Tata Tiago Petrol XZ - A Layman's Long Term Ownership Review

bhvm · Apr 28, 2020

This is Pretty strange. As is some Sensor is getting heated up In Engine bay and causing this. Is the Condensor fan working when AC kicks in?

Prabhagar · Apr 30, 2020

Sorry for late replies.. Got caught up with work..

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

1. Steering in centre position , vehicle pulls to either one side ? Very slight swaying
2. Tried rotating tyres , still issue persists ? Yes, all wheels rotated
3.Sure of rims ? - No bends or dents, Yep all good here as well
4.No complaints to suspension and related components. No problems

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

Thank you for the tip.. I will definitely try this out after COVID-19 situation gets better.

bhvm said:

Yep, just checked today, condensor fan spins fine whenever AC compressor kicks in.

Prabhagar · May 17, 2020

4 Years / 9th Service Update (13-Feb-2020 & 14-Feb-2020)

Had to go in early for next major service (15K intervals) because car had clocked 15K KM before 1 year of previous oil change. I dropped off the car at 10am on 13th Feb with below items/issues to check & fix:

Oil and filter
Fuel Filter
Clean AC filter
Headlight manual focus (RHS was higher than LHS after installing projectors)
Rotate align and balance wheels. Correct steering right tilt.
Replace valve stems with the Triton branded ones I bought online (https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07FMP6F12/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Humming sound while driving (all speeds)
Oil seepage fix (deferred from previous minor service visit)
No car wash

Updates from ASC - 13th Feb:
My service advisor called me at ~2pm with below updates:

Humming sound: Both right wheel bearings worn out. Needs replacement. Parts not in stock.
Oil sump seepage: Drain bolt stuck, needs lathe work to remove it.
One of the engine mounts (C mount) was found cracked and needs replacement.
All service bays occupied for today and work will be done next day only.

I got frustrated to hear engine mount crack because it was replaced exactly at the 2 year service under warranty. Also engine mounts cracking is a known & repetitive issue for several Tiago owners of 2016/17 batches. So I asked them to check if it falls under extended warranty (EW). Since wheel bearings were not in stock, I thought to get a second opinion from elsewhere before replacing both (one going kaput wouldn't have made me suspicious).

Updates from ASC - 14th Feb:
Around noon, I called for an update and was shocked with below updates:

Both wheel bearings changed (without sharing any estimates with me)
Engine mount cannot be claimed under EW. By now, I got 2 of ATOM Club members' invoice copies who got it replaced in EW and shared with SA immediately. I wanted fight this out and decided to wait for their response.
Oil sump repacked
Oil change, fuel filters and other regular work were done. First time they used Mobil Super instead of Castrol Magnatec.
Steering tilt corrected by wheel alignment
Triton valve stems were installed
Headlights refocused.
Total bill was more ₹10,177 .

Delivery - 14th Feb:

Car was delivered at my office on day 2 evening with a hefty bill of ₹10177/-.

In case the above bill is cryptic/unreadable, here's the simpler version of it with approx breakup:

Immediately checked headlight focus at our office basement and it was exactly the same as before - RHS higher than LHS, blinding oncoming drivers .
Also noticed steering tilt wasn't corrected yet. The very reason I spent ₹1000 for alignment & balancing was to get this fixed, and apparently they don't care.

Worn out wheel bearings (God knows if these are mine or just picked up from their scrap). My bad, I should have have just did some DIY tests from good Youtubers like ChrisFix before trusting them.
Damage to wallet: ₹4200

Oil Sump Repacked.
Damage to wallet: ₹1600

Triton Valve Stems: Except for stock valve stems that came with the car, my every other stem lost their tread pattern in few months time because of cheap build and my regular use of portable tyre inflator on them. After looking at several unbranded ones sold for 100 to 150 per piece at tyre shops (even my ASC), found these Triton branded ones on Amazon (link above) for ~300 bucks / 5 pieces. It's been 3 months now and their treads looks and feels good so far. Will update on this after few more months of usage.

Cabin had lot of mosquitoes due to overnight parking at garage, possibly with windows rolled down. I also never let them wash my car, so got it washed next day at my regular car wash place, where I can do quick detailing afterwards. Sometimes I have spent even half a day with full blown wax sessions, the owner is very cooperative and helpful!

Signing off for now.. More updates on engine mount to follow in next post:

Prabhagar · May 18, 2020

Engine Mount Replaced (C Mount)
So I patiently followed up for over a week with my SA on extended warranty claim and he got back saying claim was rejected. With the hefty 10K bill of service visit, I got more furious and asked for email id of whoever rejected my claim to escalate to TML. While waiting for this, Tata's Leap with Tata Facebook group (by invite only, for some Tiago/Tigor owners) left a comment on my photo, for which I lost temper and posted this reply:

After this conversation, they contacted me over the phone and collected more information on my issue. To my surprise, my ASC manger calls me the same day asking if I raised a complaint against them. Explained the story to him and he got the approval for EW claim the very next day. I couldn't visit them for a couple of weeks due to outstation travel and work issues but then the mount was promptly replaced after I got time to visit my ASC.

New C Mount: Looking at how low this thing sits, it could very well be cracked due to stones or debris from highway runs (belly never scraped) but even if that's true, I will call it a design flaw.

Invoice Copy:

Few days before this visit, I had noticed an unusual 'rrrrrrrr' noise immediately after turning key ON every morning. Upon close inspection, found out it was the flap opening/closing noise for external air circulation. Tiago automatically closes the flap after some time from shutting the engine down. Probably was designed to prevent rats/rodents from entering cabin through this opening. I have the habit of letting fresh air from outside come in from blower for a minute or two and this flap would open at that time making this noise noticeable. I thought some object like plastic got stuck in its way and making this noise.

Air Circulation Flap Noise:

Turns out, my AC blower motor has gone kaput as well and they had automatically raised EW claim for this as well [:D]

. Unfortunately, I could not follow up on this because of lockdown started a couple of days after this visit. Have to follow up after things go back to normal.

Up next, some LED bulbs and headlight leveler plugs, hopefully in the next few days!

Prabhagar · Nov 8, 2020

March 2020: Headlight Leveler Plugs

After several failed attempts to source headlight leveler motor connectors from auto spare stores and scrap markets, I ordered 5 piece sets from AliExpress but only one of the order reached me while other got lost in shipping (got refund though). Second order placed but only had 2 piece set available. Luckily it arrived on time (overall process took 3 months). My office colleague helped with connecting the wires and got them installed successfully.

Links -
Harness Side - AliExpress Link
Headlight Side - AliExpress Link

Plugs after hooking up wires & protective tube:

After installing in car. Left & Right sides:

Manually lowered right headlight's height using screw driver. None of the usual screws in the assembly had any effect on them. Only this method worked which was actually changing the height inside leveler motor.

Low & High Beams:
Notice a lot of light scattering in high beam. I suspect it to be manufacturing defect but I left as it is since I drive on low beam except on divided highways or when there is no oncoming vehicle in median-less highways.

Also noticed fogging inside RHS assembly during car wash. It got cleared by itself after an hour or so. Checked with folks and it seems to exist in several cars. Running as it is until it becomes a real problem.

Prabhagar · Nov 10, 2020

March 2020 - Auto Dimming IRVM

After being in my wish list for 2+ years, I decided to buy Auto Dimming IRVM (Inside Rear View Mirror) for my Tiago, back in Jan 2020.

Reasons for purchase:

Avoid manual switching to night mode every night while returning from work (~8pm)
Stock IRVM got loose and often changes its position
Vibrates along with bass notes, hehe
Dimming effect would be better than stock (it isn't)

There is literally no online marketplace to source these here so I had to order from from AliExpress:
Product Link: Click Here (Bracket 30 for Tiago)
Cost: $45 (~₹3000)
Customs: ₹1100 (stupid me, used office address for shipping instead of home address).

Seller promptly sent photos of product before and after packaging. Received Product is well built with nothing to complain about. Had pretty good amount of foam padding inside the box. User manual is a joke as usual.

Unboxing: Compact box with good amount of foam padding inside. Bracket was pre installed by seller.

Up Close:
Top: Power button with a light sensor on left which detects bright light from vehicles behind us. A green color indicator on right to tell us if the unit is powered ON or OFF. Finally, there is a sensor on the back (facing front of the car) to automatically dim the mirror once ambient light reduces.
Middle: Wire had the fuse pre installed. I couldn't remove it, guess its stuck permanently.
Bottom: Wire organizer/cover for cars with lowered IRVM for a clean look. I did not have to use it.

Installation:
Top Left: Provided bracket is a lot bigger than stock bracket's grooves which left me clueless initially.
Top Right: Contacted seller and after some miscommunication, he finally sent a whatsapp video on how to use the allen key to tighten the unit after sliding to position.
Bottom Left: After turning the screw (as shown in top right), it protrudes on the other side which will make contact with the windshield unit to secure a tight fit.
Bottom Right: Easier said than done, tightening it after sliding on to car's mount is a tedious job. There's very little visibility and angular space to rotate the allen key.

Wiring:
Routed the unit's wire through roof liner towards driver side A pillar (same as dashcam). Had to use a thicker wire (Blue) to push thru dashboard trim towards cabin fuse box.
Used F6 fuse which gets power along with the ORVM adjustment motor. Since it came with the fuse pre-connected, my fuse tap's connector is left unused (covered with insulation tape). Ground connected to horizontal metal bar which is hooked up to steering rack. IRVM wire is quite long and looks messy under the dashboard. Have plans to cut/trim it to keep the area clean.

Post Installation:
Top: The new IRVM is at least 2 inches longer than stock and looks pretty nice. It also doesn't rattle like the stock one. Notice the gap from roof to IRVM, causing the dashcam to be visible inside cabin. Stock unit had it completely covered making it a 100% stealth device.
Bottom: IRVM powers ON automatically upon key in ACC position. Green light glows when its powered ON. Pressing power button turns it OFF and ON. I wish it had an "Always ON" mode or adjust sensitivity of the sensor. Felt it kicks in only when the rear vehicle is pretty close. On the other hand, dimming effect is good enough to block a good amount of light, but it cannot guard us against extreme bright LEDs, HIDs etc which can still be bright even after dimming.

Day vs Night: There is a bluish tint whenever auto dimming kicks in. Being a hatchback, the wider wider IRVM unit doesn't help much with rear visibility but only reveals more of the car's interior. Bigger cars can make better use of this wide mirror.

Final Thoughts: Despite paying higher than expected cost (~4K), it did not serve its purpose because right after this got installed, lockdown began [frustration]

.
Overall I am happy with the product and feel it to be a worthy upgrade. In fact, this is such an important safety feature that I'd expect every car should have right out of the assembly line.

VISHNUCARCRAZY · Nov 11, 2020

I prefer manual day/night IRVM, than spending amount for this product.
These things don't lack the stock built. A friend of mine had a Mirror mounted reverse cam display setup , and Ford users know, the IRVM mount is weak, so every month it required a tightening, and after a year of use, mount became loose(thread worn), and a new mount + IRVM was needed.

Prabhagar · Nov 11, 2020

VISHNUCARCRAZY said:

Thanks for the heads up. Its been 6+ months now and no signs of loose mounts in mine.

Prabhagar · Nov 14, 2020

60000 KM Milestone 
Crossed 60K milestone on 01-Nov-2020. If not for COVID, this would have been achieved in Jun-2020. It's been 4 years and 5 months and I am used to the niggles and ongoing issues of my Tiago. Sharing some minor updates on the car since June 2020 which were deferred for quite sometime.

Fuelio Logs:
Left: Odo progress, clearly shows the lockdown dip.
Right: Overall mileage still stands at 15.7 KMPL by tank full method.

LED Tail Lights: Replaced brake and reverse gear bulbs to LED. Not a huge difference in brightness compared to stock.

Hub Cap: ASC had lost one of my hub caps during previous service visit. Replaced with boodmo ordered spare. Cost: ~₹230

Air Filter: Sourced from boodmo for around ₹700 (same cost as Tata)r filter at home. Replaced at home.
Top Left: Unpacked boodmo package. Made by Lumax.
Top Right: Unscrewing the 5 nuts of engine cover.
Bottom Left: Old filter is about 15K old but pretty dirty. Can't imagine Tata recommends this to be replaced every 45K.
Bottom Right: New filter in place. Fits very tight and had to struggle when installing engine cover.

Black Tiago Badge: Ordered from Amazon for ₹200 just to see how it looks. Made of glossy black plastic (which is a dust magnet) and is built well. Stock badges on the left & right will be removed soon.

Graco Car Seat: Daughter outgrew her car seat's recommended height (shoulder is higher than strap) and had to get a new one for her. Tried Britax first (₹15K) but returned due to heavy stains on the black plastics. Found a Graco seat for ₹6K which is less than half the price of Britax and hence took a plunge. Luckilit, it turned out to be very good despite being shipped via India Post. It has few goodies like hand rest, bottle holder, snacks tray which are not in Britax. The backrest can also be removed to use as booster seat after she outgrows this one. She feels more airy and less restricted now due to 3-point seat belt vs 5-point one in her old seat.

Stubby Antenna:
This is another trial attempt from Amazon for ₹300 and it looks and works pretty good. Just have to unscrew old one and screw it on the existing slot. Comes with couple of different size screws to suit the car's holder size.

Stock vs Stubby Antenna:

New Shampoos:
This Armor All 1.5L wash and wax shampoo costed ₹1100 including the washing foam. It is supposed to repel water and reduce the amount of wiping required post wash. Used only once and looks like its working, will comment on results after few more washes.

Alright folks, that's all for now. Signing off with few parting shots:

Prabhagar · Jun 27, 2021

Dec 2020 Update

FNG1 - Oil Change
Since warranty and extended warranty periods are over, I decided to switch from ASC to FNG for repair work. Had purchased oil (from Flipkart) and filter (from boodmo) earlier and took them to a known FNG at native place.

Inspected spark plugs and found them to have burn marks on ceramic (which doesn't mean worn out according to ChrisFix channel).

FNG 2 - ECU Experts Zone
Visited ECU Experts Zone (owned by TAIger Vijesh's friend) in Coimbatore for my next FNG repair work involving below issues:
- Howling sound when moving from standstill (happens only after first stop and hard to reproduce when needed).
- Mild 'knock' sound when turning steering wheel

After a short drive, he advised replacing spark plugs and suspected the howl is from rear brakes. Dropped off the car and picked up next day evening where below items were completed:
- OEM spark plugs (Champion brand) were replaced with NGK brand.
- Brake fluid replaced and bleeding done.
- Steering noise suspected due to UV joint which needs replacement.
- Wheels rotated, balanced and aligned (Camber & Toe corrected).
- Throttle body calibrated.
- He couldn't reproduce the clutch howl and assumed brake cleaning will fix it (it did not).

Turtle Wax Trim Restorer
Exterior black trims were showing their age and thought to help them out with this product from TurtleWax. Turns out to be good and protects for at least a month's time.

Debadged
Removed emblems using heat gun and nylon thread method to paint them black. Drove like this for a couple of months until I could paint them myself with help from Mrs.

Black Emblem
Managed to spray paint all emblem pieces in January. Bought Nippon spray paint from Amazon and painted by ourselves at home.

Installed only Tata logo due to testing in progress for ATOM Club stickers.

vijesh_360 · Jun 27, 2021

Finally an update after so long. The black logo and tiago badge looks great. Looking forward for some performance mods from you(hopefully soon).

Prabhagar · Jun 27, 2021

Jan 2021 Update

So I was able to record the clutch sound on the phone and also demonstrate to Mr Prathap of ECU Experts Zone. He also suggested replacing tie rod ends and ball joints on either front wheels and had ordered them from TAFE Access few days ago. They cost a whopping 8 grand (was wrongly estimated as 4K by TAFE when placing order) which was a shocker to both of us. To avoid further costs, I took my old clutch assembly which was replaced at 25K KM in an AMC claim (from this post) to see if any of its parts can be used. They found the release bearing to be worn out and replaced with new part. Also replaced the clutch assembly with stock clutch and there's no more annoying howling sound when moving from standstill.

Biting Point Howling Sound (Use headphones):

Removed Clutch Assembly:

Removed Tie Rod Ends & Ball Joints:

Invoice: Damage to Wallet - ₹14K [cry]

New Brake Pads:
Within few days of above work, encountered noise while applying brakes (video below) and had to visit FNG again. This time brake pads were replaced with Rane branded ones. Stock pads were 63K KM old and still had more life left but he is a bit aggressive in replacing parts (probably on a proactive mode, not sure).

Brake Noise Sample:

Stock:

Top: Stock
Bottom: Rane

Prabhagar · Jun 27, 2021

vijesh_360 said:

Thanks buddy. Reserved my Sunday afternoon to make sure I update this thread which was overdue for long time. I can't wait to follow you on the mods (at least remap), but only after we get out of covid situation and I get to save some money. [:)]

Prabhagar · Jun 27, 2021

June 2021 - 5 Years Up

My Tiago completed 5 years of ownership on 2-Jun-2021, with 67K KM of memories to cherish. If not for COVID, I would have easily reached close to 75K by now.

Boost in color could be due to cell phone camera improvements and lighting conditions.

Made sure to click this magic number (Apr 2021):

Signing off with some poses:

allhyundaicars · Jun 27, 2021

How's the new brake pads ? My experience Was really bad in my santro. I changed to tvs girling and those were much much better than rane.

Tata Tiago Petrol XZ - A Layman's Long Term Ownership Review

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