[Zen2001]

I was supervising the entire ICE installation. I don't know if it was a mistake or a deliberate attempt, but the HU serial number was not matching the one on the box & guarantee card. The dealer tried to cover up by saying that some batches of Kenwood were having this discrepancy, but that will not affect warranty. I made him remove the HU, find another boxed one (with all serial numbers matching) and had it installed.
The 6" JBLs (front) could not be mounted in the door "fibre spacer" provided by maruti; it had to be removed and a conventional MDF spacer ring had to be mounted in its place. However the 6" Kenwood speakers (rear) could be mounted on the company provided mounts without any hassle. Its a pity that the door panel design does not allow to keep the original speaker grills; the speaker is completely inside the panel!

Here is a pic of the mounted Ken HU.

[Schoudhury]

I also have the same HU and its sounds pretty well.
Just wanted to check one thing, do you face any issues with CD skipping parts of songs while playing .
I have a CD which i got with the JBL speaker and when i play the same it sometimes skips parts of songs, though i have not tested any other CD as i always plug in the pendrive to listen to songs but wanted to confirm if you also do face the same or not .

[rx2389]

Originally Posted by Zen2001

.....The 6" JBLs (front) could not be mounted in the door "fibre spacer" provided by maruti; it had to be removed and a conventional MDF spacer ring had to be mounted in its place. However the 6" Kenwood speakers (rear) could be mounted on the company provided mounts without any hassle. Its a pity that the door panel design does not allow to keep the original speaker grills; the speaker is completely inside the panel!

Hello Zen2001,

If you don't mind, could you pls. post pics of front & rear's speakers on the car's door?

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by rx2389

Hello Zen2001,

If you don't mind, could you pls. post pics of front & rear's speakers on the car's door?

The speakers are installed "inside" the door panel; not the usual style in which the rims protrude out from the panelu can and you cover the cone with the grill. Hence, they are completely hidden; you can just see the door panel "as it is"! Sorry, I didn't take pics during installation; it would have been self explanatory.

[Zen2001]

I've noticed that the orange-red coloured strip on the inner side of the door locks has now been made into a pathetic sticker by MSIL. Very crude cost cutting; even with central door locking (where each person need not manually prise open the lock) these seem to be coming off the underlying plastic lock!
Even my 10 year old zen has paint (which is still like new) in the same place!

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Zen2001

Asked for the mouldings at Reliance Autozone

If it is body side strips,look no further than MGA - the best

Originally Posted by Zen2001

Finally got these Autoform U fit seat covers after hunting quite a bit for suitable shades to match the grey. Also had to wait for from my wife, who will primarily be using the car. Cost : 4888/- @ Reliance Autozone, Pune.

P.S.: The Autozone guy was desperately trying to convince me to go for "Teflon coating". I seriously doubt the long term value of the same and told him the same.

"Teflon Coating" promotion is as slimy as teflon itself.

Originally Posted by Zen2001

As things are really getting hot, I could no longer delay putting sunfilms inspite of having researched 3M, V-Kool, Garware, Llumar etc. and not having reached a definite conclusion. Finally went in for Garware Grey 40 for sides & rear only @ 3250/-

Depending on the effectiveness of this (40%VLT, 99% UVR, 50%TSER), will decide about front windscreen filming.

Personally feel the Garware is a rip-off. Classic retails for approx Rs1500+installation;and Classic Lite is a shade more expensive.

[Zen2001]

Haven't really ripped/driven the Ritz lately, but 2nd service was due @ 6 months. Odo read 4k odd km. Here's my overall experience -

Got the service date "appointment" as per my choice and car was collected at 9:30am by someone who did not know much about the Ritz's service schedule! Anyway, I had to tell him about "problems" I had noticed so far, namely a loose connection in the combination switch assembly controlling the parking lights, the ever irritating & rattling rear number plate & a graze on the front bumper thanks to Pune Rickshawalas.

An hour later, got a call from the service center to confirm the nature of the problems, which I explained yet again. Phew! I asked about oil change (although I knew it is not done till 10k), and the engineer started about something in diesel models! I had to tell him it is a K series petrol, which brought him back to his senses. Seriously,do they (not) even look under the hood??

A couple of hours and I get a call again to confirm that the combination switch is faulty and the RHS assembly for the lights needs to be replaced and the same will be done under warranty. Incidentally, I had brought this problem to their notice even at the first service, but as the switch worked when the service personnel operated it, they told me to report if any problem later. However this part is not available (isn't this ridiculouos for a new model??) in Pune and even Mumbai Sai Service workshops and needs to be ordered from Gurgaon!! At this rate, I might as well order from Japan! It's almost a week and I still haven't heard from them. When I asked if the loose connection could potentially damage the electrical system, they nonchalantly told me not to switch just parking lights but full headlights all the time (2 turns instead of 1). Talk of ingenious solutions!

They also insisted on wheel alignment & balancing as a part of the schedule even though its not completed 5k km - and charged 850 odd for it! I had also requested if they could fit a front wheel cap which had fallen off from maybe an extra/unused spare. They promptly did, but I wasn't expecting to pay 400 for that! Why, I recently bought 4 after-market 12" wheelcaps for my Zen @ 500!

Car was delivered that evening. First thing I noticed when I opened the driver door was that the floor mat was covered with wet mud! Explanation - mud in the vicinity of the washing area! I had half a mind to tell him to take back & rewash the car! Next, the front bumper scratch was so cheesily taken care off; the rubbing compound was still falling off! My 3 year old daughter could rub it in better, I'm sure. Opened and closed the hatch to hear the irritating number plate rattle. When i asked why it wasn't fixed, he said they didn't have double sided tape!! (Sooner or later I had to bang my head!)

So disillusioned that to this day (service was a week ago) I haven't opened the car, let alone drive. I'm sure the rascals haven't even topped the coolant or inspected/adjusted the belts. The coolant I can check, but what about those things that I cannot? Obviously, they are taking customers for a ride!

[Zen2001]

About 10 days or so after the 2nd free service, I got a call enquiring if everything was "well". I brought up the unsolved issue of the faulty combination switch (which was unavailable for replacement during the service) and the guy was clueless. He told me he will check the status of the same and call back; its already been a week since & I'm still waiting! So much for Maruti ***.

[sajo]

Zen, sorry to hear about your ordeal.
The only advantage I see about Sai Service is the central location. Or have they shifted all servicing to Phugewadi ?
You can try Chowgule or MyCar Next time around, for the 10k Service. Do you see any considerable "opening up" of the engine after the 2nd service ? How is the FE looking in Pune city ?

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by sajo

Zen, sorry to hear about your ordeal.
The only advantage I see about Sai Service is the central location. Or have they shifted all servicing to Phugewadi ?
You can try Chowgule or MyCar Next time around, for the 10k Service. Do you see any considerable "opening up" of the engine after the 2nd service ? How is the FE looking in Pune city ?

I got the car & hence the services done by Sai Service, Wagholi as that is closest for me. Although they have a "workshop", I'm sure they run to Phugewadi for almost everything (as they did for the MGP car cover).

This one is perhaps being brought from Gurgaon & they are delivering it on foot!

Manufacturer/Dealer warranties & "free services" are just the carrot; once you buy a car its "each man for himself"!

[Zen2001]

Originally Posted by sajo

Do you see any considerable "opening up" of the engine after the 2nd service ? How is the FE looking in Pune city ?

As I said, I have hardly driven the car (100km) since the service and that too for school pick up and drop offs. Never had a chance to even reach 60km/h so I really can't say. Same for FE - not calculated still!

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by sajo

Do you see any considerable "opening up" of the engine after the 2nd service ?

I do. Not exactly after second service as that is also just cleaning and washing of the car and no REAL service is involved. But after crossing 7K Kms, the car feels much more responsive, the engine note has improved a lot and it feels butter smooth now. Quoting my post on the same from my ownership review -

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Now he has crossed 7000 KMs and the engine has really opened up a lot. The response has improved a lot.
FE for the Wayanad trip was 19.63 KMPL with AC off all the time .

[blackasta]

zen2001 - sorry for being a wee bit late to congratulate you - but better late than never.
I was wondering , and other ritz owners (especially gandhi and nsbhagwat) maybe can clarify, is the 2nd service only a wash/clean/fluid top up job? Is this only for Ritz or for all K series engined models?

[sajo]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

I do. Not exactly after second service as that is also just cleaning and washing of the car and no REAL service is involved.

Yes, I mean, by the 2nd Service, i meant after crossing the 5k KMs mark on the Odo.

Originally Posted by blackasta

is the 2nd service only a wash/clean/fluid top up job? Is this only for Ritz or for all K series engined models?

Dunno about the 1 litre engine, but for my 1.2 Swift, the second service is a wash/clean/tighten/top up job too, though there are still 2000 odd kilometers before I can get to that mark.

Also, after having recently been in a Ritz VXi, I feel that the Ritz is better insulated against the engine note than my Swift, or maybe its just me.

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by blackasta

zen2001 - sorry for being a wee bit late to congratulate you - but better late than never.
I was wondering , and other ritz owners (especially gandhi and nsbhagwat) maybe can clarify, is the 2nd service only a wash/clean/fluid top up job? Is this only for Ritz or for all K series engined models?

As sajo has already answered, 2nd service is also just cleaning/checking service. I'm not sure about Swift though. The REAL service is 3rd (10K KMs) when the oil and oil filter is changed. I'll have to check what other things are done during 3rd service.