[arun_josie]

Spotted this SX4 in my office parking with a similar issue,

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Spotted this SX4 in my office parking with a similar issue.

Thanks for sharing!

I too have spotted creases at same spot in at least 6 more SX4's. These creases look very prominent in silver coloured SX4.

[arjab]

Suspect it is from stress/body-flex.
This kind of flexing can be fixed. It is usually done by fitting reinforcements and/or strengthening plates to the affected areas from the underside.
But it is quite a complicated and a very skilled task to undertake.
If not done correctly , you may eliminate the distortion from that particular area but end up transferring the same to the next weak spot on a neighbouring panel.
Another alternative can be to fit a rally / race specification underbrace/strut-brace - which basically will make the rear end stiffer and less prone to flexing, thus minimising future wrinkles.

Whatever is to be done: a highly skilled body mechanic is needed. You may start to look for some body mechanic who usually straighten out smashed out/heavily accidented cars. Usually if you have friends / acquaintances within the insurance industry, they may be able to help you in providing good leads.

[scorpian]

Found this.
Maybe it could help.

http://ultraracing.my/ecatalog/index...tabilizer-bar/

[carmayogi]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

SX4 is an Italian designed car, sold by Fiat as Sedici and by Suzuki as SX4. It was designed by Italdesign Guigiaro.

The boot was not an afterthought and it is well integrated with the rest of the car. Sedan version has been sold not only on India but also in Japan and Europe.

A few things to reply. Design and integration, visually, is good especially compared to others like 1st gen Dzire. That is not really the point I was making. Just that if you hang a boot off a car, the compression load would be on the floor, pushing forward and the stretching load would be on the C pillars. If you look at the Worli Sea Link for example, the roadbed is the compression part and the metal cables stretch. This is true for every sedan.

Designers do not exactly dictate the strength or type of material used in the actual production version. Add to this fact that Maruti are known to use lower tensile steel compared to, say, VW or Fiat.

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

This problem of creases has not been an issue all these years. I hope we explore why this could happen.

Actually, the OP says he has seen this on multiple cars and has been on his car for a while as well. It's probably something that gradually gets worse and worse through repeated stretching over time + vibrations from regular grind of driving over bumps, with loads, acceleration, braking, etc.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by carmayogi

Just that if you hang a boot off a car, the compression load would be on the floor, pushing forward and the stretching load would be on the C pillars. If you look at the Worli Sea Link for example, the roadbed is the compression part and the metal cables stretch. This is true for every sedan.

In that case, shouldn't

1) the "hypotenuse like" bracing of the C pillar with the top edge of boot frame 2) the cross member between the C pillars (under the rear parcel shelf)

together act like a truss which holds the boot, unlike a simple cantilever with only 4 fixtures at 4 corners. In other words, the C pillars are expected to act like the metal cables of the worli sea link, when the boot floor corresponds to the roadbed

If 1 and 2 are in place, ideally, the sheet metal (that shows the flex) can technically even be made from a soft drink can and still should not have the crease.

[carmayogi]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

In that case, shouldn't

If 1 and 2 are in place, ideally, the sheet metal (that shows the flex) can technically even be made from a soft drink can and still should not have the crease.

Repeated shock events such as potholes can create the crease, the moment the load goes over the design limit, even if that is for mili seconds at a time.

I guess we also don't know how good or bad the parts 1&2 as described by you are, neither do we have data on the loads transmitted to the C pillar. By good or bad I mean both quality and geometry.

I'd like to see how the Vento and City have their C pillar built. That might give us a clue of whether sheet metal is sufficient or more is needed. In my opinion, the C pillar ought to be stronger to meet roll-over protection standards (along with the A & B).

Anyway, all of this is armchair guesswork. The only thing we can agree on is that it is a design problem with 2011 model vehicles as the OP has observed a few different cars with the same issue along with one responder who posted an image as well.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by carmayogi

The only thing we can agree on is that it is a design problem with 2011 model vehicles as the OP has observed a few different cars with the same issue along with one responder who posted an image as well.

Pics of 4 SX4's with creases have been posted on the forum now. 2 of them were posted way back in 2012, I have given the link of those posts .

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by carmayogi

I'd like to see how the Vento and City have their C pillar built. That might give us a clue of whether sheet metal is sufficient or more is needed. In my opinion, the C pillar ought to be stronger to meet roll-over protection standards (along with the A & B).

which reminds me, what about notchbacks like octavia/laura etc ? they obviously dont have their C pillar bottoms connected by a cross member

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

SX4 is an Italian designed car, sold by Fiat as Sedici and by Suzuki as SX4. It was designed by Italdesign Guigiaro.

The boot was not an afterthought and it is well integrated with the rest of the car. Sedan version has been sold not only on India but also in Japan and Europe.

This problem of creases has not been an issue all these years. I hope we explore why this could happen.

Designed in Italy by Italdesign doesn't necessarily mean engineered by them, does it? I think the SX4 is a wonderful design, though a bit tall for a sedan.

SX4 stands for Sports X-over (Crossover) 4 all seasons, which doesn't really describe a sedan. The SX4 was introduced in 2006 as a mini SUV or Crossover type hatchback, with a 4x4 option. The Fiat Sedici was never sold as a sedan either, from what I've seen on the Internet.

The Sedan version was showcased in 2007 and later launched in India, Japan, and some Eastern European markets. When a sedan version is launched more than a year later and sold only in select markets that require a sedan rather than a Crossover hatch, I think that qualifies an afterthought.

I think that the SX4 sedan was a great idea for developing markets, as the crossover underpinnings translated to better ground clearance and tougher suspension, a boon in India and Eastern European markets. I don't see what the appeal for Japan is, maybe the tall seating.

Looks-wise, the boot is well integrated, I agree. But there is something causing these creases on several cars all over the world. That means it isn't environmental, or a rare issue. IMO that means that the engineering wasn't as sound as it should have been. Since it appears over time, I think metal fatigue is to blame.

[sureshkishore]

I am really curious on what might have caused this. One clear difference between the pre vvt (2007-2009) and post vvt (2009 onwards) cars is that the ride on the pre vvt cars are noticable stffer and the later models the suspension is clearly more plush.
This I assume was done as part of the minor upgrade the model received in 2009.
Probably the initial model had a stiffer torsion beam at the rear and the later model may have had a less stiffer one to make the ride plush but that ended up transmitting more torsional load on the body shell thus causing the buckling.
Pardon me if I sound stupid.

Disclaimer:Have a 2007 Model SX4 ZXi Car done about 70000 and a 2012 ZDi done 95000 kms in my close family, and the ZDi is my current ride temporarily. Both these cars don't have these creases, have double checked. Probably both the cars were nursed and were never subjected to extreme torsional forces that Narens remapped SX4 was subjected to.

[GTO]

Thanks to Vinod Agarwal for sending these observations in via this Team-BHP page!

My point:

Over a long period of usage, rear shock absorbers hit the member of the car where the shock absorber is fitted with the body. Since force is applied 'upside' there, so force applied on the rear tail member is downside. Hence the side tail member got bent, so the quarter panel of the body also bends down from the rear, but the quarter panel extends to the roof/side body. So the quarter panel got twisted and the crease appears. Since in India we travel on the left side, so the left part of vehicle is more affected.

Attaching a rough sketch for a clearer view.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks to Vinod Agarwal for sending these observations in via this Team-BHP page!



Attachment 1791402

I think this is only part of the reason, just stress on one axis alone wouldn't be enough to cause so much damage, I believe its torsion along 2 axes, which can cause this, like wringing a piece of wet cloth with our hands to remove as much water as possible. (pic attached)

[paragp2006]

I have 2011 SX4 zxi done 54800kms on oddo. After reading this article I did double check on my car and haven't observed any signs as discussed here.

I think I will have to wait for another 25k kms to start seeing those.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by paragp2006

I think I will have to wait for another 25k kms to start seeing those.

The first case reported on Team BHP had this issue at just 18k kms on ODO. In my case, it was very mild at 1 lakhs km (left side). The car has run more than 1.2 lakhs km now and the crease is very prominent on left side and has even appeared on right side.

I believe this issue is seen mostly in SX4's which are driven on bad roads, full load etc.