[sdrindani]

I have been reading various posts with interest, as I bought an Alto K10 vxi on June 2, a change from M800. Thanks to many of you, I have a learnt a lot about features and operations of the Alto K10.

I learnt the need for high revs in low gears -- the car still stalls in 2nd gear, and even seems to go faster on releasing the accelerator pedal, rather than with the foot placed lightly on it.

After a few days of use, the gears are easier to operate, but I still have to switch to reverse gear carefully -- it is not as smooth as in M800, and I tend not to push the gear lever far enough to the right before pushing it in place.

I could not get the bonnet shut after first opening it, and learnt from consulting this thread to release it from a height so as to shut it without making a dent with my hand. But the next time I went for some accessories to the dealer, one person opened the bonnet to read the chassis number. He pressed it shut with his right hand, and sure enough there is a dent!

I understood from various posts that it is OK from the point of view of warranty to use the JVC cassette player from my earlier car provided a private accessory dealer can put it in without cutting or splicing wire -- may be I have to buy an adaptor. (Please tell me if I understood wrong).I plan to buy small speakers which fit into the space provided in the dashboard. However, the dealer will not fit these in unless I also buy some player from them. So I have to go to some other shop.

As for other accessories, the dealer said they can only sell me Nippon security system costing Rs. 5000. I hope to buy a cheaper one from a private shop. (Is there a problem with warranty if I do it?).

Day-night mirror is listed in their catalogue, but they say it is available only with the workshop (which is somewhere far away).

I would like to buy bumper guards. But I have seen many cars where the bumper guard has fallen off, leaving a bad stain from the adhesive, or where the bumper has deep scratches in spite of the bumper guard. Any advice on this?

Incidentally, they are giving accessories worth Rs. 2000 free (in addition to the Rs. 28,000 discount).

In the first 10 litres of petrol I put in, I seem to have got only about 100 km (from blinking to blinking of the fuel gauge), with city driving, with AC, but not quite B2B. With the next refuelling, I seem to be getting better, but I have to wait a little more before I can check accurately.

I have already got a notice saying first service ( 1 month or 1000 km) is due before 27th June, though I got delivery only on June 2. Is it strictly necessary to get the first free service done before one month is over, or will they agree to doing it a few days later (with hopefully a km closer to 1000)?

Thanks for any advice.

[vsathyap]

Originally Posted by sdrindani

I have been reading various posts with interest, as I bought an Alto K10 vxi on June 2, a change from M800. Thanks to many of you, I have a learnt a lot about features and operations of the Alto K10.

I learnt the need for high revs in low gears -- the car still stalls in 2nd gear, and even seems to go faster on releasing the accelerator pedal, rather than with the foot placed lightly on it.

After a few days of use, the gears are easier to operate, but I still have to switch to reverse gear carefully -- it is not as smooth as in M800, and I tend not to push the gear lever far enough to the right before pushing it in place.

......

As for other accessories, the dealer said they can only sell me Nippon security system costing Rs. 5000. I hope to buy a cheaper one from a private shop. (Is there a problem with warranty if I do it?).

......

I would like to buy bumper guards. But I have seen many cars where the bumper guard has fallen off, leaving a bad stain from the adhesive, or where the bumper has deep scratches in spite of the bumper guard. Any advice on this?

Incidentally, they are giving accessories worth Rs. 2000 free (in addition to the Rs. 28,000 discount).

In the first 10 litres of petrol I put in, I seem to have got only about 100 km (from blinking to blinking of the fuel gauge), with city driving, with AC, but not quite B2B. With the next refuelling, I seem to be getting better, but I have to wait a little more before I can check accurately.

I have already got a notice saying first service ( 1 month or 1000 km) is due before 27th June, though I got delivery only on June 2. Is it strictly necessary to get the first free service done before one month is over, or will they agree to doing it a few days later (with hopefully a km closer to 1000)?

Thanks for any advice.

Congratulations on your K10 and welcome to the club! Yes, as you said, you will need to rev a bit more initially. Coming from my Dad's Accent, I had frequent stalling issues initially, but now, it's second nature. you'll get used to it- don't worry too much.

As far as the gears go, things will ease up after 2500-3000 kms and everything just feels "right" (including the mileage!)

If you want to get an aftermarket security system installed, make sure its done without cutting any wires. All fittings come with a wiring harness that plugs right into ready sockets from the car's wiring system. It's just plug and play!

Bumper guards are your personal preference. I find them too ugly personally. I'd rather get my (dented) bumper repaired and buffed and painted again, rather than install bumper guards to prevent nicks and scratches.

Go in for your free service at the time recommended by the MFG. First service is more of a "all systems check - OK" rather than anything too hi-fi or complicated. They top up liquids, drain / replace oils and make sure everything's behaving as it should. The second and 3rd service will be more important from a performance point of view.

Dont worry about mileage right now. Even I used to get a low 12kmpl (80% AC usage ) in Bangalore's busy B2B traffic in the initial days. Now, the figure has gone up to 14-15 kmpl with same amount of AC usage (odo reading 5500 km). The car delivers a mind boggling 25+ kmpl on highway runs @ steady 80kmph and 100% AC usage and Cold Tire Pressure @ 33psi. Anything less than 22kmpl on highways - you're either driving it wrong or something's not right (fuel quantity/quality, tyre pressure, etc.)

[sdrindani]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Congratulations on your K10 and welcome to the club! Yes, as you said, you will need to rev a bit more initially. Coming from my Dad's Accent, I had frequent stalling issues initially, but now, it's second nature. you'll get used to it- don't worry too much.

-------

Dont worry about mileage right now. Even I used to get a low 12kmpl (80% AC usage ) in Bangalore's busy B2B traffic in the initial days. Now, the figure has gone up to 14-15 kmpl with same amount of AC usage (odo reading 5500 km). The car delivers a mind boggling 25+ kmpl on highway runs @ steady 80kmph and 100% AC usage and Cold Tire Pressure @ 33psi. Anything less than 22kmpl on highways - you're either driving it wrong or something's not right (fuel quantity/quality, tyre pressure, etc.)

Thanks for the advice.

As for stalling, I am already better at managing it.

Fuel efficiency seems to have improved now. And I will wait for it to improve with usage. However, a question: I had been using "Power" petrol of HP for my earlier M800, costing a little more, and probably got better mileage. Any suggestions on whether I should continue to use Power?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by sdrindani

Thanks for the advice.

As for stalling, I am already better at managing it.

Fuel efficiency seems to have improved now. And I will wait for it to improve with usage. However, a question: I had been using "Power" petrol of HP for my earlier M800, costing a little more, and probably got better mileage. Any suggestions on whether I should continue to use Power?

Not really required for the K10 engines, use normal petrol. Power has a few additives which may have benefited older vehicles. Once your vehicle is run in and settles down, you can try a couple of tank fulls of Power just to satisfy your (and our) curiosity.

[vsathyap]

Originally Posted by sdrindani

Thanks for the advice.
However, a question: I had been using "Power" petrol of HP for my earlier M800, costing a little more, and probably got better mileage. Any suggestions on whether I should continue to use Power?

Originally Posted by Aroy

Not really required for the K10 engines, use normal petrol. Power has a few additives which may have benefited older vehicles. Once your vehicle is run in and settles down, you can try a couple of tank fulls of Power just to satisfy your (and our) curiosity.

Haha .. your timing couldn't have been better! I recently switched over to Shell Fuel (normal unleaded) from the regular HP (normal unleaded again!). Three tankfuls later, although I cant make out a huuuuge difference, I can say that there has been some positive feel from the engine. It revs more freely and it gives me that all essential feedback that it wants to zip through traffic.

I am thinking of trying out the Shell Premium fuel but I dont have the "courage" to pay so much for something that may / may not change things a lot with respect to driving and performance.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

I am thinking of trying out the Shell Premium fuel but I dont have the "courage" to pay so much for something that may / may not change things a lot with respect to driving and performance.

Save for the first five litres of IOC Petrol I filled with the coupon given by ABT Maruti, may car runs on nothing but Shell premium for the past three years. Believe me, it is worth the extra couple of rupees! I have tested my bike repeatedly with both petrols and the difference is easily noticeable in it.

[veyron_head]

I bought a k10 about a couple of months ago, an upgrade from my 800, like Sdrindani.

This car is very different from the cars I have driven. I have driven quite a few cars atleast in the hatch segment in the past but this one is different. The gear ratios are very short. The manual advises me to shift to 5th gear at 40 KMPH! Its impossible to do this in the city, as the moment I shift to the 5th gear I will need to encounter the next speed breaker and downshift.

Also, I went for a 1000 km (two way) drive the next day after I bought the car. I got an exemplary 22 kmpl in that drive. But I never went beyond 80 as it was still run-in period and also followed the gear shift pattern according to the manual.

But after that my mileage is very low both within the city and highways. In the city I am getting only 12 or 13 and in the highway its 14-16. One of the important factors for buying this car is the mileage. I am now feeling cheated. (all figures are with almost 100% AC)

Another major irritant is the 1st and second gear. I stall the car almost every day at least twice. Its so embarrassing to stall the car when taking off from an signal like an 'L' board guy. My 800 used to pull in the 2nd gear at near stationary speeds.

Though I am really happy with the ride quality, the way the car is so stable on the highway at 100+ unlike the 800 etc. But I am getting really furious about the mileage.

Should I instruct the service guys to do anything specific to improve the mileage in the next service? (My first service is done and the current odo is around 3000+)

Pl advise.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

I bought a k10 about a couple of months ago, an upgrade from my 800, like Sdrindani.

This car is very different from the cars I have driven. I have driven quite a few cars atleast in the hatch segment in the past but this one is different. The gear ratios are very short. The manual advises me to shift to 5th gear at 40 KMPH! Its impossible to do this in the city, as the moment I shift to the 5th gear I will need to encounter the next speed breaker and downshift.

Also, I went for a 1000 km (two way) drive the next day after I bought the car. I got an exemplary 22 kmpl in that drive. But I never went beyond 80 as it was still run-in period and also followed the gear shift pattern according to the manual.

But after that my mileage is very low both within the city and highways. In the city I am getting only 12 or 13 and in the highway its 14-16. One of the important factors for buying this car is the mileage. I am now feeling cheated. (all figures are with almost 100% AC)

Another major irritant is the 1st and second gear. I stall the car almost every day at least twice. Its so embarrassing to stall the car when taking off from an signal like an 'L' board guy. My 800 used to pull in the 2nd gear at near stationary speeds.

Though I am really happy with the ride quality, the way the car is so stable on the highway at 100+ unlike the 800 etc. But I am getting really furious about the mileage.

Should I instruct the service guys to do anything specific to improve the mileage in the next service? (My first service is done and the current odo is around 3000+)

Pl advise.

The K10 is a high revving engine, which can go beyond 6K RPM, but its low end torque leaves a lot to be desired, hence your driving style has to be adjusted
. When ever feasible, do not drive it below 1500 RPM in the city. Contrary to popular belief, pottering around below 1500 RPM will decrease you FE. So make it a point to drive at least between 1500 and 2500.
. My K10 gave me 19+ with AC on a long drive, and people have got 25+ on highways.
. Within city it is a different matter. In my normal run - 1/2 to 1km at a stretch mostly in 2nd and 3rd I get an FE of 11 without AC and 10 with AC. In normal city runs, where you never have the opportunity to use the fifth gear, you can never expect more than 16.

Another thing is that if you drive constantly in lower gears in a stop-and-go traffic, with time the car becomes sluggish and FE plummets. Take it to a highway and drive 50-100km at 90-100 and the engine comes back to its peppy self.

[vsathyap]

Originally Posted by veyron_head

This car is very different from the cars I have driven. I have driven quite a few cars atleast in the hatch segment in the past but this one is different. The gear ratios are very short. The manual advises me to shift to 5th gear at 40 KMPH! Its impossible to do this in the city, as the moment I shift to the 5th gear I will need to encounter the next speed breaker and downshift.
......
But after that my mileage is very low both within the city and highways. In the city I am getting only 12 or 13 and in the highway its 14-16. One of the important factors for buying this car is the mileage. I am now feeling cheated. (all figures are with almost 100% AC)

Another major irritant is the 1st and second gear. I stall the car almost every day at least twice. Its so embarrassing to stall the car when taking off from an signal like an 'L' board guy. My 800 used to pull in the 2nd gear at near stationary speeds.
.......

There's one thing you gotta remember while driving the K10 - Your driving gear will be "your old car that used to drive fine @ this speed" -1. So, in your old M800, you could easily go over speed breakers and pot holes and pick up from second ... in the K10, you're better off shifting to first. There is a lot more power in the 2000-3500 RPM band and this is the zone where you can extract every paisa you spend on fuel.

As Aroy rightly put it, anything below 1500 RPM is not good for FE. You feel the tone of the engine changing to that of a sub-woofer for anything below 1500 rpm - i.e., you're lugging it (unless you're going down a slope).

If you ask me, I'd say the best way to identify a good mileage "zone" would be to simply listen to the engine. If it's huffing on a low tone, you're lugging it. If it's humming lightly, you're just fine. The sound should be more or less like that of a bee's humming sound - slightly high pitched, but not too high - that's your mileage zone. Try to stay in this zone and you will be happy. In fact, this is how I taught my wife to drive in the "zone". There's nothing better than the acoustic feedback from the engine.

In fact, regarding the low end torque, I felt the same way initially when I bought the K10. Here's my first post about the car and see what I had to say about the low end torque:

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Hi Team BHP!
This is my first post and am really excited to get on board with this forum. I booked the Alto K10 Vxi (ECRU Beige) 10 days back and I got the delivery within a week....

<blah blah>

I may have gotten used to driving my other car (Hyundai Accent GLS) but I can definitely agree to the fact that one really needs to make conscious effort to press the right leg after moving from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd gears - Need to rev the engine to 2000 RPM; else it feels like the engine is going to drop dead on the road!

11 Months and 5500+kms later, driving the car has become a breeze. I love to take it into traffic and it behaves so well. It's just a matter of time before you start loving it for its eagerness to well ..ahem...say... "lets go!"

[veyron_head]

Originally Posted by Aroy

The K10 is a high revving engine, which can go beyond 6K RPM, but its low end torque leaves a lot to be desired, hence your driving style has to be adjusted
. When ever feasible, do not drive it below 1500 RPM in the city. Contrary to popular belief, pottering around below 1500 RPM will decrease you FE. So make it a point to drive at least between 1500 and 2500.
. My K10 gave me 19+ with AC on a long drive, and people have got 25+ on highways.
. Within city it is a different matter. In my normal run - 1/2 to 1km at a stretch mostly in 2nd and 3rd I get an FE of 11 without AC and 10 with AC. In normal city runs, where you never have the opportunity to use the fifth gear, you can never expect more than 16.

Another thing is that if you drive constantly in lower gears in a stop-and-go traffic, with time the car becomes sluggish and FE plummets. Take it to a highway and drive 50-100km at 90-100 and the engine comes back to its peppy self.

Thanks Aroy. I guess my city mileage is in line with what you are getting. But I am actually disappointed. In fact, the Wagon-R offers more space and price of Lxi is very close to the K10. But I went ahead with the k10 because of the higher mileage quoted by various reviews and because its a completely new model.

By the way, My car is an Lxi and doesn't have a Tachometer.

Originally Posted by vsathyap

There's one thing you gotta remember while driving the K10 - Your driving gear will be "your old car that used to drive fine @ this speed" -1. So, in your old M800, you could easily go over speed breakers and pot holes and pick up from second ... in the K10, you're better off shifting to first. There is a lot more power in the 2000-3500 RPM band and this is the zone where you can extract every paisa you spend on fuel.

As Aroy rightly put it, anything below 1500 RPM is not good for FE. You feel the tone of the engine changing to that of a sub-woofer for anything below 1500 rpm - i.e., you're lugging it (unless you're going down a slope).

If you ask me, I'd say the best way to identify a good mileage "zone" would be to simply listen to the engine. If it's huffing on a low tone, you're lugging it. If it's humming lightly, you're just fine. The sound should be more or less like that of a bee's humming sound - slightly high pitched, but not too high - that's your mileage zone. Try to stay in this zone and you will be happy. In fact, this is how I taught my wife to drive in the "zone". There's nothing better than the acoustic feedback from the engine.

In fact, regarding the low end torque, I felt the same way initially when I bought the K10. Here's my first post about the car and see what I had to say about the low end torque:



11 Months and 5500+kms later, driving the car has become a breeze. I love to take it into traffic and it behaves so well. It's just a matter of time before you start loving it for its eagerness to well ..ahem...say... "lets go!"

Thanks @Vsathyap. I am trying to adjust my driving to the k-10 but its actually not really convenient. But I guess I will get used to it over a period of time.

[Aroy]

The major problem with cars with small engines is that they will consume more with more load compared to cars with larger engines (a classic example is the Polo 1.6, which in most cases has a better FE compared to one with 1.2 engine). Similarly modern engines have lower torque at low RPM hence will consume more if not driven at higher RPM at low speeds.

The K10 engine is there in the Alto K10, Zen Estilo and the Wagon R. Alto being the the lightest will give the best FE in all the scenarios, provided you drive within the specified RPM range. On highways the Alto will give the best FE, but being lighter will jump around more than the heavier Wagon R.

[Torquedo]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Drove a colleagues K10 last week. Noticed some differences with the test drive car I had driven for this report:

1. Gear change quality: much improved - even crisp. Maruti seems to have taken my observation on the pathetic gearshift quality on the test drive car constructively.

2. Gearing: not happy with this change. I remember the test drive car being very tractable through the gears. Now, they seemed to have altered the gearing - probably for mileage considerations, and the car was not enthusiastic through the lower gears.

Guys -

I am planning to get a K10 for my wifey, had a few questions if you may help.

I test drove a 2010 K10 today (Dealer: Bagga Link Patparganj), the gear shift was NOWHERE atrocious to me (probably coming from a Swift background might have helped me here). The throw was a tad longer than the Swift but not imprecise, so if someone has found it better on the 2012, it suits me better.

Now coming to the second point mentioned here, I do not expect the K10 to be a Santro on the low end torque, but then again, neither a 2012 VTVT Swift, I have previously owned a G13B Swift and have extensively driven, the K12M (before the new model, the 2012 came out) one as well, these 2 are leagues ahead of the 2012 model. Now the questions -

1) Can someone please confirm if the K10 might have been KILLED in the similar manner as the 2012 Swift?

2) Have they killed the clutch on the 2012 K10 as they have on the New Swift, the clutch on the latter feels as if you are paddling your way in the pool, has absolutely NO feel to it.

If someone has had the opportunity of TD an older K10 and the latest one being offered and provide a feedback, this would be of much help to me.

I myself would try and arrange for a 2012 TD vehicle, though I must say, the 2010 that I test drove was a BEAUTY and I was might impressed, it never felt strained @ 80 on the 2nd with 3 people on board and was willing to revv further.

Any TBHPian willing to join for a joint TD over the weekend @ Bagga Link Patpargang, New Delhi, please drop me a PM, I would be more than thankful for his/her efforts.

Thanks in anticipation of your help guys !!

PS: I never mentioned, why am I being so bothered about a car for my wifey, there are 2 reasons to it -

1) She'll be driving for 5 days, the other 2 are at my disposal.

2) My dad's Figo after the G13B experience has left a B-I-G high revving petrol void in my driving experience.

Thanks once again !!

Happy Motoring.

[Yamahead]

During my 10000kms/ 1 yer service at Khivraj Motors, Mount Road service centre the SA put in Shell 5W30 engine oil. I checked the board carefully and it was one of the three specs ( other two being 10W40,10W30) manufactured by Total,Castrol, Shell & IOC which MSIL recommmends.
The car feels smoother but I guess the FE has taken a slight beating. I used to get 13- 13.5 in city with intermittent AC but it seems to have come down to 11.5-12.
Is 5W30 really necessary for Chennai ? I was charged 950 Rs for 2.9 litres so pricewise I am ok.
Anyway I am shifting the car to Delhi end of the month but still 5W30 for Chennai seemed an overkill.
Comments pls.

[vsathyap]

Originally Posted by Yamahead

During my 10000kms/ 1 yer service at Khivraj Motors, Mount Road service centre the SA put in Shell 5W30 engine oil. I checked the board carefully and it was one of the three specs ( other two being 10W40,10W30) manufactured by Total,Castrol, Shell & IOC which MSIL recommmends.
The car feels smoother but I guess the FE has taken a slight beating. I used to get 13- 13.5 in city with intermittent AC but it seems to have come down to 11.5-12.
Is 5W30 really necessary for Chennai ? I was charged 950 Rs for 2.9 litres so pricewise I am ok.
Anyway I am shifting the car to Delhi end of the month but still 5W30 for Chennai seemed an overkill.
Comments pls.

Hi There!

Even I finished the third (and final) free service on my K10 this week. The SA told me that the oil change will be done and they used the Shell 5W30 oil for it. As you said, they have put 2.9L of oil and I got charged around the same. The SA had also marked Wheel rotation, Balancing and Alignment, but I told them not to do that as the car has just run 6.7K odd km. Final bill was 1100 Rs. Engine feels a lot smoother now and clutch & gear changing experience has improved a lot too.

[Aroy]

I have entered the third year of ownership, even though I have clocked 7k km. My daily run is 6-8 km/day, with short hops of 1/2 to 1 km at a time. It is only rarerly that I take on longer drives (max 20km round trip once a month), as we use biger cars for family outings. Initially my K10 would give an FE of 12+ in these conditions. The best I have got is 19+ with AC during the Delhi - Ambala - Delhi ride. For the last two months FE has plonked to 9.5 and car has become quite sluggish.

Recollecting what ailed Virji's K10, I went to my trusted mechanic and asked him to get the "Throttle body" cleaned. Here is what we found
- Throttle sticking
- Plugs with a lot of soot
- Throttle body after the throttle full of soot

All this pointed to extremely rich mixture. After cleaning, changing plugs, air filter and the engine oil+filter the car has become even more peppy than when it was new. I will know whether the FE has improved, as the fuel bar moves from 10 to 9 at
- 120 if FE is 20
- 90 if FE is around 15
- 70 if FE is around 13
- 40 if FE is 9

This is based on my detailed log of the fuel gauge bars over 20 tank fulls.

The best part is that inspite of rich mixture and low FE, the high end performance was excellent with the engine revving upto it 6.2k limit effortlessly - translating to 40 in first and 80+ in second What went down was the low end torque - no starting in second gear and taking slow corners in first gear when AC is on. Now it is back to normal.