[arjab]

Originally Posted by hillram

Can i fit 13" tyres on my 2002 Omni? Currently it is running on 12".

Me and my friend had tried on our 1995 Omni Flat roof(now sold off). Our's was the carburettored version with drum brakes all around.

Then the erstwhile 13-inch Zen rims were a bolt on fit. Tyres used were MRF ZVTS (i guess those tyres are now called MRF ZVTV), 145/70-13 tube type. (original Zen size). These Maruti Van's if you recall came with the old rear leaf spring configuration with two main leaves and a "helper"-leaf at the bottom.

Some of the things that were observed:

1. Straight line stability definitely improved and the "Maruti Van" felt much better to ride especially on highways.

2. Steering weighed up more due to the bigger wheels and tyres. Discomfort was felt during in low speed city driving conditions.

3. As effective wheel travel / articulation had reduced, under fully loaded conditions, with 5 people on board, the "Van"'s front wheels used to scrape when going a bit fast over undulations. Steering also felt very heavy under full load. Under full steering lock conditions there was no problem however.

4. Speedo / Odo reading went off by as much as 15-20%.

5. Another problem we had observed: When climbing hills, because the overall gearing had altered, the "Van" distinctly felt less peppy and laboured on inclines. Felt short of breath. We were studying in Darjeeling in West Bengal during that time and regularly used to drive around in the mountains regularly.

As such we decided to ditch the 13 - inchers and reverted to the stock 12-inch wheels to bring things back on an even keel.

Just thought of sharing these with you, in case its of any use.

Cheers and drive safe !

[Moto$apien]

32 Years On!



35bhp, 12"wheels, 4 gear transmission, negative safety rating .. still beats the pants off the competition in the UV segment! OMG Yeh Mera India

[Leoshashi]

Original Omni aka Maruti Van brochure

[anky]

I've always wondered why maruti never equipped it with an Ac.

Could anyone care the shed light on this , if possible .

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by anky

I've always wondered why maruti never equipped it with an Ac.

Could anyone care the shed light on this , if possible .

This issue has been discussed before. There was an AC version of the OMNI which was discontinued later. Though I am not sure of the reason for the same since I was not even born then, technically, I can think of this - The cabin volume of the Omni is quite big, beating compact sedans. This will require the AC to be designed for a high capacity which will sap power from the engine. The Alto 800 itself struggles with AC and it's AC is no chiller. The Omni engine couldn't have powered the car and it's AC at the same time

The AC version of the OMNI had a sliding partition behind the rear seat to isolate the boot and reduce cabin volume, but that would have just made a little improvement. Another aspect is that since the engine is under the driver seat, there is some amount of heat transferred to the cabin, which will make things worse.

[sudev]

I owned one A/C Omini with passenger seats. It could accommodate 9 people. Long distance it could cool enough to make journey pleasant. It was also used as taxi in Delhi at least.

[scorpian]

I have a 1987 model suzuki van, all parts intact and running great.Only issue i used to face is the points and condenser used to wear out if the PMP and some other brand were used. This was later solved when a friend of my dad bought some toyota points from dubai for his van and gave us like a whole set of ten points, i still have about four of them.
Another family friend of ours has the ac version van, it used to cool reasonably well with tinted glasses and would do a great run on the pune nashik highway.
He never added any plastic sheet to isolate the rear dicky portion and yet on one of our travels while i sat in the dicky it was pleasant.
I still believe the earlier quality was top notch with zero issues.

[SS80]

I've purchased a brand new Omni 8 seater in Feb 2019 & have covered just over a 1100kms on it till now. The purpose of its purchase is from utility point of view & of course in city drives. I did take it out to Shoolagiri (180kms to & fro - NH) a few weeks back and also to Kolar (130kms to & fro - again NH). I have upgraded the stock wheels to the 13" esteem rims with 165/xxR13 Bridgestone tubeless for better drivability on those occasional highway runs. So far it feels good & here are some points I observed in my Omni when compared to other ones. One of my friend owns a 2006 8 seater Omni & my comparison is with that model of the Van.

2019 - Pros
1. MPI ignition - no old school cylindrical ignition coil here. Each spark plug is connected to its own tiny black coil like in any other new Maruti car.
2. Front wheels come with Booster assisted Disc & rear drum - this has been retained (thank god)
3. My 8 seater can be converted to a five seater & vice versa as those mounting points are all default for all white board Omni's. So you can remove the backside facing seats & move the last row towards the middle of cabin & the seat belts too can be removed & fixed here.
4. Blower with heater, fresh air/re-circulation - not a great feature for any other car but in a skinny built Omni, its a big welcome.
5. Overall responsiveness of engine is good. Quite peppy and thanks to the 4-speed drive train which means lesser shifting.
6. The ride gets better with the load you carry. The empty vehicle is a bit bouncy when compared to loaded with 500kgs/ 5people. When loaded the suspension just soaks most of the pot holes & smaller bumps.
7. Haven't faced any issue with ANY POT HOLE/ ROAD HUMP. Even the most crude & unscientifically built ones did'nt touch the under body.
8. For many reasons when it comes to moving wide variety of stuffs/occasional city rides with 8 adults, nothing can replace an Omni.
9. Maintenance has not changed much since its inception.

Now comes the CONS:
1. Build quality is worse than before. A 2006 Omni feels better than 2019 ones. Every single sheet metal used in the van feels lighter than before.
2. Absolute lack of active & passive safety elements:
> No Crumple Zone
> The only thing between the riders ankle & the outside element is a sheet metal that is probably 30% of the thickness of a 1rupee coin.
> Stock tyres are sick, bouncy, absolute lack of grip.
> Although old, the engine + GB combination of Omni makes it one of the quickest & may be even fastest small Utility vehicle out there. Note: Omni can do 120kmph & if you are loaded right & right set of tyres, it can keep hooked to that speed for a long stretch. It is this very ability to do triple digit speeds & pathetic build that's making it unsafe.



I am quite happy with my Van. It meets my purposes & requirements. Honestly looking at most of the new Baleno & Ciaz accidents, I dont think Omni deserves the amount of bashing it gets. At least it does not promise to be safe & then be otherwise.

Mod note: Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission for commas, apostrophes, spacing etc.

[doxinboy]

Originally Posted by SS80

> No Crumple Zone
> The only thing between the riders ankle & the outside element is a sheet metal that is probably 30% of the thickness of a 1 rupee coin.

Always good to see such knowledgeable posts. You explained everything that had to be said. I do have quite a fascination for old 800, Omni and TVs XL. The people who normally buy this van rarely have this kind of knowledge, that is the reason why I keep myself a mile away from an Omni. The moment I see one approaching me menacingly on the IRVM, click goes my indicators.

There should be a speed limiter of 60 kmph or else it becomes too dangerous on a highway that is becoming efficient, fast and filled with idiots. As a city commute, there are no other vehicles that can give enough dough at this price point. Drive safe mate.

[simplyself]

Omni is a very good city run about. I even thought of buying one before it was discontinued but couldn't.

For a city mover, it's very practical. For highway runs, stick to the left lane and turn a blind eye to the vehicles who overtake it ( all 4 wheelers and quite a few 2 wheelers).

I owned one, a 2011 MPFI 8 seater one, bought in October, 2011. Used it extensively for 2 years and a quarter, clocked nearly 2.4 lakh kilometers. The first time I entered the vehicle, I hit my head on the roof ledge, started it and drove gingerly. Driving position is good, what with high placed seats and no bonnet in front.

It took time to get used to brakes. Having come from driving Bolero and Indica, I was more than a bit wary
My first run on highway took me around 4 hours to reach destination where it would normally take two and a half hours. But once it entered city, one had all the freedom to throw it around, fitting into spaces where I wouldn't dreamt of of other cars.

Ride was only a tad better than a tractor. Even a small hump would throw it around. On highways, a big, faster vehicle like Volvo bus would shake it like any thing. There was no intermittent wiper. Clutch plate gave away by 30,000 km, parabolic leaf springs were replaced twice.


I sold it off in January, 2014.

With all its faults and lack of quality, it is still is a good city slicker.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by imperial.s.a

this is not the only van with sliding roof , quite a few vans in bangalore . guys be precise before you reply my posting. see the difference between the sliding door and the sliding roof as you guys mentioned

Originally Posted by harit

To the best of my knowledge, this sliding roof was never Maruti factory fitted. In my opinion, after market or dealer accessory.
Please check, I am sure about this.

Cheers harit

Originally Posted by kannan666

+1, I too was quite surprised to see the sliding roof pics since till date, I've never seen or heard about one being factory fitted for the Maruti Van ! Maybe this was an after market fitting ?

Originally Posted by imperial.s.a

the photograph posted is taken delivery from mandovi motors bangalore with the sliding roof OE from maruti udyog . to my knowledge there are quiet a few similar vans in bangalore.its not after market or an accessory.

Originally Posted by ajay99

yes guys, it would be better if maruti van lovers start a separate thread for that.
by the way with harit,kannan, JayD that there was no sliding roof for any MARUTI VAN that came as OE.maybe MANDOVI motors must have given it as a dealer option.also to the best of my knowledge there is no such van anywhere in southern kerala.

Originally Posted by v12

The sliding roof could have been factory fitted on request by MUL, but it definitely was not available as an additional accessory or a standard fitment.

Originally Posted by imperial.s.a

the roof is not after market the condition is because the coast this particular van is painted six or seven times totally about 48 sliding roof vans were delivered by maruti udyog guys prove this is after market will be rewarded

Originally Posted by Mpower

The picture you have posted is not even a sliding roof, but a large juggad sunroof with no seals and an external guide.

Guys, replying to a decade old post. But couldn't help sharing this info.


Looks like the Suzuki Carry STV90, which is basically a pre-facelift kinda model of our Omni a.k.a Suzuki Carry STV41, really did have a sliding metal roof as seen in this period Japanese advert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzrj_HaN4QM

[Bibendum90949]

I just stumbled upon this thread while refreshing the 'new posts' tab. Didn't know such a thread existed. Just want to share with Omni lovers - my experience and stint with Omni

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4793526 (Beater Cars: The unsung heroes! And advantages of owning one)

[david.deepak993]

Hi all,

I own a Maruti Omni E which my father bought in 2010 for our business purposes and after a while when we started growing we bought into semis/trucks and we started using those. The omni became just our back up. For the past 2-3 years it has just been idling at our parking space. During this lockdown I got into an accident with my grand i10 and even though I suffered little to no damage I cannot say the same about the car. I had to claim a total loss and I used the claim amount to pay off the loan I had burrowed to buy the car in the first place.

Now enter... The Omni.

I needed a daily commuter to my work place and I had no other option but to take the omni and give it a try as I was not able to afford a new one any time soon. So I asked my dad for the omni and he happily gave me the keys. It has been running fine ever since. It hasn't skipped a beat. It does not seem like that car was made to stand idle for the past couple of years. Initially, I started driving the Omni only as a temporary vehicle i.e a vehicle I'm using until I get my next one but during the lockdown I slowly realised I'm not going to be able to buy a new car in the next few months atleast. So, I started looking at the car closely right after my realisation of this fact and quite frankly the car seen better days. I recently changed its entire gear box and hand brake system. Now, there are parts of the shell that is rusting away.

I'm from Chennai and am very new to cars and the passion that comes along with them. My mom bought my first car which was the i10 grand and I knew next to nothing about cars when I learned to drive it. It stayed with me for 18+ months until my car skid on gravel on my way to work this past June/2020 and hit a barrier on the road. Ever since then, in my journey to find a new car to realising I couldn't afford a new one now to driving an omni I have grown to really care for this old OMNI which is the only reason I'm able to go to work now as I am someone who does not know how to drive anything that comes with two wheels (no, not even a cycle).

I would love to restore this omni to its better days.

If anyone here knows a place in chennai where they remove rust and can do a repaint and refurbish the interiors please let me know. That would be a huge help. I've tried to find places of my own but then I remembered I could ask for help here at team-bhp.

Car model : OMNI E (2010) 3rd gen model
City : chennai
Objective : in search of a place that could help me restore my car

From,
A desperate old OMNI new owner
Thank you all who patiently read through my story

[Cessna182]

Originally Posted by david.deepak993

I'm from Chennai and am very new to cars and the passion that comes along with them. My mom bought my first car which was the i10 grand and I knew next to nothing about cars when I learned to drive it. It stayed with me for 18+ months until my car skid on gravel on my way to work this past June/2020 and hit a barrier on the road. Ever since then, in my journey to find a new car to realising I couldn't afford a new one now to driving an omni I have grown to really care for this old OMNI which is the only reason I'm able to go to work now as I am someone who does not know how to drive anything that comes with two wheels (no, not even a cycle).

You can try the shops listed on the gomechanic website or app. The pricing is transparent. However it may be cheaper to buy the body panels from a scrap yard and get them fixed somewhere if possible because Omni panels are easily available in most scrap yards.

Off topic suggestion- sell the Omni and buy something like a Nano or old Alto or even a Santro with that money. The Omni is a coffin on wheels because you are the crumple zone in case of a collision. However the car is in good demand in the used market and you can easily get a good old hatchback for the money.

[david.deepak993]

First and foremost,
Thank you sir @Cessna182 for taking the time to read and reply to my long call for help.

I have currently started to look into gomechanic app as you've suggested. Thank you for that too.

Yes sir, the OMNI does not feel safe one bit as it leaves the driver exposed on the front but as I am someone who travels around 50kms per day for my work in roads loaded with vehicles all the time my speed rarely crossed 40kmph. So, even though the car is in no way safe, my travelling conditions make it a little tolerable. I've also grown to get used to its quick-footedness and agility amidst the city's traffic.

Moreover, selling the car is not an option for me as my father wants to keep it for the years to come. Atleast as long as the OMNI would like to run. So, that is why I want to refurbish and repair her before I return to him. Just to thank him for giving it to me at a time I needed it most and quite frankly, still need.