[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

1. But this is an experience I would never forget, how come this can happen ? Battery suddenly down ?

2. Either the heat is too much or there is some problem in A/C.
My be I have to fill in refregirant.


3. Somehow, even with A/C, there is some amount of dust settling down into Cabin. Even the instrument cluster plastic panel has dust on it.

1. Stock batteries are really unpredictable, some lasts for over five years and some doesn't for even two years! Was the battery in warranty?

2. I guess the car is under warranty so get it checked by Maruti A.S.S.

3. This happens due to frequent opening and closing of the doors. The outside air somehow enters along with dust which appears after sometime.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

1. Stock batteries are really unpredictable, some lasts for over five years and some doesn't for even two years! Was the battery in warranty?

2. I guess the car is under warranty so get it checked by Maruti A.S.S.

3. This happens due to frequent opening and closing of the doors. The outside air somehow enters along with dust which appears after sometime.

1) But it did give me a big unpleasant surprise anyways. I have also observed that the Waggie is not having Amaron battery, but an SF/Exide unit. Now in 2005 when we bought baleno, it had Amaron battery. Amaron battery really does a great job, and if cost were not an issue, Maruti must get Amaron for all cars in its range.
The Waggie is performing flawlessly though now.

2) I realized what could be issue, it was my high speed driving. Lately my observation was that when I am accelerating hard, the compressor cuts off. Now this is partial cut off to the best of my experience and not a complete cut off like the earlier Opel cars. When I reduced speed and did not accelerate hard ( but accelerated smoothly ), AC effectiveness is as good as it was.

With smooth acceleration, the car would do an effortless 120, but flooring the pedal even at 80 in 4th gear would lead to partial compressor cut off. This was mostly the reason for AC ineffectiveness complain.

3) Agreed, never thought of this.

[dsunn]

aaggoswami,

A very insightful and helpful review. My WagonR CNG's 4th service is due, and wanted some maintenance tips.

Do you recommend any particular brand of synthetic engine oil for CNG fueled cars?

[idea]

Got delivery of my CNG WagonR. Driving using CNG is good. But i am experiencing engine noise and vibration in cabin (irrrespective of petrol or CNG). Is it fine for a petrol car?

Havent raised this with service station yet as i am sure about their answer "Will settle in Few thousand KM by first or second service"

[dsunn]

Hey,

Congrats for your new car.

The engine noise and vibration is fairly common in most Maruti car cabins. The built quality is not that great and highly doubt the MASS guys will be able to fix it.

A month after I bought my WagonR, fuel lid's alignment got messed up and as a consequence it could not be opened by the lever located near the driver's seat. I have taken the car thrice to the service center to rectify the alignment of the fuel lid, but the problem arises again after a few days.

After third service, the fan belt in my engine started making this screeching noise, and service center mechanics weren't able to get rid of it completely (even though they claimed that they tightened the belt). Within eight months of purchase, dashboard vibration and noise have become more prominent.

Point is, WagonR's metal sheet, plastic and some other engine parts are of very low quality, and there is little the service center folks can do about it. Don't get disheartened though. WagonR is a work-horse and relative to other cars in its category, WagonR is very reliable overall.

Originally Posted by idea

Got delivery of my CNG WagonR. Driving using CNG is good. But i am experiencing engine noise and vibration in cabin (irrrespective of petrol or CNG). Is it fine for a petrol car?

Havent raised this with service station yet as i am sure about their answer "Will settle in Few thousand KM by first or second service"

[carzone]

Originally Posted by HONESTabdul

Hit a dog today!!! The creature ran yelping, i didn't feel anything except a thud. Speed was around 35km/h. Checking the car casually in the evening found that that the lower part of the front plastic grill is cracked. along the base. The black grill that is. Apparently it bent back enough to swipe the lower part of the radiator. There is a slight longitudinal dent in that area as a row of the fins are slightly dented. Don't think it is any major damage as it does not affect the running. No rattling noise heard either. Man, it is one delicate car for sure

This car is really delicate.
Happened to just brush another car (xylo) while parking, some part of my wheel arch bent in and the colour came off. While the xylo had only little bit of colour of my car. That shows the sheet metal quality.
In another incident, had parked my car but did not realize that there is a big stone just ahead of the car. When I moved forward, the bottom of the bumper, below the fog light gap, hit the stone and that part of the bumper cracked!

The speed was not even 5kmph! Wish maruti had given a better metal quality.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by dsunn

aaggoswami,

A very insightful and helpful review. My WagonR CNG's 4th service is due, and wanted some maintenance tips.

Do you recommend any particular brand of synthetic engine oil for CNG fueled cars?

Depeding upon your operating area/conditions, filters like air and fuel filter, AC filter have to be cleaned and/or replaced. And the usual stuff like lubes, etc. Nothing specific till around 50K after which you might have to give more attention to suspension.
Generally, Wagon R does not need any specific maintenance, etc. as its quite a workhorse.
My preference is towards Mobil 1 as I have seen it does make a difference in engine feel and operation. But right now, I am sticking to what the MASS is doing.

Originally Posted by idea

Got delivery of my CNG WagonR. Driving using CNG is good. But i am experiencing engine noise and vibration in cabin (irrrespective of petrol or CNG). Is it fine for a petrol car?

Havent raised this with service station yet as i am sure about their answer "Will settle in Few thousand KM by first or second service"

This is a 3 cylinder car which is likely to have more vibrations. Maruti cars are known to have noisy cabins. Road and engine noise does filter in. As long as vibration is more pronounced during idle, its nothing to worry about, but Wagon R does smoothen out at higher revs.

Originally Posted by dsunn

A month after I bought my WagonR, fuel lid's alignment got messed up and as a consequence it could not be opened by the lever located near the driver's seat. I have taken the car thrice to the service center to rectify the alignment of the fuel lid, but the problem arises again after a few days.

Point is, WagonR's metal sheet, plastic and some other engine parts are of very low quality, and there is little the service center folks can do about it. Don't get disheartened though. WagonR is a work-horse and relative to other cars in its category, WagonR is very reliable overall.

Originally Posted by carzone

This car is really delicate.
Happened to just brush another car (xylo) while parking, some part of my wheel arch bent in and the colour came off. While the xylo had only little bit of colour of my car. That shows the sheet metal quality.
In another incident, had parked my car but did not realize that there is a big stone just ahead of the car. When I moved forward, the bottom of the bumper, below the fog light gap, hit the stone and that part of the bumper cracked!

The speed was not even 5kmph! Wish maruti had given a better metal quality.

Have spotted around 2 cars with fuel lid problem, no issue in our car though. Also do observe how the pump attendants handle the lid. They are quite rough to handle the lid and sometimes give unnecessary weight on the lid.

Plastic parts in bumper are easy to break, and even sheet metal does dent fairly quickly, but guys IMO, the underpinnings are quite strong. No suspension noise in our Waggie even after 33K kms. And the car has seen quite a bit of highway miles, all of them not so smooth highways. And roads in my city are simply pathetic. Still, no rattle, no suspension noise. OE tyres are very noisy and lack good grip.

[carzone]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Plastic parts in bumper are easy to break, and even sheet metal does dent fairly quickly, but guys IMO, the underpinnings are quite strong. No suspension noise in our Waggie even after 33K kms. And the car has seen quite a bit of highway miles, all of them not so smooth highways. And roads in my city are simply pathetic. Still, no rattle, no suspension noise. OE tyres are very noisy and lack good grip.

I agree.
The suspension is quite good and does not rattle even after handling rough roads on a stretch. The tyres are a bit noisy and I intend to change them some time soon.

[idea]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

This is a 3 cylinder car which is likely to have more vibrations. Maruti cars are known to have noisy cabins. Road and engine noise does filter in. As long as vibration is more pronounced during idle, its nothing to worry about, but Wagon R does smoothen out at higher revs.

You might be right here. I might be comparing this with my 4 cylinder spark i used to have. For smoothness and quality - i am already missing my spark CNG (Cleared it 2 weeks back to go for company fitted Wagon R CNG.)

[dsunn]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Depeding upon your operating area/conditions, filters like air and fuel filter, AC filter have to be cleaned and/or replaced. And the usual stuff like lubes, etc. Nothing specific till around 50K after which you might have to give more attention to suspension.
Generally, Wagon R does not need any specific maintenance, etc. as its quite a workhorse.
My preference is towards Mobil 1 as I have seen it does make a difference in engine feel and operation. But right now, I am sticking to what the MASS is doing.

Have spotted around 2 cars with fuel lid problem, no issue in our car though. Also do observe how the pump attendants handle the lid. They are quite rough to handle the lid and sometimes give unnecessary weight on the lid.

Thanks for your valuable inputs.

Got my 4th service done on Sunday and below is a breakdown of the bill (posted it already in another thread... so, apologies to mods for posting it again) --

The service was carried out by a Maruti A.S.S. in Gurgaon. Below is a breakdown of the cost --
1) Parts
1.a. Element Air Cleaner Rs. 256
1.b. Filter Assy. Oil Rs. 78
1.c. Coolant Rs. 207
1.d. Break Fluid GC1500AA Rs. 265
1.e. MGO (5W30) - Castrol Rs. 808
1.f. MGGO (75W90) Rs. 672
2) Labor
2.a. Service labor Rs. 1110
2.b. Engine Decarbonization Rs. 1275
2.c. Caliper Pin Greasing Rs. 350
2.d. Carb. Spray Rs. 100
Less Discount Rs. 146

Taxes Rs. 290 + Rs. 15 + Rs. 330

Net Bill Amount Rs. 5635

Some points --

1. Engine decarbonization was unnecessary given the fact that 95% of the time my car runs on CNG. I told the service mechanic but he insisted on it getting done.

2. amitpunjani suggested that throttle body cleaning should have been done. Should I get it done now, or can it wait till next service due at 30k kms?

3. How frequently should wheel balancing and alignment be done? The MASS technician was initially insisting on that too, but I argued that the roads I usually drive on are pretty smooth and there is no minutely noticeable dis-alignment.

4. How frequently should I get drum and disc brake cleaned?

5. The MASS didn't change spark plugs as they felt it wasn't necessary. The spark plugs should last for another 10k kms without creating any problems, right?

6. Also --

About a month back, my CNG cylinder became ridiculously hot (couldn't even place your finger on it for more than a sec). And then, after some time, the car stopped working on CNG. We took the car to the service center and it was found that a valve was choked due to dust accumulation. There were some dust storms, and they may have been the culprit. Anyways, I'm guessing there is no way to prevent this problem. This was the only hiccup I've had so far with this car.

Sorry for so many questions. I feel that the MASS is trying to over-charge by carrying out unnecessary services/repairs. This is my first car and I don't have much experience when it comes to car maintenance.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by dsunn

1. Engine decarbonization was unnecessary given the fact that 95% of the time my car runs on CNG. I told the service mechanic but he insisted on it getting done.

2. amitpunjani suggested that throttle body cleaning should have been done. Should I get it done now, or can it wait till next service due at 30k kms?

3. How frequently should wheel balancing and alignment be done? The MASS technician was initially insisting on that too, but I argued that the roads I usually drive on are pretty smooth and there is no minutely noticeable dis-alignment.

4. How frequently should I get drum and disc brake cleaned?

5. The MASS didn't change spark plugs as they felt it wasn't necessary. The spark plugs should last for another 10k kms without creating any problems, right?

6. Also --

Anyways, I'm guessing there is no way to prevent this problem. This was the only hiccup I've had so far with this car.

Sorry for so many questions. I feel that the MASS is trying to over-charge by carrying out unnecessary services/repairs. This is my first car and I don't have much experience when it comes to car maintenance.

1) You are right, decarbonizing is not required, but in training and service manuals Maurti has dictated to get this job done. This what I heard from service adviser at Kiran Motors. I had similar view, but they insisted in our 25K service.

2) Not exactly required. Not before 30-35K kms IMO.

3) If there are no symptoms like uneven tyre wear, car pulling to one direction, etc., no need for doing wheel balancing. But yes, in service you can ask for this. Morevoer, if you are rotating tyres, then wheel balancing and alignment has to be done after rotation.

4) Not necessarily required unless you are operating in dusty conditions. At 30K kms. its fair enough. But if you hear some grinding noise while braking, get it done.

5) Actually, every 15K or so kms. sparkplugs have to be replaced. The specific duration is mentioned in the manual but I am not able to recall. But we are still running on standard at more than 33K kms. Would be getting them changed at 40K though.

6) Never faced this problem in any of three CNG cars we have/had. However, there is a safely release valve for safety IMO. Get info on that on your next visit to service center. Never experienced this, so cant comment. Would be on scary stuff category for me!

I am open to questions! Infact, that is how we learn and share whatever knowledge we have.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

5) Actually, every 15K or so kms. sparkplugs have to be replaced. The specific duration is mentioned in the manual but I am not able to recall. But we are still running on standard at more than 33K kms. Would be getting them changed at 40K though.

Period of Spark plug replacement for F10 model is every 20K KMs but i got my replaced at 30K KM service. I hope it is same for K10 model also.

[GT500]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

...

Thanks for the reply.

After having run about 1600kms of which around 600 were done on CNG and the first service here are my observations:-

1. The CNG gauge is NOT at all accurate , it has a mind of its own. After running a few kilometers (10-30) one bar goes down. Shows red bar after 80-90kms instead of half way mark.

2. The 3 pot engine is rough, considerable vibrations at idle, body roll while cornering due to tall boy design.

3.Clutch is soft, a boon in city traffic.

4. Strangely,after filling CNG today, the cylinder was ridiculously hot, need to be worried?

5. Mileage that I got initially was 20 on CNG but now dropped to 17 , driving style perhaps, the method im using is cut off to cut off, is it the same as petrol's tankfull to tankfull?

6.Sheet metal is flimsy, tires are puny, plastic vibrates when increasing the speaker volume, wires in engine bay exposed and not properly covered by plastic tubing, cost cutting.


Apart from the lame CNG gauge and cylinder becoming hot, this is a practical ride.


Cheers

GT

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by GT500

1. The CNG gauge is NOT at all accurate , it has a mind of its own. After running a few kilometers (10-30) one bar goes down. Shows red bar after 80-90kms instead of half way mark.

4. Strangely,after filling CNG today, the cylinder was ridiculously hot, need to be worried?

5. Mileage that I got initially was 20 on CNG but now dropped to 17 , driving style perhaps, the method im using is cut off to cut off, is it the same as petrol's tankfull to tankfull?

1) Yes, the CNG guage is not linear. The first mark will disappear quite fast, but the last green mark will stay on for long. I could manage to pull 70 kms. on last green mark and again 70 km. with red before CNG was over.

2) No, you need not be worried, its normal with all CNG cars. We had this in our M800 also, and having the same even in our Baleno.

3) Yes, its correct method, but not that accurate due to pressure difference one faces at time of filling. Suppose you fill your tank at a station and 6 kg go in with pressure of 200. Next time again 6 kg goes in, but pressure is 180. So when pressure is 180, less gas went in and hence you got higher mileage, but again next time you go to fill up and pressure is 210, you will have more gas in.
But cutoff to cutoff is most reliable method.

[dsunn]

Originally Posted by GT500

1. The CNG gauge is NOT at all accurate , it has a mind of its own. After running a few kilometers (10-30) one bar goes down. Shows red bar after 80-90kms instead of half way mark.


GT

Below is break-up of my car's CNG gauge bars assuming that Wagon R can run 220kms on full tank --

4 green bars: 0 - 30 kms

3 green bars: 30 - 70 kms

2 green bars: 70 - 120 kms

1 green bar: 120 kms - 170kms

1 red bar: 170kms - 220kms

My car's petrol mileage is very poor... about 15kms on highway and 11kms in city. In comparison, my cousin's non-CNG Wagon R gives 18kms on highways and 14kms in city.