Tata Altroz: Tips, tricks, hacks, mods, technical & trivial discussions

Some of these might be bare basic know-how, already known issues with a clear guideline of fixes, trivial discussions or sheer technical things.

BHPian ssathiyanarayan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

The TeamBHP forum has been very supportive in clarifying, guiding and answering any doubts I had about the cars. Be it from correcting the requirements to clearing the air of doubts to selecting the correct model and picking the right variant, the suggestions from this community have been super useful. Recently bought a Tata Altroz XZ+ DCA and with that my sharing experience on this forum.

Background on starting this thread:

I was just exploring and browsing the Tata iRA app. Came across the "Explore Tribe" option "My Space" section. There was an option "Altroz iRA Tribe" under the "My Tribes" tab. Went to the "Feeds" tab and left my number under the "Comments" section. Sharing the screenshots of the same below:

It seemed the Owners of Tata Altroz had found a way to connect through Social Platforms, especially WhatsApp to share their thoughts and help. The Admin of the group, Mr Nishanth, shared the link/group invite to join the forum. Joined the forum and was intrigued with the discussions going on from the moment I joined. It felt like I had met my like-minded people speaking along similar lines.

The number of Tips, Tricks, Hacks, Mods, and technical and trivial discussions happening related to the Tata Altroz made me realize that, if these get documented as an experience this will benefit everyone. Floated a word in the group and many agreed. Next was securing the approval from TeamBHP Moderators to host such information. Wrote PMs to 3 admins, Administrator, GTO, and libranof1987 on the idea. It was GTO, who gladly agreed to host this information and went a step ahead to give this thread a name.

I intend to compile and share the Tips, Tricks, Hacks, Mods, and technical and trivial discussions related to the Tata Altroz happening on the "ALTROZ" WhatsApp group. To avoid any privacy infringement, will avoid personal photos, and number plates. Will try my level best to bring as many technical details as possible in case of any Mods and Hacks done. With this brief, starting of the new thread. A request to all TeamBHP forum Admins, Moderators, and Users, "Some of these might be bare basic know-how, already known issues with a clear guideline of fixes, trivial discussions or sheer technical things. Let us know the reference shared in this forum. Correct me/us in case we are doing things wrong. Improvise wherever required. Kindly contribute to this knowledge sharing as usual.

The initial discussions - Why only one side reverses tail light and Fog lights:

The first question was by Sudeb "Why is there only one reverse tail light working? Is there any logic in this feature when two lamps are provisioned from the OEM, but only one functions"

Though it appeared a simple question, I didn't have a clue about the logic behind this. I couldn't come to explain this thing with clarity. There were a couple of replies from the group members:

Shabbir: This is a normal practice. It's one of the things we copied from European makers. Since there are no regulations to make two reverse lights mandatory in India, the OEMs decided to cut costs by giving just one.

Ashwanth: Exactly cost-cutting on every possible level

The logic behind this:

So after many such replies, I decided to search the internet further and landed with below answers:

Reddit:

Well, the rules say that a car needs only one reversing light. Installing one on either side isn't forbidden, but it's not necessary either. There really isn't much to it, except for cost savings. The laws (not in the USA, IIRC) also dictate that a car must have a rear fog light, so the manufacturers just put the reverse light on one side and the rear fog light in the same spot on the other side.

TeamBHP Forum: Why do some cars have a single reversing light???

Found some details from Tata Motors Altroz User Manual as well. Sharing screenshots below:

Is PPF or Ceramic coating or Graphene coating necessary for the car? Tips to protect the same:

Vimal Raithatha: Is PPF or any coating necessary? I've been in a dilemma of whether to get it done or not. The reason the vehicle colour is white and my worry is if it gets faded to yellow then what to do

Vamsi: "Whoever has done ceramic coating, how are you parking your cars if there is no possibility to park under shade? Do you use covers? Or just leave under sunlight?"

This a genuine dilemma every car owner undergoes. So here is what a few members had to share:

Sathiya Narayanan: I too was in the same boat. Had Ceramic coating in mind. Went to 3M. Saw their products and chose 100 gloss for the bonnet and normal pp for the rest of the body. The thing is they can protect against minor scratches and daily wash problems by the society personnel. If accidents then a particular panel needs replacement. I saw a Merc with pp that was 8 years old, the underlying paint surface was as good as new. The owner came to redo the PP as it's overdue for replacement. By the way, he had 100 gloss pp.

The only thing to take care of with pp or Ceramic coating is to avoid pressure washing done on wheel footwells and sharp edges as the pp or the coatings tend to come off at that high pressure. A normal pressure washer can make a cut in the hand at the pressure setting used in car wash shops. The pp coating is loose at the sharp ends and footwells due to the profiles. If high pressure is directed there, they tend to lose glue and get damaged further.

I did PPF for my car. Under open parking in the office and covered parking back home. With PPF keeping in the open sun helps to self-heal to some extent.

Ceramic or Graphene coatings won't shy to be sunlight. The dazzle will make it Owner's pride and Viewer's envy.

Ceramic or Graphene coating is just 5 to 10 microns thick. At the max will help avoid swirl marks due to society's help washes.

In comparison, a PPF regular one is 150-175 microns and 100 gloss would be somewhere around 250 microns. It will actually have some say against scratches and swirls due to the self-healing properties

Refer to post #10 3M coating for full details on the PPF coating done

Refer to post #24 The check for PP at 3M and again a short trip to Ranjangaon Maha Ganapathi for a follow-up check-up done at 3M after a few application

Rohan: I considered PPF. But then thought that for the price of a PPF, I can get the whole car repainted.

Dadhwal Dalip Singh: I have Altroz xz+ dark colour but the ceramic coating does not proctor properly many more lines on the body

Shabbir Ahmed: For me, ceramic worked! After driving in the rain, I honestly believed my car would be covered in water stains and filth, yet the next day, it was shining and crystal clear at least on the outside.

Vinit Vispute: True. both coatings are fine I have Graphene coating on the car. its works well in the rain as well as every time I get my car washed. Shines like a mirror all time.

TeamBHP: Refer threads on the following:

1. PPF
2. Ceramic coating
3. Graphene coating

Continue reading BHPian ssathiyanarayan's Altroz tips for more insights and information.