The battery was replaced last month since the crank took couple of seconds especially during morning. My last battery died all of a sudden so decided not to wait.
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8 years update:
Next month will mark the 8th year of the Creta ownership and it’s been a good one. While my family and friends are upgrading the cars, I never felt the itch to upgrade (it wasn’t the case before I had the Creta). The main reason is that the budget doesn’t permit me for an upgrade, else I should downgrade or stick to the same segment. But I was kind of surprised to see the lack of quality in some cars while my Creta looked rock solid especially when compared with our Alcazar on which they have some cheap parts on the inside. So you can expect this thread to be active for couple of more years.
April was supposed to be the time for the annual service. The service is definitely “hit or miss” and the TeamBHP official reviews should mention this - Experience after using all HASS in Cochin except one with 4 different Hyundai cars with 3 presently in the garage. I decided to try a new HASS this time (more details below). As I didn’t find time, carried out the yearly service last week. It was a routine service with couple of issues reported:
- Oil/Oil filter change
- Skip Cabin filter - DIY
- Skip Air filter - DIY
- Replace lower arm bush - I might replace the entire set which comes close to 2.5k each in the coming months. So holding this for now.
- Check the AC issue that was reported earlier in the group. There was build-up of ice in the engine bay some 6-7 months back. Haven’t had that problem again. The SA told it should be an issue with the Thermistor. Changing this will come to around 1800 including labour.
- Check fogging happening on the windshield and air leak inspite of keeping the mode limited to the front vents. Since this requires removing the dash, I decided to skip this. This looks like a common problem in first gen Creta as I see a lot of cars with the same problem. Worse since it’s monsoon now as I didn’t have this or notice issue couple of months back.
- Skip wheel alignment/balancing
- There’s some squeaking sound coming from the front (might be due to the bushes) and rear. They couldn't find the rear noise and now after they worked on the suspension, I couldn't notice much. The only sound is from the rear parcel tray which I might remove.
The battery was replaced last month since the crank took couple of seconds especially during morning. My last battery died all of a sudden so decided not to wait. Went to the same shop and got Amaron. The last battery was replaced around the same time 5 years back. It’s a surprise that it lasted 5 years on a diesel car. Never had the chance to extract the life of the battery this long on my previous cars.
Cost was around 5900 after exchanging the old battery.
Old:
New:
Since the monsoon was fast approaching, decided to purchase few other items before giving it for service.
- Bosch Eco Wipers - 26”/16”
- Hyundai Cabin Filter
- Bosch Air Filter
- Detailing clay
Cabin filter: Old vs new:
Air filter: Old vs new:
I had tried different wiper blades from difference brands and none of them seem to work/last long enough except for the stock ones. Also, felt the windshield was slightly rough which contributed to the cause. So tried this detailing clay that I bought from Amazon. Applied cleaning liquid, gently rubbed the glass and wiped clean. I could feel the smoothness now after which I installed the wiper. There’s no squeaking sound and it does a clean swipe. Let’s see if the clay did any magic here.
Coming to the service experience - Although the previous HASS was good, it lacked the technical professionalism. Also, they were more concerned with the service rating rather than the customer issues/concerns etc. That was when I was approached by this new HASS. Booking was pretty simple and scheduled for the pickup/drop from my office. They did screw up with the booking initially but it was handled well. I got a call from the service advisor in an hour to summarise the service requests that I had pointed out during the booking. One thing I liked was that he didn’t push me for any add-ons/extras, although I did receive a call from their sales team trying to push some accessories. Also, he explained the issues that I had reported much better than my previous engagements with other HASS. Looks like this was one of better SA’s that I have encountered in these 8 years of ownership. Well, I reserve this comment and will see how they fare during my future interactions with them since all HASS will put their best foot forward to get new customers. Their pickup and drop-off should be better as there was a bit of a delay. But I might switch the Grand i10 and Alcazar service to here.
Service cost - 6k
Experience driving the car - The wash was pretty decent when compared to other HASS and the interiors smelled refreshing. The car felt smooth to drive but the biggest thing I noticed was the suspension setup. After using the Tiguan for a week, coming back to the Creta felt like I was driving a kid’s tricycle (the old one that had those wide plastic wheels). After the service, I could definitely feel it be a lot smoother (Easy to identify since there are couple of bad sections in my daily commute). Even though other HASS mention about checking the suspension, this was the first time I could feel some difference (not by a huge margin, but definitely noticeable).
Upcoming plans:
Tires - Might replace them in the coming months as the new set clocked 40k kms. Still have decent thread on it. Should I try 225/60/R17 this time?
Lights - Absolutely not an urgent requirement as am completely satisfied with the stock setup but heart says HIDs. Thinking of going for 6000k bulbs just to refresh the look of the car. I know 6000k isn’t the right choice especially during rains, but since I have less night drives, this looks like an option for me. Holding this for the past 8 years.
Car mats - I use the stock Hyundai rubber mats (super pathetic) and a felt mat on top of it that I bought it from Ford. It’s been really good but need to replace the front ones as it’s kind of worn out and also doesn’t cover the entire footwell. Saw Michelin rubber mats which looks good on paper and as it can be trimmed, it looks like a good option. But at 2.5k, should I go with some local 3D/4D option since that covers a lot more area?
Image source: Google.
Here's the parting shot:
Odo stands at 86xxx kms.
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