[kiranxyz]

Hi BHPians,

I bought a pre-owned ZEN LX from a Maruti TrueValue dealer. This is a 2002 model (pre-mpfi) and has clocked around 39k kms. Got it for around 2.75 L .

When I turn on the AC , i find that it is not very effective ( as compared to a say,a WagonR).

Could anyone point me as to what could be wrong and whether it makes sense to fix it. (I mean, the sum total should not exceed the price for a new ZEN!)

I also discovered that this car is very sluggish when fully loaded (with 4 peopple). The pickup is pathetic and the speedometer does not cross the 70K mark.

Is this normal woth all 1000cc petrol engines? I am not able to judge as I have learnt driving very recently and have not driven a new ZEN.

[iceman91]

you payed 2.75 for a non mpfi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nothing to say there.
get the ac gas checked if less refill it.
do get a good complete service done

[pingme]

Originally Posted by kiranxyz

Hi BHPians,

I bought a pre-owned ZEN LX from a Maruti TrueValue dealer. This is a 2002 model (pre-mpfi) and has clocked around 39k kms. Got it for around 2.75 L .

When I turn on the AC , i find that it is not very effective ( as compared to a say,a WagonR).

I have new Zen LXI bought just few months back. I also felt same, when checked with Sai Service guys they told me WagonR and Alto Blowers are far more fast. e.g. Max blower of Zen counts to 2nd level in Alto/Wagon R. So comparison is not correct. so it takes little longer to cool compared to its newer siblings. I had Alto VXI earlier so I know the difference

but do check gas as suggested by iceman

Could anyone point me as to what could be wrong and whether it makes sense to fix it. (I mean, the sum total should not exceed the price for a new ZEN!)

I do not think you will require to go such a extreme. may be irefilling the gas at most would solve the problem. (assuming its bought from True Value dealer so AC system is in good condition)

[quote]I also discovered that this car is very sluggish when fully loaded (with 4 peopple). The pickup is pathetic and the speedometer does not cross the 70K mark.

Is this normal woth all 1000cc petrol engines? I am not able to judge as I have learnt driving very recently and have not driven a new ZEN.

This is a fact, fully loaded Zen with Full AC does become sluggish in pickup. but once picked up should not be a problem touching 90s

[hrag]

Are you sure your car is pre-MPFI? It is a 2002 model. I'm slightly confused!

hrag

[DueLLeR]

Hi Kiranxyz,

I had a pre-owned '98 Zen LX too. My old car had terrible cooling and would literally run out of breath when starting off a red light. Four people and the car wouldn't go beyond 80. I got the AC and engine serviced at a MASS and they did a pretty good job.

There are several factors that affect the performance of AC in your car. For starters, try getting the AC serviced. Any car AC dealer / service station should be able to do it for you. With time, a lot of dust and grim gets deposited in the AC radiator and blowers. This affects the cooling and cooling time drastically. They blow pressurized air on the AC radiator to relieve it of the dust. They will also check the AC gas level and top it up if required. You might also want to service the engine and change the oil and oil filter.

Besides servicing, also make sure that you revv up your car once in a while. After the service, my old car used to die touching 120. Frequent highway running made the engine a lot more free and it actually started touching 145 before I sold her off! On the other hand, even with four people a lots of luggage, my new car does a 120 with just 1/5th of the throttle depressed

It all depends on how the previous owner drove your car. If the car has been driven only in the city, it is bound to get 'used' to being driven in the city and will die before reaching three-digit speeds.

Cheers!

[speedsatya]

f***,*** U got a carb model for 2.75.
how did u get a 2002 carb model.is it euro-1???????

abt the AC,yeah it will definitely put a load on the engine.
get ur condenser cleaned.also the zen blower tends to get clogged if used in fresh air mode.so get it cleaned as well.also recharge ur gas after checking for leaks..get it done at a reputed garage or a MASS.
ask ur true value dealer to get it done as ur car will have the 6 months warranty on it.


and dont use fresh air at all.use in the recirculation mode.if at all u need to get fresh air,just roll down your windows for a while.

drive safe

[Revvmaster]

I doubt yours is a Euro-I car. Kindly check it once again to see if there is a carbeurettor... my sincere doubts that it is a non-MPFi car.

Kiran, the Zen has a smaller compressor (around 110cc) in comparison to the 135cc ones in the Alto VXi and Wagon-R. ( I hope i am right, correct me members if i am wrong). Due to this it cools a little slower than the Wagon-R. A few checks you need to do.

1. As our pal Speedsatya put it, recirculation mode is the best way to ensure cooling.
2. Park your car in a shady place. If you don't have such a place, keeping your front window slightly open (subject to the safety of your vehicle) would help prevent hot air from staying within the car.
3. Apply tints on your vehicle if it doesn't have one. Look for one which cuts atleast 50% of the heat entering thru the windows. Go for branded ones as much as possible.
4. Check the gas pressure in your compressor. Leaks can play havoc with the cooling. Also most importantly get your cooling coil checked at every service, scheduled or unscheduled and conduct the necessary preventive maintenance. Cooling coils are expensive and can run to anywhere between 6-10k for a small car.
5. Finally, get all filters cleaned. It helps the performance of the AC.

Revv

[kiranxyz]

I did open the hood and yes - it has a carb.
Anyway, thanks for all the helpful tips given.

This leaves me wondering about one thing: Is this the way with all 900-1000cc engines? The other day I was driving to Nandi hills ( btw, Nandi hills is a tourist spot near bangalore which has a steep drive up.)
I had to literally drive in 1st gear while climbing up. Is this normal? (with 2 ppl on board)

How is the driving experience with 1.3L and 1.6L cars?

[Psycho]

Originally Posted by kiranxyz

I had to literally drive in 1st gear while climbing up. Is this normal? (with 2 ppl on board)

That's wierd coz a zen can take those slopes quite easily???

[nitinbhag]

Originally Posted by kiranxyz

How is the driving experience with 1.3L and 1.6L cars?

With 4 people in my 1.6 Siena, it was great fun.. Most of the climbs were 3rd gear with 2nd only for a couple of tight hairpins..

[iceman91]

there is something seriously wrong with that car...get it checked by DOM or PSYCHO if possible. they can help you out. the zen should do the hills comfortably in 2nd and 3rd with very very few stretches where 1st is necessary!!!

[DueLLeR]

Originally Posted by iceman91

there is something seriously wrong with that car...get it checked by DOM or PSYCHO if possible. they can help you out. the zen should do the hills comfortably in 2nd and 3rd with very very few stretches where 1st is necessary!!!

Absolutely, I second that. Kiranxyz, you probably need to get a compression test done to see if the cylinders are performing as expected. May be the piston rings are fried, and as a result are developing low torque on higher gears.

Before you do that, just check to see if there is any visible smoke from the tail pipe on a cold start. A whitish/bluish smoke indicates fried piston rings! Alternatively, also check your spark plugs to see if the gap is correct and if they are producing a strong enough spark.

Cheers!