Baleno FE drop post flood repairs

[shuvc]

As some of you would know, my car went through a pretty bad patch during last years monsoons. It got half submerged in the garage.

I got the car back around early November. Since then I've done around 5000kms with 12 tank top-ups. The general trend I'm observing is, FE has dropped by 1 to 1.5 kmpl (under both AC, non-AC conditions)

Let me clarify some obvious queries upfront.
1. Driving style has remained same
2. Driving route has been the same for the past 2 years
3. Car has done 28K+ kms now
4. It's been 5K + kms since the last service and there is no perceptible difference in the driving experience. It's same as earlier.
5. FE comparision done with same XtraPremium from the same station as earlier. Comparison is with FE figures over 2 yrs.
6. I always top up after using around 40-45 litres
7. Tyre pressure is maintained at 29psi and checked every fortnight.



Flood repair summary
1. ECM was not damaged and hence not replaced
2. All climate control dash electronics were replaced. Otherwise AC was fine.
3. Water did not enter the engine. Engine oil was replaced as a precaution.
4. Clutch was damaged. Whole clutch assembly was replaced.
5. Air filter, Oil filter was replaced
6. Gear oil was changed
7. Coolant changed
8. Spark plugs were changed and when I went with the FE complaint a month later, Maruti workshop cross checked the plug gaps, said they were not ok and altered accordingly. No improvement still.
9. Water in the exhaust was drained. As per Maruti, catcon is fine.


I was trying to think of what else has changed since the last time I got normal FE. ICE . The flood happened a week after installing the ICE.


Any pointers on possible explanations for the FE drop? Clogged injectors? Decarb required?

[suman]

What about the acceleration per se? Has that dropped as well?

Maybe you should have the injectors cleaned out & give it a shot?

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by suman

What about the acceleration per se? Has that dropped as well?

Have not noticed any difference in acceleration. Neither in overall driveability.

Although post clutch change, I can now feel that the earlier one was not fully fit. I can now inch in first gear smoothly with the left foot on the footrest.

[Jaggu]

Get a complete readings done for the engine parameters. Clutch shouldnt cause mileage drop since any loss due to slip would have been eliminated.

Check for emission also, this should help you understand the health of your exhaust system also.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Get a complete readings done for the engine parameters.

So what exactly should I ask the Maruti guys to do? In their terms/language ie.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Check for emission also, this should help you understand the health of your exhaust system also.

Got it checked a month ago. Readings were pretty normal IIRC. But good point. Let me see if I still have the earlier PUC certificate and then compare the readings with the current one.

[VJ_MAVRICK]

I suspect due to the flooding and your baleno getting submerged, the exhaust system might have gone for a toss and get a second opinion from another MASS about the catcon being fine.
Due to clogged catcon the mileage drops and how is it responding @ different rpm's when you push the gas pedal as compared to earlier? I read in somewhere long back that partially clogged converters limit the rpm's.
Again this is just a thought and am not sure about it, but i suspect the mileage drop to do with the exhaust system after it swam quite a long time drowned in there. Other gurus on the forum might add value to their suggestions on your queries though.

[BlackPearl]

hmmm.... time to get an ffe

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

hmmm.... time to get an ffe

LOL ..

@VJ,
I haven't felt any such issue with response across the RPM range and across the speedo range upto 170kmph. But then maybe I'm not able to perceive the difference if any. However, I do think the car is using up a lot more fuel if revved hard, that what it used to earlier.

If the catcon is at fault then is there are way to repair it? A replacement costs 17K !! So if that is the option then @BP's comment does come into the picture !

A cheaper option this Maruti workshop took for a friends car (6+ yrs old Baleno) was to remove the catcon material !

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by shuvc

LOL ..

@VJ,
I haven't felt any such issue with response across the RPM range and across the speedo range upto 170kmph. But then maybe I'm not able to perceive the difference if any. However, I do think the car is using up a lot more fuel if revved hard, that what it used to earlier.

If the catcon is at fault then is there are way to repair it? A replacement costs 17K !! So if that is the option then @BP's comment does come into the picture !

A cheaper option this Maruti workshop took for a friends car (6+ yrs old Baleno) was to remove the catcon material !

or I can lend you mine at a monthly rental

[VJ_MAVRICK]

@shuvc ..Then go for a FFE if you dont have a problem and i still feel the mileage drop is due to the exhaust itself with you stating that there was no water inside the engine. Honestly on a baleno FFE would be music to me.
I would suggest get a second opinion from another Maruti Servicing guys.

[gigy]

shuv, i think your car is absolutely fine. since you have been tracking the FE so regularly till the ICE was installed, and after that the floods damaged your car. i believe you have a good ICE setup and it does take atleast 10amps of current minimum.(sorry didnt check your setup). where is this power coming from? from the alternator-from the engine -from the fuel. we all ignore but its a universal fact.(energy can neither be created nor destroyed). 1kmpl for your ICE.so you have answered the cause in your first post itself.

[suman]

Gigy, I guess this is if he's keeping his ICE on continuously, right?

[VJ_MAVRICK]

well! i missed on the ICE update and gigy might be partly right as it requires power to run the same. However, it does baffle me as to ..you keeping the ICE continuously...

[shuvc]

75.4 JBL. Not sure how much current that pulls. I actually had 2 amps running till Nov/Dec. The other was the active Soomoku sub. This was taken out in Jan 1st week. But pre-post Soomoku, FE is similar.
ICE can contribute to 1kmpl drop ??

Originally Posted by suman

Gigy, I guess this is if he's keeping his ICE on continuously, right?

@Suman, that I do. ICE is almost always on. And pretty decent volumes 60-70% of the time.

Come to think of it, I got the worst FE right after I took the delivery of the car around Nov 1st week. It dropped to a 8.2 kmpl with 100% AC and this on a NH-2 Santiniketan trip! I used to easily get 11-12 on such trips.

FE started picking up a bit from December. Did another 400km sedate NH-2 trip around Christmas. Got 12.7 with zero AC. Here again it was around 2kmpl short.

Now it seems to have settled down to a 1-1.5kmpl drop.

[suman]

I think its something other than the ICE but I could be wrong because I'm no Baleno expert.

Get the Catcon checked & yes, perhaps the injectors too.