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-   -   Car maintenance & repairs - SMK Automobiles (Chennai) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/chennai/172351-car-maintenance-repairs-smk-automobiles-chennai.html)

I have been to SMK Automobiles in Chennai for the works on my Fiat Palio GTX. Murugan owns and runs the show. This is a normal garage which takes care of any cars, but he is good with Fiat Palios.

Likes

• Honest chap. Down to earth and friendly.
• Good with Fiat Palios as he has restored a couple of those
• Not very expensive

Dislikes

• We need constant follow up to get the work done.

Location:

His workshop is near "Kamachi Hospital" towards "Vels university" road Pallikaranai.

Work shop name : SMK Automobiles
Owner Name: Murugan
Contact : 97109.92117 and 97102.22117

My palio had a major breakdown at Chennai two years ago, with an alternator pulley shearing off. Called up Murugan, he came there in an hour, did immediate repairs and somehow drove to his workshop where final repairs were executed.

We couldn't procure a new alternator so he built one using two alternators salvaged from the scrapyard. He did an excellent job; the same alternator was running on the car when I sold it.

So whatever repairs he carried out were very reliable and very wallet friendly. Full marks to Murugan for a job well done!

My only complaint is that he does not speak any language other than Tamil. Even when I was at his garage, I had to call my localite friend tell him what I need to convey to Murugan, hand over the phone and he'd explain to Murugan. This back-and-forth phone communication was pretty exhausting.

A small updated, had been to Murugan today. He has shifted the place to a slightly further location. For those who have been here, his place was next to Hotel Nandini. Now, one needs to go ahead another 100-200 meters where you have Hotel Ariyaas and then take the immediate left (just before taking left, we have a closed Ford service centre and Zuari cement building on the right side of the road).

As soon as you take the left from main road, you'll see a Amman temple and when you go further, take the first right (200-300m) and then the first left (another 100-200m). Once you take the left, his garage is on the left side (2nd or 3rd building) with blue color aluminium sheets and a gate by the road side.

I was back at Murugan's garage (the new one as mentioned by swiftnfurious in the above message) last weekend and he has vacated the place. I spoke to him on phone and he said he is operating from a nearby place. He said he'll come and pick the car the following Monday but I was not keen on it till I see his current garage.

Anyone in touch with him? Or visited his new place of work?

He had shifted out due to the slowdown caused by covid. You can trust him and give the car.

Thanks Anand. That helps.

Hi,
I understand that you own a Swift petrol, I too own a Swift Dzire petrol 2008. The lockdown period gave me ample time to work/maintain the car`s engine and at that time I noticed clean, transparent air coming from oil fill hole(when the cap is taken off) accompanied by a little amount of clean air from the dipstick hole, but unlike the air from the oil fill hole, the air from dipstick hole almost disappears once the engine has reached its operating temperature.
Is is normal blowby or there is some reason to be concerned. I don`t get any oil from the dipstick hole anytime, but get some droplets from oil fill hole when the engine is revved.

Thanks

Hello..I had a Swift diesel and a Palio petrol so I am not sure I can comment on this with right details.

I can't remember seeing the vapours coming from the bonnet, never checked that I guess. If I may suggest, please post the query in Swift / Dzire official review thread so some owners could pitch in.

Few oil drops (2-3) are ok as long as a regular check / top up is done every 3K-5K kms.

Hi tud, the last time I had been to his place in January before the pandemic his workshop was in S.Kolathur, the road beside Faruzzi Restaurant.

I spoke to him recently regarding having my instrument cluster LCD changed in my Punto and he mentioned he was in the middle of shifting garages. He has moved his workshop permanently to Manimangalam. About 33kms away for me now from the 7kms earlier:Frustrati. But it is his own land, the Pandemic seems to have affected his business too.

As already mentioned by h14 you can 100% trust Murugan. Infact I found his contact through my dad's friend last year after I bought my Punto before realising there is a dedicated thread on Team BHP.

I really love the way he works and don't mind going that far for scheduled services. But for running repairs looks like I need to find another workshop closer to my home or wait for a few to accumulate before going to have them rectified in one shot.lol: I will mostly prefer the latter.

Since you're in Nanganallur and this earlier garage seems to have been near Kamakshi hospital in Pallikaranai, there's my trusted mechanic right opposite to the Lanson Toyota showroom there - Vijaya Motors is the garage's name. Even this garage has been shifted during the pandemic but I am told that the location remains close to the hospital and Lanson Toyota. I can share you the phone number if you need to try this mechanic's services onc.

Hi Shanksta, my LCD just conked a week back. I got into the car and closed the door. The LCD was displaying in gibberish. I inserted the key and turned it on and it went blank forever.

How did your solve your LCD issue?

Hi Tud,

Happy new year !

I am yet to resolve my LCD display, because the contact I found FB is yet to give me the elusive display at ₹1000 and is making me run in circles. rl:

I guess I will wait another month or two before either paying 5k and getting a display from the Pune dealer or go instrument cluster hunting in Pudupet to salvage a display.

Happy new year to you too!
I was thinking of walking around Pudupet to get this. Does your Pune dealer have additional LCD panels, in that case I might be interested in buying it from him.

Wishing your Fiat gets the LCD asap and give you many more happy miles.

If you have his new address, please do put it here so Mods can update the first post with the correct details.

Hi swiftnfurious,

I don’t have his new address, but I can find out and update here. BTW I sold my Grande Punto a week ago.:unhappy