - 525.
- Ambulance Charges Cover - 100.
- Road Side Assistance Cover - 365.
Total Add On Cover - 7066.
5. Total Premium - 23,592.
6. Service Tax (10.3%) - 2,430.

7. Grand Total - 26,022.

- I did not opt for Invoice Price Cover as it would have added another 8K to the Add On Premium and overall premium excluding taxes.

- I opted for the various 'Add On' heads for peace of mind ! Can give it a rethink next year. Without the 'Add Ons' the premium would have been about 19K.

So there you have it folks. Related all the above facts in detail so that in case it helps anyone through the process - jolly good then !

Comments ? Feedback ?

[SumitB]

This 50% NCB is a norm with all vehicles and insurance companies? Its really surprising to see that the 2nd year insurance premium is 26002/- which is way less that what I was expecting! How much was the insurance at the time of taking delivery of the vehicle? If I recall correctly, you also got a refund towards NCB of your previous vehicle.

[pramods]

I am surprised to see the quote, I paid almost double of this price for my renewal on my Yeti in Dec 2011 with add-on cover of 0 depreciation and other! You seems to have got a very good deal. This indicate you need to be a good negotiator and look for all insurance to get a good deal.

-Pramod

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by SumitB

This 50% NCB is a norm with all vehicles and insurance companies? Its really surprising to see that the 2nd year insurance premium is 26002/- which is way less that what I was expecting! How much was the insurance at the time of taking delivery of the vehicle? If I recall correctly, you also got a refund towards NCB of your previous vehicle.

Hi SumitB,
If you have no claims for 3 years (?) then the No Claim Bonus rises to a maximum of 50%. 50% is the max you can receive by way of No Claim Bonus.
The insurance amount while taking delivery of the vehicle was Rs. 76,494/-.
Yes, I transferred the NCB from my old vehicle to Admiral and got a NCB refund of about 30K couple of months later after due processing.

Originally Posted by pramods

I am surprised to see the quote...

Hi Pramod,
Frankly it's nothing great. As you can see from the figures the lion's share of the reduction was from the No Claim Bonus. I just negotiated a wee bit on the discount on the OD which finally came upto 55% from about 45 odd % given initially. The FNTD had, in its original proposal, given a discount of 45%.
I guess that is the standard norm if you go through a dealer - as I had experienced from the Scorpio days. When I spoke to Bharti directly one had to start negotiations from 0% discount and they were not willing to go beyond a certain % which was close to what the FNTD had initially offered. Later I also realised that the IDV taken by the insurance company was about 75K lesser than what the FNTD had taken. The FNTD had reduced the previous years IDV by 10% and the companies and insurance sites, I guess, by about 15%. So there was a difference there as well.
My guess is in your Yeti you may have got only one years NCB...and so the total amount was higher.