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Old 14th April 2018, 18:49   #1
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DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

First, thanks @varunsinghal for inspiring me to take this up. Link to Honda Thread.

Never knew cowl cleaning is an easy and essential step in keep the most neglected part clean and rust free. After looking at the location and how close it is to the dash, almost like a spine for it, this is going to be a 6 months cleaning cycle for me hereon.

So, these are things that you will need

1. 13 size socket spanner.
2. Sharp screwdriver.
3. Painting brush with long handle / bristles.
4. Soap water or any car wash solution.
5. Anti corrosion spray or wax that you believe in.
6. Patience.

First, observe the wiper position on the windscreen. If you are not sure, make a small mark on the glass using regular whiteboard marker at the base of the wiper rubber blade. That will act as a guide when you reset your wiper blade after the work.

First, remove the screw/nut cover at the base of wiper. Use the sharp screwdriver and gently pry it on the sides and it will easily come off without fuss. For cars that are old or have never worked on their wiper arms, it will take little force to pry it.

Use the 13 size ring or socket spanner and remove the nut at the wiper base.

Then, here is the tricky part. If you try to pull the wiper arm it will not budge. So, here is the solution.

Place the thumb on top of the wiper arm, rest of the fingers under the arm and push the wiper arm towards the glass with thumb.


DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-wiperarmpulloff.jpg


This will make the wiper move off pinion, and then pull the wiper up with fingers placed under the wiper arm. Just like opening a car door handle with thumb as fulcrum.

Place the wiper away and now open the hood. You will see the snap on plastic rivets. Marked in red ovals.



DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-12rivets.jpg
DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-34rivets.jpg
DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-45rivets.jpg


Use that sharp screw driver to first pull up the screw off the base. Then pull the rivet base later. Screw marked as 1 and Rivet bottom as 2.



DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-rivets1.jpg


Keep them safe and away from anything that might crush them. The tube for washer fluid has to be removed from its clips so that it will be easy for the cowl to be placed in the space between radiator and air filter box. Now gently pull and tug the plastic cowl and after some pulling, it will budge. Make sure you pull it towards you and now up or down.

You can now see the metal gutter and all the muck that collected. If you see leaves, plastic wrappers remove all of them using either your hand or vacuum. Do not allow it to go into the side panel. Then the usual cleaning with soap water can start. Use the paint brush to agitate the soap water in the gutter and it will help loosen the muck and flush it down.


DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-dirt.jpg

Allow it to dry normally and then you can dab with your anti corrosion solution. I used Tribocor Anti Corrosion Wax Spray to cover the entire spot and wiped the excess with a face napkin. Smothered it all across the metal part of cowl and below it too. All the screws and bolts I could find.


DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-img_20180414_122839.jpg

Then put back everything in reverse order you started with.

Points to note:

1. There are lot of sharp edges since its all sheet metal. So, watch your fingers. I narrowly missed cutting my fingers in few spots.
2. If you don't have anti corrosion sprays or solutions a normal use car wax will do. Nothing to worry.
3. In DZire (2nd Gen) the air intake for A/C is deep and has a firewall for itself. So, there is no way you clean it unless you open the dash. Make sure you don't pour any water into it. Pic of the A/C intake below.

DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-acintake1.jpg
4. Though there is a A/C intake snap on filter in the cowl panel which is removable for cleaning.

DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-acpanelsnapon.jpg

Best of luck.

Last edited by GTO : 16th April 2018 at 10:30. Reason: Adding link to Varun's thread :)
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Old 14th July 2018, 22:52   #2
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

Thank you, found this gem of a thread today, from the original Honda city thread. Hopefully, things will be the same on rest of the cars from MSIL.

The tip on how to remove the wiper arm will especially be useful, as that information was new to me.
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Old 10th December 2018, 21:17   #3
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

Thanks for the important and useful information. I am planning to clean the scuttle drain on my SX4 soon. I inspected the cover today afternoon and I was wondering about those rivets, little afraid to open them.

The above pictures make it all pretty clear. Will clean the drains over the weekend.
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Old 10th December 2018, 22:19   #4
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

Quote:
Originally Posted by prithm View Post
Then, here is the tricky part. If you try to pull the wiper arm it will not budge. So, here is the solution.

Place the thumb on top of the wiper arm, rest of the fingers under the arm and push the wiper arm towards the glass with thumb.
There is an easier alternative. Lift up (fold) the wiper before removing the nut, or lift it after removing the nut. It will easily come off the milling. Unless its rusted. Similarly install the wiper (lifted up) and tighten the nut and once done rest the arm on the glass. It lets the milled surface sit square against each other before clamping down with nut.

I had to remove the (edit) wiper, plastic cowl top, the wiper motor set and the metal cowl bottom of my Crysta a week and a half ago to get to one of the connectors on the rear of the engine to disconnect it (edit) to remove a box. Cowl removal was the graceful (by the book) option due to the cab forward design of the vehicle.

Last edited by Sankar : 10th December 2018 at 22:31.
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Old 2nd May 2021, 19:53   #5
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

Quote:
Originally Posted by prithm View Post
First, thanks @varunsinghal for inspiring me to take this up. Link to Honda Thread.


You can now see the metal gutter and all the muck that collected. If you see leaves, plastic wrappers remove all of them using either your hand or vacuum. Do not allow it to go into the side panel. Then the usual cleaning with soap water can start. Use the paint brush to agitate the soap water in the gutter and it will help loosen the muck and flush it down!
Wonderful DIY, but i have what could be termed a noob query!

Is it possible to get rid of the leaves & debris in the gutter, using your bare hands?

I see that the spacing between in the enclosure is rather small, how do i remove the leaves/trash & ensure it dont go into the side panel?

Ramu
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Old 1st September 2021, 15:16   #6
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

Thank you for this wonderful DIY!! My purpose for removing the cowl panel was not a regular maintenance job but to clean up all the debris put up by some rats which have started to trouble me

I started to notice rat droppings in the engine bay and a hell lot of it on the battery and fuse box covers. After some days the rat made it way to the foam pads present between fenders and the front doors on both sides. Chewed up all the foam resulting in extreme road and wind noise at high speeds. Asked my regular service center guys to install a new foam but they were reluctant to do it as it requires some decent labor time but doesn't pay them well.

I rather ignored it as most of my drives are in the city and occasionally on the highways. After some time, the rats have managed to drill holes on both the sides of the cowl panel and have found a sweet place to rest. One day i tried to peep through the holes and found some debris. Immediately I remembered reading a post regarding cowl panel removal. Followed the same steps on my Brezza except I had to use a 15mm size spanner to remove the wiper arm.

The panel removal was pretty much easy, hardly took 5 mins.

Debris seen after opening up the panel
DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-img20210901125012.jpg

DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-img20210901125023.jpg

After cleaning using a vacuum cleaner.
DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-img20210901125721.jpg

DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)-img20210901125720.jpg

One can notice the wire mesh present near the AC vents. As a precautionary measure, had got it installed during the First free service on demand. Rats had made its way inside the cabin of my old wagonr, chewed up the seats and guess what! even the gear knob was completely bald in one night!!
The mesh prevents the entry into the cabin.

Somehow the rats have not tasted a single wire or rubber pipe till now. Hope it remains the same. Tried everything from RAT AXE, 3M Rat repellent to Ultrasonic rat repellent. Nothing works!!!!
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Old 12th August 2023, 19:12   #7
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Re: DIY: Cowl Panel Cleaning (Maruti Dzire)

I recently cleaned this space and boy was I in for a surprise.
There was a small garden down there. I guess that space hasn't been cleaned in the 10 years I have had my car.

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