[VeluM]

Automatics really should come with disc brakes in front at least, whatever the segment. Even the humble Maruti 800 automatic that my Uncle had in the late 90s had disc brakes in front. There will be some engine braking with an AMT, but most people will still be completely dependent on the brakes.

[jeepster_chd]

With the marriage season in full bloom, I have been travelling a lot all this while across the length and breadth of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. I drove so much of my Bolero that for the marriage of my cousin last Friday on 29th January, I decided to take wify’s Nano out. After all, it was going to be a small 2 hour 100 km journey and I was also excited to know how Nano feels out there on the highway.

The journey from Chandigarh to Nangal was a breeze. Driving at 70-80 km/h, Nano felt sure-footed and very comfortable, no bounciness at all. Upon reaching the destination I was further delighted to learn that Nano has delivered an impressive 22.5 kmpl. The rest of the day was spent ferrying relatives to the venue and helping the workers onsite. Everyone who sat in the car was all praise for it – be it space, comfort or quality of interior.

May be, it was this praise that got on to my head and I forgot what I had previously decided .i.e. to leave for Chandigarh only during the day. Once we had the dinner, me and wify decided to leave for the Chandigarh during the night itself. So, me, wify, my daughters (2 and 4) and my dad got onto the car and started are journey back.

The sky was clear, no fog, very pleasant weather, it was an almost perfect night to drive. Cruising at 70-80 kmph we were heading towards Kurali (Chandigarh is about 30 km from here) when without warning Nano just died; using the momentum I was able to park her on the side of the road. It was 1:27 a.m. and the sound of strange creatures from the fields around was clearly audible. I immediately realized that we are in deep trouble.

A frantic search on the internet got me the Tata Motor’s helpline number 1800 209 7979. A call on this number and after a lot of ‘verification’, if I may call it so, my call was forwarded to the technical department which again after further verification of details forwarded it to the technician. It was a conference call with Tata’s representative and the technician whose location was Ropar (20-30km) from the location of breakdown. The technician bluntly declined to visit. However, the helpline guy was supportive, he asked me to be on standby while he tries to connect me to some other technician.

My phone rings, it is the call from the Tata helpline guy – Vishal, who had promised call back. Now Vishal connects me to a technician in Mohali who assures me that he will reach us within 1 hour or less. Somehow, I am not confident that someone will really come to help and if someone does come to help, I feared whether the technician will able to mend the car or not.
What I was now thinking was that how to get out of this situation. To hell with the car, I wanted to get my family out of this risky situation.

I called a couple of cab operators in Chandigarh, all of whom refused to help. I then made the last call on a number I found from Google and to my surprise this guy listened to me very patiently and assured me assistance in lieu of 1000 bucks to which I agreed. For the distance and moreover, the situation I was struck in, 1000 rupees made sense. The guy assured that the driver himself will call me in a couple of minutes and the cab will be by my side in no more than 30 minutes.

The clock struck 2. Half an hour had already passed making frantic attempts for help. The cabbie called me as promised and told me that he was leaving Chandigarh and will reach us in next half an hour. I felt little relaxed as I knew the help was on its way. Believe me, I was not thinking about the car at this moment. I was ready to abandon it for now.

15-20 more minutes passed when my phone rang. It was Yashpal Singh – the Tata technician. I picked his call and described him my location and in next 5 minutes he was attending to my car.

Using mobile phone torch, he was checking the battery terminals and some points underneath the dashboard but couldn’t find the cause. It was then he changed his focus towards the fuel pump which can be accessed from underneath the passenger’s seat. What he found was startling – the car had no fuel left. However, the gauge was showing ‘F’ for full and DTE as 413.

To all those who are thinking that I am stupid and not aware of how much distance I have driven after the tankful, here a couple of points to note. Nano is not my primary drive. My wife had filled up the tank a day before (and drove no more than 15-20 kms afterwards (though I doubt) + around 175 kms that I drove) and above all, you never expect the fuel gauge going kaput. Moreover, during the past 7 months of ownership, Nano had never malfunctioned in any which way.

While all this was going on and I was cursing my stars, the cab I had booked arrived. I asked the driver to wait for some time. The Tata Technician said that he will request a tow truck for me and the car will have to be towed to Mohali, the place where I live, place where the nearest Tata dealer is available. All this was going to take at least an hour or more.

However, after some time, I don’t know due to some divinely intervention or what, Yashpal wanted to himself tow our Nano (with his Logan) to the nearest filling station some 5 km away in the Kurali town. Yashpal and the cabbie helped fix the tow and we were towed to the nearest filling station which to our bad luck was closed. However, due to the manpower now we had, we were able to pursue the attendant to help us and he too obliged.
To test the system and to be able to reach home, we filled in petrol worth 300 rupees. The gauge still showed tank as full ‘F’. This confirmed Yashpal’s doubt. I cranked the engine; it fired as if nothing was wrong. I thanked Yashpal and gave cabbie 1000 rupees and started journey toward home after a 2 hour delay. The cabbie followed me to my home to ensure that we reached safely.

I thank both these guys for preserving the qualities which every other human being is fast loosing these days. They went out of the way to help us. Not for a moment did we felt that we are in the wrong hands. I also thank the Customer Support guy Vishal, who did call back with help as promised.

Next morning (day before yesterday), I woke up late. And immediately, I rushed to Macro Ventures – the Tata Motors dealer and service center in Mohali. I told the service adviser about the yesterday night’s harrowing experience and how their technician felt that the cause of the incidence was the faulty gauge. Macro Ventures spent an entire day on evaluating the problem and they did rectify it (what appears as of now). However, upon asking as to what went wrong, their answer was that ‘’sir, it was a minor issue. A couple of clamps got loosened which they have now tightened and this should not happen again.”

Now, this might be a minor issue as advised by the technician, however, what I have been through, my confidence is shattered. My other ride is Mahindra Bolero which is crude to the core and ever since, I bought the new Nano XTA I always held Tata high for the quality, finesse, experience they delivered for the price compared to Mahindra. However, Bolero may be crude, bounces a lot, has sharp edges, rattles and lacks every other creature comfort; it has never ever stranded us anywhere during the last 4 years and 71000 kms across Himalayas, roads, no roads, anywhere.

Tata niggles was a term often heard of but with the dawn of Zest era, I always thought that Tata niggles are a thing from the past. But see, how wrong I was. No matter how beautiful they may make a car, how premium interiors they may offer, the inherit qualities do not go easy; they are in fact, here to stay.

And the one I experienced wasn’t a niggle, it was a breakdown.

[sairamboko]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

With the marriage season in full bloom, I have been travelling a lot all this while across the length and breadth of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. I drove so much of my Bolero that for the marriage of my cousin last Friday on 29th January, I decided to take wify’s Nano out. After all, it was going to be a small 2 hour 100 km journey and I was also excited to know how Nano feels out there on the highway.
.

Sorry to hear about your experience but glad to know that you were able to get back safely! This kind of experience is why the reputation of TATA is going down. I have a nano and I will be mostly upgrading to a compact sedan or hatchback this year end. Bolt and Zest are not at the top of my list now because of QA issues and reliability. I hope things improve soon.

[T-Bone]

Originally Posted by KTM_aravind

Guys, has anyone got issues with the brakes ? My brakes get tight sometimes and needs to be pumped a few times to get it back to normal. The play reduces when this happens and it becomes hard right from the first position to push in. After forcefully pushing it in a few times it returns to normal. This happen mostly during turns. Any idea what this could be? Kudlu gate Service guys couldn't reproduce the issues so they had no idea what it was.

Originally Posted by john doe

I feel the problem as described is More Of brake bleeding issue. Air pockets in the hydraulic fluid need to be bled so that when the brakes are applied, the feel of the brakes will be instant and as it should.

Hi Aravind,

Like John has rightly pointed out, please get the brake fluid bled.

Mine is a 2012 Nano LX. I too have faced similar issues like brakes not biting or sometimes pedal becomes hard.

Bleeding the brake fluid fixed the issue.

Thanks & Regards,
T-Bone.

[rangan]

too bad!! Good to hear that it was sorted with no major damages.

The Nano's fuel gauge is very faulty. Of the 6 bars in the fuel gauge the last four give only 40% of the distance.

[perty]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

And the one I experienced wasn’t a niggle, it was a breakdown.

Glad that you were able to get out of this situation safely.

This reminds me of my own poor experience with Tata's on road assistance (which I believe is out sourced to TVS) when my 2011 Nano CX broke down in the heart of Bangalore at around 8 PM. The on road assistance guy never turned up, inspite of customer care repeatedly assuring me that he was on the way. Eventually, after multiple angry calls and after a 4 hour wait they put me onto a conference call with a customer care person and the towing guy who said his own towing vehicle had broken down so he couldnt make it. I gave both of them an earful for it, as I could have atleast made alternate arrangements if they had communicated this correctly to me before.
The next day, I called them up again to raise a new complaint and apparently they had closed my previous complaint stating that 'customer was not present at the location and was not picking calls when contacted'.

When I purchased the Nano GenX, I couldnt help laughing when I saw the on road assistance guarantee, which states that within city limits, ORA is guaranteed within 1 hour.

My takeaway from that whole episode was, no matter what they say on paper and over the phone, its not guaranteed that they are going to be available at all times. ( though that's probably not limited to Tata's on road assistance alone )

Once again, I'm glad that you came out of the situation safely.

[KTM_aravind]

Thank you guys for replying! I felt that It could need bleeding and wasn't aware that the booster small could also be the cause behind this problem. Will try and get it checked.

I am facing a bit on an issue of sorts in the steering. I get feedback in the steering when I am driving in bad roads. Which was not the case before. The steering felt quite dampened earlier. Anyone else faced this issue

[KTM_aravind]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

With the marriage season in full bloom, I have been travelling a lot all this while across the length and breadth of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. I drove so much of my Bolero that for the marriage of my cousin last Friday on 29th January, I decided to take wify’s Nano out. After all, it was going to be a small 2 hour 100 km journey and I was also excited to know how Nano feels out there on the highway.

The journey from Chandigarh to Nangal was a breeze. Driving at 70-80 km/h, Nano felt sure-footed and very comfortable, no bounciness at all. Upon reaching the destination I was further delighted to learn that Nano has delivered an impressive 22.5 kmpl. The rest of the day was spent ferrying relatives to the venue and helping the workers onsite. Everyone who sat in the car was all praise for it – be it space, comfort or quality of interior.
.......................

I am glad that TATA customer service guys could help you on time. I would not have counted on it if I were you! Good to know that you're safe.

[T-Bone]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Automatics really should come with disc brakes in front at least, whatever the segment. Even the humble Maruti 800 automatic that my Uncle had in the late 90s had disc brakes in front. There will be some engine braking with an AMT, but most people will still be completely dependent on the brakes.

Hi Velu,

I agree that Nano could have come with disc brakes albeit not in front but at the rear. That is, front drum brakes and rear disc brakes.

Reason: In normal scenario, cars are either FR or FWD setup, either ways the front end is heavier and braking causes the car's weight to shift forward, as a result most of the work is done by the front brakes. In such car's front disc brakes makes sense but in case of nano it's a RR setup and the front is relatively much lighter. Braking forces on front brakes are not pronounced as much as in FR/FWR cars so why disc brakes at front?

Summary: In case Tata's does decide to put in disc brakes then I would suggest that disc brakes be installed at the back and not front. I know they have better engineers then me but just my thought

[alphahere]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

Next morning (day before yesterday), I woke up late. And immediately, I rushed to Macro Ventures – the Tata Motors dealer and service center in Mohali. I told the service adviser about the yesterday night’s harrowing experience and how their technician felt that the cause of the incidence was the faulty gauge. Macro Ventures spent an entire day on evaluating the problem and they did rectify it (what appears as of now). However, upon asking as to what went wrong, their answer was that ‘’sir, it was a minor issue. A couple of clamps got loosened which they have now tightened and this should not happen again.”

Sorry to hear that you had fallen prey to the infamous faulty fuel gauge. Please refer to my earlier post for the solution that I took for fixing this:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post3900644

Thankfully I did not get stuck in a difficult situation like yours because I felt there was something wrong when the fuel level did not drop even after driving quite a bit. For all we know it could be a design problem and replacing the unit may/may not fix the problem permanently. Advice you to somehow keep a watch on the amount of fuel in the car which becomes a problem when multiple users use it.

[sumithb]

We added a new member to the family yesterday, presenting my wife's Damson Purple Nano XTA. I'll let pictures do the talking.









Siblings


Delivery Experience:
Bought it from Wason Motors, Chembur, Mumbai. The delivery experience was subpar. Reached the dealership as per appointment at 11:30 AM. I could see from the lounge that our Nano was being prepped for delivery. This should have been done before the agreed delivery time.

Anyways, was patiently waiting for them to finish washing and polishing. This took better part of an hour. Meanwhile, through the glass facade I noticed that they had messed up fitting the alloys. The broader one on the left side was upfront. I had to forcefully tell them to check before they admitted the mistake and went about swapping them the right way. The dollops of white goo they applied made both the exteriors and interiors sticky. The carpet was dusty. All in all, it was all very underwhelming. Was glad to get my hands on the keys and drive out of there.

Spent couple of hours washing, cleaning and polishing the car today morning, now everything is right in the world again

[zaheer5776]

Originally Posted by jeepster_chd

The sky was clear, no fog, very pleasant weather, it was an almost perfect night to drive. Cruising at 70-80 kmph we were heading towards Kurali (Chandigarh is about 30 km from here) when without warning Nano just died; using the momentum I was able to park her on the side of the road. It was 1:27 a.m. and the sound of strange creatures from the fields around was clearly audible. I immediately realized that we are in deep trouble.

Thanks for sharing your story. I am owner of Tata Nano Lx 2011 Model. This car has never disappointed me on long or short journeys. I had read about Tata Niggles and all but still can't believe because of the fact that my Nano has been a fantastic car so far.

Coming back to the topic, Now I will be much more careful with my Nano from your experience as my Nano is older one and I think I shouldn't take any risk during long journey. My longest journey was 2000 Km round trip in my Nano and I didn't even have to face a single puncture. But now I realize I was at risk as I drove through forest and tribal areas at 2 am with no mobile connectivity. I just had blind faith on my Nano! Till now I have never had any trouble with this car. But after reading such experiences I ought be more careful with Tata car!

[perty]

Got a call from Prerana motors today. They are recalling Nano's for a fog lamp replacement. The lady at the other end of the phone didnt use the word 'recall' and referred to it as 'mandatory part replacement to be completed by 14th'. Not sure how binding that last date is, but generally expect TML to be lenient on that front as I have only been given a 3 day advance notice. Will book an appointment sometime during the coming days to have this done

[west]

Hi guys, it has been 6 years 5 months I got my nano, one of the first lot. problems faced till now are not much. Clutch replaced twice in 18000 kms . I used to get 11-12 in city first couple of years now after second software upgrade I get 15 with out a/c in city. In long I used to get 24 kmpl now I get 32. I spent 30 thousand for services , accidents replacements , and pay 2500 /year on insurance.Im very happy with the car and will keep it for 4 more years

[sairamboko]

Originally Posted by perty

Got a call from Prerana motors today. They are recalling Nano's for a fog lamp replacement. The lady at the other end of the phone didnt use the word 'recall' and referred to it as 'mandatory part replacement to be completed by 14th'. Not sure how binding that last date is, but generally expect TML to be lenient on that front as I have only been given a 3 day advance notice. Will book an appointment sometime during the coming days to have this done

What versions of Nano is covered by this recall? Any particular year of manufacturing affected by this recall?