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It was quite an eventful Saturday. Since my 5th car service was overdue, I decided to get it done on the weekend. Did some shopping on Friday,
Castrol Magnatec 4L 10W40 – 1000
BP Energear Gear oil 2L – 320
Bosch DOT4 Brake Fluid 500ml - 120
Delphi Radiator Coolant 2L - 240
Purolator Oil Filter - 50
Liqui Moly Engine Flush - 220
WD-40 can - 210
Prestone Radiator Flush - 125
I decided to get it done at Pandit & Co., Okhla as I wanted to be present and overlook the servicing. Eagerly I headed for the workshop at 9:30am so that I can be free by the evening. I am approached by a young gentleman when I reach there, he requested for my keys for a short test drive, so off we went for the test drive. He inquired about what all needs to be done, I said its just a regular servicing, the car does not run much, its run 18400kms in 3.5 years and I needed to get all the oil replaced plus the regular checks.
I said “The main reason I have come here and not to a MASS is because I want everything to be done in front of me and I wish to be present while the servicing is done.”
He said very politely “ To be honest, I don’t want you sitting on top of my head the whole day. You can stay for 30 mins, 1 hour but not for the entire day on top of my head”
I said “ huh..okay”
We finished the test drive and I thought, well atleast lets ask for an estimate. I am invited inside the office and asked to sit. Inside there is an aged gentleman talking to a customer, whom I presumed is the owner. The office is extremely comfortable, air-conditioned and various imported stuff lying inside. I explain to the young gentleman that I have everything with me, only the labour estimate is required. He hands over an estimate,
Engine Flush solvent - 695 (parts)
4 Injectors purge, calibrate - 800 (parts)
Flush tank, lines with solvent - 600 (parts)
Gear box additive - 690 (parts)
Chemically de-grease engine bay - 400 (labor)
Spray underbody and suspension components with cutting oil – 400 (labor)
Service and tune-up – 850 (labor)
I said to him “ To be honest, I think I better get it done outside”
He said “ That’s fine, you want it done your way, I want it done my way.”
With that I left Pandit & Co., maybe after my car has clocked 50k, I’ll think about getting all these stuff done. Frustrated at having wasted the morning and not even getting any work done, I headed to the BP service station near Moolchand where I get my car wash frequently, I remember seeing a hydraulic lift with car servicing being done. I speak to the mechanic and explain to him in clear broken hindi what all I wanted to get done. He agreed and we start work with me supervising the oil change. The car is jacked up using the hydraulic lift and this is what I get done.
Radiator Flush
Coolant drain & replace
Engine oil flush, drain and replace.
Gear oil drain and replace.
Brake oil drain, bleed and replace.
Air filter cleaned
Labor – 150
Rear wheels drums, brake pads cleaned – 150
Car wash – 100
Wheel alignment – 200 (done at Universal tyres)
Don’t know if the Liqui Molu engine flush really worked, but the drained engine oil was completely dark brown.
Satisfied at everything being done as per wish, I went back home. While driving back, I feel that the car is sluggish. I didn’t give much thought thinking that maybe because the oil hasn’t settled done completely. I reach home, take a bath and have food. But at the back of my mind, I am still not feeling comfortable about something. I come back to the car and rev up the engine, its shuddering. With AC on and in low gear, it shudders and there is significant power drop. It feels that the engine is misfiring. I take it back to the service station and let the mechanic drive the car. He says that maybe because petrol is low or the spark plugs need to be checked, but its late in the evening and nothing can be done right now and asked me to come back in the morning with 4 new spark plugs.
With a heavy heart, I return back home. But I still wanted to give it a last shot and decided to take it to the Maruti service center in Okhla which is near my house and where I used to get the regular servicing done. I also realize that the mechanic’s young apprentice had poured in the entire 4L engine oil instead of 3.7L capacity. I spoke to the maruti service advisor and he took another test drive. After the drive he said that the excess oil needs to be drained and the spark plugs checked and cleaned, and to come back the next day.
I was fearing that the ignition coils might have failed as it was replaced once under warranty last year. Still feeling the overfilling the engine oil might be the culprit, I again approach a roadside mechanic and ask him to drain about 300ml of oil. It already dark now, he fixes a broken jack and crawls underneath the car with a cloth wrapped around his hand as the engine is still burning hot. He is able to drain out about 300-400ml of engine oil, he explains that if you overfill the engine oil, it might reach the plugs and choke them. I pay him 50 bucks and pray that the issue gets resolved. I let the engine idle for sometime and drive around, it felt better. I take the car out again in the night and it felt much better.
Phew, that was quite a day. | 
1st October 2008, 14:03
