I am also thinking of getting an Innova Crysta diesel even though I have a Maruti S-Cross in my garage as well. I feel that I am just getting too emotional.

BHPian Inquilab28 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello T-BHPians

I am unable to decide what's the best strategy for my garage and trying to get help from fellow car enthusiasts. Basically, I want someone to knock some sense into my head as I have come to a point where I am unable to make an intelligent decision and getting too emotional.

Current Scenario

• Have a 2020 Oct S-Cross with the KB15 engine at 38,000 kms. Mostly driven by the driver for the little one and wife's needs like school or visiting in-laws and such. Excellent condition of the car and no complaints from the family. Fully paid off.
• Have a 2022 Mar Thar at 45,000 kms. Always driven by me and have made quite a few highway and ORR runs in Hyderabad. Runs well and this is my baby. Excellent condition of the car and I have no complaints with it. Loan still on.

Then comes the Jimny, and for a person who loved the Gypsy and MM540 all his childhood, my heart is now pushing me towards getting the Jimny 2023, mostly because I am getting a really sweet deal. I wouldn't have been this tempted if it was the earlier pricing, the new pricing just makes me drool and I am trying to consider this only because I have an opportunity to own it, not that I need it.

Another thought process is, I am pretty shocked that I did 45,000 kms in 24 months and I am dreading the thought of my Thar getting used more than it should and I might have shortened the life of my baby. Every time I start the Thar, I feel more guilty for stressing my Thar (I really feel the Thar is my second kid in the family). I have not used the 4x4 on the Thar more than 10 times maybe. Hardly must have put on 1 km on it with 4H//4L. All the running was on 2H.

How will the Jimny help

• I might start using Jimny more and this will reduce the burden on the Thar
• Will have the excitement of getting a Jimny and would fulfil the Gypsy bug
• The 4 seater might make this a family car when I drive. I am not a fan of sitting in the S-Cross as the car is barely adequate for me from a comfort standpoint.

Now I am going with a few scenarios in my heart. My head is rejecting all of them by the way, full disclosure.

Scenario 1:

• Keep the S-Cross and Thar and get the Jimny. Use the Jimny and baby the Thar.
• Impact- will have a new loan to pay off along with the Thar
• Outcome- will have the Jimny at a good price

Scenario 2:

• Keep the S-Cross and Thar and get the Innova Crysta. With the diesels running out of the market, getting the Innova might give me an option for a long-term dependable diesel for family trips as a group. The current options are not really good long-drive options
• Impact- will have a new loan to pay off along with the Thar
• Outcome- Will have the Innova as the luxury//family car and have a dependable long-drive companion which is very comfortable

Scenario 3:

• Sell the S-Cross and keep the Thar and Innova Crysta
• Impact- S-Cross is in very good condition mechanically and I feel guilty about selling it. I am hoping that this might be a good beater car for the future.
• Outcome- Will have a proven diesel MUV for long-term family usage

The only reason Innova has come into the equation is again a heart vs head thing. I am having the fear of missing out on a capable car which can serve the family for a good 15 years or more if everything works out from the Govt regulatory perspective.

I have to be honest, none of my close friends are car people and I am hoping to get some insight and suggestions from this bunch as I am very sure I would get objective help.

How would you respond to the current scenario I am in?

Here's what BHPian kosjam had to say about the matter:

First of all, why is a high running on the Thar an issue? If the vehicle is giving you happiness, just continue using it. As long as you are not looking at resale prices, you do not need to worry about high running. Just enjoy the vehicle. Just a fraction of the money you save by not buying another vehicle will be needed to maintain the Thar even once you reach 6 digits on the odometer.

You can always go for the 5-door Thar, that too a 2WD version once it's out, as by your own admission you don't really need the 4WD version.

Regarding the S-Cross being your errand car, it's best to keep it, as there is no loan, there are no niggles. Plus, the peace of mind that even if the driver dings it, you will not be emotionally hurt, something which won't hold true if you give a brand new vehicle to the driver. (No offense to your driver).

Regarding diesels, they may be going out of fashion, but they are being replaced with petrol strong hybrids, and they should, at least in the coming future, be as good to drive as the diesels today. The diesels are loved not because they consume diesel fuel, but because of the low-end torque they generate.

Your post lacks the strong conviction to buy the Jimny, it just sounds like you HAVE EXCESS MONEY and need TO BUY SOMETHING. (I get that you will take a loan, but I guess that isn't a big deal for you)

You wanted some frank opinions, here was mine. Apologies for the blunt approach…

Here's what BHPian VWAllstar had to say about the matter:

Summarised it well. The best way to satiate this feeling is to spend the money on a road trip to throw out the thought of selling any car. Most of us envy people who get to drive more than 20K km a year. And here you are doing just that and wish to reduce it only because you want to 'baby' the Thar? Cars are meant to be driven and there is no upper limit on how many km it should be driven a year to age it. Yes, there will be wear & tear for which we have service intervals based on either km or year.

I don't have anything other than what has been already said by Kosjam. Keep the S-Cross as a beater and put more (s)miles on the Thar!

Here's what BHPian asit.kulkarni93 had to say about the matter:

You have a comfortable family crossover and a good 4x4 SWB SUV. What else do you need? Enjoy the Thar and use the S-Cross for family trips. Why add unnecessary financial burden unless your needs are going to change or your existing cars are too old? You really think you will like the engine on the Jimny after the Thar?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Vehicle continues to do what is asked of it and give a good mileage as well. As of now, there is no plan to replace the vehicle as I don't find the need to do so.

BHPian arvind71181 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Long pending update:

• The car has clocked 1,40,000 kilometres so far

• The timing belt and associated parts were changed at around the 1,25,000 km mark at a private garage since the service centres were quoting a very long waiting period for the parts

• They did not do a very good job of it as some minor details were overlooked which resulted in the engine oil sporadically leaking. Took the car to an authorized service centre and this was rectified

• The CEL lamp came up and it was diagnosed to be a brake switch issue as the cruise control was also not working. Part order was placed and swapped after about a week or so.

• Tyres were changed at the 1,32,000 km mark. I used the same brand *UC6) again as found them pretty good the first time around. This is the 4th set of tyres for the car. Swapped from JK to MC5 I think at the 30,000 mark then changed to UC6 at 80,000 and now at 1,32,000 km

• Performed the 1,30,000 at the 1,32,000 mark and will wait for another 2000 km to get the next service in

• Vehicle continues to do what is asked of it and give a good mileage as well. As of now, there is no plan to replace the vehicle as I don't find the need to do so

Here's to a trouble free ownership for the next 2 years or so (touch all woods!!)

ODO stands at 1,40,001 km.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The success of Creta over S-Cross also proves that Indian customers don’t have a herd mentality; they will put their money where they find real value, brand notwithstanding

BHPian pqr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Maruti Jimny’s S-Cross moment

“History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce.”

Maruti S-Cross (2015), planned with 5,000 units per month sales for the Indian market, has not been successful because of its grown-up hatchback stance, especially when it was expected to have an SUV silhouette like the Renault Duster (2012), and finally, the Hyundai Creta (2015) crushed it to become the segment leader for years to come.

Similarly, the Jimny five-door version planned with 5,000 units per month sales for the Indian market is not working because Mahindra Thar's 2nd generation (2020) already set the benchmark in terms of expectations in the hearts of Indian audience, and Maruti’s ambitious pricing played a further spoil sport.

Maruti S-Cross: A case study

The mid-size monocoque chassis-based compact SUV (~4.3m) has been a high-growth and highly contested segment in India.

This segment was kicked off by Renault in 2012, when a modified Dacia (Renault’s Romanian subsidiary) Duster with a 1.6L petrol and a 1.5L diesel engine in two different states of power tune, was launched in India under the Renault badge. Despite having budget-grade interiors from East Europe, it caught the imagination of the Indian audience and became an instant hit due to its rugged and outdoorsy compact SUV look.

Fast forward to 2015; this was the time when Maruti and Hyundai decided to pitch in their products in this high-potential segment. Locally made Creta was planned to be launched in September 2015, a month after Maruti S-Cross.

However, Hyundai got scared of Maruti and preponed Creta launch by two months in July 2015. Now this was the time when Indian media used to say that Maruti was scared of only Hyundai, and Hyundai obviously was scared of Maruti, and together they don’t care of anyone else, as they were a very dominant player, commanding over 60% of the Indian passenger vehicle market share (except 2012).

Developed for emerging markets, Hyundai launched the Creta with 1.4L and 1.6L diesel engines and a 1.6L petrol engine, with an automatic transmission option available for the 1.6L diesel engine. Two months down the line, Maruti launched the localized European S-Cross with a ubiquitous locally sourced 1.25L diesel engine from Fiat in higher sate of power tune and another 1.6L imported diesel engine from Fiat, without automatic transmission or petrol option, and no rear AC vent either. S-Cross was perceived to have the best build quality among all the cars Maruti has ever produced locally in India.

Maruti had intended to sell over 5,000 S-Cross each month; however, sales dropped to 2,000 within a few months after its debut. At the same time, Hyundai was selling over 7,000 Cretas a month, and 30% of sales were coming from the petrol version, which the S-Cross doesn’t have. Creta got a tremendous response for its upright SUV stance and overall package, and the uninspiring Maruti S-Cross was drubbed by the Indian audience for its awkward, grown-up hatchback styling.

Immediate corrective action from Maruti

While Hyundai was considering increasing production to meet strong demand, Maruti moved quickly to mitigate the fall in sales.

• Step 1: Discounts: Maruti started offering discounts up to ₹ 1 lakh in October 2015 to arrest the sales fall of S-Cross.

• Step 2: Price reduction: When nothing else was working, Maruti reduced the price of the 1.6L version by over ₹ 2 lakh and the 1.25L version by ₹ 70,000 in January 2016.

• Step 3: Refund: As a goodwill gesture, Maruti refunded ₹ 90,000 to S-Cross customers who bought the 1.6L version before the January 2016 price cut and offered an extended warranty to 1.25L S-Cross customers.

Did that help Maruti get sales back to the originally planned 5,000 units a month? No. It simply settled around 2,000 units, as it was still a better Maruti. The biggest downside from a business perspective is fixed costs (Jeep Compass, Meridian prices hiked by Rs 43,000 to 3.14 lakh!); they eat into profit margins over the life cycle if originally planned volumes are not met. Maruti also has to compensate suppliers for the tooling investment, as with low volume, it became unrecoverable.

After getting bullied by Maruti in the hatchback segment for years, finally, Creta punched S-Cross in the face and took Hyundai’s lunch money back. Since then, Creta went on to become the best revenue-grossing product in the entire Indian passenger vehicle market due to its ever-increasing prices, high average sales price, and high volume.

Here is the surprising part: Maruti, who has always been touted to know the pulse of Indian customers quite well, would have known the fate of S-Cross beforehand during the static customer clinic (market research technique), as the Renault Duster was available as a benchmark car. Still, overconfident Maruti took this route for its own annihilation in this segment.

The success of Creta over S-Cross also proves that Indian customers don’t have a herd mentality; they will put their money where they find real value, brand notwithstanding (Toyota Yaris failure).

S-Cross Facelift

As a next step, Maruti brought in an S-Cross facelift with highly updated fascia akin to BMW in 2017. The improved bonnet line gave it a better crossover stance, but the side profile remained the same, so sales growth was limited to 3,500 units a month in 2018, nowhere close to the originally planned 5,000 units.

Seven months later, Hyundai also launched the Creta facelift, with the segment's first sunroof and a 6-way electrically adjustable driver seat, raising the bar even higher for everyone in the segment.

The 2nd generation Creta, launched in 2020, raised the bar even further with the democratization of features like panoramic sunroof and electric parking brake in the segment, thus making competition irrelevant for a year or so.

S-Cross successor in India

The third generation of S-Cross was introduced in Europe in 2021. But this time, Maruti gave India a tailored body shell based on a similar Suzuki Global C platform, named Grand Vitara in 2022, that has an upright stance, high ground clearance, a Maruti first panoramic sunroof, and so on. Maruti has to strictly follow Hyundai’s playbook, toe to toe. Still, Maruti Grand Vitara interiors left a lot to be desired in terms of the overall space and finesse of the Hyundai Creta, and the lack of a diesel engine also means Maruti has to play second fiddle to the Creta in the segment. And at the beginning of 2023, Hyundai happily postponed Creta’s facelift by a year in India.

Jimny India chapter

The fourth generation of Jimny with three doors was introduced in Japan in mid-2018. Ever since then, rumors have been rife of the imminent launch of Jimny in India as the aging Gypsy’s successor. However, in September 2019, Maruti’s CTO clarified to Autocar Professional:

[Autocar Professional]: Will the Jimny be a feasible option for Maruti Suzuki?

[C.V. Raman, Maruti CTO]: The three-door is a very niche segment in India. What is required for India is a five-door model. That means we have to do a new development, which would require time and cost. The possible volume against the required investment does not make sense for us.

Well, after this statement in 2019, Maruti showcased 3-door Jimny at Auto Expo 2020 in India, where it received a lot of attention from the crowd.

Continue reading BHPian pqr's analysis for more insights and information.

Mahindra Bolero, when launched, had a very macho appeal and a crude, simple, yet elegant design. Now, I feel it has a chrome-filled cartoonish face.

BHPian AYP recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This thread is to point out the instances of a manufacturer spoiling the looks of their car in the process of facelifting it. Let me do the honours:

Skoda-

The Octavia MK2 (Laura) pre-facelift, was my favourite and still continues to be my favourite among all the Octavias. While most of my classmates used to drool over the Civic, the Laura was the one which had my heart, especially the L&K in red shade. The PD motor was music to my ears. The facelift though, spoiled the look completely with its bulbous headlamps.

The beauty-

The beast-

Don't take me wrong. The Laura facelift was a beautiful car by itself but when compared to the pre-facelift, it paled completely.

Mahindra-

The Bolero when launched, used to have a very macho appeal about it. It had a crude, simple, yet elegant design. The Bolero of today still has that macho appeal but gone are the simple and elegant design elements and instead we have a chrome-filled cartoonish face.

The OG-

The new Bolero with dollops of chrome (just what most Indians want)-

Here's what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say about the matter:

Personally, I'm not convinced with the Zen facelift. Though the change is very minimal, the old jellybean shape is still a looker.

Here's what BHPian dhanushs had to say about the matter:

For me, it's the Verna. An already bad-looking car worsened!

Old Variant

New Variant

Here's what BHPian saikishor had to say about the matter:

Maruti S-Cross comes to my mind immediately after reading the title of this thread. The original one especially in the top alpha trim looked elegant IMO but the facelift didn't have the same elegance as the previous model.

Here's what BHPian GreyNomad replied:

It’s actually the opposite. The first-gen SCross bombed primarily due to its looks. The refreshed version actually did decent numbers and the front fascia redesign and the Nexa Blue colour contributed to it.

Only if they had plonked that sweet 1.6D into the facelift model!

Here's what BHPian rishi.roger had to say about the matter:

The first car that immediately rings a bell is the latest Hyundai Verna. Haven't seen a worse facelift than Verna in quite some time.

Also, the new Nexon looks more like a raised hatchback (which it really is) than an SUV character in the previous design.

Also, I disagree with the post stating that the S-Cross facelift looked worse than the original. In fact, the facelifted S-Cross looked times better. IMO, a facelift well done to a car that deserved applause. Such a shame, it didn't sell for long.

Here's what BHPian mgastor2022grey had to say about the matter:

My vote is for the Hector Plus (6 and 7-seater versions). It had such a beautiful and some sort of Mercedes-inspired grille at the front. Even though the car was slightly out of proportion, it was very handsome and nonetheless a looker.

Later, MG decided to 'facelift' the car by giving it fake-silver jewelry and some chrome-bling to make it ugly! I hate the big grille. Wonder why car makers are doing it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Have used the car for around 100 km within city limits and all good so far, but it will take a few long drives to regain confidence in the car.

BHPian kit_dennis recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My timing belt replacement story.

The car was reaching the 140K milestone and hence decided to replace the timing belt during the next service. Since getting 1.6 specific parts is not as easy as the other engines, I informed the service centre (Mandovi Motors, JP Nagar) to procure the parts and inform so that I need to bring the car only then. Even after multiple follow-ups, they took 28 days to procure all the parts. All the work (140K service+timing belt) was done in 1.5 days. Total cost 35K.

Got the car on Thursday, and did some city runs for the next 3 days. No problems were noticed.

Sunday, I went to my hometown in Kerala from Bangalore with my family. Once we crossed Karnataka, the engine malfunction indicator came on and the car was in limp mode. I stopped, checked the engine bay for any obvious signs, didn’t find any and started the car. The limp mode was gone, but the warning light persisted. I understood something was wrong, but thought would somehow reach Kerala and then get it checked. After crossing around 30 kms from Salem, suddenly the EPS signal came on and the car lost power steering. Somehow managed to park it in front of a restaurant. Probably the trigger was when the torque reached more than 2500rpm.

Got the car towed to the nearest service centre 8km away, Thriveni, Sankagiri. They tried their best to diagnose the issue, but being a Sunday, they were less staffed and it was clear that it would not be rectified soon. With some difficulty, taking the bus, cab etc reached hometown. The next day the service centre called and said the timing belt and the tensioner had gone bad and had to be replaced. The time to get the part delivered and repaired was given as 1 week. With the previous 1-month waiting experience I was worried, it would take a long time to source the parts. But luckily I got the car back exactly 1 week later. The tensioner was broken and it had damaged the timing belt as well. Picture of the time belt attached. Both parts were new and it looked to be a manufacturing defect.

While returning from Kerala to Bangalore, I tried a few scenarios to test the vehicle, like going at higher rpm, speed etc and the car performed well. And when we were crossing Sankagiri, we called the Service centre and thanked them for their good job. Spoken too soon, a few seconds later, the engine malfunction indicator came on and the car went to limp mode again. Restarted the car, limp mode gone, but the light still on. Again, decided to drive on and reached home with sedate driving.

Took to Mandovi Motors after a few days. They checked the error code, it was related to the oil pressure switch. They said it’s in the history and not in the current, so should be a false alarm. They also checked the said part after putting it on a ramp and couldn’t find much apart from some debris near the connector which they cleaned.

Have used the car for around 100 km since then within city limits and all good so far. Both Thriveni and Mandovi were helpful throughout and also knowing someone senior in Maruthi helped. Nevertheless, it will take a few long drives to regain confidence in the car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

After opening i was searching to see any hanging coupler which was making sound or any frame but everything looked good.

BHPian MAKMADDY17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello All,

Few days ago I started observing a rattling noise coming from the center console area of the dashboard (Central Ac Vents / Infotainment System). The strange part was the sound was not constant rather it was intermittent, hence it became hard to find exactly when it was occurring.

I started noting down the conditions which were triggering it, mostly it was on 3 occasions:

• When i was driving at lower speeds while at higher gears: like uphills, flyovers, at some traffic conditions etc. [Intermittent]
• When one of the tyres hit the reflector plates on the road partitions at medium speeds. [Intermittent]
• On bad patch roads or continuous small speed breakers. [Intermittent]

I decided to open the central console section and started searching for articles/videos around it. Took following two references:

YouTube reference

Leoshashi's thread on similar issue

Sharing few images of the work below:

After the vents were opened:

After opening i was searching to see any hanging coupler which was making sound or any frame but everything looked good. On a sad note I was about to repack everything then I saw the AC vent section. I tried to shake the left one, there was no sound; it had a good space to avoid hitting the surrounding portion.

I tried the same approach on the right one, BINGO I have the culprit !!

Same sound when you shake the right one. It was hitting the dashboard when I was shaking it:

I added extra foams around all the sections of the vent and re-packed everything. I wrapped paper tape on all the locks and tied up some wires to avoid future rattling:

Infotainment check before final packing:

Repacked:

1 week observation - No sounds on all the three conditions observed above. So far so good.

Note - Re-packing of AC vents needs a bit of trick and hard. Be careful around it.

Thank for reading.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The driving position is commanding and the steering feels good to hold however the leather quality is not as premium as the VW/Skoda group cars.

BHPian Suchu90 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Visited the showroom to checkout the Elevate, here are some observations from the POV of a Jazz(sold), S-cross and a vento owner.

• The car looks proportionate from rear and sides. The front looks a little bit narrow-ish probably due to the large grill and tall front profile ?

• The driving position is commanding and the steering feels good to hold however the leather quality is not as premium as the VW/Skoda group cars.

• Rear Seat under thigh support is a little lacking, knee room is good, back rest angle and seat cushioning are good. My height for reference is 5'11".

• The boot is large however the loading lip quite big, the seats have 60:40 split but they dont lay flat with the boot floor. My Scross is far more superior/practical in these aspects.

• The tyres are 215/55 R17 iirc, the one i saw was the ZX manual version and it came shod with Bridgestone Turanza. I remember my Jazz had Michelin XM2s! The Bridgestone is definitely going to be better than Ceats and JKs. Well done honda

• Some other miscellaneous points that i would like to add- The door levers are not metal/brushed metal hence felt cheap. The roof liner just behind the sunroof felt very thin, hollow-ish and had too much flex, couldn't check how it felt ahead of the sunroof. No rear sun blinds, no usb charging socket for rear passenger.

From my discussion with the sales advisor, car will be available for test drive from 1st of September and price reveal will be on the 6th of september. Rough estimate given by him for ZX variant is around 17L for manual and 19L for CVT, assuming it to be On Road price. Also heard him telling some other prospective buyer that allocation of CVTs to the dealerships is lesser than manual atleast for now.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

4 speed AT gearbox is very convenient in the city.

BHPian Shrek8421 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi,

I bought a preowned Maruti S-Cross.

• Odo 10k
• Reg Nov 2021
• Silver Zeta AT
• Single owner and well maintained.
• 1 dent fixed on left panel and windshield replaced due to a crack from a stone.
• 11L vs 14.3(OTR)

Initial impressions:

• Ride is sublime and handles amazing.
• 4 speed AT gearbox is very convenient in the city. Yet to test on the highway.
• Lots and lots of space. Coming from a Ritz.
• Smartplay studio works fine. Wired AA but no issues so far.
• Boot is small but convenient due to no loading lip.
• MID is monotone but all important info is available
• Getting 10 to 11kmpl in Bangalore traffic.
• Performance is linear and responsive.

Few issues:

• Existing OEM mats are of poor quality. Velcro has come off and need to be replaced.
• Turning radius takes getting used to.
• Rear camera lacks adaptive guidelines but has adequate clarity.
• NVH is audible when pushed.
• Gearbox is slow to shift in lower gears compared to the new 6AT.
• Overall I am extremely happy with the car. It drives like a dream and the experience can't be captured on a spec sheet.

I have a few questions:

• Will Grand Vitara mats fit the S-Cross?
• Should I get extended warranty?
• Any other accessory suggestions.

Here's what BHPian swapzero had to say on the matter:

Two accessories I can recommend:

• Wireless Android Auto: It is such a convenience. No more fiddling around with usb cables.
• Internal TPMS. I would recommend Treel from JK. I got the same. Happy with their after sales service and warranty. One of the sensors stopped working after ~ 1.5 years and they promptly couriered me the replacement.

BHPian Shrek8421 replied:

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.

• Which wireless AA did you get? There seems to be lack of options in India.
• I was hoping to get an external one because of the complicated fitment. But I will check JK out.

Is it accurate? Does it work only on solar or does it need charging?

Here's what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

I am using external TPMS (many options available on amazon). I have never had the need to charge it and the battery is always charged through solar. I have driven for extended hours during night time as well. Display based TPMS are better than app based ones which consume some phone battery for sure to transmit data via bluetooth. Also, there is no need for pairing and you can remove and refit the sensors in any car (if required). The only con is that you need to remove them if you wish to fill air in the tyres. I need to do this once in two months on an average. A special tool is provided as an anti theft measure so you need to keep that with you at all times as well. I have kept it along with my car documents.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My first thought was that due to summers maybe it is giving me this warning, i drove for 1-2 days more and regular warnings at night made me worry.

BHPian MAKMADDY17 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All,

I just wanted to share my experience with all MSIL Smart Hybrid/SHVS friends about a rodent attack which made my Auto Start/Stop functionality stop working. It can be a long post, please bear with me.

All of sudden i started getting "Idling Stop Unavailable" warnings on my MID <Auto stop was not working:

My first thought was that due to summers maybe it is giving me this warning, i drove for 1-2 days more and regular warnings at night made me worry. Checked my AC setting and it was set at economy so no alarms there too. Another aspect was maybe the battery is not sufficiently charged, i made sure Hybrid Battery status had at least 4 terminals and then tried auto stop functionality without AC turned on. No luck same warning again.

Got the main battery checked at a nearest battery shop, everything was good. I planned my nearest ASC visit the next day (Arena).

ASC people checked the batteries , performed an on board diagnostic scan and went clueless for about an hour. After a while a trainee came and found I had a rat bite on a section which connects the gear shift selector and to the engine harness.

Reference photo from a friend's car with the wiring intact:

I asked them to change the harness, they took another half and came back to me unsure with the price and said I need to change the complete gear shift assembly set. Parts will be around 8k and labour extra. I specifically asked them if they can repair it, they said they cannot open the gear shift assembly and since it is terminal soldering at one end they cannot repair it.

It was a shock for me how MSIL can not manufacture a small harness when it is known for cheaper & shared child parts. This is shared between all SHVS/Smart-Hybrid cars of Maruti.

I started my research and observed the part more and more. My brain was saying the terminal which had a soldering section on it can be opened and we can solder one part and join the coupler section with all a new set of wire.

With the same thought I called my service hero Lokeshand had a discussion with him. Shared the photos & videos and we decided to meet on a day when he has less customers.

THE DAY:

He observed and we went for the same test unsure if it would work or not. Terminal end was opened and soldering was done outside. Adhesive was applied on the terminal end, wire mesh was wrapped along just to avoid any future rat bites.

Sharing some photos of the work below:

Installation was complete and I did a 5km spin just to charge the batteries and turned off the AC. The moment i tried Auto Stop:

I was so delighted because we repaired it, were successful on the theory worked which ASC declined politely. I tried a few more auto stop/starts, no issues, no warnings and Happy Ending.

Special Thanks to Lokesh & team and my friends who helped me out during this time.

Thanks for reading.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The turbo spools in around ~1300 RPM and by 1500 RPM is strong with no lugging whatsoever compared to the earlier ~1800 RPM.

BHPian sudeepg recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I had been a bit busy at work and could not update this ownership thread with the updates and services recently done to the car.

Current ODO Reading: 81,600 Kms

Here's what's been done

• Timing Belt replaced
• Water Pump replaced
• Regular Service (Oil, Oil Filter and Air Filter Change)

all @ Engineering Exponents

Results

I switched to 77 Holland engine oil and the results are very good. The engine runs even more smoothly and is silent. I have done 2,000 Kms and the car is silent and smooth at idle or on the run even now. I am loving this new engine oil and so does my close friend who also owns an S-Cross 1.6 using this engine oil.

Jayant had sourced the timing belt kit and the water pump for me. I was not present at the worksite due to work commitments and had therefore left the car with them. So, unfortunately, no pictures of work in progress

Update 2

I had been toying with the idea of a custom downpipe and discussing it with Jayant. After several weeks of discussion, he finally asked to bring the car over for them to install a bespoke downpipe. I left the car with them for two days while they went about building the downpipe and installing it. The ECU tune has also been updated making it a stage 2.

The material used: SS304 Steel with Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)

Here are my post-installation observations

1. Excellent low end. The turbo spools in around ~1300 RPM and by 1500 RPM is strong with no lugging whatsoever compared to the earlier ~1800 RPM. This helps in moving around the city in 3rd or 4th gear effortlessly.
2. The RPM climb is quicker. This means the car hits the power zone and exits its peak power band much more quicker. This required me to adapt my driving to the changes since I now need to upshift gears sooner. The power delivery is also a bit more linear. Earlier, there was a stronger pull I could experience at ~2000 RPM, which has flattened out. I have driven around 120 KMS post this change (For some ECU adaptation) and certainly love this change. Overall a faster car!
3. No smoking.
4. These three, I feel are the highlights of this modification.
5. A slight turbo whistle can be heard for a few seconds (with windows down) when the car is moving at low RPM, and it subsides.

NOTE: This change is completely reversible.

With these changes, I have concluded with the performance modifications for this car. I do not plan to install performance air intakes or any other hardware upgrades.

Credits

Engineering Exponents

I love these guys, they are great with their tools and timing. Usually, I am able to hang around the workshop and see the work being done while chatting with the mechanics. Jayant explained how they go about changing timing belts on the S-Cross, which unfortunately I have forgotten due to the time gap now. There are markers and locking points that they use when replacing the belts. They are very efficient with their tools and processes and also carry the service manual. The work was done in under a day. Also, they have done this on several S-Cross 1.6s, so they are pretty familiar with the process.

I feel the design of the downpipe is pretty good. It is simple and straightforward with minimal bends. The downpipe attachments at the turbo exit are firm fit at both ends. A casual observer cannot spot the modification.

What I also like about EE now is that I am able to provide them with feedback and they are most willing to look at any issues or concerns, address my queries and advise.

Also thank you Surya and Kiran, who usually work on my car.

Wolf Team

Without the great ECU maps to complement the upgrades, it would not be worth it. Thank you Rajiv. You guys are not only super talented but also one of the most humble & committed human beings I have interacted with.

Disclaimer

Please note, these are my personal observations as a result of servicing my car a few times now with EE and using Wolf ECU tunes. I am not in anyway associated with their business.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.