[caraholic]

The Green tribunal has ordered a ban on petrol vehicles more than 15yr old and diesel vehicles more than 10 year old in Delhi Ncr.
Now, I am confused whether to spend money on the Esteem's engine rebuild or sell it off at whatever price i get because if the old vehicles are banned it will be difficult to sell it off.

[nik0502]

Hi BHPians,

I need your advice for my car. The car in question is a 2005 Maruti Esteem. The problem I am facing is the car has lots of Rust and I recently consulted a mechanic who advised that both the Aprons and Cross needs to be replaced as these have rusted and will give away any day. My usage is more than 2000 per month out of which 1200 KMs are covered on Highway. I bought this car last year as my Carb Esteem gave away because of the same problem and the work was done at an FNG which was not upto satisfaction and created lot of trouble though the Engine was very strong. I have two other cars but both the cars are petrol and because of my high usage Esteem is my daily drive and is fitted with CNG. I consulted MASS for the Job and the price quoted is 25 - 30K. The car also needs some suspension work but that is not much and I can get it done at a later stage when I have enough Vitamin M. I have got the engine rebuilt for this car as it was giving me trouble earlier. So now my question is shall I get this car fixed and keep on using it as the engine has recently built and should last another 1 lacs KMs easily or shall I sell it and look for alternatives. To be very honest I don't generally sell my cars & bikes. I had to sell the old Esteem as there was nothing left in the car. Everything from AC to Apron was broken on the car. But otherwise I buy my car to keep them for the lifetime. However spending 25 K on a car whose worth is not more than 60- 70 K is something which is making me a little worried. On the other hand I would also like to say that if I sell this one I probably would settle for another Esteem. What do you guys suggest ? Does 25K - 30 K sounds right amount for the Job. I have got a quote of 12- 15 K from outside for the Job but I not too convinced about getting the job done outside because of my previous experience and because they use gas welding for the Joints. Please help me out.

nIk

[zenren]

Originally Posted by nik0502

I need your advice for my car. The car in question is a 2005 Maruti Esteem. The problem I am facing is the car has lots of Rust and I recently consulted a mechanic who advised that both the Aprons and Cross needs to be replaced as these have rusted and will give away any day. My usage is more than 2000 per month out of which 1200 KMs are covered on Highway.

However spending 25 K on a car whose worth is not more than 60- 70 K is something which is making me a little worried. On the other hand I would also like to say that if I sell this one I probably would settle for another Esteem. What do you guys suggest ?

I have a 1995 Zen at home that we are still maintaining and using for minor errands when we are in my home town and I can assure you that the expenses would eventually cross 70k with other subsequent works if you are using it for 2000km every month.

1200km of highway driving in a month would mean you need a safer car for sure. Esteems and Zens are the older generation cars from Maruti that didn't have a safe chassis and no safety features. My advice would be to sell this off and buy a safer car instead of another Esteem. Buying a car that is 3-5 years old might cost you more but my experience says that the maintenance costs of 8-10 year old cars more or less compensates for its lower cost and the outflow from your pocket would be in the same ball park.

[Rajeevraj]

With such a high usage I personally think that you deserve a safer car. While it is a good thought to keep fixing and running the car till there is nothing left, with heavy usage from a safety perspective it is not advisable. Also, it looks like you have already spent a lot on it.

Not sure of your budgets for another car, but my input is to sell it off and pick up a newer car (as Zenren mentioned- not more than 5 years old). You should be able to get 3-4 year old diesel work horses with safety features like ABS and Airbags (Eg: Etios, Fiesta Classic, Logan, Manza) at good rates. Maybe a larger investment initially but over long term will even out.

Edit: Just to add, the Hyundai Accent and Maruti Sx4 used to come with factory fitted CNG. A quick check on Carwale throws up a lot of choices. Maybe worth looking at if you prefer CNG.

[dhanushs]

My take: Sell

Well, if you had a very well maintained and prime example of a car, you could've still used it. The Marutis keep running. However, there is no point in spending 30-40% of the cars value to refurbish it aesthetically ( if you are not intending to collect it. )

Sell and get a newer model M800. It will be cheaper to run as well as maintain. It's also fun to drive.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by nik0502

However spending 25 K on a car whose worth is not more than 60- 70 K is something which is making me a little worried. On the other hand I would also like to say that if I sell this one I probably would settle for another Esteem. What do you guys suggest ? Does 25K - 30 K sounds right amount for the Job. I have got a quote of 12- 15 K from outside for the Job but I not too convinced about getting the job done outside because of my previous experience and because they use gas welding for the Joints. Please help me out.

nIk

Don't get me in wrong way, but this entire thinking on the terms of "why spend Rs 30K on something that is worth Rs 60K" is plain WRONG and quite foolish in monetary terms.

You are forgetting that say you sell this and get a new vehicle, all this circus will cost you a LOT more than 30K. (I would bet it would be greater than 1 Lakh).

As long as your capital expenses stay less than buying a new one, it is always financially beneficial to retain.
The running expenses (new car vs the current old one) will not differ so much ever.


Now over to the counter side. Esteems on highway may not be the safest thing. So you may weigh this consideration. However, if you trudge this path, you will easily have to spend pretty high in order to purchase something that would be considered safe as per the norm of this forum.

[Nissan1180]

I found a good calculator here that lets you see the cost impact of replacing your current car.
There is an esteem in the family that is driven by a driver. It is a 2002 LXi that has done about 56000 km. Since the last few days I have been using it daily to drive to work and it does not feel inferior in any way to any other economy segment car, even today. Safety might be an issue, but I think the Esteem is as safe as any other Indian car without airbags. It is not the best car for the highway, but if you have one, there's no need to replace it unless something is seriously wrong. We've replaced the clutch once and got the suspension work done last month. Other than that, it is the usual MASS service done once a year (car hardly runs 5000 km a year).
If you feel comfortable with the quality of work assured by MASS, you could go for it. If your car is mechanically sound, there's no point in selling it for the price of a good laptop.

[utsav1303]

Originally Posted by nik0502

I need your advice for my car. The car in question is a 2005 Maruti Esteem. My usage is more than 2000 per month out of which 1200 KMs are covered on Highway.

I would advice: SELL due to below reasons:

1) Your driving usage is pretty high (> 2000 km per month) which means if the vehicle or a component got breakdown you will be desperate to get it repaired pretty soon which might not be possible due to lack of easy availability of spares of a car that has been discontinued way-back.

2) Your usage covers approx. 60% of highway run, so it is better to look out for safe and reliable car rather than getting stranded alone due to a issue cropping up on the way.

3) The maintenance and fuel cost would be too much due to usage and recovery (sell) cost will not be in that proportion, whenever you decide to move ahead with a new vehicle.

Additionally, I will also suggest to look out for car (new or pre-owned) other than Esteem. AFAIK, the regulation states for supply of spares by OEM in market till 10 years after the model has been discontinued.

[nik0502]

Hey guys.

Thanks for your inputs. I would like to mention few things here.

1. I don't think I can sell this car in this condition as it will be incorrect to do that morally and at the same time I do not think I would be able to find a buyer for the car in its current position.

2. I already have a more modern and safe car which is ford fieata but that is petrol hence can't be used as a daily drive.

3. Even if I sell this and think of another car, my budget would not be more than a lac as I have already spent a huge amount of what I have earned so far on cars and now I have other commitments to take care of and I am not too keen on hatchbacks. Hence the thought of another Esteem.
4. I understand Esteem is not that safe for highways but I hardly drive above 80 kmph and this thought always stays at the back of my mind. Even the safest car in the family which has 6 airbags I have never driven it above 90, even on a long drive of 300 kms. I don't think our highways are safe for those speeds.

Hence the thought was to get it fixed and continue using it for a year or two and then look for a new car.

nIk

[Nissan1180]

I would like to share a few pictures of our Esteem LXi. The car was manufactured in 2002 and is used by a relative in Kolkata. These days I find very few well maintained Esteems on the road and I'd like to share the pictures of an example which I feel is quite well maintained for a 13 year old car. The paint is original, except the boot which was repainted because of a dent. Even the stero is original. The Esteem was a very popular (and aspirational) car in the 1990s and the early part of the last decade. This pic reminds me of my childhood, when sedans were not ugly.









Regards, Nissan1180.

The pictures are not being resized, and I am really sorry for the inconvenience. Please delete if found unnecessary.

[gypsyFreak]

Guys, I have 2005 Esteem with 1.35K.
Offlate, i started using it for alternative months along with my Scorpio.
The car is sluggish and struggles for pickup. I am planning to get the following things done:

Engine Oil change (last change at 1.26K and 12 months back)
Fuel filter change
Gear Oil change
Injector/Throttle body cleaning
Spark plugs - check and change
Initially thought of decarbonising, but after reading topics here, just planning to run on Shell V Power for 2-3 tank fulls

Anything else to be done to improve the pickup?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by gypsyFreak

Guys, I have 2005 Esteem with 1.35K.
Offlate, i started using it for alternative months along with my Scorpio.
The car is sluggish and struggles for pickup. I am planning to get the following things done:

Engine Oil change (last change at 1.26K and 12 months back)
Fuel filter change
Gear Oil change
Injector/Throttle body cleaning
Spark plugs - check and change
Initially thought of decarbonising, but after reading topics here, just planning to run on Shell V Power for 2-3 tank fulls

Anything else to be done to improve the pickup?

Instead of spending money on premium petrol, just take it for a 100/150km ride on an open highway. That run will heat up the engine enough to clear all the accumulated carbon deposits.

[KomS_CarLog]

Folks, I have been trying to find out if Esteem (VXI 2004) has an engine immobilizer. I read the car manual, but it does not mention anything about this. In this case, should I take this as "Esteem 2004 does not have an engine immobilizer"? Looking forward to the valuable feedback.

[rr_zen]

Originally Posted by KomS_CarLog

Folks, I have been trying to find out if Esteem (VXI 2004) has an engine immobilizer. I read the car manual, but it does not mention anything about this. In this case, should I take this as "Esteem 2004 does not have an engine immobilizer"? Looking forward to the valuable feedback.

My Esteem is 2003 and is a VXi. It does come with an engine immobilizer. Since your car 2004 model am sure it should be equipped with one.

Try the following to ascertain the same. Lock the car using the remote and then open the driver side door using the key (the alarm should go off now). Now try starting the car. If equipped with the engine immobilizer, it shouldn't start. Hope this helps.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

Try the following to ascertain the same. Lock the car using the remote and then open the driver side door using the key (the alarm should go off now). Now try starting the car. If equipped with the engine immobilizer, it shouldn't start. Hope this helps.

Sir, are you sure about this process? Asking because what comes to my mind is that we have used physical keys to open remote locked cars when batteries have drained from the fob and the car starts just fine. Have done this with my Civic a lot of times. Does your car start only when opened with the remote?

Thanks!