Hyundai Creta maintenance: Tips to keep costs to a minimum

The first service cost me Rs 0, the 10k service cost Rs 1071 and the 20k service cost me a similar Rs 1260.

BHPian Chhanda Das recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Do you know how cheap maintaining a Creta can be?

Let me share my example so that you can decide for yourself how cheap it is to maintain a Creta. I own a first-generation 2017 Creta petrol 1.6 model having a naturally aspirated 16 valve variable timing valve train (VTVT) 4 cylinder direct overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine with a torque converter 6-speed automatic transmission. It has covered almost 40k kilometres till date. Touchwood, my car has not faced any issue till date except for one which was resolved during the first service itself (details below). This car needs regular maintenance at every 10k kilometres or 1 year, whichever is earlier. I always choose regular mineral engine oil or semi-synthetic engine oil if the earlier one is not available. And these have served me well in all of my cars for the last half a century on almost all sorts of terrains.

My car named Blaze (after a horse from one of the Sherlock stories) was serviced just the first 3 times at Hyundai ASCs.

My dear Blaze

The first service was done at 1200 km for INR 0 in 2018. This is basically a check-up and nothing is replaced in this service unless there are issues. Just top-ups are done if necessary and this is true for all Hyundai cars in India. The headlights' beam, throws and direction were pathetic initially to say the least but the service centre personnel adjusted them very nicely to my son's liking. Since then he has driven my car in dense fog in the middle of the night on the treacherous roads of Meghalaya simply with the stock headlamps without using fog lamps.

The 10,000 kilometres service cost me INR 1071 in 2018. They recommended cleaning the brake pads/shoes (maybe to inflate the bill?) but I felt that it was unnecessary since brake pads/shoes do not usually require cleaning unless they are extremely dirty or glazed. Merely greasing the brake assembly guide rods/pins annually is more than enough. Hence, I did not allow them to do it. I also got a discount since there was an on-going Hyundai service campaign at that time. Here is a copy of the bill:

The 20,000 kilometres service cost me INR 1260 in 2019. Hyundai recommends replacing the AC air filter and engine air filter every 20,000 kilometres. But personally, I know for a fact that they can last even more with regular cleaning. Hence, I did not go for a replacement there. Sadly, I did not get any discounts this time. Here is a copy of the bill:

Please note that all prices mentioned in this post are inclusive of all taxes including GST. Also, kindly note that the term OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) used below indicates parts without a Hyundai badging on them but not being different from the relevant original Hyundai parts in any other way.

Now let me get into the details:

1. My car requires at least 3.5-litres of API SM 5W-30 grade engine oil. A 3.5 litre jar of semi-synthetic API SN+ 5W-30 grade engine oil (better than recommended costs approximately INR 1k from branded dealerships.
2. The OEM engine oil filter costs approximately between INR 150-200 depending on the model as well as depending on whether it is made by Mann+Hummel from S. Korea or by Inzi Controls India Ltd. Obviously, the one made in India is cheaper with no noticeable difference in quality when compared to the one made in S. Korea.
3. Both the OEM engine air filter and OEM AC air filter cost less than approximately INR 500 in total. These can be cleaned and reused for at least 20k km (as per Hyundai) and way more if cleaned regularly.
4. In case I need to top-up the brake fluid, a 250 ml bottle of DOT 3 - FMVSS 116 grade fluid costs approximately INR 80. Coincidentally, Maruti too uses the same grade of brake fluid from Indian Oil's Servo as recommended by Hyundai. I have not had to top-up the brake fluid till date in my Creta after the only top-up during the first service in 2017.
5. If I need to top-up the coolant, a 1 litre bottle of concentrated LLC (Long Life Coolant) costs less than approximately INR 250. This needs to be mixed with distilled water before usage in a 3 parts of concentrated LLC for every 7 parts of water ratio. Coincidentally, here too Maruti uses the same grade of LLC from Indian Oil's Servo as recommended by Hyundai. I have had to top-up the coolant fluid mixture only once till date at around 30k km.
6. In case I need to top-up the battery fluid, I can get distilled water for around INR 35-40 per litre.
7. If I need to grease the brake pins/rods, a small sachet should be enough for all 4 wheels and costs approximately INR 50.
8. If the door hinges and other joints need lubrication then a 500 ml can of sprayable grease costs approximately INR 250 and this should last for years.
9. For the power windows, wiper blades, door/window seals, etc, some silicone spray can be used which costs approximately INR 200 for a 150 ml can and this too should last for years.
10. My car came with iridium-tipped spark plugs which are known to last for a long time. So cleaning them annually is the only maintenance they need. For that, a small 64 gram can of WD-40 costing approximately INR 100 should be enough and should last for quite a few years.
11. When necessary, I can get OEM brake pads/shoes for approximately INR 1,700 - 1,800 for the complete set of 2 wheels on the same axle. My car still has the original brake pads/shoes and at their existing rate of usage, they should easily last up to approximately 80k-90k kilometres on the odometer. Thankfully, my son uses engine braking more.
12. Labour charges are free for me as my son does all of the above at home. If someone gets all of these done at aftermarket shops then they will charge approximately at least INR 500-800 as labour charges alone. If we get all of the aforementioned services done at Hyundai ASCs then merely the labour charges without including GST would be approximately around INR 4000.
13. My car comes with a timing chain that can easily last for at least 1,00,000 kilometres. Timing chains do not have a tendency to snap without sufficient aural or haptic warnings, unlike timing belts which often snap without any prior warning resulting in catastrophic and often irreversible engine failure.
14. Hyundai does not recommend replacing the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) in my car during its entire lifetime. But I intend to replace the ATF at around 1,00,000 kilometres.
15. Wheel alignment, if necessary can be done at good aftermarket shops for approximately around INR 300-400.

Disclaimer: All the prices are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. The contents of this post reflect my personal opinions based on my own experiences only and may or may not match with those of my fellow members here.

Thank you for reading. Wish you all happy and safe drives ahead.

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