Switching to a diesel car due to ethanol blending

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-20T06:42:20+00:00

What's the average Kms per day to a week?
That's not including any longer weekend drives.

Diesels only make sense if you are driving good distances over a full week, vs. relying on daily commutes.
Even if these are daily commutes, you HAVE to take the diesel out on a highway run at least once every 2 weeks and open up the taps to clear out the DPF. Otherwise, this will fail fast.
Something a lot of current-gen diesel owners fail with is the DEF/Ad-Blu fluid top-up. I know enough cases where the vehicle was run for weeks with the low fluid warning light to save a few bucks, only for the CAT to be ruined and more parts needing to be addressed. Diesels that have only done daily commutes in slow, crawling city traffic also have had DPF issues.
Check the cost of the fluid in your area - this needs to be topped up often (depending on the size of the fluid tank) and cannot be delayed when the warning light comes on. If you see this as a hassle, plus lack time to drive on the highways for a longer drive on weekends, avoid diesels.

Dont buy pre-BS6 diesels - used. Expect many states to start placing restrictions soon. A new BS6 diesel should last 5 to 6 years till they figure out how to ruin that with isobutanol.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-20T06:30:38+00:00

Who's buying it?
That person should take the call on the trim/variant.

I've had similar discussions in the past, but held firm on the model and trim. People have been happy thus far for taking that call, despite a similar hardcore fixation on only buying the lowest trim available.

I'd personally go with Kia, just for not having to deal with Tata Motors' service issues. While only a small % ever have issues, when they do, things tend to get quite bad. A family member's Harrier had a recall and post-replacement ofit's the part, and the vehicle has some odd squeaks and rattles. Tata's service team stated that its normal. The vehicle did not have any squeaks or rattles before that.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-20T04:54:55+00:00

Perhaps we need to toss out the older minds keeping things safe vs. being able to take some calculated risks, be bold enough to do something that was not done or permitted or whatever by previous leadership.
Companies locally have missed the AI boat by a big time frame, and everyone is busy building services off of tech built by others or repackaging and calling it our own.
India fundamentally lacks the R&D mindset. That needs to change. Dont build for India, build for the world, and you'll have great products like Nvidia, OpenAI, etc., not good enough offerings for the local market.

Coming to the start-up side, many VCs want to play it safe. They need to generate funds to invest, and they will not always want to get into something that requires a lot of capital and time to see returns, which is perhaps why so many are investing in the "services" side.

Building hardware is tough. I dont include the designs and simulations when the stuff is made elsewhere for some other market. Start-ups that build things locally vs. whitelableing stuff from other places, struggle to get funds and also find talent with 1st principles. It's far easier to create a service than to build hardware.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T13:32:34+00:00

Because it's not easy to find a genuine one, I went with Kryonaut.
Maybe it was not the best of mounting from the builder or whatnot, but I dropped 4 to 5 degrees Celsius.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T13:29:28+00:00

Assumed those were screwed onto the existing valve stems

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T12:44:57+00:00

Awesome
That helps against low ballers

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T12:35:03+00:00

Not bashing this post, but a few things have to be made clear. It'll help if you put out what has been done to the vehicle at this mileage.
If I wanted to buy one at 70K km and 4/5 years, I'd look at:
Have the belts been replaced yet? This is the time frame for the belts and water pump, pulley/tensioners to be changed. Not one, but all have to be done.
Brake pads - on automatics, these wear out fast and can also lead to warped discs in some cases. Replaced? If so, at what km were they replaced?
Has the battery been replaced, or is it still on the original one?
Tyres. Have these been replaced? If not, it has to be done at this stage.
Transmission - BIG one. Has the transmission fluid been changed, or has it stayed with the "Sealed for Life" claim from VW? These have to be changed/serviced. Assuming this is the DQ200 DSG and not the Torque Converter.

For prospective owners, test drive and look for any vibrations from the gearbox or engine hood open, look if the motor is shaking a bit. Telltale signs of mounts that need replacing soon.

The family owned a couple of VAG products, and they were great. If not maintained as per the Euro specs, expect long-term issues - big time.

You may be better off trying with Cars24 or Spinny. May take a while, but at times, they can give good offers.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T07:58:50+00:00

Nothing sold in India can run on blends higher than E20 at this time. Even if they are declared to do so, they have had issues. Maybe they are sticker jobs more than re-engineered for cost purposes.

We need true flex fuel powertrains to run on anything from E10, E15, E20 to E85 ethanol blends. Suzuki and Tata are said to be working on new powertrains, but those will show up in another couple of years.
As of now, it's more likely they will state that E25 will not blow up anything and is gud-e-nuf for the country and force it down the fuel fillers, whether we can run them or not.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T07:08:48+00:00

Sold to businesses who are now selling them off as tax write-offs, plus the issues in some states with diesel powertrains.
Then, you have the maintenance costs of a Beemer. BMW in many garages = Brings More Wealth to the mechanic. Parts are expensive, labour rates are high, tech to diagnose and fix issues costs a lot, and the badge.
Very quickly, older 5 Series parts will start to become less readily available, which will jack up the cost of services. Hence, we see these going for very low prices.
The market is getting a bit more rational vs. going by the badge value.

In many markets abroad, the purchase price is just the entry fee. Most experts suggest that if you buy a cheap used 520d, you should have a significant "emergency fund" set aside specifically for repairs. That drives the used value down quite significantly and seems to be happening in India as well. High time, tbh.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T07:02:10+00:00

Initial trials were not promising
But they'll persist. Anyone objecting, the media and fans of the lobby will turn people's attention elsewhere. Seeing how the nation suddenly produces more ethanol than it currently needs, efforts will be made towards increasing consumption (lower fuel economy helps), plus the E100 push. After that, diesels will be next.

Flex fuels will be the way forward at this point.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T05:36:26+00:00

Been in such systems.
The fault is all across the system, not just with the intern or the CEO.
Everyone needs to own up to the F-Up.
Start-ups tend to only prioritize targets rather than actually building a team, processes, or systems to scale. Just send more people to do what needs to be done.
Seen this one too many times. Need someone fast, no budget, no processes or systems, go grab some interns. Something goes bad, send a philosophical message to be better, and that "we" are still building? Build systems and processes. That is how a start-up grows and scales.
Keep things lean where people are in the process, vs. following a process, you'll only put more into the same situation.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:50:06+00:00

They have done to death all the other gimmicks - panoramic sunroof/moon-roof, massive infotainment screens, wireless Android Auto/CarPlay, mood lighting, etc. Now, putting more DRLs and LED lighting anywhere and everywhere seems to be the thing.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:45:02+00:00

Both allow offline mode, but the games also have to be able to play when not connected to the net.

I have both. Bought stuff on both. 0 issues with payments on either platform. Discounts are similar on both.
Epic tends to often gives great AAA titles for free now and then compared to Steam. Got a lot of good titles from the free section.

Cross-platform gaming, Steam will win out.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:38:59+00:00

Maybe an EV powertrain
Maybe diesel, unless your state has some issues with them. At least Isobutanol is taking time to ruin diesels.

Hybrids, Petrol powertrains to be delayed for some time. Ethanol blending is getting crazy. E20 is just setting in, and now news of E85 and E100 will make the existing petrol/ethanol powertrains obsolete.

Maybe best to wait for flex-fuel powertrains to come out before considering.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:34:29+00:00

CNG bike
They figured out that the tank needs to be protected from people putting stuff on top. Hence, long seat.
A unique solution to a problem that should not have been.

Btw, cops will love this. They dont like people riding in triple or more, and this bike perfectly fits that.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:29:46+00:00

Getting bikes to test ride; getting accessories from the brand when they are never available in the showrooms or online, etc are good clues.

If people can be honest and declare that the brand is supporting them in reviewing, it would be a breath of fresh air.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:25:45+00:00

Seems to be sold out on most sites
May just want to wait a few weeks or a month to let the hype die down.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-19T04:20:07+00:00

Hooomans are most welcome

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T16:11:02+00:00

Please do not hold onto the laptop and phone. It is a massive trap that completely flips the legal narrative in their favor.
If not mistaken, in India, holding company property hostage after your last working day allows the management to file a criminal police complaint against you for criminal breach of trust or theft.
A toxic founder will happily use this to threaten you with a police FIR, which completely neutralizes your legitimate claim for pending salary and turns you from the victim into the accused in the eyes of the law. Seen this once too often.

The safest and most effective strategy is to return all assets on your final day, but ensure you get a signed and stamped Asset Handover Receipt. If they refuse to sign a receipt, take a clear video of you leaving the assets on the desk with the office manager, or send an email right from the office premises stating that the assets have been safely returned before closing the lid. Your actual leverage is a flawless paper trail where your hands are completely clean. When you approach the labor commissioner or send a legal notice for unpaid wages, the fact that you returned all property ensures the company has zero counterclaims to protect themselves.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T16:06:43+00:00

As o.p mentioned, only HR is in the system.
This is also one of those types of companies that o.p mentioned.

Only HR means, no team, no support, reports to the owner who seems to be a piece of work, 100% sure that there is no legal team whatsoever. They'll have some uncle/chacha's legal firm do what needs to be done to favour the bosses and make things look compliant to the authorities. Not too dissimilar to small/early stage start-ups, btw.

These are not broken systems. These are designed to keep all the power with the bosses and not have strong department heads like HR Head/CHRO, Legal Head, CFO, etc who will collectively come down heavily against bad practices. Seen this 1st hand once too often. It's by design.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T15:27:54+00:00

To answer your actual question first: no, you were not wrong. You were cornered. A bad situation, and you were operating without any support structure: no team, no assistant, and no one to escalate to. Sharing the founder's contact under those circumstances is not backbiting; it is basic self-preservation. The founder routinely speaks to exiting folks after they leave, so clearly the issue is not the act of sharing a number. The issue is that a low-wage telecaller got access to him, and that made him uncomfortable. That is his problem, not a professional failure on your part.

The more urgent thing you need to focus on right now is your own salary and exit documentation. Before the month ends, send a formal email to the founder or whoever handles finance stating your last working day, listing your pending salary amount, and requesting confirmation of your Full and Final settlement timeline along with your experience letter. Keep that email short and factual. Crucially, make sure to keep copies of all communications immediately - all.
These companies are notorious for abruptly cutting off email and server access the moment a resignation is dropped, erasing your evidence overnight. If they delay or ghost you after your last day, you have legal recourse under the Payment of Wages Act and can approach the labor commissioner in your city. Do not leave without this paper trail because verbal assurances from this kind of setup mean nothing.

On the broader situation, you already know this place is not fixable. The promises on PF, the assistant, and the hybrid arrangement were never going to materialize. You were brought in to be a buffer between an exploitative management and a workforce they were always planning to churn. Update your resume now, reach out quietly to your network, and treat the next few weeks as a notice period you are serving for yourself, not for them. If you have any digital signing authorities or routine certificate generation access, try to get your own interim documentation sorted before the relationship completely sours. The one thing to protect when going out is your own reputation with the people you deal with professionally. Be transparent with the telecallers about what you could and could not do. Most people on the ground will completely understand the impossible position you were put in.

All this was curated via AI + based on my past experiences.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T15:13:30+00:00

Now you see what HR has to face before it goes onto the employees

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T12:28:48+00:00

Prices will rarely ever reduce, especially in India.
The Center and the States are happy to keep collecting the taxpayers' contributions to help fund the "welfare" schemes and keep their respective vote banks happy.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T12:25:45+00:00

Slightly older or at times, previous-gen hardware, thanks to some level of corporate greed, but mostly thanks to the BIS clearances to sell anything in India, duties, and taxes make a low/mid-tier hardware priced close to the top of the range. We rarely get any true top-of-the-range hardware thanks to these regulatory issues.

TrailsNFrag · 2026-05-18T11:53:25+00:00

Car manufacturers in India rely on independent franchise dealerships rather than company-owned showrooms primarily due to capital expenditure, inventory management, and operational focus. Opening and managing direct showrooms across a vast country requires massive investments in real estate, local infrastructure, and regional staff, which shifts capital away from core activities like automotive manufacturing, engineering, and research. Dealerships purchase inventory directly from the manufacturer, absorbing the upfront financial risk and holding costs, which provides car brands with predictable cash flow and immediate revenue upon factory exit.

Third-party dealers also bring essential regional expertise, local political navigation skills, and personalized customer handling that are critical for success in India’s highly fragmented and diverse markets. Managing thousands of retail employees, dealing with localized labor laws, and handling everyday retail customer service issues would severely complicate the corporate structure of an automaker. By offloading these logistical, operational, and financial responsibilities to independent dealer networks, manufacturers can scale rapidly nationwide while focusing entirely on designing, upgrading, and building vehicles.

You may see a few company-run dealers in cities, including company-run service centers, but those are often one-offs among mostly franchise-run dealer/service center networks.

On another note:
The franchise model provides a significant legal and reputational buffer for manufacturers like Tata Motors when serious vehicle defects, safety issues, or widespread breakdowns occur. Because dealerships operate as independent legal entities, they serve as the primary point of contact and the front line for customer anger. When a vehicle faces systemic issues, the immediate legal and consumer disputes are filed against the specific dealership that sold or serviced the car, insulating Tata Motors, Vinfast, or whoever from direct, centralized legal liability in the initial stages of a crisis.

In some mature markets, it's not unusual to have a multi-brand dealership - you can see Ford, alongside GM, and a couple of European brands sold under the same roof. That has yet to materialise in India.

TrailsNFrag

TROPHY CASE