[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by techiecal

Due to chaotic traffic conditions in Kolkata just traded my Alto Lxi XFun edition for an Alto AMT Have not driven much though in the first month only about 200 kms but First free service is due Just wondering if I get my first service done at a nearby MASS instead of going all the way to the Dealer worshop will I miss anything Do they do any software update for the AMT which I guess the local MASS will not have the equipment AMT owners please enlighten

You can ask your MASS if there is any impending Software update for your AMT Gearbox, they can check in DMS. Also, they can also do the update(if its available) provided they have the proper laptop based SDT tool.

If there is no impending software update, you can get the service done at MASS also. Just make sure they are A category MASS, and it will work out to be cheaper compared to a dealer workshop.

Regards,
Shashi

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by techiecal

Due to chaotic traffic conditions in Kolkata just traded my Alto Lxi XFun edition for an Alto AMT Have not driven much though in the first month only about 200 kms but First free service is due Just wondering if I get my first service done at a nearby MASS instead of going all the way to the Dealer worshop will I miss anything Do they do any software update for the AMT which I guess the local MASS will not have the equipment AMT owners please enlighten

Using the K10 AMT for almost a year now. I have done two services from the dealership and will be giving the 3rd service in next few weeks. I don't remember they doing any software update. I think Maruti AMT box is more mature now and the newer cars should have less niggles compared to the early launches.

My Car has run over 9K and I don't have any issues so far with the AMT. It is just doing what is expected from it and no surprises.

[Torino]

80,000 kms update:
Updating this thread after a long time cause my usage has reduced drastically after my 70k kms update and I had nothing to report. As you can see form the mileage numbers, 0 to 70,000 kms was done in 3 years & 3 months while the 70,000 to 80,000 kms took almost one year. My daily office commute is now split between the Alto K10, Interceptor and the train due to the ever-increasing traffic.

It’s been 4 years & 80,000 kms with my Alto K10 and it’s been a perfect car for me in many ways with its compact dimensions, easy to drive, fuel efficiency, engine performance and the ease that the AMT offers. Over the years I feel nothing much has changed with respect to the overall engine performance, fuel efficiency and the AMT behaviour. In terms of rattles, squeaks and NHV though, the car is showing its age specifically when driven on bad patches but I think it’s not that bad at all owing to the quality of roads the car is driven on.

The AMT unit continues to make my life easier and relaxed with its seamless and smooth gear shifts and all it needs is gentle and gradual right foot. My experience with the AMT has been eventless so far and looking at how it goes about doing its business I think it’s pretty efficient tech in carrying out multiple roles such as putting the power down, being frugal and clutch friendly. The AMT unit has been very reliable so far without any false shifts or warning lights and I have been driving around in D mode 100% of the time for the past 10,000kms and 99% of it was confined within the city limits.

The 998cc K10B engine is by far my favourite part in the car. It is smooth, rev happy and I love the way it revs to its 6000 rpm redline with enthusiasm as it continues to gather speed. The handling part can be scary at times due to the light steering and soft suspension but as long as you understand the car’s limits it’s a treat listening to the tyre squeal as it understeers into tight corners and U turns.

80,000 kms/10th Periodic Maintenance Service:
Got the service done at Perfect Maruti MASS in RA Puram Chennai and as usual they did a quality job up to my satisfaction. I didn’t have any complaint on the car and so the general 80k kms PMS was performed. Suspension struts and shock absorbers were checked for any leaks and wear & tear and they seem to be in good condition. I specifically asked them to check the brake pads for wear but surprisingly the factory fitted front brake pads still have enough life on them. Total service cost (parts & labour) came to Rs 4668. The rear right fender had a dent and the rear bumper lost some of its clips due to a traffic mishap so got it repaired by claiming insurance. The MASS took care of the insurance claim process and gave daily status updates on approvals and work done, the car was delivered in 7 days. Since the MASS is located close to my office, I dropped in almost every day to see the work progress.

[Knowall]

Nice going Torino. My Alto AMT has now completed 4.6 years and 65000kms. Even my running has reduced resulting in longer service intervals now.

Have you changed your battery? I'm still on the original battery and surprised that it has lasted this long.

I've started to feel my suspension has stiffened with age but every else works as expected.

BTW, I'm considering selling my under used spark and buying an Interceptor too...

[Torino]

Originally Posted by Knowall

Nice going Torino. My Alto AMT has now completed 4.6 years and 65000kms. Even my running has reduced resulting in longer service intervals now.

Have you changed your battery? I'm still on the original battery and surprised that it has lasted this long.

I've started to feel my suspension has stiffened with age but every else works as expected.

BTW, I'm considering selling my under used spark and buying an Interceptor too...

Hi! Yes I changed the stock battery at close to three years of ownership. You can read it here.

That's nice! I hope my Interceptor ownership review was of some help to you in your buying decision.

[rajshenoy]

Nice to see you are still enjoying trouble free ownership and hope it continues.

I am a happy owner since a year and I share same opinion as you.

By modulating the throttle in the right way, this car can build up pace rapidly and is pretty smooth. I haven't yet crossed 100 for obvious reasons too. Might never will.

[Maverick Avi]

Disc brake caliper pin change:
At around 57,000Kms both the front wheels were making noise when going over rough roads and small potholes. At first I thought the suspension bushes had worn out and needs replacement. I visited the MASS centre and explained the problem and the Service Advisor straight away identified it as worn out caliper pin noise. To confirm his reasoning he simply banged the front tyre with his bare hand and it sounded like as if the wheel was not bolted on properly. The sliding pins have worn out and become loose due to worn out pin housing in the brake caliper assembly and replacing the pins will temporarily arrest the noise for another 2000-3000kms after which the noise will reappear and the only solution is to replace the caliper assembly after which it will last for another 50000kms in the Alto. I went ahead with the sliding pin replacement and car was handed back to me in 40mins.

I have had same experience on my 2010 Dzire and 2011 Alto and as you might have observed that this seems like a known issue for the service advisers. They usually recommend pin change and charge labor and all but all it needs is caliper pin lubrication with caliper grease. That is usually sufficient to arrest this problem until next service. I get this done on both my vehicles during each service and its included in service labor charges.

I am surprised that it is such a common issue and still persists. What quality control Maruti.

[Torino]

7 years 90,000 kms and going strong!:
The car was munching an average of 20,000 kms a year from 2015 to 2019 after which I started using my Interceptor 650 for daily office commute. Between 2019 to present, the Alto managed to munch another 10,000 kms. Over the last 6 years and 90,000 kms of ownership the Alto K10 AMT has been our trusty and fun city runabout. The Alto has also seen a fair share of highway as well with couple of dozen Chennai-Bangalore-Chennai trips. Alto’s compact dimensions, great all round visibility, AMT and easy controls enables me to prefer the Alto when I get to choose between car & bike without worrying about narrow lanes, tight parking spots and crowded places.

The good:

• Fun to drive: Surprisingly fast! Feather weight body and skinny tyres allows exploiting its limits even at low speed.
• Engine: Loves to be revved all the way to the redline and offers spirited driving experience.
• Ease of AMT: Easy to get used to, has remained trouble free so far.
• Small footprint and all round visibility
• Consistent city fuel efficiency of over ''15.5kmpl with AC'' (tank full method).
• Reliability: Except for periodic service every 10,000kms the car didn’t do any unscheduled visits to the service center.

The bad:

• Flimsy body panels
• Lack of cabin sound insulation
• Poor quality outside door handle (driver door handle broke three times already)
• Squeaks and rattles
• Dismal safety rating

The car is from the initial lot of India’s 2nd generation Alto K10 launched in November 2014 and the second AMT car in India after the 1st generation Celerio launched in Feb 2014. Despite the niggles and irks reported by early AMT adopters, I was lucky to have gotten away without any AMT woes. The car has been thoroughly reliable and dependable so far. The car still runs on factory fitted brake pads, suspension and clutch.

Right from the start I’ve always enjoyed driving the Alto K10 solely due to the spirited performance it offered which I was able to exploit freely as I was the only person in the car 90% of the time. With its limits within reach it never stops to put a smile on your face as you pull away from traffic lights in 1st gear all the way to 6000rpm redline, engine screaming and darting like a stabbed rat or as the tyres squeal during U turns. In all, I’ve had loads of fun driving the Alto K10 over the last 90,000 kms.

That’s said, I’m not a reckless driver and rather far away from it. I strongly believe in these sayings ‘’take care of your ride and it'll take care of you’’ & ‘’A clean car is a healthy car’’
Apart from regular servicing, below are some of the ‘take care’ things I follow with my humble Alto K10.
-Park the car within my sight
-Try and avoid valet parking and park myself
-Slow down to crawling speed while going over bad roads and pot holes
-Take the longer route to avoid bad roads.
-Idle the engine for at least 30 seconds before driving off after a 5 hrs gap.
-Never let the fuel level go below ¼ tank, to protect the fuel pump
-Set the right tire pressure every 2 weeks. There is a noticeable difference in performance and comfort when there is a 4-5 psi drop by end of the second week.

There isn’t anything to write home about on comfort, handling, braking or space but the Alto does a great job in tackling city traffic. The car is built to a cost and it is clearly felt in its wafer thin body panels and zero insulation. Standard features were front door power windows, Nippon music system with two speaker and central locking. I wish the car came with rear wipers which used to be standard in VXi variants in older Marutis.

90,000kms periodic service:
The service was done at Vishnu cars near Selaiyur since it is located close to my place which allowed me to check on the car during its service procedure. Its been over two years and 10,000 kms since the last service and was idle for longer duration due to lockdown so I wanted to get few other things done such as brakes cleaning, AC disinfectant and injector cleaning since there was a bit of vibration during idle and crawling speed. The guys at Vishnu cars always try to include add-ons to inflate the bill and they did include few like tyre polish, car shampoo & wax kit despite of educating them while opening the job card but then I let it pass instead of wasting my time.

[KPR]

Great thread Torino. I was and am a fan of your Alto K10 AMT thread both pre and post becoming a member of this forum. In fact I was eyeing to buy an Alto K10 for city runabouts but had bought an Alto BS6 in April 2021 (now with same interior as that of K10). I'm more than happy with that purchase given its footprint inside city limits. Thanks to your thread. Great going. Your car shows no age as it is well maintained. I'm mighty surprised to see an update in this thread in 2022.

[StarryFurry]

Is it advisable to buy a used Alto K10 AMT(with Airbag). The car in question is a 2019 model and supposedly confiscated by the financer. The car has done around 10000 kilometres and the price is around 350000 including transfer charges. Should I buy this car?

[AGupta]

Originally Posted by StarryFurry

Is it advisable to buy a used Alto K10 AMT(with Airbag). The car in question is a 2019 model and supposedly confiscated by the financer. The car has done around 10000 kilometres and the price is around 350000 including transfer charges. Should I buy this car?

Yes, it's a very good deal if exterior and interior is in good shape.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by StarryFurry

Is it advisable to buy a used Alto K10 AMT(with Airbag?...

Whatever it is, do your due diligence. Check the service history, problems with the AMT, get a thorough checkup done with your known Maruti Authorized Service center an look for any signs of the odometer being rolled back.

All these tips are available right here on TBHP.