[BLACNWYTE]

Cosmetic & Functional (?) Accessories

Ever since I started taking Panda to office daily and parking her out in the open (my office has mostly open parking) I wanted to get the rain guard door visor. I like to keep the windows open (about 1 cm) while parked out in the sun so that there is at least some space for air circulation. Also, I didn't want to go and close the windows each time when there was rain which became routine during this month.

I searched Amazon and found one with decent rating which was compatible with Panda and I placed the order. The product I received was a little bit different from that in the picture but it looked sleek and fitted perfectly. The adhesive seemed strong enough and so far it has held up. The quality and finishing is less that what had imagined. Have driven at around 90kmph with it and there is no abnormal wind noise.

Cost - Rs. 1059/-





Along with the door visor, I had also ordered that anti fog/ rain repellant film for rearview mirrors. I ordered the one which offered 2 sets which cost Rs. 547/-. I installed them as directed on the package but still ended up with bubbles inside the films pasted on front windows. The films on the mirrors however was properly stuck. This however has turned out to be useless as it worked only for the first couple of times and now water is sticking on to the films. The visibility improvement is about 30% from that when no film was present. The brand used is KeepCart Car Accessories and I would not recommend it. Good thing is that I have an extra set which I will apply after taking this off and I will do that patiently or get it done from someone who can do it properly.

Rear view mirror - Passenger side.


Driver side.


Driver side window film with bubbles. Passenger side has no noticeable bubbling.


I also goofed up while sticking the passenger side window film as I pasted it a bit backwards so only half of the mirror film over lap the viewing angle. Thank God I have another set.

I had also orders a pair of convex blind spot mirrors (round ones) to be stuck on the edge of rear view mirrors but the item was returned to the seller (recalled?)midway through the shipment. I'm now waiting for the refund as it will be effected only when they get back their product. Anyway, I have dropped the plan of getting them for now.

[BLACNWYTE]

Eighth Service.

The 7 years/ 70000 kms service was due in July 2024, however, due to some increased use post my accident in March 2024, the 10k km interval was completed in June itself. I had to make an urgent trip to Kochi which put an additional 400 kms over the due mileage.





The Service due meter was showing -397 kms with 38 days more to service. Since the Panda is out of warranty and the SA said it's not an issue, I booked an appointment for the nearest Sunday available for service. The Odometer reading at the time of service was 61517 kms.

HASS Popular Hyundai, Karakkamandapam, Trivandrum was chosen for the same as I had a pleasant experience there the last time. I wanted to get air and cabin filter changed and also I wanted to change the transmission oil and coolant. Now, Hyundai says the manual transaxle fluid need only be replaced at 120k kms and that too if the vehicle is used in severe conditions. I was experiencing some not so smooth gearshifts in between and also the reverse gear at times doesn't want to slot. So I thought why not change the gear oil and see. Regarding the coolant, it was replaced last service but when I check the radiator all I found was water and not the green stuff. I asked the Technician about it and he said they mix it in 50:50 (coolant concentrate : water) ratio as recommended by Hyundai. In the reserve tank I can see a darker liquid which I hope is green in colour. Can't see the liquid directly if I open the cap and peek inside.



So dropped off the car at the HASS at 9:30 AM on 16th and the SA informed me what all is going to be done as part of regular service and estimate cost. The initial estimate was around Rs 16k and I asked to use mineral engine oil instead of fully synthetic since I had always used mineral oil only and I'm satisfied with the results. I also asked them to skip the interior polishing as it leaves a slippery residue on steering wheel and all touch points. The revised estimate was around Rs 12k. The SA didn't push any more value added service other than an interior disinfection pack and evaporator cleaner which I gave a go ahead. I asked the SA to do the replacement of the transmission fluid and he said it is not really required at this point and I told him about the reverse gear issue and he said gear lever lubrication might solve the issue. Also, he told gear oil will be replaced whenever clutch replacement is done and since Panda has already done 60k kms that might be due in around another 20-30k kms and at that time I can change the transmission oil. I agreed with the same.


He said he will contact me with further works, if any, after they start on the car. Estimated time of delivery was 4:30PM. I agreed and left for home as I had some other important commitments. Usually in case of routine service I like to stay with the car.

At around 1PM, I get a call from another person at HASS saying that there are some other issues with the car, like, holes in the exhaust (already known), Spark Plugs might need replacement (expected), seeping leak of transmission oil/ oil seal failure (not expected). I told him to leave the exhaust alone like the last time, spark plus had life left in them and clearances were ok so I asked to clean them and put them back. Regarding the transmission oil leak, I was quite surprised as when I asked for replacement they said it is not required and surprisingly now there is a leak. I asked for the photos of the same and I got a video in whatsapp, there was a seeping leak and I was told that since the gear oil is thicker, it might have leaked only during drives when it get hot and thin. However, they will have to replace the leaky seal so I got the oil replaced. (which is what I wanted in the first place). I also asked the technician if it was possible to do an engine flush also to which he said they had already replaced the engine oil and filter. So next time.

Leaky transmission oil seal.


The air filter and cabin filter were also replaced and since the transmission oil and seal had to be replaced I was told that I'll get the car back only the next day which I was fine with.

The next day I could get to the HASS by evening only and all the works were done and Panda was ready to be driven home. Took a short test drive along with the SA and all was fine. He showed me the engine oil level, coolant level in reservoir (couldn't open the radiator cap as the engine was hot) and told about all other works done. I was given a coupon for 6 month/ 5000km free check up service and the detailed bill for service. The bill amount totaled to Rs 13947/- of which the labour cost of transmission oil and seal replacement was the highest. (If I exclude that and the two value added service options the final bill would have been well under Rs 6k.) I paid the bill and was out of there all in 30 mins.

I have driven only about 50 kms after service and there is a noticeable change in gear shifting. The shifting has become smoother and it didn't refuse to go in reverse not even once in the 4-5 times I tried. There were some vibrations when moving off in first without any throttle input earlier, that too seems to to have disappeared. I hope she rides smooth like this for the foreseeable future. (touchwood).

[BLACNWYTE]

Insurance Update.

There is more than a month left in the current policy before I need to renew, but one fine day I just decided to get it done early. So went online and obtained quotes. I mainly depend of PB for online policy nowadays. (No vested interest, just a happy customer especially since I haven't made any claims since 2019. Touchwood)

Got a quote from New India Assurance Co. Ltd for Rs. 11.2k. Comprehensive, no zero dip and no added cover. Panda will be in her eighth year and honestly zero dip either wont be available and if available, it will be exorbitantly priced which I'm sure will fail a cost benefit analysis.

Anyway I opted for a good IDV, which comes around to 55% of the ex-showroom price of the car. Which I felt was good enough for a 7 year old car.
Interestingly, my only insurance claim also came from NIA Co. Ltd. in 2019. Also they have listed some cashless garages which seems good from google reviews.

[zoobydooby]

Hi blacnwyte!!!

I too own a Creta 2016 1.6 SX+ (Petrol). It has done 52K+ kms. I have gone through your ownership thread many times and they have been very helpful to understand various issues on my car.

I noticed that your car had an AC issue some time back. I am also facing some problems with the AC. AC gives out cool air for very short duration and then the air volume starts decreasing and its chill factor decreases.

I have to keep the setting to 'LO' to get cool air with blower set at 2/3. This problem is less severe during summers but increases during monsoons and winters. I have already tried changing of thermistor, refill of AC gas but nothing has worked.

Service center guys have suggested that there might be ice formation inside the compressor and it might need a replacement. What is your advice on the matter? should I get it repaired from the Authorised service center or go to any AC repair shop? I am currently in Pune.

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by zoobydooby

Hi blacnwyte!!!

I too own a Creta 2016 1.6 SX+ (Petrol). ... should I get it repaired from the Authorised service center or go to any AC repair shop? I am currently in Pune.

Glad that my ownership review could be of help.

In my case, as documented here, it was a case of leak from the evaporator coil which caused the less cooling. I also had to replace the sponge material inside the dashboard to correct the air flow issues and windshield fogging issues.

Please do see the ownership thread of DBhpian @Naveenraju who also faced the same AC issue in his Creta SX(O) 1.6D, but it was due to a leak in AC discharge pipe.

The common factor in both our cases were leaks in the AC system.

With regard to the question of whether the work should be done from HASS or FNG, I'll go with HASS as they will provide a goodwill warranty to the work done for at least 6 months, which is enough to test out the whole system. I was lucky enough to get a HASS which was transparent about the works required and done on my car.

[BLACNWYTE]

Service Feedback and Follow-up. (long post)

After the service, the SA had requested me to give full 10/10 rating during feedback call. He told that even 9/10 was taken as a customer complaint. I told him that I would do it and I didn’t receive any feedback call, till the end of the month. However, on 1st July about noon, I got the feedback call from the Service Center/ Popular group. I was expecting a call from Hyundai itself based on the concern showed by the SA regarding the feedback.

The service experience was almost 10/10 barring the tardiness in accepting the car for service (I had to wait 30 mins for the SA) even though I had a prior appointment and I reached the HASS on time and I was the only customer there. Quick recap of the service experience is as follows. The joined test drive taken, opened the job card was opened (on paper and not a tab like last time), works estimate was given, and they added an interior disinfection and evaporator coil cleaning (both value added services) and I handed over the car and left. The works were done and additional works were informed and the requested photos were sent albeit some delay and after couple of phone calls. The final bill was close to the estimate. Got some 20% discount on labour due to some camp offer, which I think they give to everybody. Took the joined test drive and everything was okay. SA once again explained the works done and bill was given. Payment done and I was out of there in about 30 mins. They had the car ready to be driven home at the time they said.

Coming to the feedback call, I gave every parameter 10/10 and when asked about any other feedback, I just told them that I had to wait for 30 mins before anyone attended to me and when asked about using tab for opening the job card I said it was done on paper. I also told them that it would be better if the customer is informed of the value added services included in the service beforehand. They took my feedback and I ended the call. I did not think anything more about this since it felt pretty routine.

However, by evening I received a call from the service center regarding my feedback and they asked me about the reasons for my dissatisfaction. I told them that I didn’t have any complaints but some concerns as to the coolant in Panda. I had raised the issue with SA but since he told about the dilution procedure, I was not keen on pushing the matter. It still bothered me that the coolant is brownish in colour and quite watery. So, I asked this guy (the one who is now calling regarding the feedback) about it. I asked him what the colour of coolant that they use is. He told me green and my brain straightaway went in panic mode as I thought the brownish colour is rust. Then he told in their premium cars, Hyundai uses orange colour coolant (mixed with water). I was a bit relieved as the coolant in Panda had an orange tinge too. I told him my concern and he requested me to bring Panda to the service center for checking. I told him that I have a very busy week ahead and I will not be able to do that. He promptly replied that, he will visit wherever I am, as per my convenience and address the issue. I was pleasantly surprised as I wasn’t expecting that. I asked him to come to my office during noon and he said he will come the next day itself.

The next day morning I got his call and he said, he will also bring coolant and a mechanic with him so that, if any issues are there they will sort it out there itself. I requested him to come at noon as he arrived as said along with a mechanic. I showed them the coolant condition (couldn’t do it at HASS during service as the engine was hot at the time) and they agreed that the coolant is a bit watery. They didn’t say anything else and I asked them if it is rust and they replied in the negative. The SA however did try to BS that it might be due to dust from the radiator grille and when I said if the dust could enter there it means there is a leak and in that case there shouldn’t be any coolant in the car he shut up and didn’t try anything else.

I told them that I’m not getting any overheating alerts or any other faults and they told that as long as there is coolant in the radiator, it would be fine. Then they requested me to bring the car to HASS so that they can properly diagnose the issue. They told they would have to disassemble the radiator assembly to check. I think that they too are not sure why the coolant appears so. I told them that I have a very busy schedule ahead and I have couple of drives planned in the coming week. They told that it is fine to drive as it is and once I get back, call them and they will make sure to attend to this issue on priority and make sure that Panda is returned home the same day itself.

A week, actually turned into a few months before I could take Panda to the HASS. My schedule got very busy and I barely had time for relaxing in the weekends and that, I spent with my family. Before I knew it Panda has done almost 5k kms since service and I decide to use the free 80 point inspection coupon that they had given me after service. It had a validity of 6 months or 5k kms from the date of service.

So I booked an appointment with HASS Karakkamandapam, Trivandrum (Popular Hyundai) for 27/10/2024 and got there by 10 AM. This time it was a new SA and I apprised him of the coolant issue and also asked him to check for any leaks from the newly installed transmission seal. Since I told them that I was staying and wanted the car back as early as possible, they first got it washed and then put it on ramp for the inspections. As I could see they checked all the oil levels, tyres and brakes, condition of filters, OBD scan, AC system etc. Since I had asked they confirmed that no leaks were observed from the transmission seal. With regard to the coolant, they told that it is fine and my argument was that it is too watery. They repeated about the dilution recommended from HMIL and I decided not to push it as there was no heating issues per se.

I also shared a peculiar incident that happened a couple of days ago. I was going to office and decided to drive due to torrential rains and while I was stuck in traffic I noticed that the water was evaporating from the hood/bonnet at a very fast pace. I could see very heavy mist rising from my hood. Alarmed I check the instrument cluster and the temperature gauge was showing normal reading. I looked at other cars and I could not see the same on other cars around. Engine does heat up in heavy traffic when we constantly shift between first and second gear for longer duration. Anyway, I informed the SA about the heating issue and he also said the same thing and to be sure they checked the temperature sensors and all were working fine. So for now I have decided to leave the coolant issue as such and maybe will get the whole system flushed at the next service. I was given a zero amount bill for the check up and wash as I had the coupon from the last service. I was out by 12PM.

I would rate this 9/10. I deducted half a point for polishing the interiors with that awful slippery substance and leaving small amounts of it on the parcel tray, door trims and handles and another half for leaving grease marks on the washed car. This happened because they worked on the car after it was washed. They should have wiped it down once again after the works were done. I definitely remember seeing Panda parked in the bay for 15-20 minutes after the works were done which could have been used for a once over.

(P.S.- I began writing this in June but then got delayed and finished it now)

[BLACNWYTE]

Rear Wiper and Tailgate Struts Replacement.

So as Panda completed 7 years with us, I thought of addressing some minor yet significant replacements in parts. The rear wiper has become less efficient, as it was smearing the water instead of removing it. However, during long spells it cleans well enough but I thought to get it replaced. Along with it I was thinking about getting the tailgate struts/ lifts replaced. They had lost the power to lift up the tailgate fully and I had to manually lift it after unlocking. Thankfully they was holding the structure in position but it is just a matter of time they failed and dropped the door on my or anybody's head. I didn't want that to happen.







The tailgate was staying at whatever position I was leaving it above the minimum lift position for the gravity to close the lid.

So I started browsing boodmo and also asked local stores for the replacement parts both original Hyundai Mobis and aftermarket. the local stores we selling them to me at MRP with no discounts and they didn't have the rear wiper in stock. Then boodmo offered free shipping for Monroe tailgate struts and found original Hyundai-Kia rear wiper there itself. Took them together and it cost me Rs 1212/- (including shipping for wiper).

First I replaced the rear wiper witch was a straight forward affair. Pull up the stalk, rotate the blade, push it down and slip it out and put the new wiper in reverse order. Checked the working and it was giving clean wipes.

Old wiper




New Wiper.


If you ask me, visually both looks the same but the efficacy is worlds apart.

For the tailgate strut replacement, I watched a YouTube video of how to replace them and since only a flathead screwdriver was required I decided to do it myself.



Got the flat head screwdriver from Blu's tool kit and popped the tabs on the upper and lower ends of one strut. The tabs are quite sturdy and you need to apply a bit of force to pop them. The struts can be easily removed once you pop the tabs. (Tip - Have something to hold the weight of tailgate (like wooden or metal pole) while you remove and put back the struts because the tailgate is quite heavy and one strut cannot hold it in place. I used my head to prop it up since I don't use it much anyway). I did one side at a time and was finished in 5 minutes.





Old Lifts. (Hyundai has different part number for LH and RH side, which is irrelevant in my opinion)


New lifts in action.


The Monroe struts are quite sturdy and I require some effort to bring the tailgate back down. I was so used to pulling up the tailgate for some time now that it almost got my chin while testing out the new struts.

[Tony2298]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

Rear Wiper and Tailgate Struts Replacement.

The rear wiper has become less efficient, as it was smearing the water instead of removing it. However, during long spells it cleans well enough but I thought to get it replaced.

Quite surprising that you didn't change the rear wipers for 7 long years considering how harsh our Indian weather is to rubber parts, personally I change the front wiper blades every year(or sooner as soon as I find them streaking) and tyres every 5 years or 40k kms, also I liberally use the rear wipers during rains and regularly wash/wiping during long trips since the rear windshield does become dust magnet, therefore change the rear wiper blades every couple of years.

Anyways nice to see your Creta is running well.
Happy motoring!

Thanks
Tony

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by Tony2298

Quite surprising that you didn't change the rear wipers for 7 long years considering how harsh our Indian weather is to rubber parts...

Even I'm quite surprised that it lasted this long. It had begun streaking some time back but after about 10-12 swipes, the streaking would disappear and it used to operate normally. However, from the past few weeks, the water was not being completely removed and instead it was being smeared at places, hence I decided to get it changed.

On the same note, the Syndicate make windshield wipers which came with the car lasted more than 3 years before streaking and the Bosch Eco lasted around 3. Now I'm using a generic brand called Euro Care (frameless) for the past 10 months and they have been very good even in the torrential rains of Kerala. Have to see how long they will last.

Also while being parked, I have this habit of pulling up all the wiper stalks even in our covered parking. Not sure if it has had any effect on the life of the wiper blades.

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

[b]The rear wiper has become less efficient, as it was smearing the water instead of removing it.

Originally Posted by Tony2298

Quite surprising that you didn't change the rear wipers for 7 long years considering how harsh our Indian weather is to rubber parts

One of my Creta owner friends had the tailgate struts damaged by his own doing. He used to clean the pistons of the strut with a dry cloth regularly which removed a little oil/grease every single time

About the wiper blades, my own Creta completed 7 flawless years a few days ago and it still has all 3 stock wiper blades from 2017 which still work absolutely fine. Here are the top 5 precautions for the wiper blades that we follow :

1) We try to park our car under a shade as much as possible. Ultraviolet rays from the Sun are not good for the rubber wiper blades.

2) We do not wash the wiper blades with non-car-use shampoos/detergents. Non-car-use shampoos remove the natural oils from rubber parts making them hard and brittle.

3) We try to clean the wiper blades only with a soft clean (preferably microfibre) cloth.

4) We always wipe the wiper blades length-wise only and very gently so as not to damage their line of contact on the windshield.

5) We try to avoid running the wipers on a dry windshield as much as possible. If we absolutely have to use the wipers then we do so in conjunction with proper windshield wiper fluid (not water only) from the reservoir in our car.

Bonus : Following the procedure mentioned below may translate to never having to replace the wiper blades of your car. Please try to wipe the wiper blades at least twice every year with some silicone sprayed on a small clean cloth after cleaning the wiper blade with a cloth dipped in methylated spirit or denatured alcohol. Just remember to let the blades dry properly each time after using the alcohol as well as the silicone before placing them back on the windshield.

If you want to give up the hassle of maintaining or replacing the wipers entirely then you can go for silicone wiper blades which should last the lifetime of the car but they are not commonly found in shops here in India. Additionally, they are quite expensive here.

WISH YOU HAPPY AND SAFE DRIVES AHEAD

[bednbath]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

Rear Wiper and Tailgate Struts Replacement.
Then boodmo offered free shipping for Monroe tailgate struts and found original Hyundai-Kia rear wiper there itself. Took them together and it cost me Rs 1212/- (including shipping for wiper).

Please post link of the products. Thank you.

[SithDefender]

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

So as Panda completed 7 years with us, I thought of addressing some minor yet significant replacements in parts.

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

About the wiper blades, my own Creta completed 7 flawless years a few days ago and it still has all 3 stock wiper blades from 2017 which still work absolutely fine.

Ahaa, my Creta also completed 7 yrs (she will be 8 in Feb 2025)! I had changed the front blades twice, but the rear wiper is still stock. I didn't notice smearing yet, but will take a closer look.

[BLACNWYTE]

Originally Posted by bednbath

Please post link of the products. Thank you.

I orders via the app on Google play and the links are as follows:

Rear wiper

https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-blad...rear-25454200/

Tailgate struts/lifts

https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-door_lifter-39702986/