Preamble

What follows now is a continuation of a selection out of my personal archives, which I hope visitors like you will find informative and useful.
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Q1

Firstly, your Query is not clear to me/have re-worded it accordingly which pl check and confirm that it is now what you were trying to say. Secondly, I'm surprised that a MASS of repute could not find anything wrong with it. May be there isn't ?!

On the otherhand, as it appears, you find that it takes long to 'rev-down' while driving - especially in III/IV gears. I need to know here whether this happens with the Clutch fully depressed OR released - while still rolling.

If towards the former, this is what you can do as an additional test:

1) Park the Car with engine idling and Parking Brake fully engaged.

2) Press the Accelerator 1/2 to 3/4 way down, let the engine rev-up and then suddenly take your foot off the pedal.

3) If the engine reverts to normal idling revvs, say within 5-secs or so, then there's nothing wrong.

4) On the otherhand, if it takes much longer, your Throttle mechanism is 'sticky' and the following can be the causes of it - in that order :

i) Accelerator Pedal return spring/in-cabin broken or dislodged - replace/reset.

ii) Accelerator Cable worn out/replace - as these are not 'repairable'.

iii) Carburettor Butterfly reset mechanism sticky - disconnect the Accl cable and then clean thoroughly by spraying Kerosene Oil using a Flit-Pump. Check for free movement thereafter. If still no improvement, Carb needs to be dismantled for a detailed examination of the main Butterfly mechanism wear.

iv) The 'Vacuum Transfer Valve' in the Carburettor to Distributor Vacuum piping, if existing, is faulty and needs to be replaced/dispensed with. It's provided to begin with to control pollutants in exhaust, by slowing the 'rev-down'.

v) If the VTV is not there in your model, then the internals of the Distributor Vacuum Adv/Rtd mechanism could have turned sticky and need to be serviced accordingly.

I'll appreciate knowing the final diagnosis from you, so that I can share it with others like you.

Q2

I went to Sai Service today to see my Esteem. They called me to see the under tappet oil, it was totally jet-black and thick.

They said that this was because the oil was not fully flushed the last time. They’ve now removed it all and trust me this was a horrible scene, the oil was like JET THICK BLACK. Last time when I changed it I checked the oil levels and it was fine with the yellowish red oil but now within a month it’s become black.

The car is an Esteem purchased frm Sah n Sanghi.....the 1300 cc
car...new shape, I’ve got the papers n service book n the reg book.

Thank you for your quick n concerned response. Pls guide me what further is required after reading this message and I’ l keep you updated via mail. I’ll get the car reports tomorrow.

A2

The kind of deposits seen in your upper cyls and that too on a Car < 6-yrs old can arise only if non-detergent/non-multigrade/poor quality oils have been used in the past and that too well beyond the recommended drain periods w/o any associated Oil Filter changes. It can hardly happen over-night.

I can say this with confidence that having taken due care of above, none of my MUL Cars - some of them > 15 yrs/145 kkm old - have ever had any thing like that. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous Garages indulge in such mal-practices - by way of billing the customers for oil/filter changes allright but not actually doing so - beyond any topping up that may be needed.

Your engine smoking at 85 kkm is further borne out by the fact that such deposits in the upper cyls have nothing to do with oil circulation within the cyls - though it stands to be hampered by similar deposits on the intake 'strainer' of the Oil Circulation Pump and the associated 'galleries'.

These days some well-branded solvent based specially formulated Engine Flush's are available in the market which with one or two consecutive applications can completely dissolve away such deposits from the entire engine incl the Oil Circulating Pump and its ‘Strainer’, without any labour of taking off the Tappet and Crank case cover and scraping them off manually.

Any way, the long and short of it is that a dry compression test as mentioned by me earlier alone can establish the real cause of smoking. If the DC Test Readings are within limits, then spurious Oil is the culprit and must be got rid off along with the filter forthwith, before any further damage is done. However, this must be preceded by using the Engine Flush Formulations as mentioned above.

Let me know what the Garage has to say - have you been their regular since the Car was delivered to you ? I am asking this coz the Esteem Engine is one of the most durable and otherwise hard to kill one around.

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(End pt.1)

Contd. Part-2

Q3

Is it possible to refurbish the 800 front shocks, if so where? The left shock makes a (thack) sound on a negative bump. Pl advise.

A3

Without knowing age/mileage of your Car, it's difficult to tell. However, the following thumb rules apply:

1) If there's no circumferential un-even wear pattern emerging on the related Tyre - it cld be some thing else - usually a ball joint - lower arm one in particular.

2) A Strut going phut is invariably preceded by oil leakage and it's roughly possible to assess its health while in situ - by 'bouncing' the Car above it. Garage/Mechs are fairly adept at it.

3) It's true that most Struts are 'irreparable' for more reasons than one, such as:

i) Sealed construction calling for cutting open on a lathe and precision re-weld - rarely possible with the corner lathe shop.

ii) Once opened after it has been in service for its expected life - for another similar one - most of its internals prone to wear too need to be replaced - like an engine o/h. This is rarely possible as such parts are not listed Spares by the Strut makers. Refabs' usually just change the oil seals.

iii) The hydraulic fluid inside the Struts these days is also of a special/synthetic grade - not avilable loose in the mkt and refurbishers usually shove in some grade of engine oil to tide over their 6-month guarantee - if at all honourable.

iv) In any case, mounting/dismounting it is all your headache and cost.

v) Refurbishing is invariably a wayside/unorganised activity and Cabbies of the area are the best leads to them.

Moral of the story - if you intend keeping the Car for another couple of yrs or more - go for an MGP replacement and that too 'en-pair'. On the otherhand, have it refab'd if you intend getting rid of it soon or if it has failed prematurely and the other one is still good for another year or so.

Their average life in the Indian scenario can be as high as > 50 kkm if well driven and above all - all wheels kept in good dynamic balance all the time - some thing alien to most owner/drivers.

Unbalanced wheels are like slow cancer to suspension related parts incl wheel bearings for understandable reasons but as bolt from the blue - they can also affect ones Fuel Efficiency - guess how and why!

One of my '92 March M800/68 kkm is still abs fine - its other one leaked @ 60 kkm. The earlier '91 June one had logged 145 kkm by Dec. 2001 when sold and both its Struts were fine till then - same for the all Jap '84 one when sold in May '00 !

Q4
I have been having trouble seeing out of my car windshield, there seems to be some sort of oily film covering it, and I don''t really know what it is. Is there any way to fix this problem?
A4
Thanks for visiting cybersteering. How did you get hold of us anyway - though must admit getting Windshields clean is but one of our many specialities!
To answer your query, I requisitioned the expert services of one of my associates/lady driver in Bombay - Kim. For a living, she helps clean/rearrange Communication Satellites' Footprints and their Orbits. Here's what she's to say:

1) Ask Sarah if she has or had her car recently polished - coz some times people inadvertently end-up applying the liquid silicone to the Windshield/other Glasses as well!

2) Besides, in a grimy city traffic - especially exhausts from diesel vehicles upfront - there is a gradual build-up of an oily film on a Car's windshield any way. Remedy - shampoo regularly like you'd do your hair! Except, here you use a god quality Dishwasher type Detergent and not 'Heads and Shoulders' or some thing like that.

3) She must first, however, hose down the W/S with running water, then apply the 'shampoo' and rinse off well again. Dry-up in shade with a clean, absorbent and lint-free cotton mop and finish with a similar paper towel.

4) Repeat once a week/fortnight to stay 'clear' all the time!

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(End Pt. 2)

Contd. Part-3

Q5

I would like to know what is the maximum speed I can go in first gear of my Zen. My manual shows it is 30kmph. But my MUL authorised mechanic will drive the car sometimes at 40kmph in first gear, while testing the car - is it ok.

A5

Such quiz are solved this way:

1) Safe max engine rpm for a Zen = 6000.

2) I-Gear Ratio = 3.416

3) Final Drive Ratio = 3.947

4) Compound Ratio = 3.947x3.416 = 13.482

5) '97 Zen Wheel Specs: 145/70-R13

6) Thus overall Wheel Dia = 13x25.4 + 2x 145x0.70 = 330.20+203 = 533.20 mm or 0.5332 meters.

7) Therefore Wheel circumference = 3.14x 0.5332 = 1.674 meters

7) 40 kph road speed = 40x1000/60 = 666.666 meters/min

8) OR 666.666/1.674 = 399.08 wheel rpm

9) Therefore Engine rpm at this speed = 399.08x13.482 = 5380 rpm/below the 6000 rpm limit.

10) Likewise, for a Zen, one can calculate the engine rpm at various road speeds and different gears by using the following gear ratios :

i) I = 3.416, II = 1.894, III = 1.280, IV = 0.914, V = 0.757 & Rev = 3.272.

ii) All the above to be multiplied by the FDR = 3.947 - which remains same for all of the fwd/Rev gears correspond to a road speed of 133.5 kph in IV and 161 kph in V - theoretically.

12) Similarly, 6000 rpm in IV gear would correspond to 177 kph - something it won't be able to achieve coz the all of 50 bhp that it can develop at 6000 rpm will fall short of the actual power reqd to propel it at that speed! In other words, a Carb Zen will have a practical max road speed of ~ 135 kph in IV and say 145 in V.

Q6

Hi, I wish to know the current rating i.e. the rage in mA for fuel meters for Maruti-800, Zen and Alto.

A6

I'm afraid my competence doesn't extend to such fields and therefore, you'll have to do the legwork/RnD yourself !

All I can tell you once and for all is that -

i) It works on the DC 'Wattmeter' principle,

ii) Requires a 'stabilised' DC supply to be given to it's Restraint and Operating Coils coz a Car's electrical system voltage varies from 11 volts to 15 volts during its normal running and

iii) The operating coil gets it juice from the in-tank 'Sending Unit’ - which is a wire-wound Linear-Potentiometer mechanically hooked on to a 'float'.

iv) Thereafter, the entire set-up is 'calibrated' to suit the Car Model - by way of the capacity and 'shape' of its fuel tank - to co-relate the vertical float movement with the corresponding angular one of the Pot - v/v the volume of fuel in lrs in it.

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(End Pt. 3)

Contd. Part-4

Q7

We have a maruti 800/1989 model car. For past one year the car is not running free i.e it does not roll as far as other cars do. We have diagnosed the problem as due to the brake system. We have carried repairs on the brake system several times but didn't get satisfactory results.

If you could tell that in order that our car rolls as free as any new car, which things including the whole brake system and the bearings of all tyres should we get replaced.

A7

Lack of free rolling can almost be entirely due to sticky Brakes - amongst some other causes - which can arise due to any of the following in a Car like yours and that old :

1) Sticky front brake Calipers/Pins - Refresh.

2) Sticky 'Retraction/Oil-Seals' of Front Brakes Piston Assys - Replace.

3) Sticky/Faulty Master Cylinder - Replace.

4) Faulty Rear Wheel Cyls - Replace.

5) Wornout Rear Brakes 'auto-adjusters' - Replace.

6) Sticky/worn-out Hand Brake Cable/Mechanism - Replace.

7) Bleed all 4xBrake Cylinders in prescribed sequence and charge with fresh DOT3 well-branded Brake Fluid.

8) Under-inflated Tyres - correct to recommended 'cold' pressures using a reliable Tyre Pressure Gauge.

9) Faulty Front wheel alignment - toe-in/out beyond limits - reset on a reliable Computerised Rig but prior to that, it must be ensured that the Steering System linkages are not worn out.

Q8

I own a Toyota corolla, bought brand new 3 yrs ago. Since yesterday I am noticing an annoying noise when I accelerate. When I take my foot off the accelerator the engine is very silent. I have booked an appointment with the car doctor on Monday. What am I in for? Differential diagnoses? Should I not be driving it till then?

A8

Although we 'don't do foreign cars' for understandable reasons being India based but I do hazard some guesses at times if the Qs are somewhat generic in nature.

Your query happens to be one such so here's my take on it :

It's difficult to remote-sense it unless one can hear the kind of noise that's coming while accelerating. Cars, like humans, make different noises under different types of duress. Besides, I also don't know whether yours is an Automatic or Manual Transmission one - both being integrated with the Engine these days in Front Wheel Drive Cars.

Lemme throw a QnA at you between now and Monday:

Q i) When you accelerate, is it a high frequency 'rat-a-tat-tat' metallic noise - related/directly proportional to the engine rpm and the pressure on the accelerator i.e. more the pressure - louder it gets?

A i) In that case, it's most likely to be the Engine knocking - the causes of which can be many and in your case - it cld either be - a) Wrong Grade/lower than recommended Octane rating Fuel inadvertently taken in (?) b) Clogged fuel-injectors leading to fuel starvation or c) The ECU/Microprocessor mal-function due to some of its 'sensory input' aberrations leading to the 'Anti-knock' feature getting crippled - resulting in 'over-advanced' ignition timing while accelerating.

Sol. i) In such a situation, one can gently drive it atleast to the Garage - keeping min. pressure on the throttle - such that the 'knocking' is bare minimum.

Q ii/A ii : On the otherhand, if it's a 'grating' kinda noise while accelerating - it's most probably from the Gearbox - though rare for a Car that young.

Sol. ii) In that case, it's worthwhile to get the ‘AA’ people home to check it out first as driving it in that state will cause further/irreparable damage.

Q iii/A iii : In the same vein, if the noise while accelerating is some what like Q i/A i above but 'heavier/metallic' and related entirely to the road speed of the Car than the engine/rpm, it's most likely to be a pre-mature failure of one of its 'drive shafts.

Sol. iii : In that case, you can drive it to the Garage slowly - trying to keep such noises to a minimum.

I will appreciate it if you'll let me know the 'final diagnosis', so that I can share it with others like you!

Q9
Sir, is it true that Crdi diesel engine should be kept in idling for a minute after it’s started irrespective of the temperature of the engine or else there will be aproblem with induction coil?
A9

I feel who so ever has told you this has gotten into a Chinese whisper and confused the issue with Diesel Engines fitted with Turbo-Chargers !

A 'specified-pause' after starting and before shutting down is the requirement of very high revving/present day TCs - of the order of 100,000 + rpm - to ensure their suitable 'booting/de-booting' from thermal and lubrication points of view. In all other respects, a Crdi engine is not much different than a petrol/Mpfi from the working principles points of view.

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(End Pt.4)