Mahindra XUV700 (AX7L D AT) Ownership Review: The Silver Surfer

[mayankdixit]

Air Filter Part number

Its good to see air filter of XUV 700 is economical ( 725/- ) as compared to XUV 500 ( 950/- ).
Is it paper filter or wet foam filter.Did you see during installation, what type is it ?
My guess is it might be dry paper filter. That may explain the price difference.

 

[A.G.]

Is it paper filter or wet foam filter.

Yes, it's a dry paper filter with just an added layer of foam on the inlet side.

 

[anuraagshenoy]

2. Despite the steering angle sensor being reset, the steering feel has gone for a toss and the steering has become quite heavy.

Was it reset using the software tool that Mahindra uses or by any other method?

3. Just before stopping, the brakes now make a squealing sound – surprised that there was no such issue with the old worn-out pads.

4. Due to lack of time, the washing and cleaning were deferred for the next week and during that visit, the brakes were cleaned (for noise) and the steering angle sensor was reset again but none of these solved the respective issues which still persist.

AFAIK, you'll need to open the callipers and clean the pads once with sandpaper. Also, check the rotor surface and if there is any kind of 'lip' formation on the outer edge of the rotor.

5. The other persistent noises bothering me as of now are from the DEF/fuel tank and the Engine cover which rattles.

Try adding some foam/damping sheet to arrest that vibration/rattle under the engine cover. Regarding the fuel tank rattle, ensure the bolts holding the tanks are tight to the torque specifications as given in the service manual.

 

[A.G.]

Was it reset using the software tool that Mahindra uses or by any other method?

Yes, with the software tool. Finally this seems to be sorted with another round of reset post alignment check.

AFAIK, you'll need to open the callipers and clean the pads once with sandpaper. Also, check the rotor surface and if there is any kind of 'lip' formation on the outer edge of the rotor.

Couple of days back the dealer had attempted to clean the brake pads with sandpaper and perform general checks. Since the noise is still there, next week they are planning to take corrective steps under guidance from Mahindra.

Try adding some foam/damping sheet to arrest that vibration/rattle under the engine cover. Regarding the fuel tank rattle, ensure the bolts holding the tanks are tight to the torque specifications as given in the service manual.

The issue with engine cover seems to be with the rubber bush for the cover itself. Upon heating it becomes loose and the cover starts to rattle. The 'Football in boot' sound is a known issue for XUV7OO and seems it is caused by sloshing of the DEF inside the tank when the level starts to decrease.

 

[anuraagshenoy]

Couple of days back the dealer had attempted to clean the brake pads with sandpaper and perform general checks. Since the noise is still there, next week they are planning to take corrective steps under guidance from Mahindra.

Do you have any image of the rotors in its current condition?

 

[A.G.]

Skyroof (Panoramic Sunroof) not closing

For the first time accidentally long-pressed the unlock button which resulted in missing out a family event in a different city. This was all thanks to the Skyroof refusing to close.

Video of the incident which happened in end of April
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3rpWKa9RzQ4

After trying all measures I could think of to close the sunroof, finally connected with Mahindra helpline on call since being a Saturday I was unsure if the ASC in Dehradun is open or not. They connected me with the manager of DPM Dehradun who offered to send his personnel to the hotel where the festivities were taking place or I could drive down to their workshop which was open. Opted for the latter since the weather was becoming gloomy and it had already rained last night – with the sunroof open it would have been a disaster had it rained while waiting for help to arrive.

While praying along the way for no rains, drove to the opposite corner of Dehradun to reach the ASC. Here I was all dressed-up for the family event standing in the workshop

Despite reaching during lunch time, they had kept on hold a couple of technicians to immediately address the issue. It was hardly a 5 min fix as they simply removed the battery, reconnected it after a short wait and then tried to close it by moving it in short bursts to bring it closer to the closed position and then holding the button to close it. On the second such attempt, they were successful in closing it after which they tried opening / closing it couple of times before connecting the laptop to check for any errors.

The only thing I didn’t try out was disconnecting and re-connecting the battery since I did not carry the tool kit to make space for the luggage but as part of the learning from this episode, have kept a spanner and socket in the glovebox itself.

Do you have any image of the rotors in its current condition?

Didn't capture the picture of rotors.

 

[anuraagshenoy]

Didn't capture the picture of rotors.

Oh. The next time you happen to go near the car, place your finger on the rotor and move it from inside to outside i.e., from hub to rotor edge.
PS: Do it when the rotor is cool.

Check if you notice any raised edge on the outer part of the rotor.

 

[A.G.]

Update on the Brakes

After discussions between Dealer & Mahindra, the Front brake pads were replaced as there was a doubt on the material of the Brake pads itself. Post replacement have been driving only in the city and the noise is yet to occur. Would report again after covering some more distance.

 

[A.G.]

Rattle from Center Armrest and issue with it’s Sliding Mechanism

While on a trip which involved only Expressways, there was rattle noise on even the minor undulations / expansion joints of bridges. Was able to pin-point it the Center Armrest area and when trying to slide it, found that it’s movement is not smooth and sometimes getting stuck.

Video of the issue
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wPH1wbyFwgo

A screw is missing from underneath the center armrest and has most likely made it’s way inside the sliding mechanism

Will have it checked upon returning to base but it’s alarming to see a screw coming off in the interior trim. Not sure what all would need to be removed to rectify this issue - praying the gain is more than the pain.

 

[A.G.]

Update on the Screw in the Center Armrest

Visited the ASC and it was found that there is no way to open the sliding assembly and would need to replaced as a whole. Still I had requested to check with Mahindra if opening-up is possible since the process to replace the center armrest requires removal of almost the entire center console from Gear lever till rear AC vents (Long term Pain would be more than short term Gain).

After waiting for a couple of days to hear on a solution or part replacement update, I attempted to remove the screw and with some patience and some ordinary tools, I was able to extract the screw through the bottom when the armrest is in open position.

Getting first glimpse of the screw – half the battle won

The screw once out

Surprisingly when I tried to put this screw back in place, I noticed that despite the length of the screw, barely any thread come in contact with the panel inside. Interestingly, the second screw as well came loose during the process of removal of the first one or while putting it back. Luckily the second screw did not fall into the sliding mechanism.

As of now both screws are removed and the mechanism is working fine without any rattles.

 

[A.G.]

Stats after 50 Fill-ups, trip details and a software glitch

Completed 50 fills as per Fuelio and thought of sharing some observations:

1. Covered slightly over 25K Kms in just a shade under 8 months.
2. Max fill of 55.7 Liters had the DTE down to just 3 Kms – the lack of functional Fuel stations on my first run on the new Expressways took it down to the wire with heart in mouth.
3. Since the last service, there seems to be some hesitation when accelerating and a drop in FE (on same routes) is observed as well – could be nothing more than the effect of Summers and AC usage but planning to revert to the factory original air filter to verify.

Some stats

Some charts

Recently visited Chitrakoot – view from the top of mountain

A random capture in the parking

FE after 500 Kms on Expressway

Final stats over 702 Kms

The complete drive

This time changed the shampoo to a reputed Wash and Wax and the results were amazing

Mirror like gloss with minimal effort

On this trip, the navigation presented with a software glitch when both the screens were showing contradicting turn

To go left or to go right

The more I noticed, more such instances became evident with there being a mismatch between Google Maps on the center screen and Turn indication on the Instrument screen.

 

[A.G.]

Auto Hold and Electronic Parking Brake Malfunction – Another day, another niggle

Everything seemed normal and just like any other working day had parked the vehicle outside the main gate and after closing it when I tried to move after pressing the parking brake release button, the vehicle did not move. Looked at the cluster and noticed the Auto Hold tell-tale was ON in the cluster which was weird since I never used Auto Hold – probably never using the Auto Hold made it throw tantrums. Recalled from a previous reading of owners manual that these features either have the tell-tale in white or green and yellow / red meant issues. The Parking like indicator in yellow meant it too had a malfunction.

The cluster

Tried the usual ignition cycle with door open/close and lock/unlock but nothing worked. The only option left was to disconnect the battery and this time used the in-vehicle spanner. After restarting, everything was back to normal as if nothing had happened.

Software niggles are nothing new in Mahindra but such niggle(s) hampering drivability is simply unacceptable.

In all these years of driving, for the first time I have had to open the bonnet on the road, even if it was right outside the house

 

[VISHNUCARCRAZY]

What was the shampoo that you had used sir?

 

[A.G.]

What was the shampoo that you had used sir?

Switched to Turtle Wax's Carnauba Tropical Wax & Wax for these results. Has amazing smell as a bonus.

 

[A.G.]

Rain and it’s after effects

The second week of July had erratic rains and one fine morning I was greeted to the sight of water touching the rims (which became the norm for the next 3 days), all thanks to election promises going down the drain instead of water.

Unfortunately I had parked the XUV7OO in the open overnight and the first thing I checked was if there had been any water entry in the cabin due to this heavy downpour – I am happy to report there were no signs. Opened the sunroof and found that only the channels were wet and the drains did their job as they were supposed to do.

The after effect of rains is I am left with squeaks from rubber door seals whenever there is any flex in the body. Another after effect of continuous 3 days of rains meant most of the areas were water logged and while crossing one such area, the front number plate with frame mounted with rivets came right off. Luckily the bumper was not damaged in this separation.

Due to Kanvar Yatra closure, the order for the new plates got delayed and was placed through the local Mahindra dealer on Monday and they managed to arrange the plate on Wednesday itself. Picked up a new frame with the plate and got 10L DEF as well for a later DIY filling. What I didn’t notice was the spout I collected was not for the bucket and had to improvise the filling process by making a funnel out of an old 2L pack by cutting it’s bottom part. This time the level corrected quickly and was up by 50% after driving for just 10 Kms.

Makeshift filler

A couple of pics from a recent highway drive