[Parth46]

Forum Members,

I had a quick request for feedback. Have booked the Asta (O) petrol in Bangalore and received this VIN number - MALA851CLEMG4LAEM. With this, I can only decode that the car has been manufactured in 2014, with SA mentioning January 2014. With the fast moving lots, i'm wondering why the car is not February manufactured, am I missing something?

Also, this VIN is slightly different in the sense that the last 6 characters are supposed to be numbers, and this is a mix of alpha-numeric characters. Even the Hyundai customer care was not able to decode this and the guy mentioned that the last 6 characters have to be only numbers. The SA is not very keen on showing me the Form 22 and saying that they only receive all this info from the company over e-mail and he can show me the printout with manufacturing details. Does the whole thing sound a bit fishy to someone or am I being overly paranoid? This is my first car purchase so look forward to your help.

I'll be taking the PDI checklist with me to the dealer yard tomorrow and verify the VIN and other details myself.

Thanks,
Parth

[gsurya]

@Parth46 : Yes buddy you are being paranoid a Jan 2014 VIN is pretty good. Just go for it. Ensure you do your PDI as per TBHP guidelines.

[Parth46]

Originally Posted by gsurya

@Parth46 : Yes buddy you are being paranoid a Jan 2014 VIN is pretty good. Just go for it. Ensure you do your PDI as per TBHP guidelines.

Thanks gsurya, Yeah completely agree on Jan VIN being totally fine.

Was just a bit confused on the weird VIN format as well as the lack of communication from the dealer. Will do a thorough PDI tomorrow at the yard and update.

[jha.shailesh]

Originally Posted by Parth46

Forum Members,

I had a quick request for feedback. Have booked the Asta (O) petrol in Bangalore and received this VIN number - MALA851CLEMG4LAEM. With this, I can only decode that the car has been manufactured in 2014, with SA mentioning January 2014.
Also, this VIN is slightly different in the sense that the last 6 characters are supposed to be numbers, and this is a mix of alpha-numeric characters. Even the Hyundai customer care was not able to decode this and the guy mentioned that the last 6 characters have to be only numbers.
Thanks,
Parth

This is a 17 characters, the Hyundai VIN has 19. It can be found under the drivers seat generally (also called Chassis Number sometimes). The last character there indicates the month.

[KPS]

Originally Posted by Sebring

What does it take to get a basic courtesy reply from Hyundai India? Had shot a mail to all concerned there, regarding possibility of a tyre upgrade and there is zero response. Zilch.
Just one auto reply. Already regretting moving to the Hyundai camp from Maruti which had pampered me silly.

In India, the manufacturers do not recommend tyre upgrades. Typically the OEM tyres reflect the desire of the manufacturer to maximise mileage. Sometimes warranty issues come up with tyre upgrades. Hence you need to reset your expectations.

Suggest you visit this thread

cheers

KPS

[Sebring]

Yes, Hyundai has communicated that. But to get that reply from them took a month. I'm not adamant on the tyre upgrade, just wanted the info. And Michelins are on the way, in the original spec. My folks are taking the car to Madhus.

[yosbert]

Originally Posted by Parth46

Have booked the Asta (O) petrol in Bangalore and received this VIN number - MALA851CLEMG4LAEM.

Can someone please clarify if two vehicles can have the first 11 characters of the VIN number same?
Parth, the last 6 characters mentioned above is the engine number. Another question, can these again be same for two cars?

I hope dealer is not trying to allocate the same car to both of us . PM me if you would like to sync up.

[Parth46]

Originally Posted by yosbert

Can someone please clarify if two vehicles can have the first 11 characters of the VIN number same?
Parth, the last 6 characters mentioned above is the engine number. Another question, can these again be same for two cars?

I hope dealer is not trying to allocate the same car to both of us . PM me if you would like to sync up.

Just PM'd you my cell number. Let's get connected and figure this out.

Parth

[aaggoswami]

I got my car on 17-Feb-2014. It was barely 26 kms run till then. Car has a 17 digit VIN, which made it very difficult for me to crack the month of manufacture. The year of manufacture is confirmed in the existing VIN and it happens to be 2014 which is fair enough as of now for me.

However, the real reason for this post : I am scared to take the engine above 2000 rpm and this is what the manual says.
Yes, for the break in period, Hyundai suggests that the car should be driven in range of 2000-4000 rpm, speed should not be kept constant. Thanks to horrible traffic, speed in any case will not be constant. But what about RPM ? Is it really safe to take engine to 2500 rpm ( i.e. the point where I am planning to upshift ) ?

I had initial plans of not revving the engine above 2000 rpm and not to take the car out on highway. Considering what Hyundai is suggesting, the car can be run on highway and I must revv engine to 2.5K rpm before changing a gear. Current odo reading is 70 kms.

EDIT : IMO, its raw arrogance or pure foolishness of Hyundai for not offering the music system as an accessory. Maruti gives the dual din music system available in Wagon R VXi as an accessory in lower variants. Hyundai, for some reason, does not. I am again very scared to get that stuff installed from any local shop/accessory fitter.

My car's VIN is : MALA851DLEM073643. The character before 7 is either ZERO (0) or O (O). Can anybody please help me in decoding this VIN ?

[yosbert]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I got my car on 17-Feb-2014. It was barely 26 kms run till then. Car has a 17 digit VIN, which made it very difficult for me to crack the month of manufacture. The year of manufacture is confirmed in the existing VIN and it happens to be 2014 which is fair enough as of now for me.

If you want to find out the month of manufacture, look below the driver seat (towards the front). The VIN number should be engraved on a metal strip along with the last two digits (the 18th is a * and 19th should give you month of manufacture).

[amit1234singla]

Hyundai has launched the Extended Warranty for Grand i10. Prices for petrol variants for Delhi NCR are:

3rd year (or 60k km's) - rs.3,368
3rd and 4th year (or 80k km's) - rs.8,421

Hyundai has a free car care camp going on from 28th Feb to 9th Mar. During this period 15% discount is available on 3rd year EW and 20% on 3rd and 4th year.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I got my car on 17-Feb-2014. It was barely 26 kms run till then. Car has a 17 digit VIN, which made it very difficult for me to crack the month of manufacture.

Congratulations on your new Grand i10, aaggoswami! 26 km should be the distance travelled between the stockyard, RTO, showroom etc. which is perfectly fine.

The 17 digit VIN is the one on the sticker (on the glass) and on the plate (in the engine bay). You already know the year (2014) from the character 'E' in the VIN. There is also a 19 character VIN (which includes these 17 digits, * and a letter) which is stamped on the metal panel below the driver's seat, as previously mentioned by yosbert. The last letter of this 19 character VIN represents the month of manufacture, where 'A' stands for January and 'B' for February.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Yes, for the break in period, Hyundai suggests that the car should be driven in range of 2000-4000 rpm, speed should not be kept constant. Thanks to horrible traffic, speed in any case will not be constant. But what about RPM ? Is it really safe to take engine to 2500 rpm ( i.e. the point where I am planning to upshift ) ?

This only means you should not over rev the engine (>4000 rpm). Anything less should be fine. Additionally, the rpm should NOT be kept constant (like while cruising on the highway) but varied in the mentioned range. Is yours a petrol or diesel?

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I had initial plans of not revving the engine above 2000 rpm and not to take the car out on highway. Considering what Hyundai is suggesting, the car can be run on highway and I must revv engine to 2.5K rpm before changing a gear. Current odo reading is 70 kms.

You can take it on the highway, no problem - just don't maintain a constant rpm while cruising.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

EDIT : IMO, its raw arrogance or pure foolishness of Hyundai for not offering the music system as an accessory. Maruti gives the dual din music system available in Wagon R VXi as an accessory in lower variants. Hyundai, for some reason, does not. I am again very scared to get that stuff installed from any local shop/accessory fitter.

I think the reason (quite a valid one, IMO) is because of the standard music system's design. It may be similar in size to a 2-DIN unit, but it has a weird, non-rectangular layout - the two rotary knobs and the bottom row buttons are integrated (separately from the main unit) into the dash. So it may not be a good idea to allow dealers to drill holes in the dashboard to fit the music system. They could have provided the OEM music system as a complete kit (along with the entire panel around the vents and hazard warning switch) to the dealers. Or they could have offered a similar looking 2-DIN system as an accessory, one that would fit into the 2-DIN slot provided.

I agree with you on not letting the after-market accessory guys tinker with the electricals on your car. There is a solution, though. You can buy the music system and speakers of your choice from the accessory shops (or online etc.) and then get them fitted by the dealer. You will be charged for labour, but your vehicle's warranty will be intact. You can store the fitment bill as proof that the music system was installed by Hyundai approved technicians.

[BenjiRoss]

I am trying to decide between the i10 Grand and the Etios Liva. Am looking at the petrol versions with airbags and ABS.
i10 Grand scores well on features and design while Liva scores well in Space.
I will test drive both these cars and see.
Space is important as while it will mostly be three of us in the car, there will be five at times.
I will make 1-2 highway trips a month - about 300 km for each trip.
While comfort is important, I am not too flussed about interior looks, etc.
I am a sedate driver.
Will have a child car seat fixed in the car at all times.
Hmm.... wonder what will help me decide between the two.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I am trying to decide between the i10 Grand and the Etios Liva. Am looking at the petrol versions with airbags and ABS.
i10 Grand scores well on features and design while Liva scores well in Space.
I will test drive both these cars and see.
Space is important as while it will mostly be three of us in the car, there will be five at times.
I will make 1-2 highway trips a month - about 300 km for each trip.
While comfort is important, I am not too flussed about interior looks, etc.
I am a sedate driver.
Will have a child car seat fixed in the car at all times.
Hmm.... wonder what will help me decide between the two.

A few points :

1) LIVA : Consider this, can you live with centrally spaced instrument console ? I could not. At night, it can be distracting to others and the driver, who needs the info, has to make special effort to see the speedo/odo, fuel gauge ( which is not very legible/visible).

2) LIVA : Just try to use the horn. You will come to know that it feels as the horn in Inside the cabin! This also can get very irritating over a period of time.

3) LIVA : Dont know about others, but I was not satisfied with that single wiper.

Positives of Liva :
-> Better space
-> Better ride, in city or on highway
-> Presumed lower maintenance

Positives of Grand i10 :
-> A nice petrol motor
-> Very nice NVH
-> Much better interiors

To conclude, Liva feels a bit like Taxi segment car and Grand i10 feels a nice family compact car.
Try to take a longer TD to get a better picture overall. Liva's ride is impressive but as an entire package it falls short IMO.

[CARDEEP]

^^^ Moreover, the Liva does not sells as much as the Grand i10. This may affect the resale & availability of spares in long run.