[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

How is GG doing shashi? Any updates regarding the car?

Yes lots of them, in fact I have some more than 150 pics to share, so may be I'll have to make 4-5 posts to share with you all. Life has been busy these days, so was unable to post the updates when they happened. Thank you for reminding me!

************************************************** ***********

1. Reverse Parking Sensors: Thanks to BHPian BlowHornOk who needed these sensors in his Aspire, I liked the simplicity of the system so much that I ended up getting one for GG also. Call it coincidence but actually BHPian BlowHornOk had once saved me from banging into a thin metal strip which was completely out of my sight.

It's simple 4 sensor plus controller system. I had some issue in getting the wires inside the car, but eventually managed it through a rubber cap.

The package:









Contents:



The Drill attachment:



Sensor:



Coupler Mechanism:



The sensors are numbered:



The control unit. The display connector remains empty in my case



This is how I have passed the cables through the floor cap. A tiny hole was made, passed the cable through that wire protector so that the setup becomes water tight after rubber sealant is used.



Re-arranging the wires properly behind the bumper:



BHPian BlowHornOk with his immaculately maintained Aspire. See that green tape? It was to mark the location of the sensors in his car before drilling. We BHPians can start DIYs anywhere!



2. Finally got my own Man's Cave: DBHPian Jeroen's personal work area is any petrolhead's dream, and I had a decent space for my tools and spares collection. But it was ill managed, and very dirty. So around Vishwakarma Puja, I managed to procure some steel racks, cleaned up the area and made it decent looking. Hope you all like it:

The pathetic arrangement I had earlier.



Cleaning the floor. This is another example of my childhood stupidity. When our house was being constructed, I wanted Marble flooring for my baby(GG). Dad refused it, and rightly so. In my own fit, I was determined to get marble flooring, no matter what! One fine day when dad was away, I collected all small cut pieces of marbles and made this floor using loads of cement. Now its a pain to clean, but mom has kept it that way, as she still finds it cute.



A Cello Plastic cupboard to keep valuables.





The area, contains all my tools and spares collection:



Old steel rims and some spare alloys:



An image of Lord Vishwakarma, for that feel!



Some lesser used spares:



Spare rear bumpers and exhausts:





Also installed large bulbs and ceiling fans around the work area



3. Sunblind: I tried to use one of those magnetic sunblinds which are commonly available online. While the material quality was top notch, I decided to return it because of some flaws:

a. They had the potential of gifting scratches to the metal part of doors where they stick.

b. 800 has lock/unlock knob on the top part of the door, and these were hindering its movement.

c. The zipper used to rattle a lot, which got my goat.



So a thumbs down from my side.

4. Coolant Change: My last coolant change was in 2017, and Maruti recommends to change it every two years. Also this time they had a notice that all petrol engines made after the year 2000(basically all MPFI ones) have to switch to Yellow Coolant, while the green one will be used by diesels and pre 2000 cars. So got the Yellow Coolant and changed it at home. Had to remove the thermostat and flush with running water and pressurised air so that the old green coolant doesn't remain inside.





5. Genuine SGP Switch: During my wiper upgrade, I had used Zen's rear wash/wipe Switch sent by BHPian ChiranjitP from Guwahati. However it didn't sit as flush as I'd have liked it to be. So during my regular searches, got image of the part which Japanese Alto uses. Thankfully it was also used by 1997 Vitara and was listed on Ebay UK. DBHPian Blackpearl very sweetly got me the part, but unfortunately it was dead.

However that part gave me an idea that it will sit absolutely flush. So contacted my friend in Japan and he got me the authentic part.





Hope you all liked it.

Regards,
Shashi

[Captain Slow]

Nice! whats the difference between the Green and Yellow Coolants? :P

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Nice! whats the difference between the Green and Yellow Coolants? :P

Only Maruti and its engineers can answer this. If memory serves me right, there used to be a Blue color coolant as well, its discontinued now. I changed to yellow one only as per Maruti's circular(the new engines anyway use yellow coolant).

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Yes lots of them, in fact I have some more than 150 pics to share, so may be I'll have to make 4-5 posts to share with you all.

Continuing with my long pending updates. I was expecting some official trips to Bihar in December, hence wanted to fix some issues which had recently cropped up, mainly due to old age.

1. Perfecting the steering: GG was still on the original factory installed rack, except the tie rod ends which were replaced many times. Off late, there was an unusual clank sound coming from the left side whenever the car went over undulations. Initial inspection suggested that some bushes were gone and the rack needed an overhaul. I'm not a big fan of overhauling the steering because somehow I'm yet to experience a car with overhauled rack with perfect plunger setting. Often the steering becomes too tight. So I opted to change the entire rack. During BHPian Tacho9000's 800 restoration, I was impressed with Rane's rack(the other cheaper option in MGP is SONA), so opted for the same.

Since RANE's rack was a bit more expensive than SONA, it wasn't readily available. Had to wait after placing an order.





After experiencing them for over 4000 kilometers, I'll recommend them blindly for any M800. The entire steering "feel" is different with RANE.

2. Got the TPMS working again: I had installed TPMS in my steel rims, and after changing to alloys, my 800 was left without TPMS. Maruti doesn't sell Schrader service kits in India, and they wanted me to change the entire sensor, which was installed a few days back. BHPian WasavaTyres from Indore came to the rescue and sent me 4 service kits which included new valves and screws. Thanks a lot Boss!



3. Wheel Balancing Episode: After installing the TPMS sensors, the wheels definitely needed a Balance. I wasn't happy with the cheap weights which aftermarket shops use. The adhesive is so pathetic that I lost them before I could reach home. Hence decided to get MGP weights this time. However neither my MGP store nor Boodmo could source it in time, so decided to go to NEXA Service who had them in stock.

I had high expectations from NEXA service, M/s Premsons Motor but they had some antique equipment which was unable to balance my rim(which doesn't get a lip on the outer side). The mechanic tried to place the weights from inside near the spoke but that plan backfired as the weights started hitting the caliper(blame it on the tiny 12 inch rims). The SA Mr. Gaurav was very genuine and got me the entire bill refunded.





After a couple of days, I contacted their GM, who happens to be my high school senior. When I told him the entire episode, he instructed them to sell me the weights over the counter, and that's actually what I needed. My regular aftermarket wheel store has a much better Balancing equipment, its just their weights which suck. So now I had the best of both worlds.





Also got the AC checked, and it was working flawlessly. Recorded a grill temperature of 3 degrees before the compressor disengaged!



4. Headlights: My headlights were too low and I wanted to test and adjust them as per recommended specs. The result:

OFF



LOW



HIGH



I drove around 2000 kilometers in night and was absolutely happy with the visibility. LOW beam was good enough for all practical purposes while HIGH was used to knock some senses into High Beamers.

5. GG covered almost 4000 kilometers in October: In three different trips, two official and one personal, GG covered close to 4000kms in October alone. The December trip got preponed to October.

Trip1 : RANCHI-KODERMA-BARHI-AURANGABAD-DEHRI ON SONE- ARA- PATNA- CHAPRA-HAJIPUR-PATNA-MUZAFFARPUR-PATNA-MUZAFFARPUR-PATNA-BAKHTIYARPUR-NAVADA-RANCHI

Trip2 : RANCHI-BOKARO-RANCHI

Trip3: RANCHI-MAITHON-RANCHI

While the roads in Bihar were absolutely pathetic after the floods, GG still managed to perform flawlessly. The average mileage recorded was close to 22kmpl, the highest being close to 30kmpl while the lowest was 16kmpl when I got stuck in a bad traffic and could cover just 230kms in 10 hours.

The best time of my trip: When I leave early to beat the hustle-bustle of the cities


It was 6AM and I had already covered quite some distance:



In Koderma Valley King of the road!



Love the greenery of Jharkhand:



Condition of some roads in Bihar, I felt like a dust machine:



GG resting in hotel parking:



View! There was a yard just behind my hotel:



Somewhere on Patna-Bakhtiyarpur Expressway



I didn't stop here for long as it was not a proper place to park.



Somewhere after Navada:



Had to turn on the fogs due to dusty conditions. I wasn't able to view anything on my IRVM so the situation would be equally pathetic for others:



I had stopped for some stretching when these sweet souls came near me. Had some food which would anyway go waste, so allowed them to feast on it. The roads were deserted at around 3AM, about 100 kms from Ranchi:



Condition of GG the next day:









The only thing sad about this trip was that I was in Muzaffarpur twice, but couldn't meet DBHPian Bonecollector due to my uncertain and tight schedule. There's always a next time, I hope!

Regards,
Shashi

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Finally got my own Man's Cave: DBHPian Jeroen's personal work area is any petrolhead's dream, and I had a decent space for my tools and spares collection. But it was ill managed, and very dirty. So around Vishwakarma Puja, I managed to procure some steel racks, cleaned up the area and made it decent looking. Hope you all like it:

Firstly GG is looking good as ever, doesn't look even a bit like a car that's nearing the 20 year mark. She of course doesn't look like any other Maruti 800 on our roads, with export model things like rear wash & wipe, defogger, rear fog light. I believe there is bit of increase in electrical load now after all these upgrades, have you given a thought about upgrading the stock alternator or is it sufficient?

I am seriously jealous with your current personal work area, it looks so good. I am trying to console myself by reminding that my DIY skills are nowhere as good as yours (remember the PCV valve incidents? ), & more importantly I run of patience very fast.

Coolant Change: Also this time they had a notice that all petrol engines made after the year 2000(basically all MPFI ones) have to switch to Yellow Coolant, while the green one will be used by diesels and pre 2000 cars.

Earlier this year I fitted a new radiator in the Omni & poured new coolant as well. My FNG put this Golden coolant in the Omni, now as you know my Omni is pre 2000 & has a carburetor engine. Will continuing with the Golden coolant cause any problem in the long run? Should I get it changed to Green coolant? With the golden coolant the car isn't overheating a bit, even when stuck in heavy traffic for long hours.

Here is a photo of the coolant used by my FNG:

[Blow Horn Ok]

For sure you have put soul in gg and it's alive. No matter what, I for sure can't even imagine the care/upgrades you give to the car and the distance you go to achieve the same.

Whenever we meet time just flies just talking about gg and me gazing at the shining engine bay

Keep it up. Keep it alive.

[BoneCollector]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

While the roads in Bihar were absolutely pathetic after the floods, GG still managed to perform flawlessly. The average mileage recorded was close to 22kmpl, the highest being close to 30kmpl while the lowest was 16kmpl when I got stuck in a bad traffic and could cover just 230kms in 10 hours.

That's stupendous mileage from your GG! The tiny 800cc MPFI with 5 gears was a wonderful car, you won't find the same charm in an Alto or any other car. Even my Brezza isn't so efficient.

The only thing sad about this trip was that I was in Muzaffarpur twice, but couldn't meet DBHPian Bonecollector due to my uncertain and tight schedule. There's always a next time, I hope!

Regards,
Shashi

Definitely. There's always a next time.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Firstly GG is looking good as ever, doesn't look even a bit like a car that's nearing the 20 year mark.

Thanks!

She of course doesn't look like any other Maruti 800 on our roads, with export model things like rear wash & wipe, defogger, rear fog light. I believe there is bit of increase in electrical load now after all these upgrades, have you given a thought about upgrading the stock alternator or is it sufficient?

There was significant increase in electrical load, mainly due to defogger. At full load, the alternator was clearly struggling to keep the voltage above 12V. I took the following steps to fix it:

1. Overhauled the Alternator: Changed the regulator and some smaller spares. This was mainly to improve Alternator's health.

Link: Alty Overhaul (The love of my life - A 2000 Maruti 800 DX 5-Speed. EDIT: Gets export model features on Pg 27)

2. Decreasing the full load by LEDs: One main reason of switching to branded LEDs was this. Check this table and do the maths:



Currently the alternator is absolutely relaxed. No need to upgrade.

Earlier this year I fitted a new radiator in the Omni & poured new coolant as well. My FNG put this Golden coolant in the Omni, now as you know my Omni is pre 2000 & has a carburetor engine. Will continuing with the Golden coolant cause any problem in the long run? Should I get it changed to Green coolant? With the golden coolant the car isn't overheating a bit, even when stuck in heavy traffic for long hours.

The MSIL notice is very vague, and I have seen some boards where they clearly mention Yellow is for Petrol, Green is for diesel. Have a look at this:



The cooling function is handled mainly by water, the anti freeze or coolant as we usually say, is mainly to alter the boiling/freezing points. They serve another purpose of preventing corrosion inside engine.

I don't know about Omni but I did this change because the New Alto 800 with F8D comes with that coolant from factory. Since the engine remains same(CI block and Aluminium Head), I don't think it will affect the engine in any negative way. Please correct me if I missed something.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Continuing with my third and last of the pending updates.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

While the roads in Bihar were absolutely pathetic after the floods, GG still managed to perform flawlessly.

The horrible roads gifted some really nasty underbelly scrapes, despite being careful.

Scrapes:









Its a regular thing for me to wash GG comprehensively, but this time I decided to do it myself since no washing centre would dedicate that much time. It was a long weekend due to festivals and I decided to do it the best way possible.

Jacked her up, removed all 4 wheels and that gave me good access to the underbody. Used a brush and strong concentration APC and cleaned the underbelly slowly for good 3 days. The end result was fantastic and it clearly revealed the chips and scrapes.











Dried the underbelly completely using compressed air and microfiber. Left it to dry naturally for a day. Once I was sure everything was dry, used Anti Rust coating by Talbros Penray and covered every chip. Good VFM underbody coating for DIYs. Where metal was exposed, I first sprayed primer after a bit of sanding and then a liberal spray of undercoating was given.





Also took this opportunity to clean the rims with Sonax Wheel Clean:



After the entire cleaning was done, applied Meguiar's Ultimate Paste wax and its one of the better waxes I have used:







A mandatory engine bay pic :



Some random pic, this one is near a PUC centre:



Random Click at Morhabadi ground:



Random Click at Ranchi Railway station, at 3AM:



From now on, I'll try to update regularly and not accumulate any backlog. Thanks for reading!

Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Continuing with my third and last of the pending updates. From now on, I'll try to update regularly and not accumulate any backlog. Thanks for reading!

A treat to read and a treat for the eyes too. GG looking beautiful as always.

[BlackPearl]

Grasping for words after reading through the updates! You have put your heart and soul into GG. From now on I will think twice or thrice before saying that I love my cars!

[jeeva]

I am in awe by the way you take care of GG. May she serve you blissfully for a long time to come.

Loved the story about the marble flooring.
Incidentally, my first car was a Neptune blue M800 "TK". I later understood that "TK" stood for tatkal- no clue why it was called so. Had a sticker on the rear windshield which read "My baby benz". Looking back sheepishly, I think it was a silly thing to do, but I loved her to bits.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The cooling function is handled mainly by water, the anti freeze or coolant as we usually say, is mainly to alter the boiling/freezing points. They serve another purpose of preventing corrosion inside engine.

I don't know about Omni but I did this change because the New Alto 800 with F8D comes with that coolant from factory. Since the engine remains same(CI block and Aluminium Head), I don't think it will affect the engine in any negative way. Please correct me if I missed something.

There are no separate coolants for petrol and diesel engines. Any color can be used, provided the existing coolant is flushed out completely. Though the function is similar their basic ingredients are different, and if two colors are mixed, it has been known to result in gumming and clogging of the coolant passages.

[Leoshashi]

Thanks Gentlemen for all your love!

Originally Posted by jeeva

May she serve you blissfully for a long time to come.

I pray it always is the other way round.

Incidentally, my first car was a Neptune blue M800 "TK". I later understood that "TK" stood for tatkal- no clue why it was called so.

The 800 TK or Tatkal was introduced at a premium for those who needed immediate delivery and were okay with paying a little extra over the regular STD variant, which was in maximum demand and had crazy waiting periods in the early 90s. If memory serves me right, it was based on the DX variant, minus the AC unit. Everything else remained same as DX like fabric seats, doorpads, split rear seats etc.

A badge of the now rare TK variant:

Had a sticker on the rear windshield which read "My baby benz". Looking back sheepishly, I think it was a silly thing to do, but I loved her to bits.

Silly, yes, but something which we all have done. It's just a matter of time before one grows up and such childish acts look stupid. Even I used to have ZXI badge on my cycle back in 2005-06, since I was enamored of the first gen Swift back then .

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

The R2D2 Phenomena: Ever since I came in touch with DBHPian R2D2, I am amazed by the child like passion he has for cars, and specially his thought process is addictive. He is now my go to person for any advice.

1. He had mentioned long back about the Toyota Caliper grease he swears by, and I ordered it without thinking twice.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Ok, finally got my hands on the elusive and rare Toyota glycol rubber grease after a wait of about 3 weeks. The grease is pink in colour. The ASC had never heard of it and the part was ordered for me from TKM Bangalore. Makes me wonder what these guys use for brake service.

The quality of this rubber grease product can be gauged from the fact that my car's caliper pins were last lubed at the factory nearly a decade ago. Dealerships do not lube the pins during service and only check for free movement. If the pin moves freely they just move on to the next step.

Well here it is:



Planning to clean all traces of old Permatex grease, use new pins and boots with this grease.

2. RedLine 75W90 GL4 Gearoil: During one casual discussion on GL4 and GL5 oils, I asked him about the best GL4 oil in his opinion, money being no object. He recommended RedLine. Air90 Automotive is the authorised dealer in India, and I placed an order on Amazon for 3 bottles(my 800 needs 2.1L). One difference which I can notice is that there is no warmup time needed for the gearoil, the gearshifts are smooth from the word go. With the older oils, the gearshift felt notchy when the car has been sitting for long. Happy with this investment. Also my mechanic claimed that some humming noise which is there in almost all Maruti 5 speed gearboxes after some running, is significantly drowned now.

The Holy Trinity:


My Mechanic Arjun carefully pouring the precious diet:


Precision:


3. Shell Helix Ultra: I have decided to stick to this grade and oil for GG's oil changes. It's not only VFM but also a great oil. Stumbled upon a killer deal on Amazon(Cloudtail India) where they were selling it for 200 Rupees a litre. Immediately ordered before they could change the price. The oil change is still some months away, but I could't refuse such a sweet deal:





Some parting shots:





Regards,
Shashi