[msd63]

I too experience the juddering after I drive about about 15 Kms in traffic. It is not pleasant and I did bring it to the notice of the SA during the most recent service. He brushed it off by saying that the car can be driven another 10k Kms before replacing clutch plates. I am not sure about AMT in the long run. Does the same judder happen in other vehicles with AMT? Without the judder, Celerio is perfect for city driving.

[humyum]

Yesterday I drove a 120 kilometre run brand new Celerio AMT for 400 odd kilometers on a trip to Daman and back, one of my cousins had just bought it.

The D mode is painful on the highway, a little prodding of the accelerator will see it downshift even when all you want is whatever acceleration you get in say 5th gear, press it even more and it will downshift 2 gears at a time. Many a times I saw 5th to 3rd when all I wanted was acceleration in 5th. Next time I depressed it quite little and sometimes it shifted to 4th, sometimes just stayed in 5th.

The high speed dynamics of the car are wonderful, I was cruising at the same speed in the Celerio that I cruise in my 185-70-R14 shod Swift Diesel and never once did I feel a scare, infact it felt more or less as planted as the Swift

With 5 people, the car still never felt underpowered, 80 felt like 50 from the drivers seat

The steering was a tad bit heavy and in the city part of the drive, I felt it could have been lighter

Manual mode is just perfect, tap the gearshifter up and down and you will have the time of your life, it won't downshift unless you almost reach the engine stalling speed and it wont upshift unless you ask it to, even if that means spending time at the redline, just perfect.

Sometimes in the city traffic, there is a lag, it's like its neither accelerating, neither shifting, just lagging even when the accelerator is pressed, then suddenly it will move ahead.

Would I buy one? Definitely, even if I wanted to do 50:50 city/highway, I would buy the Celerio, it might be a small car but it does behave like a big one.

[NPV]

A friend bought a Celerio ZXi (manual transmission) last week and he had a question regarding the VIN and asked me to help him. Couple of weeks ago, he had asked me about how to check the VIN for manufacturing month and year and I had told him to decode the last 2 characters of the 21 character Maruti VIN code. Apparently the Sales executive at the dealership told him it is a 17 character code, not 21 characters
But, he did go ahead and get it registered as well and later asked me to verify if the vehicle was indeed a 2017 manufactured one.

Opened the hood and a quick look at the VIN etched on the frame showed last 2 characters "BH" meaning February 2017, so all was well.

What surprised me was that the ZXi comes with driver side airbag, has steering mounted controls for Audio and Bluetooth call support (nice!) but does not have fog lamps (placeholders present for them in the bumper) and the under side of the hood does not have the cladding for insulation. I don't know how much Maruti saved on these things but pretty pathetic considering it is a ZXi trim

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by NPV

one.

Opened the hood and a quick look at the VIN etched on the frame showed last 2 characters "BH" meaning February 2017, so all was well.

What surprised me was that the ZXi comes with driver side airbag, has steering mounted controls for Audio and Bluetooth call support (nice!) but does not have fog lamps (placeholders present for them in the bumper) and the under side of the hood does not have the cladding for insulation. I don't know how much Maruti saved on these things but pretty pathetic considering it is a ZXi trim

The absence of fog lamps is something annoying but the insulation part is pretty well taken care of. Engine noise is well contained and you hardly hear the engine at idle. Only when revved hard the three cylinder engine makes some noise. I considered adding this, but it hardly made a difference and I scrapped the plan.

[HappyRoadie]

After going through lots of reviews of various cars I finally booked Celerio VXI AMT in white color. Will be taking delivery on Monday. Hope to start an ownership thread soon and will also be doing a comparison between Tiago and Celerio.

[HappyRoadie]

Guys took delivery of my Celerio VXI AMT yesterday.

[flying_spur]

Originally Posted by msd63

I too experience the juddering after I drive about about 15 Kms in traffic. It is not pleasant and I did bring it to the notice of the SA during the most recent service. He brushed it off by saying that the car can be driven another 10k Kms before replacing clutch plates. I am not sure about AMT in the long run. Does the same judder happen in other vehicles with AMT? Without the judder, Celerio is perfect for city driving.

I have a 1.5 year old celerio Vxi AMT driven for 21k kms and I have started facing this juddering issue since 2 months. It occurs only at low speeds when I release/apply the brake especially at traffic signals, and the effect is pronounced at inclines. I am yet to visit the service center

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by audioholic

As discussed, I got the second service of my Celerio done today and got the clutch disc/plate replaced under warranty. The issue had surfaced as early as 2.5k kms and it became worse by 5k. Had reported this issue with the transmission software back then itself but the usual 'We know our stuff' attitude played that time. But now they were caught and no more justifications were done. The clutch disc was replaced and now the transmission is smooth as butter. The cost of the disc is 800 so thats something not to worry even if in the future there is an issue. Definitely not a bomb to repair.
[/list]

Dear Audioholic, Can you share which Maruti Service station you used for replacing the Clutch Plates? I am experiencing the same problem as you, got it checked three times for juddering issue, but they are not able to solve it.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Sparky

Dear Audioholic, Can you share which Maruti Service station you used for replacing the Clutch Plates? I am experiencing the same problem as you, got it checked three times for juddering issue, but they are not able to solve it.

I got it done at the dealer workshop itself, ie Garuda Autocraft. Well the only solution is a new clutch disc. So unless thats replaced the issue wont go away no matter what they do. For me, the first time I reported the issue I was lenient with them and let them do their job. They tried to reset the transmission and I left the place with slightly lesser judder. However it was because the judder was more prominent when the clutch disc was hot and it had cooled down when I left.

The second time I reported the issue I was more point blank. I told them not to fiddle with the TCM reset and change the clutch disc else I would be taking everyone to task. Hence by evening they did as I said and it solved the issue. If this issue repeats again, I will surely have the MSIL people running behind me and will definitely sit with them until they find a permanent solution.

I know what the issue is. In second gear the TCM slips the clutch excessively when you take off from a speed breaker. This causes scarring on the disc and hence the judder. After the clutch change I have ensured to not let this happen. Somehow after 3k kms on the new clutch, it is still super smooth (first disc started juddering within 2k kms). Hence they should release a software uodate to solve this issue and reduce clutch slippage in second gear.

For all you guys, dont accelerate hard in second gear after a hump. If so, initiate a kickdown to D1 and then accelerate hard. However, the mechanic says its a manufacturing defect in the disc. If this problem repeats, I will definitely ensure they update the transmission software sitting with MSIL enginners. Dealership is not technically capable of offering a solution.

[vivek.ks]

Hi,

I am recalling my brief encounter with Celerio AMT today. I had a chance to drive Celerio for around 20 kms in peak bangalore traffic. Celerio feels very light and I was thinking ride will be very bumpy. To my surprise suspension is tuned well and is able to absorb bumps in road with ease.

I was not at all happy with how the gear lever is designed in this car. I have driver automatics before missing clutch was a non issue. However while running at 10-15kmph, by mistake I was able to put call into 'R' from 'D' - Reverse from Drive. By habit I tried to a do a upshift from 2nd to 3rd gear as if I was driving a manual. Normally you need to press a knob on lever to do the same. This know is missing in Celerio's lever. Thankfully no one was hurt and I was able to move ahead after hurting my pride.
Has anyone done this before ?

Bluetooth pairing worked after lot of effort and it was not so easy to setup. Overall nice little city car. Anyone checking out celerio should also try zest AMT.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by vivek.ks

Hi,
I was not at all happy with how the gear lever is designed in this car. I have driver automatics before missing clutch was a non issue. However while running at 10-15kmph, by mistake I was able to put call into 'R' from 'D' - Reverse from Drive. By habit I tried to a do a upshift from 2nd to 3rd gear as if I was driving a manual. Normally you need to press a knob on lever to do the same. This know is missing in Celerio's lever. Thankfully no one was hurt and I was able to move ahead after hurting my pride.
Has anyone done this before ?

Bluetooth pairing worked after lot of effort and it was not so easy to setup. Overall nice little city car. Anyone checking out celerio should also try zest AMT.

The shifter should have had interlocks or at least a stiffer feel. Right now, its too easy to operate. However, I have only ended up shifting from M to D by mistake. And once from D to N. All this is because I had my hand resting on the shift selector and the weight of the hand was enough on corners and humps to make the shift happen.

The audio system has the most stupid ergonomics ever. Just plain stupid.

1. The volume knob should be on the left side while the tune knob should be on the right. However, it is reversed. That means my left hand can both reach the steering controls to change volume or the knob for the same action. The tune knob which is used to change folder or audio settings is far away from my left hand and I have to reach out all the way to do any changes. Similarly, if the co passenger wishes to change the volume, they have to reach all the way right which is very awkward. It is placed correctly in the international versions and the LHD variant but for us, it is flawed.

2. Bluetooth settings can ONLY be accessed with the button on the steering. What kind of reasoning is that? And this setting cant be accessed when car is moving. Hence, only the driver can set up bluetooth and not the passengers.

3. In shuffle(Random playback) mode, we cant go back to the previous track. When previous track is pressed, it goes to the previous track in that folder and file order, not the random order.

Aaand, looks like the infamous judder is slowly reappearing with just 3k kms done on the new clutch. I learnt one thing. You can teach the transmission how to use the clutch.

Sometimes, in bumper to bumper traffic, when we use the throttle to move ahead quickly instead of allowing the car to creep, the transmission starts losing knowledge of the clutch position it should take to creep well. This starts to make the creep very slow and weak and also make the car jerky. To avoid this, let the car creep on its own once in a while and learn the clutch position. I do this while parking. Let go of the brake but dont press the accelerator. The car will initially begin to creep slowly, but after one or two repetitions of brake and unbrake, the vehicle creeps more instantly and smoothly. This will also improve launching in a slope. When the transmission has got the right learning, the rollback during a slope is very less. I have never used the handbrake to start off an incline except for once till now following this method.

[no_boundaries]

Hello,

So I finally went ahead and booked the Celerio ZXI AMT(O) in white at Mandovi Yelahanka. The experience with these folks has been excellent so far.

My daily drive till date (whenever in India) is the Vento. I commute 30kms one way every day to work and back. Though I love the car to bits, I find it very cumbersome to drive in the stop and go peak hour traffic. Hence the need to get an automatic. I needed some inputs on 2 things -

1. Mandovi is giving me MGA Alloy wheels at a discounted price of 21K for 4. Its an 8 spoke design, similar to Audioholic's Yellow/Green Celerio. Loved the design but is it really worth the price ?

2. The car comes shod with JK Vectras in the 165/70/R14 avatar. I'm looking to swap these to either a 175/60/R14 or a 185/60/R14 from Michelin. Any suggestions here and probable implications on ride quality ?

Thanks !

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by no_boundaries

Hello,

1. Mandovi is giving me MGA Alloy wheels at a discounted price of 21K for 4. Its an 8 spoke design, similar to Audioholic's Yellow/Green Celerio. Loved the design but is it really worth the price ?

2. The car comes shod with JK Vectras in the 165/70/R14 avatar. I'm looking to swap these to either a 175/60/R14 or a 185/60/R14 from Michelin. Any suggestions here and probable implications on ride quality ?

Thanks !

Congrats on the car. Looks like the Celerio tribe is growing like anything in Bangalore. My office basement now has Celerios in all colours. Another positive note is we are seeing more of ZXI(O) compared to the VXi and ZXi which is definitely a good thing. Now my car is no longer a rare option except for the colour. My aunt has booked a blue ZXI(O) and it is expected to be delivered by this weekend.

1. I paid 19500 for the alloys. For the price you pay, you cant get a better option since if you search for aftermarket alloys, most of the reliable brands are priced higher and the cheap alloys are either from unheard brands or look too yuck in my eyes. Hence, I blindly went in with MGA alloys and the options were limited. I wanted the celerio OE alloys itself, but that was not in stock and my dad liked this design so went ahead.

Let me be frank, there is a disadvantage in this alloy and 165 wheel combination. The spokes of the alloy protude out a little bit which causes scratches in case you brush against something on the road like a stone or land into a deep pothole. If you get this alloy, I would suggest 185s with rim protectors or 165s. I have Goodyear on my SX4 where the design is such that the tyre walls sit wider than the alloy. This will prevent the alloy from getting scratched.

2. I have MRF ZVTVs and they havent disappointed me. Not sure about the vectra since they were on my SX4 before and nothing short of crap with respect to ride and grip levels. Check if you can swap to MRF or if you are buying outside, Michellin would be a good choice.

Get the B pillars blackened and they will change the looks of the side. Currently its too much white IMO.

[audioholic]

The annoying clutch judder cropped up again. Called up the works manager and blasted him and all he could tell was to get the car to the ASC to take a look. As I had told earlier, it is not a permanent solution to replace the clutch disc. Problem lies in the software. He provided me the email ids of the TSM to whom I wrote this mail. Lets see the outcome tomorrow:

Hello,

I currently drive a Celerio ZXI(O) AMT with regn no. ********** which was purchased on 12/08/2016 from Garuda Autocraft. Currently the vehicle has done 8500kms as of today and is my daily office drive.


ISSUE 1 : There is severe clutch judder in first and second gear which is leading to horrible behaviour of the car at low speeds in traffic and while parking. The issue began when the car had run just for 3000kms.

First visit to SC: The TCM was reset and I returned back, but problem was not resolved.

Second visit to SC: During second service at 5000kms, the clutch disc was replaced which solved the problem.

Now, the issue has cropped up again at 8500kms which indicates that the replacement of the clutch disc was never a PERMANENT solution. I had earlier raised the same concern with GM, Service at Garuda and I was given a vague assurance that this would not occur again. However, it is not so. It is highly annoying that such issues are coming up on a Maruti vehicle. This is the eighth MS car we have had at home, and no other car has required repeated visits to the service center so often, apart from regular service. This defeats the reliability card that is played everytime.


I want a permanent solution to this issue, and being an Automotive R&D Engineer myself, I want a technical resolution to this issue ASAP. I see from many online forums that this is a widespread issue with AMT vehicles. There is no way we can replace clutch discs every 5000 kms. In my manual transmission cars, the clutch has always lasted more than 60000kms after which I have proactively replaced it. If an AMT cannot handle the clutch better than a human, then do consider offering a fix to the software that runs in the TCM.


Coming to ISSUE 2: There is a creaking sound coming from the exhaust pipe when moving the car from standstill. This issue was acknowledged by the SC and the silencer O ring was replaced recently. However, the issue has reoccurred again. Again, it was just a temporary solution.


In this age of emerging markets, it is high time you took these issues seriously and resolved issues rather than just replacing parts and sending the vehicle back. Being a daily drive, it is not easy to send the car every now and then for resolving such issues. I hope you have read the mail till here, and offer a good resolution of the issues faced.

Regards,

If you are facing similar issues, then it is high time everyone pressurised MS to offer a permanent solution. Once warranty expires, it is difficult to do the same.

[RSR]

Is this clutch juddering issue restricted to the Celerio AMT alone or is it also occurring on other cars with an AMT, both from Maruti Suzuki & other manufacturers?