[sdasgupta]

@aveemashfaq, I was reading this thread with interest since I own a 2008 Getz Prime 1.3 petrol.

Let me try to answer your queries about the throttle response.

My experiences are similar to what dark.night mentioned. Actually based on my 8 years of ownership, I would say that the Getz is tuned for a "dual-personality". Up to about 1.8k to 2k rpm, it seems to be tuned for economy, and behaves sedately, but take the needle beyond 2k rpm, and it immediately becomes a different beast. Having got used to this behavior, I can easily keep up with or pass new hatches. It should definitely be much sprightlier than a M800 after the initial inertia is overcome (due to the much higher kerb-weight). I have had no problems keeping her at a comfortable 120 kmph on highways, with a light foot on the accelerator in fifth gear. On the engine noise front, it is fairly silent till you cross the 2.5k rpm mark.

If your experience is different, I think it points to something that needs to be fixed.

Will eagerly look forward to further updates, and all the best with your beauty. Getz is definitely a car one falls in love with.

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by sdasgupta

My experiences are similar to what dark.night mentioned. Actually based on my 8 years of ownership, I would say that the Getz is tuned for a "dual-personality". Up to about 1.8k to 2k rpm, it seems to be tuned for economy, and behaves sedately, but take the needle beyond 2k rpm, and it immediately becomes a different beast. Having got used to this behavior, I can easily keep up with or pass new hatches. It should definitely be much sprightlier than a M800 after the initial inertia is overcome (due to the much higher kerb-weight). I have had no problems keeping her at a comfortable 120 kmph on highways, with a light foot on the accelerator in fifth gear. On the engine noise front, it is fairly silent till you cross the 2.5k rpm mark.

Will eagerly look forward to further updates, and all the best with your beauty. Getz is definitely a car one falls in love with.

Thanks for the input. I have gone on long drives and started falling in love with it myself. Things that I have come to realize about the Getz until now are

1. I hate the ECU mapping. Like you said, it has dual personality. Until 2 to 2.5k rpm, it behaves sedately. The only problem is 70 kmph comes at 1.8k rpm in 5th gear. So, when I am stuck behind a lorry or a bus, downshift all the time. I can feel the engine has potential to deliver good acceleration even in 5th gear but that bugger of a mapping ruins it all.

2. The speed masking capabilities are good. Even at 100, you barely feel that you are going fast. Feels stable, rock solid and pushes you to drive hard. I can't feel the acceleration unless I look down at the speedo. Sometimes, because of the lack of feeling of acceleration, I end up shifting down to 3rd to overtake because I feel that I am not getting enough acceleration.

3. The short suspension. It is good and does it's job well. But since it is short, if you crash into imperfection, you bottom out easily. A big thud sound.

4. I hate the engine noise. I expected it to sound good at high rpms but i guess we cannot have them all.

5. Blown away by the interior space. Even today, I sit in the car and feel happy about the space I have got. Of course sedans have more space but for a hatchback, it is really good.

6. Whenever I park the car, I still turn back and have a look at it for the second time. It is good styling. Not overly done.

7. I am getting a mileage somewhere between 14 and 20 kmpl in fully loaded condition. I get 20kmpl on relatively empty roads without AC and windows rolled down. Yes, I should have a lot of patience to extract a 20 but the truth is I did. I get 14 when in racing mode with AC on. I don't race per se but there are times when I drive through two lane state highways at night maintaining an average speed of 80kmph.

8. To get an average speed of 80 kmph, I don't drive on 140. I only drive at 100 max. When I get stuck behind slow moving traffic, I shift to third and the acceleration is brutal. To hell with any stubborn driver not giving me way. I can make my way through any small gap there is if I can work with my engine and gearbox. (Please note that I don't advocate speed as a solution). Just making a point that any modern hatchback bugging you and is in full acceleration, downshift and you can fly by him.

All in all, I love the acceleration after 3k rpm, the space, the looks and the comfort levels. I hate the engine noise.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

The short suspension. It is good and does it's job well. But since it is short, if you crash into imperfection, you bottom out easily. A big thud sound.

What tyres are in place right now? Getz comes with terrible, and I really mean terrible stock tyres of either Bridgestone/Goodyear, they are budget variants and really take away the driving aspect of the car because they are hard and have an outdated tread pattern.

I cannot relate to this, i.e the short suspension crashing and bottoming out.. in my driving experience the car takes on undulations, potholes, cable pits etc and dismisses them noiselessly. Yes there will be cabin shake if the pothole is too big and that's true for every other car, I've been taking Uber riding in Etios, Fiesta etc and I feel the Getz is decisively better in comfort than cars with bigger footprint. Bottom-line change your tyres to say 185 section of Yokohoma/Continental/Michelin XM2+ and watch all the road problems disappear.

Also the engine part.. well some things maybe due to the ECU mapping but I focus on the mechanical aspect more than the electronics one and this engine is much different mechanically than modern "Kappa" or "Gamma" engines of Hyundai. This is an Alpha engine, i.e has Single Overhead Camshaft straight 4, this means that it's torque will be good in low RPM in this design but on overall performance across the rev-zones, it'll be slower than the much more efficiently designed DOHC. DOHC though, due to its higher weight and slightly fuel efficient approach will have much less initial torque but will have a more consistent top-end performance.. the response will be flat/consistent across the speeds with no sudden bursts like the Getz will do. I personally will pick the SOHC any day.

The car also comes with a very heavy flywheel, I'm not complaining because it makes the driving much more smoother, makes movement predictable and makes the clutch last long. With a lighter flywheel though, that car can produce torque on the run in a terrifying manner.

Your car still needs work mechanically is my opinion, specially if you aren't fully satisfied with the suspension (are bushings replaced?). Also one needs time to get used to the engine's sweet-zones.. after about 10k kms of driving one's feet can automatically extract the correct speed from the car by staying in the right gear without having to downshift. Also how did you get rid of the moss/mildew in the interior/dashboard?

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

What tyres are in place right now? Getz comes with terrible, and I really mean terrible stock tyres of either Bridgestone/Goodyear, they are budget variants and really take away the driving aspect of the car because they are hard and have an outdated tread pattern.

I cannot relate to this, i.e the short suspension crashing and bottoming out.. in my driving experience the car takes on undulations, potholes, cable pits etc and dismisses them noiselessly. Yes there will be cabin shake if the pothole is too big and that's true for every other car, I've been taking Uber riding in Etios, Fiesta etc and I feel the Getz is decisively better in comfort than cars with bigger footprint. Bottom-line change your tyres to say 185 section of Yokohoma/Continental/Michelin XM2+ and watch all the road problems disappear.

Actually, I realized that our tyre shop was keeping more tyre pressure (33psi) when I told him the mileage of Getz is not so good. Corrected it now to 28psi and the car seems very smooth. I realized it was not the thud of suspension but thud of tyres bouncing off of every single imperfection. That is solved. By the way, time to change tyres. I might be going for 185/70 R13. What do you think?

Also the engine part.. well some things maybe due to the ECU mapping but I focus on the mechanical aspect more than the electronics one and this engine is much different mechanically than modern "Kappa" or "Gamma" engines of Hyundai. This is an Alpha engine, i.e has Single Overhead Camshaft straight 4, this means that it's torque will be good in low RPM in this design but on overall performance across the rev-zones, it'll be slower than the much more efficiently designed DOHC. DOHC though, due to its higher weight and slightly fuel efficient approach will have much less initial torque but will have a more consistent top-end performance.. the response will be flat/consistent across the speeds with no sudden bursts like the Getz will do. I personally will pick the SOHC any day.

The car also comes with a very heavy flywheel, I'm not complaining because it makes the driving much more smoother, makes movement predictable and makes the clutch last long. With a lighter flywheel though, that car can produce torque on the run in a terrifying manner.

Your car still needs work mechanically is my opinion, specially if you aren't fully satisfied with the suspension (are bushings replaced?). Also one needs time to get used to the engine's sweet-zones.. after about 10k kms of driving one's feet can automatically extract the correct speed from the car by staying in the right gear without having to downshift.

Let me clarify one thing straight away. My driving is 90% two lane state highways and 10% town/villages. I don't hit national highways.

I agree that on national highways, it is a walk in the park. I remember on Warangal-Hyderabad dual-carriageway, there was this swift diesel overtaking a series of lorries in 5th when he was caught up in the lag. Maybe he was doing 50 and I was right behind him. By the end of the overtake, he reached his turbo zone and was not letting me overtake. Ego problems for him. I downshifted to 4th and zoomed past him. He was like how the hell did I do that. I love cruising on divided national highways. It is a blast.

But sadly, most of my driving is on two lane roads and most of the traffic is lorries and buses. They travel at 50-60 kmph and you always have some traffic in the opposite direction. The room for overtaking is also quite low. I don't overtake when the road is curving because I don't know if the road is empty. So, I have to sit behind lorries waiting for my turn to overtake. Then, if I stay in 5th gear, I am at 1500-1800rpm. When I get a chance to overtake, I can't overtake in 5th gear because the acceleration will only come after I cross 70 kmph. If I know that and pre-emptively shift down to 4th, I will be revving engine at 2-2.5k rpm which annoys my family. They think that I am in racing mode. So, what I do is wait behind a lorry in 5th gear and wait for a gap and as soon as I spot the gap, I shift to 4th and overtake. It feels fun for sometime. For fast overtakes when the gap is small, I shift to 3rd as well. But at the end of the day, I am stressed out calculating which gear to choose when.

The other car I own is a 1995 Maruti 800 which has no fuel injectors, no ECU, no electronics. Being carbureted, there is no way they can limit the engine torque or power rise and fall. And so it gives me a good understanding of how the engine responds to throttle inputs. You know where the torque starts to build up and you know where the power is good.

But in Getz, I feel that the engine has the same varied points where the torque increases and where the power increases. But the ECU wants to put no surprises to the driver. If I am not wrong, the torque in Getz starts building up at around 1800 rpm. THe power starts increasing at around 2500 rpm. And so, it deliberately limits the torque the engine is making at around 2000 rpm so that there could be a linear rise for a smoother delivery. It is good for a novice driver. But for someone seasoned enough to understand engines, I just get angry why is the engine not giving me the true potential of the engine. Why does the engine has to smoothen it out.

If the ECU did not smoothen the torque curve, I would have had more torque at 1800 rpm, the crucial point where I overtake lorries in 5th gear. That is missing and hence the acceleration it serves me is not enough for my general overtakes. I hate it when I have to downshift because some electronic nanny is telling me so.

Other than that, I have learnt my way to handle the car. Trust me, I have done a 140km stretch of two lane road with moderate traffic at night in flat 2 hours. I know my way out. And if Getz were my only car, I would not notice the ECU interfering at all. Because it happens in all modern day cars. But I drive a Maruti 800 everyday to office and after driving a maruti car for so continuously, you can spot all the ECU mapping.

Also how did you get rid of the moss/mildew in the interior/dashboard?

I cleaned it thoroughly multiple times, once with washing powder and water, drying under the sun, then wiping it with sanitizer and then with colin. I did it for the plastics as well as the seats. Then, used the car with windows rolled down for a week. Parked it in the sun with fresh air mode. Then emptied a bottle of perfume into the car and left it untouched for a week. Now, not even a trace of it's former condition.

[aveemashfaq]

Update 22 August 2016

I had a brake failure on highway.

We were travelling from Sathupalli to Ashwaraopet. This patch of road has road works going on and it was a two lane highway. There was a stupid car that was entering the lane without looking into the rear view mirror and without indication. When I started to hit the brakes, it was not stopping as fast as it would and the brake pedal just hit the floor. Luckily there was the opposite lane which was free and I swerved. I slowed down and noticed immediately that my stopping distance was huge. I got down to inspect all the brake lines and noticed that the left rear wheel was wet. I knew that I had a leak. But the only place to get it done was Sathupalli which was 60 kms back. Dad was insistent that we buy brake fluid and top up because if there is a leak, excess fluid would solve the problem. I wanted to argue that it would not make a difference at all because there is no brake pressure. Still, having some fluid is always good, so we turned back and started looking for brake fluid. The stopping distance became huge that at one point I felt I would be better off putting my leg down and stopping the car.

With a lot of courage, I started the journey back. I decided to use engine braking to stop the car. But I did not adapt. Quickly we found our way to an automobile shop. I braked but nothing. I did downshifts and when in 1st pulled the hand brake. We overshot by a long mile. After we got the fluid, we continued cautiously. But it was 6 pm and I was not sure if the mechanics would be there after dark that too on a sunday. I had to go fast. But how could I.

It was a big test. I drove slowly maintaining my distance. There were cattle on the road being herded and there were situations of panic. You cannot use hand brake at high speeds for the risk of spin off. Plus, our hand brake was not so strong. I did my best and did engine braking very proficiently. I entered the town of sathupalli and did my way through the traffic.

Engine braking is simple. Let go of the accelerator in 5th, it slows down to some speed which you can maintain in 4th, downshift to 4th and let go of accelerator and so on till you get into 1st gear and you fall down to 4kmph and then hand brake and pray to god to stop in time.

The mechanic had a look and told me that the brake metallic line was rubbing against the rear shock absorber for a long time and slowly sanded it all off. We needed a new pipe. But there was none. We got ourselves a bolero brake line, bended an archaic way around not going the same path but another way down and fixed it. Problem solved.

The biggest lesson I learnt. Don't buy a car serviced on a budget. Small mechanics don't care if they have fastened the brake line or not. And we pay for it ultimately. And by the way, stand there and bug your mechanic to put things right even if it is a small clip.

[aveemashfaq]

I take all my criticisms of the car back. The car is now an absolute hoot to drive.

I had a long think and pushed my dad for a lot of changes, upgrades and services. I got the OBD scanning done which showed up an error of intake pressure sensor. I got the whole intake part serviced with all the sensors cleaned and tested post which I have no errors thankfully. The engine became a bit more responsive.

I got the tyres upgraded to 185/70 R13 tubeless Apollo Accelere tyres. The ride was transformed into unbelievable smoothness. It was then that I realized that the old tyres that were there on the car were already 5 years old and they were tube type radials.

Also, all the trips I made until now were full AC fully loaded vehicle on frustrating two lane state highways all the time. People are absolutely retarded and do not have the etiquette of driving at all. They don't give way, they have tons of ego that if you come in outside lane, they accelerate and if you go back behind them, they hold the clutch and coast, they have no sense of distance or direction. There was this one time when there was a narrow two-way tight bridge where an i10 was stuck behind some lorries. The bridge itself was too narrow that vehicles slowed down to 10 kmph or 20. This baffoon i10 came out into the overtaking lane accelerating and was flashing his lights at me. I came to a dead stop and he too realized that he could not make the move and he panic braked with tyres screeching away. That fellow stopped in such a distance that he had to reverse out to go back into his lane and could only go after all the traffic cleared off. Because of things like these happening all the time where people misjudge the gap, don't give way, drive with high beams, I was angry about the journey and hence the car too was bashed.


A village like this will hardly find a National highway connecting it.

On stark contrast, I commute to office in non-AC conditions in Maruti 800 with smooth traffic (mostly) and for short distances. This put me in a mood to curse the Getz.

But because the getz is staying all at home for a month or two without use, I wanted to exercise it a bit and am alternating between Getz and Maruti 800. And my view is completely transformed.

Under the same situations, when M800 just sets off the line, the getz lunges ahead like a cheetah. The throttle seems to be directly linked to your mind. In M800, you think of going there, you put your foot down and you arrive there in that gap. In getz, you think you should be there, poke the accelerator asking "Do you mind going there" and he asks "here or do you want a little more". You have to shit your pants telling it, "calm down, I did not ask this much". The power is smoothly delivered and is mesmerizing. Mind boggling power and speed for a city coming from a maruti 800. But still I shift at 2.5k rpm. Don't know why but it is just a habit even though 2k rpm is enough to shift up a gear.

On highway, I did a long trip on another state highway which was wide enough and boy was it good. I was leaving the swifts and all the other hatchbacks behind although optra and verna were leaving me behind. It was a good experience to be in the very best of hatchbacks on the road. I was sitting there thinking the engine noise is a bit too much, I look down on my speedo and I am doing three digit speeds.

Handling is also good although at high speeds, it was like sailing on a boat. It had vertical movement. Maybe time to change the dampers. Maybe, I will stick to 100 kmph.

[rayjaycleoful]

Since this seems to be the only active Hyundai Getz thread, thought I'd ask a few questions regarding the car here. Looking to acquire a 2007 1.3 gls model in a few weeks time.

1- what is it like to drive? a member here said it can run circles around a 1.2
i20/i10. I would think performance would be at par at the most?
Considering the age of the getz and it's relatively less modern engine.
If someone can draw comparisions between the 1.3getz and the 1.2 in
the i20 it would help me understand easily. How is the low end torque
and how is to drive in the city?

2- what kind of fuel efficiency can one expect in the city? With one or two
people on board and mild ac usage.

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by rayjaycleoful

1- what is it like to drive? a member here said it can run circles around a 1.2
i20/i10. I would think performance would be at par at the most?
Considering the age of the getz and it's relatively less modern engine.
If someone can draw comparisions between the 1.3getz and the 1.2 in
the i20 it would help me understand easily. How is the low end torque
and how is to drive in the city?

2- what kind of fuel efficiency can one expect in the city? With one or two
people on board and mild ac usage.

I haven't driven the i20 petrol so I cannot comment on that. But let me tell you my experience and comparision with the cars I have drove.

When you are setting off the line, you can beat just about any other car. The car has good initial torque and sets off the line really well. The undisputed king among the cars I have driven. It also has a fairly good amount of low end torque. I can drive at 50kmph in 5th gear, tap accelerator and still get respectable acceleration. You can start off a complete stop in 2nd gear with just a small shudder for 1 second or some clutch slipping (although I don't recommend it). You rarely have to revv the engine. You always get a good move on.

I can safely say that in Maruti 800, you look into a gap and you plan on getting there and you are trying to occupy it but you bail out because you were too late. In a Swift or a figo (diesel), you look into a gap and you put your foot down and there is lag and you are praying for no one to occupy it and shouting "powerrrr" and as you arrived into the gap, you suddenly have your turbo-boost which is all wasted and you have to hold your clutch or brake. In Getz, you look into a gap and courteous butlers take you into the place in luxury. The power delivery is tuned for city driving.

The car has a very good city-centric suspension which performs very well to soak out all the potholes and bumps. The turning radius is also very good actually. It is better than Maruti 800 and maybe a bit better than the swift and figo. As good as a honda city. No rattles for me makes the car even more brilliant.

I would definitely suggest it for city driving.

On highways, the turbo-kick of diesel cars makes it hard to overtake them but if you work the engine and gearbox well, you can still overtake them.

Mileage

If you keep your engine steady at 1800-2000 rpm for sometime, the ECU goes into ECO mode (there is no ECO mode as such but in my mind this is what happens). Your acceleration is numb (relatively) and it gives you good FE if you continue on the same speeds. It still has enough grunt but it does not have the urgency when it sets off the line.

If you keep your foot down at that point, there is slow acceleration for 1 second as it turns back to performance mode.(no indicator of ECO or performance mode, only my driving experience)

If your driving is in this zone, you can expect 14-15 kmpl in city with AC on. I usually get 16kmpl in city with AC off with such driving style.

But, if you are a speed freak and want all the urgency and you keep the rpm above 2500 rpm (in the imaginary performance zone), your mileage will start dropping drastically to 11-12 kmpl.

I hope this helps you.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

I take all my criticisms of the car back. The car is now an absolute hoot to drive.

Under the same situations, when M800 just sets off the line, the getz lunges ahead like a cheetah. The throttle seems to be directly linked to your mind. In M800, you think of going there, you put your foot down and you arrive there in that gap. In getz, you think you should be there, poke the accelerator asking "Do you mind going there" and he asks "here or do you want a little more". You have to shit your pants telling it, "calm down, I did not ask this much". The power is smoothly delivered and is mesmerizing. Mind boggling power and speed for a city coming from a maruti 800. But still I shift at 2.5k rpm. Don't know why but it is just a habit even though 2k rpm is enough to shift up a gear.

On highway, I did a long trip on another state highway which was wide enough and boy was it good. I was leaving the swifts and all the other hatchbacks behind although optra and verna were leaving me behind. It was a good experience to be in the very best of hatchbacks on the road. I was sitting there thinking the engine noise is a bit too much, I look down on my speedo and I am doing three digit speeds.

Handling is also good although at high speeds, it was like sailing on a boat. It had vertical movement. Maybe time to change the dampers. Maybe, I will stick to 100 kmph.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Getz 1.3 and 1.5 diesel are simply - fun to drive cars. There cannot be any comparison with Maruti 800.. I told you exactly this is the previous page > its flawless. You'd feel the car is slow because it hides the velocity, 40 kmph appears like 10 and 60 like 30, but its a wolf in sheep's clothing, it has terrific grunt that simply slaps the other cars in their place in the RVM. A lighter flywheel (not recommended due to fragility) will make it shoot like a bullet. I've about 9 years of experience now with this model and have been shooting the breeze with fellow owners and know it inside out. Comparing the 1.3 Alpha engine to the now 1.2 Kappa is like comparing plutonium to common household dust, that's the difference. This is the very reason why Hyundai secretly upgraded the 1198 cc Kappa engine with 82 hp and 114 nm of torque in certain markets to 1248 cc, 87 hp and 122 nm of torque to better match the 125 nm torque of Getz's Alpha engine. Also this upgraded Kappa engine derives peak torque at 4000 rpm which makes it superbly drivable, we can't expect it here in India of course.

If I've not been wrong on other things, I cannot be wrong on this one as well - the handling of the car is fantastic, ZERO vertical movement, ZERO wobble or squishiness. Since your car has been in floods and since its unknown how exactly the first owner took care of the car, I suggest replacement of all suspension related components that can possibly be changed to experience 100% of its beauty. A flood affects the car in more ways than one and that its driving at 90% of its capacity where others cars become a write-off itself is a testament to its quality. I've seen other Getz's on the ramp which were half stripped off and took a close look at them, they're bullet-proof mechanically and crafted with a lot of love (I've looked at the door-frames, the frontal beams, the under-chassis and its a piece of art). Can't say the same about an i10 or i20.

Also how the car performs has a lot to do with how the car was run-in during the first 5k, 10k and 20k. I followed the process by the book, I always change at 1700-1800 even till today and I feel this is the best way to ensure seamless power delivery, 1750-1850 is a sweet-spot for gear changes.. its where the torque builds up perfectly to transfer to the next gear without loss and without jerk (as compensation for lower torque) and anything above is a total loss of torque. Like I said, run-in matters a lot and it determines how the car will perform in future.

If there ever is a job for being the curator for the museum of Getz cars, I should get it without doubt and I'll do it free of cost. The Hyundai "Authorised" Service Centre tried their best to destroy the car by suggesting warrantless replacements and botching up simple repairs.. each time I've intervened and many times took the job upon myself by investigating and ensuring the car is as good or better than new, not that the car was ever problematic, its still running on stock clutch and 99% stock overall which feels as good as new after 9 years in 100% city grid-lock conditions, that's quality that Hyundai have never achieved before and will never achieve ever, that I'm sure of.

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

If I've not been wrong on other things, I cannot be wrong on this one as well - the handling of the car is fantastic, ZERO vertical movement, ZERO wobble or squishiness. Since your car has been in floods and since its unknown how exactly the first owner took care of the car, I suggest replacement of all suspension related components that can possibly be changed to experience 100% of its beauty. A flood affects the car in more ways than one and that its driving at 90% of its capacity where others cars become a write-off itself is a testament to its quality. I've seen other Getz's on the ramp which were half stripped off and took a close look at them, they're bullet-proof mechanically and crafted with a lot of love (I've looked at the door-frames, the frontal beams, the under-chassis and its a piece of art). Can't say the same about an i10 or i20.

Thanks for the info. It is actually true. I have seen both my front shock absorbers leaking oil. I am sure I have to get them replaced. My dad wasted a lot of money in chennai that he is reluctant to put anymore. For him 10,000 rupees on maintenance is a HUGE amount. It is just that my dad has the attitude of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".He did not change the front shock absorbers of maruti 800 till date. It was 20 years and they were in a bad state. I used to say "Shot springs? You mean low stance". He used to check the dipstick and if the oil was black and full, he used to change the oil. If it was black and near empty, he used to top up with fresh oil and say this should work for a couple of days. The same applies now to the Getz and that is why nothing on that car is going to be serviced until it is completely broken. But even after not being in the best of shapes, it is a joy to own and operate the car.

I admit the build quality and engineering of the car is just brilliant. No wonder it was the designed in Germany. Because I can see 10 year old Maruti 800s on the street rusting away with holes on the body panels but the Getz did not have a trace of rust. Good treatment by them. I recently got the lower part of dashboard opened and found foam(thermocol) everywhere inside the dashboard for noise insulation. I am pretty sure we don't have foam in the dashboards of our modern cars these days. And it is rattle free after these many years.

One question. Does your central lock/unlock work well? I had my aunt's kids to our house recently and when I took them out for a drive, those rascals did all sorts of things to the car. They would run to the car and stand at the door pulling the door lever. You know that when we open the driver side door with the key, all the doors unlock. But those rascals were already pulling the door lever and so the central lock/unlock motor could not unlock the door because the lock was jammed when they tug the door lever. And so the lock motor failed in the rear doors. They also stood on the door handles and the power window switch sunk in. They also sat on the door window sill with the door opened. This despite them being 5th and 6th class. Thankfully nothing happened to the car except the central unlock/lock motor wont work on the rear doors. Has this happened to you and if so, does the motor come back into life or is there anything we can do? Or should I go for replacement of all door locks as suggested by the service center? Hopefully I will source second hand rear door motors but is there any chance of it correcting itself?

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

One question. Does your central lock/unlock work well? --. Thankfully nothing happened to the car except the central unlock/lock motor wont work on the rear doors. Has this happened to you and if so, does the motor come back into life or is there anything we can do? Or should I go for replacement of all door locks as suggested by the service center? Hopefully I will source second hand rear door motors but is there any chance of it correcting itself?

Interesting situation, the service centre by default will suggest replacement as they feel "once a problem always a problem". I never had any such issues with the central locking since I'm careful with it, but did do a repair once where the lock-lever was not completely closing (it was out by 2mm in lock position yet it was properly locked) and I had it taken care of because I'm very cautious of locks. All it needed was a slight adjustment to the lever.

When they did this I'm pretty sure I saw two thin metal rods that were hooked up to the lever. The rods are connected to the actuators which in turn works through the relay. Here I guess the master actuator is fine if it locks the front passenger door as well, the problem is in the rear. The thing with actuators is that they're like that push button ball-point pens, after a few years that button might get jammed and will free up once we open it up and release from inside, then it might work as good as before or get jammed again after a few more uses. If both the slave actuators in the back are not working then there could be some electrical issue or a mechanical issue, I feel its the former. Not exactly sure how this could happen but then again we're not exactly sure in what sequence your aunts kids went about with the destruction.

Also you might be looking at a power-window switch replacement (about Rs.1800) in future since it sunk. Any window switch is quite sensitive as it has two way release - relay up & relay down, so any disorientation of its neutral position will spoil the electrical input in due course. As for the central locking you could take a 2nd opinion from another Hyundai station, if the actuators are jammed they've to be released and re-coordinated with the master actuator if it doesn't happen by itself. Relay-board problem is unlikely since 2 doors are working fine. Are all the doors locking up correctly with the key from outside (I doubt it will)?

Easiest and cheapest fix will be to get them to open the system, tweak the slave actuators if possible and find out if there is any grounding issue, if unsuccessful then 2nd hand actuators will be the 2nd cheapest.. else new and expensive "factory" spares which will be a permanent and safest fix.

Edit : Why did the service station recommend replacing all 4 door locks? Do they feel there's a mechanical problem with the locks as well?

[aveemashfaq]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

...........

Easiest and cheapest fix will be to get them to open the system, tweak the slave actuators if possible and find out if there is any grounding issue, if unsuccessful then 2nd hand actuators will be the 2nd cheapest.. else new and expensive "factory" spares which will be a permanent and safest fix.

Edit : Why did the service station recommend replacing all 4 door locks? Do they feel there's a mechanical problem with the locks as well?

Thanks for the input. Well, the power window switch which sunk into the arm rest simply snapped back into place. The service center were asking me to replace the locks since they all come only as a set of four latches (according to them).

I opened them in the weekend and found that the actuator is turning but is dislodged from the place on one side. I have mended that. On the other side, I found the bracket broken. After putting them back in place, the bracket that broken is successful in autolocking the door but wont unlock. The other side which I put back is simply not working. On finding it dislodged, I simply put it back into the slot and assembled it straight away with overconfidence. I should have stopped there and verified the mechanism. Maybe another week.

[rayjaycleoful]

Originally Posted by rayjaycleoful

Since this seems to be the only active Hyundai Getz thread, thought I'd ask a few questions regarding the car here. Looking to acquire a 2007 1.3 gls model in a few weeks time.

Just got the car. Drove it from Noida to Gurgaon.

1)While the engine performance was good, the nvh levels were *much higher than normal*. There was too much vibration and a constant drone, especially between 1000rpm and 2500rpm. The vibrations can easily be felt on the dashboard.

However it reduces when I coast in neutral, but still there.

What could be the problem? Engine mounts or clutch?
Request the help of getz experts, @aveem ashfaq, @ dark.knight.

As of now thinking of returning the car because of the harshness and loudness inside the cabin, don't have the time and patience to get into big repairs.
Note: -car has covered 90k km.
-clutch feels normal, smooth shifts,hardness matches the cars age.

2) The driver side mirror has been replaced with a non convex mirror. It doesn't even say " objects are closer than they appear". Makes driving very difficult, I was relying mostly on the rear view mirror.

Is it possible to purchase only the glass?

P..S: the car has been given to me by someone who bought a new car, I hadn't driven it before today.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by rayjaycleoful

What could be the problem? Engine mounts or clutch?

2) The driver side mirror has been replaced with a non convex mirror. It doesn't even say " objects are closer than they appear". Makes driving very difficult, I was relying mostly on the rear view mirror.Is it possible to purchase only the glass?

If there is a very noticeable thing about the Getz from inside, it is how quiet the engine is.. specially in idle and also speeds. Now the problem with used vehicles is that one can never know how well, or how badly the car was taken care of. All vehicles need to be serviced on time, have oils changed on time and most importantly, driven with care.

Since the car has travelled 90k kms, the following replacements may be due (if not done already) -

- Timing belt > if not done get it done ASAP. (Has to be done at 80k, vital component to engine life)
- Drive belts > again, same as above. (Has to be done every 30k kms)
- Overall service including cleaning of fuel injectors, engine flush and replacement of engine oil, possibly to semi-synthetic or fully synthetic. To find out the compatible engine oil grades you can search for keywords Patiencewins Getz here and go through the ownership thread. This is key to try to find an easy fix for the rough running.
- Engine mounts do weaken over time, since they are hydraulic and since the liquid will lose its viscosity by thumb rule approximately in 7-8 years. The easy way to find if its an engine mount problem is to open the engine bay and check the play of the engine when its running, and also the steering will be quite shaky at all times. The cost for the same is approx 8K and I'd surely go ahead and replace that irrespective just to bring back the sheer silence of the car.

Yes, the mirrors could be "fixed" separately, I'm not sure if its available separately or only with the complete packaging, a call to the spare parts department would clear that doubt. The mirror itself is fixed using silicone adhesive onto a circular holder that turns when the shaft inside is moved.

Whether to return or keep is entirely your choice, but it is a good car and like any other car, would require proper repairs and some additional precautionary replacements to remain running in pristine condition. Tyres, clutch, air filter, minor engine tweaks, belts, consumables (including power steering fluid, gear oil, coolants etc) will need to be replaced if and when necessary, specially when bought 2nd hand. Also the IAC valve would need checking. Most of these can be done in under 2 days when given to a good Hyundai station or a talented mechanic. Only the Hyundai station can give you the service history of the vehicle so that one may understand what works have been done and not done according to service manual.

[rayjaycleoful]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I

Whether to return or keep is entirely your choice, but it is a good car and like any other car, would require proper repairs and some additional precautionary replacements to remain running in pristine condition. Tyres, clutch, air filter, minor engine tweaks, belts, consumables (including power steering fluid, gear oil, coolants etc) will need to be replaced if and when necessary, specially when bought 2nd hand. Also the IAC valve would need checking. Most of these can be done in under 2 days when given to a good Hyundai station or a talented mechanic. Only the Hyundai station can give you the service history of the vehicle so that one may understand what works have been done and not done according to service manual.

Thank you very much for the valuable points. After ~100km of driving the car I can confidently say the electricals, suspension, brakes, alignment/balancing and clutch do not have to be looked at. Tyres and battery are also new. I also found the headlights to be quite sufficient, was surprised to see the fog lamps working too.

The engine is very very peppy, none of today's cars can compete with the low end power; there is a surge of power after 2k almost like a turbo charged car.

The only thing is the vibrations and loudness felt inside, specifically between 1000-2000rpm so I also think it is the engine mounts.The sad part is that is where most of the driving takes place.

There are already three cars at home between only four people and this is the fourth one so it is not needed per se, and I doubt anyone from my family will drive it except me. So I do see the point in investing a large amount of money in the car only to have something to fix again in a few weeks (considering the age of the car). However, I will still take an estimate from an independent garage as well as Hyundai a.s.s, keeping in mind all what you have mentioned. But it seems like at 20-30 thousand has to go in to a car worth ~50k which isn't worth it IMO

Once again thank you for your insights.