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Any info on the average maintenance cost for Hyundai i20 CRDI? Of course there is a new version in the market now, but then the engine etc remains same and so hopefully the answer to the above query will be a good indicator.

Thanks.

I need some clarification on the service interval. My service manual reads every 6 months (Hyundai i10 purchased in 2008). However, newer cars have this as 1 year. What should I follow? My usage is around 700 KM a month.

As you are outside the warranty, I will switch of an annual / 10,000km whichever is earlier schedule. Then you have to judiciously merge the six month and annual service requirements. I had done the same for my Santro and Accent, and am doing for by Civic and Brio.

Spot on.

Not all read the manual and get an understanding on what should be carried out for the particular service. They just trust the SA blindly who takes advantage and gets them a hefty bill in exchange.

I used to get calls every 6 months from MASS for "Preventive Maintenance" servicing where they check the fluids bolts, brakes etc and do the necessary if anything is wrong. I used to ask them to show the same in the owners manual or give it to me in writing, they'll just hung up! :D

I already service my Swift every 3 months, on top of this they used to call me for getting the car for preventive maintenance. To be frank, I have seen many cars at the ASC who really fall into this trap of preventive maintenance.

Since your car's usage is only 700 kms a month, the service schedule would say 10,000 kms or 6 months, whichever is earlier

So in your case it would be the time fame (6 months from the previous service). You'll have to go by the month reference.

Anurag.

If you read the Nissan manual, it says you got to go for service every 3 months / 5k kms for a diesel! But, GTO has mentioned in his Sunny review that it is only for export market. Moreover, we are called by the ASC for a 6 monthly service only.

My in law's older gen Hyundai i10 has originally been scheduled for 6 monthly service interval. And I have heard my neighbor's Honda City being called every 3 months / 5k kms for service. Have they all changed to yearly service? Is Nissan the only one still to trouble their customers with a 6 monthly service interval?

Dear Thoma

With this sort of running, would a petrol car have been a better/ideal choice.

The running is actually less than about 1K per month? Just my thought!!

For the Diesel benefits to kick in, ideally the car needs to run atleast about 35K in the 1.5 year time frame or else the incremental purchase cost is not justified.

I own a Hyundai i10, and they call me for a service every 6 months. If you just ask for a routine service, they will give you a quote and say "Saar, we have inspected your car and the service estimate will be 6000 INR" .

It is at this point you have to tell them that you don't need this and that and finally bring down the price to 3.5 - 4K. So the annual maintenance cost after all bargaining would be around 7 - 8K.

The car is in top shape and I am in love with it but my next car will never be a Hyundai due to the unethical A.S.S

Absolutely!

Indus motors in Chennai does the same, call me every six months for the service. I feel it is good that they remind me that the car needs to go for servicing (not necessarily every six months) stupid:

It was when I was asked to bring car for servicing at 1 year 6 months I was asked to pay 4200 which included brake pad change etc. that got me really furious over those unnecessary stuff and I asked them to simply do a regular service + wheel balance and wheel alignment.

Now at 20k / 2 year service interval Indus Motors called me again. I asked for Invoice and this is what I got:
Service (include labor Rs 3500) + Engine oil change (Rs 2500) + filter change (Rs 800 approx) + Engine Oil change (Rs 1000 approx) + Wheel balance + Wheel alignment ( Rs 1000 approx) = Rs 8800 approx + any complaints such a break pad changes (Don't understand why they are behind break pad change)

That's it this was the end of relationship with Indus Motors.

I checked with my friend who knew a family friend as manager in ABT Maruti. ABT Maruti was well known for me since my dad's Alto was from there (we kept it 9 years).

And guess what this is what I ended up paying after service for my MARUTI RITZ (20k / 2 years: Rs 5044 not some 8k):

Its not only Indus , but Popular / Sai Service indulge in every 6 month calls to remind customers about pending service . They even do some basic calculation by taking into account number of KMS done after purchase to get the avg monthly running of the vehicle. In this way they do call up and ask you whether you have reached so-so kms approx right now and whether are u sending the vehicle for service . I have faced such situation with my diesel ritz.
With regards to total invoice cost given by Indus it seems they have given engine oil change cost twice and also if its 2500/- then its a synthetic oil change .
Also your bill reflects oil change of Rs 939 which is a mineral oil change.

That pretty sums up the difference in approx rate provided by Indus and ABT.(Please note I am no way associated with any of these dealers if you feel I am biased while reading my comments)

Regarding brake pads you dont need to change it unless it has reached its end of life which can be anywhere around 40k-70k kms depending upon your driving style. Brake overhauling can be done at local workshop if you feel Maruti A** charges are expensive.
Blower vent cleaning can be avoided at this early stage if you have fitted AC air filter . Also it can be done by yourself if you have ample time.

I got a call from my MASS for a 6 months service, I told them shouldn't it be for 1 year and then they said it is just a general checkup, where they check all fluids, check AC, check Brakes, WA/WB if required and would cost 2.5k something, which also includes fluids check and top up if required. I see no harm in getting this done, but would be very weary of them changing anything. What say experts?

:OT...

Very much yes in monetary terms, but a diesel was preferred over the petrol mainly because I'm a diesel-head. I love bottom end torque than revving and high speed.

Bingo. Even I was troubled by Sai Service for the service which I was asked to come. Never understood how they came to that point and what calculation.

In Dec, 2011 when I had got the Ritz, the first and second service happened very quick (time interval between 2 services). So I got calls for the third service. I just asked them from where they were calling, some ASC of Sai Service, I laughed at them saying, my car is at the ASC and getting it service (4th service). They were shocked as their calculation predicted 3rd service but I was on 4th. :D

110 kms a day x 30 = 3300 kms a month
3300 kms/month x 3 months = 9900 kms in 3 months (Service schedule says 10K or 1 year).

Hence their calculation failed. There on I wasn't called for any type of service.

Anurag.

Honda is still at 6 month service AFAIK. But as you said, I have heard users tell about service calls coming in every 3 months too. Not sure if that is only during the 1st year / warranty-period. Honda owners can chime in.

Almost all MASS are focussed on making money, for which they will suggest all sorts of parts changes, balancing/alignment, decarb, flush, brake cleaning etc. Unfortunately, it is for the customer to be aware and avoid getting fleeced. I balked when they wanted to change my Baleno disk-pads at 30K kms (which incidentally is still running on the car at 76K kms - though recently I see slight difference in braking, so looks like time to change them). In your case, not only did the crooks changed pads at 1.5 years, but had the gall to try it again at the next 2 year service.

It is not enough to move away from such cheats, but you need to take action and provide feedback about them to MSIL, so that they cease such unethical practices. Ask for a feedback form from any MASS (not their internal form, but the MSIL one), fill it and mail to MSIL (don't hand it over to MASS, but mail it yourself). Or provide feedback online at MSIL site. Then wait for Indus folks to come running after you with apologies and promises of rectifying their mistake.

Same with most Hyundai ASC as I read here. From forum feedback, Toyota service seems to be the fair ones.

Well, think of it this way - the manufacturer says the car is good for an annual service. If so, why would you want to get it done at half the duration, on a mere dealer's suggestion.

Ofcourse no denying that preventive maintenance is good, but if this is only about 'checking' fluids / brakes / AC, why 2500 for this ? When labour for a scheduled service is 800-900 bucks, why would you pay 2 times more for what is a minimal version of full-service ? Fluids (water, engine-oil, transmission-oil, PS fluid, wiper-fluid, brake-oil etc) are very easy to check ourselves - a quick read of the manual will show how. WB is not needed to be done, unless you have changed tyres from rims. WA is best done at a tyre-shop.

Many of us here loving doing this ourselves. Opening the bonnet, getting the hands dirty, ensuring all fluids are good and at desired level etc, gives us a high. :)
But if you don't have the time/inclination to do this "checkup", ask them how much they will charge for only the checkup part (without the WA/WB). If it is like 600-700Rs, then might be OK.
MASS also have custom checkups - 5-point service/checkup, 7-point checkup etc which you could opt for. Reasonably cheap as a package, unless they play dirty and inflate bill with replacements.

General check-up costs only around Rs. 700-800. I have done this in Bimal and Kalyani. Some times they charge around 1700 for a 5K interval servicing(Ex: 15K, 25K, 35K etc). But if you see the bill clearly, it will point to 20K/30K/40K servicing. After realizing this, for a 5K interval servicing(which is optional in the first place), I pay only the general checkup charges which comes around Rs.800.

Well Said!

Apologies! A correction here: Engine oil 2k and Gear oil 1k approx.

I assume I have not made my point clear. Regardless of what the service center is, as a Maruti Customer you are asked to visit the showroom twice an year. And this for a layman is an unknown territory where he would visit showroom twice an year and pay for whatever they ask.

In my case I was pretty sure of things I needed to get checked-up for my car and also knowing a guy (manager) in ABT helped; otherwise even here I would have faced the same quote. I do understand that it is the same rate but the unnecessary stuff is where the service centers are cashing on. The difference here between the two service centers are mainly the Engine Oil and Rs 3.5k unknown service cost quote.


This is absolutely what one can do. Just take an yearly through servicing and half yearly basic service and general check-up.

Conclusion: If someone thought service costs of Maruti are negligible, think again. We should not fall into the service centers as they lure you into getting unwanted changes and checkup's.

One more thing to add: I wanted nitrogen air filled up for my car, they said Rs.20 per Tyre. I asked them that it costs only Rs.10 outside then why the difference of Rs10. per tyre and justification was so lame - because of Brand Sir :Frustrati