[Crosscountryman]

Originally Posted by DarkerThanBlack

Has anyone tried putting LED Bulbs in Thar's Headlights?

I have seen many members and some YouTubers not recommending LED bulbs for reflector housing. But, after watching many videos on LED Bulbs for Wrangler, I am thinking of giving it a try, as the problem is with their alignment and not with the bulbs themselves.

Any Thoughts?

Thanks

My dealer had put MRX LED 55W bulbs in the stock headlights of my Thar, as part of essential accessory. They have been fabulous 16k Kms and 8 months down the line on all types of surfaces I've taken my Thar to - Snow, Himalayas, Highway.
In fact, these lights are better than my Skoda Kodiaq factory fitted LED Set-up.

[vellatechie]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I have a couple of those long and narrow trunk organizers from Amazon. They fit into the narrow boot area of the Thar and carry what I deem to be necessary as permanent vehicle kit comprising...

This is an excellent list. Thank you. If you have any links for the items you've bought or are happy with. Please share. Thank you.

[DarkerThanBlack]

Originally Posted by Crosscountryman

My dealer had put MRX LED 55W bulbs in the stock headlights of my Thar, as part of essential accessory.

My dealer (JS4Wheel, Alwar) didn't mention any such thing about LED bulbs. If they would have provided those bulbs then I would have opted for that.

After researching so much about LED bulbs I got very confused, also I didn't want to spend much, as I have already spent so much money on buying Thar. So, I decided to get pair of Philips Halogens for the time being. I am very happy with their performance.

Also, Can you please share beam patterns at both high and low beams, as I am worried that LED bulbs might blind the oncoming traffic due to Thar's Height and Scattering by reflector.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by vellatechie

This is an excellent list. Thank you. If you have any links for the items you've bought or are happy with. Please share. Thank you.

Every single thing mentioned here is available on Amazon and Flipkart. You can very easily curate your own ‘Car Kit’ from there using that list.

[darthvader001]

Honestly LED lights just look good but are absolutely useless in the driving rain, mist and fog. I have put Philips G Force extreme vision white halogen bulbs in the headlamps. This is a straight swap. 55W 12 V. Available on Amazon for Rs 1800 for a pair of bulbs. I did this last year sometime.

On the last Saturday I chose to switch out my OEM grill and fix the Wrangler JL lookalike grille from Bimbra. The OEM fog lamps which are mounted in the OEM bumper have been swapped out to a clean plug and play halogen solution costing about 7000 Rs. These lamps have three colours. White, warm white and yellow. And they are simply operated by switching the main headlamp and integrated fog lamp switch, on and off to change their colour. Today, I chose to invest in a pair of superb Hella 700FF Amber/ Yellow halogens as additional illumination as well as to enhance the tough Jeep look. These are mounted on a bolt on bracket from Bimbra. Absolutely no drilling and all. They have introduced a relay switch inside the bonnet and spliced the wires. And a small switch inside the cabin below the steering wheel switches these lights on and off.

In all honesty, this set up is more than sufficient for the kind of heavy driving rain, mist and fog that we often encounter here in the hill stations of South India, to which I am a very frequent visitor through the year. I have placed some pictures here of what I have done, for others to see and evaluate.

Hi, curious question, does it not impact the people coming in the opposite direction? From my personal view, few times felt the lights on some cars were too much for the road (like a high beam). Also in some bikes as well, they're using 2 separate lights next to the main headlight making it look like 3 (like an auto).

And in the areas which you mentioned (hill station/ghat road), where there is just single lane for each side, it may be even more constrain on the eyes right? That too the dark yellow lights are bit more affecting.

[daf23]

I've been facing some issues with my driver's seat lately.

There is a lot of play whenever I cross speed-breakers at a dead slow speed. The play is so evident that it hurts the back

I did fiddle with the seat but couldn't find anything loose or out of order.

Anyone experienced this? Any solution?

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by darthvader001

Hi, curious question, does it not impact the people coming in the opposite direction?

Excellent question and thank you for asking it. It's all about the focus of the lamps.

Headlamps in India should actually be focussed towards the left side road shoulder. The same goes for the OEM foglamps integrated into the bumper and certainly for the aftermarket bulbs too in both the above cases.

External foglamps should be adjusted so as to illuminate the path ahead and should never point upwards where they can interfere with the oncoming traffic.

It's a combination of common sense and experience that will ensure that one’s illumination requirements are met while remaining compliant with the law and not causing difficulty to others on the road.

This is why I personally will never endorse light bars and flickering strobes and all the other jazzy stuff that one gets by way of lighting options.
The only intent in my vehicles is to ensure proper and effective illumination with zero difficulties to others.

[Vikbats]

Originally Posted by wooka

I'd like to, but I'm afraid, it's a confidential system. The circular # is the best I can do =)

However, the DEF dosing valve has been swapped. Don't let them just 'unclog' it.

Hi wooka

Hope it all worked out.

A brief update to why you had the DPF issue and any do's and don'ts. Learnings if any. Any swaps/recalls. These will help with alleviating the Mhawk anxiety on our upcoming Zanskar trip.

Thanks

[managhatke77]

I test drive the Thar petrol automatic yesterday, was plesantly surprised by the refinement of the petrol engine.

The car was a breeze to drive in Bangalore traffic.

The Sales Rep mentioned that they have many colors of the Thar readily available and can get the car immediately. I was surprised because if i remember correctly Thar has atleast 6 months of waiting at some point.

I also checked out OLX and see many preowned Thar's for sale.

Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

[darthvader001]

Excellent question and thank you for asking it. It's all about the focus of the lamps.

Headlamps in India should actually be focussed towards the left side road shoulder. The same goes for the OEM foglamps integrated into the bumper and certainly for the aftermarket bulbs too in both the above

This is why I personally will never endorse light bars and flickering strobes and all the other jazzy stuff that one gets by way of lighting options.
The only intent in my vehicles is to ensure proper and effective illumination with zero difficulties to others.

Thanks for taking a healthy argument on this topic.

Continuing - understood about focus and direction of the lamps. But are the no. of lamps themselves not more? I mean, I look at the last pic of the car you attached on 21st Jul and feel with all of them ON, it will give glare to oncoming traffic right? Or the brightness of all of them together may glare right? I'm concerned mainly in the single lane hill Station roads. I may be wrong because of seeing some cars with such lights on the road with very high brightness.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by darthvader001

Thanks for taking a healthy argument on this topic.

But are the no. of lamps themselves not more? I mean, I look at the last pic of the car you attached on 21st Jul and feel with all of them ON, it will give glare to oncoming traffic right? .

Absolutely.
1. The headlamps are of stock wattage.
2. The Bumper integrated Fog Lamps and DRLs are very much a part of the standard vehicle but yes I have substituted the OEMs with three colour bulbs - amber is very good for misty conditions.
3. The Hella 700FFs Big Halogen Foglamps
Mounted on the Bumper - those cast a Yellow Light - and these are never switched on just like that - as you can see they are covered and will remain covered until the time I actually encounter a situation which necessitates their use or when I judge that I am likely to be on the road in foggy conditions. At that time one pulls off the covers.

Yes when all 6 lights are on the whole car front will be lit up like a Christmas Tree and in conditions of deep mist and fog these do serve as an indication to oncoming traffic that we are on the road. The effect of the lights is mitigated significantly by the fog itself. And in such conditions, one will be driving very slowly indeed as per my experience.
Lastly when one notes the presence of oncoming traffic in a head on configuration which may be encountered around bends in the hills, one usually switches the big foglamps off. Yes definitely in the hills in poor light people tend to drive on high beam but the etiquette is always to dip ones lights when one notes oncoming vehicles.
Dont forget when one drives in an anticipatory manner in the hills, one can see oncoming traffic headlamps from miles away.
The main thing in all this is knowing when and how to use these illumination aids in a responsible manner.
And I ve driven in the hilly areas all my early life having grown up there and hence am extremely familiar with road etiquette in those parts.

Originally Posted by managhatke77

was plesantly surprised by the refinement of the petrol engine.

The car was a breeze to drive in Bangalore traffic.

Thar readily available and can get the car immediately.

Thar has atleast 6 months of waiting at some point.
many preowned Thar's for sale.

Do you think the Thar hype is dying down?

Replying separately to this and not multi quoting because it is a different topic entirely.

1. Easy to drive: Most certainly the Thar Petrol AT is a breeze to drive in traffic and on the highways. Its short chassis and responsive engine make it pretty maneuverable despite its width and seeming bulk. Its hydraulic power steering is weighted just right as per me.
2. Availability: Yes Thar is more or less readily available. Especially the Petrol variants. If you ask for a Diesel AT and Hardtop and Diesel Manual Hardtop there will be a waiting period because these are the variants that are most in demand.
3. Used Thars: Yes there are plenty of cases of buyers remorse in people buying the Thar with their hearts, carried away by the looks and the go anywhere adventuring ability etc. But then, while everyone may dream of the Spiti Valley or Pangong Tso, only a small percentage of people will actually end up driving there in their Thars.

In summation, the Thar is not perfect for everyone, it is a nice lifestyle vehicle and its only a few people who have one as there sole vehicle for their all round daily use. The 3 door configuration and the lack of luggage space and the inconvenience of hopping in and out of the back do not make for a very family friendly vehicle. Plus truth be told, in its stock avatar the vehicle is bumpy, sways, pitches and rolls and nose dives. To rid it of these uncomforrable traits one has to upgrade the suspension. There is no way out.

However, saying all of the above, for many of us who own one, it is a super go anywhere Indian alternative to the highly desirable but totally unaffordable Jeep Wrangler and the Thar comes home at 20% of the Wrangler’s price. Thats why I have one and thats one of the reasons why I just love it.

[darthvader001]

Yes when all 6 lights are on the whole car front will be lit up like a Christmas Tree and in conditions of deep mist and fog these do serve as an indication to oncoming traffic that we are on the road. The effect of the lights is mitigated significantly by the fog itself. And in such conditions, one will be driving very slowly indeed as per my experience.
Lastly when one notes the presence of oncoming traffic in a head on configuration which may be encountered around bends in the hills, one usually switches the big foglamps off. Yes definitely in the hills in poor light people tend to drive on high beam but the etiquette is always to dip ones lights when one notes oncoming vehicles.
Dont forget when one drives in an anticipatory manner in the hills, one can see oncoming traffic headlamps from miles away.
The main thing in all this is knowing when and how to use these illumination aids in a responsible manner.
And I ve driven in the hilly areas all my early life having grown up there and hence am extremely familiar with road etiquette in those parts.

Actually makes sense and as long as those additional lights are not misused. Few cars, I've seen were using these in the city or suburbs. Using high beam itself is not needed in the city limits and these people use these additional lights too. God, it is horrible to drive against these lights.

Hope people will be considerate not to use high beam or these additional lights inside city or suburbs, the road etiquette.

[wooka]

Originally Posted by Vikbats

Hi wooka

.... why you had the DPF issue and any do's and don'ts. Learnings if any. Any swaps/recalls. These will help with alleviating the Mhawk anxiety....

Hey,

So the DPF issue is avoided by=
1. Engine harness update (yes, there is a recall.. Check for 930/950 model numbers for MT and AT diesel.)
2. Drive high RPM.
3. Don't idle it to heat the engine. Just start driving. Avoid high RPMs and you avoid low RPMs, alike. Once warm, stick to medium - high RPMs. More than the RPM I feel the accelerator position is important - half pedal is ideal. I keep low accelerator input when the engine is at low rpm (even at 1400-1600) and gradually bring it up to the desired 1800-2200 range.
4. Don't lug at any costs!

I've done tons of highway and hill miles now - back to zero problems. In fact, never had to do a manual regen or even got the first DPF warning, save for the harness induced instance.

Mahindra isn't giving us a larger DPF capacity. We must learn to make do.

[batish]

Is this problem with everyone with stock headlamps and fog lamps?



Isn't fog lamps beam supposed to end where headlamps beam start, like merge rather than this huge dark gap?

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by batish

Isn't fog lamps beam supposed to end where headlamps beam start, like merge rather than this huge dark gap?

You should be able to address this by adequate headlamp leveling.