Long Term Ownership Report: Swift VdI- 2 lakh kms, Cost of ownership on Pg 3 So the car hit the two hundred thousand kilometer mark today and i sold it off. The replacement will be a punto being delivered tomorrow.
Bought it in Feb 2007 when the car had just hit the market and i was driving a petrol swift. Mine was the second swift diesel in south gujarat.
The journeys taken in the car have all been wonderful. Essentially bought as an A to B car to commute to the office which is around 86 kilometers from home.
Except from normal services, there hasnt been any problem with the car except one. The synchroniser rings for the first and the second gear went to hell every 35000 kilometers or so. The first couple of times they were replaced under warranty but when they went the third time, i raised a stink and called the maruti bigshots. Nobody could find a clue to how it kept happening again and again and i demanded a new gearbox but they assured me that if it happened again, they would replace it free of cost if and when and no matter whenever it happened. Got it from them on paper and since the day i bought the car i've replaced the set almost 5 times, the last time about 10000 kilometers ago. Just to let everyone know, if the job is being done at your expense the rings would be around 6500 bucks plus gearbox overhaul labour which is around 850 bucks and oil charges. Takes about a day to fix.
The suspension and the clutchplates were stock till about 168000 kilometers when both the things started acting up and had to be replaced. The original shock absorbers on the diesel are delphis and were replaced by monroes which are now available in the market for a little under 7000 bucks for the full set (two front including springs and two rear dampers). All the other parts were MGP and so was the clutch plate and pressure plate set which cost me around 3600 odd bucks for the complete set. The clutch release bearing was also gone so had to get that replaced too which cost me around 2400 bucks.
The engine was decarbonised and a k&n and a petes box was installed at the same time. The performance increased dramatically and i've had a fun filled time driving the peted swift for the last 32000 kilometers.
Oh yeah, one more nagging issue came when the egr valve stuck and had to be cleaned at about 80000 kilometers. The engine check lights came on and the egr was diagnosed as stuck. Got it cleaned, took a day and 1500 bucks to do it but nothing after that. The battery lasted upto 165000 kilometers. The starts had become longer and the engine check lights and water seperator lights would come and go according to their own whims and fancies. A local mechanic said it would be fuel pump troubles or maybe the injectors. A wireman just changed the battery to check and that was the problem. Considering an average of 4 cranks everyday, 365 days a year, the battery lasted about 4300 cranks which is not bad at all. Changed it to exide maintenance free which cost me around 6500 bucks and came with a warranty of 5 years. Never had a problem after that.
I'd shifted over to 130/100 halogens with ceramic holders and a mechanical relay the day i got the car. Only had to change the left headlight bulb once. Even the fog lamps didnt blow out ever. Changed the wiper blades a couple of times to the stock ones and then got wise and shifted over to the bosch ones which are still going strong. Had installed a fuel mag in the car for better fuel conditioning and the car ran smoother than normal cars.
The car got a bit water logged this year in the rains and when i wanted to start it to move it over to a drier place, it wouldnt. Fearing water entry into the engine through the silencer, called the towing service to take the car to the authorised service center. Fault diagnosed was that the wiring harness leading from the fuel transfer pump to the main loom had been gnawed by a rat which may have been seeking shelter from the rains and was hungry. 424 rupees fixed it and all the thoughts of selling off the car because it was gonna cost a bomb to repair vanished with the rains. It was during this time that the fuel tank was removed to check if there was water inside the fuel when the benefits of the fuel mag were felt. The tank was absolutely sludge free.
The original tires that came with the car went kaput at around 36000 kilometers. Switched over to hankook blackbird vs and they lasted an amazing hundred thousand kilometers when they were again changed at 137000 to continental premium contacts. These tires are still going strong and will last another 20000 kilometers according to the condition they are in right now. Oh yeah, the rims are stock, not even a kink or a bend on them. Balanced and aligned the tires every 20000 kilometers or so. Had to change a couple of stripped studs on the hubs a couple of times, but from what the mechanics tell me its usual.
Did Valsad Jaipur which is exactly 1100 kilometers in 13 hours non stop in this car. Also did Valsad Delhi which is about 1350 kilometers in 18 hours non stop. Ahmedabad has been done about once a month and same is mumbai and pune. Average mileage has been around 23 to a liter with the best being 24.5 and the worst being about 21. After the petes box and k&n, the mileage has been a steady 24 without any issues. i dont drive at 80kph and i am a trigger happy guy doing 3 digits most of the time and ready to floor it whenever i can.
Owning the car has been a happy experience overall. The ride quality has been good and so has been the fuel economy and the maintenance costs. The average running cost was around 2.3 rupees a kilometer and with three of us traveling in the car most of the times it adds up to not more than 1 rupee per person which is the least to say absolutely affordable.
With marutis, the squeaks and rattles start early and not all can be eliminated as they always believe in building a light car. This one has had its own share of noises but most of them were fixed as soon as they were detected. we stopped bothering about the ones that werent.
had been wanting to buy the punto ever since it was launched, but just waited to see nagging issues if any to be ironed out by tata. a friend was looking for a swift diesel last week and when i offered mine for whatever he was quoting, he said he'd think over it and let me know. He was at my place the next morning with a mechanic whom i didnt know and after checking the car and taking a 30 kilometer drive, he came back and asked me what i wanted for the car. i said it was his offer and if it was within my expectations i'd say yes, if it wasnt, i wouldnt have a problem and could drive it around for a couple of more years and put some more kilometers on it.
He pondered and offered 3.55 lacs for it. i sold it off on the spot with a condition that i'd remove the petes box, and let him have everything else which included the k&n, a blaupunkt modena mp54, a pair of blaupunkt front speakers, a set of very nice sounding pioneer 6975 3 ways, a velocity series tube woofer with a gt mark 4 amp, a hydraulic jack and all other tidbits. He agreed and paid 5000 upfront and promised to be back with rest of the money the next day. i requested whether i could keep the car till i had the new one. Again, he agreed. So the punto comes in tomorrow and the swift just logged in 200000 today when i gave it away.
Wel thats all i've experienced with the swift. what i've seen is that its a very forgiving car. you dont need to change oils every 5000 kilometers and you dont need to look under the bonnet or anywhere else for that matter very often. a little care and this car will go a long way. even with so many kilometers on the odo, the car has managed to hold to 160 on expressways without any problems. the performance has always been sparkling and i've enjoyed every kilometer i've done in this car.
Again, even with so many kilometers on the speedo i havent seen the oil levels drop or the car smoking while accelerating. Oh yeah, the disk brake pads were changed once at 75000 kilometers and once at 168000 when the rear brake liners were also changed.
All in all a good car to own. If my car at so many kilometers can get me three and a half lacs, just think of the demand this car still has in the market.
Thats my two bits for now. Will be putting up the punto stuff up too as soon as i have the car and start driving it.
Have fun you all and drive safe. Dont forget to wear the seat belt. I never do. |