Maruti Alto - Issues

anky · 22nd June 2010, 00:36

Buying one of the cheapest cars in the market and then getting an avg of 11.5 sucks belive me I maintain my car very well and have beendriving in mumbai scince 1996 not to shoot down the alto which I like but when u get 11.5 kmpl tears come to ur eyes...mind u I drive in full traffic ac on 80% and only upto 3rd gear rarely 4th ....I do not know what 5th gear is

> My brother in law on my same route gets 7 to 8 kmpl on his indigo cs petrol.

Gansan · 22nd June 2010, 10:18

@anky
In the conditions you describe, even a Splendor would return only 35 KMPL! I did a recent city mileage check as I have to take my Alto for the third service shortly. City mileage was 17.98 KMPL with 50% AC usage (morning only, no AC while returning home at night), only two occupants and no luggage. There are signals en route, the traffic moderately heavy but smooth flowing and I can drive mostly in 4th / 5th gears. The highway mileage has always been 22 - 24 KMPL. I would say the Alto is pretty frugal!

A caveat though: I use only Shell Super Unleaded petrol, Shell Helix HX 5 oil and always keep the tyres at 32 PSI.

But I think it would be pretty realistic to expect only a mileage of 14 KMPL / 18 KMPL for the city / highway consistently. Take your car on a highway trip and check the mileage. I predict it will be above 20 KMPL.

jinojohnt · 22nd June 2010, 10:54

Isn't the Alto tyres supposed to be inflated till only 30 psi? I guess over-filling would cause damages to the shocks/bearings in the long run.

SDP · 22nd June 2010, 11:04

@Gansan -> Your numbers as well as the numbers shared by a lot of other Alto owners intrigue me. My Alto is 6 years old. Its about to complete 40K. Driven only by me and serviced regularly. During 2008-2009, the car was primarily being used for a short drive of 3 kms in the morning and an occassional weekend trip to a nearby mall (10km round trip). Since the car was exclusively used for short distances, I was mentally prepared for lower mileages and I was getting 10-11 kmpl.
From begining of 2010, I have been driving ~25 kms per day, out of which ~15-16 is on the Eastern Express Highway at speeds of ~90-100 KM/hr. The rest is bumper-to-bumper traffic in Powai area. For the last 6 months, I have been measuring the mileage religously using tankfull-to-tankfull method and the city mileage has hovered around 12-12.5 kmpl. My AC is typically 90% ON.
Did a 800KM roundtrip on highway NH17 in May-2010. Now people who have travelled on the NH17 from Mumbai towards Goa, would vouch that NH17 is pretty pathetic excuse for a highway. Strictly 2 lanes (1 for each direction) with no dividers and lots of twisties. Even excluding the time for breaks, the average distance covered by me on NH17 was ~50 km per hour. Again the AC was in second fan-speed setting and was on 90% of the time. The mileage I got was 14.85 kmpl

I fill up regular petrol from a BP bunk at Gandhinagar, Kanjurmarg.

Sometimes I genuinely wonder if there is something fandamentaly wrong with my driving style or with the car. Looking forward to some tips and directions from you and fellow BHPians.
- SDP

Gansan · 22nd June 2010, 11:59

@jinojohnt

The ride is slightly bumpy, but I don't think a PSI or two above 30 will matter much so long as you drive mostly over smooth paved roads and not very fast. It will also enhance tyre life. BTW I observe many fellows fill air to 30 PSI for their Altos, while 4 people are sitting inside the car! This will surely result in a pressure > 30 PSI. I always go alone for the air check when my tyres are cold, and will get down before checking.

BTW the recommended pressure for my Splendor is 24/32, but I have always maintained 28/36 without any issues. The tyres typically last for ~ 40,000 KM and I change them when 10% tread is left. I consistently get 63 KMPL with a pillion rider, even after 84000 KM! Till about the 60K mark it was 70+ KMPL!

@SDP
Select a leisurely Sunday morning. Take your car to the best bunk and fill it first up to auto cut off. After auto cut off, make them manually fill up to an inch below the fuel lid. Wait for about 15 seconds to see if the tank "burps"! If it does, fill some more till it comes to an inch below the lid. The visual level is important. Inflate all tyres to 32 PSI.

Set the trip meter to zero and take the car on a nice highway where you can drive at constant speed in 5th gear without many gear changes. Drive for 50 KM at a steady 70 KPH, either alone or with one companion. AC can be on or off as you wish, but keep the windows rolled up. Take a U turn and return to the same bunk and same nozzle. Again fill petrol as described in para 1. Divide the distance covered (100 KM) by the quantity filled. This will give you the best mileage your car is capable of under the most ideal conditions. If the figure is good ( I bet it will be > 20 KMPL), there is nothing wrong with your car. Safely knock off 6 - 7 KMPL from this figure to arrive at an approximate city mileage figure you can expect under "normal" city traffic.

It would be even better if you can do this three times with a gap of three months in between, and take the resulting average!

anky · 24th June 2010, 09:09

Now that u all know I get 11.25 in bumper to bumper traffic in my alto lxi(04) my daughter pesters me to buy a new bigger car. With the increasing fuel bills

buying a bigger car will burn a larger hole in my pocket so the next car too wile be a compact car with body coloured bumpers,power windows and rear wash wipe and defogger.Maruti preffered for their marginally better FE.

jinojohnt · 25th January 2011, 13:10

A bit OT:
Today I had trouble with the OEM horn, it started working only once in a while. I took out the connector and cleaned it (the way I could) and tightened it with a plier. Now it seems to work fine. Can any one recommend some solution that can be used to clean the horn terminals and the connector? Can I use spirit?

anky · 26th January 2011, 11:27

Hi I too had horn problems with my alto and I removed the two connectors and sand papered the horn contacts (metal sand paper) . Also I removed the steering wheel cover and sanded those contacts and now my horn is working great almost as good as new .

jinojohnt · 27th January 2011, 14:55

The horn problem keeps occuring once in a while. Is it possible to replace just the connector clips? I think the wire connector clips are the culprits, so I am even thinking of removing these and soldering the wire to the horn contacts.

jinojohnt · 21st February 2011, 17:22

It seems the Alto OEM horn had gone bad due to water seepage. I replaced my horn with a Bosh Twin horn (I don't remember the model number). I was charged around 600 Rs. The dealer at trivandrum 'scared' me saying I need a relay to avoid burning my horn switch. I am not interested in adding a relay anyway, so I am using only one horn from this set. I am saving the second horn for future. I feel the sound is ok, I am not a fan of big ear-splitting horns anyway.

ASHISHPALLOD · 21st February 2011, 17:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

A bit OT:
Today I had trouble with the OEM horn, it started working only once in a while. I took out the connector and cleaned it (the way I could) and tightened it with a plier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anky

Hi I too had horn problems with my alto and I removed the two connectors and sand papered the horn contacts (metal sand paper) .

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

The horn problem keeps occuring once in a while. Is it possible to replace just the connector clips? I think the wire connector clips are the culprits, .

I faced same problem with horn of my alto and culprit is loose connectors.
I have not found any right solution to fix the problem.

jinojohnt · 8th March 2011, 11:07

OEM alto horns are not waterproof, so you may need to change the horn itself rather than just the connectors, after a few years of usage.

I noticed another issue - when I leave my Alto unused for around 4 days, the brakes get stuck (even when the park lever is released). I push the car (lightly) back and forth to release the stuck brake, and then everything seems to work fine. Some thing wrong with my brakes, or is it a common issue with all Altos?

Gansan · 8th March 2011, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

I noticed another issue - when I leave my Alto unused for around 4 days, the brakes get stuck (even when the park lever is released). I push the car (lightly) back and forth to release the stuck brake, and then everything seems to work fine. Some thing wrong with my brakes, or is it a common issue with all Altos?

I take my car out only during weekends, and parking brake is always engaged for the duration it is idle. No such issues. There is another alto in my block that is left idle even longer. No problem for it either. Both are parked open to sky.

JustCause · 8th March 2011, 17:34

I have been experiencing a strange issue with my Alto. It happens only when the A/C is on.

When I'm starting from a standstill, and I want to shift from 1st gear to 2nd when I get to about 10-15 kmph. As soon as I press the clutch to shift to 2nd, I hear a muffled thud & the gearstick shakes in conjunction to the sound. Note that I still haven't slotted the gear lever to 2nd gear. This only happens when shifting from 1-2nd gear with A/C on.

What could be the problem?

Another observation: The A/C compressor cuts off if the engine is doing higher than normal RPMs. I thought of it as a feature to prevent compressor damage, but I want to clarify if the Altos do have this feature.

Tip to all Alto owners:
Clean your A/C condenser fins just behind front bumper with a stream of water & also, have the blower assembly cleaned out for dirt well in advance. The alto is devoid of filters in the air conditioning system and dirt & grime will result in A/C issues.

sumeethaldankar · 8th March 2011, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

I noticed another issue - when I leave my Alto unused for around 4 days, the brakes get stuck (even when the park lever is released). I push the car (lightly) back and forth to release the stuck brake, and then everything seems to work fine. Some thing wrong with my brakes, or is it a common issue with all Altos?

It's a common issue with Maruti's it seems. My 800 too had a similar problem wherein if the parking brake was kept enagaged over a period of 4-5 days at a stretch it would not disengage properly and the rear wheels would drag a while and get free after a khut sound after the car moves a short distance.

If you are not parked on a incline and don't use the car regularly you could leave the parking brake disengaged.The problem seems to be common with older cars and not if the car is 1-2 years old.

22nd June 2010, 00:36	#61
anky BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 402 Thanked: 115 Times	12 kmpl sucks Buying one of the cheapest cars in the market and then getting an avg of 11.5 sucks belive me I maintain my car very well and have beendriving in mumbai scince 1996 not to shoot down the alto which I like but when u get 11.5 kmpl tears come to ur eyes...mind u I drive in full traffic ac on 80% and only upto 3rd gear rarely 4th ....I do not know what 5th gear is > My brother in law on my same route gets 7 to 8 kmpl on his indigo cs petrol.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 10:18	#62
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,532 Thanked: 5,536 Times	@anky In the conditions you describe, even a Splendor would return only 35 KMPL! I did a recent city mileage check as I have to take my Alto for the third service shortly. City mileage was 17.98 KMPL with 50% AC usage (morning only, no AC while returning home at night), only two occupants and no luggage. There are signals en route, the traffic moderately heavy but smooth flowing and I can drive mostly in 4th / 5th gears. The highway mileage has always been 22 - 24 KMPL. I would say the Alto is pretty frugal! A caveat though: I use only Shell Super Unleaded petrol, Shell Helix HX 5 oil and always keep the tyres at 32 PSI. But I think it would be pretty realistic to expect only a mileage of 14 KMPL / 18 KMPL for the city / highway consistently. Take your car on a highway trip and check the mileage. I predict it will be above 20 KMPL. Last edited by Gansan : 22nd June 2010 at 10:20.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 10:54	#63
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	Isn't the Alto tyres supposed to be inflated till only 30 psi? I guess over-filling would cause damages to the shocks/bearings in the long run.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 11:04	#64
SDP Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,737 Thanked: 11,279 Times	@Gansan -> Your numbers as well as the numbers shared by a lot of other Alto owners intrigue me. My Alto is 6 years old. Its about to complete 40K. Driven only by me and serviced regularly. During 2008-2009, the car was primarily being used for a short drive of 3 kms in the morning and an occassional weekend trip to a nearby mall (10km round trip). Since the car was exclusively used for short distances, I was mentally prepared for lower mileages and I was getting 10-11 kmpl. From begining of 2010, I have been driving ~25 kms per day, out of which ~15-16 is on the Eastern Express Highway at speeds of ~90-100 KM/hr. The rest is bumper-to-bumper traffic in Powai area. For the last 6 months, I have been measuring the mileage religously using tankfull-to-tankfull method and the city mileage has hovered around 12-12.5 kmpl. My AC is typically 90% ON. Did a 800KM roundtrip on highway NH17 in May-2010. Now people who have travelled on the NH17 from Mumbai towards Goa, would vouch that NH17 is pretty pathetic excuse for a highway. Strictly 2 lanes (1 for each direction) with no dividers and lots of twisties. Even excluding the time for breaks, the average distance covered by me on NH17 was ~50 km per hour. Again the AC was in second fan-speed setting and was on 90% of the time. The mileage I got was 14.85 kmpl I fill up regular petrol from a BP bunk at Gandhinagar, Kanjurmarg. Sometimes I genuinely wonder if there is something fandamentaly wrong with my driving style or with the car. Looking forward to some tips and directions from you and fellow BHPians. - SDP Last edited by SDP : 22nd June 2010 at 11:06.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 11:59	#65
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,532 Thanked: 5,536 Times	@jinojohnt The ride is slightly bumpy, but I don't think a PSI or two above 30 will matter much so long as you drive mostly over smooth paved roads and not very fast. It will also enhance tyre life. BTW I observe many fellows fill air to 30 PSI for their Altos, while 4 people are sitting inside the car! This will surely result in a pressure > 30 PSI. I always go alone for the air check when my tyres are cold, and will get down before checking. BTW the recommended pressure for my Splendor is 24/32, but I have always maintained 28/36 without any issues. The tyres typically last for ~ 40,000 KM and I change them when 10% tread is left. I consistently get 63 KMPL with a pillion rider, even after 84000 KM! Till about the 60K mark it was 70+ KMPL! @SDP Select a leisurely Sunday morning. Take your car to the best bunk and fill it first up to auto cut off. After auto cut off, make them manually fill up to an inch below the fuel lid. Wait for about 15 seconds to see if the tank "burps"! If it does, fill some more till it comes to an inch below the lid. The visual level is important. Inflate all tyres to 32 PSI. Set the trip meter to zero and take the car on a nice highway where you can drive at constant speed in 5th gear without many gear changes. Drive for 50 KM at a steady 70 KPH, either alone or with one companion. AC can be on or off as you wish, but keep the windows rolled up. Take a U turn and return to the same bunk and same nozzle. Again fill petrol as described in para 1. Divide the distance covered (100 KM) by the quantity filled. This will give you the best mileage your car is capable of under the most ideal conditions. If the figure is good ( I bet it will be > 20 KMPL), there is nothing wrong with your car. Safely knock off 6 - 7 KMPL from this figure to arrive at an approximate city mileage figure you can expect under "normal" city traffic. It would be even better if you can do this three times with a gap of three months in between, and take the resulting average! Last edited by Gansan : 22nd June 2010 at 12:05.
	() Thanks

24th June 2010, 09:09	#66
anky BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 402 Thanked: 115 Times	Getting 12 kmpl Now that u all know I get 11.25 in bumper to bumper traffic in my alto lxi(04) my daughter pesters me to buy a new bigger car. With the increasing fuel bills buying a bigger car will burn a larger hole in my pocket so the next car too wile be a compact car with body coloured bumpers,power windows and rear wash wipe and defogger.Maruti preffered for their marginally better FE.
	() Thanks

25th January 2011, 13:10	#67
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	re: Maruti Alto - Issues A bit OT: Today I had trouble with the OEM horn, it started working only once in a while. I took out the connector and cleaned it (the way I could) and tightened it with a plier. Now it seems to work fine. Can any one recommend some solution that can be used to clean the horn terminals and the connector? Can I use spirit?
	() Thanks

26th January 2011, 11:27	#68
anky BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 402 Thanked: 115 Times	On your OT with Horn Hi I too had horn problems with my alto and I removed the two connectors and sand papered the horn contacts (metal sand paper) . Also I removed the steering wheel cover and sanded those contacts and now my horn is working great almost as good as new .
	() Thanks

27th January 2011, 14:55	#69
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	re: Maruti Alto - Issues The horn problem keeps occuring once in a while. Is it possible to replace just the connector clips? I think the wire connector clips are the culprits, so I am even thinking of removing these and soldering the wire to the horn contacts.
	() Thanks

21st February 2011, 17:22	#70
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	re: Maruti Alto - Issues It seems the Alto OEM horn had gone bad due to water seepage. I replaced my horn with a Bosh Twin horn (I don't remember the model number). I was charged around 600 Rs. The dealer at trivandrum 'scared' me saying I need a relay to avoid burning my horn switch. I am not interested in adding a relay anyway, so I am using only one horn from this set. I am saving the second horn for future. I feel the sound is ok, I am not a fan of big ear-splitting horns anyway.
	() Thanks

8th March 2011, 11:07	#72
jinojohnt Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,124 Thanked: 794 Times	re: Maruti Alto - Issues OEM alto horns are not waterproof, so you may need to change the horn itself rather than just the connectors, after a few years of usage. I noticed another issue - when I leave my Alto unused for around 4 days, the brakes get stuck (even when the park lever is released). I push the car (lightly) back and forth to release the stuck brake, and then everything seems to work fine. Some thing wrong with my brakes, or is it a common issue with all Altos?
	() Thanks

8th March 2011, 17:34	#74
JustCause BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Currently, New Delhi Posts: 422 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	re: Maruti Alto - Issues I have been experiencing a strange issue with my Alto. It happens only when the A/C is on. When I'm starting from a standstill, and I want to shift from 1st gear to 2nd when I get to about 10-15 kmph. As soon as I press the clutch to shift to 2nd, I hear a muffled thud & the gearstick shakes in conjunction to the sound. Note that I still haven't slotted the gear lever to 2nd gear. This only happens when shifting from 1-2nd gear with A/C on. What could be the problem? Another observation: The A/C compressor cuts off if the engine is doing higher than normal RPMs. I thought of it as a feature to prevent compressor damage, but I want to clarify if the Altos do have this feature. Tip to all Alto owners: Clean your A/C condenser fins just behind front bumper with a stream of water & also, have the blower assembly cleaned out for dirt well in advance. The alto is devoid of filters in the air conditioning system and dirt & grime will result in A/C issues. Last edited by JustCause : 8th March 2011 at 17:44.
	() Thanks

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