[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by irdevanand

i spoke to sundaramhonda now but they dont use castrol. They use only honda's synthetic oil which is 3500 rs. Next time i will refill the oil myself at a shell station and i will try castrol. For now as the car is with them i am going with the mineral oil itself @1140.

Mate, They will never use the thing that is for the benefit of the customer. All they want to earn is their margins. As of now you cant do much so it's better that you go with the oil used by Honda. But from next service just use Castrol Magnatec.

sundaram honda called and informed me that my rear brake cylinder oil is leaking and front brake pads have to be changed which would set me off by another 15,000. I have opted for the rear brake cylinder work alone for 3500 as it is mentioned in the previous service recommendation too and i feel braking is not perfect recent days.

I would suggest you to supervise the entire thing. Keep a close eye on the parts which are to be replaced and don't just follow what they tell you to do. 15000/- for front brake pads is sounding a bomb to me. Better take a second opinion before going in for such expenses in your next service.

Got three calls from sundaramhonda so far and everytime my bill went up like this - 6500, 8000, 23000 suggested landed in 11500.

Be very attentive on this aspect. Check the entire copy and do a PDI of the car after this service. I suggest you to post the copy of the bill for us.

Thanks

AD

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by irdevanand

They use only honda's synthetic oil which is 3500 rs.

I have opted for the rear brake cylinder work alone for 3500 as it is mentioned in the previous service recommendation too and i feel braking is not perfect recent days.

Front pads i am not sure because i don't hear any sound nor i have the feeling of bite missing so i am taking some time till next service.

The manual clearly states that the 1.5 iVTEC does not need synthetic oil. Normal mineral oil is recommended and that is what should be used. Any other recommendation by the SA on this means he is trying to pull a fast one on you.

The cylinder for the rear brake - is your car leaking brake oil? That is the main symptom that crops up when the cylinder gives out. Remove the rear tires and look at the drum. If it is smeared with oil, yes it needs replacement. Also, pop the hood and check the level of the brake oil. Low level points to a leakage somewhere.

What exactly happened on your service dated 15/10/11 which cost 8730? You mention disc brake, 20000km pack. There is no 'pack' related to the brakes, certainly not at 20000km. Did they change the brake pads? If yes, you were conned. You cannot wear down a City's brake pads in 20000km, unless you drive like Sebastian Vettel. If not, then as per the record you have put up, your brake pads have not been changed till date. Hence, they might very well have worn down by now, leading to weaker brakes. Still, 15k for pad replacement is a daylight robbery.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by ad3952n

You can use the Synthetic Castrol Magnatec oil for the engine which needs to be changed at 10-11k kms. This will help your car's performance and is far better than the OEM with a cost of INR 1428/- for 3.5 L pack. This also will require the oil filter change after 10,000 kms.

I have always had confusion about the Castrol Magnatec Engine oil. It says to have synthetic technology but is it 100% synthetic engine oil? I am asking this because 1400 bucks for 3.5 ltrs is too small amount for fully synthetic engine oils. The other Castrol sibling which is the castrol Edge is at least 3 times that figure for a 4 litre pack.
I have been using Magnatec in my car for a long time now, but have followed the normal 5K kms drain schedule.

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by saket77

I have always had confusion about the Castrol Magnatec Engine oil. It says to have synthetic technology but is it 100% synthetic engine oil?

Castrol Magnatec engine oil is not fully synthetic oil but it is Semi-Synthetic Oil hence the cost is Rs 1400/- for 3.5 litres compared to fully synthetic oil which costs much more.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

Castrol Magnatec engine oil is not fully synthetic oil but it is Semi-Synthetic Oil hence the cost is Rs 1400/- for 3.5 litres compared to fully synthetic oil which costs much more.

Exactly equates to what I know. Hence, it is misleading to print 'synthetic technology' on the can.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

The manual clearly states that the 1.5 iVTEC does not need synthetic oil. Normal mineral oil is recommended and that is what should be used.

Mate, I respect your point of view. But, I use Castrol Magnatec for my car and till date it has responded very well to it and I seriously do not have faith in the OEM filters and Oils provided by Honda. It is totally sub-standard. I simply refused to get my car serviced at A.S.C of Honda mainly because of the quality of lubricants they provide with such a high cost.

You mention disc brake, 20000km pack. There is no 'pack' related to the brakes, certainly not at 20000km. Did they change the brake pads? If yes, you were conned. You cannot wear down a City's brake pads in 20000km, unless you drive like Sebastian Vettel. If not, then as per the record you have put up, your brake pads have not been changed till date. Hence, they might very well have worn down by now, leading to weaker brakes. Still, 15k for pad replacement is a daylight robbery.

I completely agree with you over here. I mentioned in my earlier post that ASC is making a joke out of a innocent customer. Once I was told by the ASC of Honda in Noida that every service adviser tries to cross sell expensive spares to earn the incentive and at times pushes the customer in making an impulsive purchase. For me it's a totally 3rd rate practice from their end.

Originally Posted by saket77

I have been using Magnatec in my car for a long time now, but have followed the normal 5K kms drain schedule.

Saket, It's an individual's call. I have followed the 10,000 km cycle because it actually has got that sort of viscosity till the 10,000 km mark and in general the performance of the car improves by using it instead of the mineral oil of Honda. As far as technology is concerned, Castrol is a reliable brand and serves the customers well with their products. They do have a good quality control in my view.

Thanks

AD

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by saket77

Exactly equates to what I know. Hence, it is misleading to print 'synthetic technology' on the can.

I totally agree with you. It is misleading for common man who will blindly trust the wordings 'synthetic technology'.

[irdevanand]

Got the car back. Rs 9336 on the bill. Thanks for your clarifications so far.
Dev

[v12]

Similar to the thread - Servicing Costs of Superbikes / Sportsbikes in India - I believe it would be a good idea to have a thread where you can share the servicing costs of your car. No doubt you would have shared this on your own thread - but it would be scattered across the forum. It would really be convenient for someone looking for servicing costs of a car if all this is available in one single thread.

This thread, as the name suggests can include ALL the cars sold in India - right from the humble Maruti to the exotic Ferrari. So go ahead - dont feel shy - whatever your servicing costs are - just update it here. Just be sure you update the full name of your car (Manufacture / Model / Variant) so it is easy to search and lookup.

Since I have started this thread, i'll take the liberty of posting the service costs of my Nov 2012 Mahindra Xylo.

Manufacturer : Mahindra
Model : Xylo
Variant : E4
Year : Nov 2012
Service Interval as per manufacturer (kms/year) : 5000kms / 6 months
Link to Ownership Thread : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...15000-kms.html

1st Service Cost : Rs. 1932/- (1st Free Service)

Odometer Reading : ~5000 kms
Breakup : Attached below
Name / Address of the Service Center : Mahindra NBS Service Center, Sewri.
Other comments / Expenses Incurred :

2nd Service Cost : Rs. 1437/- (2nd Free Service)

Odometer Reading : 8325 kms
Breakup : Attached below
Name / Address of the Service Center : Mahindra NBS Service Center, Sewri.
Other comments / Expenses Incurred

3rd Service Cost : Rs. 3493/- (3rd Free Service)

Odometer Reading : ~12000 kms
Breakup :

Fuel filter replacement - Rs 1324 /-
Oil filter replacement - Rs 164 /-
Engine oil change (Maximilefeo) - Rs 1541 /-
Copper Washer - Rs 40 /-
Windscreen wash - Rs 36 /-
VAT @ 12.5% - Rs 388

Name / Address of the Service Center : Mahindra NBS Service Center, Sewri.
Other comments / Expenses Incurred :

Am attaching the format that you can use to copy-paste onto your post.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer :
Model :
Variant
Year :
Service Interval as per manufacturer (kms/year) :
Link to Ownership Thread :

1st Service Cost : Rs.
Odometer Reading :
Breakup :
Name / Address of the Service Center :
Other comments / Expenses Incurred :

2nd Service Cost : Rs.
Odometer Reading :
Breakup :
Name / Address of the Service Center :
Other comments / Expenses Incurred

3rd Service Cost : Rs.
Odometer Reading :
Breakup :
Name / Address of the Service Center :
Other comments / Expenses Incurred :

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ownerofazkaban]

Figo D - 80,000 kms -- 9600/- including VAS (3M interior cleaning 1700)

[bhaskar.guru]

Hi all,

We all have cars and one of the most important factors in buying a car is the ASS(After Sales Services) from the brand, which is its coverage of the country and the economic viability of the same.

I have a Nano and I am happy with the Tata ASS which has a decent coverage and I feel that the rates there are also economical.

Obviously I've heard that the Maruti ASS is the best with its widest coverage in the country and decent enough pricing.

I've also heard from a lot of people that brands like Ford and Hyundai are costly in terms of the service and spare parts cost.

Fiat has been having issues for a long time.

I would love to hear your thoughts as it might be helpful for a lot of people in making up their mind in terms of buying a new car and the ASS aspect of it.

[findviru]

Thanks bhaskar.guru for starting this thread. I own an Alto and do servicing at Maruti ASS. People think it is economical but I dont think as service costs at Maruti are rising. Service advisers are also pushing for non value added services all the time. I have to deny them without having an argument. A lot depends on individual service center and type of practices they follow.

[sam_sant2005]

This is what I feel after owning a Maruti 800 5 Speed, Esteem, Swift, Fiesta and now Ertiga in the past 16 yrs:-

1) Maruti service was damn cheap, but not anymore. Ertiga Diesel goes for 20k/40k kms service at anything above 12-14k in Bangalore. Fiesta Classic Diesel was around about 9-10k only.

2) Ford was notorious in the past, but after launching Figo and Classic Fiesta they have identified the need for cheaper service. They even go to the extent of comparing their spare parts prices with that of Maruti and claim to be cheaper there too.

3) Hyundai definitely was costly and is still costly. But still I believe is lower than Skoda/VW. Maruti is almost catching up to Hyundai now in terms of costs. Hyundai service is generally accepted as good.

4) Service network, 100% it is Maruti all the way. I have always had top notch service experience from all service centres of Maruti (Kerala, TN and KA). And service quality I heard Toyota is the best.

5) Toyota's vehicles are too good that part failures are lower and hence their vehicles come out of service cheap. However when it comes to changing parts Toyota may be as costly or more as Honda. For eg a roof antenna for Qualis used to cost 600rs against the same for 1st gen Innova at 1600rs. I know this because I broke a roof antenna once of a rented innova !

6) Again there are huge differences in pricing between brands. For example Maruti changes clutch assembly of Ertiga for under 10k but the same costs above 30k for Verna. Recently my friend using Verna was asked to change his clutch assembly at 30k kms when he found the clutch too hard and they quoted this price. He then went to a local known mechanic and he said there is no need to change the assembly, instead it was an issue with a 'master cylinder' (not exactly the right term but a small device which stands on top of the clutch assembly), and believe it or not he changed it for under 1500rs in Kerala and clutch was back to normal. Service centers are just unimaginably terrifying with all these.

7) Most service centers have instructed their technicians to charge some percentage of the bill in spare parts replacement. Most cases they cite brake pads change which most people agree to, looking at the risk parts if indeed is bad. They do work based on targets. Keep this in mind when you visit the service center next time and bargain well for each and EVERYTHING and upfront ask them not to change or add anything without our permission, be it windscreen washer fluid or perfume.

8) Skoda and VW I had mixed views. My friend says he spends under 10k per service for his Diesel Vento however another friend told me a person serviced a Rapid at 20000kms for a whopping 40000rs. Not sure how much it is true though and whether anything was changed.

9) Lastly I feel all brands also look at the customers before fabricating a bill. When i serviced my M800 (I sold last year) they charged me 3500rs but I know they were gentle to me. But when I go with Ertiga Zdi, they see me as a rich Customer. I think same applies for Ldi customer vs Zdi. Just my feeling though. So I am sure a Vento/Verna customer would be treated by their service center as 'rich' and hence a much higher bill than usual.

Bottomline is that Maruti is always peace of mind, however now they have started milking customers even in service which previously Premium brands did to customers (read as Ford for say Escort, Ikon etc). However for any first time car owners I still suggest a Maruti vehicle.

[Aroy]

I find Maruti Authorised Service Centres; not dealer workshops; the cheapest. The one I go to is in a petrol pump, but run by Maruti trained personnel and monitored regularly. At one time it even had a Japanese in charge of the service. They follow all the MUL directives and have the schedules and price list for most jobs displayed. The dealer service centres are different, as I believe they have a target and try to add extra non essential jobs to the service.

Honda used to be reasonable, but recently their quality of service and attention to details; at least in Delhi; has deteriorated. Every time we send the City, we have to attach a list of what we want and what not. Further we have to check against the list and do a thorough inspection to check if every thing was done.

I have never owed Hyundai, but from what my friends say, their service charges are rising monotonically and so are the cost of spares.

On the whole Maruti (and now I believe Ford) are the least expensive to maintain, as the service costs are reasonable and spares available easily at reasonable rates.

As far as the German brands go, the service costs are astronomical compared to Japanese brands. Where a brake pad will last 50K+ km and the disks at least 100K km, the German cars recommend change every 20K km, and I read of the disks going bad within 40K km. Even the injectors of German brands fail much earlier, 20-30K km being fairly common, and they are more expensive than those used in Japanese cars.

[shadows123]

My Honda Jazz 20K service cost me around 7800Rs including Wheel Balancing which they recommend on a yearly basis and AC Blower/Disinfectant cleaning.

Although i did replace battery and brake pad at 6 months(5000Kms later) later at a cost of around 8000Rs after this service. They did show me the worn out brake pad but guess 25K kms is all it is now a days??..But overall i do find Honda's service costs reasonable when reading about say Hyundai or the German's service costs.