[Yogi Arun]

Originally Posted by MohammedEza

This is typical force motors dealership stuffs. I think you have an issue with wiring harness. Some Xtreme users had their wiring kit and the common symptoms being sudden lack of power. My experience with dealership is also now starting to change as I am encountering more issues. The dealerships doesn't care about Gurkha owners. I have taken my vehicle for 2nd service at Pathanamthitta National Motors. They did not fix any of my issues. I had them locally checked and repaired in local workshops (the issues only needed few tightening of bolts).

If you wish I will connect you with other Gurkha owners who are 100 times more helpful than 'authorized' dealers. I highly recommend you to get your vehicle checked with local workshops and find out the reason for the issue. It seems no matter how much loud we scream, it all falls on deaf ears. So get aquatinted with a good mechanic and we are good to go. The Gurkha is a very good vehicle, but fundamentally it has some issues (like thick black smoke from exhaust, misaligned diff which causes oil leak, shearing of steering box mount, wiring harness, etc) the dealerships are unaware or acting dumb of these issues and don't want to help.

ya man. They all seem to know nothing. its so weird. I h ave been taking the car back to the dealership once a month till lockdown hit. It's really ridiculous. Actually I would really apperiatiate if you could connect me to knowledgable onwers. Coz i really want to get mine in order. I knew that i would have to do a lot of work on the car and always thought of keeping it as my second car.

I actually submitted a complaint to consumer court last week. I only have one more week left on my warranty so if they can't figure out what is wrong with the car, i'm gonna get them to replace the entire engine. I will check out the wire harness. thanks for the advice brother.

Originally Posted by sirjokhi

Hello Yogi,
I was going through the thread as it is wonderfully written and I came across your post. You mentioned that the car works fine in cold conditions. I am no expert but from prior experience there is a possibility that your engine is overheating. Please check the gauge next time. Also check if radiator has coolant inside. As Gurkha's are prone to rust, you must check if there is any sort of sludge floating around in the radiator as well. Such experiences always ruin the ownership of a vehicle especially new ones. I am not sure what the problem is but do get it fixed at the earliest and I wouldn't be driving if the engine was giving up frequently. My thar had the same coolant leak which was undetectable so I changed all the pipes from the radiator leading to engine. That fixed the problem. ALso please notice if the Air conditioning starts throwing hot air next time the car has trouble.
Regards
Neil

the engine isn't over heating actually. since the coolant leakage issue that happened last year, i am always monitoring the gauge. I notice that when the atmosphere is cool, that is late nights, early morning and if the car hasn't run for long that day, the engine performs in the original condition. but when the surrounding get hot, like driving in the city or getting stuck in a traffic block or if the car have been running all day, this issue comes up. plus i was talking to my friend who works on diesel engines in rigs, he said when there's a malfunction in the engine system the ecu puts itself in a low power modes so as not to damage the engine. So i m thinking there could be a malfunction in one of the components and this could be because of that.





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[MohammedEza]

Hey all, just to provide a quick update on my Xtreme. I have been doing some mild to intermediate offroading with it and so far have thoroughly enjoyed it. For me the most impressive thing is the transition of the vehicle when it comes back to the road. After intense offroading it can get back to the road, and hit triple digits and drive like any other 'onroad' SUVs. However, I somehow managed to get a knock on my differential causing a small oil leak. Removed the casing and applied Anabond and its all sealed up now. My second service at National Motors, Pathanamthitta was as good as leaving it at home. Hence, got the vehicle checked at local workshop and got rid some minor suspension noises. With the lpandemic and my new work from home life, the vehicle is only used once or twice a week. Once I get settled into my new job, I am planning for a long trip with the vehicle till then nearby hills and estate will be my main adventure zones.

Here is a few images of my leaking differential. Big thanks to other Gurkha owners for helping me out.



Some scenic shots




During offroading especially in slushy terrain, the vehicle just digs in due to its weight (2.5 tonnes). As you know, stock tires wont help either.

[MohammedEza]

Originally Posted by amol4184

@MohammedEza: Excellent write up on a rare vehicle.

Thank you brother.

Originally Posted by Yogi Arun

Actually I would really apperiatiate if you could connect me to knowledgable onwers. Coz i really want to get mine in order. I knew that i would have to do a lot of work on the car and always thought of keeping it as my second car.

Sure, I have already sent you an email from teamBHP profile. Just drop me a mail on my email id eza.eza42@gmail.com.

[logicalidiot]

Such a wonderful and honest review of the car. I had subscribed to this thread few days back but didn't have the time to go through it as it looked a little long but after reading your crisp review, I feel like it got over super-quick.

Even though I know that there are a lot of niggles and issues with this vehicle. I really admire the car for its road presence and off-road capability. I always look at one with such awe whenever I see one on the road. I would prefer this anyday over the old Thar. The Gurkha certainly has a charm of it's own!

Are you planning to do any mods on this or maintaining it stock? I know Kerala MVD is a real headache, hence this question specifically.

[MohammedEza]

Originally Posted by logicalidiot

Are you planning to do any mods on this or maintaining it stock?

Well I'm planning on maintaining it stock. I dont use the vehicle for any extreme offroad/competitions. Hence, I dont find the need to fit bigger tires or any such things and get in trouble with kerala MVD. Stock Gurkha satisfies all my present needs

[raghu.bramha]

@MohammedEza Congratulations on your superb acquisition. Some decisions make sense only when you think from heart it takes lot of courage to make emotional decisions, but when you do it gives immense gratification.

Welcome aboard to petrol-head heaven and do keep us posted with your utterly delightful posts.

[MohammedEza]

Hey all,
So lately I have been doing this amazing offroad trail from Konni (Pathanamthitta) to Thenmala via Achankovil forest road. You dont necessarily need a 4x4 for this route. Just a vehicle with high ground clearance will do. On total, It will take around 5-6 hours to complete the entire route. It full of broken roads, water crossing, high altitude climbs, and sharp hairpins.

The first time I went here was in a Montero 3.2L. Comfy ride though it was a bit too wide at some places.


We started late and hence lost most of the beautiful sight to the dark. However, We were able to help an old mm550 which slid off the road as it gave way to an opposite vehicle.

https://youtu.be/tMWDnEh_rDQ

A few days after this, We decided to go early to catch the sunrise and hopefully see some wild elephants. And this time we took the Gurkha as well as the Montero.


As I said before, you dont need a 4x4 for this trail. But if you are in a 4x4, you could explore a bit more .

Didnt attempt the crossing, maybe one day..

https://youtu.be/-BIUueZN534

https://youtu.be/MgqTthX0C6g

Crossing the Priya estate is the best part of this whole trip. And after that we get to the sharp hairpins and high altitude climbs.

https://youtu.be/iNO3UFRZpKM

https://youtu.be/03WkrvZiyqI

There are few check-posts along the way. So make sure you dont do anything silly if you are ever going this way.


After this I went here few more times. Each time, we encounter different obstacle (the last time we had a tree laying across the road). Though I would love to have an epic 5-10 vehicle expedition through this place, I think the officers wont let us in. Its a reserved forest and hence there will be some restrictions. Anyhow, if anyone of you need an assist, I will be happy to help.

[MohammedEza]

Usual update on Gurkha,
Completed one year and 3rd service. No major issue, tiny niggles here and there. Competed 7500 kms. Maintenance cost so far - Rs 2,000


With the new Thar on the road and Jimny coming soon, I am still happy with my decision to go with Gurkha Xtreme. More adventure coming soon.

[MohammedEza]

Need help from you people out here. Two days ago, my AC was not working (zero cooling). I took it to a local AC workshop. They found out that refrigerant was completely drained and suspected a leak somewhere. However, no leaks showed up when the checked with air. So they filled it back with refrigerant and they AC was working fine. Yesterday, I noticed few drops of oil spilled on the floor. I decided to remove the front bumper to inspect the issue.








As you can see, a lot of oil was collected in the skidplate. I feel that the leak is from the condenser. The oil is odorless and transparent. Leaking condenser at 8,500 kms? Does this damage the compressor?

[MohammedEza]

Well, that isn't the only leak. I am experiencing an engine oil leak near the engine oil filling cap for the last 2-3 months. The leak was very minute and it didn't go even after changing the oil cap. But surprisingly, while inspecting the condenser issue, I found that this leak has changed position from oil cap to PCV-turbo connection.

2 weeks ago


Today


The PCV was already replaced under warrant a year ago due to a leak at different spot. At the moment, I dont think that changing the hose clip will solve the issue, I feel like either the PCV or some breather is blocked/damaged causing engine oil to leak out from seals.

Anyhow, I am planning to take it to a local workshop tomorrow. Any suggestions from your part would be really helpful.

[aravind422]

[quote=As you can see, a lot of oil was collected in the skidplate. I feel that the leak is from the condenser. The oil is odorless and transparent. Leaking condenser at 8,500 kms? Does this damage the compressor?[/QUOTE]

That oil is supposed to lubricate the compressor.
Better not run the AC until the leak is fixed.

[MohammedEza]

So with regards to the condenser leak issue, I took the Gurkha to National Motors (FM Pathanamthitta dealer). Only upon reaching I found out that they do not offer any AC related service assistance. Also, I found out that a lot of parts such as the AC components, turbocharger, intercooler, common rail, etc are not covered under warranty as these components are outsourced. So any issues with these and you have to directly deal with the respective makers. Force offers a mere 18 months standard warranty (no extended warranty) and these components are not even included in it .

Since driving around in this heat without AC is not an option, I took Gurkha to local AC shop. They found out a crack at the condenser inlet. Took the condenser out and welded the crack. Upon inspection the crack was due to a bend in the mount of the condenser. This improper attachment was also causing the condenser fan to rub and almost cut the condenser tubes. The attachment was corrected and proper spacing was provided between fan and condenser.

The crack at condenser inlet



The condenser fan almost cut the tubes



Welded and sealed

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by MohammedEza

So with regards to the condenser leak issue, I took the Gurkha to National Motors (FM Pathanamthitta dealer). Only upon reaching I found out that they do not offer any AC related service assistance. Also, I found out that a lot of parts such as the AC components, turbocharger, intercooler, common rail, etc are not covered under warranty as these components are outsourced. So any issues with these and you have to directly deal with the respective makers. Force offers a mere 18 months standard warranty (no extended warranty) and these components are not even included in it .]

I am not even asking what is covered under warranty, I don't want to know. Only problem with Gurkha is it was born into the wrong family, its a hobby for Force motors, not business. I guess its better not to take it to Force's authorised screwing centers and maintain it with the help of a independent garage.

[josephilip]

I am so sorry if I am doing something wrong! This is my first time writing something in teambhp. I was thinking of getting a used gurkha (2018 2.6L explorer). But after hearing about the issues I am a bit skeptical about its reliability. The Thar crde not the new one would be easier for us as we have a dealership nearby and the parts would be easier to get hold of. Should I go for a gurkha or a thar. Also if I do end up looking for a gurkha, what are the things that I should especially lookout for?

[ggkg]

Excellent thread!! Thanks for detailed observations. As ex owner of Trax 4WD Gama I'm always eyeing this vehicle. Just can't used to basement seating of smaller cars.