[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by hserus

If you just clean your air and ac filter you can’t remove ingrained dust from a paper filter. You will eventually pay for cheaping out on a few hundred rupees each with premature failure of your ac cooling coil / turbo issues etc. The same with topping up oil rather than draining and refilling on schedule.

Your concerns are genuinely valid but thankfully most of them are unfounded in my case due to the reasons described below.

Let us start with the engine air filter. All Creta cars have cotton-based engine air filters and not paper-based ones. Cotton-based air filters easily last way longer than paper ones. Cotton based air-filters can even be washed, dried and reused if necessary. Hyundai themselves recommend cleaning them with vacuum cleaners in all the 10000 kilometres services when they are not replaced. Hyundai recommends replacing them every 20000 kilometres as a part of preventive maintenance but since I clean them regularly with a vacuum cleaner, I am able to keep a sharp eye on its condition. Moreover, replacing the air filters in my car is almost as easy as drinking water. Also, I keep a new spare engine air filter in my car at all times for any probable emergency. I also keep an eye on the fuel efficiency figures since a clogged engine air filter will easily translate to a drop in fuel efficiency as well.

About the AC air filter in all Creta, it is foam-based and not paper-based. Also, I never turn off the cabin air recirculation mode in my car. Instead, I open the windows when I need to draw in fresh air. This way no dust, dirt or debris gets to enter the AC system from under the car. Also, my car has an ionizer built-in within the AC system as a part of the air purification process. The ionizer releases charged ions which charge the dust particles in the cabin and makes them drop to the floor. As a result the AC air filter gets way less dirtier but still I clean it very frequently just like the engine air filter. Similarly, I also keep a new spare AC air filter in my car for any possible emergencies. Replacing the cabin air filter is very easy in any Creta. Hence, there is very less likelihood of AC cooling coil failure due to my practices.

Speaking of turbo failure, I do not think that failure of a turbocharger is even possible in my car since my 1.6 petrol Creta has a naturally aspirated engine

About replacing the engine oil, I stick to the Hyundai recommended schedule of 1 year or 10000 kilometres very religiously even though the condition of the engine oil can be easily determined by having a look at the dipstick especially in case of naturally aspirated petrol engines like mine unlike the diesel ones.

About topping up the brake fluid, I keep a strict eye on its condition by employing the use of a cheap brake fluid testing device. As long as the moisture content remains below 3%, I do not need to replace the brake fluid unless it gets very dirty. However, please be assured that we will replace it as soon as it is necessary. Here is my cheap brake fluid tester pen :-

About replacing the coolant fluid mixture, I check its condition on a regular basis with a refractometer and a multimeter. I can assure you that we will replace it as soon as the coolant fluid mixture loses its utility. Here is my refractometer :-

And here is a peek inside the refractometer :-

Thank you very much for sharing your concerns. I hope that I was able to assuage them

[hothatchaway]

Hats off to you ma'am, I must say that your automotive knowledge is awesome! Hyundai service should give you personalized service, at a time when other customers are not around, lest their usual practices of hoodwinking be exposed

Apart from religiously changing the lifebood of the engine every 10k/1 year, the other fluids, especially the coolant, from manufacturers other than Maruti are long life. So if one has the tools then they can be retained for longer. In addition, if one knows a good mechanic then with original spares, you are set!

Do you mind sharing details about the brake fluid testing device and where it can be bought?

[hserus]

If you got that level of testing hats off but even with cotton filters and foam oil filters - you can’t perfectly clean those, and both of them deteriorate over time. The cotton becomes rigid or bends / clumps together so air circulation is impeded, the oiled foam air filter gets saturated with dirt or it’s layers peel apart (common issue with say a Scorpio’s filters).

Not sure if you’re also checking the viscosity of those fluids which is another consideration.

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by ike

It is better to stick to replacement intervals specified by the manufacturer, especially considering the paper filters are cheap as chips. There isn't a lot of money saved by not carrying out air filter/cabin filter replacements on time. A good way to reduce costs is to have the ASS/FNG carry out only what is recommended by the OEM.

My car came with a cotton-based engine air filter and foam-based AC air filter instead of the paper ones. Those easily last way longer than paper filters. I would prefer to replace the air filters as-and-when necessary and not when the car manufacturer tells me to. For further details, please have a look at my reply to our fellow Bhpian hserus above.

As mentioned in my initial post above, we do our car maintenance ourselves as much as possible and I have been doing this in our family for more than half a century ever since my Grandfather introduced me to his Landmaster car and forced me to learn about car maintenance in spite of me being a female.

I have usually seen ASCs/FNGs/ASSs perform their jobs in either a shoddy/lacklustre fashion or in a way that we could do it ourselves. I do not mean to brag about it but touchwood, our DIY approach is yet to fail us because we always do proper research before starting to do anything on our cars

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

I have usually seen ASCs/FNGs/ASSs perform their jobs in either a shoddy/lacklustre fashion or in a way that we could do it ourselves. I do not mean to brag about it but touchwood, our DIY approach is yet to fail us because we always do proper research before starting to do anything on our cars

I admire your background and experience. The fact still remains that if you go and get an extended warranty you’re stuck with servicing at an authorised service center, where the most you can do is ensure they do a good job and don’t pad your bill.

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

... but because the fluid is Hygroscopic and will go bad after around 3 yrs especially in our hot and humid conditions ... The whole fluid change costs under 2k at most places including the fluid.

I completely agree with you here other than the fact that there is no fixed time limit for the brake fluid to absorb water to the point that it becomes dangerous. And that is why I employ the services of a cheap brake fluid tester pen to check the condition regularly. I intend to replace the brake fluid completely and properly once the moisture level in it touches 3%. However, if the fluid becomes dirty then I intend to replace it earlier. Here is my brake fluid testing pen :-

Originally Posted by agambhandari

I feel in India, the absolute Maximum you can use an air filter comfortably is 10k kms (i start to notice lower performance around 5-6k kms). And if you do want to clean it around the halfway mark, please don't use compressed air which will actually be worse than not cleaning it all. Dust it off and replace the filter at an appropriate time.

I agree with you here as well. However, since all Creta cars come with cotton engine air filters, they can be cleaned and reused for way longer than the paper ones. And that is why even Hyundai recommends replacing them at 20000 kilometres and not earlier. And I use a home vaccum cleaner (not the blower function) to clean the air filters instead of compressed air from a can. This should be fine as long as the direction of air flow is opposite to the flow of air when the filter is installed in the car.

About the AC air filter in all Creta, it is foam-based and not paper-based. Also, I never turn off the cabin air recirculation mode in my car. Instead, I open the windows when I need to draw in fresh air. This way no dust, dirt or debris gets to enter the AC system from under the car. Also, my car has an ionizer built-in within the AC system as a part of the air purification process. The ionizer releases charged ions which charge the dust particles in the cabin and makes them drop to the floor. As a result the AC air filter gets way less dirtier but still I clean it very frequently just like the engine air filter.

Thank you very much for your kind suggestions

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

What is the purpose of these practices? What will you do saving money on an Air filter or AC filter?

The intention here is to prevent the unnecessary wastage of money and other resources since, unlike some of my fellow Bhpians here, I am not rich and the ongoing pandemic situation has not exactly worked out to our advantage just like with most people.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Our climatic conditions have changed and its best to replace these filters during every service.

But Hyundai does not recommend replacing the cotton engine air filter and the foam AC air filter during every service.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Additionally what you have listed are the prices of consumables not the labour around it. Even a road side mechanic won't do it for 500-800 rupees.

That is incorrect and I have indeed shared the labour charge in the point in serial number 12. I do not know about other places but road-side mechanics and aftermarket shops usually charge approximately INR 500-800 as labour charges to replace the engine oil and the engine oil filter along with a few other basic jobs here in Kolkata which incidentally, also has one of the cheapest cost of living rates amongst all metropolitan cities of India

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

I would love to know what you would do when your Creta's cooling coil goes bad or steering rack starts making a ruckus or your brake cylinders leak? I am sure you have thought of some cost effective aka cheap solution for the same

We would find a way to cross the bridge when we come to it is what we would do. Both my son and I are skilled enough to fix most simple issues like these by ourselves as long as we can source the replacement parts either from Hyundai or from aftermarket shops or from scrap yards in decreasing order of preferability. What we cannot do (as of now due to lack of proper tools) like filling AC refrigerant after removing the air/impure-refrigerant from the AC system, can be easily done at good aftermarket garages directly under our supervision. What we have is my experience of more than half a century fixing our cars, access to the service manual (not user manual) for our cars and an indomitable spirit for DIY

[Romins]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

The intention here is to prevent the unnecessary wastage of money and other resources

I salute you and really appreciate the deep research you have done and your immense knowledge to do only the necessary maintenance for your car.

I dread owning any vehicle especially a car, though I can afford to buy one. I can afford to fill in fuel but I get very stressed about the time and money involved in maintenance. I usually live with Uber and rental cars, though I love driving. Be it FNG or ASC, they change almost every possible part for every service and hand over an eye-watering bill. Talk to anyone in this forum, and many have the same story to share.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

The intention here is to prevent the unnecessary wastage of money and other resources since, unlike some of my fellow Bhpians here, I am not rich and the ongoing pandemic situation has not exactly worked out to our advantage just like with most people.

The pandemic hasn't gone easy on everyone. But it has also taught us to maintain our cars well and not compromise on basic stuff like replacement of filters. Car ownership is a part of life and not everyone has the time to keep cleaning the filters every 5k kms or 6 months. Most bhpians are busy with work and working hard. So more than wastage of resources- let's call it preventive measures. Someone driving a Creta Petrol AT honestly shouldn't be complaining about wastage of money.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

But Hyundai does not recommend replacing the cotton engine air filter and the foam AC air filter during every service.

And there are people who drive their cars. Actually clock kms and in their case the filters do get clogged thanks to the usage on varied terrain. Instead of cleaning the filters 10 times, it's easier to replace the same as it also saves time. As they say, Time= money.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

That is incorrect and I have indeed shared the labour charge in the point in serial number 12. I do not know about other places but road-side mechanics and aftermarket shops usually charge approximately INR 500-800 as labour charges to replace the engine oil and the engine oil filter along with a few other basic jobs here in Kolkata which incidentally, also has one of the cheapest cost of living rates amongst all metropolitan cities of India

I always tell this to my friends living in metros- There is a bigger India outside our cities. Your thread title ideally should have mentioned these are the costs for maintaining a creta petrol in Kolkata. Be it down south or in the western part of India, no way is a mechanic going to do all these things for 800 rupees.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

We would find a way to cross the bridge when we come to it is what we would do. Both my son and I are skilled enough to fix most simple issues like these by ourselves as long as we can source the replacement parts either from Hyundai or from aftermarket shops or from scrap yards in decreasing order of preferability. What we cannot do (as of now due to lack of proper tools) like filling AC refrigerant after removing the air/impure-refrigerant from the AC system, can be easily done at good aftermarket garages directly under our supervision. What we have is my experience of more than half a century fixing our cars, access to the service manual (not user manual) for our cars and an indomitable spirit for DIY

DIY is a very good thing and you are lucky that you have the time and resources for the same. It's contradictory how you claim that you go by both the service and owner manuals but talk about using the same Cabin and air filter beyond the reccomended interval. With more than half a century of experience, I am sure you understand that aftermarket parts don't work that well with Hyundais in most cases. Additionally, the fine dust particles that get clogged in both the Air and Cabin filters are very difficult to clean. Rest I hope you don't face the typical Hyundai issues. Internet is filled with jugaad solutions for those too, but they never work. Good luck!

[ashwinprakas]

First I'd like to thank Romins for directing me to this thread.

Second, I am a fan of your maintenance philosophy in fact I live by it, in the past year I've bought new 2 Cars(Alto and Bolero) and 1 Motorcycle(Bullet 350) and only the Alto was taken for its 1st service which left a bad mark on myself as well as the car, more literally when it came to the Car, details below;

First Service Done! - Horrible Experience with Sarathy Service, Kollam! (Ownership review of my Maruti Suzuki Alto - Utilitarianism redefined, again!)

After which the the Second Service was a DIY;

DIY: Maruti-Suzuki Alto 800 Engine Oil Change

The Alto is at around 9.5k km's now and I'd be changing the oil at 10k again.

Coming to the Bolero, I didn't even bother with 1st service after the experience with the Alto and also because the number plate which the ASC fixed fell off due to using incorrect size rivets, they also managed to scratch the bumper when fixing the front plate, I mean it does make one wonder how incompetent a mechanic has to be to mess up something as simple as using a manual rivet gun.

Currently she's nearing 5k on the odo and I'm actually holding back as I'm yet to source the Engine Oil, Differential Oil and DEF Fluid as I intend to change the former two and top up the latter, all DIY of course, I'd appreciate tips on this as I've never before owned a car with a differential.

As for the Bullet being a motorcycle everything is DIY, her first oil change was at around 500km's and the second one would be at 3.5k km's which she would be at in the next couple of days.

Basically I go for the cheapest oil and stick to the old thumb rule of 1000 miles/quart sump size, though with the Bolero I think I'm going over the top with the 5k interval considering sump size is around 6~7L.

Being primarily a motorcycle person I am a novice when it comes to car maintenance and so hope to learn a lot from this thread, also I'm hoping you would share more DIY's cause personally I'd like to understand how a normal person in India can work on his/her own car especially as its scarce to find company when dirty hands are involved.

Now coming to the Air Filter part, I prematurely change mine irrespective of material and even on my motorcycles that come with a washable filter I simply get a new one, not cause they're absolutely cheap at 90 bucks a pop, but because I once was in touch with a fellow enthusiast who also worked in the filtration industry, when discussing air filters his stand was always against re-using filters cause he explained that the change in pore-size after every wash cycle did impact flow rate.

Now I do not have the resources to verify those claims by a third party but since I'd started with carbureted machines I didn't want to risk it, I'm presuming the modern EFI's would automatically compensate and prevent the bore from wearing down but somehow I still change my filters at around the 5k mark, again these are cheap parts considering my vehicles are mostly Indian.

Another area where my opinion differs is the use of OEM's over OE, again if the quality can be verified then I'm all game but otherwise I don't bother risking it, cause when it comes to motorcycle spares the quality is as different as night and day especially talking about Air/Oil Filters, Ignition Key sets, Bush Kits etc, however Seals and Bearings I stick with OEM and when it comes to gaskets I don't even stick with OEM as I can get a complete packing kit for 100 bucks compared just a clutch cover gasket for the same amount from the ASC.

Sorry for the longish post, I tend to get exited meeting fellow enthusiast who know a thing or two about getting their hands dirty and working on their own machines.

Cheers!
Ashwin Prakash.

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The OE brake fluid and Coolants are made by SCCI or Golden Cruiser.
Secondly, atleast in Maruti, we don't have option of true LLC like Honda/Toyotas. It needs to be replaced at 2 year/20k mark whichever is earlier.

Thank you very much for your kind words.
You are partially correct. Hyundai sources the brake fluids from both Indian Oil's Servo as well as from SCCI Golden Cruiser and here is proof at the bottom of the webpage in the following link ...

https://www.hyundai.com/in/en/connec...bles/brake-oil

Similarly, Hyundai sources the concentrated coolant from both Indian Oil's Servo as well as from SCCI Golden Cruiser and here is proof ...

https://www.hyundai.com/in/en/connec...mables/coolant

I did not mention SCCI Golden Cruiser because I can rarely find its brake fluids and coolant in aftermarket shops here in Kolkata.

Also, I found that the Servo coolant concentrate used by Hyundai and the one used by Maruti Suzuki have the same specifications with the same recommended ratios as well (datasheet links below)

https://iocl.com/downloads/lubes/Hyu...VO-Coolant.pdf

https://iocl.com/downloads/lubes/SERVOkool-Plus.pdf

Similarly, I found that the Servo brake fluid used by Hyundai, the one used by Maruti Suzuki and the one used by Force Motors have the same specifications with the same recommended ratios as well just like in case of the coolant above (datasheet links below) ...

https://iocl.com/downloads/lubes/Hyu...-Brake-Oil.pdf

https://iocl.com/downloads/lubes/Bra..._organized.pdf

https://iocl.com/downloads/lubes/SER...an_10_2007.pdf

I hope that I was able to clarify myself

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by hserus

One condition of such a warranty is that you are supposed to carry out service at an authorised service centre as per the manufacturer recommendations. You can certainly deny any extra additives, cleaning etc the dealer tries to push and stick to what is listed in the service manual.

You are absolutely and undeniably correct here. I am sure you already know that the warranty for Hyundai cars is at the sole discretion of Hyundai and their authorized service centres (ASCs) but primarily the ASCs. This is the same with almost every other car manufacturer in India. However, there is one rarely known aspect about Hyundai's extended warranty policy. I have a Hyundai ASC employee stating on camera to a news media outlet that customers can skip two scheduled standard services before the warranty gets void if the rest of the conditions are fulfilled (video below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMwyECTFD6Q

Even after that ASCs/dealers have a standard-operating-procedure of providing a warranty on a 1:1 cost-sharing basis with the customer.
After the end of the 3 free services upto 20k kms, my car has not been to a Hyundai ASC. Although my car is still under extended warranty for 2 years after the standard 3 years, I figured that I could technically skip 2 services at ASCs since the car is not driven for more than 10k kms (standard service interval) per year. However, please note that we skipped the services at ASCs but did not skip doing the service on our car. During my numerous interactions with ASC technical personnel and Hyundai Automotive College professors (for some car modifications) here in Kolkata, I came to understand that if customers violate any warranty terms and conditions then it depends on the ASC's mood whether they accept our DIY service or force us to go for the service once again at their premises or outright declare the warranty to be void. I hope that I was able to clarify things

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

Thank you very much for your kind words.

You can definitely use any engine oil, brake fluid etc that fits your budget and suits the specifications Hyundai asks for and they document all those specifications.

Golden Cruiser is widely available but any brand of green coolant should work just as well for you, such as Wurth, Gabriel, Puroguard etc if you are not able to source it. Buying coolant concentrate and diluting with distilled water is easy enough.

Brake Fluid - TVS Girling is an excellent brand and also widely available, or pretty much any DOT3 / DOT4 fluid.

Gearbox oil as well - plenty of brands to suit various budgets at the spec Hyundai asks for.

Engine Oil - Shell HX8 or Shell Helix Taxi semi synthetic are the only 5w30 a3b4 rated oils in the market, unless you’re looking at the bs6 Creta for which you’re better off sticking with the OEM oil as 0w20 acea c5 isn’t common in the market and is quite expensive right now.

Please change them on schedule though.

I agree with others here who point out your filter pore size will change and fine dust just can’t be removed however much you spray high pressure air or vacuum it.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

- What we have is my experience of more than half a century fixing our cars, access to the service manual (not user manual) for our cars and an indomitable spirit for DIY

First of all, hats off to your skill, knowledge and the incredible DIY spirit

I was thinking on similar lines after using the service on wheels facility from MSIL. The major part was the brake cleaning and greasing apart from the filters/oil check/changes. I paid 2088(including tax, consumables were separate) for the service and watched it in person. I could've done the same the only thing which I had doubts was the caliper greasing part but could give it a try, didn't seem very difficult but time consuming because I won't have any power tools and zero experience.

After reading through your thread, this is the kick I needed to push me towards DIY, Thanks.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

- The intention here is to prevent the unnecessary wastage of money and other resources

- can be easily done at good aftermarket garages directly under our supervision.

- True, the amount of wastage that happens in any service center makes me wonder if these guys would do the same if they had to pay the bill. I am not just talking of money but also the wasted consumables/parts which were changed prematurely to jack up the bills.

- Agree, and personally I feel that the places specializing in specific areas are way better and economical than the SCs, perfect example being the AC systems.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

About topping up the brake fluid, I keep a strict eye on its condition by employing the use of a cheap brake fluid testing device. As long as the moisture content remains below 3%, I do not need to replace the brake fluid unless it gets very dirty. However, please be assured that we will replace it as soon as it is necessary. Here is my cheap brake fluid tester pen :-

Good point on brake fluid, my manual says 20k kms but the SCs/FNG just peep into the reservoir and say its fine. Thanks for the info on the brake fluid meter, didn't even know it existed.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

About replacing the coolant fluid mixture, I check its condition on a regular basis with a refractometer and a multimeter. I can assure you that we will replace it as soon as the coolant fluid mixture loses its utility. Here is my refractometer :-

This is some hardcore stuff, this will be my final test to earn a DIY title if I get around doing it
How do you check for impurities/contaminants from the cooling system components ? I just do a visual check opening the radiator cap.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

- For the power windows, wiper blades, door/window seals, etc., some silicone spray can be used which costs approximately INR 200 for a 150 ml can and this too should last for years.

- Hyundai does not recommend replacing the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) in my car during its entire lifetime
But I intend to replace the ATF at around 100000 kilometres.

- Thanks for the silicon spray idea, had not occurred to me, will be quite handy.

- MSIL also recommends the manual transmission oil change at 1.6 lakh kms/10yrs but my "trusted" FNG has drained the oil and filled it with some local stuff(fat margins for him) and gave some ridiculous reasoning. Will spare the details but that's when my "trust" in any SC/FNG was broken and decided to take matters into my own hands.

Going by the manual it is very economical to maintain, the pinch points being the labour costs and the unnecessary/premature changing of consumables by SC/FNGs.
DIY solves that and with some adaptation should work very well.
And of course I am talking about wagonR here, more complex/modern cars might be different.

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Hyundai service should give you personalized service, at a time when other customers are not around, lest their usual practices of hoodwinking be exposed

Thank you very much for the kind words. What you said about Hyundai service is exactly what they did the only three times that I have serviced my Creta there. We were there at 3 different times of the day but our car would always be serviced the last irrespective of whether we visited in the morning, or afternoon or evening and they did not like us being near our car while it was being serviced. However, I forced my son every single time to stick to our car like a magnet instead of lazing around in the customer lounge area and this decision paid dividends during the 3rd service itself. They had checked and topped up the battery fluid but forgot to close one of the battery cell covers properly. My son noticed this and immediately pointed it out to them.

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

So if one has the tools then they can be retained for longer. In addition, if one knows a good mechanic then with original spares, you are set!

You have reiterated my thoughts exactly.

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Do you mind sharing details about the brake fluid testing device and where it can be bought?

I got this for free from a seller on Aliexpress (before it was banned) as a part of their promotional campaign to promote their products on a Creta group that I administer on Facebook. However, I remember checking prices then and it was approximately around INR 130 with an additional delivery charge around INR 70-80. I believe that it is available on Amazon India and Flipkart as well but at way higher prices. Sadly, India is the only country where Aliexpress is banned and we as car owners have to suffer for it