Team-BHP - Fuel Efficiency Down Immediately after 2nd Service :(

Hi Team-BHPians,
I own the newer model WagonR-Vxi which is now 6 months old (or shall I say new?) and driven for ~ 9000Kms.
The average I was getting before the 2nd service (@ 5000Kms) was around 14 consistently in the city and around 17 on the highways.

However, once the 2nd service was done, I immediately noticed a drop in the fuel efficiency - It now gives around 12-13 in the city (even without AC) but surprisingly gives a whooping 19-20 Kmpl on the highways.

FYI -
- My driving habits are unchanged (since I've been driving since the past 10 years) and it's only me who drives the car.
- The service centre guys had adjusted the clutch during the 2nd service (because I'd complained to them about the harder gear). Also, when I checked the service booklet, they have adjusted the Alternator belt (because the car gave a screeching sound during cold starts).

Can either of these 2 adjustments lead to a fall in city fuel efficiency ?
Is the highway mileage that I get currently OK or should it be more ?
Is it possible that the service centre folks would have tried to do something fishy ? (It's a reputed Service Centre in Thane - Navnit Motors)

I did make a trip back to the service centre to get this corrected, but all they did was the re-adjust the clutch which they thought is the reason for the drop in fuel efficieny.

Can someone please give me pointers as to where things could have gone wrong and what can I do about it ?

Thanks in anticipation.

- PieS

Yes, clutch adjustments have direct impact on your mileage. But, what I don't understand is the greater difference in the city and highway mileage. A faulty clutch adjustment should reduce them both.

I'd only suggest one thing - when driving in the city, try and avoid frequent gear changes as much as possible. Also.. a difference (from 14kmpl to 12-13) isn't too much, and can be due to various other factors, such as your fuel, road / traffic, etc. It could even be psychological (may be you are trying to find fault with the mechanic, because you don't like him/her :-) ), and hence driving more angrily.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paish (Post 392818)

However, once the 2nd service was done, I immediately noticed a drop in the fuel efficiency - It now gives around 12-13 in the city (even without AC) but surprisingly gives a whooping 19-20 Kmpl on the highways.

i am not an expert on car tech but what i understand is on highway your clutch system is almost out of work, when engine is directly coupled to the wheels (thru gears of course).

city is where most of clutching comes into picture. and i suspect something wrong with the transmission system (including clutch assembly).

in other words, you engine has improved with the service but it is not able to transfer all it's juice to the wheels when used in city. that must hurt.

Amu - So what do you suggest I do in this case ? The traffic conditions have been the same more or less since I drive on the same route.

Sharath - Do you mean to say that I will never get my baby back in shape ?? Why on earth do these service centre guys always have a reputation of breaking something in return for fixing something ? :(

Vivek - Exactly, that is what I think too. Guess it's a faulty adjustment of the clutch which is ruining only the city mileage (because of more clutch usage).

So what do you guys suggest eventually ? What do I tell the service centre guys ??? Can anyone put light on the best service centre in Pune for Maruti - My car is now due for 3rd service.

Also - Does extended warranty make any sense ? The service centre guys (so does the pamphlet they have) claim that even the electrical parts like power window motors etc are covered under the extended warranty ? Does anyone know what's the fact ?

Thanks for all your responses!!

- PieS

Faster Faster Faster, till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of Death...
But what about the fear of rising fuel bills ??!! [:D]

[quote=paish;393438]Also - Does extended warranty make any sense ? The service centre guys (so does the pamphlet they have) claim that even the electrical parts like power window motors etc are covered under the extended warranty ? Does anyone know what's the fact ?

Thanks for all your responses!!

- PieS

/quote]

IMO, you neednt go for an extended warranty as WagonR like Santro is a proven car and only a very small % of the car populace actually make use of the warranty benefits. Also, i doubt if power windows are covered in warranty and FYI, i know of a santro whose power windows worked flawlessly even after 7 years of hard usage.