Car Maintenance Mistakes Part-1

We know almost everyone gives their car to service centers and no one service their car at home, so you don't need to know how to maintain your car. But there comes responsibility if you own a car, knowing all these technical things will help you in the emergency situations and can also save your money and time. If you know this and do this right from the beginning only then you are unlikely to get in such an emergency situation.

1. Engine Coolant

Coolant is used to maintain the working temperature of an engine. Therefore it is very important to maintain the right level and quality of it. When we take our car to service centers, we often told by the service advisor that they have topped up the coolant in our car. That means they have added the extra coolant in order to maintain its level to the top. If the level of coolant falls below the mark, then there is a shortage of coolant to engine whenever it is required. This may increase the overall temperature of the engine and adversely affect the overall engine life.

As it is important to maintain the right quantity of coolant in an engine, it is also very important to maintain the right quality of it. By quality, I mean the proper proportion of water and coolant in the engine. The chances of this proportion getting affected are when we ourself top up the coolant (if necessary while checking) before those long road trips. And generally, by doing so we use only water and no coolant. It is completely ok to use only water while topping up if the difference is less, but if we practice this frequently then the coolant will get diluted which can the affect the coolant circulation system.

Effects:

Lets first talk about the effects caused if the proper quantity is not maintained.

If the required quantity is not maintained then the engine will get less supply of coolant which will result in improper heat transfer and overheating of the engine and hence will affect the engine life.

But if the quality (proportion of coolant and water) is not maintained then it will affect the entire cooling system of the engine. If the proportion of water increases then after some time the color of the coolant changes to brownish which indicates the internal corrosion of the cooling system.

Nowadays the radiator is made up of M.S (mild steel) which can get corrode easily if contacted with water. Therefore we use coolant with water in order to avoid the corrosion of the cooling system.

Warning:

Do not open the radiator's cap when the engine is hot.

If your car has this kind of setup, then you can open the yellow cap on the reservoir even if the car's engine is hot, but you can't open the silver cap (radiator cap) with a yellow sticker when the engine is hot.

But if your car doesn't have the radiator cap and only has the reservoir cap, then do not open it when the engine is hot.

2. Engine Oil

We have to maintain the adequate engine oil level here, the excess or shortage of engine oil will create big problems for the engine in the future. Oil is used to provide proper lubrication between the moving parts of the engine. In order to have a smooth running engine, one must check the level and quality of the engine oil periodically and ensure it, to be of required quality as well as quantity. In order to check the oil level of the engine, the dip stick is provided. There are 2 dots on the dip stick as shown in the picture. The level of the oil must be touching the upper point on the dip stick, but should not exceed that point. The oil level little below that point is acceptable. But oil level below the lower point is not at all acceptable.

For Petrol engine, the color of the oil is amber color, if the color changes to dark then its time to change the oil. In the case of a diesel engine, one has to check the smoothness of the oil by rubbing it between figures. Although every company mentions the schedule changing of engine oil according to the time and Kms driven.

How to check?

• Locate the dip stick handle in the cars engine bay.
• Remove the stick and clean the oil on the stick by clean cloth.
• Insert it back into the engine and remove the stick again.
• Now you can read the level of the oil.
• Insert it back.

When to change?

You have to change the oil as per prescribed by your car's manufacturer, by comparing either Kms drove or time (both from the last oil change date)

Usually, the changing limit is after every 10,000 to 15,000 Kms OR 1 year

That means if your car is just 5000kms driven, but its been 1 year since your last oil change date, then also you have to change it. Many of us avoid changing in such situation thinking that the car has been driven less than the limit, but it's not like that, you have to see the time as well and vice-versa.

Tip: 

The quantity of oil to be filled is mentioned in the car's owner manual, please fill only that much oil. Some people have a misconception of filling the oil till it comes to the oil filling cap opening. But this is completely wrong if you fill it till the cap opening, then other serious problems like whitish blue smoke from tailpipe and oil entering in intercooler will occur.

3. Brake Oil

Before going forward there is a WARNING Please do not open the brake fluid reservoir's cap very frequently. By doing so, you are actually letting the moisture and dirt entering into the brake system which ultimately affects the quality of the brake oil. Maintaining the level and quality of the brake oil is very important to make the brakes work efficiently and accurately.

How to check?

In order to check the level, there are 2 marks lower and upper just below the filling cap. The oil level must be between these marks.

CAUTION: Do not ever allow the brake oil to fall below the minimum level mentioned, if this happens then the air will enter into the system and the overall braking efficiency decreases.

We have to take care of this while doing bleeding of the brake fluids.

When to change?

• When the color of the oil becomes dark.
• When pedal feels or operates spongy while braking.
• When the brake pedal travel increases.

NOTE: Soon we will be writing about brake fluid bleeding

4. Engine Bay Washing

Many times when we visit the car washing center and there when we ask the person to wash the engine bay with water at that time if he is not a professional or has less experience, he will hesitate to do so. Actually, his hesitation is quite understandable, spraying water may damage some of the engine parts like sensors and other electrical systems. So always take your vehicle to the authorized professional washing center. And please do not wash your car's engine bay at home or before washing learn how to do it from professionals.

Real life problem: People often compaint about the check engine light blinking on their dashboard. In this case there can be a genuine problem also in the sensors or in the electrical parts of car. But if you are seeing check engine light after your visit to washing center, then there is a strong chances that this has happened due to water entering in some of the sensors. This can be resolved by itself also when the water gets evaporated. But like this it can affect some other parts also.

Tip: So for the safer side if you are washing your car at home, then clean the engine bay by wiping with a wet cloth that too on the upper surface only.

WAGON R 2019 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Maruti Suzuki introduces Wagon-R in the year 1999, since then it's a huge success and till now Maruti Suzuki has managed to cross 2 million sales mark in India. Maruti Suzuki has launched 4th generation Wagon-r on Jan 2019.

LOOKS:

Wagon-R continues to have a tall boy design concept in the 4rh generation too. 2019 Wagon-R is going to be all new and not just the simple facelift. There is a complete makeover, both in interiors as well as exteriors. The C-pillar of Wagon-R gets a special black insert. WagonR is the third Maruti car after Swift and Ertiga to get this design element. Maruti Suzuki designers managed to retain its original design language in the new generation model. New Wagon-R will be manufactured on the new Heartech platform of the company which will reduce around 65Kgs of weight than the older version.

INTERIORS:

Just like exteriors, the interiors of the car also gets a major makeover and this time comes with the all-new touch screen infotainment system. It gets the 2 tone black and beige interior color theme which gives little airy feel in the cabin. It gets the fabric seats which provides a decent comfort level. The design of the central console is such that it feels integrated into the dashboard just like Hyundai i-10. The cabin will be more practical as usual. One disappointment here is the absence of headrest in the front as well as rear seats.

DIMENSIONS:

Except for height, the new Wagon-r has all the other dimensions greater than the older one. Which means the new wagon-r is going to be more spacious and hence more comfortable than the older generation.

Since the width of the new Wagon-r is more, one can expect the more space in the rear seat. 

FEATURES:

Steering mounted controls.

5-inch touch screen infotainment system.

ABS

2 Airbags standard in all variants.

Speed alert.

Seat belt reminder.

Reverse parking sensors.

Internally adjustable ORVMs.

All power windows.
Voice command.
Automatic folding ORVMs.

ENGINE:

There is a big surprise in this department, The wagon-r will launch with 2 engine options, same 1.0 litter 3 cylinder unit with minor tweaks and a 1.2 liter 4 cylinder unit both are petrol. The 1.2 litter unit will available only in the top variant i.e. ZXI variant. Yes, its the first time the wagon will come in ZXI variant. As the weight of the car has decreased, the car is expected to give more mileage than before. Wagon-r will come with AGS (automatic gear shift) transmission as well.

PRICES:

All prices are Ex-showroom Delhi.

1.0 Litter Petrol

• LXI:- Rs 4,19,000
• VXI:- Rs 4,69,000
• VXI (AGS):- Rs 5,16,000

1.2 Litter Petrol

• VXI:- Rs 4,89,000
• ZXI:- Rs 5,22,000
• VXI (AGS):- Rs 5,36,000
• ZXI (AGS):- Rs 5,69,000

VERDICT:

New Wagon-r comes with a ton of new features and will offer a tough competition in the segment. The main competitor of wagon-r is the Hyundai Santro which has almost similar to wagon-r and hence will have a tough competition between them. Reduction in the weight of wagon-r and the bigger engine will result in more punchy performance, but in the handling department, the older wagon-r was poor. If they improve the handling of new wagon-r then it will be a good package. Because power doesn't make any sense if the car's handling is poor. 

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TATA HARRIER

Harrier will launch in India on 23rd Jan 2019, which is just a few days ahead and here will provide you with all the facts and figures that you should know if you are considering to buy it.

LOOKS:

The car looks 80% similar to is prototype showcased in the auto expo, as promised by Tata Motors. It is famous for its look. This is the most handsome looking TATA till now. Harrier has a lot of things to offer in the Indian market apart from its look.
The front portion of the car looks unconventional as the positioning of headlights is different. The headlights are mounted below the LED DRL's which gives Harrier the slick look. DRL's are multifunctional and gets LED turn indicators embedded in it, which looks very cool and upmarket. Although it misses the dynamic swipe function.
At rear Harrier gets 3D LED tail lamps which look appealing. The rear portion overall looks similar to Land Rover Discovery.
One disappointment here is the size and design of wheels on Harrier, which looks very simple and does not go with the overall styling of the car.

INTERIORS:

There are some good news as well as bad news in this department. The good news is it comes with many features some of them like 7-inch LCD display in the instrument cluster are first in the class feature and many more. The bad news is, it lags sunroof and wireless charging which is offered in Hyundai Creta.

You will get an experience of sitting in the landrover, as Harrier has many elements derived from JLR family.
The material quality is good and has many soft-touch materials on the dashboard and in the rest of the car. The wooden finish on the dashboard enhances the overall look and feels more upmarket. Harrier has huge legroom and decent headroom at the rear, thanks to its overall length.

FEATURES:

Harrier will be available in total four trims – XE, XM, XT, and XZ. In order to get variant wise feature list, please click here.

• Xenon HID projector headlamps
• Front Fog lamps with cornering function
• 8.8- inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 7- inch digital instrument cluster display
• Terrain response modes (Normal, Rough and Wet)
• Six airbags
• ESP
• Isofix child seats mount
• Hill-hold and Hill descent control
• Roll-over mitigation
• Corner stability control (CSC)
• Traction control
• Brake disc wiping
• 60:40 rear folding seat
• Nine JBL speakers (four speaker, four tweeters and a sub-woofer with amplifier)
• Leather seats
• A leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob
• Shark fin antenna

ENGINE:

For now, there will be no Petrol engine for Harrier and also will get an automatic transmission from Hyundai in the future. Tata Motors will launch Harrier with 2.0 Multijet diesel engine sourced from Fiat. It is the same engine which powers the Jeep Compass, but Tata has tuned it in order to match the Harrier dynamics. Despite same engine Harrier produces 138 hp power and 350 N-m of torque, whereas Compass produces 171 hp power and 350 N-m torque.

When it comes to pricing, well there is no such official news from Tata Motors, but it is expected to be from 16-21 lakhs.

See also: Top 10 launches of 2019.

https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2019/01/top-10-upcoming-cars-in-2019.html 

NEXON VS XUV-300 WHICH IS BETTER

Sub 4 meter compact SUV segment is going to witness some serious competition this year. A lot of new products are going to launch in this segment and one such product is the Mahindra XUV-300. XUV-300 is gaining popularity from the movement when it was revealed in the month of December. The reason behind this popularity is the looks of the SUV, the name itself as it is from the XUV family and of course the long feature list (some of which are a segment first). XUV-500 will launch in the month of February 2019.

We will be comparing it with another Indian brand, the Tata Nexon. Tata Nexon is doing a decent job in the segment and manages to out sale the segment creator, the Ford Eco-sport in some months. Nexon manages to do so due to a lot of reasons, some of them are the looks, attractive prices, and value for money package.

LOOKS

In this department, Nexon is doing a good job and gets many awards for its looks. Nexon is based on tata motor’s Impact Design 1.0 concept. It gets all the design elements in the right place which adds to its overall looks. To add in to looks Nexon gets DRLs, dual color combinations and a white ceramic line that wraps around the entire car. Nexon was also criticised for its looks, as some people perceived it as the Indica on steroids. But overall it’s a good looking car and looks is one of the factors that help Nexon to gain popularity.

Unlike Nexon, XUV-300 has the proper boxy SUV looks. XUV-300 is based on the Ssangyong Tivoli’s platform which has a global presence. Although Mahindra has done certain changes in its looks and uses some design elements from XUV-500 and hence gets the name XUV-300. Mahindra called it the cheetah-inspired design.

But we still believe that Nexon is still a good looking SUV with a crossover type design rather than old-school boxy design. Although the design is the subjective matter and depends on the individual’s choice.  

INTERIOR

Just as exteriors, Nexon's interior is also well put together rather it is one of the best tata’s interior with good material quality. It has a floating infotainment touch screen which avoids the distraction of driver from the road while operating it. The cabin is quite practical and has many usable storage spaces and decent size glove box with a tablet holder. Just like exteriors, Tata has also used various color combinations in interiors as well. The seat comfort is good like all Tata cars have.

XUV-300 will be launching in the month of February, so commenting about its interior will be quite earlier as we haven’t get the chance to feel its interior materials, but from the available pics on internet we can say that the interiors of XUV-300 is quite simple as compare to Nexon but is definitely more functional, as it has more features in it.

FEATURES

XUV-300 has a lot of features some of which like 7-airbags, factory fitted sunroof, dual zone climate control are segment first. On the other hand, Nexon also offers some of the unique features like voice commands, multiple drive modes, and 8 speaker Harman music system in attractive prices which makes Nexon value for money.

ENGINE

Nexon comes with two engine options, the 1.2L turbocharged 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine producing 110 hp @5000rpm and 110 N-m torque @5000 rpm and a 1.5L turbocharged Revotorq diesel engine which produces 110 hp @3750 rpm.

XUV-300 will come with Diesel as well as Petrol engines. 1.5 liter D15 Diesel engine is going to be more powerful in the segment producing 123 HP of power and 300N-m of torque. 1.2-liter Petrol unit will be 2nd most powerful engine producing 120 HP  and 170 N-m torque after Ford eco sports who’s 1.0 Eco Boost engine produces 125 HP.

FINAL VERDICT

XUV-300 has a lot of features some of which like 7-airbags, factory fitted sunroof, dual zone climate control are segment first. On the other hand, Nexon also offers some of the unique features like voice commands, multiple drive modes, and 8 speaker Harman music system in attractive prices which makes Nexon value for money.

TOP 10 LAUNCHES IN 2019

2019 is going to witness big changes in the Indian automobile market, lots of new cars and new companies are coming to India. There is a lot of excitement among Indian car buyers. We have listed the top ten most awaited cars which have created a lot of excitement among buyers and enthusiasts.

TATA HARRIER

This is no doubt the most awaited SUV from the house of Tata Motors. The SUV was first showcased in the Indian Auto Expo 2018. Recently company carried a campaign called DISCOVER THE HARRIER across all major cities of India in which Tata Motors showcased the production-spec in public and got a very good response. SUV will be the first Tata product to be built on impact 2.0 design language and based on land rover’s D8 platform. To know more click here.

Launch Date- 23^rd January 2019

Expected Price- 15-20 lakhs

See more- https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2018/12/tata-motors-new-suv-harrier-is-set-to.html 

https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2018/12/tata-harrier-variants-revealed.html

MARUTI SUZUKI WAGON-R

This is not going to be just a facelift, but the all-new car with new interiors and all new exteriors. Wagon-R is one of the favorite entry-level hatchbacks in India since 1999. This is going to be the 3^rd generation Wagon-R in India. The exteriors look completely deferent from the current 2^nd generation Wagon-R. There will not be any major changes in the mechanical department and will share the same 1.0 3-cylinder K-series petrol engine.

Launch Date- 23^rd January 2019.

Expected Price- 4-6 Lakhs

MAHINDRA XUV-300

XUV-300 is based on Ssangyong Tivoli platform. This is going to be the second compact SUV after TUV-300 from Mahindra & Mahindra. By looking at its specs, it is going to be a major hit and may stand as a tough competitor in the segment. It has a lot of segment first features. Check out more here.

Expected Launch- February 2019.

Expected Price- 8-13 Lakhs

See more- https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2018/12/reasons-to-wait-for-xuv-300.html   

https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2018/12/mahindra-XUV-300-compact-suv.html

HONDA CIVIC

India’s most awaited executive sedan is all set to launch in India after it was discontinued in the year 2013. Civic will compete with Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia, and Hyundai Elantra. Civic will come in 140 hp, 1.8-liter petrol engine and 120 hp, 1.6-liter diesel engine. The car will get 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with android auto and apple car play.

Expected Launch- February 2018.

Expected Price- 15-20 Lakhs

NISSAN KICKS

This is going to be compact SUV and will compete with Hyundai Creta. It will get a 1.5-liter diesel unit which will produce 108 hp and 240 N-m torque and will pair with 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.5-liter petrol unit producing 106 hp is likely to introduce.

Expected Launch- January 2019

Expected Price- 10-15 Lakhs

MG MOTORS HECTOR

MG Motor (Morris Garage) is one of the big names in the global automobile market. They are going to introduce their first product in India which will be a C-segment SUV and will compete with Tata Harrier, jeep compass and Honda CRV. The SUV is based on Baojun 530 SUV which is currently sold in China. Hector will be the name of this SUV. Click here to know more.

Expected Launch- June 2019

Expected Price- 18 Lakhs

See more- https://pistonheadautoblogs.blogspot.com/2018/12/mg-motors-gloster-india.html

TATA 45X

This will be Tata Motors first ever entry in the premium hatchback segment and will compete with Balena, i20 elite, and polo. The prototype was first showcased in Auto-Expo 2018. The car has some good looking elements like sleek headlights and sloping roof which enhances the overall look of the car. The will be another good looking car from the house of Tata Motors. The car will come with 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine from Nexon and a 1.5L diesel unit. Aquilla might be the name of the car, although Tata Motors hasn’t confirmed anything regarding its name.

Expected Launch- September 2019.

Expected Price- 6 Lakhs

KIA SP CONCEPT

Kia is all set to enter India with the compact SUV Trazor which is going to compete with its sister company’s Creta. Trazor will be based on the SP concept which was showcased in the auto expo of 2018. Trazor will come equipped with many luxurious features and one among it, is the flush door handles, the one which was seen in Land Rover Velar. Both, petrol and diesel power unit will be borrowed from Creta. There will be two diesel engine options available, one is 1.4L U2 CRDI diesel producing 89bhp with 220Nm of torque and second is 1.6L U2 CRDi diesel producing 126bhp with 259Nm of torque. The petrol will be 1.6L Gamma engine producing 121bhp and 151Nm of torque.

Expected Launch- October 2019

Expected Price- 14 Lakhs

Hyundai CARLINO (QXi)

It’s a compact sub-4-meter SUV from Hyundai. With the launch of this SUV Hyundai will mark its entry in the sub 4 meter SUV segment and will compete with Brezza, Nexon, eco-sport and XUV- 300. The SUV will get power from 1.0L turbocharged petrol engine producing 120ps power at 170 N-m torque. This engine is available globally and will introduce in the Indian market for the very first time. The diesel engine will be the same as that of the i-20 elite which is a 1.4L unit.

Expected Launch- April 2019

Expected Price- 8 Lakhs

JEEP RENEGADE

This is again a compact SUV and will compete with creta, duster, and kicks. This will be the first car under Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and will be the cheapest Jeep in India. SUV will be offered with the option of a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder motor or a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine from the MultiAir III family. Both engines feature direct injection and forced induction. 

Expected Launch- July 2019

Expected Price- 10 Lakhs

2019 will mark a lot of new launches in the Indian market and most of them are either sub 4 meter SUVs or compact SUVs. So far Hyundai Creta has enjoyed the benefits in the compact SUV segment, and managed to get some decent sales figures in 2018 (1,02,880 Nos. till Nov 2018) but now the competition is going to rise in this segment as a lot of new launches are in this segment.

REASONS TO WAIT FOR XUV-300

After their previous failed attempts in the compact SUV, segment Mahindra is all set to launch its Ssangyong Tivoli based compact SUV the XUV-300 which is going to be a big hit and may offer some tough competition in this segment. There are some strong points of this SUV which makes you consider it if you are thinking about buying a compact SUV in the future. Mahindra has recently announced that they will launch the XUV-300 in the month of February 2019. 

CLASS LEADING FEATURES.

• Sunroof

If you are a big fan of the sunroof, then wait for it. XUV-300 will get a sun-roof in its top spec and it is said to be cheaper than Ford Eco sport which is the only car in this segment with a sunroof.

• Safety Features

XUV-300 gets a class-leading 7-airbags after Ford Eco-sports which gets 6 airbags. Apart from this XUV-300 also gets ABS, EBD, Isofix mounts as standard in all segments.

• All Disc Brakes

XUV-300 offers disk brakes to all four wheels which is again a big plus point in this segment. This will definitely improve the overall braking performance of the car.

• Projector Headlamps

XUV-300 will come with dual barrel projector headlamps.

ENGINE

XUV-300 will come with Diesel as well as Petrol engines. 1.5 liter D15 Diesel engine is going to be more powerful in the segment producing 123 HP of power and 300N-m of torque. 1.2-liter Petrol unit will be 2nd most powerful engine producing 120 HP  and 170 N-m torque after Ford eco sports whos 1.0 Eco Boost engine produces 125 HP.

LOOKS

This SUV gets its name from XUV-500 which is cheetah inspired design, as lots of design elements like the front grille, headlamps are inspired from XUV-500. While major design elements are taken from the Tivoli. 

This SUV surely has the potential to give a great fight against its competitors and may come out as a game changer in this compact SUV segment. This SUV has all things in the right place and at the right time, now its the price which will decide the future of this SUV. If it is priced aggressively then we think it will be a great package overall.