[teknicsand]

As the car is getting ready to hit the garage for a mid life overhaul, I thought I will create a long-term ownership report on the experiences so far and plans for the near future with this car.

Its a Forest Green (unusual and uncommon) color Accent Viva CRDI which is now over 6 years old and has done just over 51,000 kms (not much I know). Having driven this car for a long period, over all kinds of roads, it has been reliable and has given us good service.

Likes:

• Fuel economy in city and on highways
  Reliability
  Decent service
  Insane 2nd and 3rd gear acceleration. Surge in power after 2k is superb

Dislikes:

• Does not give you confidence at high speeds although the way it reaches those high speeds is thrilling
  Body roll
  Handling
  No ABS
  Engine rattle seems to get worse as time goes on. It was much less noisier when it was new
  Turbo lag. The power kicks in after 2k rpm

Currently the car is battered due to city driving (read scratches and minor dents all around), and the suspension has taken a beating. The front two tyres have worn out, unevenly. Drive shaft on the front-right was replaced six months ago after it was completely worn out. Ride has become noticeably harder and handling has become worse than usual.

We have stopped leaving this car for service at the A.S.S. This was after the drive shaft incident where the price quoted by Hyundai was ridiculously high, which is when I looked up team-bhp and realized they were ripping us off. Got it done elsewhere for half the price. Through all the regular service check ups I realized the Hyundai guys never bothered to check for suspension, and break issues even after we had asked them to. Seems like they wait for these things to break down and then all they do is suggest new replacements and make a quick buck while at it.

I had taken the car to the garage (Kaniska Motors on Hosur road after Silk Board Jn) today to get an estimate. The approximate estimate is as follows:

Paint job for the entire body minus the roof, and removing dents from a couple of places: ~ 21k

Replacement of front and rear suspension along with bush kits etc. There is leakage at the moment and the quality of the ride has definitely gone down ~ 30k

Also needs tyre changes. I've been reading the threads concerning tyres and upsizing. The stocks are Bridgestone 175/70 R13. Still in the initial stages of deciding, but so far I have these options down on the paper:

185/65 R13
175/70 R13
185/60 R14

I'm looking for ride comfort and decent handling. This car is never going to be great at handling, and so I'm not sure how much difference tyres geared more towards handling will make. Also fuel economy is not a big issue either as the car gives good mileage and so a small drop is fine. Therefore its comfort and handling that I'm looking at in that order. Any suggestions for this car in particular. There are no alloys on this car?


Hope to keep updating this thread after the work is done and report on the changes in drive and comfort.

[dhanushs]

Go for 185/70 - R13. Good upgrade for comfort and slightly increased grip levels.

185/60 - R14 should handle better, at the cost of ride comfort.

[nfsfreak]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Go for 185/70 - R13.

Its 185/65 R13. I agree, its good for ride comfort.
Upgraded to this profile recently for my accent aand ride comfort is better compared to 175/70 R13.

[teknicsand]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Go for 185/70 - R13. Good upgrade for comfort and slightly increased grip levels.

185/60 - R14 should handle better, at the cost of ride comfort.

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Its 185/65 R13. I agree, its good for ride comfort.
Upgraded to this profile recently for my accent aand ride comfort is better compared to 175/70 R13.

I'm leaning towards this option at the moment. Next question would be, what make? Does Michelin XM1+ have a 185/65 R13?

[dhanushs]

If you focus more on comfort, then go for 185/70. The higher sidewall will provide more cushioning. but, 185/65 should strike a balance between handling.

As for 185/70, All the popular brands - Michelin, BS, et al have it. 185/65, I think BS, Yokohoma, Apollo have it. Not entirely sure about BS though, but if they have it, I would suggest you to go for it. BS Turanza, ER60.

[bluevolt]

Hi teknicsand, nice report there, please add pictures of your accent Viva along with engine bay snaps. And about the tyre change I will also suggest you to go for 185/70 - R13.

Drive Safe.

[mobike008]

Having owned an Accent Viva CRDI for nearly 4 years and ~60K kms. I agree with your points regarding handling. It is indeed quite thrilling how it picks up momentum after 1800rpm and gains speeds however, it has always been marred by the proverbial "flying in air" feel at high speeds.

At 33K kms, I changed the stock tyres to Michilen XM1+ Energy ( 185/60/R14) and saw a great deal of difference in handling.

My advice would be to upgrade to same configuration. Pictures of my car with upgraded tyres are for your viewing pleasure in my gallery.

Goodluck!

[teknicsand]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

If you focus more on comfort, then go for 185/70. The higher sidewall will provide more cushioning. but, 185/65 should strike a balance between handling.

As for 185/70, All the popular brands - Michelin, BS, et al have it. 185/65, I think BS, Yokohoma, Apollo have it. Not entirely sure about BS though, but if they have it, I would suggest you to go for it. BS Turanza, ER60.

Thanks for the input

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Hi teknicsand, nice report there, please add pictures of your accent Viva along with engine bay snaps. And about the tyre change I will also suggest you to go for 185/70 - R13.

Drive Safe.

Uploading a few pics. I shall post pics of the whole car once the paint job is done

Originally Posted by mobike008

Having owned an Accent Viva CRDI for nearly 4 years and ~60K kms. I agree with your points regarding handling. It is indeed quite thrilling how it picks up momentum after 1800rpm and gains speeds however, it has always been marred by the proverbial "flying in air" feel at high speeds.

At 33K kms, I changed the stock tyres to Michilen XM1+ Energy ( 185/60/R14) and saw a great deal of difference in handling.

My advice would be to upgrade to same configuration. Pictures of my car with upgraded tyres are for your viewing pleasure in my gallery.

Goodluck!

Viva in Red looks a stunner! That was my preference but then I wasn't buying the car for myself, so had to settle for a more neutral color. How much did the Pete's tuning box cost you? I might consider adding that if I can manage to convince folks at home.




Dent on the driver's side door from a two wheeler nut case slamming into the side of the car with his legs.


Touch up done previously




Marks on the left front door are from car jacking incident. Two young school kids tried to break open with small stones, didn't work, then used a huge stone, shattered the glass, stole my Oakley's and ipod. They were caught the next day and I got all my stuff back. Long story.

[teknicsand]

Just got home from my friend's house and I'd taken this car out. So on the way back, with less traffic and less noise, I was carefully listening and paying attention to the way the car was handling and riding. Observed a few things:

- Acceleration is still the way it was. Power spools up and unleashes the turbo after 1.8k. I try and hit 2k rpm on first gear, and when shifting to 2nd gear there is hardly any lag. So all good on that front.

- The noise level coming through to the cabin has definitely gone up. Tyres and suspension are the reasons for it I would think. Also going over broken or uneven road, the ride does not glide over them like the Civic, and I can feel the vibrations coming through.

- Noticed something peculiar with the steering and handling. I'm sure it been there, but it was more obvious now since I was paying more attention to it. And I'm not sure how to describe it technically, but here it goes. With the steering in neutral/steady position, turning the steering left or right 3-5 degrees does not translate into equivalent change in direction from the tyres. It almost feels like the steering is loose and so turning the steering left/right by a small degree keeps the car going straight pretty much without much change in direction. I'm guessing this is what you would technically call as understeer? Or the steering being not very responsive. After the initial 3-4 degree twist in the steering, the car does respond more, but then you don't turn steering that much when driving unless taking turns. Anything specific I need to mention to the garage guys when I leave it for servicing to check on?

- This car has always had that bouncy feel, but its more pronounced and coupled with what I explained above with the steering and the bald tyres, it does not give you much confidence above 100km/h

- Brakes seem to be in decent condition, although they make a squeaky noisy, albeit not too loud. Getting that checked as well. Hopefully won't need replacing.

Getting new suspension for the car, front and rear. Should I go in for Hyundai's or are there any good suspensions that I can buy in the market for this car? I wouldn't mind spending a little more on this if I can improve the handling of the car.

[teknicsand]

After a week in the garage, the car is back shining new, on the outside at least.

Here are the details of the work that was done and costs:

1. Engine Oil: Rs.1100
2. Oil Filter: Rs. 400
3. Engine flush: Rs.426
4. Engine Oil Additive: Rs.500
5. Front Strut Assembly: Rs.7650
6. Rear Strut Assembly: Rs.7850
7. Low Arm Assembly: Rs. 3860
8. Steering ball Joint Inner: Rs. 1800
9. Steering ball joint outer: Rs.1600
10. Stabilizer link: Rs.2100
11. Strut Bush Kit-Front & Rear: Rs.2400
12. Strut Mount: Rs.2200
13. P/S Oil (250ml): Rs.65
14. Brake Fluid (250ml): Rs.55
15. New high security number plate: Rs.1200
16. Speaker board for rear speakers: Rs. 950
17. Mechanic shop charges: Rs.680
18. Front suspension overhaul: Rs.850
19. Rear suspension overhaul: Rs.800
20. Steering box overhaul: Rs.475
21. Complete electrical checkup: Rs.250
22. Painting(which includes removing the dents from a couple places, and painting the entire body, except for the roof): Rs.21000


Total Cost: Rs.59961, but we paid Rs.58000





Dents & scratches being touched up


Old worn out parts removed










Increased GC after the new shocks were put in.








Engine bay all cleaned up after cleaning oil filters, flushing and adding engine oil

Quality of work:

With respect to the paint job, I wouldn't say its outstanding, definitely not like the paint job you get on new cars, but I'd take it. The car is gleaming, dents & scratches are gone, so it definitely looks better than before.

With regards to engine and under body work, only time will tell if and when issues crop up, but after the short drive back home, it seemed good.

Interiors weren't spot clean, but with a 6 year old car, wear & tear signs are visible and there's not much you can do about it.

All in all I would say it was a reasonably good job.

First impressions of the car after this mini-overhaul:

Steering is a little more tight at low speeds, but it frees up when the speed increases. Haven't tested at high speeds yet. GC has increased as seen in the pictures, not that it was an issue before as with my Civic. New suspension's difference can now be easily felt. The ride is now much better, at least on the front where I sit 99% of the times. Have to check with mom later on when she goes out to run her errands about the ride quality in the rear. Sound from the front suspension when driving over broken and potholed road is no longer there. (There is a slight noise coming from inside the cabin from the rear, will need to isolate it, and I don't suspect its a major thing). Engine vibrations, particularly when accelerating in the 2nd gear was more than usual before going the garage, and they would filter into the car and you could feel the jerks, but now its now longer there.

[Vdrive]

which engine oil you use ? Is it servo ?

[drphil]

Hi, I tried to start a thread but got deleted. As I'm typing this post, just picked up a hyundai accent viva crdi with 47k on the ODO. It's a 2005 model silver in colour.

Suggestions and any advise on what I must do with regards to maintainance would be greatly appreciated.

When the accelerator pedal is floored, there is black smoke else, there is no issue.

Any advise on peteing this would be welcome.

Request any help on this. Thanks!

[teknicsand]

Originally Posted by drphil

Hi, I tried to start a thread but got deleted. As I'm typing this post, just picked up a hyundai accent viva crdi with 47k on the ODO. It's a 2005 model silver in colour.

Suggestions and any advise on what I must do with regards to maintainance would be greatly appreciated.

When the accelerator pedal is floored, there is black smoke else, there is no issue.

Any advise on peteing this would be welcome.

Request any help on this. Thanks!

From my experience diesel cars have more wear and tear. You could get the following checked out :

Drive shaft - I had to replace mine as it had worn out around 40k.

Get the engine flushed and replace oil filters and oil

Get the brakes checked

Get the suspension checked to see if there is any leakage or wear and tear

Just regular maintenance every 6 months should serve you good.

[teknicsand]

Update:

After the recent overhaul that the car had, there were a few niggling issues. A bolt here a bush there. And it was still running on old tyres. The clutch was starting to give trouble as it had worn out.

Got the entire clutch assembly replaced for 13k, fixed other creaking issues and got a new set of tyres(same as stock- I was supposed to goto Nikhils but got it done at the garage itself for the lack of time).

And boy does the car feel good now. The clutch & the gear shift is butter smooth. New tyres + new suspension has made a big difference with ride quality which had become terrible. But the best part of it all is that the 3rd gear adrenaline rush is back!!! And im loving it!!

[drphil]

That's expensive.. The Hyundai guys have given up even stocking these vehicles in their used showrooms..

Mom invaded the purchase and sat down on the rear seat on the fiesta and that was the end of story for the accent... :-(

But hey for a family of 6 footers and mom 5'8" that was the way to go! :-)