[BeemerBug_06]

Last Sunday i.e 18th December was Classic Maruti Day 2022, the annual car meet and drive of the Classic Maruti Enthusiasts club to meet, enjoy and celebrate our old rides. Quite obviously, 1513 participated in it considering I was the key organiser this time. This was the 4th year of CME day!

Here are some images of the baby getting pampered before the event day.













A thorough foam wash and cleanup done at trusty Cadell Auto helped ensure that 1513 looked white again. It had started yellowing due to my daily usage







All clean !!

[BeemerBug_06]

Some more pics taken post polish and detailing !

[BeemerBug_06]

Here are some snaps from Classic Maruti Day -2022
Those interested in knowing more about it can check out this thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...ay-mumbai.html (Pics: The 2022 Classic Maruti Day, Mumbai)
















Signing off for now with one of my most favourite pictures

[BeemerBug_06]

Yesterday marks 4 years since I brought the car home!
Some ownership anniversary goodies are in store for the car a few days down the line, stay tuned

[BeemerBug_06]

4 years have flown past and how !

As I type this update, I can't believe it has been 4 years since I got 1513. It only seems like yesterday that it came home, as my first car and the one that I would "learn" to drive in. My folks didn't know at the time that I already knew how to drive lol

A lot has happened over these 4 years and all I can say is that I'm glad to have kept the car and have it by my side. The car has been part of several first experiences I've had, including the first time I got my hands dirty working on a car to having my first accident, and many more which I need not mention here


One of the first pictures I took of the car back in 2018, just around the time we finalised the deal


Most recent picture of the car taken during a Sunday morning drive , a week or so ago.


As part of the upkeep of the car, I have made it a point to have the annual service and maintenance work of the car done between the months of March and April, since it's around the time the ownership period increases by
a year.

Last year at about 33,500km I had had the oil changed along with the addition of new coolant after a radiator flush (coolant was done last in 2019), a simple brake service and a tune-up for the carburetor. The car has been driven about 7k km since then and work was done at 40,120 km.

This year however, I decided to things a little more extensively. Besides a basic mechanical service , I also opted to change the Gear Oil and Spark plugs this time around as I myself don't know exactly when they were changed last. So as part of preventive maintenance, I decided to add it to the service plan. Time for some real pampering


The goodies!

-Note that this car has had Castrol Magnatech Synthetic Oil of grade 10W40 used for it since over the past decade, so I decided to stick with it. In my experience, it has been very good and lasts the prescribed interval of 5k km. I have also noticed that it causes the motor to run and rev super smoothly. Would 100% recommend to all Zen owners. IF you do not wish to go the synthetic way, then Castrol GTX 5W30 is the best one to go for.

-As for the gear oil, the owner's manual prescribes 2.4 litres of gear oil of grade 75W90. Since I could not find Castrol, I went for Eneos which is also a reputed brand.

-The coolant I opt for is also made by Castrol. It is a concentrate and prescribes that the ideal mix for your car's radiator is 1 litre of coolant and 3 litres of water (preferably distilled water)

-Brake fluid is nothing special, just basic DOT 3 brake oil which is pink in colour.

- The plugs are regular NGK R plugs bearing the number BPR5ES. They are compatible for BS6 petrol and CNG cars as well. I was considering putting Iridium plugs for the car, however it was turning out to be an expensive ordeal, so had to push it for the next time.

Has anyone here used Iridium plugs for their Zen ?
If yes, please do elaborate on how much of a difference it really makes to the car vis-a-vis performance , mileage and maintenance.







The condition of the fluids after a year of daily use and about 7500km of running. Well due for a change as you can see !

[BeemerBug_06]

This time around I decided to make a quick DIY job out of the oil change and coolant change, instead of sending it over to the mechanics. So one evening, my compound was turned into a makeshift workshop.

Special thanks to my buddies Ananth (vishy_76), Aadesh, and Janak who stopped by and helped out. It was an eventful evening indeed.




Getting our hands all dirty !


Use OEM wherever possible!




Condition of the old oil




The old coolant. While it may still appear green, it was not in good shape. The mixture consisted of dirty water, muck , and rust. Again overdue for a change.

Flushing the radiator and cooling system turned out to be the most time-consuming job and it took us 2-3 full flushes to get all the mud and rust out of the radiator and block respectively. Seeing the all mucky green and brown water turn to crystal clear clean water was satisfying indeed.

Post that the radiator drain plug was put back and we topped it up with the correct mix of water and coolant. The expansion tank too was deep cleaned.




The following day! A very noticeable difference.
Also, I had forgotten how good the car feels after an oil change. The first drive post the oil change felt heavenly. It pulled extra cleanly and once again became super silent. Seems I had forgotten about how sweetly the engine purrs in the midst of daily driving the car.

[BeemerBug_06]

With the basic stuff out of the way, it was time to advance toward the slightly complicated bit that my novice hands didn't dare handle. So I called in none other than the one and only Ravi bhai to do his thing with tuning up the car and ensuring it runs perfectly as always.

Before touching the carburetor, he made me run the car on the spot for a couple of minutes and mentioned that it was not running correctly, much to my surprise. The reason why he said so was that the tappets were making more noise than needed and needed to be set. A slight tap noise from the tappets is characteristic of the G10B and G13B carburetor engines belonging to the Zen and Esteem.

So next step, was to take off the valve cover. As I was taking it off, I could feel oil leaking out the side and once it was completely off , I noticed that the valve cover gasket was cracked in a few places causing oil to seep out through the gaps. No big deal, happens with age.









Overall condition of the engine head was pretty decent, given the age of the car and also considering it was extremely low run. There was thankfully no sludge in the head anywhere. Surely, things could have been a bit cleaner up here but I was just happy that there was no sludge there.


The tappet cover however did have sludge stuck on its underside. This was a sign of late oil changes. I say late because as per the service record and Ravi, oil was religiously changed by the previous owner every year , despite little running. I suppose it was done later than usual. Also, consider the age of the car.

So before going ahead with anything else, we decided to clean all the sludge out as it would mess things up if left like that, and get a new gasket before going ahead with the tune-up. We tried to scrape out as much sludge as we could and then filled up the tappet cover with diesel and paint thinner and left it overnight so that all the sludge would dissolve and it would be easier to clean it the following day.


The following morning




The good folks of Cadel Auto giving the tappet cover an extensive scrub down and wash. It took almost half an hour to get it all clean !


Well worth the effort!


A quick before and after comparison


Found the gasket at my local auto parts shop. Unfortunately, the MGP make one wasn't available , so had to go with a local one. It cost me a mere 120/- ,I also changed the packing for the distributor as that too had a minor leak, cost me 85/-

[BeemerBug_06]

While setting the tappets, it was found that both valves on the extreme left had got a fair amount of clearance and were moving more than needed. So that was fixed. The others seemed fine, but I had all of them set to perfection. Once set, there were no more rattles or knocks coming from the head except for a minor click sound which is normal for these engines.

Once the tappets were done, we moved on to the carburetor. That didn't take much time as it was already set correctly. Especially with an expert like Ravi bhai doing the trick. All that was required was a quick clean-up of the throttle body, jets, inner body, and a slight fettle here and there and it was good to go. As always, the exhaust was throwing out buckets of water

Post that it was time for the spark plugs.The wires and ignition coil were fine but to my surprise, the old plugs were in a sad sad state. I had not bothered about them till now because the car was running fine, so I'd assumed that the plugs were fine. However, now I've learnt that its best to check and not assume, remember a stitch in time saves nine !






The Old plugs. Completely done. As you can see the gap is very less than required, plus some rust and oil which has leaked onto them . No surprise why that happened !




The new plugs ready to go in !

Once the plugs were installed and I started the car, there was a huge difference. Not only did it start better, but everything in general seemed to have improved by a noticeable margin. The idling was whisper soft now, even the slightest vibrations which I generally ignored had disappeared for good. The acceleration too was much smoother and more responsive. I am sure the mileage too will improve now. I shall give a report on that soon.

Do remember that paying attention to spark plugs for a petrol engine is as important as changing oil and a part of regular maintenance. Several people including myself, tend to ignore the importance of spark plugs and how much of a difference they make. This was an eye opener for me !

[BeemerBug_06]

After a quick spin in the car after changing the plugs, I drove it to my other mechanic and friend Sanjay bhai's place where I had planned to change the gear oil and one final checkup.


Getting the drain plug to open to remove the old gear oil was a task as it was all stuck up. God only knows when it was last opened! Well nothing that a little WD-40 and hammering can't solve

I didn't bother with the air filter and fuel filter this time as they were still in a good state. Had the air filter cleaned out with a blower tool and it was good.




The old gear oil too was far gone. It was in much worse condition than the engine oil and smelt toxic. On close examination , I could see some metal shavings in it too.

Gear oil too happens to be another important service parameter that several people tend to overlook. But it too is necessary. As per what I've read, Gear oil for Maruti 800, Zen etc. should be changed every 5 years or 50000km. I did it this time as a preventive thing and I am glad I did.

Once the gear oil was changed and the brakes were serviced with new fluid put in. I set out for a spin. Initially the car jerked a bit while changing gears due to the new gear oil, but once it picked up the pace, man did it feel good !

The gears have now become smoother and crisper than ever before. I can literally shift with my pinky finger now


Also had a 12v socket fitted in the space provided to connect my phone charger or Bluetooth transmitter which come handy during long trips.

[BeemerBug_06]

Some useful charts I found online and at my auto spares shops prescribing the best and correct oil grades for Maruti Suzuki and various other cars. Also, attaching a chart with the correct wiper blade sizes for various cars. I am sure it will be of help to many here.

[BeemerBug_06]

With all the greasy and oily work complete, the car was sent to Cadel Auto for a quick wash service and came back all clean and fresh!
I believe that if you take care of your car and look after it, the machine too will correspond and look after you just as well I'm sure many of you will agree. Hoping you found this update fun and informative. In case of any queries feel free to PM me !



That's it from me for now!
Until the next update signing off for now,
BeemerBug.

[sharan181]

Lovely thread over there, Nikhil!
Good to see the Tappet cover blinging like new.
That thrill of after service splendour indeed is great, when it idles just like you just bought it from the showroom is just something else, I’m sure you felt the ‘Zero Engine Noise’ factor from your car after the service.��

Was wondering is it trusty to get an after market 12v Charging socket? I’m sure you’re not gonna risk with an aftermarket cigarette lighter.

[BeemerBug_06]

Originally Posted by sharan181

Lovely thread over there, Nikhil!
Good to see the Tappet cover blinging like new.
That thrill of after service splendour indeed is great, when it idles just like you just bought it from the showroom is just something else, I’m sure you felt the ‘Zero Engine Noise’ factor from your car after the service.��

Was wondering is it trusty to get an after market 12v Charging socket? I’m sure you’re not gonna risk with an aftermarket cigarette lighter.

Thanks Sharan !
I bought the 12 volt socket from my local accessories shop whom I visit on a regular basis. I had purchased the same kind off socket of another car sometime ago and it works very well, so decided to go ahead with it for the Zen as well. It came with a cigarette lighter.

[BeemerBug_06]

24th April will always remain a significant date for 1513 because that's the day it was officially registered and possibly driven out of the showroom by the first owner the following day



The Ol' girl turned 27 years old two days ago!



Some time ago, I met the first owner of the car. He was very pleased to see that the car looks exactly how it did when he let go of it, in fact, even better now hehe. Very kindly, he shared this photo of the car with me from when it was brand new! The photograph really made my day.


27 years later !

[BeemerBug_06]

With the monsoon finally here, it's time for another update. Thankfully a major issue was averted before it began pouring in Mumbai.

A few months ago, I noticed the car's interior smelt a bit musty like a stack of old newspapers. I noticed it almost immediately because I ensure it is otherwise always smelling clean and fresh thanks to the AmbiPur I use. It didn't take me long to figure out that the smell was due to stagnant water which had somehow made its way into the cabin and was collecting on the carpet by the passenger footwell.

I decided to ignore it for a few days and drive. After a week, the water made its way into the cabin again right after the car was cleaned by the cleaner. It was then that I realised that my car had finally begun to show signs of what I call the "slow death". To confirm, I poured some water directly onto the wiper cowl area, and as expected, it crept into the cabin from behind the dashboard.

The affected area is the firewall, in between the dashboard and engine bay. Water enters it from the cowl panel space and collects, causing it to rust out. The firewall is a very vulnerable rust spot in all Old Maruti Suzuki cars and can cause hell if it's not repaired on time. The rust slowly spreads from there to the strut mount area and then to the aprons. A rusted apron in an Old Maruti Zen or Esteem can literally be the end of the car as it will cause the car to sag to one side. Even if repaired, there's no guarantee that it will be as good again. So I urge all those of you who wish to keep your old Marutis alive to attend to the firewall area and prevent it from rusting as much as possible. If it's already started, fix it immediately.

As I plan to retain the car for as long as I can, I decided to fix it. I asked at a few known places and was given a rather high quote for the repair which did not seem worth it. Finally, the car was dropped off at my buddy Noel's place at Belapur. Those of you hailing from Navi Mumbai would probably know that Noel runs a place called Nelly Auto and does good work at a reasonable rate.

I dropped the car to Noel on the 17th of June and was told it would be ready within a week if all goes well.

Two days later, I received a couple of pictures from him of the damage.





To my surprise, the rust was not as bad as I expected. However, this was not a good sign either, I thank my stars that it was saved in the nick of time!



The AC evaporator coil was given a nice clean-up and service as well. Gas was refilled too.





Plugging the hole !







Anti-rust was generously applied in the area. Post application, I should not face any trouble for at least the next 3-5 years.

In exactly a week's time, the car was ready and I went to pick it up. Noel and his guys did a very quick and efficient job. Yesterday was a rainy day and I got caught in a heavy downpour on my way back from Noel's. Not a single drop of water made its way into the cabin, hence a job well done

If you are in Navi Mumbai and need someone good and reliable to look into your automotive needs. I would definitely recommend Nelly Auto. Noel is very sincere and will do right by any and every car. Do give him a buzz if needed.

Noel James - 9930078218

As for the car, I plan to give it a bit of a break in the monsoons but will of course ensure it is driven regularly again post that.

Until the next update,
Drive safe and be careful during the monsoon!