Better known as the Omni today, Maruti’s first people carrier is regularly sighted in the second-hand car market due to its down-to-earth prices and sheer utility.

The Maruti Van was the second vehicle that was launched by Maruti Udyog in India. It was for a long time the second best selling vehicle in the country, beaten only by the 800 which topped the sales charts year after year. The reasons for the Van’s popularity were simple. It could seat eight people, had tons of luggage space, was easy to drive, packed in reliability, had low running costs, and due to its small size had an incredible turning radius, was extremely maneuverable. Versatility was its USP from the time it was launched, and that holds true even today.

The most important thing when checking out a good van is to ask if the vehicle has been used for transporting passengers. Vans are still a popular choice for plenty of tourist taxi operators, so it is always wise to check. The last thing you would want is a van that has seen abuse transporting passengers or goods. In vans with such a history, it would be prudent to look into the service history with close attention to engine oil changes especially in high mileage vehicles. If the record throws up some surprises or is not clear, it is best left alone. Single- owner Vans are a safer bet.

ENGINE
The Van is powered by the same engine that powers the Maruti 800, but with a different camshaft designed for higher torque than the 800. This is to enable it to carry more weight that the van is bound to be loaded with. The engine, with the higher torque, feels peppier than the 800 and has little difficulty negotiating gradients, even when loaded. Till the time when the engine was given the MPFI treatment, the 796cc powerplant had contact-breaker point type ignition necessitating checks on the breaker gap at regular intervals to ensure optimum power from the engine. In situations where the van has covered a high mileage or has been used for commercial purposes, it would be wise to check the condition of the engine. An un-healthy engine is a sure indication of major expenses in the future.

DRIVELANE

Area around engine bay likely spots of corrosion

The Van is the only other vehicle (along with the Gypsy) in the Maruti line-up to have rear-wheel drive. The components of the driveline last quite a bit but it depends on how and where the vehicle has been used. In normal city use, the van will not have encountered many problems, but in case of a vehicle having been used for long distance commuting or load carrying, the components are sure to have taken a beating. Driving with a full load takes its toll on the complete driveline. A common problem in an ‘abused’ van is play in the propeller shaft joint cross. This is most noticeable when starting from a standstill, when a click can be heard from under the vehicle while moving off. This sound from the propeller shaft is indicative of the kind of use the van must have seen. If the service records show work to have been carried out on the driveline, there is no harm in taking a closer look at the vehicle. All the same, keep a ear open for any unusual sounds when taking a test drive.

Another unusual sound that needs to be checked is a hum from the differential in vehicles with more than 80,000km on the odo. This is mainly caused by a worn crown wheel and pinion, and can be eliminated by adjusting the backlash or, in extreme cases, by replacing the two as a set. A rather loud sound from the differential is a sign for you to keep away from the car as repairs may prove to be expensive. Also on the checklist are the gear lever bushes. If there is excessive play and there is difficulty in engaging gears, the bushes are worn out. Replacing these is not a big issue and shouldn’t deter you from a good purchase.

welded footwell indicative of a front-end shunt; also check battery tray corrosion.

SUSPENSION
The suspension set-up in the Maruti Van is quite simple. Struts take care of the front end and multi-leaf springs at the back. The front suspension does its job well and the bushes last quite a bit, with attention required only after about 80,000 kilometres. The rear suspension, with its leaf spring set-up may seem rudimentary by today’s standards, but is up to the job when carrying loads or ferrying passengers. Faulty dampers at the rear and worn-out bushes are the only things to check for.

In cases where the car has seen a lot of kilometres, one can expect to encounter play in the ball joints and drag link, which can be detected if the vehicle wanders even when the steering wheel is held steady. This can also happen if the chassis member on which the steering gearbox fits flexes on turning the steering wheel.

STEERING
The van’s front wheels are turned by a worm and roller box mounted on the front chassis crossmember via links attached to an idler arm. In instances where the chassis member is corroded, the mounting point tends to flex every time the steering wheel is turned. This flexing manifests itself as play in the steering wheel and the van wanders to either side on a plain road and calls for constant steering correction. Needless to say, it is best to stay away from vehicles with this problem.

Check for corrosion under accelerator pedal and front crossmember.

BRAKES
The van has drum brakes at all four wheels. Vehicles with high mileages or even with around 30,000km on the clock can be found with worn brake shoes, both front and rear. The behaviour of the vehicle on braking gives an idea of the condition of the brakes. Worn shoes can cause the vehicle to pull to one side on braking. Vans exhibiting this kind of reaction to braking are sure to require work on the brakes.

BODY
The Van body has an extensive area of sheet metal exposed to the elements. The main area to look for corrosion is under the rail of the rear sliding door. More often than not, the area under the rails starts to corrode first. Also check for corrosion along the rear door sills. Water collecting there after a wash, first thing in the morning, tends to aid corrosion. Since Vans are likely to be used as passenger vehicles, make sure the body is gone over with particular care. In many cases, vans involved in front end crashes have the front end replaced, that is the part from the crossmember behind the engine to the front panel. This can be made out by the welding spots that can be seen around the front floor panel, which bonds with the underbody panels.

TEST DRIVE
On a test drive look for even the slightest sound which might in-dicate that the van may not be in as perfect a condition as you would like it to be. First of all, when moving from a standstill, listen to a sound from under the floor. A loud click when just moving off is a sign of play in the propeller shaft UJ (universal joint) cross. This will manifest itself as a vibration at higher speeds. Also see if there is a hum from the rear axle. This sound is from the differential, caused by play developed with wear in the crown wheel and pinion. Most of the time, it is eliminated by adjustment. In extreme cases, the sound can be eliminated only by replacing the crown wheel and pinion as a set, which can be prohibitively expensive.