[sleepyk]

I have a 2007-ish model Dzire VXi with about 30,000 kilometers on the clock.
A great car overall, it has of late been giving me a few engine issues, which have been reduced after two visits to the service center, but still persist. So I'd like to elicit the collective wisdom of Team BHP and see if there's something I can do.


It all started with me noticing that the engine wasn't holding revs when idling.
It went from 1200 rpm to 800 rpm, then the ecu kicked in and corrected that, and it went back to around 1200, only to start losing the revs again. The smooth petrol engine started vibrating and making noise like a diesel.
I took it to a trusted local mechanic, who said that the spark plugs were misfiring. We checked, and one of them was burnt out and not working. (This despite the car having gone for a service at MOS in Ahmedabad, when the SA reported that all spark plugs were replaced. They clearly were not, and the guy was plainly lying. But let's not go off on that tangent.)
Well anyway, all 4 plugs were changed for NGK ones. Things improved a bit, but the vibrations still persisted.
I also noticed that power delivery had become rather sluggish, especially in the 3rd and 4th gears.
On a drive from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, I noticed a strange burning smell coming from the car at speeds over 110km/hr. There was another very mild, aromatic smell which came in at around 80km/hr. We decided to cap our speed at 100km/hr and finished the trip without any issues.
Subsequently I had to top off the engine oil once because the check engine light came on, with the strange smells persisting.

So with all of these problems in mind, I finally gave the car for servicing at SK Wheels in Navi Mumbai.
Went for an initial drive with the SA, demonstrated all the issues with the car. The smells, the sluggish power delivery, the diesel-like shakes and the inability to maintain revs.
For 4 days, my SA couldn't find anything wrong with the car. He said he opened up the engine twice, and couldn't find anything wrong with it. I don't know if it's a testimony of his incompetence or of the complicated nature of my problems. 😜
Finally, in his own words, a "wise senior mechanic" pointed him to the EGR valve. It was blocked and coated with soot. So the EGR got replaced. He said that there was nothing else wrong with the car, no engine oil leaks, no ECU issues, nothing. According to him, it was completely reliable. So, I drove back from the service center with slight improvement in the symptoms, but probably with unresolved underlying problems.

The car has run 2-3k kilometers after all this.
There are still issues with power delivery and pickup. The engine still gives out smells at over 110km/hr.
But it's now a daily driver for my sister, who drives much more sedately than I did.
It has gone from being dragged on Palm Beach and being chucked around Nerul to doing milk runs to Inorbit. 😜
My only concern now is that the engine problems might just balloon and cause some sort of catastrophic failure some day on some remote stretch of road, far away from any mechanic. I don't want to end up having to sink huge amounts of money to resolve complications if I can resolve the underlying issue now.

Please feel free to comment about your opinion of these issues, and do forgive me for my rather rambling and undisciplined style of writing.

[rajeev k]

Some points needs to be explained.
Why the engine was opened up twice and what are the findings.
You had posted that the engine oil needed a top up. Is the car consuming oil?
Did the engine get overheated anytime before the problem cropped up?

[300 KMPH]

My Indica Petrol used to give burning smell after high revving or accelerating rapidly till 110kph or above that. But it turned out to be worn out clutch. Sluggish acceleration can also be due to bad clutch or ignition coil. Also check your fuel injectors. I am no expert in this but thought it could help.

[sleepyk]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Some points needs to be explained.
Why the engine was opened up twice and what are the findings.
You had posted that the engine oil needed a top up. Is the car consuming oil?
Did the engine get overheated anytime before the problem cropped up?

The SA opened up the engine twice in order to find out exactly what was going wrong. I was told that he did not find anything noteworthy.

The car burns oil if it travels over 110kmph. It's been driven at lower speeds after that top up, and hasn't needed more oil again.

I think it overheated once. I think it went for service soon after this. My memory is a bit spotty as almost 2-3 years have passed and I was very busy at the time.

Originally Posted by 300 KMPH

My Indica Petrol used to give burning smell after high revving or accelerating rapidly till 110kph or above that. But it turned out to be worn out clutch. Sluggish acceleration can also be due to bad clutch or ignition coil. Also check your fuel injectors. I am no expert in this but thought it could help.

Clutch plates are relatively new, as they have been replaced once due to being worn out by careless chauffers and myself when I was learning to drive.
The fuel injectors were checked and cleaned during service.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by sleepyk

The car burns oil if it travels over 110kmph. It's been driven at lower speeds after that top up, and hasn't needed more oil again.
I think it overheated once. I think it went for service soon after this.

I feel that the cylinder head needs to be opened and serviced.

[tharian]

Does the Swift Petrols have an EGR Valve?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I haven't heard of an EGR valve on petrol engines from Suzuki..

[vinayrathore]

Originally Posted by tharian

Does the Swift Petrols have an EGR Valve?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I haven't heard of an EGR valve on petrol engines from Suzuki..

Correct. NA Petrols/Diesels do not have EGR AFAIK. EGR works only with a turbo in place. Please ask the SA is he really sure he changed EGR valve in your petrol swift and take it in writing.

Also why was the engine oil topped on the basis of Check Engine Light? When the service advisor said he opened the engine, what exactly did he mean? It can be ignition system or the cam case or the head or down till the block which I am sure cannot be the case. The ASS is taking you for a ride it seems.

[sleepyk]

Originally Posted by tharian

Does the Swift Petrols have an EGR Valve?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I haven't heard of an EGR valve on petrol engines from Suzuki..

I do have it documented on the service sheets. But I was also surprised on looking up the EGR valve after he mentioned it.

Originally Posted by vinayrathore

Correct. NA Petrols/Diesels do not have EGR AFAIK. EGR works only with a turbo in place. Please ask the SA is he really sure he changed EGR valve in your petrol swift and take it in writing.

Also why was the engine oil topped on the basis of Check Engine Light? When the service advisor said he opened the engine, what exactly did he mean? It can be ignition system or the cam case or the head or down till the block which I am sure cannot be the case. The ASS is taking you for a ride it seems.

Engine oil was topped up because it was overheating.

I'm trying to find a good, reliable mechanic who's experienced with this engine, because I haven't had a satisfactory experience at both Maruti workshops.

The Ahmedabad one was plainly a cheat, and the one in Navi Mumbai was either incompetent or ripping me off, as you said. I had even gone to the works manager at the time and he was very apologetic about the delays with my cars service issues, telling me how my engineer was an award winning guy. But god only knows how that award winning knowledge was put to use in case of my car.

I was only told that "engine poora khol diya hai, kuch mila nahi, aap permission do toh header nikaal ke dekhe".
Engine head wasn't opened as my father said it's best left untouched, as the mechanics aren't always great at putting them back together.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by sleepyk

Engine oil was topped up because it was overheating.
I was only told that "engine poora khol diya hai, kuch mila nahi, aap permission do toh header nikaal ke dekhe". Engine head wasn't opened as my father said it's best left untouched, as the mechanics aren't always great at putting them back together.

It is all confusing.
How they opened up the engine without dismantling the cylinder head is Mandrake's territory.
Why your father insisted for not touching the cylinder head is not understandable.
How much was billed to you for all these jobs?

[sleepyk]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

It is all confusing.
How they opened up the engine without dismantling the cylinder head is Mandrake's territory.
Why your father insisted for not touching the cylinder head is not understandable.
How much was billed to you for all these jobs?

My father can be idiosyncratic that way. Nothing I can do about it.

I was billed about 14k in toto, but all this was in the middle of a hectic exam season, so I don't really remember what all was done.

I do remember the replacement valve being billed at around Rs 4000.

[rajeev k]

Can you post a scan of the bill.
Since the problem is not resolved even after spending Rs 14K, take it up to the next level with Maruti.

[humyum]

Hey, please clear some of these confusions.

I am sure the engine was not opened, not a chance simply because without opening the heat, how did he manage to 'open' the engine and why would you need to open the engine, a simple compression test would do for starters. Secondly, opening the engine twice for 14 k is impossible. Too little money for all of this.

Secondly, why would you top up engine oil for overheating ?

I don't if your service stations are incompetent or you are confused about the work done on your car, never the less. Post the entire bills of work done till now and we can take it from there.

[sleepyk]

Originally Posted by humyum

Hey, please clear some of these confusions.

I am sure the engine was not opened, not a chance simply because without opening the heat, how did he manage to 'open' the engine and why would u need to open the engine, a simple compression test would do for starters. Secondly, opening the engine twice for 14 k is impossible. Too little money for all of this.

Secondly, why would you top up engine oil for overheating ?

I don't if your service stations are incompetent or you are confused about the work done on your car, never the less. Post the entire bills of work done till now and we can take it from there.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Can you post a scan of the bill.
Since the problem is not resolved even after spending Rs 14K, take it up to the next level with Maruti.

Topped the engine oil because the car was burning through it, and overheated once.

I'll do what you guys are saying and post the bills and service documentation in a few days. Thanks for bearing with my ignorance till now.

[Jeroen]

A couple of thoughts, you say the CEL came on and you had to top up the oil. Sorry, but the CEL won't come on because your engine oil is low, unless perhaps there is already massive damage to the engine.Is the CEL still on?

The most important thing is to get your car/engine hooked up to an OBD analyser, preferably an car specific one, read the codes as that is most likely the quickest and most accurate way of coming to an accurate diagnosis.

Based on the symptoms you describe, the poor idling, vibrating and the power delivery issues could be due to the idle valve not working properly and or the coil being on its last legs.

But until you hook it up to an OBD analyser it is going to be a long and tedious affair trying to troubleshoot this.

Jeroen

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by sleepyk

Topped the engine oil because the car was burning through it, and overheated once.

Kindly explain the overheating incidence and the action taken thereof then.