| re: My Santro Xing: Now crossed 78000 kms
Update: There was a severe water leakage issue which was diagnosed to a rusted and therefore leaking firewall section, just behind the steering wheel. The driver side window wasn't operating well, and so I gave the car for repairs to Mega services, which is a Maruti ASC and has been servicing my earlier M800 for about three years.
Along with the above two items, I also requested overhauling the braking system and injector cleaning.
However, this time I was in for a crude shock. Rust proofing was done (though it took two weeks instead of the promised one), driver side window winder was changed and injector cleaning done. The SA informed me he had got all the other three windows serviced.
Items which were disturbed:
1. Wipers changed (this wasn't ordered for)
2. Co-driver window now hard to operate
3. Remote locking malfunction (the locking mechanism doesn't work, however the unlocking works! So when I switch off the engine now, all the doors unlock, and I have to manually lock them!)
4. Too much play in both the clutch and the accelerator
5. Battery mounting bracket and screws not in place (the battery was simply left to rest on the board, without the surrounding plastic bracket or screws)
6. Battery cable not connected properly (read below for more on this)
7. Remote locking light (under the steering wheel) damaged, the lid was removed and left in the side compartment
8. Steering column not fitted back properly (last night I tried inserting the key into the wide gap between the lock cylinder and the steering column)
9. I had stuck a deity's moorthy on the dashboard, which is broken
10. The driver side window which now has a new winder, cannot be rolled all the way up smoothly. By the time it goes from zero to 75%, it plays foul with the channel (lining through which the window slides up/down) and gets stuck about a centimetre from the top ALL THE TIME. The only way to avoid this is to hold it pressed against the channel as you slide it up all the way.
The SA was in a big hurry to hand over the car and wash his hands off the whole affair. I was too dazed to pursue the matter further as every morning I was being delayed for office. I finally decided never to visit the workshop for any work.
The battery cable started giving trouble two days into collecting the car. The car would refuse to start, but I could see the dashboard lights coming on. Finally I got down, opened the bonnet and checked the terminals. This led to the contact being restored and the car finally started. I took care not to switch off the engine.
While driving back I got stuck in heavy traffic in Thane (the engine ran for almost 45 minutes while the car progressed just a few feet). I then crossed into Kalwa and decided to take the Mumbra route (a mistake as well as a blessing), fearing the traffic jam under the Vitawa bridge. I had forgotten in all this anxiety that it was the last day of Id.
As I entered Mumbra, I met a slow moving traffic and a rush of people who had come out to celebrate the Id. The roadsides were full of stalls selling merchandise and the streets were full of people. I managed to creep along quite a distance (all the while the engine running), but finally I missed it in the slow moving traffic and the car stalled. I tried to start it, no crank. I rushed out and opened the bonnet, only to find that the thin plate of metal connecting the cable to the battery terminal had corroded and given up. As I touched it to check it, it snapped and the screw holding it all together went down the engine bay onto the road. It was past 11pm, the street was semi dark and crowded, and a TMT bus and other vehicles had started piling up behind me. I signalled the car had broken down. To his credit the bus driver was waiting patiently.
I appealed to a few passers by for help and a few of them helped me push the car to a side so the traffic could resume. I rolled up the windows and locked the car and started searching for a mechanic.
Flagging down a rickshaw I climbed in and asked him to take me to the only petrol pump in Mumbra, where I hoped to find some help. The car was left abandoned on the street side. After visiting at least three shops, either closed or only dealing with two wheelers, I finally found a mechanic called Salman who would be available even at that time of night to work on it.
It so happens that the father of this mechanic owns a hair-cutting saloon bang opposite the petrol pump, and has a house above the shop. The mechanic, Salman, was at the time having dinner and I waited downstairs for him to come. After about twenty minutes he came down and asked about the status of the car. Then he fetched a few things and we both started walking back to the car.
After reaching the car I was relieved to see nobody had touched it (I was more afraid of someone getting funny ideas seeing an abandoned car on a crowded and dark roadside). Bonnet opened and Salman checked the battery terminal. He checked if the battery still had charge, and then asked me to crank it as he held the wire to the terminal. The charge wasn't enough to start the engine.
He asked if I had water in the car. I opened the boot and found an old plastic bottle full. I handed it over to him. He poured a little on the battery terminals and turning back to me he said, "This ain't water!" I realized to my utter surprise it was actually a bottle of soda. So much the better for the battery.
He then connected the wire to the terminal and then helped me start the engine by pushing hte car. I dropped him off at his place, wishing him Id Mubarak. The guy charged me 150, saying, "I charge the same rate day or night. I have also left word around with other mechanics in case there's an emergency like this, to call me or direct the person to me". What a lucky coincidence.
I drove the car home, making sure the engine was running all the time. After reaching home, waited for a full minute before switching off. Switched on and the engine started. The battery had fully charged.
Next morning I switched to the Ikon and drove it for two weeks, before finally switching back to the Santro.
Because of this battery episode, I lost precious time as well as the FE went for a toss. However I won't be visiting that place again, that's for sure.
Now, the injector cleaning seems to have freed up the engine a little, and specially after switching from the Ikon to the Santro, the car suddenly feel very light and agile on its feet. I am loving throwing it around the traffic overtaking the slow moving vehicles and shaving off a few minutes in my office - home run.
I have refilled the tank today, so by the next tankfull I shall know the FE again.
Last edited by honeybee : 20th September 2011 at 12:21.
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11th March 2011, 16:41
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