Milestone Report for Tata Sumo at 2,30,000 kms

The Tata Sumo is a compact and versatile SUV that has been on the Indian roads for over two decades now. I have been using the Tata Sumo as an office runabout from 2007 onwards. It has done many long-distance drives and but nowadays it is mostly restricted to short distance. After driving 2,30,000 kilometers in a Tata Sumo, I can say that it is a rugged and dependable vehicle that has served me well.

The ride quality is smooth and comfortable, even on rough roads. The cabin space is ample and can comfortably seat seven people, even though the legroom is limited in the second row. The car is equipped with basic features such as power steering, power windows, and AC.

Fuel efficiency is average for this class. It delivers around 9 to 10 km/l on city roads and around 12 on Highways. The diesel engine is reasonable enough for daily driving and light load carrying. Although it lacks enough punch for overtaking and quick acceleration, the ride quality is adequate, and the suspension system copes well with rough roads and heavy loads. The car has a tough and boxy design that gives it a bold and commanding presence on the road. Maintenance costs are reasonable, and spare parts were widely available.

In conclusion, the Tata Sumo is a budget-friendly option and a good choice for those in need of a reliable and spacious SUV. It may lack some of the bells and whistles of more premium SUVs, but it delivers where it matters most.

 

What I Like About the Tata Sumo:

1.      Good ride quality

2.      Sturdy Air conditioner

3.      Airy cabin

4.      Commanding view from the cabin

5.      Front seats are comfortable

6.      Spares are cheap compared to the competition

7.      Glides over broken roads

8.      Oil and filter change can be done at approximately Rs 4,500/-

9.      Engine noise lesser than the Bolero

10.  Second row A/C Blower cools the cabin faster

 What I Dislike About the Tata Sumo:

1.      Engine is not powerful

2.      Cannot overtake in a hurry

3.      Not very fuel efficient

4.      Ponderous handling

5.      Lot of steering play

6.      You can feel the weight

7.      Not advisable to drive above 80km/hr

8.      Cannot do sudden lane changes

9.      Lots of body roll

10.  Little difficult to procure spares nowadays

11.  Bare basic vehicle compared to the competition

12.  Short wheel base and high centre of gravity makes it unstable at high speeds

 

Parts Changed Over the Years

1.      5 sets of tyres changed (Tyres used MRF, Good year, Yokahama, Michelin)

(Note: Good year is good for front end and MRF for rear tyres).

2.      Battery: Currently on 4^th battery

3.      Clutch changed: Presently on 3^rd set

4.      Suspension done up: Presently on the 3^rd set

5.      Shocks Changed: Presently on 4^th set

6.      Pump nozzle overhauled 3 times

7.      A/C compressor changed once

8.      Condenser and evaporator changed twice

9.      Painting redone once completely

10.  FC done last year

11. 

Third row seat completely removed to save weight and now can be used to carry extra luggage

12.  Many electricals switches replaced over the years

13.  Timing belt and Water Pump changed 3 times

Concluding Remarks:

Parts are not freely available as before. Is the company d
eliberately cutting parts supply even though it produced it for nearly 25 years?

 

My first impression on Bajaj Qute

                                        My first impression on Bajaj Qute

Every manufacturer’s goal is to get the biggest pie of the market share. Getting into the higher end of the market gives better margins, but may result in lesser units of sales. Conversely, playing in the lower end provides more volumes, but narrow margins.

 Bajaj is entering a Quadricycle segment (4 wheeler) for the first time with the Bajaj Qute. Here is a sneak peek into what the model holds.

1.Appearance:

It is quite small in proportion compared to other small cars in the market. It is nearly 250mm smaller in length than the nearest rival Maruti Alto

Looks are quite odd and there is no interesting angle that captures attention. However, the front end looks ok.

The body is a mix of metal and plastic body, with the doors, bonnet and dicky made up of plastic.

Interestingly, you have storage space inside the bonnet, which is quite spacious given the diminutive size of the vehicle.

 2. Interiors

 Windows come with sliding glasses. However, there are no winding handles, which can be put down to a cost-cutting measure. Personally, this reminds me of a car from the past, the Citroen 2CV.

Seats are very basic, with only to and fro movement enabled. There is no headrest either. However, you do have seat belts.

The biggest drawback could be the non-availability of A/C, which is not even available as an option. Since the glass is of a sliding type, this will impact the ventilation too. When speaking to the salesperson, he informed me that one fan will be provided at the time of sale.

Gears are not the usual ‘H-type’ gears. It is one down and four up, which mounted on the dashboard The reverse can be activated by pull the gear towards you and engage the gear Even though the gear shift is new, it is quite easy to learn. I feel it will be very easy for first-time learners.

There are few storage bins in the dashboard, under the seat and doors. The vehicle comes with an inbuilt radio and USB card reader and it serves the purpose.  However, the audio quality will not impress you.

3.Driving impression

The interiors are bare basic when you sit inside.

Once you start the engine, (surprisingly you get a self starter) you can unmistakably hear the single-cylinder noise. Thankfully it is bearable and the engine drone is better than a Tata Nano.

Shifting the gears will take little time, but it is easy to master it. Once you get the hang of it, it is a breeze.

Coming to the brakes it is all around drum brakes, meaning it will not be as sharp as the Maruti Alto. So do take the precaution of giving a little space to the person in the front especially in bumper to bumper traffic.

For three people in the vehicle the pickup is reasonable. You won’t lag behind in the city traffic. In the open roads and highways, it will not be able to keep up with the traffic

The marketing team claims that the vehicle gives a mileage of around 35km/ltr in city limits. Even if we assume that it gives around 25 km/hr, it works out to Rs 3 /km—which is quite cheap to operate.

Eg: If your daily commute is 20km and use it for 25 days your bill will come to Rs 1500 a month, whereas an autorickshaw bill in Bangalore will come to Rs 6500 for the same distance. Provided they go by the meter. This is the biggest plus point of the vehicle.

4. Engine

According to the salesperson at the showroom, the engine is taken from Bajaj Pulsar and hence the availability of spares and reparability will be easy. The engine is just 216cc capacity, which is lesser than Tata Nano by 400cc.

5.Negative points

The biggest pain point is the selling price which at Rs 2.8 lakhs on road in Pondicherry is very high. In comparison, the Tata Nano is way superior in every way. Tata Nano also comes with  A/C and power steering in top models.

I think Bajaj is pretty confused as to which market it is catering the vehicle too. Do they want to target students, first-timers or pitch it as the family second car? Basically Bajaj is trying to keep its feet on both on the autorickshaw market and private vehicle market, which is not going to work.

Verdict

 Bajaj has done a good job of launching this quadricyle. However, to succeed they will have to choose the market they are pitching to—the yellow board taxi market or the white board private market. If the target is the private market, then the maximum selling cost should not exceed Rs 1.3 lakhs. 

Chennai to Pondy Heritage Rally 2018

Planning to buy a new car? Here are some essentials to consider.

Planning to buy a new car? Here are some essentials to consider.

Pic Courtesy : Jeep - India

Buying a new car is wonderful experience, but for many people the process can turn out to be quite an ordeal. This gets intensified by the choices available, whether they are buying a car for a first time or exchanging an old car for a new one.

When you are a first time buyer

Here is a step by step guide for first time buyers.

1.     The first issue to tackle is to decide on the budget.

2.     Once this is done, the next will be to decide whether to go for a bank loan or use your savings. If it is bank loan decide on the time period (1, 3 or 5 years) and also decide on the EMI (equated monthly instalment) to see to that it doesn’t pinch your pocket. In case you feel the EMI is on the higher side try to pay a partial amount as down payment so that it reduces your EMI.

3.     Decide on the size of the car, whether to go for a hatchback or a saloon (small, medium or large car).

4.     The next thing to be decided is whether to go for a Petrol or a Diesel car. If your daily running is predominantly city driving and involving less than 30 kms it is better to buy a petrol car. If you’re daily running is more than 30 km/day then it is better to go for a Diesel car.

5.     Many people have bad vibes about diesel cars, egged on by bad memories from their fathers and/or grandfathers days. All they remember is that it is smelly, smoky, slow, noisy, and with a lot of vibration and high amounts of maintenance. However, present day diesel engines are efficient, have very low noise levels, are low on maintenance and are quite fast too.

6.     Next is to decide on the brand of the car. Do not decide the brand based on the approval of the neighbours/friends/relatives or on the basis of resale value. If the decision is based on the resale value alone, we really don’t need to choose from so many brands. Only one brand would be enough like the good old days. Decide on the basis of what you like and not on your mechanic’s choice. You might have the car for 3 to 5 years, so enjoy the car you love and drive without regrets. If you have a car for more than 5 years even the popular car models would lose their resale value. So at the end of the day, the resale value simply does not matter.

7.     Next is to decide on the specs of the car. For example, Indian brand Maruti has a nomenclature of calling the low end model as LX or LD, middle end as V and top end as Z. Decide what suits your budget and what specific fittings you would like to have.

When you are exchanging your old car for a new car

When it comes to this option many are confused, as they don’t know when is the right time to sell their old car and buy a new one. Let’s consider the many scenarios.

1.     First you have to decide whether your old car is worth repairing or if it’s wiser to replace it.

2.     If your car is somewhere around 10 years, it is time to replace it even if it is well maintained .One reason is that many metropolitan cities are forcing the car owners to dispose of their cars of the road at a 10 years period and in some cities it is 15 years.

3.     If your car body is getting severely rusted it is time to change. Gone are the days when, if a car is rusted, one takes it to a tinkering shop to get it tinkered and runs it for the next 2 years.

4.     If you have a petrol engine car of less than 1ltr capacity and your engine is close to a 1 lakh kilometres or the age is more than 5 years, replace it. Small capacity petrol engines are more stressed out than the larger capacity cars, hence wear and tear is more in small cars.

5.     Sometimes a particular model would have been discontinued, in that case replace unless you are sentimental about the car.

6.     In some cases you would have purchased the car at a discounted price, but maintenance is untenable because of high cost of spares. In this case, replace it after the loan period or after the extended period of warranty.

7.     Never retain a car after 2 lakh kilometres (even if it’s a diesel car), because the overhauling cost will be more than the resale value. Generally speaking Diesel engines are hardier than Petrol engines, they can withstand stress at 80 % level for a long duration. Petrol engines cannot withstand stress for long duration. In the present day turbo engines, the turbo charger can be a costly affair, and sometimes costs can escalate up to Rs 50,000/-.

Tips of caution for new car owners:

1. Before starting the car for the day, always open the bonnet. Check the engine oil level, radiator water level, brake fluid, coolant, windscreen washer level etc. Always keep a watchful eye for any leaks. Even though it is not necessary in the modern cars, it is better to be safe than sorry.

2. Rats usually raid the cars bonnet and chew on something. A precautious attitude will prevent unwanted breakdowns and costly expenditure. Modern cars uses lot of electronics and even though it does not require you to open the bonnet on a daily basis it is better to be safe .Keep the surroundings clean. Keep dried tobacco leaves in the bonnet and replace it after 2 or 3 weeks. You could also try some of the rat sprays are available in the market. Do not leave leftover food items in the car.

3.  Never take your eyes of the road while driving. Do not get distracted by anything in the car like cell phone, videos, etc. It is better to stop the car while talking on the phone or you can take the call later or via Bluetooth.

4. Some of the horns that are banned in our country are musical horns, Air horns and Electro-pneumatic horns. The legal limit for horns is only 75 decibels. Mostly manufacturers fit the legally allowed horns. Some low budget cars are fitted with only a single horn like that of a bike horn. In such a case, you can replace the original with better horns.

5. If your car is equipped with central locking facility do not leave the car without taking the key out, chances are you might be locked out

6. Always wear the seat belts.

7. Do not fix ultra dark sun control films in your car. Legally it is banned in our country.  Moreover, it affects your peripheral view, side view and it is difficult to reverse especially during night time.

8. If your car is equipped with a reverse camera learn to use it. Also it is better to check with your naked eye, because there are always some blind corners.

9.  If you are driving through unknown towns ask for directions preferably from policemen, or petty shop keepers. Do not ask strangers standing on the road as mostly they will confuse you. If you’re using your cars or smart phone’s GPS, use it with discretion.

                                                      Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Wish you a happy motoring experience with your new car!

Top Driving Tips for Beginners

Top Driving Tips for Beginners

Pic courtesy: www.onboardtraining.co.uk

                                               

In our country, people generally learn driving either with the help of family members/friends or through a driving school. Normally one assumes that going to driving schools will help one learn the proper methodology of driving. Added to this they offer attractive courses for 20 days. The added bonus is that they make sure that you get your license.

Although, we are jubilant that we have the driving license in our hands, we very often don’t have all the skills to drive, and thus are not confident to take the roads. This is mainly because the co-driver in the driving school has a parallel clutch and brakes, which he uses while teaching you, so practically it is he/she who is ‘driving’ the car, leaving you with no real world skills, that you actually need when you go out on the roads.

     This blog post offers a few humble tips and suggestions to prepare a newbie driver for driving on Indian roads.

1 . First things first. Check if you have all your documents needed. 

·         License ( some states demand original )

·         R.C. Book 

·         Insurance policy ( 2 types are available)

1.      Full insurance  covering all eventualities

2.      3^rd party covering only the affected party and not for the people in the car or the car.

2 . Each car has its own character. There is always some difference from one car to another car/SUV. So the first step will be to get comfortable with the car that you will be driving. Get to know the controls like the Clutch, Brake, Accelerator and Gear controls. Also get used to the controls in your steering column (Indicator, Wiper, and Headlight controls) and the dashboard controls for the Air-conditioner, Music system and other electronic gadgets.

3 . Before venturing into main roads and/or crowded roads, make sure that you are in good command of your vehicle. Your clutch, accelerator and brake controls should be fool proof.

·         AMT  equipped cars will not have a clutch pedal. Comparatively, it will be a lot easier to drive. However, you will have to use the brakes quite a lot. AMT cars will not have a ‘Parking slot’ in the gear lever, so you will have to use the conventional hand brakes. The main advantage is that AMT cars will be more fuel efficient than Automatic cars, because the system still uses a conventional gearbox for operation

.

·         Automatics/CVT cars will also be easier to drive and it does not have a clutch pedal. It is less fuel efficient than AMT and Manual gearboxes. It is equipped with a parking position/slot in the gear lever.

4.  Before starting the car for the day, always open the bonnet. Check for engine oil level, radiator water level, brake fluid, coolant, windscreen washer level etc. Always keep a watchful eye for any leaks or bitten wires. Rats usually raid the cars bonnet and chew on something. A precautious attitude will prevent unwanted breakdowns and costly expenditure. Modern cars uses lot of electronics and even though it does not require you to open the bonnet on a daily basis it is better to be safe than sorry.

5. Never take your eyes of the road while driving. Do not get distracted by anything in the car like cell phone, videos, etc. It is better to stop the car while talking on the phone or better still take the call later.

6.   Always learn to use the dip and dim switch provided in the steering column for headlights. Use dip mode during city driving. It is denoted by a green light in the dashboard. Use high beam only in highway. A blue light in the dashboard denotes it. Also it is advisable to use the dip mode when you encounter oncoming traffic in the night, especially in 2 lane roads. Never drive without dipping as it can be blinding for you as well as for the oncoming vehicle.

7. If your car is equipped with central locking facility do not leave the car without taking the key out. Chances are you might be locked out.

8.  Always keep your interiors clean from dust, sand and food waste. Dust free environment will keep the air conditioner from being clogged. It also prevents people from allergic reactions like sneezing and keeps the rats away.

9.  Always use the seat belt.

10. Check your tyre pressure once every two weeks according to the vehicles specs.

11. You will never know when you will end up with a flat tyre so it is wise to learn to change your car tyres by yourself. The car  jacking / lifting  points are usually mentioned in the car manual. 

Tips to remove the wheel:

·         Keep a stone before removing the wheel, so that it prevents accidental rolling of the jack.

·         First remove the wheel caps

·         Try loosening the nut and in case you are not able to loosen the nut, keep an extra pipe handy to insert in the wheel spanner. It gives extra advantage to loosen the nut.

·         Initially loosen the thread by half rotation in the anti clockwise direction, and make sure the nuts are not fully loosened before jacking the car.

·         Start rising the jack. The tyre should not touch the ground and till that point keep rising If you find it difficult use extra leverage.

·         Remove the wheel and inset the spare wheel and follow the opposite procedure.

·         If you can spare the extra money, try buying a hydraulic jack. It should be secured tightly in the car in vertical position only. If it tips over the oil will start spilling in your car.

·         Some fancy car jacks are available in the market like inflatable ones which can be inflated by the car exhaust gases.

Caution:  Be wary about calling strangers for help as it can land you in unwanted trouble.

12. Check your fuel gauge before starting a journey. Always keep little extra fuel than you normally require. Sometimes it will come in handy in case of traffic jams or detours.

13.  Always keep checking your gauges on a regular basis for overheating of the vehicle. Some manufacturers are stingy and they do not provide temperature gauges by trying to save some cost. 

They provide only one red light, which comes on only when it is already in the danger zone. Preferably, stay away from those vehicles.

14. Do not drive at breakneck speeds inside the city limit. Go along with the flow of the traffic. Do not be a hindrance to other motorists. Many try to drive smartly by going into the oncoming traffic after crossing the yellow line. You will find such drivers especially near signals and they end up blocking the whole traffic. It creates confusion, delays and heated arguments. Avoid road rage.

15. If you drive slowly keep to the left and do not drive in the middle of the road.

16. Avoid overtaking on the left. Overtaking on the left is wrong. If you are forced to overtake somebody who is hogging the middle of the road, do it swiftly and give sufficient space for the vehicle in front. This is in case the vehicle you are overtaking suddenly decides to move to the left, which can cause a nasty accident.  

17. If your car is equipped with a reverse camera learn to use it. Also always check with your naked eye, because there are always blind corners.

18. Learn to park both ways (front and backwards) and master parallel parking. Also, learn reverse parking- it is especially useful in a tight parking area.

19. Drive cautiously while entering the main road from the side road and also be cautious in roundabouts.

20. While driving in the highway, the key to safe driving is to keep a watchful eye at all times. Drive along with the flow of traffic. Do not drive in a zig zag manner. If you are driving slowly keep to the left lane. If you are stopping for some reason park only in the designated areas. If you are forced to stop for an emergency, pull completely of the tar road and move to the shoulder.

21. If you are doing long distance driving take a break once every 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Take a tea break to refresh yourself. If you are feeling drowsy, take a cat nap to refresh yourself. When you are parking, do so only in safe places.

22. Some safe places to park in highways are near the Toll plazas and some petrol bunks (do not park in lonely bunks). If you are parking in truck lay by area, make sure somebody is in the car, always keep the doors locked and turn on the air-conditioner and then go to sleep.

23. Wet weather driving: The trick of wet weather driving is to take it easy. Smooth operation is the key (i.e. the clutch operation, throttle/accelerator inputs and braking has to be as smooth as possible). Avoid jerky motions like sudden change of directions. Give lot of space to the vehicle in front. Adjust your wiper setting according to the rainy conditions. To counter the fogging inside the vehicle balance it with the A/C. If the fogging inside the car cannot be balanced with A/C, use the heater (if your car is provided with one). Drive slower than your normal speed.

24. Flooded roads: Do not enter unknown flooded roads. If the water is up to ankle height, wade your car carefully in the water. If the water is more than your exhaust pipe level, do not enter the water. Avoid entering causeways, as they are susceptible for flash floods. Use extra brake lights provided in the car during rainy conditions.

25. Direction help: if you are driving through unknown towns ask for directions preferably from policemen, or petty shop keepers. Do not ask strangers standing on the road mostly they will confuse you. If you are using your car’s GPS or smart phone’s GPS, use it with discretion.

26. Entering main roads: Always look in all the mirrors before moving in to the main road.

27. While opening doors: Always look in the rear view mirror before opening the door. Keep rear door on the right side in the child lock mode. Ask the passengers to alight only from the left side of the car.

28. Hill climbing : Use preferably 2nd or 3rd gear while going up and while coming down use 2nd gear . Do not coast down the hill ,while shutting down the engine, It is very dangerous. do not use only brakes to get down the hill, the brakes will tend to overheat and ultimately it will lead to brake failure Also keep stone behind your tyre for extra safety so that it does not roll down. Always use hand brakes while parking

Wish you a happy motoring!

Throttles and Gears: Top 20 salvaging features for a marooned/drowned c...

Throttles and Gears: Top 20 salvaging features for a marooned/drowned c...:            Top 20 salvaging features for a marooned/drowned car Pic courtesy:www.hansindia.com Recently the Souther...

Top 20 salvaging features for a marooned/drowned car

           Top 20 salvaging features for a marooned/drowned car

Pic courtesy:www.hansindia.com

Recently the Southern East Coast of India experienced a brutal storm in November and December 2015 which resulted in severe flooding in many parts of South India,  especially in Chennai, Cuddalore and Pondicherry. It is very sad to note that so many people suffered in the floods that marooned most of Chennai, Cuddalore, Pondichery and Nellore.

 Many had suffered beyond measure. Some have lost their kith and kin, while many have encountered huge material losses.

For many people they their cars and SUV’s got marooned / drowned in the flood waters. In view of the present situation, I wish to present a few points on how to salvage a car which has been marooned/drowned. This will also help you not getting  conned / fleeced by unscrupulous elements.

Note:

·        If your Car or SUV is drowned in the water, please do not attempt to start the car, because if the water had already entered the engine, trying to start the car/SUV/2 wheeler will lead to heavy damage to the engine beyond measure. Moreover the insurance company might not honour their insurance policy in such circumstances.

·        In case your vehicle had rolled many times and if it was found washed up in some other area, please check for body damage like caved in roof or doors completely gone inside. If there is such an issue, please contact your dealer and insurance company for total replacement, especially if your policy is live. (It is not worth repairing a completely damaged body, because most of the present day cars are Monocoque type bodies which do not have a separate chassis.)

·        In case your vehicle is a SUV and if it is  body on ladder type frame, such a vehicle can be repaired even if the body is completely damaged. The shell can be replaced separately provided the chassis is not bent or twisted.

In case your vehicle does not have body damage, please read further to see how it can be salvaged

Some of the points to remember while salvaging your vehicle:

1.     Please tow your vehicle to a workshop you are familiar with, without trying to start the engine.

2.     First thing remove the Engine oil and flush the engine, after flushing put fresh oil and change oil filter. (Old oil will be contaminated with water and dirt).

3.     Remove old oil from Gear box and Differential and put fresh oil.

4.     If your brakes are jammed, remove the rear brake. For vehicles equipped with Disc brakes in the rear overhaul the caliper and change the caliper Minor kit.

5.     For the front brakes change the caliper minor kit and change the Master cylinder assembly and bleed the system.

6.     Remove your starter motor, dry it and service it and refit it back

7.     As far as Alternator is concerned remove and dry it. Check your diode and if it is not alright replace your diode. Change your regulator, service it and refit.

8.     Check your Nozzle assembly in your engine and the associated components. If the water had entered the nozzle, please change the nozzle tips in case of old type of Diesel engines. In newer type of engines (both Petrol and Diesel) you will have to replace the complete nozzle assembly.

9.     Check for water ingress in the power steering assembly, flush the oil in Hydraulic power steering system replace with fresh oil and check for smooth functioning and also bleed the system. In case your vehicle is equipped with electric power steering check for smooth functioning and if the component is not working properly, you might have to replace the complete assembly.

10.   Remove the tie rod ends, check and move the strut assemble in both directions. If there is any noise coming in the ball joints replace those ball joints.

11.  Check your radiator for any leaks. In case of any leaks you might have to change the radiator.

12. Check for smooth functioning of your Air conditioning system.  If there is any noise from the blower unit replace the blower motor assembly. (It comes only as a set and hence cannot be serviced). Check the outside fan. If is damaged change it.

13.  Check your clutch operation, if your system is frozen change your slave cylinder and Master cylinder. (Old vehicles or low cost vehicles come equipped with cable operation. Replace if you find the operation jerky.) In case of any rattling noise comes from your Bell house assembly, you might have to change your release bearing and clutch disc).

14.  Check all your electrical systems, blow dry air and clean all the fuses, relays etc. In case some of them are blown replace with correct fuse rating. Newer generation cars can be hooked onto a computer. Check all your sensors and replace new ones for the failed sensors.

15.   Check your drive shaft boots. In case the boots are torn replace the boots and re grease it.

16.  Check your power windows and central locking systems. If you hear clunking noise when the windows are moved up and down, replace the motor assembly in the particular door. (The service motor assembly unit cannot be serviced.)

17. Check for free movement of the gear lever and make sure it falls into all the gears easily. In case it is hard to shift lubricate all the joints.

18.  Check for any Headlight, Taillight or fog lamp breakages. In case there are no breakages in the assembly, remove all the bulbs and dry it in the sun for a day or two  so that it removes all the moisture in it. If there is physical damage to the assembly replace the unit.

19.    Clean the interior with wet/dry wash vacuum cleaners. (Do not use a home  vacuum cleaners as most of them are of dry type and it can cause damage to the vacuum cleaner). In case you do not have access to a wet vacuum cleaner, remove the seats and carpet and dry it in the sun till it is totally dry without any trace of moisture or bad odour.

20.    Check your Music system. If it is not working, replace the music system. In case it is a company unit with multiple options like reverse camera, blue tooth and GPS replacing the whole unit will be a costly affair.

The minimum cost worked out for a small premium hatch back will be round Rs 45,000/-. This is provided there no major damages. The cost might vary from brand to brand.

 Caution:  Please use your discretion while deciding for the repairs and also check the credentials of the workshop and the mechanic. If possible go to an authorised dealer, even then do not settle for exorbitant cost. Always check whether repair is warranted. Many will try to con you for total engine overhaul, in many cases it might not be needed. Always double check with some well wishers.

 Happy Motoring !