[supremeBaleno]

Whoa !!! Man, 3lakh kms is no joke and the icing is the part about no engine/suspension job, while we hear about diesels easily requiring one in less than 1lakh kms.

And as if that were not good enough, the service cost mentioned below @ 3.1lakh kms can only be dreamt by today's CRDI diesels.

Originally Posted by benzinblut

Update 3,10,000km
Car was serviced yesterday.
Jobs done: Oil, Oil filter, Diesel filter
Total Cost: Rs. 1850

Amazing !!! And great work on keeping the car in shape.

[benzinblut]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

The problem with brake malfunction in the rain has been since the car was new. I noticed the problem in a Maruti 800 too so I assumed it was a problem with all of the older Marutis. The brakes work normally after they dry i.e. after being parked overnight, it starts working again.

Last year, I had the car checked at MASS for the brakes being too weak (not related to the rain malfunction) and they had it adjusted. I did ask the why the brakes needed adjustment - they said the brake booster may need a replacement but it has a 1 month wait.

This is our 5th Maruti. None of them had this problem. Yes, the brakes become considerably ineffective (for any car) immediately after you drive through water and return back to normalcy as they dry. But going through a water filled pot hole should not cause this. May be its the booster. And if this is happening since the car was new, then maruti should have worked hard to identify and solve the problem.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

On the highway, the speed limit is 100 km/hr so with the engine at 3,000 rpm for most of the trip, I get about 14-15 km / ltr (diesel) with the AC running for at least half the trip (AC runs on High and is turned off when it gets too cold). I haven't checked the mileage in the city though.

My Esteem is returning higher on the higway. Its always 20-21kmpl or more. But, the car is run at 80-85km/h constantly and the rpm is around 2200-2400. This quite matches with the average speeds on NH8 between Vapi and Mumbai (where this car is mostly used) and requires minimum accelration or decelleration. Even if i drive in a spirited way on the highway, it is still never less than 18kmpl only on highways.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Whoa !!! Man, 3lakh kms is no joke and the icing is the part about no engine/suspension job, while we hear about diesels easily requiring one in less than 1lakh kms.
...............
Amazing !!! And great work on keeping the car in shape.

Thanks!. Yes, all credit goes to maintenance.

But now, there are two problems in the car:
1) There is white smoke whenever the car has a cold start which settles down as it heats up. Problem identified as oil getting soaked in the gasket. This gets burnt on cold start. Once the oil gets burnt, the smoke stops. I dont want to touch the engine. So, as of now im living with it.
2) The body is beginning to rust. It is now only on the corners. I have to do something for this.


PS: The odometer stands at 3,26,000km today. Since last few years, the running of this car has reduced due to less frequent runs. And I observe that after reduced usage there are some problems coming up.

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

no engine/suspension job, while we hear about diesels easily requiring one in less than 1lakh kms.

Do you count glow plugs as an engine job too? I had them changed last year My Esteem has had the odometer roll past 99,999 km and show a zero again and it's got the Peugeot TUD5 engine running without any decarbonization or overhauling. I believe decarbonizing would be a part of my next service.

Originally Posted by benzinblut

brakes become considerably ineffective (for any car) immediately after you drive through water and return back to normalcy as they dry. My Esteem is returning higher on the higway. Its always 20-21kmpl or more. But, the car is run at 80-85km/h constantly and the rpm is around 2200-2400. after reduced usage there are some problems coming up.

The ineffective (not just weak but close to not working) brakes are after driving through flooded areas and not just through water-filled pot holes, but the problem is very real - having to turn on the AC and use a lower gear to slow down as the only option is not my idea of normal driving. The time required to change gears is much longer than the time to hit the brakes. I've never experienced the problem in a Toyota. Skidding in wet weather is a different issue - I'm referring to the brakes themselves.

For me to get 18 km/ltr, I'll have to be at 80 km/hr and have the Maruti 1000 side mirrors (they cause a lot of air resistance) replaced with flat panels (i.e. no mirrors). NH7 from Hyderabad to Kamareddy doesn't require me to overtake much. I don't know if my Bridgestone tyres reduce fuel efficiency by much.

[supremeBaleno]

^^^ I would not term change of glow-plugs as an engine job. And given that, your Esteem-D is also holding well IMO.

Regarding the FE, your FE of 14-15kmpl on highways with max. speed of 100kmph seems too low for a diesel. Just for comparison sake, my 1.6P Baleno returns 16kmpl with an all-out driving on highways. If I limit myself to 100kmph (never tried), I am sure it can be easily 17-18kmpl. So, me thinks, something needs attention in your car.

[SAS]

@benzinblut There are a lot of us on the forum who like to use their cars well and for a long period rather than change it every few years. I too have an Alto that's crossed 85k kms and a Santro which has crossed 75k kms and I don't intend to sell either due to the VFM proposition they provide.

I would like to know from you the best practices you followed to maintain your car so well. Would appreciate if you could list over a dozen bullet points of maintenance best practices covering the engine / transmission, suspension & tires, car interiors and exteriors, airconditioning and electricals. Looking forward for your inputs...

[benzinblut]

Originally Posted by SAS

I would like to know from you the best practices you followed to maintain your car so well. Would appreciate if you could list over a dozen bullet points of maintenance best practices covering the engine / transmission, suspension & tires, car interiors and exteriors, airconditioning and electricals. Looking forward for your inputs...

There are only 2 main resons for the car to survive so long. This covers all parts of the car:
1) Preventive Maintenance: Everything prescribed in the manual was done on or before time. This covers all parts of the car; engine, suspension, typres, etc. Noting special was done other than this. Yes, AC ducts were cleaned with some foam after they was smelling of dust.
The exterior and underbody, however, suffered the most from the high mileage. The corners are beginning to rust. Preventive maintenance for this was the cleaning done during service but this wasn't good enough for Mumbai climate. May be using underbody coating would have delayed the damage.

2) Correct driving practices: This is equally important. The engine was effortlessly cruising around the 2000-2400 rpm mark for a major part of its life. All the thumb rules for good FE were applied to it while driving. If you see, you will realise that driving like this will not only give good FE but also good life. Also, the Esteem diesel was underpowered and it made no point in trying to push it too hard. It was driven to commute and it served its purpose well.


Update: 3,26,000km
Date: 25.02.12
The car was left with the headlamps on and this drained the battery. Immediately after push start, the engine started but the car wouldn't move ahead and idle in gear as if it were in neutral.
Problem diagnosed: A bevel in the differential (transaxle) broke off.
The car is currently waiting for parts. Will wait for 4 more days.

As a matter of co-incidence, my Optra Magnum fuel pump failed on the same day just an hour later. Was waiting until today just to learn from GM that they wont be extending goodwill warranty on the pump. Will get it done at my cost. What an unfortunate week..sigh!

[pganapathy]

Wow, over 325,000 k's with no engine overhaul. You have really maintained and driven it well. We also bought a Petrol Esteem in 07 and am hoping we can also do similar distances on that car in the years to come. I want to keep my Esteem for a long time and if and when the time comes to get something else for my folks, add to the collection rather than change the Esteem. I just like the looks of the car. My biggest gripe with the car is GC, especially given that it will spend most of its life in Coorg, where a lot of roads look like the surface of the moon.

Would so love to see those mileages you are getting on my Petrol Esteem but don't think we get much more than 15. No idea as dad uses the car now.

[SAS]

@benzinblut Ok. Thanks for the good pointers. I too drive sanely. I too avoid pushing the car too fast and also avoid straining the engine. Also I allow the car to warm up for 30 seconds after every cold start before driving off.

Regarding corrosion, I regularly wax the car body, which has helped to keep it in good nick. Also the underbody of my car was coated with the tar / rubber protectant (received it as a freebie when I purchased the car), although after the initial 3 reapplications over 3 years I have not applied anything since. There is negligible corrosion in my alto after 7 years, the exception being corrosion in certain spots behind the front wheel arches. The wife's santro is a different story though. The body got corroded in several places. Probably due to the earlier owner not taking good care of it before my wife bought it second hand..

[benzinblut]

The car is still waiting for parts. Parts to be changed are
Complete bevel gear assembly
Bevel housing
Washers

Parts expected in 3 days.

This is the first major breakdown of the car.

[benzinblut]

Good News. The car is back on the roads.

The differential assembly was replaced. Routine service done. Also got some bodywork and partial paint work done.
Total expences: Rs 24,000

The odometer is at 3,28,000 km

[k_nitin_r]

The trip meter in my Esteem stopped working, but my odometer is still running. I have just over 110,000 km in 8 years. Most of the distance was when the car was borrowed for driving from Hyderabad to Bangalore, Hyderabad to Pune, and Hyderabad to Chennai. When the car was new, I did have a 400 km trip every weekend for about two months.

I now have an unusual sound when the engine has a load and it sounds like a metal wire or some other light metal object is touching a rotating part (the high pitched 'Rrrrr' sound like a bell on those vending carts) or something is slipping. Could it be the clutch? I tried visiting Varun Motors and they couldn't solve it; they did ask me to come back if I want them to have another look at it. Any clue of what it could be?

Also, I want to know how I can check the coolant level. Many of the fluid reservoirs on the Esteem have markings on the outside to indicate the optimal level, but they aren't transparent enough to see the actual fluid level, except for the windshield wiper fluid reservoir.

[k_nitin_r]

Sorry about double-posting, but it's been over a half hour since my previous post so I can't edit it right now.

UPDATE: I took a torch light to peek into the coolant reservoir and there was a 'meter' showing that the coolant level is optimal (mid-way). 2 years ago, the coolant went empty for some reason.

[benzinblut]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

The trip meter in my Esteem stopped working, but my odometer is still running......

The trip meter of my Esteem also doesnt work. All other meters work fine. I think its not possible to replace individual metes. I am managing it without trip meter since then.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

I now have an unusual sound when the engine has a load and it sounds like a metal wire or some other light metal object is touching a rotating part (the high pitched 'Rrrrr' sound like a bell on those vending carts) or something is slipping. Could it be the clutch? I tried visiting Varun Motors and they couldn't solve it; they did ask me to come back if I want them to have another look at it. Any clue of what it could be?

There are various sounds and vibrations in my car, but never a sound that matches your description. If you think that its coming from the engine, get it checked at a competent diesel engine mechanic. Maruti service is having very little training to handle the TUD5 engine.

It would be hard to tell if this sound is coming from the clutch. If Varun Motors cant identify it, go to a good mechanic for this. It shouldnt be difficult to identify the source.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

UPDATE: I took a torch light to peek into the coolant reservoir and there was a 'meter' showing that the coolant level is optimal (mid-way). 2 years ago, the coolant went empty for some reason.

Glad you found the level indicator. Keep a regular check on the coolant. Driving with low coolant levels will damage and can ruin the engine.

[racer_ash]

325k kms. Thats almost 8 times round the equator. Really a commendable feat. Both for the car and for the owner. Also no engine/suspension overhaul is really amazing. Kudos.

Just a doubt. Does this share the same engine with the Peugeot 309 Diesel that was launched in India. One of my uncle recently sold a diesel peugeot with close to 1.5L kms on the odo. The car was still running pretty strong with pretty much zero niggles. Was one of the very few of such cars running around

Also how difficult would it be to source parts of this engine considering this must be discontinued by this time.

[srinath1965]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Boy'o'Boy

3 lakh kilometers on original engine and original suspension. Thats phenomenal, and thanks for sharing the report.

Rated 5 stars

This car is WOW

I hope MUL has seen this thread and they must research your Dad's driving style to be emulated by others at their driving schools. Hats off to you and your Dad for the excellent maintenance of this very wonderful car.