Total distance covered was about 7500 KMS, got an overall fuel efficiency of 11.67 km/L.

BHPian gypsyFreak recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

After my last Ladakh drive in 2016, I had always dreamt of going back to Ladakh again to drive on the wonderful roads of Hanle.

Since then, life moved on. I changed jobs and careers; my daughter came in while I lost my mother. COVID came and went during which I spent about 4 years in WFH, which gave time to research and plan extensively for Ladakh trip.

In 2021, I bought a RE Himalayan with the idea of riding to Ladakh and toured all over Karnataka to adjusted to the bike.

Until 2024, I was fully busy sorting out issues and problems in different areas of my life and I did not get an opportunity to even think of a drive to Ladakh. However, in mid-2024, circumstances changed which gave me time to finally start putting down concrete plans.

The initial plan was to travel in the end of Aug 2024, I reached out to friends and relatives looking for some travel companions. Nobody responded positively, few were busy while others had different travel plans.

Since I was mostly going to travel alone, I decided to drive instead of ride which meant Kariya would be doing his second Ladakh trip. For the masses, Kariya is my 2012 Scorpio LX 4WD.

With the vehicle finalized, I began preparing Scorpio. The odo reading 1,79,512 I knew it would be a challenge to take the Scorpio on such a demanding trip and that too alone.

The following services were done:

• Full service done at FNG. Oil changed to AMSOIL Signature 5w40.
• Tyres changed to Bridgestone Dueller AT002 in stock size. Spare tyre checked and repaired (it was never touched in about 4 years)
• Battery changed to Exide 85Ah
• Brake pads changed
• 2wd & 4wd Gear oil changed, differential oil changed, drive shaft greased.
• Upgraded headlight to Osram 50W Warm White LED bulbs.

With Dasara vacations in October my daughter and wife were going to hometown for a week which left me alone in Bangalore. I thought this was the time for the trip and decided to start on Oct 6th.

A final round of connects with family and friends did not yield any companions, so it was going to be a solo trip. Somehow, I felt happy within, maybe I prefer to travel alone and travel my way without any dependencies.

With the date finalized, it was time for final preparations. I put an air bed, folding chair, mat, portable stove, groceries, 50-liter Bisleri can, car spares into the Scorpio. Bought 2 fuel cans each of 20L to carry diesel. All these and my clothes for 15 days covered the entire floor area in Scorpio. I did not keep anything on the seats, as I wanted to keep it empty so that the seats could be folded down and the air bed can be quickly put on top to form a queen size bed.

The plan was to do a circle starting from Srinagar side and return via Manali highway. To reach Srinagar, I would be driving 6 am to 8 pm every day and check-in to a room in nearest town. My daughter left to hometown on Oct 6th, wife was finishing her work and was scheduled to leave on Tuesday. I planned to start on 6 am on Sunday, filled diesel into the Scorpio and 20L fuel cans on Saturday night, everything was packed and Kariya was ready. Usually, I wouldn't get sleep if I am travelling the next day, but surprisingly I slept well. Woke up at 5 am, performed morning duties, got ready and said a simple goodbye to my wife and started. It was a very simple bye without realizing the magnitude of the solo journey I was about to start. Maybe she had confidence that I would return safely or she did not want to mood spoiler at the begining itself. Nevertheless, it was a good start.

Day 1: Bangalore, KA to Malegaon, MH. 1050 KMS, ~14 hours

Started at 6 am, went to the next-door Shell petrol bunk and filled air pressure to 34 PSI, got valve caps for all 4 tyres, tipped the attendant and started. This was the only check I did for the tyres in the entire trip, they performed beautifully without a single skid or wheelspin anywhere. Road, offroad, concrete, sand, snow, ice, gravel, loose stones, steel plates everything the tyres gobbled up without any issue.

Google maps my trusty companion started acting wierdly on the Android player. It used to exit automatically after few mins. I tried Android auto on my two phones, unfortunately both did not connect. Wired/Wireless AA, nothing worked. I thought what a start, being solo I had limited options. Finally, I uninstalled Google Maps and installed 2020 version of Google Maps. It worked flawlessly throughout the trip. With Navigation sorted out, I could focus on the road and reached Vijayapura bypass by 2 pm with a quick breakfast stop at a roadside stall.
The route I had planned was via Pandharpur, Shirdi as I wanted to avoid night driving in Kannad Ghat. I enquired about Pandharpur Road condition at IOC petrol bunk, who advised against it. But I still went ahead, which turned out to be a wrong decision and wasted time and effort. From Vijayapur up to Manmad it was bad roads - undivided highway, divided 4 lanes with bad road surface, local traffic and rains made driving a pain. I cursed myself for taking this route, but somehow continued. From Manmad, took left towards Chandwad and joined Nashik - Dhule highway. I had planned to reach Dhule for the night but was feeling tired. So, after a sumptuous Biryani at Malegaon, went to a Jio-BP bunk to tank up. Was feeling very sleepy, asked them I can rest a while, they obliged. After filling diesel, parked the car and prepared the bed. The air bed was ready in about 10 mins and I was in deep sleep within next 10 mins. I had rolled up all windows, locked the car and just kept the butterfly windows open for ventilation.

My bed inside Kariya

Day 2: Malegaon, MH to Bundi, RJ. 680 KMs, ~9 hours

Got up feeling refreshed at 5 am. Utilized the washroom at the petrol bunk to freshen up and hit the road by 6 am. Roads were good from Malegaon onwards. Entered MP and encountered humps at almost every village. I could feel that the brakes were not sharp. At some humps I had to go over the humps at speed as Kariya was not slowing down despite braking hard. There was no tyre skidding as well, so I assumed that the brakes might have caught some dust/gravel and might need cleaning. With upcoming NE4 and other expressway, I thought it would be safe to get the brakes checked and then proceed. So, I looked up Google and found a Mahindra Service Centre at Ratlam bypass which is exactly on my route.
Reached MASS by 10.30 am and explained my issue to the service manager. He was kind enough to quickly assign a technician despite heavy load of cars there. After a test drive, the technician said the brakes seemed normal, but nevertheless, he will check and clean the. It took a while to open a job card and for the technician to start work. The front brake pads were good, they were cleaned and scrubbed with sandpaper and put back. The rear brake liners were found to be worn out at the edges, resulting in reduced contact with brake drum, reducing the effectiveness of the brakes. Although they still had life in them, I got them changed with new ones which improved the braking performance. Got the air filter cleaned and technician cleaned the MAF as well. Kariya was now ready, but billing was delayed as it was lunch time. Completed the billing and went next door to a private wash centre and got the exterior and underbody washed. With everything back in top condition, it was already 5 pm, I decided to drive on till 10 pm and then halt for the night.
From Ratlam, I entered the NE4 and wide 4 lanes with very sparse traffic encouraged me maintain a constant 120 KMPH. At these speeds, the fuel needle started moving towards E. I stopped on the side of the highway to fill up diesel from the 2 cans. Never thought this would be such complex task. As I started pouring the diesel from the can into the funnel, it would go out of position and diesel would spill everywhere.
I thought, so much for solo travelling, I wanted someone to hold the funnel in place. On the expressway there were no cars and no people. Even the occasional cars were doing 100+ and did not bother to stop. I planned to wave down a truck and get help from the trucker, but unfortunately not a single truck came. I decided to take matters in my own hands, i remembered i had packed a brown packaging tape. So took it out and taped the funnel tightly to the tank mouth and then poured the diesel. Lifting and holding 20+ KGs for 10 mins turned out to be very tiring. Finally, it worked and, in the end, I wasted by 500 ml of diesel and hands were smelly. Had soap and water and was able to wash off the smell and hit the road again.
Roads improved drastically from Kota bypass onwards and i was near Bundi around 10 pm. Had dinner at a Dhaba and drove on till 11 pm. Started feeling sleepy, so pulled over at IOC bunk and sleeping on the bed in about 20 mins. Having the butterfly windows open did not help, as the weather was hot and humid. I started the engine and ran the AC in lowest setting and slept.

Day 3: Bundi, RJ to Sissu, HP. 1000KMs, ~16 hours

Woke up at 5 am expecting to see huge movement of fuel needle, but was surprised by how little fuel was consumed (maybe 3-4 litres). Packed up the bed and realized that there was no water the washroom of the bunk. Used Bisleri water to freshen up and then i was on the road by 6 am.

The initial plan was to take the Zoji La route to Kargil and Zanskar. But few calls to home and work changed the plan. Credit to Trans-Haryana highway, such good roads, very less traffic and plenty of time to think and plan. Although some might feel bored, but for a tiring traveller such expressways are a wonderful way to relax and introspect.
So, plans were made on the go. Enquired about road condition of Manali - Leh highway and bookings for stay were made at Sissu. Did not plan stay at Manali as i wanted to gain some altitude in order acclimatize for the days ahead.
Google maps took me through Derra Bassi & Chandigarh which i felt could have been avoided if Shambu border blockage was cleared. Tanked up at Rupnagar and also filled up the 20 Liter cans blissfully forgot about the fuel embargo in Atal tunnel.
Pleasantly surprised by the tolled highway up to Sunder Nagar. Although speed limit says 60 KMPH, i realized that it's not sectional speed limit, still wondered why put so many speed cameras. Traffic was quite less probably because it was late in the day and season was closing. Reached Manali around 8.30 pm, wasn't tired so kept driving towards Sissu. There was zero traffic beyond Manali towards Sissu, except for few trucks mine was the only car on road. I guess the hills shutdown soon after sunset. I could see that Hotels were still open, so i was emboldened to continue on. Reached Sissu hotel by 10 pm and that's when the cold hit me. I checked in, had simple dinner for white rice, dal and omelette and slept. The next day is where the adventure starts.

Day 4: Sissu, HP to Padum, Zanskar, Ladakh. 190 KMs, ~8 hours

Woke up in the morning to realize i was in the Himalayas, surrounded by towering peaks.

View from my room

Changed into winter clothing and started from Hotel around 7 am. Reached Keylong and tanked up Kariya, although i had fuel in cans, i wanted to fill up so that some amount of anti-freeze gets into the tank. Next, was to have breakfast. Found a nice hotel by the Bhaga river and had parottas and tea.

From here on, i decided to take it slowly allowing myself to get acclimatized. Started daily doses of Diamox. This was more of a preventive measure to avoid AMS. One of the virtues of travelling solo is that you can't afford to fall sick. I had taken Jio postpaid from Bangalore which was put into action here. Made calls to my family back home informing about my whereabouts and lack of connectivity from here on.

The weather was very pleasant. It was bright, sunny and clear blue skies. Looks like it was the right time too head into the mountains and fortunately for me it stayed like this throughout my drive in the Himalayas.

Pretty soon reached Darcha and went straight-on towards Shinku La. The road is almost complete and fully tarred except for few places where it was being re-laid, absolutely no problem for Kariya. I was in Shinku La top in no time. Hopped out of Kariya, took some snaps and felt the chill of the wind and hopped back into Kariya and turned on the heater.

Kariya - my Scorpio at Shinku La

Climbed down Shinku La and headed towards Gonbo Rangjon, there were few tents still there which were mostly empty, i did not stop there and just kept driving admiring the beauty and solitude of Gonbo Rongjon in Kariya's mirrors. The road was mostly good with few dusty patches, traffic was quite less and everyone i encountered were travelling in their own pace, stopping for photos and admiring the nature.

One of the many attempts to get a highway wallpaper for my phone

I was stopped at a check post and had enter my details. This was the first of many curios questions on why i was travelling alone and that too from such a far distance. Some thought i was great to be doing this alone and some said i should have some company for safety (more on this later..).
Nevertheless, i carried on, enjoying my solitude and my drive.

In the last couple of years, i had spent countless hours researching routes across Ladakh. I was especially interested in the routes into Zanskar, i could remember myself going over google maps satellite view and looking at the road from Darcha to Padum, had even reached out to BRO enquiring about Shinku La tunnel. Now, all the research was now paying fruits.

Made a lot of stops awestruck by the landscape and trying to take as many wallpapers as possible.

That's me and my Kariya

That's my ride..

By 3 pm i reached Padum, i knew i would not be able to carry on till Leh and looked for a hotel. The main street in Padum was being re-laid so, it was very dusty. It was getting very cold and looking at the locals, i wanted to cover much tighter, so bought a pair of fleece gloves, neck warmer and a headcap. Googled for an accommodation and got a nice deal at Hotel Omasila for Rs 1500/- with buffet breakfast and dinner. As it was getting cold, i knew the night would be even colder so bought a small heater and put it to good use through out the trip. The food was good and called it a night. Tomorrow i had plan to reach Leh, but was told that the shortest route via Chilling and Nimmoo was open only on Sunday and Wednesday, tomorrow was neither so i had to take the longer route via Singe La and Sirsir La. With this plan i hit the bed soon.

Day 5: Padum to Leh, 300KMs ~8 hours

After a good sleep woke up fresh and took a hot bath. Night temperatures had gone down to single digit, cranked up Kariya and he started after a long crank, coughing up few times and then settling to idle RPM. Dusted the Scorpio with the ever-efficient Jopasu duster and Kariya was ready for upcoming photo-ops. Breakfast was ready at 7:30 am, and after a heavy breakfast i left the homestay by 8:30 am.

As i rolled out of Padum, i began retrospection. Thought why i have taken so much trouble to drive to Ladakh into this country of cold and dust. I was feeling tired and lonely, maybe i should head back, No i thought, let me carry on and finish what i started. Soon, i was on the banks of Zanskar river, that's where the beauty of raw and untamed Zanskar hit me. With a clear blue sky, sun shining bright the landscape was surreal. I feel happy and joyful whenever there is clear blue sky, without a spec of a cloud. Call me paranoid or what, but seeing such clear skies lifts my mood. The road was newly laid which also made the drive a pleasant experience. I had stop and soak myself in the moment and that's what i did for the next half an hour. Just breathing the fresh morning air, clicking pictures of surroundings and testing with my phone's zoom.

Parked overnight

Living my dream ... just me and my Scorpio in Zanskar

My only weapon for photography was my phone - Samsung S22 Ultra and it was good, especially 10x optical zoom.

One of very distant peaks

With optical zoom

Up close

Picture perfect desktop wallpaper

Another mobile wallpaper

A Majestic hill or mountain?

More vistas by the river

Yours truly

One of those moments where nature gives you a fresh dose of energy when you are about to give-up. With this renewed energy, i decided to complete the entire trip no matter what comes up.

Continue reading BHPian gypsyFreak's travelogue for more insights and information.

I even shortlisted a few used cars like the Mahindra XUV500, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Carnival.

BHPian diwakarmuthu recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

The quintessential story in most of our homes, just that I relate to this car transition of mine.

I've segregated this across multiple topics for ease of reading.

1. Ah! The Big Brother
2. Deciding on what to adopt / buy next
3. Forget the Hassle, buy a new car
4. The Twist in the Tale – The Younger Brother Stakes Claim
5. My Review
6. Accessories
7. The Unthinkable Happens

Ah! The big brother

14 years, 2 months and 20 odd days later decided to leave the garage for good. He had grown old, rusty in some parts and called for some good TLC that I didn’t find VFM. So, the difficult decision was made to leave him for a better home.

Indeed, the separation was quite an emotional one, for the Scorpio was my trusted ride and as a family we created wonderful memories, the drives, the joy of bringing my newborn in the car and seeing him literally grow inside it for a decade, moving homes, all came flashing in front of me. All things, living and non-living, have a finite lifespan, and all existence is transient, this was my moment of transition.

In all these years, never once did the car let me down. Over 1 lakh on the ODO, it just absorbed everything that was thrown at it.

An online car marketplace came to the rescue. After checking out multiple quotes, I gave it away to the most competitive one.

Deciding on what to adopt / buy next

Simple requirements

• 7 seater, but ok with a spacious 5 seater
• Under 25L for pre-owned and 30L for brand new
• AT Only (Bangalore got me this time!)

I had a few options in front of me:

• Scour the market for VFM offerings in the pre-owned space (Adopt)
• I prefer to hold onto the car for 10+ years, put the money in a brand new car (Buy)
• Company is offering me a lease, why not check that and I can pick something at a higher price point too (Adopt)

They say, “Idle man’s brain is a devil’s workshop” and mine was indeed. There were too many ideas floating in my head, some of which I have already floated in many threads here.

Scour the market for VFM offerings in the pre-owned space (Adopt)

I shortlisted the following cars

• XUV500 (2019 + model) – The most logical choice in my view. Trusted engine and a proven car, so I looked at more than a dozen examples. Took test drives of W8, W10 and W11 models. I skipped the dealers as I saw the same examples getting repeated. The ones I liked got sold before I could get home and discuss. The others had a lot of issues and decided to look at – Budget Range 18L – 21L

• Previous Gen Hyundai Tucson (2019 + model) – I saw a couple of examples, low run <30k on the ODO cars. I found one Petrol variant for 24L and when I started to look at the service history, the truths came out, the door, left side rear fender were all changed in an accident, while the other car was maintained poorly, shoddy interiors and more importantly body had so many dents which didn’t warrant the price they quoted. I walked away – Budget Range | Petrol 24L | Diesel 26-28L

• Mahindra Alturas G4 4WD – I had to increase my budget, which I was ok for the right car. Some well-maintained company cars were available. I checked a couple of cars, and I loved it instantly. Getting hold of a direct owner car was very difficult and an online car marketplace quoted a bomb for a car that was not worth that much. As I did not get any more examples moved on – Budget Range 24L-27L

• Kia Carnival (Prestige / Premium Variant) – This was a very interesting proposition, and found a couple of good cars, though from dealers. Though not a huge fan of the van lineage. Considering BLR, the narrow streets and driving I decided to skip this one – Budget Range 25L-31L

• I glanced at the Germans too as I had the luxury car itch. Merc B-Class and Audi A4 falling right at my budget, albeit slightly old (6-7 years old). Thought long and didn’t want a grumpy German in my garage and decided to let it go

By now 3 months passed with no luck in finding the right car.

Continue reading diwakarmuthu's review for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

This is my fourth Mahindra SUV. All three previous ones have been Scorpios.

BHPian axlerod recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

So here is my personal feedback. Photographs are due, and I will post them subsequently, they will follow the theme of my below review.

A little background first

This is my fourth Mahindra BOF SUV. All three previous ones have been Scorpios. My immediate previous vehicle is a 4WD Scorpio with torsion bars up front (this will come in focus a little later). Going by the pattern, I should have bought a new Scorpio N, but at the risk of striking a fierce debate, allow me to say that the Scorpio N does not belong in the same family even.

I am going to express what difference I felt. For reference, I have never driven a monocoque vehicle. In fact, I have never been on the steering wheel of a car which has an infotainment screen or any of the modern bells and whistles. So this one was a very interesting experience.

The vehicle (AX7L 4WD D Manual) was delivered to me with 59 kilometres on the odometer. It was one of the first vehicles of its class delivered in our city and that made me very happy. I have driven it about 350 kms since then. On the day of delivery, the interiors were very dirty. The driver's seat had all its plastic removed and there were hand prints on the roof. The driver's seat has a prominent bum print on it and it was very off-putting. Considering my 25 years of experience with Mahindra, I knew that there is no point cribbing about it.

I did bring it to the notice of the dealership and they promptly got one of their guys to try clean it all up. He was armed with a bottle of Collin and a dirty cloth. After a couple of his tries, I granted him relief and told him to go and work his magic elsewhere. Don't need to explicitly say that his efforts were all in vain

Besides this, the car was in good shape. I believe that some social media enthusiasts had surely gotten their hands on it as the 'skyroof' also had lots of hand marks. The engine bay was clean and I checked the vehicle from underneath. She had not been taken in any muck or such.

Now comparing it with my everyday ride (Mahindra Scorpio VLX 4WD D MT)

What I don't like:

1. The ride on the new car is bouncy. I am diligent about all small details so that includes the tyre pressure as well. They are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. However, considering my Scorpio with a torsion bar set up in the front, on the same road and with the same hand behind the wheel, the Thar is bouncier (not something which is the end of the world, but worth mentioning nonetheless)
2. I do not like the automatic braking assist at all. In our traffic it slams on the brakes and engages the parking brake. This could lead to someone rear-ending our car. I've shifted it from normal to 'Late' today and will see how that fares out. I could have switched it off altogether, however, that gives a warning on the screen which is an eyesore and I don't like it. It's a gimmick which I've turned off. It's not a fault. Why show a warning?
3. The 4L is a hit or miss exercise to engage. Should have been a smooth shift
4. When engaging the third gear, sometimes the finger toggles the terrain modes (the 4EXPLOR modes, not the Drive Modes, as the 4WD Manual does not have drive modes)
5. The wireless charging pad is a hit or miss at best for smaller form factor iPhones. It looks more designed for larger screen android phones, and I keep getting a warning about how I should reposition my device in case I want it to charge
6. There is no Apple CarPlay available, wired or wireless. Dealership says it will be available after 2 months

What I like:

1. There are so many bells and whistles. Oh, I'm smitten. It might be the end to me being a crude, rustic, outdoorsy buffoon. Although that's a long shot, but my spouse has high hopes always!
2. I like the cable operated gear box. I guess this is what a small car's gearbox feels like. The gears slot into place with such a click. Like when engaging third gear, I don't even have to push all the way into the slot. I just have to show it the way and it eventually finds its own way into the right place. I know that's not best for the mechanics but still it's so satisfying on so many levels (however I have to confess at this point, when I start an SUV I, like every old Gen X fella here, keeps their hand on the gear lever, and I expect that gear lever to rattle the living daylights out of my fist. If I am wearing an automatic watch, then I expect the gear lever to wind my automatic watch enough to last me the next 48 hours by God!! However, that is not the case here. There is no reverse feedback on the gear shift at all)
3. I like the connected car tech. There is so much potential with what they can do with this (privacy conscious people like me watch out)
4. I was really impressed with the feature where there is the possibility of the two key fobs having their own infotainment profiles pre selected! Amazing.

I will surely share more feedback as I drive the car more. I am planning to take it for a long drive (long drive by my standards is 7k - 8k kms). When I do that I will try my best to share more nuances that I come across

In earnest I feel that the vehicle is definitely a step forward. There are so many new things in it that the missing few old traits are not entirely missed. People like us who are even noticing those things are on the decline anyways! We must remember that there has never been a person younger than us on the face of this planet since the moment we were born!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The XUV700 and Thar were the third and fifth best-selling models, respectively.

The Mahindra Scorpio outsold all other models in the brand’s line-up in 2024, as the cumulative annual sales crossed 5 lakh units for the first time.

Mahindra’s annual sales for 2024 were 5,28,460 units - a 22% increase over the previous year. The wholesale numbers for the first 11 months of the year put the Scorpio-N and Scorpio Classic on the top with 1,54,169 units, accounting for 32% of the total dispatches.

The Bolero was the second best-selling model with 93,850 units sold, followed by the XUV700 clocking 83,390 unit sales. Mahindra sold 78,826 units of the XUV300 / XUV 3XO, while the Thar and Thar Roxx were in fifth place with combined sales of 69,354 units.

In the EV segment, Mahindra sold 7,188 units of the XUV400 during the first 11 months of 2024.

In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, Mahindra sold 4,02,360 units and looks poised to achieve the 5 lakh sales milestone by the end of FY2025.

Source: Autocar India

I thought that my eyes could be playing tricks on me, so I looked up listings for the part online.

BHPian Sanidhya mukund recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Over the weekend, I was lamenting the fact that I have only 4 more years with my W204 C-class due to the NGT norms in Delhi-NCR. I was getting really miserable, so I decided to make myself feel better by daydreaming about what I can replace it with when the time comes. I was looking at a review of the current Range Rover Velar and was rather impressed with the way the interiors appeared. However, one thing caught my eye. What does a 1.15 crore Rupee Range Rover have in common with my 25 year old Ford Ikon that’s monetarily not even worth a service on the Range Rover? A swtich!

I realised that the switch to control the recline angle on the rear seat of the Range Rover Velar is the exact same part that used to serve as the rear door power window switch on the Ford Ikon (and quite a few European Fords from the early 2000s).

I thought that my eyes could be playing tricks on me, so I looked up listings for the part online. When I compared these to the replaced Ikon window switch that I had lying around, my suspicions were confirmed. Even the part numbers stamped on the switch are the exact same!

If you are a Velar owner looking for a replacement, you know what to ask for at the parts store.

What’s wilder is the fact that the same switch also fits the first generation Mahindra Scorpio!

The Grand Vitara sharing switches with the first generation Swift doesn’t seem to be that bad anymore.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The SUV performed flawlessly as usual and delivered an overall fuel efficiency of 14.35 kmpl with 70-75% of air conditioning usage, plus a lot of luggage.

BHPian comfortablynumb recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Got the vehicle's annual check up + general service + running repairs done at Sai Car Clinic (run by forum member asit.kulkarni93) a couple of weeks ago for our annual Goa trip. Air filter, bonnet cable, handbrake cable, differential oil were changed. Brakes were cleaned, greased and bled. Coolant was topped up and hub greasing was also done. His team also installed my new dash cam for me. Also, big shout out and thanks to sukiwa for the memory card!

Took the Pune - Belgaum - Goa (via Chorla ghat) route during the onward journey on Oct 24 and Goa - Anuskura ghat - Pune for the return journey on Oct 28. Weather in Goa was beautiful, and surprisingly, there was not much of a tourist crowd at least in South Goa. Maybe it will be packed after Diwali.

Scout performed flawlessly as usual (touchwood!), and delivered an overall mileage of 14.35 with 70-75% AC usage, plus a lot of luggage.

Some random pics taken during the trip.

Above 3 photos are taken at our family temple.

With the vehicle about to complete 15 years in Feb '25, I need to decide whether to sell it now, or spend some money on a few major repairs that Asit has suggested, change the tyres and keep it for 2-3 years more. As my usage isn't a lot, I am leaning towards the latter option. But as a few friends opined, getting spare parts will become more and more difficult as the days go by, in case some major repair or replacement is needed. After all, M&M is no Maruti Suzuki or Toyota when it comes to supporting old models. Would definitely appreciate some advice if any of you have navigated a similar dilemma.

Cheers!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I was seriously thinking about applying for the extension of RC to keep the car for another 2-3 years.

BHPian diwakarmuthu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

With a very heavy heart, I let go of my Scorpio LX after close to 15 years of fuss free ownership. Far too many memories are attached with this car and it was quite emotional letting the big guy move out of my garage.

I was seriously thinking about applying for the extension of RC to keep the car for another 2-3 years. However I started to notice a few things that I felt it was the good time to part with the car:

• A couple of major mechanical works was on the hoirzon. I had been pushing it as far as possible.

1. The front Brakes along with the disc, rotor and shoes required overhualing (approx. 20K plus labour).
2. The steering column had worn out over the years and the rod had to be changed. It came up to 17k for the spare and futher 2-3k as labour

• Cosmetically, the quality of paint had started to wane off. A couple of places, I had them scrapped off and repainted, but more than a decade of Chennai air, rust had started to peek in. I had removed most of the rust and kept the body in its original shape, but the traditional rust spots in a Scorpio had started to show up

• A couple of years back, I moved to BLR for work. Though the opportunities to drive the beast were there, driving through bumper to bumper traffic on a long throw clutch was too hard to ignore.

• Finally I evaluated the overall cost of mechanical works, body work and RC renewal and it worked out over 1.5L. I realised it is best for me to move on from the car.

I checked with Cars24 on the potential sale price thinking if it would make sense or I just drive the car as much as possible and scrap it after a few years. But the logistics of following up on many things dawned on me.

Finally, on 24th August, I sold the car to Cars24. I got a good deal considering the work on the car.

A major phase comes to an end. I am in the market looking for some good pre owned options as I explore my next automobile adventure.

Many thanks to all the members and petrol heads in this forum who helped me to keep the car in top shape all these years.

Wherever the car ends up, I hope it gives equal joy and happiness to the family or the driver as it was for me.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have clocked 40,000 km on the SUV's odo on its stock tyres - 245/65/R17 - and now it is time for an upgrade.

BHPian unpopulrxplorer recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I have completed 40K km on my Scorpio N 4xplore MT (stock tyres - 245 65 R17) and it is now time to upgrade the tyres. I live in NCR and frequently visit mountains, 80% of usage is on highways and 20% off-road trails.

I have finalized my search and below are the top picks.

Maxxis Razr 811/Bravo 980/Bravo 771:

• This is at the top of the list as it is available in 255 65 R 17 (nearly stock and my snow chains will fit). On paper, the Razr 811 is a perfect tyre, however, I haven't seen any reviews. Bravo 980 is a good name in the AT tyres and I have seen positive reviews.
• Need help to find a dealer in Rohtak/Gurgaon. Should I go for Razr 811 or Bravo 980?

Michelin LTX trail or LTX force:

• We are using LTX Force in XUV500 and it is a great tyre. Perfect for highways and occasional off-roading. I am getting LTX trail for 15K.
• Is LTX Force disconnected?
• Only minus is size (265 55 17).

Bridgestone Dueler AT002:

• Again on XUV500 (Dueler HT). We have driven around 85K km (9 years) and these can do another 20-25K KMs.
• Only minus is size (265 55 17).

BFG K02:

• This is the best tyre as per my search but the concerns are - a) stiff sidewalls and b) size.
• Can the stiff/tough sidewalls mess with the suspension and is it available in 265 65 17?

I am not going with Yokohama G015 as my experience with Yokohama Earth1 on my Ertiga is not good. How about Ceat and Apollo AT tyres?

Looking forward to hearing your experiences.

Did further research and below are the highlights:

• Ceat Crossdrive AT 265/65/17 is the best deal: I am getting it for 10500 with a 3-year unconditional warranty against defects and cuts. Best price and best warranty terms.
• MRF Wanderer AT 265/65/17 is another option for 12500 with manufacturing defects and long life of 125000 KMs. Good price and long life.
• Yoko F015 is for 14000 and comes with a warranty. Michelin LTX trail and Bridgestone Dueler are for 15K. Michelin doesn't come with a warranty, and I am not sure about Bridgestone. Premium brand tag, known for performance. I am still not considering Yoko G015.
• Maxxis Brave 980 are not available in the size I need. I managed to find a 2020 manufactured Maxxis Bravo 771 255/65/17 and the price is best of all the options I have explored so far.

I am inclined towards Bravo 771:

• I am getting the right size that I need.
• It is on a light off-road tyre so it will be comfortable on the highways compared to Maxxis 980.
• If compared to Michelin or Bridgestone. The price difference is huge.
• 8 maxxis 771 = 5 Michelin

The question is, "Should I go for a 2020 manufactured tyre?"

Here's what BHPian gaurvr had to say about the matter:

Tyres are mainly divided into two categories based on ply direction. Cross-ply and radial ply. If you want to go fully off-roading then cross-ply tyres are suitable but they do not provide a comfortable ride and can stress the suspension system if that is not robust.

Most of the tyres you will get nowadays for private cars/SUVs are radial ply. When upgrading tyres, there is a compromise between different parameters: a soft rubber tyre will give comfort and silence on the road with faster wear which you get in luxury car tyres. A hard rubber tyre will not provide much comfort but will be durable (mostly found in taxis). Tyre with a wider size will give better traction and braking but it will be more prone to punctures if optimum air pressure is not maintained. It will also make a drop in mileage.

A tyre with a narrow width will give better mileage, and will be quick in acceleration but will lose in traction and safety. A tyre with more wall height will give extra translational speed in the same tyre rotation and provide a better suspension buffer but it will increase the body roll of the vehicle at high speed. A tyre with a lower wall height will be better for fast cornering and street racing-type manoeuvres. After the size decision, the next thing is the rating of tyre. You need to check the speed rating, wet brake rating and fuel efficiency rating of the car. After that comes the tread types which decide whether the tyre is made for highways, mountain/tough terrains, or mixed drive which can be found on the tyre manufacturer datasheet. But you can identify the tyre tread with one simple look. Tyres which have large patches of rubber with thick gutter lines are specially made for rough terrains.

Tyres which have patches mixed with large patches on the sides and small patches at the center or vice-versa are for mixed purposes (highway and off-road). Tyres that have fine patches of rubber. Check the attached image. If all the tyres are of the same size and same rating then the service and quality of tyre company matters. Because companies decide the carbon content in butyl rubber of tyres and depending on this carbon content quantity and quality of base rubber, you will get the best compromise in different parameters related to tyres.

Here's what BHPian Bagheera had to say about the matter:

Earth 1 is Yokohama's budget tyres for Indian road conditions optimized for long life. It might be unwise to base your experience on that. I'm not aware of AT tyres, but from what I have heard, their S drives and Advan Sport are well-regarded.

Absolutely no for old tyres. Tyre rubber gets hard as they are exposed to light and oxygen. In my recent tyre-buying experience, the salesman advocated that the tyre degrades only if the tyre is filled with air. But that's not correct. As tyres age, they get hard, their grip drastically decreases and get more prone to puncture. Even if your usage is high to use up the tyre in a year. I wouldn't recommend it as you mentioned you will be using it on off-road trails where the risk of puncture is high.

Here's what BHPian Dodge_Viper had to say about the matter:

Are you on rims or alloys? Either way, moving from 245/65/R17 to 265/65/R17 gives a circumference difference of more than 3% which is not ideal. At least as per the tyre upsize calculator:

If it's not recommended then won't it affect the dynamics? Already there are cases related to suspension. Mahindra will not hesitate to outright deny warranty on odd tyre sizes installed.

Here's what BHPian Comrade had to say about the matter:

On Isuzu MU-X, I have geolander A/T G015 for 40k kms (265/60R18) and they are a huge upgrade over factory-provided Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 (255/60R18). With G015, the ride quality, braking and grip levels improved. Also, it seems like G015 will last longer than Bridgestone, which only lasted 50k. I travel a lot to construction sites and I didn't face even one puncture in these 40k kms with G015 whereas Bridgestone used to have regular punctures (every week or so). I would again go for G015 when it's time for replacement.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

With all the formalities completed, the SUV was put up for fitness (2024-2029) before the RTO. Hoping for another five years of pleasant ownership.

BHPian anjan_c2007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My Brute SUV of 2009 has gracefully done 15 years with me. It was registered on 17.04.2009, and was among the earliest from the refreshed batch and has rendered flawless service to me for over one and a half decades now. Other than components that suffer the normal wear and tear that were replaced, almost all its components are factory-fitted and OE from 2009.

As it was completing 15 years, I geared up the fitness schedule starting to pay the requisite charges online and also doing all necessary formalities like getting a fresh PUC and so on. The PUC people told me that the exhaust emissions are quite within limits and they were also a bit taken aback, stating that such SUVs are overused and seldom reach such clean emission levels. And my Scorpio is only BS III compatible!

So with the Green Tax payment (Rs 3,500=00 for five years for diesels in Maharashtra) done and the insurance valid, all documents were ready for the D-Day. These days the VAHAN portal does not accept payments online if there are gremlins like invalid insurance, invalid PUC, Green Tax not paid, fine/s pending for traffic offences, accident involvement and so on. Only when all such requirements are complied with, the fitness fees are accepted online. Thereafter, the next steps for fitness can be taken up by the owner. Earlier, one had to take clearance on the hard copy and get it signed by the prosecution wing of the RTO stating that no accident cases are pending. Only thereafter the fitness could be done. VAHAN has taken care and does not require us to move around seeking clearances.

With all the formalities completed, the SUV was put up for fitness (2024-2029) today 15.04.2024 before the RTO. The AMVI had a thorough look, checked its functioning and also indicators, brake lights, reverse lights, headlights, parking lights and so on. Most important of all is the chassis number which is engraved on the ladder frame chassis to the right (drivers side). The wheel needs to be steered fully toward the right for the chassis number to be visible. The engine number is engraved near the water pump to the left which has to be seen after opening the bonnet.

After all the checks to my glee, the AMVI okayed the fitness valid from 2024-2029. Hence the Scorpio gets a new lease of life for another five years.

Above images at the General Post Office

Above images at the RTO office

To all doomsayers, who have assertions that Mahindras do not age gracefully, the images can very well portray real facts. I have till date never had to use the self-starter for the second time during the past fifteen years. It has always started with the first crank. Only once when its battery got weak in 2019, it required more cranking. I immediately changed the battery.

Hoping for another five years of pleasant ownership, that will be further extendable in the future.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The rear camera wiring was were the actual effort went in.

BHPian that_sedate_guy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So, without a doubt, my Scorpio was due for a dashcam. Driving in central and eastern Bangalore mandated the installation of one at the earliest. I started searching hither and thither for a suitable model. My primary requirement was that it had to be a dual channel.

I did some digging and figured out that Nexdigitron was the brand to go to. 70mai was a stretch on my limited budget so I looked at options from DDPAI.

The N1 Dual seemed to tick my boxes so I went ahead and ordered it from the website itself and it arrived quickly and uneventfully in two days.

Quite a neat looking box I must say

Nothing much about the packaging

Here's where things take a different turn. Now, there are tons of dashcam installation threads on TBHP and almost every car is covered. The installation process is also fairly simple and in most cases it is just about running the wires directly to wherever needed. I went through a bunch of threads on TBHP and for added measure, I checked out cars with dashcams IRL. I noticed that wires were usually run along a straightforward path in the interior.

Which was what I did NOT want to do. I wanted each and every inch of the wire to be out of the way completely such that the Dashcam would feel and look like a part of the car installed at the factory.

I decided that I would do a completely concealed wiring using the frame of the car as the routing duct. As you can figure out, this took way longer than most installations but was worth it in the end. Stay tuned for that!

Setting up the wiring for the front camera:

Starting with the USB power socket, I routed it along the gear lever cover trim. As luck would have it, the cable fit perfectly snug in the gap between the gear lever dust cover and the plastic trim.

From here, the wire was routed underneath the steering column and then along the dashboard side panel.

After that, I routed the wire beneath the dashboard trim and took it out at the base of the A-Pillar. This took quite some effort since I don't exactly have the slimmest fingers but I managed it.

From an access hole at the top of the A-Pillar, I passed a stiff wire all the way down to the base and used it to route the cable inside the pillar and out of the hole at the top.

From the A-Pillar, it was time to thread the cable along the windshield under the roof lining. A very neat detail that I absolutely loved was the small hole that had been provided on the roof lining just above the IRVM. The hole made the wiring look like a factory fit.

And just like that the front camera wiring was done! Simple eh? The rear camera wiring was were the actual effort went in.

Rear camera installation:

With the front camera cables routed, I started work on the long rear camera cable and spent a good hour and a half trying to thread a stiff helper wire from the A-Pillar all the way back to the D-Pillar before I realised that the frame was not a continuous duct but had structural elements and damping pads in-between.

So I decided to take things one at a time and wired the cable in from the A-Pillar, through the frame and out at the B-Pillar.

This is where I met the first major obstacle because of the insulation pads and frame ribs completely blocking the passage through to the C-Pillar. I had to simply keep the wire stuffed underneath the roof lining for the space between the B and C pillars.

Even after figuring out what to do, it was not a quick job because,

1. I had to remove the pillar panels which meant taking out the seatbelts

2. I was dealing with 8 year-old plastic panel fasteners which meant I had to be really careful

3. I had to be careful with the panels themselves since they had the tendency to get dented for each and every touch.
However, the below image shows exactly the result I was expecting - not a trace of wires anywhere!

Once the B to C-Pillar cable routing was done, I put a pause on the interiors and went outside. I dismantled the black plastic piece above the tail lamps and found two access holes there on the frame which I deemed would be helpful. Mind you, I had no idea these holes existed so it was just pure experimentation, dismantling one thing, assembling something else and so on. I pushed a wire insertion helper in through one of the holes and pushed it all the way in to another access window on the frame above the C-Pillar. Using this, I pulled the wire to the D-Pillar. Finally!

Here is where I ran into the next situation. I thought I could simply use the second access hole to route the cable from the D-Pillar all the way down to the wiring harness of the door.

However, try as I might, I could not get the wiring helper to go through. Using my phone camera, I clicked photos of the inside of the frame and realised that the frame had not one but two reinforcing ribs. Not that I was complaining but they certainly had made my job harder now. I had to do what I didn't want to do. I routed it back through to the interior which was again a pain because at that area, there was very little wiggle room to thread the cable through.

Continue reading BHPian that_sedate_guy's DIY report for more insights and information.