[PSG]

Originally Posted by mercedised

I am in used car market looking for a used diesel Zest AMT. I have found 2 XMA 2014 Zest with 70-80K genuine run. Both the cars are in good condition. ...
Can any AMT owners here suggest me whether to go with the deal or look for a Manual Zest?

I have Tata Zest XMA which I bought from second owner in Jan 2020 @ 44K Odo reading. Car is Dec 2014 manufactured, Feb 2015 registered. I drove 4K+ since then. I owned 3 cars earlier in last 10 years , all were Petrol and MT. This is my first diesel and AMT car. I did not face any issue so far with AMT. AMT warning sign came up twice in last 2 years of ownership while I was in a dense traffic and did not shift to 'N'. Since then , I made it a practice to shift to 'N' If I am going to be at standstill for more than 10 sec in a traffic. However I would advise not to go for anything which is > 50K on Odo.
All in all Zest is a wonderful car in terms of space, features, performance and build and it is difficult to find a worthy upgrade in similar budget.

[simplyself]

I had my Zest XM 90 D serviced a week ago. It was a 1,20,000 km service. Changed engine oil, filter, fuel filter, timing chain kit at an FNG. This is the first time I got the car serviced outside Tata Service. Total cost was Rs.8,900.00, including labour.

As usual, the car sounded and drove very smoothly after the oil change.

One concern though - the MID indication of 'excess water in fuel filter' is coming up. Didnt have time to rectify, though some preliminery diagnostics showed no fault as such.

[WorkingGuru]

Originally Posted by simplyself

I had my Zest XM 90 D serviced a week ago. It was a 1,20,000 km service. Changed engine oil, filter, fuel filter, timing chain kit at an FNG. This is the first time I got the car serviced outside Tata Service. Total cost was Rs.8,900.00, including labour....

An oil-change service along with Timing Chain replacement & even Diesel filter change at less than ₹9k is a steal by any FNG standards!

Did you check if the FNG used OEM Tata / Maruti parts ? I'm guessing only the Diesel filter element was changed, for this to be possible.

Did you get the water pump checked for wear (because it's something usually changed with the timing chain) ?

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

An oil-change service along with Timing Chain replacement & even Diesel filter change at less than ₹9k is a steal by any FNG standards!

Did you check if the FNG used OEM Tata / Maruti parts ? I'm guessing only the Diesel filter element was changed, for this to be possible.

Did you get the water pump checked for wear (because it's something usually changed with the timing chain) ?

Timing chain was INA/Schaeffler.

Oil & fuel filters have been changed - Sofima

Tata parts werent available but MGP were. But I went with INA for timing chain.

Also, I change fuel filter at every service as against the more prevalent habit of changing at 30K interval.

Water pump is fine, so I didnt change it.

I selected the parts and gave it to the garage. They know I had been in motor field for long, so the spares shop people updated me to the latest info and left it to me to select the brands.

Oil used was Castrol Magnatec 5W30.

What intrigues me is Maruti provides 1 lakh km interval for timing chain change for Ertiga which has same 90 ps tune engine but Tata recommends 60K interval for the 90PS.

I think it is a bit cheaper at Rs.9K but earlier, at 60K change it costed me Rs.14,000.00 with free oil and filter change. So, compared to that, this is on par.

[WorkingGuru]

Originally Posted by simplyself

...What intrigues me is Maruti provides 1 lakh km interval for timing chain change for Ertiga which has same 90 ps tune engine but Tata recommends 60K interval for the 90PS.

That could possibly be because the design is different. FIAT initially recommended 60k kms interval of Timing Chain for 90PS MJD and 90k kms for the 75PS MJD, they then updated the design of the chain and recommended 90k interval for the 90PS MJD.

IIRC This was because a small minority of people who extended the use beyond the company recommended 60k interval experienced catastrophic engine failure with a broken timing chain just a little after 65-70k kms, with their 90PS Linea & Punto MJDs. Also Maruti built the MJD under license & their timing kits were recommended at 1L kms, a few people (atleast within the groups that I was a part of) were choosing Maruti parts & getting the work done at FNGs.

I think it is a bit cheaper at Rs.9K but earlier, at 60K change it costed me Rs.14,000.00 with free oil and filter change. So, compared to that, this is on par.

They might have changed the water pump back then, as the SA usually recommends it - water pump being a part that definitely experiences wear.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

They might have changed the water pump back then, as the SA usually recommends it - water pump being a part that definitely experiences wear.

I am not sure. I should check the past invoice.

Timing chain kit and gear are identical for the MJD. Then why the differnce in change interval? However, I usually am a bit conservative so I changed it. Even a showroom service engineer once said it would run fine even after 60K but I changed it nevertheless.

[AlQuazi]

Hi Folks,

Recently purchased the Zest for my Dad. Here's a little bit explaining the selection process and background.

Our usage/requirements - The car would primarily be used by Dad at home in coastal KA and was expected to see minimal usage there (~50 km weekly). However, I would use it more whenever home (bi-monthly) and also do Pune-Home and vice versa (650km one way) every couple of months.

My criteria for car selection were -

• Budget - 4L (Stretchable to 5L max)
• More preference for Diesel. Torque baby!
• Manual transmission only
• Max odo limit - 70k
• Min model year - 2015
• Body Type - No hatchbacks (neither entry level nor premium). C-SUV or a compact sedan preferred.
• No. of owners - Max 2.
• Decent ground clearance. This automatically eliminated C segment sedans.

I scouted OLX for Lineas/Puntos/DZires/Xcent/Dusters etc. Notable finds and realisations after the first couple weeks of OLX/Cars24 searches -

• Except the Ignis, no Maruti Suzuki vehicles fall under this budget/model year/km driven criteria. Wasn't really interested in the Ignis because of its low width and also because it misses a boot.
  
  
• Couple of Linea Classics and Punto Evos available in this range. However, the Linea would be too big and Punto lacks a boot. Moreover, Fiat parts/service could be an issue.
  
  
• Renault Triber was a personal favourite for its absolute versatility. I would have to stretch the budget to 5.5L at least for this. Found a clean, barely used 2019 Triber with 25xx km on Cars24 for 5.9L. However, dad wasn't too enthusiastic about the 1L petrol engine or the price it commanded. One test drive of the Triber from Renault showroom confirmed his apprehensions on the engine and Tribers were out of contention. A brilliant car, nevertheless!
  
  
• Used Duster/Terrano. Found a 2015 Duster petrol with 35k km on odo for 4.75L. Also found a 65k km run Diesel Terrano (110 PS) for 4.99L. I loved the 110 PS Diesel's pickup and handling. Ended up rejecting the Duster/Terrano because of the bare bones interiors and cramped leg room in middle row.
  
  
• No Fords considered because of Ford exit from India. Didn't want to end up with a spares problem so soon.
  
  
• Couldn't find any Honda diesels in this price range/model year. Petrol Amaze and (slightly older) Citys were plenty. I've always been a fan of Honda interiors. The engines were nice and free revving too. No doubt the petrol Hondas are a hoot to drive! However, I didn't pursue them further because of the low GC.
  
  
• Did not evaluate any of the Polos/Ventos/Rapids available because of maintenance costs associated with VAG ownership.
  
  
• Tata Zest - I liked the Zest. The car is well equipped for its time with a nicely designed interior and decent sound system. It is quite wide and spacious on the inside. The sturdy build and 4 star safety rating are additional advantages over comparable Marutis & Hyundais. I did scout through the forum for any major issues/gremmlins and could not spot any. A genuine successor to the *More Car per Car* Indica/Indigo without the quality & reliability issues of the latter.

For a used car connoisseur like me, the lesser resale value (vis a vis used DZires) made the Zest absolute VFM and the perfect fit to my requirements and budget.

Multiple Tata Zests (petrol/diesel) were available in the 3.5L to 5L range. Most were petrol with varying mileages. Almost all the diesels had 80k+ on the Odo. Weirdly though, only 2014-2015 models were up for sale in Pune. There were barely any listings for 2016+ privately registered vehicles.

I found the turbo-petrol's top end performance a little underwhelming. The mid-range and drivability were excellent though. The 90 PS diesel was the better engine hands down for its frugal nature and versatility.

I missed out on a Mumbai registered 2017 XT Petrol with just 17k on the odo by a whisker. I was out of town the day the car came on sale and it was sold by the time I returned to Pune two days later.

I checked out a 2015 Diesel XM with 55k on the Odo. Everything seemed fine till I cross checked the odo reading at the Tata ASC. The car had come in for some minor repairs at 131k on the odo a year ago!! Meter tampering was a genuine concern with the diesels.

Finally after months of casually scouting the classifieds, I managed to get a clean car (XM Diesel with Alloys) in Pune with 49xxx genuine reading on the Odo at a OLX Auto dealer in Hadapsar. After verifying the odo reading at Tata ASC I paid the token amount on first inspection and and brought it home 3 days later.

Here she is in all her glory!


Side Profile!


Taking Delivery!

The final settled price was just a tad over 4L. Post purchase, I got the vehicle serviced with all fluids/filters changed as well as front pads change at a FNG. Costed me 7k with the pads (at 1.7k) being the most expensive component. The oil hadn't been changed in well over a year according to the mechanic. The oil filter had gummy residue inside the casing from being so old. The mechanic suggested the next oil change be early (at ~3k km) along with an engine flush to clean the engine out. Post this, I can resort to the usual yearly/15k km oil changes.

Existing pads VS New ones

The only other expense required on the vehicle now is a change of tyres. The car is still running on stock rubber after 5 years and 50k km. The thread is fine but there are visible cracks on the surface due to hardening of the tyres. Since I don't plan on highway runs for another month, I've decided to defer the tyre change to a later date.

The Bridgestones which came with the car are a goner!

Any suggestions for which tyre to upgrade to? Local tyre dealer has everything from Apollos and Bridgestones to Michelins and Yokohamas in stock size (185/60/R15). He suggested Yokohama Earth for the low road noise and good grip. Quoted price for the Yokos is 5100 per tyre. I do not mind the additional premium over the Apollo Aglac (4600/- per tyre) or any other tyre for that matter, if the pros overweigh the cons. Suggestions from Bhpians would be welcome!

Overall quite happy with the purchase. The total hit to pocket (after the change of tyres) is expected to be 4.25 L. Now all I need to do is to ride this beast enough so as to justify buying a diesel over a petrol despite the minimal usage!

[Meph1st0]

Congratulation, the car looks quite well maintained. Red colour looks good.
I have Michelin XM2+ 185/60 R15. The Bridgestone stock tyres on my Zest lasted only 44K. After that, I switched to Michelin XM2+. Compared to Bridgestone, Michelin is silent. Looking at the wear after 20K km, I think the Michelins will last longer despite being softer.
One thing you may want to check is if the timing chain has been replaced. Multijet engine at 90ps tune needs this replacement at 60k kms.
Wishing you many happy kms.

[gandharjc]

Congratulations on your new ride!
We just tearfully sold our Dec 2014 XT Diesel in Nov 2021 to make way for our next - in Pune too, coincidentally. 96k on the odo, and never once did she break down on us. You have a gem on your hands.

A few words of caution:
The zest tends to rust in a few places. We used it in Pune all these years, but still found rust under the hood, and under the boot lid. Please keep an eye on the boot lid, because there was some water ingress thru the boot lid in ours.
Secondly, ours developed a MINOR fuel pump leak. Never fixed it, it was that minor. It would've done another 20k before us needing to look into it. Those pumps used to be manufactured by Bosch, who have stopped doing so. So make sure you have a trusted fng you can take it to, in the event of a leak post 95k.

Enjoy your ride!

[puneetakhouri]

Originally Posted by AlQuazi

Any suggestions for which tyre to upgrade to? Local tyre dealer has everything from Apollos and Bridgestones to Michelins and Yokohamas in stock size (185/60/R15). He suggested Yokohama Earth for the low road noise and good grip. Quoted price for the Yokos is 5100 per tyre. I do not mind the additional premium over the Apollo Aglac (4600/- per tyre) or any other tyre for that matter, if the pros overweigh the cons. Suggestions from Bhpians would be welcome!

Congratulations on your purchase. Zest was one of my shortlists when I was planning on buying a car back in 2015. I liked the car a lot but somehow had this gut feeling that being a Tata, this would replace the Indigo and end up becoming a taxi. A good car nevertheless.

At the beginning of last year (2021), replaced my tyres from stock MRF ZVTV to Yokohama BlueEarth GT (AE 51) 185/65/R15. Now after clocking 5000kms on the new tyres, I can safely say that they have been a very good decision.
- Major reduction in road noise.
- Baleno has a lifeless steering and the tyres have really added some good weight to it which is enjoyable during turns.
- Jumped a couple of potholes and they have survived those without any issues.
- No difference in fuel efficiency, mileage is still just as good as you expect from a Maruti.
- No difference in ride quality or handling as compared to my old MRFs.

[condor]

Originally Posted by AlQuazi

... stock size (185/60/R15).

COngrats on the getting the Zest ! It's a lovely car, just wish Tata had given it better looks and it would have given good competition to the other brands.

Reg tyres, try 195/55 R15. Yoko, Conti, Michelin .. which ever brand you want to.

[vasanthn21]

Congratulations. Take her on the highway and enjoy the drive!

I own a 7 year old Zest with 1 lakh+ kms on the odo. Absolutely no issues/niggles.

I am surprised about the rusting comment from a fellow BHPian in an earlier post. I haven't experienced any rusting so far.

[gandharjc]

Originally Posted by vasanthn21

Congratulations. Take her on the highway and enjoy the drive!

I own a 7 year old Zest with 1 lakh+ kms on the odo. Absolutely no issues/niggles.

I am surprised about the rusting comment from a fellow BHPian in an earlier post. I haven't experienced any rusting so far.

Believe me, we were too
Only noticed it when the spinny guy was checking the car before being listed. You may want to check your boot lid, near the hinges.

[nijelj]

Originally Posted by coldice4u

6 year Bolt XT at low temperatures gives off a check engine light error,seems to misfire intermittently and causes the radiator cooling fan to go on, despite low coolant temperatures of 45-50C degrees..

A scan for errors gives off a coolant temperature sensor error but that is incorrect. The sensor has been replaced twice but hasnt helped. People i have spoken to has advised of ECU issues as this issue is not observed during the rest of the year but unfortunately cannot be confirmed. It appears to me that the ECU is not resilient to low temperatures

Did you get it rectified eventually?
Not able to answer rest of your questions but this could also be a wiring harness issue. If there is a resistance change, your temperature input (into ECU, on odo) could read higher than usual. In summer it wouldn’t matter much, but during winter yes it will show the symptoms that you face. The error could read as a plausibility error(eng temp too high as compared to other temp). Also check the sensor if it is the one recommended for the zest, check the connector for resoldering etc.
Am interested to know if there was any reason if you have resolved the issue. Thanks!

[hdman]

I own a Zest Revotron and realised the car losing throttle during a recent roadtrip on hilly roads. Although, I could feel the car not delivering any power but everything else i.e. steering, music, etc, working normally. This happened for a brief while for 2-3 times on the way back home.

Any idea why this could be? The car works fine now but I have noticed this earlier on few occasions. Has anyone else faced a similar issue with Zest Petrol?