[sharma_sanjeevi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Yes it's the same in all Type 2 and Type 3 cars(1997 to 2014). Please refer to the link given above.

PS: Do post some pics of your 1997 beauty.

Thanks for the confirmation!! And, quick responses.

Surely, will share pictures coming Saturday.
Will do the Photo-shoot post a good wash and polish

[sharma_sanjeevi]

Uploading Stuff which I got today from nearby MGP Dealer.

I am still surprised, which Manufacturer provides such small parts for a 20-22 Year old car. Two thumbs up for Maruti

Kudos to MGP Dealer, Western Automobiles, Mulund. Their Staff is super responsive. They were joking, that Sir aap kya kar rahe ho koi yeh chote parts nahin lene aata!!

Dear Shashi,

You were correct, they are the bulbs which you quoted for Dashboard Illumination.
Now, I have to be after my mechanic to fit those. Hopefully, it is an easy task, fingers crossed.

Pics are due, was not able to take this weekend. But, will share for sure.
Thanks a Lot for your excellent responses.

regards,
Sanjeev

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by sharma_sanjeevi

I am still surprised, which Manufacturer provides such small parts for a 20-22 Year old car. Two thumbs up for Maruti

This is one of the main reasons why people trust Maruti, when most of the other brands are around.

Kudos to MGP Dealer, Western Automobiles, Mulund. Their Staff is super responsive. They were joking, that Sir aap kya kar rahe ho koi yeh chote parts nahin lene aata!!

You were correct, they are the bulbs which you quoted for Dashboard Illumination.
Now, I have to be after my mechanic to fit those. Hopefully, it is an easy task, fingers crossed.

Those tiny bulbs in my car are still factory installed, hence I cannot comment on how easy or difficult they are to replace.

Pics are due, was not able to take this weekend. But, will share for sure.

Eagerly awaiting.

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

Updates:

1. Roof Channel cleaning: This is a major rusting spot in 800s. Everyone should look beneath these plastic trims and clean it regularly. It's a major trap for dirt and debris, and being a water drain channel, it's prone to getting rusted.

Thankfully, while it was extremely dusty underneath, it had zero rust. Cleaned it thoroughly, waxed the area and installed the trims back.



2. Engine oil change: The Liqui Moly Molygen had run close to 8000 kms since the last oil change in September 2017. But weirdly, it had become dark. None of the oils earlier turned this black so early. This oil also changed color the fastest. It had started to turn brownish in just 500kms. Maybe it had more of those detergents than regular oils which cleaned the engine.

Molygen or any Liqui Moly oil wasn't available. Luckily I had Motul 5W40 which I had purchased for BHPian Tacho9000s M800. Decided to change the oil myself(which proved to be a boon later).

After coming from work, I immediately drained the oil. Since it was late at night, I decided to leave the drain plug open overnight. Most of the oil got drained and the tappets in the morning was almost dry. When I went to close the drain plug, saw a greasy trail trying to come out from the hole. I didn't click a picture, but it was something like this:



I was horrified at the sight. Decided to open up the sump myself. No pictures, as I was working alone most of the time and my hands were dirty.
The sump had some amount of sludge, and some was stuck on the strainer. It was very minor for an 18 year old car with more than 3.2 lac kms on the odo. Cleaned them all thoroughly, packed the sump, torqued down the bolts to the recommended torque of 12Nm. Also torqued down the drain bolt to 50Nm. Poured the engine oil, let it sit for a couple of hours, checked the level on the dipstick and then cranked the engine.

Happy to report that even after driving the car for more than 600kms post oil change, the fresh oil is still transparent. I guess it was getting adulterated due to the crap collected in the sump. DIY oil change proved to be a blessing in disguise as the overnight draining made that sludge come out.











3. New Products by MSIL: I was badly searching for Butyl Tape, as the vapour barrier aka the plastic sheet behind the doorpads was starting to deteriorate. Thankfully, Maruti launched this just in time.





Also picked up some Hinge Relief Wax, as driver side door used to creak mildly when accelerating or braking. Used this as instructed, and happy to report that all the abnormal noise has vanished. 5 Stars for this product.











Since I have faced Rodent's menace in the past, I always wanted to try some product to repel rats from a respected manufacturer. Luckily 3M came with a product at the right time, and I have applied it in and around the engine bay, wheel arch and cowl. It doesn't smell even when the engine is hot. Hope it works as advertised.







Signing off with some recent clicks of the Goose:











Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

@Leoshashi, that blob of sludge is one heck of a small amount of sludge for a car as old as GG. Don't worry about it. The better the engine oil the lesser the sludge formation. Synthetics offer lower sludge formation as one of the major advantages over mineral lubes. The engine is in good hands with Motul X-cess 5W-40 although Maruti cars of that generation (90s and early 2Ks) normally used 15W-40 or 20W-50 IIRC. The cold start viscosity may be too low. Do check how it sounds when it is cold. But once at operating temps it would be perfect. BTW how come you shifted from LM Molygen to Motul?

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

3. New Products by MSIL: I was badly searching for Butyl Tape, as the vapour barrier aka the plastic sheet behind the doorpads was starting to deteriorate. Thankfully, Maruti launched this just in time.

Can you share the pictures of it opened? Don't ask how, but one of the doors of my car is missing that plastic sheet which is put on the inside edge, before the door panels are fixed. I'm guessing it was removed either during anti rust install or when my rear left door was replaced.

Will try to source it from my local MGP outlet this weekend.

Thanks for sharing!

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by R2D2

@Leoshashi, that blob of sludge is one heck of a small amount of sludge for a car as old as GG. Don't worry about it. The better the engine oil the lesser the sludge formation. Synthetics offer lower sludge formation as one of the major advantages over mineral lubes.

My car was on Mineral Lubes(all MGO, mostly Servo ) till December 2015. However we always changed the oil religiously within 5k kms. The only period when my car was not cared for was the 2005 to 2007 span, when GG was lying almost abandoned when we were building our present house. Even then, dad had taken care to put fresh oil before the idle period began. I guess this is what caused the sludge formation. Also Servo MGO is no good in preventing sludge.

The engine is in good hands with Motul X-cess 5W-40 although Maruti cars of that generation (90s and early 2Ks) normally used 15W-40 or 20W-50 IIRC. The cold start viscosity may be too low. Do check how it sounds when it is cold. But once at operating temps it would be perfect.

It sounds absolutely perfect during cold starts. I have seen her starting on 20W40 all these years, 10W40 Magnatec for some time, and 5W40 Liqui Moly since 2016 November. Apart from a minor oil seal leak after shifting to Fully Synth, I've had no issues with this grade at all. Infact Maruti recommends a range for this car starting from 5W30 till 20W50(depending on Ambient temperature and climate).



Our city Ranchi sees temperatures ranging from 0 degrees to 40, average being around 25 most of the time, hence I thought 5W40 to be the optimum oil for my kind of requirement and GG is loving the Fully Synthetic experience. Best part: Drive her 5000kms or 12000(that's the max I have stretched between oil changes on Liqui Moly 5W40), she doesn't need any topup. I have never topped her engine oil ever in all these 18 years, and I guess it speaks volumes about the engine's health.

BTW how come you shifted from LM Molygen to Motul?

A friend who was earlier the distributor of LM recently gave up his distributorship. So no more cheap oils in bulk. Secondly, I needed to change the oil suddenly as I had to do a round trip of around 600kms, and I didn't wish to do it with black oil(even though it had run less). I had Motul with me since BHPian Tacho9000s 800 is at my place for restoration, and I had purchased it for him. Thirdly, BHPian Sidindica who had used both Liqui Moly and Motul, was of the opinion that the engine feels much smoother and I wished to try it out. I will now stick to Motul for all my future oil changes.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Can you share the pictures of it opened? Don't ask how, but one of the doors of my car is missing that plastic sheet which is put on the inside edge, before the door panels are fixed. I'm guessing it was removed either during anti rust install or when my rear left door was replaced.

Will try to source it from my local MGP outlet this weekend.

Thanks for sharing!

I think you lost it when the rear door was replaced. No one bothers to replace these things.

I'll send you a picture of the roll ASAP. BTW which car is it??

Regards,
Shashi

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

I'll send you a picture of the roll ASAP. BTW which car is it??

No hurry Shashi, its for my Punto Abarth. I was unable to find anything to replace it with and most folks I asked found it very odd that I am asking about such a trivial part.

I'm hoping this MGA one should be generic in nature, which I can roughly DIY it on my car.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

No hurry Shashi, its for my Punto Abarth. I was unable to find anything to replace it with and most folks I asked found it very odd that I am asking about such a trivial part.

I'm hoping this MGA one should be generic in nature, which I can roughly DIY it on my car.

Yes it's generic. I hope Fiat gets you the required pre cut transparent sheets. If not, I have seen somewhere in MSIL database that there is a transparent sheet roll which can be cut as required. Do let me know if you need any help there.

Meanwhile, these are the pics I got for you:









Regards,
Shashi

EDIT: These are the part numbers for those seals(precut transparent sheets) in Fiat. I hope FASS gets it for you.

[W.A.G.7]

Oh man! This is an awesome thread on the Maruti 800. I simply love the way you have nurtured this small car. It looks absolutely smashing with that wiper and rear lamp! I believe yours must be the cleanest restored Maruti 800 out there. All the examples I see now on the road are very worn down and in not so good shape.

It brings back memories of our Maruti 800, which was with us only for 4 years from 1997 to 2001.This thread makes me feel, I should trace it back now and buy it again!

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Oh man! This is an awesome thread on the Maruti 800. I simply love the way you have nurtured this small car. It looks absolutely smashing with that wiper and rear lamp!

Thanks

I believe yours must be the cleanest restored Maruti 800 out there. All the examples I see now on the road are very worn down and in not so good shape.

This is the best part: She has never been restored and I hope she never needs any restoration. Apart from the hood, all panels wear original paint.

Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

My car was on Mineral Lubes(all MGO, mostly Servo) till December 2015. However we always changed the oil religiously within 5k kms. The only period when my car was not cared for was the 2005 to 2007 span, when GG was lying almost abandoned when we were building our present house. Even then, dad had taken care to put fresh oil before the idle period began. I guess this is what caused the sludge formation. Also Servo MGO is no good in preventing sludge.

UGH! Servo is 2nd/3rd grade oil suitable only for classic vehicles. I've avoided it since the 1980s. Poor GG. The only reason Maruti and many other car or bike manufacturers used it was to keep the Govt. happy back in the days of the License Raj.

BTW idle engines dont suffer from sludge which forms when oil burns under high temperatures. That's why you see plenty of sludge in seized engines. Although it is possible years of using Servo engine oils (UGH again) and using the car in stop and go traffic may have caused sludge formation. But not to worry, that Motul will make the engine clean as a whistle as do all synthetics. That seal failure is a typical symptom of some cars shifting from mineral to synthetics. These switches don't affect modern oil seals.

It sounds absolutely perfect during cold starts. Infact Maruti recommends a range for this car starting from 5W30 till 20W50(depending on Ambient temperature and climate).

Given the chart 5W-40 or 10W-40 (semi synthetic, like Shell Helix HX7) should hit the sweet spot for the engine. Synthetic it is since I assume money is no object when it comes to GG. Shell Helix Ultra is another great choice but I think Motul X-Cess is very good too. I'm going to try either Motul X-Cess or Amsoil Signature for my car's service at the end of '18. It currently has Mobil 1 5W-30 ESP which isn't as hot (good) as its made out to be considering the premium they charge over normal Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by R2D2

UGH! Servo is 2nd/3rd grade oil suitable only for classic vehicles. I've avoided it since the 1980s. Poor GG. The only reason Maruti and many other car or bike manufacturers used it was to keep the Govt. happy back in the days of the License Raj.

BTW idle engines dont suffer from sludge which forms when oil burns under high temperatures. That's why you see plenty of sludge in seized engines. Although it is possible years of using Servo engine oils (UGH again) and using the car in stop and go traffic may have caused sludge formation.

I know. Servo is one of the worst oils in the market. Another reason why workshops patronize Servo is because it's got higher margins compared to Shell(lowest margin) or Castrol. Back then I was too small to understand these things, and the only care dad took was to change the oil at 3500 kms if running was purely in city traffic, or by 4500kms if we have done more highway runs. Another main reason for our dependence on these oils was because the better oils like Shell and Mobil aren't easily available in Tier 2 cities GG has spent all its life in. And back then we didn't have any online option.

Synthetic it is since I assume money is no object when it comes to GG.

True. I've been earning since almost 1.5 years, and no prizes for guessing why I don't have even a penny today in the name of savings.

However with all my wishes now achieved(read Export model conversion, spares and tools collection), I guess I can now nurture this new found habit of investing and saving.

Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

@Leoshashi, what spec brake fluid does Maruti use now? DOT 3 or DOT 4? And what colour is the genuine MSIL brake fluid? It is available off the shelf from a Maruti dealer?

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by R2D2

@Leoshashi, what spec brake fluid does Maruti use now? DOT 3 or DOT 4? And what colour is the genuine MSIL brake fluid? It is available off the shelf from a Maruti dealer?

Sir they are still on DOT 3 for all Marutis. Genuine Brake fluid is Clear in color, when fresh out of the bottle. It's easily available for purchase at any MGP store. MASS/Dealers may not do counter sale.

It comes in pack of 100,250 and 500ML. Part numbers and price:

Part No: 99000M24120-579
Name: BRAKE FLUID GC1500AA (500 ML PACK)
Price: Rs. 346

Part No: 99000M24120-580
Name: BRAKE FLUID GC 1500AA (250 ML PACK)
Price: Rs. 171

Part No: 99000M24120-624
Name: BRAKE FLUID (100ML)
Price: Rs. 72

Pics:











Old vs New Packaging



Both have Golden Cruiser written on their caps



Color, without flash



Color, With Flash



I'm giving out a list of MGP stores in Pune:



Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Sir they are still on DOT 3 for all Marutis. Genuine Brake fluid is Clear in color, when fresh out of the bottle. It's easily available for purchase at any MGP store. MASS/Dealers may not do counter sale.

Hey Shashi thanks for all this information. Very useful indeed.

Ok, now let me tell you the reason I asked. Toyota recommends DOT 3 fluid for the cars but their OEM brake fluid does not have specs on the bottle. I worked backwards from the info at S-CCI's (the manufacturer for TKM) site and deduced it was DOT3 just like the manual recommends. I purchased 4 x 250 ml bottles from the dealer. These guys do OTC sales provided you are an owner under instructions from TKM. Which is a very good thing, of course

Now, I needed an alternative and easy access to DOT 3 brake fluid. All DOT 3 fluid in the open market is crimson (very strange) while DOT 4 is light amber/clear as is the OEM stuff. I purchased 2 x 250 ml TVS Girling DOT 4 (clear) just in case. DOT 4 fluid can be used in DOT 3 systems but not the other way around.

But I'd always prefer to go with genuine clear or light amber coloured DOT 3 from a reputable manufacturer or OEM like Maruti as an alternative source. BTW S-CCI makes Golden Cruiser coolant and OEM brake and radiator fluids for most large car manufacturers including Maruti, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Tata etc.