Hyndai Santro first paid service cost 9k

[jassi]

Hi All,

I just recently handed over my hyundai santro for 1st paid service to Advaith in Bangalore. The total cost is coming to 9k, but I am not sure if that is justified. I was thinking if someone could explain me the importance of the different things they are doing in the service. Also if someone could more importantly asap tell me how I verify whether these different things have been done or not, as I need to collect the car in the evening
1) Carry out paid service, general checkup, fluids like wiper fluid and engine oil replacement (servo20wd i think) - 2400rs
2) engine lacquering for preventing sensor problems, etc - rs. 650+
3) a/c neutralizing where they clean the ac pipes using some chemical - 700rs.
4) highly recommended under chasis coating for corrosion, which i have been avoiding since first free service - 4250rs.

I personally feel hyundai shld give items 2 & 4 in the car on day 1 given the indian conditions of dust, etc. Please let me know if above are justifiable and how do I verify if these 9k worth of items were done

Cheers,
jatin

[iraghava]

How much mileage has you car done & how old is it? I personally don't see the need for underbody coating on modern cars, especially in areas like Bangalore. If you lived in a coastal air where the moisture acclerates the corrosion of metal then yes but in an area like yours No.

[nispatel]

You have been taken for a big ride. By the time you reach to 1st paid service, no technial problem should develop in car like Santro. All you'll pay is for consumables and that too I think you have been quoted on higher side. Besides you seem to have agreed on all optional (and probably unnecessary) treatment on your car and that has further jacked up this bill.

By the way, M800 with no such treatments and minimal care (or no care) is lasting more that 10 years without any problem. I really doubt whether such optional expenses are of any worth?

[benbsb29]

jassi, I strongly feel that you do need require to get the underbody coating and engine lacquering done. They do try to push all these to you, but kindly decline.

[zakaaaaasss]

wake up pal.....u r being taken for a ride....
9k for first paid service....


2) engine lacquering for preventing sensor problems, etc - rs. 650+

ask them are they going to paint the engine bay with lacquer(its a clear paint)????? and that too to prevent sensor probelms ...hahhahhha

3) a/c neutralizing where they clean the ac pipes using some chemical - 700rs.
never heard of term called as a"/c neutralizing"...what are they going to neutralize? does the a/c become acidic/basic after use??????

4) highly recommended under chasis coating for corrosion, which i have been avoiding since first free service - 4250rs.
it seems u stay in bangy....u do not need this.....and anyways if u get it done outside, 3m would not cost more than 3000 bucks....

wake up man wake up

[moralfibre]

2) engine lacquering
3) a/c neutralizing where they clean the ac pipes using some chemical - 700rs. never heard of term called as a"/c neutralizing"...what are they going to neutralize? does the a/c become acidic/basic after use??????
4) highly recommended under chasis coating for corrosion.

You dont need any of these mentioned above.

Please remember that the service advisor who gave you this estimate ALWAYS gets a commission ranging from 20% to 40% of this cost and thats what adds up as his incentive on his monthly salary. All the jobs mentioned above are outsourced to small companies and the guys who do these jobs rope in the dealership staff to recommend their services to customers thereby trying to make money.

Engine lacquering will wear out very soon and you need to have some lacquer which can stand tough to engine bay temperatures.

A/C neutralising??? I know of A/C servicing which is done at around 70k kms. But since this is your first paid service I dont think you need this. And if you feel that your A/C is not strong enough to cool effectively just do a leak test and you will be good to go by just filling gas.

Underbody coating is not required unless you use your car mainly in coastal areas and Bangalore doesn't fall in this category so your car is less prone to underbody rust.

[dadu]

Did the service supervisor confirm with you before doing the jobs 2,3 and 4. If yes, you asked for it. If not you shouldnt have paid for what you didnt ask to be done.

All these were not required, I would have got these done after 4-5 years of running.

[suren181]

Well my Santro is about 4yrs and 9 months old and run about 68k kms. Let me tell you I am pretty sure I may have not spent 9k on it totally in (just for routine services is what I mean) all these years and I do religiously get it serviced every 5k kms even now.

I stay at Hyderabad and as earlier mentioned by our other friends I do not think a Underchassis Body coating is needed in non coastal areas, my Santro's underchassis has not developed rust in all these years. Ofcourse one thing I have been doing is to take the car regularly for a complete wash (including engine bay and underchassis) often, especially immediately after the rains.

[tsk1979]

Thats not the service cost but extras cost. You can always refuse all those services. These are optional and not compulsary. If service center insists then complain to Hyundai that the service center is cheating you and carried out jobs which were not authorized. The maximum we have spent on a regular service is 4K where brake pads ext also had to be replaced along with the oil/filter stuff.
Its like service center asks, we will repaint your car at second service please give us 30K

[vid6639]

The common ploy is:

Saaar, we have special 3M package for you you car will look wonderful full shining. Also sir since outside will be so clean you can try the 3M interior package. full inside shining shampoo and vacuuming.

Sir we will also put engine oil additive for superior performance, gearbox oil additive for butter smooth gear shifting and fuel additive to increase the mileage and performance.

Finally you get a bill of 20K and ask what all this is. the reply will be "Saar you only told to put all this so the amount is there for all that"

Just say no or find out the price for all these before undertaking them.

[Zappo]

9k!!! how many months have elapsed since you bought the car?

In the last 2+ years my Indica has undergone 4+ services but I have not paid even a full 5k on the service. By the way even the optionals sound bloody costly mate. I got underbody coating (Dinitrol treatment) done from the A.S.S. and it costed me 1700 bucks. The costliest underbody coating charges they mentioned are for the Safaris. Even that is some 3750 rupees I think.

I am sure these optional charges are very much on the higher side, even by Hyundai standard. The problem is there is probably no standardized "Hyundai rates" for things like lacquer coating, underbody treatment etc.

[manikjeet]

9k for first paid service and that to a santro.

i got my alto first service done for 650 rs and my nhc for 700 something but i never ever i spend close to 9k on a car service

recently got my alto (1.60 lacs km) serviced at a M.A.S.S. and the bill was 3k

they chassis coating is the main reason for such a high cost and you don't even need and what about the a/c thing

my friend has the first lot santro and it a/c is still working fine and he hasn't got it serviced once only regular maintenance

[shyamhegde]

If you remove item # 2,3 and 4 you are almost there on a normal first paid service cost. So no need to be worried.
Already many have said in details, why you dont need all of them if you drive your car around Bangalore most of the times.

And in connection with item #1, please have another call with your service incharge in the centre. You might not have listed here all of them what he would have told you. Viper-fluid etc. are not important but he might have told you many lubricants and fluids related to engine functions (like clutch, axle etc. etc.) and also brake shoe related stuffs. Are they including wheel balancing and alignment in this cost? (they normally recommand them only if necessary and would consult you before doing, as per my experience. Also they charge extra for this)

[jassi]

Thank you all for the replies. This is my first car - 1.5yrs old and barely 11k kms done. Actually I keep traveling a lot and today after a long time managed to get some time to give for servicing. At the service station the advaith guy told me these were all hyundai recommended things and important, so I thought well ok maybe first paid service is expensive and 2nd service on its gonna be 2.5k which seems fine. I tried searching on tbhp via my pda but found nothing on underbody coating hence committed to it despite avoiding this expense for 1.5yr - I did post my query on tbhp when I reached work. But alas whats done has been done. Took the delivery in the evening - the servicing guy showed me the shining engine and the engine oil filled up. He said the underbody coating he wants to do another layer morrow as it hasn't dried properly today due to rains and he wants to maintain the quality as they give 5 yrs guarantee on it.
I still don't know if the shining engine means it is lacquered and absolutely no clue on how to verify the underbody coating. Any inputs??
The total bill was 8k - hope other newbies stumble on this thread and don't fall for such "after sales" sales (not servicing)

-j

[PatienceWins]

I got underbody treatment done for my brand new Getz from Trident before taking delivery of the car for Rs.3300. They are taking you for a ride.