[fighterace]

Originally Posted by msaudf

....

and I told her the cost of the car plus the parts and labor. She said its actually cheaper than the scooty and thanked me.

Congratulation, it's a really nice car. May I ask about the amount and the break-up? BTW, the Spark is the Matiz with a new engine and a new name.

[msaudf]

Originally Posted by fighterace

Congratulation, it's a really nice car. May I ask about the amount and the break-up? BTW, the Spark is the Matiz with a new engine and a new name.

Thanks @fighterace, I will pm you the details you asked for. Yes the spark is indeed the Matiz with a the 1ltr engine, but I hear there are not much common parts. I'm yet to experience that for myself, so I'm keeping my eyes wide open on that front.

Hi everyone,
Can someone clarify if the Matiz and the spark share the same ignition coil. I feel like the car needs a new ignition coil. The symptoms that lead to my assumption is the car hesitates a lot when the throttle is fully open. As a precautionary measure I replaced the spark plugs the HT leads, the fuel filter and pulled out the injectors and got them cleaned too. I then took the Matiz to a neighborhood mechanic and had him adjust the timing. I tried to reproduce the hesitation while test driving the car but it didn't seem to do so, I thought the tune up sorted the issue and drove back home. On the way to our house is an empty stretch of road where I can floor the car through three gears and I noticed it hesitated in second and third, it was only by then I also noticed that the hesitation occurred only when the engine was warmed up to operating temp. I drove back to the mech and got him to test drive the car and it showed hesitations there too, he said he thinks said the coil is on it way out, and to test it he needs to fit a working coil from another running car (like that's going to happen). What do I do? search for a Matiz coil or buy the Spark's coil off the shelf?

[Knowall]

Originally Posted by msaudf

Thanks @fighterace, I will pm you the details you asked for. Yes the spark is indeed the Matiz with a the 1ltr engine, but I hear there are not much common parts. I'm yet to experience that for myself, so I'm keeping my eyes wide open on that front.

Hi everyone,
Can someone clarify if the Matiz and the spark share the same ignition coil. I feel like the car needs a new ignition coil. The symptoms that lead to my assumption is the car hesitates a lot when the throttle is fully open. As a precautionary measure I replaced the spark plugs the HT leads, the fuel filter and pulled out the injectors and got them cleaned too. I then took the Matiz to a neighborhood mechanic and had him adjust the timing. I tried to reproduce the hesitation while test driving the car but it didn't seem to do so, I thought the tune up sorted the issue and drove back home. On the way to our house is an empty stretch of road where I can floor the car through three gears and I noticed it hesitated in second and third, it was only by then I also noticed that the hesitation occurred only when the engine was warmed up to operating temp. I drove back to the mech and got him to test drive the car and it showed hesitations there too, he said he thinks said the coil is on it way out, and to test it he needs to fit a working coil from another running car (like that's going to happen). What do I do? search for a Matiz coil or buy the Spark's coil off the shelf?

Try scanning it and see if there are any errors, you can use the paper clip method to determine the codes. Was the hesitation jerky or the feel of input with no output...

[sreerama]

Hello,

You might have to change the distributor which is a common issue. There are 2 models which came originally. Mando and Delco. My mechanic who had worked in Daewoo recommended for Delco but its not available. You can get imported ones / local make in some shops. I got one from used market and its good now. I have got hands on a 2002 SD model from 2009 till i sold it few months back.



It has excellent handling for its size and weighs right. A car which has entered more early for Indian Market. It used to give me around 23(90+ speed) in highways and 17 inside city.

The major downside is original part availability. The local spares dont last. I managed to use compressor of Spark for AC, rest of the engine parts are not swappable. Now you get the newer version with 1L engine, Spark but not sure if it can deliver similar mileage figure..

[kaushik51094]

Hillram sir - please tell me how the car is holding up now. I'm planning on getting one in Bangalore and i have a limited budget of 50k. Also, please post the mileage figures you're getting from it and maintenance cost. Thank you.

[Storm2.0]

Hi all ! About 4 months back we got home a dark green 2000 Daewoo Matiz from our family friend who was no longer using it. This is the base version without AC and power steering. I primarily needed this car to commute to metro station as the public transport connectivity from my house to metro is very poor. This car would also be used for miscellaneous purpose within a radius of 5 to 6 km from the house only.
The car was had not been used for over a year. So it had become a breeding ground for rodents. They had bitten all the electrical wires due to which the car didn't start. The car was towed to an FNG . He restored all the wires and brought the car back to running shape. Also the fuel pump when kaput, so i arranged a used fuel pump compatible with Matiz (I don't know which car he sourced it from).
After driving it for 4 months here are my views regarding the car.

Space: Though this car may look small from outside but provides decent space inside. It can easily accommodate 4 passengers. Sitting on the rear bench is not a problem as one does not feel cramped or sit low like in a Maruti 800 or Alto.

Interiors: The dashboard still looks modern and plastics used are hard but of durable quality. Even after 17 years 88,000 km of abuse the dashboard has not lost its shine. It has not faded from anywhere.

Exterior: The car has compact dimensions and looks very cute from certain angles. This car will compel you to have a second look at it. Compact dimensions along with tight turning radius makes this car maneuverable and easy to park inspite of lacking power steering.
Mud flaps are neatly integrated with the bumper. Windscreen washers too are neatly integrated. Overall the design elements seem to be way ahead of its time during its heydays. Also the ORVMs look very smart.
The paint unfortunately seems to be aging as it starts crumbing and leaves a dent/scratch even when a small sharp corner of a stone or keys brushes against the body panel. The body panels feel solid and does not show any flex and pressing lightly unlike some popular budget cars today. Rubber beadings of window too have started cracking.

Features: This car is barebones and comes with a pre-installed blower, which is powerful, silent and provides much needed relief from heat on all days to some extent.

Safety: This car comes with only front ELR seatbelts, Collapsible steering column, childlocks and Servo assisted braking system. This car had passed European crash norms when it was selling in Europe. This may not be enough for todays standards but still gives some confidence when compared to tin cans like Datsun go/redigo and Kwid.

Engine performance and other specifications": This car is powered by 800 cc motor. I had read somewhere that Maruti 800 and Matiz shared the same engine block. The car does provide a peppy performance with this little engine.
Matiz produces 52 bhp of power, i am not sure about the torque figures (I think its around 75 Nm).
Even after not so great maintenance this car sounds refined and silent for its class. I also love the exhaust note of this car very much.

-1st gear is just for pulling the car and steep inclines on full load or for starting from standstill.

-2nd gear is manages to pull the car from second gear on speed breakers and slow speeds. But it is weak for quick overtakes and one has to momentarily downshift 1st gear at high rpms to access the torque and then upshift.

-3rd gear is good and provides lot of fun around 60 kmph on ring road. It is suitable for overtaking trucks and cars on ring road. It also provides good pull all the way upto 80 km/h 4th and 5th gear are tall. The max I have taken this car is to 90km/h.


At around 70 km/h wind noise creeps in though engine noise and vibrations are under control. The car does tend to unsettle and mild potholes mainly because of R13/155 tyres.

Rattles can be heard at low speeds at certain RPMs.
Fuel efficiency is around 13 to 14 km/l within city limits.


Final thoughts: I feel sad seeing so many Matiz lying around different garages around the cities and lying abandoned gathering dust. Probably they must be being cannibalized by other few Matiz plying on the roads for want of spare parts. I also feel pained to see it being abused by the African migrants as they buy this car for a cheap price (current market value is 50k max).
This will always remain an iconic cars from the late 90s in my views and my respect for this car and the engineering applied in producing this car has increased manyfolds after using Matiz for 4 months.
I feel glad whenever I see exceptionally well maintained Matiz on roads.
Thank guys for reading and sharing your experiences with Matiz.

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by Storm2.0

Thank guys for reading and sharing your experiences with Matiz.

I owned a Matiz from 2000-2008 and 100k Kms before upgrading to a Swift diesel. Primary reason being improved reliability and economics.

What I liked about the car:

• Cute
• Ease of use in the city/maneuverable
• Modern interiors for that time
• Given I led a single and largely nomadic existence at that time, not much else mattered.

What I disliked:

• Availability of Daewoo trained mechanics.
• Availability of spare parts.
• Long term issues like busted cam shaft in a low mileage vehicle. (haven't seen this in a 2 lakh kms old M800).

In all, the cost of EMI, maintenance, and diesel put together was lesser than the cost of fuel alone for the Matiz. (my running was ~120-130 kms/day). I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Matiz, but made sense to upgrade back then and I did. Still have the Swift ~10 years and 150k kms later.

[Storm2.0]

Yes sir you had made the right decision to part away with Matiz. Even in my case it is just a temporary arrangement. My dad wanted me to gain experience in driving before he bought a better second hand car. Our matiz will be with us for another 4 months max ie till my first year of college gets over and my dad is clear about it. We brought matiz with the intention of only owning it for few months. I feel sad to think about parting away with this car soon . My daily running is limited to 14 km max.