Tested on animals – Mahindra Renault Logan

Event: Mahindra Renault Logan Drivathon
Date: 25-12-2007 (Christmas Day)
Venue: YMCA, Nanadhanam, Chennai
Contact: S.Kumar
Mobile:98409 47464

It is supposed to be fun rally organized by Mahindra Renault Logan to test the mileage of your Mahindra Renault Logan.

• Do you want to know who where the animals?
• and Who tested on them?
• and Who benefited out of this Mahindra Renault Logan Drivathon?

Before we start, Let us understand on how to test Mileage

1. Fill up petrol- full tank
2. check the odometer reading
3. If you have trip meter, set it Zero
4. take a long drive say about 100 and odd KMS, never switch off your car in between your drive (to get good readings)
5. Follow the speed limit (45-55 KMS/hour)
6. Once you reach 100 and odd KMS, go to next fuel station
7. Top up the fuel, to full tank.
8. Note the KMS traveled from your odometer, check the trip meter reading
9. Note check how much of fuel was needed to have it full tank
10. trip meter reading/ top up fuel needed to full tank will give you = Mileage i.e KM per Litre

So what happened at Mahindra Renault Logan Drivathon – car rally
I was there for the event at 8:30 AM at the venue. The event is supposed to start at 9:00AM which didn’t happen, because of the lack of management skills. Flag off happened, after few apologies made by the announcer.

I started to take the drive at 12:09 PM, went to the Fuel station at Venkanarayana Road.

A gentleman approached and said “Sir we will fill the tank full, out of which 5 litres of fuel price will be waived off and the rest you have to pay, Is that fine with you”.

I accepted, this is how they filled the fuel

My odometer readings were noted down and written on the card. My trip meter was made zero. And I started of to the rally.

Most cars had ladies and kids in the car – the best part was that, some car drivers took a break on the road side to take a leak. “What about the ladies and the kids?” What a shame?, Even if they had arranged for some nice place to take a short break for 2 hour long drive, it would have been nice. Well, my family did take a break at the Petrol Pump station at Venkatnarayana road, before the rally started. I realized, so was happy for my family too.

So my trip meter reading said 103 KMS when I was back from Mahabalipuram to Venkatanaraya road Bharat petrol pump station. I was doing between 50 and 60 KMS/hour. I was driving like a monkey as ordered, to execute things as said.

Now the top up started at the pumping station which recorded about 4.155 litres of petrol. So that means 103/4.155 should be my mileage. Which is actually wrong, because the Car fuel indicator says that my petrol tank is still not full. (Check the video)

My mileage is 24.789 KM per litre, WOW, I could believe it. The same car was doing last week, having a mileage of 9 KM per litre

Here is one more catch my fuel indicator was not saying that it is full tank, see the video to believe it. See other photos to know what was my readings.

Click on the image for a larger view

Did you notice the time, which I referred while I entered the pump station 12:09 PM and at what time did I start 12:35 PM and at what time I reached the pump station again 2:59 PM
You want to why the delay

Click on the image for a larger view
Do you see the Mahindra Renault Logan on the opposite side of the road in a queue.

What is explained in the video?
If you noticed the video, I had taken at the time when I reached the YMCA ground, still wondering WHY the fuel indicator is not showing the fuel tank full. So it means that there is enough space to fill up some more fuel to make it full tank. Which most of them didn’t realize.

Now to answer the questions

Do you want to know who where the animals?
there were 100 and odd drivers with their family, driving their cars, following orders and not not having fun on the gracious day Christmas

and Who tested on us?
Mahindra Renault Logan Marketing team

A surprise did happen during the prize distribution ceremony. A owner of Mahindra Renault Logan was agitated and trying to claim for the prize as his car did a 40KM per litre mileage (Diesel version owner)

and Who benefited out of this Mahindra Renault Logan Drivathon?
Can you imagine 100 and odd drivers spending their money to filling up the fuel tank full and driving their own cars and following orders at the mercy of Mahindra Renault Logan team for only one reason to prove that Mahindra Renault can do 33KMs per litre for the petrol version and 37KMs per litre on the Diesel version.
I should say that the marketing guys made little spend by gaining more

1. breakfast (bread sandwich and water, if you like it eat it else leave it. That was stance. Hospitality ZERO)
2. 5 litres of fuel waived off during full tank session
3. lunch (Saravana bhavan – Mini meals)
4. and another 4-5 litres of fuel for top up total of 8-9 litres of fuel while including the 5 litre of fuel which was waived off during the full tank session (Petrol or Diesel)
5. Spend on venue
6. And of course the event management team.

Who are the loser?

1. Fuel to fill up the tank
2. quality family time on the Christmas day
3. apart from that those god damn sponsor stickers from JK tyre and those numbers sticked all over the car. Who is gonna pay to remove that, With out spending money.

Mahindra Renault Logan owners are the ultimate losers to gain new customers

Who were the gainers?
Mahindra Renault Logan Marketing team – to make fake mileage result. It is pretty simple I say, you have around 100 odd drivers at your disposal feed them you have the results.

Do you want to know how this Viral Marketing is supposed to work?
Let’s say 100 and odd Mahindra Renault Logan happy customers, who had good mileage experience is about to unfold the secret to all their friends and relatives, well sort of boasting off that their car did give an ultimate mileage.

If you care for fellow car owners please digg this or post a link on your blogs. Atleast the new car owners can be spared.

some related posts regarding Mahindra Renault Logan

Some more post which are in continuation with Mahindra Renault Logan

1. How I bought my new Mahindra Renault Logan – space, value for Money- Review
2. Why Mahindra Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?
3. Mahindra Logan – Usability Explored
4. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands – After sales, What service
5. Mahindra Logan – Look out for the new version
6. Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled
7. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan

Technorati Tags: Renault, Logan, Mahindra Renault Logan, Review, safety, kids, usability, car, chennai, dealer, howto, best, petrol, diesel, fear, marketing, sales, savings, automobiles

The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan

Meet the Devil right here. After I took my car from my first free service, I returned home and went to buy fruits along with my family. After shopping, we got in to the car, my wife and my son did enter the right side back door as the opposite doors was no were possible to open because I had parked next to wall close to the door. Usually they get in to the companion front seat.

So we drove back home and I had completely switched off my car, so did the central locking system open the safety latches, so as to open the door. But the right side rear door was not opening, she was pulling the lever for sometime, She screamed at me to help her unlock the door, sitting in the driver seat, I turned back and pulled the lever, the door didn’t open. The opposite side door was already facing the wall this time too, as I had done the parking next to a wall.

I unlocked my door, that was possible. Then I felt “Shit man, I asked them to fix the rattling noise at the left side front door, Why did they touch the back door? I thought they screwed the back door” I reached to the back door and pull the lever to unlock the back door. I was crazy, how come it works from outside and not inside.

Took the car this morning “Monday” to the service station.
Don’t you want to meet the devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan. Here it is…

Latch or manual lever in ON position top

Latch or manual lever in OFF position top

Some one at the service station had turned the lever to “ON” State.

The best part is that this small lever works manually, and is called the child safety lock for the rear doors.

How does this work?
If you are going to make sure that kids alone are traveling with you, you switch on the lever and then lock the rear doors.

What ever the damn situation may be. Let it be accident or fire or hell freezes over your car. Your kids can’t unlock the back side car doors.
You must noticed in the Cops cars. They put the criminals back at the rear seats and lock it. No matter what, they can’t unlock from inside. Some one needs to unlock the door from outside, even when central door locking unlocks the safety latch.

Why would I choose to have my kid in the back seats while leaving the car in the off state.

What a moron usability on the Mahindra Renault Logan?
Why can’t the child door lock feature be part of central locking system. If the central locking system disables the safety latch, even the door should be made to open from inside.

Update:
I heard from a close friend, all rear door child lock performs the same way as the Mahindra Logan. Just to note, I have updgraded from Maruti 800, so I am totally unaware of the rear child safety lock. Still I would like all cars to posesses intelligent system. So control for the driver to have more control on the doors or atleast the dashboard to have controls so that any passenger can disable the rear door child lock.

Some more post which are in continuation with Mahindra Renault Logan

1. Why Mahindra Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?
2. Mahindra Logan – Usability Explored
3. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands – After sales, What service
4. Mahindra Logan – Look out for the new version
5. Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled
6. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan
7. Tested on animals – Mahindra Renault Logan

Technorati Tags: Renault, Logan, Mahindra Renault Logan, Review, safety, kids, usability, car, chennai, dealer, howto, best, petrol, diesel, fear, marketing, sales, savings, automobiles

Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled

My First Mahindra Renault Logan 1.4 GLX service explained and here is the userexperience. Comparison with Maruti Service explained

First things first: I had a loyal Maruti 800 for 4 long years 2003-2007 untill I replaced it with a Mahindra Renault Logan 1.4 GLX 2007.

My first experience with GMS motors | Sahil motors in terms of service.
I had been to the service station personally to drop my Mahindra Renault Logan last Friday the 21st of December 2007, so a gentleman supervisor assisted me, early morning at 9:10 A.M, took careful notes.

My requests were:

1. Front left door rattling noise
2. Remove the plastic covers for the back seats
3. Replace new headlamps black dot stickers
4. Remove the reverse horn and not the reverse horn which comes with my remote lock.
5. Scratch on the left side doors (check and give me the quote)

Apart from the above list, His suggestions were:

1. Anti corrosion coating under the car body ( I stopped him. When he suggested that, as I know that the rubber coating is not gonna do anything good for the car)
2. Fully powder coating of the body of car with a scratch resistant formula (comes with a 3 year warranty) cost a mere 3700 and odd Rupees. Item 5 of the above wish list is covered.
3. Labour charge of 150 Rupees + tax for just removing the reverse horn. That would be Item no 4 of my wish list.

As far I know there is no oil change in this service and I was not charged for that.
What things got fixed and what not?

1. Front door rattling noise not fixed, and the safety latch of the left door got buried. Any ways that safety latch was not of any use, you could still open the door with the safety latch down.
2. Our supervisor was holistic, he felt that it was better if I not remove the back seat covers for quiet some time as it is still a new car, his explanations went more like “have it for some more months, kids would tear for you”. What a shame? tell me either you forgot it or your technicians were lazy enough to unlock the rear seats to remove the plastic cover.
3. One thing rightly done was to replace the black dots on my headlamps
4. The second thing, reverse horn removed and placed in the boot.
5. Before doing the scratch painting fix. It was supposed to be tested, after the testing was done, the call said the scratch can fixed. Meanwhile a friend suggested with sticker which would work out cheaper. So I asked them not to fix the scratch.

There happened one evil incident on my Mahindra Renault Logan, While We returned home from shopping the same after service. My wife and son at the back seats. My right side back door could not be opened from inside. So what did happen? know it right here.

Now let us look in to the comparison of Mahindra Renault Logan and Maruti Service centers

My experience at Maruti service center
A profile or service history of my Maruti 800 was already available with the service advisor
A job sheet, which will note the requirements for the service to be done for my car

This job sheet comprises of

1. history of previously done KMS
2. history of parts changed previously
3. Things to do list
4. Dents and body parts marked when I leave my car for service ( a diagram of car top view and side view detailed diagram to mark the scratches and dents)
5. Accessories contained in my car, which include how many floor mats, Air refresher, dolls, body cover (the plastic one) and what ever minute details which belong to the owner.
6. Apart from that the costing proposal, date and time of delivery
7. after delivery a customer feedback form to be posted after driving the car (postage will be paid by the addressee)

Now on the Mahindra Renault Logan service center
Job sheet contains

1. to do list of service
2. date and time of delivery
3. ofcourse the customer feedback form before even you pay the service bills and before even you touch the car.
4. once nice badge which is attached to the mirror which talks about the names service adviser, technician and the quality inspector. Apart from that I have the mobile number.

At the time of delivery, My experience with the Maruti’s was best when compared with the Mahindra’s.

The first free service was charged 75 Rupees for replacement of odd stuffs + labour charges + tax. Did I say free service.

Some more post which are in continuation with Mahindra Renault Logan

1. Why Mahindra Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?
2. Mahindra Logan – Usability Explored
3. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands – After sales, What service
4. Mahindra Logan – Look out for the new version
5. Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled
6. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan
7. Tested on animals – Mahindra Renault Logan

Technorati Tags: Renault, Logan, Mahindra Renault Logan, Review, safety, kids, usability, car, chennai, dealer, howto, best, petrol, diesel, fear, marketing, sales, savings, automobiles

Why Mahindra Renault Logan, Renault Logan, Dacia Logan?

Dacia Logan

Renault Logan

Mahindra Logan

Did you notice the contents of the links, Yes it is the same car. So ultimately it is Dacia Logan under the rebranded name of Renault and marketed in India under the name of Mahindra and Renault.

So why choose a Logan?
I just fell for the price and the boot space.

1. Price: A entry level sedan at the price of premium hatch back.
2. Boot space: more than, Honda City WOW. I travel to my native place. All the time I had baggages placed inside the cabin of my Maruti 800. Didn’t want things around me any more.
3. Lots of Space: Room/ head space.
4. Of course the tubeless tires

Just like Maruti 800 is the entry level for hatch back, I would say Mahindra Renault Logan is an entry level for a Sedan. Don’t expect too much…

Here is my test drive experience on Mahindra Renault Logan

Some more post on Mahindra Renault Logan

1. How I bought my new Mahindra Renault Logan – space, value for Money- Review
2. Mahindra Logan – Usability Explored
3. Is your Mahindra Logan in safe hands – After sales, What service
4. Mahindra Logan – Look out for the new version
5. Mahindra Renault Logan free service – unveiled
6. The Devil in my Mahindra Renault Logan

Technorati Tags: Renault, Logan, Mahindra Renault Logan, Review, safety, kids, usability, car, chennai, dealer, howto, best, petrol, diesel, fear, marketing, sales, savings, automobiles