[johndy]

I am a proud owner of Hyundai Creta 1.4 D (‘Proud Owner’ that’s what I would have liked to say). My brief ownership experience says otherwise. Moving over from a Swift diesel was a giant leap getting into the next Big League of a compact Crossover/ compact SUV.

The Black Panther


The Contenders for New Car/ SUV purchase: My first choice was Harrier, kept following closely ever since the H5X was revealed at the 2018 Auto Expo, even postponed my purchase to 2019. I was very disappointed to say the least, when I saw the actual Harrier vs the H5X, the H5X was lean and slim and very handsome, whereas the Harrier is Bulky, but still decided to go for the Harrier as I am a big fan of Tata, especially the old school Tata SUVs, Tata Safari and Sierra. Come October 2018, and the soft launch of the Harrier happens, I booked online on October 15th by paying the required Rs 30000. I made up my mind to buy the Harrier, and so the never-ending wait started, full of anticipation for the actual launch and final reveal. And the constant Harrier teasers from Tata and the tall claims about the Land Rover pedigree only made the deal sweeter for me. But, that’s where the good things about Harrier end.

The curtain raisers happened ALL across India in December and it was around January 4th, 2019 in Hyderabad. Got the customary calls from Tata dealer as well as mails from Tata regarding the unveil in Taj Banjara, Hyderabad. I was excited; with wife and kid in tow, was right On - Time for the official unveil. The car looked striking from a distance and my first impression was wow! But slowly, the first wow impression didn’t last looong, I was disappointed with the quality of interiors and the panel gaps were very evident (Tata Harrier still suffered from the same quality issues which plagued the Safari, my dad owned two Safaris back to back before he also moved on to Creta). Wifey didn’t like the interiors, neither did I, they were a big let down on a 2 million Rupee car. My kid liked the striking presence of the Harrier though.

The decision not to buy the Harrier was instantly made. I had already done more than 120000 km on my swift VDI, touchwood, it never ever gave me any issues, except the steering rattle in the initial days of ownership, which after constant follow-up with Maruti was replaced under warranty (cost of the steering assembly – around Rs. 34000, replaced under warranty). I was very happy with the Swift, the way it drove and how it never gave up on me, only the standard maintenance, never failed to start on the first crank (even on cold mornings after being idle for a week!).

The old Shining workhorse


Final Parting Shot – Bye bye, my trusted old friend


So, the obvious choice was to go for a S-Cross, I liked the European looking S-Cross and its ride and handling, but wifey didn’t like it and the fact that it houses the same 1.3 diesel mill under the hood which I have lived with for almost 7 years (albeit a different tune) turned me off. Wanted a change from the tried and tested Fiat sourced engine.

The next obvious choice was the Hyundai Creta, didn’t want to even look any further, as I had wasted enough time waiting for the Harrier. Wifey liked it and the decision was sealed. But the biggest dilemma, I wasn’t willing to spend close to 17 lakhs on the Creta, because it was still my third choice. Nevertheless, I visited the Kun Hyundai showroom (I have lived with the Creta for quite some time, my dad owns one). So, nothing additional for me to investigate and decide.

When I went through the price list the 1.4 D E+ price caught my attention at Rs. 999999. I wasn’t aware of this model til I walked into the showroom, I asked for a test drive, but was replied in the negative. My research on the Creta 1.4 D started. I went through ownership reviews on Team BHP as well as multiple videos on YouTube on the 1.4 D. After two weeks of research, the decision finally made, considering I am a sedate driver and I don’t redline the engine. Finally, I booked the 1.4 D E+ Black with a promised delivery time of 1 month.

The sales guy confirmed the arrival of my car within 15 days of making the down-payment, I was pleasantly surprised, but also worried as I had to sell my Swift to arrange for the payment. I just sold it off to KUN Hyundai to expedite things, took a dent on the selling price (My swift was in tip top condition with new tyres, battery etc). I transferred the money to the dealer, just walked in with the old car and walked out with my New car. Armed with Team BHP PDI checklist, I inspected the car and gave a go-ahead for delivery.

The first look


First view from the driver seat


The delivery process was quite un-eventful, the staff was courteous and waived us off with a nice framed pic of the handing over of keys. The cleaning job was also good with car being spotless! Liked the way they tied the ribbons (wifey suggested the showroom guys on how the ribbons ought to be tied).

Ready for delivery




Modifications planned – This section is where my ownership review will be beneficial for prospective Creta 1.4 D E+ buyers - basically what to do, what not to do, and what to watch out for!

I always wanted to do up my own car and I had the perfect platform – the 1.4 D E+. Widely available accessories, and affordable too with zero changes needed, no need of cutting any wires (confirmed and reconfirmed). Many others on this forum would know, the Creta is the ‘IX25’ in China, hence the wide availability of accessories. I was skeptical of only 1 thing, the workmanship of these Accessories guys.

The showroom guy offered me to 'accessorise' the 1.4 D E+ Creta to 1.6 'top-end' Creta and gave me a Quote of close to 2 lakhs, My first impression was, lol, but politely refused, the primary reason being, i wanted my car to be done up in front of me, not in some dealer's stockyard and then presented to me, also i didn't like the stock alloys on the 1.4 S model. I had already made a round of almost all the car accessory guys in Hyderabad for over a week.


My experience with each one of them:

Xenex: Had the range, but lukewarm response, they just said Get your car and we will see! And they also stuck the Xenex car sticker on the rear windshield without my knowledge/ permission, when I parked the car in-front of their shop, not acceptable Xenex, hence decided against giving them my business.

Indian Decars: The same response, Get your car and we will see!

Pitstop, Jubilee Hills: The owner isn’t here, Ditto, get your car and we will see!

Finally something made me go to the other end of the city, Minister Road – Carsonics, suggested by somebody I don’t remember, the guy there Naman, his response was good, but that’s the only thing which was good, my accessories installation experience at Carsonics was not so good/ in fact bad.

List of Accessories/ Mods Planned:
1. Alloy Wheels
2. Android Audio with Component Speakers
3. Roof rails
4. Map light/ Sunglass Holder
5. Steering Audio Controls – Mainly for safety

Alloy Wheels Installation Experience: – Dealer – Ashoka Wheels, Banjara Hills, Experience- Very Good. Recommended? – Yes!

Brand - Plati

They even offered me trials on two models with the car jacked up, finally made a bold decision to go with one of the models, the Alloys turned out to be very good (looks are subjective, I like the Alloys, Period). Traded in the stock rims, retained the OEM Goodyear tyres, didn’t have the budget to upsize/ exchange for better tyres.

The brand new alloys: unpacked


Alloys installation - work in progress:


This is how the car went in – plain Jane!


This is how it came out – all decked up!


I really liked the first look. Proper / good alloys can make a huge difference/ impact to the stance of the car.

Just for comparo, the alloys looked better (IMHO) than the top end Creta which was just passing by. I considered Momo - revenge, but somehow couldn't convince myself to get them. The Plati design on my Creta are easy to maintain as well!

The Next stop for Accessories: Carsonics, Minister Road. Met the owner Naman, finalized the Accessories list.

Below is each accessory installation experience:

1. Android System - wanted JBL, but he pushed for the costlier Kenwood-Model No – BT 7016, final opinion after usage – Kenwood is better, with Spotify recently launched in India, it makes sense as it is Spotify ready.

Installation experience: Could have been better, there was an experienced technician working along side a newbie, finally not satisfied with the installation, my worst fears came true, alas!

At Carsonics:


Audio install in progress:


2. The component speakers – Wanted Infinity, but was offered JBL, don’t know why, did not have a choice, as I didn’t want to stop the installation because of unavailability of Infinity or his reluctance to install Infinity. Final opinion after usage – should have waited for Infinity, JBLs are too loud for my liking.

The speakers being fitted


3. Roofrails – The roof rails are ABS plastic and stick on type, but the installation wasn’t professional and the roof rails at the front just don’t stick and the front portion of the roof rails are permanently in the air, an eyesore.


Final opinion – Roof rails are OK, but installation not professional, hence NOT satisfied.

4. Backlit audio steering controls: Got it for both sides of the steering and they work well (cruise doesn’t work). Quality of the buttons is OK, on par with OEM. The steering had to be removed and refitted.

Kenwood system with steering mounted controls:


Final opinion – I later came to know that the steering wheel once removed, because it’s a EPS, it has to be calibrated after fitting, didn’t know this, the downside of after- market install, I still don’t know how this would negatively affect driving. Experts on this forum can comment/ suggest solution.

Four Accessories which Carsonics guy proposed and the Ones I disposed:

• Chrome package all over – Definitely a big no from me.
  
• Car seat covers – Will go for tailored/ custom fit covers at a later stage
  
• Pillar lights on the rear – Strict no
  
• Amp/ Woofer – If budget permits, at a later stage

Two more accessories proposed by Carsonics which I should have disposed:

1. Front DRLs – They look the same as OEM and Carsonics guy claimed there would be no cutting of wires, they are just plug in type, I should have been more informed/ aware of this, as this would lead to serious issues later.

2. Rear Lamborghini style reflective brake lights – Good, highly recommend!

Overall experience at Carsonics – It’s a busy shop, very less attention to cars, installation guys keep changing between cars, one guy's work is taken up midway by the other, some lack the skills and aren’t trained at the job.

Final opinion: Don’t recommend and highly unprofessional. The guys are good only for small menial jobs, not for professional mods/ high end installs.

Driving/ Ownership experience:

The first few days were a real ‘Joy’ driving the super smooth engine, it was a welcome change from the relatively noisy swift DDIS. The big car feel and ‘be seen’ in an SUV feel, priceless.

The knight in shining armour, turns heads wherever it goes!


The joy soon turned into horror into the 2nd week of ownership – there were fluctuations in the AC blower followed by drastic drop in power, the car almost came to a standstill and I couldn’t get it to accelerate. The power almost dropped to ‘zero’ in the middle of a drive. Promptly reported to Kun Hyundai service center in Kondapur at first service – they gave a silly reason of debris in the blower, removed and checked the blower and did nothing else. Just washed the car and gave it back to me.

The voltage fluctuations/ AC blower speed variations persisted. Again, promptly reported to Kun Gachibowli service center. The first diagnosis given was dust particles in Diesel, the reason given for drop in power. I bought their argument, took the car back, filled in fuel at a different petrol pump just to test their theory (All through my 7 years of swift ownership, I maintained a single pump, HP in Gachibowli and I never faced any issues).

The problem still persisted, took it back to the service center for the same complaint for the third time and that too in the initial 40 days of the new car, requested them to properly diagnose the problem as the car was behaving very erratic, the engine started sounding harsh and the voltage fluctuations/ AC blower automatic speed variations were now driving me crazy! The alternator and battery were fine. The service guy suggested DRLs might be the culprit, I asked them to disconnect and check. Still the problem persisted. They couldn’t solve the problem and returned the car the same evening. I observed a peculiar change in the vehicle – with the headlights on – the fluctuations were gone. But still I could observe the drop-in power and a harsh note in the engine! Maybe the power supply to the engine wasn’t continuous!

At Kun Hyundai Service Center


I contacted the service center once again and informed them about my observation. The service center also told me that the issue has been reported/ escalated to the company. I patiently waited for 3 more days and after constant follow-up, I received a shocking reply from the service advisor – the behaviour is normal – cross check with the same model. How can a new car with voltage fluctuations and depleted Power be termed normal! Absolutely irresponsible answer from Hyundai!

I got the car checked at two independent reputed car garages to test the ‘normal’ theory with a multi-meter and varying current voltage was recorded. Supporting videos below.

Armed with this evidence, I again went to Kun Hyundai, Gachibowli for the solution. They kept the car for the whole day, but couldn’t rectify the problem, I took the car back in the evening. They said something was done and its fine now. The car seemed fine in the night as the headlights were on. The moment I started driving the next day, the same problem persisted. Promptly took it back to the service center, reported the issue, this time after speaking to their service center manager (already spoke to him on the previous visit), just told me that he would discuss with Hyundai and get back to me with the solution.

My discussions with the service center staff revealed that Creta 1.4 D vehicles are exhibiting this peculiar problem (more than 6 reported at Kun Gachibowli, there maybe more across Hyderabad at other service centers and many more across the country).

As I see there are two possibilities: The car either has a manufacturing defect or the Carsonics guy who fitted the DRLs could have messed up the wiring. In either case, Hyundai can’t rectify the issue and is terming it as normal behaviour, which is unacceptable by any standard (that too a month-old vehicle). So much for the legendary Hyundai service!

Don’t get me wrong, the service staff are courteous, tea, water is offered in the customer lounge, but, if I wanted to be treated well, I would splurge on an expensive hotel, not make repeated visits to a car service center. My main purpose is to get the issue with my vehicle resolved at the earliest. How come the service personnel/ representatives from the company are unable to address this issue which is prevalent on quite a few vehicles? So much for the trust placed in Hyundai!

I am skeptical about taking the car on highways for fear of stalling. I have written to the company email twice with a standard reply from Hyundai and nothing else gets done. The last time, after I wrote to the company is when the CRM manager from Kun contacted me and just spoke some standard feel good words like You are a priority/ your issue will be resolved; bla bla. Hyundai is silently ignoring the problem.

I have even asked them to repair the vehicle at My cost, if there is any issue, not even necessary to honour the warranty, am yet to hear from Hyundai. As of this ownership review posting date, the problem persists.

[Col Mehta]

Well, first of all, heartiest congratulations on your new car. Looks beautiful. Can't find the videos though.

I hope the issues with your car get rectified soon. Must be painful for you and your family to go through such experience with a brand new car. We own two Hyundai cars and know that their level of expertise goes down the drain the moment you report something out of regular service and repairs. Their canned responses make things more frustrating.

Be sure to reach out to their highest management and be persistent with your demand to get your car fixed. Good luck!

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Technical Section. Thanks for sharing!

To know how to share videos, click here (Embedding Videos into your posts).

[deehunk]

I tried to understand the problem and it seems to me a rpm related issue. The service center guys often fail to identify such issues, have you driven the vehicle without A/C? Check for any current leak near fuel sensor, try to trace the wiring of Android Head Unit and DRL's. If feasible, remove these two and check the voltage.

[Maxwell Arthur]

Hi Johndy,

Congratulations on the Creta. I got the car from Chennai to Madurai, where I currently reside, on temp registration so that I could get it permanently registered in Madurai. I had the same issues with the blower fan speed increasing when I release the accelerator and vice versa. This happened even without any accessories. I did not complain since I thought it is a standard feature. It was after the first service that I had got all the accessories fitted. When do you feel loss of power?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by johndy

The Joy soon turned into horror into the 2nd week of ownership – there were fluctuations in the AC blower followed by a drastic drop in power, the car ALMOST came to a standstill and I couldn’t get it to accelerate.

First of all congratulations on getting the Creta and also sorry to know about the issues the car is facing that is troubling you.

Since you know the list of accessories added to the car after delivery, why not disconnect each of them individually to find which one of them is the troubled accessory that is messing with the electricals.

Originally Posted by johndy

I later came to know that the steering wheel once removed, because it’s an EPS, it has to be calibrated after fitting.

It is a 5-minute work to address this issue. We need to reset the EPS using G-Scan II. Tried sending you a PM on this but since you are a Newbie, can't do so.

[interc00led]

Engine is probably losing power because of unstable voltage supply to the ECU.
This can be due to a short or a case of bad grounding caused due to poor installation technique of electrical accessories or cutting corners to save time.

1.Start by eliminating all the aftermarket electrical accessories.
2. If the problem still persists, inspect all the factory wiring and grounding points that might have been tampered during installation.
3.Check the blower speed and voltage fluctuation with the Key on/engine off. If the voltage is stable in this state but fluctuates with the engine running then it could be due to a faulty charging system.

This is a known issue specific to 1.4 crdi variant of creta.
ECU goes into a sort of limp mode but doesn't throw a CEL and when it is hooked up to a professional scanner, it shows the status of engine as 'starting/cranking'.


As you are from the same city, I would be more than happy to help you out.
Please get in touch.

[blackasta]

Congrats on your new car !

Now coming to your problems - if your car was fine before installing the electrical accessories and is displaying the symptoms (fluctuating AC, falling RPM, lights on fluctuation gone) only after electrical accessory installation, it is almost definitely due to a punched wire or a loose grounding.

Disconnect all aftermarket accessories, check that no wires are shorted, recheck all grounding points, and then drive around for a few days. If it's all fine, get a competent installer, and start reconnecting accessories one by one - keeping atleast a week in between each re-connection.

If the problem persists even after disconnecting all accessories and checking all ground points, then it may be a problem with the ECU which requires company intervention.

[johndy]

Mod note: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote [Quote +] instead. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

Well, first of all, heartiest congratulations on your new car. Looks beautiful. Can't find the videos though.
========
Be sure to reach out to their highest management and be persistent with your demand to get your car fixed. Good luck!

Thanks Col! As mentioned in my post, i have already written to the company twice without any actions, also spoke to the Service manager personally, nothing useful ever happens!

Originally Posted by deehunk

I tried to understand the problem and it seems to me a rpm related issue.
----
If feasible, remove these two and check the voltage.

Thanks hunk, I have disconnected the DRLs and currently i am running the car without them, but the the voltage fluctuations persist.

Originally Posted by Maxwell Arthur

Hi Johndy,

Congratulations on the Creta.
=====
It was after the first service that I had got all the accessories fitted. When do you feel loss of power?

Thanks Max, the fluctuations are prevalent even during throttle or when the car is moving, but not there when the car is idling (for example at a traffic light).

Originally Posted by a4anurag

First of all congratulations on getting the Creta and also sorry to know about the issues the car is facing that is troubling you.
=====
It is a 5-minute work to address this issue. We need to reset the EPS using G-Scan II. Tried sending you a PM on this but since you are a Newbie, can't do so.

Thanks Anurag! Wish i could do all these as I am technically challenged and wouldn't be able to do all these without some expert guiding me , and finding the right garage who would trouble-shoot these honestly is a big problem. Appreciate if you can help out/ direct me to any such person/ garage.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by johndy

Thanks hunk, I have disconnected the DRLs and currently i am running the car without them, but the the voltage fluctuations persist.

Thanks Max, the fluctuations are prevalent even during throttle or when the car is moving, but not there when the car is idling (for example at a traffic light).

If the throttle is stable at idle speeds but varies during driving, it has to be a faulty sensor. The fuel and air are two major components for a stable rpm, if there is a problem with either of them, rpm will fluctuate. If you have any other dealer, try visiting them.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Since you know the list of accessories added to the car after delivery, why not disconnect each of them individually to find which one of them is the troubled accessory that is messing with the electricals.

Originally Posted by blackasta

Disconnect all aftermarket accessories, check that no wires are shorted, recheck all grounding points, and then drive around for a few days. If it's all fine, get a competent installer, and start reconnecting accessories one by one - keeping atleast a week in between each re-connection.

If the problem persists even after disconnecting all accessories and checking all ground points, then it may be a problem with the ECU which requires company intervention.

I think these are very good suggestions, sure seems like an electrical interference resulting in malfunction.

Step 1 - do a diagnostics scan at Hyundai, if any error codes are being reported. If they find something, will give some idea about where the problem is.

Step 2 - If the error codes are not reported or unable to figure the reason for the codes, disconnect the electrical accessories fitted. From you post, head unit, DRL (already disconnected) and steering audio controls needs to be disconnected. Ideally one by one.

Step 3 - If the issue persists even after disconnecting the head unit and steering controls, remove the additional wiring put. Only this step requires a bit of rework.

If all this steps fail, then check all electronic control modules. All this can be done by Hyundai dealer itself, to avoid any further issues and blame games. Hope things gets resolved fast.

[johndy]

Originally Posted by interc00led

Engine is probably losing power because of unstable voltage supply to the ECU.
This can be due to a short or a case of bad grounding caused due to poor installation technique of electrical accessories or cutting corners to save time.

1.Start by eliminating all the aftermarket electrical accessories.
2. If the problem still persists, inspect all the factory wiring and grounding points that might have been tampered during installation.
3.Check the blower speed and voltage fluctuation with the Key on/engine off. If the voltage is stable in this state but fluctuates with the engine running then it could be due to a faulty charging system.

This is a known issue specific to 1.4 crdi variant of creta.
ECU goes into a sort of limp mode but doesn't throw a CEL and when it is hooked up to a professional scanner, it shows the status of engine as 'starting/cranking'.


As you are from the same city, I would be more than happy to help you out.
Please get in touch.

Thanks intercOOled, all good points which i have tried but unable to find out the real culprit, my guess is even the service center guys have tried, but failed! How do i get in touch with you?

Originally Posted by blackasta

Congrats on your new car !

Now coming to your problems - if your car was fine before installing the electrical accessories and is displaying the symptoms (fluctuating AC, falling RPM, lights on fluctuation gone) only after electrical accessory installation, it is almost definitely due to a punched wire or a loose grounding.

Disconnect all aftermarket accessories, check that no wires are shorted, recheck all grounding points, and then drive around for a few days. If it's all fine, get a competent installer, and start reconnecting accessories one by one - keeping atleast a week in between each re-connection.

If the problem persists even after disconnecting all accessories and checking all ground points, then it may be a problem with the ECU which requires company intervention.

Thanks Blackasta, i am facing a tough time finding the culprit punched wire/ ground (if that is the case).

Originally Posted by Jaggu

I think these are very good suggestions, sure seems like an electrical interference resulting in malfunction.

Step 1 - do a diagnostics scan at Hyundai, if any error codes are being reported. If they find something, will give some idea about where the problem is.

Step 2 - If the error codes are not reported or unable to figure the reason for the codes, disconnect the electrical accessories fitted. From you post, head unit, DRL (already disconnected) and steering audio controls needs to be disconnected. Ideally one by one.

Thanks Jaggu - Step 1 done 3 times already at Hyundai Authorized Service Center, but they are unable to help, very incompetent, they Only give excuses NOT the solution.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Step 3 - If the issue persists even after disconnecting the head unit and steering controls, remove the additional wiring put. Only this step requires a bit of rework.

If all this steps fail, then check all electronic control modules. All this can be done by Hyundai dealer itself, to avoid any further issues and blame games. Hope things gets resolved fast.

There is No additional wiring now, and the Audio unit is socket type, so no wiring was put, and ALL the steps were done by KUN Hyundai, Gachibowli, which is the biggest in Hyderabad (issue reported 3 times). I have run out of options now.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by johndy

Thanks Blackasta, i am facing a tough time finding the culprit punched wire/ ground (if that is the case).

Wires can be punched in the most unlikely of places - one such place is below every plastic trim in the footwell area which are opened to pass cables. when they are put back on, and are pressed to snap fit, they can pinch wires and cause them to short.
Also, grounding points are bolted on and a loose bolt can cause irregular fluctuations.

[interc00led]

To our surprise we found broken ecu coupler and corrosion on the pins. Looks like this was broken by the ASC, we are not sure.
It is essential for these terminal pins have a good connection with the coupler as all the sensor and actuators depend on it.

We used G-scan scanner (supports OE level diagnostic functions for Hyundai)


Voltage drop as soon as the load is increased.


Voltage drops from 14.2 to 12.5(non-charging state).

Diagnosis- Faulty battery load sensor or it's poor terminal contact at the ecu (corrosion can be seen in the attached pic)

We removed and cleaned the ecu coupler and battery load sensor coupler, problem looks to have been solved for now.
Waiting for John to update after using the car for few days.


Related threads on the ecu corrosion issue -
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4240043 (Hyundai i20 ECU Trouble)

[deehunk]

Great job, hope the problems are fixed. The ASC may have disconnected the ECU during transit or in stockyard. They should own this terrible mistake and replace under warranty.