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Old 17th November 2007, 12:27   #1
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Car maintenance?

Is regularly serviced car translates to a well- maintained car? Why this question?

I own a maruti swift and get it serviced regularly at every 5000 kms or 6 months whichever is earlier. Car has done around 35k kms. Conical filter, sy.oil & exhaust (tail end) are the only changes I have done (not including any cosmetic changes).

Iam happy with the way the car performs until I got a chance to drive my friends car (swift) for a week. This car is completely stock & done around 30k kms. This car is serviced at 10k kms interval (1K or 2k kms after its due for service).

When Iam back to my car, I found the following

1. Gears are bit hard
2. Steering wheel bit tight
3. Clutch shudders sometime in first gear
4. Rattling heavy in comparison

I never ride on clutch & have been teaching the other person not to do so. I drive on decent roads too. Driving style here is not much to discuss about

Both were serviced at the same center. Where is it getting missed?

Hence the question.....

Is regularly serviced car translates to a well- maintained car?

Last edited by Surprise : 17th November 2007 at 12:31.
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Old 17th November 2007, 14:39   #2
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Quote:
Is regularly serviced car translates to a well- maintained car?
All well maintained cars are regularly serviced - but the opposite might not be true.

No one prevents the driver from harsh driving after a service.
However, my comment is a generic one - not towards you

Sometimes cars perform better with some moderate mileage rather than low mileage.

I'm not sure whether clutch judder on 1st gear is a bad thing. It might mean your clutch is good and not slipping - so even a small release lag suddenly transfers the drive to wheels and so you feel judder.
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Old 17th November 2007, 15:30   #3
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Did you buy the car new or used ? if used, it could have run a lot more than what the odo shows & badly maintained by the previous owner.
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Old 17th November 2007, 15:45   #4
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Maybe U drove his car just after the service whereas ur car is due for one.
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Old 17th November 2007, 15:46   #5
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Other than the regular service, what can we do to keep the internal parts in good condition and when should it be done(injector cleaning, fuel, decarbonising etc). I searched and could not find a thread on this.
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Old 17th November 2007, 16:09   #6
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E_L, mine is newly bought one.

Apart from regular service and decent driving, is there any other point that needs to taken care.


Quote:
Originally Posted by PatienceWins View Post
Other than the regular service, what can we do to keep the internal parts in good condition and when should it be done(injector cleaning, fuel, decarbonising etc). I searched and could not find a thread on this.

Are they not covered under regular service?
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Old 17th November 2007, 16:16   #7
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Just because one sends the car to the service station and back, it can't be taken for granted that its back to good-as-new.
Sometimes, service for two similar cars can be a lot different.
Try comparing the job sheet of both the cars at service.
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Old 17th November 2007, 16:18   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surprise View Post

Are they not covered under regular service?
They are not covered under regular service. I see recommendations for these in some threads. But do not have a clear idea on when they have to be done. 3M has injector cleaning and decarbonising packages. Do not know how useful it is.
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Old 17th November 2007, 16:44   #9
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Quote:
Is regularly serviced car translates to a well- maintained car? Why this question?
In a nutshell : A whopping YES! The reason for differences between the two Swifts could be:

1. Personal driving style. Some are more harsh on their cars than others; even unknowingly.

2. Driving conditions : Smooth versus bad roads, bumper-to-bumper versus open roads, urban versus highway driving etc.

3. Inconsistent product quality. This is especially true with the Swift and the SX4. Maruti has been bowled over by the market response, and is struggling to meet demand. Surprisingly, there are too many Swifts / SX4s with niggles and problems.
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Old 17th November 2007, 17:29   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post

3. Inconsistent product quality. This is especially true with the Swift and the SX4. Maruti has been bowled over by the market response, and is struggling to meet demand. Surprisingly, there are too many Swifts / SX4s with niggles and problems.
That's exactly my thought and Iam worried with the fact that I got a comparatively bad piece. Mine was bought in June 2005 & the other on July'06.
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Old 17th November 2007, 17:42   #11
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surprise..i think the difference could be becos....

1) every manufacturer fixes service intervals AND what is to be checked during those service intervals based on an assumption of under what conditions a car is driven

2) hence if ur driving ur car under different conditions than what the manufacturer has assumed, the checks done during those service intervals DOES NOT in all probability fix the problems YOUR CAR is running into

3) so ur car continues to be checked for the obvious things but not for the actual stuff thats not working well with your specific car...

4) driving conditions could be - ur driving style, road conditions, fuel quality etc...
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Old 18th November 2007, 00:34   #12
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Suprise - I have been driving around a Swift VXi for a weeks time made in June 2005, and trust me the worst swifts are from 2005, horrible build quality and too much rattling. MSIL had resolved the issue in the 2006 batch cars and onwards and i guess thats the reason why you see a difference.
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