08 - 08- 2008
hi Friends - I m writing from a different account Id as I was not allowed to post under the same id.
This is an add on to my earlier post - My 2 years with Xeta which was more on the car as a whole with a little technical details. In this second post I wish to share with a very recent experience with XETA which though not extensive can help you take some precautions to enjoy a troublefree ownership.
Recently I had to give my car for a routine service check up(I m planning a trip to Goa). Complaints included:
1) rain water inside the car. My carpet had water puddles. Initally I presumed it was coz I was getting in to the car all wet
2) Instrument panel shows wrong oil warning signal after a long ride or sustained heavy traffic use(when driven in 1st & 2nd gear for a long time)
3) Bottom of the car(exhaust) rubbing the speedbreakers (though marutis have this issue I never previously faced this problem with my Xeta even when fully loaded)
4) The front glass/wind shield not getting cleaned properly(Used to cause a lot problem during rains especially in the night)
5) Routine oil check ups
6) Brake pad replacement at 28000 km
7) Alternator belt replacement at 28000
8) Rear Door locks
Now the Feedback(how the most unsuspecting things can cuase you trouble):
1) FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WISH GETTING A MUSIC SYSTEM INSTALLED FROM OUTSIDE. The water logging was due to the wiring of my system(includes a woofer and 2 amplifiers). I was told that the wiring also has rubber bushings through which it passes within the car. The rubber bushings had come off & water was entering from there. For those who have a factory fitted music system check for clogging of small pipes that drains water out from the car or leaky windows. Its very critical to check for waterlooging inside the car as initially most of us tend to overlook it supposing it to be routine monsoon problem.
Cost: I had to get the carpet washed & dried. But the main expense was getting the RAMDHA replaced. This is a thick layer just below the carpet & above the floor. It insulates the cabin from tyre noise as well as helps cooling. Water had spoiled this layer. Cost is approx 1000.
So take care with external fitments. Infact with a tata car be careful with any non-factory fitted kit(electrical issues can cause problem).
2) Gear oil gets over fully at around 26k mark so had to refill it
3) Engine flushing is mandatory at 25k. removes carbon deposit - Cost Rs. 1750
4) OIl top offs- engine oil / brake oil
5) Brakde pad cost - Rs. 1000/-(safety measure though my old pads had still some bite left)
6) Alternator Belt cost - Rs. 750/-(again a safety measure- a snapped alternator belt can leave you stranded). But check if old one needs replacement. squeaking noise form the engine when you start the car is coz of a worn out alternator belt or a belt with lot of dirt accumulated on it. Ask the service guy to check if it is frayed or has become hard.
7) Bushing & some screws on the exhaust had come off so the exhaust was brushing speedbreakers. So next you notice your indica brushing breakers which it earlier use to clear easily check for this minor issue- Cost of replacement is nominal
8) Wiper rubber had eroded. During summers the windscreen gets very hot. The wiper rubber melts when it touches this hot glass. - Nominal cost for new rubber
9) Door locks have been rectified. MIne is not an automatic lock or central locking. Plain simple old time lock knob which needs to be pressed, so finding the problem & rectifying it was not an issue.
The service & response was satisfactory(I had tried out a new service station). But problem cropped after I took the delivery - On my way back home. The power delivery is generally very linear in a Xeta (not exactly on the first gear but smoothens out soon as you pick up speed). But this time around after a few Kms the car pick up started dropping drastically at average RPMs even with a lower gear shift. The power surge was missing with downshifts and then all of a sudden from nowhere normal power used to return with a jerk. I continued in this fashion till I was close to my house and the car finally stalled 2 kms away from my house. The irony was that my troublefree xeta created this problem after this service. But what saved the day was the response of the service team. WIthin 45 mins I had a Tata car with mechanic reach me. The problem was traced to ignorance of a service team personnel in allowing to enter one of the fuses. This had shorted the fuse. The car was promptly taken back & delivered to me at my house the very next day in top condition.
So am I sharing this with you?
1) Timely care can save a lot of expenses in future. 25000, 50000, 75000. are important readings on your odometer
2) Try to find an authorised dealer close to your house. You will really appreciate it when you face problem or when you need the car to delivered to your house since you dont have time
3) Reliability is important but equally important is the response when things go wrong. The response I got from the team post service fiasco has completely pacified me and I look at as a minor blip which had nothing to do with the car’s dependability.
4) Many times we tend to get biased negatively when the fault may not really lie at the manufacturer’s end - It could be ur ill treatment, irregular servicing or tendenacy to push the parts of the car till they are fully worn that can get you in to trouble. And manytime such troubles lead to another one making ownership tiring and demanding
5) External fitments may look good but be practical. Alloy tyres look sexy. But keep in mind Xeta has 13 inch rims. The vendor may push your for 14 inch alloys saying it will fit the car. 14 inch alloys will fit but the cost will be life of your suspension.(indica turbo diesel has 14 inch rims). Also normal factory fitted radial tyres last for 45000 kms- so if you change before that its a waste of money. Xeta rims get out of shape sooner than other cars(extremely poor qaulity rims). So if you own a xeta it makes sense to replace rims and tyres between 35-40000kms.
SO does this experience change my view about Xeta?
No! Nothing beats the car for the sheer value it delivers. At 28000 kms I know my car has been refurbished with all the essentials that will take me to 50000 kms in the same hasslefree manner.
In fact this experience has helped me build a stronger bond with the car(it should be cared(not pampered) like a baby) as well as company through its service team
Thats all for now!
Bye