[chsai]

Hi all,

I am in a fix; during the last 2 weeks of heavy rains in Hyderabad, my Jimny got me out through some situations of rain and slush, but it never was in deeper water than 30 cm. Post which the 4WD drive light started flashing when the car is idle but goes away when the car is moving, I immediately took it a Nexa service centre near my place, they said due to water splashes right upto intake duct this might be happening but will go away, this was on a Saturday. They were not ready to take it up, requested them to at least wash it. They were busy, so I took it back on Monday to them for wash and insisted they check all fluids, but they were reluctant, but I insisted, so they check the front and rear differentials; the rear differential oil was normal. However, the front differential oil was milky white; the SA said that was normal. I insisted they change that and the engine oil to be on safe side, but they were not ready to and tried to convince me it is absolutely unnecessary, after persisting they just changed the engine oil which they said was unnecessary at 3100km, i asked them to do that atleast, so they just changed the oil and oil filter, i asked them to put synthetic which they didn't have stock so put regular oil, the 4w light thing they had no clue and told me it will go away once i do a little bit of dry runs, tuesday i was busy and when i took it out wednesday morning again the light started coming, so went to them again and asked them diagnose the 4WD light issue and to change the diff oil as i thought water had entered the diff, dont know how though, they were not keen to look at it and they then directed to me another branch of theirs where they had better Techs, I was not confident of them anymore based on the experience and knowledge level, took it to another service center belonging to the group i took delivery from on the opposite side of town, they immediately checked everything and found the front diff oil to be white, i asked them to change that and the airfilter, surprisingly they dont have both and not available anywhere in hyderabad asked me to keep the vehicle at service center till these come after 4-5 days and also to investigate further, which is a surprising response from Maruti Nexa service.

My query to 4WD experts is :

1) Did the water get into the diff during these water and slush drives?
2) If so, how did it get there? Did any of you guys experience something similar after some slush or water wading?
3) Or my initial fear that something was wrong in the drive train from the day when I took delivery was that the vehicle had a very high NVH, which I mentioned in my previous posts too that NVH was too high for Japanese vehicle; it was not moving freely and was feeling strained all the time, and I got it checked by at least five tech persons at diff service centres, and they all said it might be because it's new and it will even out
4) Was it because they forgot to put oil in the differential at the factory, and the vehicle had been flushing oil throughout? And we discovered it now, as you can see from the picture, that it is not having the consistency of gear oil but is more like water.
5) Is the 4wd drive light flashing at a standstill due to this, or is it a separate issue?

I appreciate your input. Thanks

Originally Posted by helterskelter

I am itching to either book the Jimny or the Thar. Have driven the Thar quite a lot and really like the performance, the only thing holding me back about the Jimny are

Please find my answers below:

1) it will not be a grand tourer, don't expect performance and blistering pace, which anyway you cannot expect on Indian roads even if you are in a high-end SUV or Sedan, it can calmly cruise at 100-120, and it will do the Delhi- Arunachal trip, on bad patches it will be awesome you can fly through them, as a toy for a couple to make shorter trips to the mountains with some off-road jaunts it's ideal.
2) yes foot well is cramped, I have done 3k with around 2k on the highways, and it was OK, you cannot be as comfortable as a luxury sedan; its a tradeoff for the end of the journey it will be awesome when you are in the mountains or rugged terrains.
3) Yes, TPMS is a must, we should explore aftermarket fitment

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by chsai

they immediately checked everything and found the front diff oil to be white

My query to 4WD experts is :

1) did the water actually get into the diff during these water, and slush drives?
2) if so how did it get there? did any of you guys experience similar thing after some slush or water wading?
3) or my initial fear that something was wrong in the drive train from the day when i took delivery that the vehicle was having very high NVH which i mentoned in my previous posts too that NVH was too high for a japanese vehicle
4) or was it because they forgot to put oil in the diff at factory and vehicle was having some flushing oil all through out and we discovered it now, as you can see from the pic that it is not having the consistency of gear oil but more like water.
5) Is the 4wd drive light flashing at standstill due to this or is it a separate issue?

Appreciate your inputs. Thanks

If the oil is milky white definitely water has definitely got into the differential, without doubt. Change the differential oil pronto. Stock Jimny diff oil is 75w85 synthetic light golden yellow, smells good too. Don't ask how i know...

In the front axle there are two ways water could have seeped in 1) through breather and 2) through vacuum line. Since the 4WD logo is blinking and not lighting solid I suspect there could be a leak in the vacuum circuit. Without positive vacuum feedback light do not get solid, it should light up solid even at stand still with engine on once front hubs are engaged. So get that thoroughly checked for loose/disconnected/torn vacuum tube/fitting. Water could have got in through there. Differential breather is another suspect, check if its stuck open you can do it by hand it should move freely.

Since its under warranty if there is any issue with the transfercase/front differential claim in and change it. With customer Jimnys being used for test drives one cannot expect random guys new to 4WD to use it properly.

Jimnys don't leave Maruti plant without oil in the tcase, differentials or engine, so you can rule that out.

[chsai]

Originally Posted by Sankar

If the oil is milky white definitely water has definitely got into the differential, without doubt. Change the differential oil pronto. Stock Jimny diff oil is 75w85 synthetic light golden yellow, smells good too. Don't ask how i know...

Appreciate the detailed reply, will check on these, Thanks a lot

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

[chsai]

On an unrelated note - my chagrin at MSIL service levels continue unabated. They are truly incapable of providing the premium experience and is making me wonder what’s in store for me down the line, never having owned one of their cars that I had to take to the ASC personally before (the WagonR was always relegated to pick and drop, being the utilitarian car that it was). 45 days into the ownership and with thousands of Jimny’s sold to date, not a single workshop in our area have the correct wheel alignment data on them for the Jimny! As a result, I drive in and out of various ASC’s, steering wheel askew and always returning to base with choice words on the tongue. Brilliant product. Poor service experience.

I am also genuinely shocked with the Nexa service experience; none of the Nexa service guys in any of the service centres in Hyderabad has any clue about Jimny's 4WD tech. Water entered my diff, and they have no clue how? When I asked them to change the oil, one guy said that's how the new milky white oil looks and refused to change it, I went to another they refused even to check saying that not even possible and will do it at the 10k check and asked me to drive on after I know fully well that it's contaminated. After I insisted on a change, they tell me they do not have the differential oil in stock and would take a week. They don't even have an air filter, even washing; they are clueless about how to do it properly. After a water and slush run, I went to a Nexa service, I think when they washed it from below, the water entered into the diff, also mud splashed at the intake was forced into the air filter while washing as there is no way water can enter it while wading through less than 30 cm water, now the air filter is dirty, and they don't have a replacement, the 4wd light flashes intermittently while driving and goes away on its own and none of the service tech's are unable to explain how water got into the diff, why the 4wd is flashing, why there is a random wobble that comes and goes on the tarmac at speeds? Why car is pulling to the left when braking? Why is there less oil in the transfer case? Why the car has a high NVH?

Their initial reaction is OMG you have taken it through rain and slush as the engine compartment looks dirty so water must have entered then and trying to convince me that the car got water logged and future warranty claims if any will not be applicable, i showed them the interior of the car and not a drop of water in the cabin or on the floor and that it is not water logged and insisted i get a proper explanation which they said they dont have and needs further investigation after keeping the car for two days, then i took eneos diff oil from out side and got it changed even when they were hinting that warranty will get voided if they do that, the standard reply post that is we have escalated to Maruti and awaiting their reply and after more than a week of followup, i gave up, no sign of when the airfilter or the diff oil will come, now the 4wd light flashing has reduced significantly, comes and goes randomly while driving and hope it will go away soon, i never expected this from Nexa!! Most service centres are good for routine checkups and oil changes, but for anything complex, they are not geared for it; they do not know how the 4wd system works or how to remedy the 4wd flashing error code, I wonder if Maruti has even done an orientation program on the Jimny for the mechanics? I have had other European cars for the last 20 years, and their service levels could have been better in India, but now I feel they are better in many ways, I hope to live with Jimny without ever revisiting a Nexa.

P.S: All fellow Jimnyists, a word of caution, please check all fluids after a water and slush run and wash it carefully, Jimny is not what we think it is :(

Mod Note- Please proofread before posting.

[th2]

Originally Posted by chsai

...... none of the Nexa service guys in any of the service centers in Hyderabad have any clue about Jimny's 4WD tech .....

Even when we test drove the Jimny, the sales guy had no clue how to engage 4L. He is supposed to have been trained in all aspects of the vehicle. We tried engaging it with the vehicle in motion, and of course it didn't work. Went back home, found a Youtube tutorial on engaging 4H and 4L and forwarded the same to the sales guy. As I mentioned before, the manual too is pretty confusing on this aspect. You can't sell a vehicle as a proper off-roader and not train sales/service staff on it. Suzuki Japan should take over Nexa and run it independent of Maruti.

Maruti should stick to their Arena cars.

[jimmyjagga]

Originally Posted by chsai

i have other european cars for the last 20 years and i thought their service levels were not that good in India, but now i feel they are better in many ways, hope to live with Jimny without ever visitng a Nexa again.

P.S: All fellow Jimnyists, a word of caution, please check all fluids after a water and slush run and wash it carefully, jimny is not what we think it is :(

this is an eye opener, this is the reason for having honest and unbiased threads in the forum, to bring out the issues. The major reason one would love to buy and run the vehicles like thar, Jimny, Gurkha in city roads is to not worry about water and slush. I am always keen to such reviews among all the positives as this helps in taking the leap and deciding to purchase such beautiful 4x4, as this will never be evident in biased automotive magazine reviews, nor in a test drive.

thanks for sharing it here.

Regards

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by chsai

i am also truly shocked with the nexa service experience,
P.S: All fellow Jimnyists, a word of caution, please check all fluids after a water and slush run and wash it carefully, jimny is not what we think it is :(

I feel so sorry for your experience
Please call/WhatsApp me on 9848883868
Will sort out your issue with my contacts at Nexa.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by chsai

After a water and slush run, I went to a Nexa service, I think when they washed it from below the water entered into the diff, also mud splashed at the intake was forced into the air filter while washing as there is no way water can enter it while wading through less than 30 cm water

Most dealerships will have newer car washers ( water preservation), so the chances of water getting during the wash can be less. Remember, they are Maruti service stations, not Force motors so they will be washing most of the cars like Baleno/ Breeza

Water depth can be deceptive, and on a moving vehicle, it can enter with a large force. So even if it's not deep, it might have gone if the car was at speed.

Look for any missing/ loose breather vent plug. Here's a video I found and an old post at a Ford Forum.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ml#post7751586

https://youtu.be/moukq1sUSVA

The 4wd light flashes intermittently while driving and goes away on its own and none of the service techs are unable to explain how water got into the diff,

If you are 100% sure this is attributed to some manufacturing issue, escalate this to Maruti. Wait until they answer, as they will also like to understand this, and it's essential to keep things preserved for a Root cause analysis. However, if you feel this can be attributed to driving in water, you can change the Differential oil immediately. In either case, don't drive the car.

Why car is pulling to the left when braking?

Try another test drive car. It might be similar in other vehicles too. If not, it will be tricky to find the reason. Alignment issues can be ignored probably if your car usually drives straight and goes on the left only under braking. On an old vehicle, there can be some issues of wear and tear of suspension/ rotors but on a new car? So, I will start with driving another test drive car first.

Originally Posted by ecosport rules

I feel so sorry for your experience

Will sort out your issue with my contacts at Nexa.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by chsai

I am also genuinely shocked with the Nexa service experience; none of the Nexa service guys in any of the service centres in Hyderabad has any clue about Jimny's 4WD tech. Water entered my diff, and they have no clue how?

This is a serious issue, even if the whole car was submerged for few minutes water should not enter the diff like this to make it white. I had seen earlier post by others that pointed water entry and that you were attending to it so did not bother much.

But if Nexa guys don't even understand water contamination in oil and how it can ruin bearings including diff, they should not be worthy of any workshop!

Get the details of regional manager and escalate, also send strong email with images to Maruti.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

A slight chance of improvement is when we find a fix for height adjustment on the seat.

Check for Ignis height adjust unit, should be almost a direct fit to Jimny.

[Aditya]

Water ingress in front differential of brand new Maruti Jimny - Posts moved to new thread.

[Jaggu]

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5605507 (Maruti Jimny Review)

This is worrisome! Even the not so refined Thar does not have this issue!! With those fabric carpet it will be a stench fest for sometime to come once it gets wet.

Is there a QC issue and Indian vendor parts for the Jimny, water entering differential of a 4x4 is a rare event by itself, but though the doors?? thats worrisome. Unless doors were not closed properly.

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by Sankar

...In the front axle there are two ways water could have seeped in 1) through breather and 2) through vacuum line.

3) Pinion oil seal
4) Wheel bearing/knuckle oil seal

Edit (adding sir... Just saw you are a much senior person to me)

Sai sir' - Take it to a Old school gypsy mechanic. He will make it the actual machine it is meant to be. There are many well known offroaders in this Tbhp, you need to search them. Afterall you are in the Glorious Off Road city of Hyderabad. TBhp and Hyderabad Offroading has a Golden history. Go through the 4x4 section and spend some time there.

Stop going to NEXA for such real world issues. They are fit only for ribbons and balloons, doodh peda, God Idol, Mud Flaps, Vaseline on tyres, and a HP Inkjet color print out.

Once you realize what your machine is meant to do, you will automatically stop going to these jokers.

And please stop going to 5 different idiots who know nothing about an off roader. Find someone who knows what to do.

[ike]

Originally Posted by chsai

now the air filter is dirty, and they don't have a replacement, the 4wd light flashes intermittently while driving and goes away on its own and none of the service tech's are unable to explain how water got into the diff, why the 4wd is flashing, why there is a random wobble that comes and goes on the tarmac at speeds? Why car is pulling to the left when braking?

No air filter in stock is a surprise, usually the parts for most Marutis come from the same bin and unless Jimny has unique parts, they should have had this in stock.

Nexa technicians would never have seen a 4WD and most will not know how it functions. If scanning throws a code they will try to fix that but any troubleshooting even on a regular car will make them sweat, let alone a new car with new technology like 4WD & differentials. Not ideal but that is what it is. The Jimny, if it sells in large numbers, might test the hallowed Maruti service.

Very few ASS' have alignment machines that are calibrated well and more importantly have people knowledgeable enough to perform proper WA/WB. A reputed tire shop should be able to help with this issue, don't waste your time with Nexa any further if it indeed is an alignment issue.

[chsai]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

3) Pinion oil seal
4) Wheel bearing/knuckle oil seal

Edit (adding sir... Just saw you are a much senior person to me)

Sai sir' - Take it to a Old school gypsy mechanic. He will make it the actual machine it is meant to be. There are many well known offroaders in this Tbhp, you need to search them. Afterall you are in the Glorious Off Road city of Hyderabad. TBhp and Hyderabad Offroading has a Golden history. Go through the 4x4 section and spend some time there.

Stop going to NEXA for such real world issues. They are fit only for ribbons and balloons, doodh peda, God Idol, Mud Flaps, Vaseline on tyres, and a HP Inkjet color print out.

Once you realize what your machine is meant to do, you will automatically stop going to these jokers.

And please stop going to 5 different idiots who know nothing about an off roader. Find someone who knows what to do.

Thanks Santosh for the sane advice, have got support from some senior Team BHP'ians, will work on resolving the flashing 4WD symbol, Nexa guys anyway dont have a clue anyway, other than that am enjoying the Jimny more than any of my other european favorites.

[raj4466]

Originally Posted by chsai

I am also genuinely shocked with the Nexa service experience; none of the Nexa service guys in any of the service centres in Hyderabad has any clue about Jimny's 4WD tech.

Welcome to our world. Gyspy The SVC doesn't know a thing about old school maintenance.

After a water and slush run, I went to a Nexa service, I think when they washed it from below, the water entered into the diff, also mud splashed at the intake was forced into the air filter while washing as there is no way water can enter it while wading through less than 30 cm water, now the air filter is dirty, and they don't have a replacement, the 4wd light flashes intermittently while driving and goes away on its own and none of the service tech's are unable to explain how water got into the diff, why the 4wd is flashing, why there is a random wobble that comes and goes on the tarmac at speeds? Why car is pulling to the left when braking? Why is there less oil in the transfer case? Why the car has a high NVH?

The water won't enter the diffs while washing, it will be the diff breather which is supposed to open and close based on the temp inside the diffs. Water wading is a skill you will acquire as you start using the vehicle. It's not about splashing the water and mud all around like we see in the reviews.

You can learn a lot of 4wd techs and on how to tackle various obstacles on YouTube. Prefer Anshuman Bishnoi or Australian channels like Ronny Dahl, 4wd 24x7 etc.

Their initial reaction is OMG you have taken it through rain and slush as the engine compartment looks dirty so water must have entered then and trying to convince me that the car got water logged and future warranty claims if any will not be applicable, i showed them the interior of the car and not a drop of water in the cabin or on the floor and that it is not water logged and insisted i get a proper explanation which they said they dont have and needs further investigation after keeping the car for two days, then i took eneos diff oil from out side and got it changed even when they were hinting that warranty will get voided if they do that, the standard reply post that is we have escalated to Maruti and awaiting their reply and after more than a week of followup, i gave up, no sign of when the airfilter or the diff oil will come, now the 4wd light flashing has reduced significantly, comes and goes randomly while driving and hope it will go away soon, i never expected this from Nexa!! Most service centres are good for routine checkups and oil changes, but for anything complex, they are not geared for it; they do not know how the 4wd system works or how to remedy the 4wd flashing error code, I wonder if Maruti has even done an orientation program on the Jimny for the mechanics? I have had other European cars for the last 20 years, and their service levels could have been better in India, but now I feel they are better in many ways, I hope to live with Jimny without ever revisiting a Nexa.

The techs at SVC needs to be trained on the maintenance and not to rip off customers. I would suggest Maruti approved small service centres, which are usually not linked with any dealership for these old school mechanical jobs. They do have better experienced staff who have worked on Omni, Gypsy, Eeco which have diff axles. That wont affect they warranty and the works will be added in the service history as well. You can get the complete list of these workshops in your owners manual. Refer the last pages and you will find one very close to you.

P.S: All fellow Jimnyists, a word of caution, please check all fluids after a water and slush run and wash it carefully, Jimny is not what we think it is :(

Jimny is more than what you think it's capable of. We need to learn the basics and the jungle before we venture into the wild.