[rajshenoy]

There is another thread here discussing why not to buy/sell from used car dealers !! Buying a used car is pretty tricky one always


Issue 1: Did you check the Tyre make year etc ? a car might have run only 36K kms over 10 years as well. Tyres loose their life after 5-6 years and are vulnerable to punctures thereafter. Also the odometer can be tweaked easily to show you low mileage

Issue 2: Again, i wish you had done some more HW. Finally maruti true value is here to do business. And it appears as if you liked the car and approached them.

Issue 3: This is something i did not like. Any car new or old should be serviced properly at MASS. Did you try changing the MASS ? often the dealerships are content with the new cars being serviced(washing and cleaning only) and do not pay much attention to old cars.

[IshaanIan]

I too, like a couple of others, agree that the issues like a puncture, registration etc cannot be helped in fact I have lived in Hyderabad for years and none of my friends have any issues with cars they own registered in vijaywada. I do however think it is crazy that the entire air filter assembly had to be changed so often. Seeing as you have done about 35k km, it seems to have served you well.
I would highly recommend going to the Varun Motors service center in Begumpet behind shopperstop. That's where I take the Kizashi and they always do an exceptional job of things. The staff is pleasant and answer all of my questions.

[IQBAL VEERJI]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

There is another thread here discussing why not to buy/sell from used car dealers !! Buying a used car is pretty tricky one always


Issue 1: Did you check the Tyre make year etc ? a car might have run only 36K kms over 10 years as well. Tyres loose their life after 5-6 years and are vulnerable to punctures thereafter. Also the odometer can be tweaked easily to show you low mileage

Issue 2: Again, i wish you had done some more HW. Finally maruti true value is here to do business. And it appears as if you liked the car and approached them.

Issue 3: This is something i did not like. Any car new or old should be serviced properly at MASS. Did you try changing the MASS ? often the dealerships are content with the new cars being serviced(washing and cleaning only) and do not pay much attention to old cars.

In fact as far as I can imagine this car may be having all five tyres of different makes and year stamped on them.This is very common with road side dealers.Ignorant buyers dont see this and these crooks cheat them by sweet talks.

[drmohitg]

I think the first couple of nightmares you mentioned are just instances of bad luck. A puncture can happen anywhere. How can Maruti True value be blamed for that? The nut too gets jammed sometimes if there was rust around it and it hasn't been opened in ages. Anyways your friend ( who was used to driving cars) should have taken a look at the tires before picking up the car since thats a major expense and you could have negotiated the price.

The registration thing again is no fault since it was there the whole time. You can't blame them for that right.

The air filter issue is definitely an issue and if maruti After sales is unable to solve it then I have no words to describe there expertise. You can probably try a outside independent mechanic, some of whom are anyday much more knowledgable than the so called official after sales people. Also do try and write to maruti itself about the issue and attach the bills for the 3 times that you have already changed it. They ought to figure it out and get it solved.

[sanjubaba]

I agree with general tone of the other comments..Here are some of the points that came in my mind.

1. It is our responsibility to check thoroughly what we are buying.. and if we got what we agreed for.

2. I won't travel long distance in newly purchased second hand car immediately after purchase, especially in night and NEVER with baby on board.

3. Air Filter thing could be a point where seller could be at fault , again changing the service center could help.

--Sanjubaba

[Saanil]

Hi Guys,

I have never encountered such a situation before but I would just like to ask about some precautions regarding buying 2nd hand cars from 'True Value' OR 'First Choice'. I know buying second hand cars make a lot of financial sense but these kind of experiences just make me want to avoid them at all costs. When we go these places, we would assume that these so called technicians might have checked the car thoroughly and then only selling them to the public. What precautions one can take (I am talking about a person who does not have a deep technical knowledge about cars) to avoid such a situation?

[jkrishnakj]

Vikki -
You have done 34 K on the car already - i think the "shock 2" that you initially had might be nullified now?

[9thsphinx]

It is after all an old car, to begin with. Take it a with a pinch of salt, but problems are bound to happen later, if not sooner, when you buy a used vehicle. Which is why you usually pre-check everything from the engine parts to the body panels (read, the Team-Bhp PDI checklist) before investing your hard earned money into it. Some scrupulous used car dealers will intentionally advertise and sell you a lemon if they find you gullible enough in your knowledge on the subject you're dealing in.

Punctures are way too common to be called a shock - even more on a used car. Also, instead of taking your car to MASS who may just be taking your for a ride, ask around on the forum and see a good local mechanic in your area who may have a simpler, cost-effective and permanent fix for your Air Filter problem.

[saket77]

Hey Vikki,

I think that the car is not doing too bad, it is just the initial problems that you faced has destroyed its own impression in your eyes, as we often say...'the first impression is the last impression!'

First of all, I would say that I won't dare take a used car on a long drive the very first day I buy it. To take it on a long drive that too during the night with your FAMILY is a BLUNDER. This is because I am first of all not aware of the car's problem areas at all. Since its a used car, it is bound to have some. Also, since its quite a new & unknown quantity, I cannot trust it from day 1. A used car has to build the trust in my eyes first, then I take her it out on such an adventure. Hence, you should have given a few days or weeks to settle with your car.

For the punctures, looks like you guys missed inspecting the tires, however, since now you have changed all the tires, you should be fine for at least another 35-40K kms or 5-6 years.

About the reg. no., since I am not a local, I cannot comment, but surely, no fault of the car, even if that IS an issue with you or your place.

About the LPG mode, the car does churns out lower power & torque on alternate fuels which might be causing the stalling problems. But if the issue is very prominent, it must be checked and corrected. If the air filter is the culprit then the system should be taken apart and inspected thoroughly. I suggest you to go find a good FNG who is willing to do this job. I guess we are talking about the air filter compartment and intake. This is not something that breaks often. I have never had to replace it in my 10.5 year old Zen. May it is hitting something when the car bounces on its suspension or see if any moving parts like alternator, belts, etc are in proximity.

All your additional replacements are on the optional sides, hence, its at your discretion. However, hope you have got a relay & wiring kit installed for handling those 130/110 W. Though 100/90 would have been sufficient.

You have almost driven the car 34K since your purchase and the problems that you have faced are frankly not that bad. Hence, I won't term it a bad purchase, but the price of the car was on the higher side in my opinion, but thats now long gone.

Regards,
Saket

[extreme_torque]

I can't get my head around a broken air filter? Do you mean the filter is broken or the housing of the filter or both? Any idea why it may happen?

Can you pop over the hood in another car and see if the one in your car is either missing something or not fixed properly?

[VaahanYogi]

It is always better to buy a car from the owner/seller directly as the actual condition of the car can be made out well. The dealers (including True Value) only ensure that the car has good outlook and is presentable as that acts a strong decision-maker for 1st time car buyers.

[Vikki@Hyderabad]

Thanks All for your valuable suggestions:

1. Yes, taking the car on a long drive the very first day wasn't the right thing to do. I agree. Got completely carried away.

2. I replaced all tires within 6 months of buying the car (financial situation permitting). All tires were in a bad condition which I didn't notice. And while, yes, one can expect punctures, one wouldn't expect a puncture because of a torn tire the very first day. However, I've seen punctured brand new temp registration cars. I should've checked before buying it, but as I've already mentioned, I was new to this world. A good experience and guide for my second buy though.

3. Yes, I have a relay/cut-out powerful enough for 130/100 headlights. I'd also like to point out that I don't use high beam within city limits, at low speeds or wherever it isn't necessary.

4. About "Shock 2", no, I'm yet to come to terms with it. I feel it as a time bomb tied to my chest that is ticking continuously.

5. And yes, I've done 34k Kilometers in 2 years since buying it. So one of the things I'm happy about.

5. I'm absolutely happy with the little spaces the car has, and the excellent legroom and headroom. I've had many good experiences with the car as well. But with this thread here, I just wanted to highlight the M.A.S.S. situation.

Something that I wasn't very clear about when I started - the attitude of the service advisers/engineers. It's a mixed bag, really. Many a times I've felt their level of attention for the older and/or cheaper cars is far less than on the new and/or costlier models. And though sometimes they appear very friendly, the kind of work that happens during the service visit is sub-par. One needs to remember and check if all the work has been carried out as requested. And the delivery time is at least 2 hours late every single time. Sometimes I've had to wait for a couple of days after the promised date. I've visited three M.A.S.S. centers in particular in Hyderabad, two Gem Motors and R.K.S. Saboo.

Saboo: My experience with Saboo was satisfactory. Just that the workers need something for their chai-paani every time you take your car back.

Gem Motors Hydernagar: I've visited them only for a couple of small things, like replacing a broken clutch cable (on the move). Once, I did visit them for the hiccups issue (the LPG issue I've mentioned earlier in the thread). They did something and didn't charge anything for it as the vehicle was still under warranty. The issue itself, though it seemed to have gone away for the first couple of kilometers, was still there.

Gem Motors Kondapur: Here's where I've got most of the services done as this is close by to my workplace. And this is where I've had issues with SE/SA attitude. I've visited repeatedly to get one issue fixed, also applicable to the LPG problem I've had. They narrowed it down to spark plugs, which they cleaned once, replaced the next time, and it now has become part of my life.

Other service stations: Once I visited a trusted garage referred by a friend & colleague. An oil change, general service cost me around 3k. He also fixed squeaks & rattles, stiffened the loose suspension (as I guess is the case with most, if not all, Wagon Rs), along with pick-up and drop for 3k. Unfortunately, this garage shut down (maybe because of the low profit/labor margin). He also pointed out that the hiccups problem is due to weak coils.

6. The broken air-filter story - additional details: this happens when it's running on LPG at slow speeds. Especially when I try crossing a small speed-breaker in 2nd gear (read, it has enough speed behind it not to be slotted into the 1st), the engine just dies for a moment. And this is where I feel the car has difficulty breathing, evidenced by a couple of loud pops and probably where the air-filter box broke. The SEs at M.A.S.S. say they don't see a problem at all. And as it happens with humans when they visit a doctor, my car's symptoms kind of vanish when it's test-driven by SEs. However, since then, I make sure I don't press the pedal too hard. If the car refuses to budge, I slow down and slot it into the first, and even then throttle response is delayed by a moment. Running on petrol it is super-smooth. I understand the BHP varies from petrol to LPG, but my other friends who own LPG Wagon Rs have never faced this issue. I had them drive my car and they agreed that my car has a problem.

As I've pointed out before, this is my first experience with a car. I've done some things right and some wrong, but I'm learning from my mistakes and trying to take better care of my car and be a better driver.

Mileage-wise, I get somewhere between 11 & 12 kms on LPG and 13.5-14.75 on petrol in semi-city drives, both with 25%-50% A/C. I guess that's good enough mileage.

[saket77]

Probably its the ignition coil you are talking about. Why not check that by changing with a stand-by alternative. Not too much work is required to put in a new/ another ignition coil for checking the performance. Check for clogged injectors as well.

Regards,
Saket

[Sherlocked]

Hey Guys some help required for our 2004 WagonR. Car has done just 44K kms.

There is a hummm type of noise coming inside the cabin whenever the engine is on. It vanishes when I depress the clutch. This noise also comes while the car is moving.
Humming increases if I rev the car in neutral while stationary. The noise is not loud.

I am assuming it's not a wheel bearing noise since it's also coming when the car is stationary.

The clutch was overhauled recently at MASS and the car has run just 400 kms post the clutch O/H. They changed the clutch plate, pressure plate, clutch release bearing, clutch cable and some seals both right and left side. They didn't change the flywheel though, said it's in perfect condition.

Guys any pointers what is this noise as I will only be able to take car to MASS on Saturday and I also don't want the SA to take me for a ride.
Is it due to a bad clutch job?

Thanks.

[Vikki@Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by Sherlocked

Hey Guys some help required for our 2004 WagonR. Car has done just 44K kms.

There is a hummm type of noise coming inside the cabin whenever the engine is on. It vanishes when I depress the clutch. This noise also comes while the car is moving.
Humming increases if I rev the car in neutral while stationary. The noise is not loud.

Guess you've already had it checked by MASS. Was the issue fixed?

IMO it is a bad job overhauling the clutch, and I bet it wasn't there before the overhaul. And it definitely is not the bearings as these make noise only when on the move. And it could also be that this noise would disappear over a period of time as the new plates set in.