[Jaggu]

The throw/spread is bad but light seems to be brighter, but as Vidyut mentioned try better bulbs. And not many people know but that circular grooved thing is an adjuster, you can use them for adjusting the OE units throw. I have done this for my swift.

Hope you got the grills washed when you opened the bumper, makes a hell lot of difference for the AC.

Congratz on achieving the milestone in a trouble free car.

[Samurai]

Yesterday, two of the TBHP mods mostly spoiled by their CRDi hatches (190Nm) got to drive a very different vehicle, a petrol SUV with a moderate engine (170Nm). Their first Suzuki car driving experience too.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Yesterday, two of the TBHP mods mostly spoiled by their CRDi hatches (190Nm) got to drive a very different vehicle, a petrol SUV with a moderate engine (170Nm). Their first Suzuki car driving experience too.

A totally different car to drive like none of the others I've driven. Very unforgiving as well.

Got into the driver's seat and the first thing Samurai told me was I would be at home since I drove a Ford with left hand oriented controls. It didn't seem right to be seeing a Suzuki badge on the steering but indicators on left. Got moving, approached the first intersection to take a left and promptly turned on the wipers.

Samurai gave me a stare and said, hey you drive a Ford then why? The car felt like a Jap Maruti Suzuki so natural habit is indicators on right.

The Vitara doesn't feel anything like a Jap. Everytime I said this doesn't feel like a Maruti, Samurai would correct me and say it's a Suzuki and not a Maruti. The steering feels heavy, the clutch feels heavy, the gears have a long throw and are heavy. The GV feels solid with a stiff suspension.

When you drive it you realise that the car is unforgiving. If your found in the wrong gear at the wrong speed you've had it. First gear requires a boot full of revs to get going. You cannot shift up to second immediately as second gear has a very strange vibration and judder at low speeds. You need to rev and gain speed before you can slot into second. None of the bangalore speed breakers can be taken slowly in second gear, you have to shift down to first. This makes it a very difficult SUV to drive in bumper to bumper to traffic since your effectively in first always. What's strange is after second, third and fourth have much better pulling power. You can potter in third but not in second. Second is pretty useless for city driving because of the massive shudder at low speeds.

Where the Vitara excels is on the open road. We took it on NICE corridor and it was cruising at 80-90kmph effortlessly. Thanks to the stiff suspension it doesn't roll and you don't have to slow down for curves. Fifth gear is very flexible and you don't have to downshift to fourth to overtake unless absolutely needed. The gear ratios seem short and it get fairly buzzy at triple digits.

Samurai's GV has done excess of 50K kms over the worst of Manipal roads and doesn't feel like it has taken so much abuse. Holding up very well.

[Samurai]

Thanks for the nice review Viddy.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Samurai's GV has done excess of 50K kms over the worst of Manipal roads and doesn't feel like it has taken so much abuse. Holding up very well.

Manipal roads were bad only in the first two years of the car, it got much better after that. The primary bad roads I deal with are the various ghats between Manipal and Bangalore, which I travel twice a month.

[Jaggu]

I also had a go at it and its a nice vehicle, i love the sturdy feel and the familiar controls (except the euro orientation), i was very comfortable with it. Gearing is nice for longer highway drives but i guess the final drive keeps the engine at boil at 100-120 kmph, which is very good for overtaking but bad for FE.

50k no way, vehicle definitely felt much younger. All it needed was a good service and clean up after Samurai's long highway trips.

@Sudev: if you are reading this, is the second gear mean (judder) in your vehicle also at low rpm's?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

50k no way, vehicle definitely felt much younger. All it needed was a good service and clean up after Samurai's long highway trips.

I finally gave it for service and oil change today, at 52,213kms. It has been 9000kms since the last service.

Since GV has crossed 50K and wet+cold season has began, I have decided to switch to Synthetic oil this time. Which synthetic oil, I am leaving that decision to the M.A.S.S workshop head, who is a friend.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

@Sudev: if you are reading this, is the second gear mean (judder) in your vehicle also at low rpm's?

I have asked them to have a look at that.

Also, I asked them to cleanup all the gum residue left by the DIY sunfilm removal.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Which synthetic oil, I am leaving that decision to the M.A.S.S workshop head, who is a friend.

Go with Mobil 1. Most respectable and reliable stuff. Next would be Shell Helix series.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Go with Mobil 1. Most respectable and reliable stuff. Next would be Shell Helix series.

Yeah, brand will be Mobil 1. But the grade will be decided by my friend there.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Yeah, brand will be Mobil 1. But the grade will be decided by my friend there.

Both the grade will be ok for GV, the upper limit is 40 & 50. 50 would be better for the hotter tropical climate.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Both the grade will be ok for GV, the upper limit is 40 & 50. 50 would be better for the hotter tropical climate.

Next few months will be very wet and cold.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

@Sudev: if you are reading this, is the second gear mean (judder) in your vehicle also at low rpm's?

The judder is from the prop joints. If you let the RPM's too low these will judder. This is very common in Gypsy's but very less in GV

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by sudev

The judder is from the prop joints. If you let the RPM's too low these will judder. This is very common in Gypsy's but very less in GV

Yes but we noticed it was very prominent in second gear only. In 3rd gear we can upshift way early and still it doesn't judder but second is unforgivable. Shift a fraction early and it judders.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by sudev

The judder is from the prop joints. If you let the RPM's too low these will judder. This is very common in Gypsy's but very less in GV

Mild judder in second gear is present even in Forester (Fact that both are AWDs must be something to do with it). Judder is felt when you go to a very low speed and try to accelerate back to higher RPMs.

[mustysekhon]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I finally gave it for service and oil change today, at 52,213kms. It has been 9000kms since the last service…...

I just moved to B'Lore on Sunday and Vitara is here. Where do you recommend service (2011 AT Vitara). Mostly concerned about basic parts since I moved from Gurgaon where disc pads, filters etc are always available and car is delivered back same day.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Yes but we noticed it was very prominent in second gear only. In 3rd gear we can upshift way early and still it doesn't judder but second is unforgivable. Shift a fraction early and it judders.

You guys scared me enough that I asked this issue to be checked out. I have lived with it forever. So the head of their service test drove the GV for 7-8kms looking for the problem. He said the judder happens only when the rpm drops to 850. If the rpm is kept higher than 1000, it won't happen. This is the behavior of this car, and not a problem. The voltage at each injector was checked and found to be nominal, not sure how this matters, his explanation went over my head. He even tested the dealership GV for comparison.

Originally Posted by Guna

Mild judder in second gear is present even in Forester (Fact that both are AWDs must be something to do with it). Judder is felt when you go to a very low speed and try to accelerate back to higher RPMs.

Yeah, I was told it is the normal behavior of the vehicle.

Originally Posted by mustysekhon

I just moved to B'Lore on Sunday and Vitara is here. Where do you recommend service (2011 AT Vitara). Mostly concerned about basic parts since I moved from Gurgaon where disc pads, filters etc are always available and car is delivered back same day.

You could go to any Maruti workshop. I used to go to Mandovi long time back, but that was for Baleno. Ask Bangalore GV owners for suggestions. I service my GV in Udupi, so I am not aware of Bangalore centers.

Alright, got the GV back after two days of intense work. Had to pay 500 bucks to remove sunfilm on rear quarter glass and the residue gum on all the remaining glass doors.



Also switched to synthetic oil for the first time, it is Mobil 1 0w40, considering the wet weather next few months. The engine sounds much smoother now. Even the gear oil has been changed since it has been 18,000kms since the last change.

They have detected a little leak in the rear right shocks. But can wait another 10,000Kms they say.

Overall, the GV feels much renewed after this service. Feels almost new.