A Few Problems With My Wagon-R

[blueeyed]

hi everyone,

I am facing some problems with my 2010 model K10B wagonR and I thought that i could discuss it here on TAI so that you people could help me sort out the problems and bring back my Waggy to perfect state of health.
Vehicle: 2010 WagonR
Mileage till date :12526 km. All services are done periodically at MASS.
Few problems were lately developed while others came up quite early(within months from delivery).I will try to give you each problem in detail.

1.Engine coolant flows out from the reservoir(or overflow) can.
This problem is present now for almost an year.I have showed it to the service people (MASS).They at first changed that can's cap but the problem was not solved so they then replaced the whole gasket(or can) completely but still the problem persist. now the problem in detail: After long journeys or heavy driving i can see that the coolant had overflowed through the cap area of the reservoir gasket.It flows out in small amounts like spills.In small drive this doesn't happends.I really doubt whether my engine is over heating.What do you think guys?

2.Recently my AC compressor developed a strange habit of switching ON and OFF very frequently(within 10 -20 seconds interval).I know that after switching on AC, the compressor will automatically switches on and off by itself in every vehicle according to temperature or something but here in my case it does this very frequently, even before cooling the cabin efficiently as i have noticed that AC performance has come down. Will it be due to the engine over heating problem?The sound with which the compressor switches on(that clanging sound that we hear when we switch on our AC )is now very frequent and easily noticeable even to co-passengers. There is also heavy drop in engine performance during this switching on and off process, more when compared to early times? I observed that my rpm comes down by 1000 to 1200rpms during this process. Early times i remember that while switching on AC the rpm needle only comes down by some 200 to 400 rpms.(i checked this by cruising the vehicle at about 2500 rpms , when the compressor comes on the rpm comes down to 1500 rpm range and i have to accelerate harder to keep up the momentum now).I have a feeling that the engine performance has decreased recently. Breaking also has decreased. I assume it to be some problem with the engine overheating. What do you think guys? And also when this happens my headlights dims noticeably with every switching on off compressor making night driving difficult as this happens every 10 to 20 seconds.

3.Hissing sound(sound like air going out through small gap or more correctly vacuum leak) is heard from back of the steering wheel( or from behind the driverside dashboard area).This sound comes only after running for about 10 kms(experimented) or after the engine heats up. More pronounced when the AC is switched on.This sound suddenly comes up when i reach about 2300 or 2500 + rpm range and is clearly audible in all gears. I couldnt here it when the car is in neutral. The sound comes up at all gears when the rpm reaches about 2400 mark and continues even at higher rpms but at the moment I press down the clutch the sound vanishes and comes again when I have reached the 2400+rpm mark. As I said earlier this sound also appears only after the engine had heated up. On surfing through net I came to know about vacuum leak from some engine component can cause this which inturn can cause poor performance of power steering, power-brake and engine as a whole. Any idea on this point?
The other thing that I have observed is that the radiator fan also switches on and off frequently with AC compressor(simultaneously within 10-20 seconds)
Now to sum up my car now has reduced AC performance, Reduced breaking performance and even reduced engine performance.The throttle response is not correct either as I have to put in more acceleration than usual at various situations.
So guys please help.The problems 2 and 3 are not reported to mass till now as I didn’t get time to get my car to them. My 5th service is due this month and I hope you will give me some suggestions so that I can pin point the matters to them.

Thank you.

 

[Shantanu.lko]

Hi, Welcome to TAI. I am writing about your problems in bold


1.Engine coolant flows out from the reservoir(or overflow) can.
The coolant overflow problem is due to pressure in cooling system. Increase the size of the hole in reservoir cap using a needle(don't make the hole too big), so that the pressurized air can go out. If the size of the hole is too small then the air will try to escape through the side of the cap(taking a little bit coolant with it). if the problem is not solved by this, replace the radiator cap and check for results

2.Recently my AC compressor developed a strange habit of switching ON and OFF very frequently(within 10 -20 seconds interval).I know that after switching on AC, the compressor will automatically switches on and off by itself in every vehicle according to temperature or something but here in my case it does this very frequently, even before cooling the cabin efficiently as i have noticed that AC performance has come down. Will it be due to the engine over heating problem?
May be this is due to over heating of the engine. BTW what signs of over-heating do you get ?? Get the A/C thermostat(which turns on/off the compressor according to temperature) checked


I have a feeling that the engine performance has decreased recently. Breaking also has decreased. I assume it to be some problem with the engine overheating.
Check the engine performance, temperature and braking without using the AC. If all is Ok the the A/C thermostat is the culprit

And also when this happens my headlights dims noticeably with every switching on off compressor making night driving difficult as this happens every 10 to 20 seconds.
The light dims when compressor is on as the compressor clutch draws power. Frequent on/off of compressor will affect battery performance

3.Hissing sound(sound like air going out through small gap or more correctly vacuum leak) is heard from back of the steering wheel( or from behind the driverside dashboard area).This sound comes only after running for about 10 kms(experimented) or after the engine heats up.
Open the hood after a short drive and try to locate the sound BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE FAN AND OTHER MOVING/HOT PARTS. Check the area near brake booster and the pipe connecting booster to engine. But as you have mentioned that the sound continues when you drive in high RPM the engine may be leaky ie near the gasket. Also check the coolant for any trace of oil. Any vacuum leak will lead in loss of braking power

The other thing that I have observed is that the radiator fan also switches on and off frequently with AC compressor(simultaneously within 10-20 seconds)
The radiator fan turns on whenever the AC is turned on. As your AC turns on and off again and again the fan will also do the same

 

[blueeyed]

1.Engine coolant flows out from the reservoir(or overflow) can.

The coolant overflow problem is due to pressure in cooling system. Increase the size of the hole in reservoir cap using a needle(don't make the hole too big), so that the pressurized air can go out. If the size of the hole is too small then the air will try to escape through the side of the cap(taking a little bit coolant with it). if the problem is not solved by this, replace the radiator cap and check for results

As i have said the MASS had tried replacing the radiator cap,and then the entire reservoir gasket,but to no use.It still overflows.Any way i dont think they have replaced that green cap of the reservoir can,so i will check it and give it a try as you have said.Do you think its okay for a relatively less run petrol car to develop such pressure?Will this problem be a major hiccup in future?

May be this is due to over heating of the engine. BTW what signs of over-heating do you get ?? Get the A/C thermostat(which turns on/off the compressor according to temperature) checked

I assumed the problem to be overheating because of coolant overflow.My car hasnt showed any warning signs(those warning symbols in console about overheating) till date.As this switching ON and OFF of the compressor is more frequent after running the engine for a while i thought it might also be due to overheating.

Check the engine performance, temperature and braking without using the AC. If all is Ok the the A/C thermostat is the culprit

The performance (especially power brake) is low even without AC.At times i feel that my steering is also very hard(not always). Will it be a major electrical problem of my car? or is it due to that vacuum leak(if any)?

Open the hood after a short drive and try to locate the sound BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE FAN AND OTHER MOVING/HOT PARTS. Check the area near brake booster and the pipe connecting booster to engine. But as you have mentioned that the sound continues when you drive in high RPM the engine may be leaky ie near the gasket. Also check the coolant for any trace of oil. Any vacuum leak will lead in loss of braking power

Sorry if i hadnt told it earlier,the hissing sound is audible only when the vehicle is moving in some gear or rather its not heard when i accelerate it in neutral, making it difficult for me to exactly point out the issue.But i think the sound is still present when the car is stationary and i couldnt here it because of the engine sound predominating while i try to rev up in neutral. The sound appears only after the engine has warmed up and it suddenly vanishes when i press down the clutch.Again it comes up after i have crossed the particular rpm range(irrespective of gear) Why is it like this anything related to clutch?

Now please explain about the brake booster and the pipe connecting booster to engine.Where i can find this components? is it easily accessible in the hood?What do i need to check in there?How can i know if there is any vacuum leak in engine?Where is that gasket where i have to look out for leak

Iam sorry that i have to ask these much questions but you know how i feel for my car.

 

[Shantanu.lko]

Do you think its okay for a relatively less run petrol car to develop such pressure?Will this problem be a major hiccup in future?
Yes this pressure develops in any old/new car. In the cooling system, water flows in a circle (engine to radiator and back to engine) the water is very hot and thus steam is formed. The steam tries to escape from any hole it finds. The reservoir bottle is connected to the radiator for tis purpose only. The steam escapes from the hole in cap and the excess coolant is filled in the reservoir.

I assumed the problem to be overheating because of coolant overflow.My car hasn't showed any warning signs(those warning symbols in console about overheating) till date.As this switching ON and OFF of the compressor is more frequent after running the engine for a while i thought it might also be due to overheating.
If the console lights does not come up, it means the car temperature is ok. Frequent on/off of compressor may be due to faulty thermostat switch.


The performance (especially power brake) is low even without AC.At times i feel that my steering is also very hard(not always). Will it be a major electrical problem of my car? or is it due to that vacuum leak(if any)?
Does your car have ABS ? The brake problem may be due to vacuum leak.
Wagon-R has Electronic Power Steering, thus it is not dependent on vacuum. Do you have any after-market accessories (woofers, lights, etc) installed ?

The thing marked in blue is the ABS, and in red is the Brake master cylinder.

This is brake system of old wagon-r The pipe marked in red is vacuum pipe.

Sorry if i hadnt told it earlier,the hissing sound is audible only when the vehicle is moving in some gear or rather its not heard when i accelerate it in neutral, making it difficult for me to exactly point out the issue.
When you open the hood to check this, tell someone to accelerate upto 2000-2500 rpm. Leave the accelerator and press the brake. Release the brake after 30-40 seconds and again accelerate to 2500 rpm. You try to hear the sound from near the parts marked in above first picture.
BE CAREFUL FROM MOVING PARTS AND ENSURE THAT THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL AND HAND BRAKE IS PULLED

Do post a pic of your car's engine bay (near the braking system).

 

[patkar_a]

Do you think its okay for a relatively less run petrol car to develop such pressure?Will this problem be a major hiccup in future?
Yes this pressure develops in any old/new car. In the cooling system, water flows in a circle (engine to radiator and back to engine) the water is very hot and thus steam is formed. The steam tries to escape from any hole it finds. The reservoir bottle is connected to the radiator for tis purpose only. The steam escapes from the hole in cap and the excess coolant is filled in the reservoir.

Absolutely Shantanu your correct,even i do face such problems,i just increase the size hole of the cap,and issue get resolved.Just check the pipes connecting the cap are tight,the coolant might try to escape from loose pipe.


The performance (especially power brake) is low even without AC.At times i feel that my steering is also very hard(not always). Will it be a major electrical problem of my car? or is it due to that vacuum leak(if any)?


Ac compressor of Wagon R ,6 year 2007 model of my friend,turn off at interval of 50,1.30 mins approx.
but as you said rpm goes down from 2500rpm to 1500rpm,sounds strange!!

Serious Advise to check:
1.Thermostat
2.Engine components,check it Thoroughly.
3.Check the battery.

 

[blueeyed]

Yes this pressure develops in any old/new car. In the cooling system, water flows in a circle (engine to radiator and back to engine) the water is very hot and thus steam is formed. The steam tries to escape from any hole it finds. The reservoir bottle is connected to the radiator for tis purpose only. The steam escapes from the hole in cap and the excess coolant is filled in the reservoir.

Ok i understand.I will try to make my caps hole bigger.

And earlier my engine had another strange habit.After long drives my air intake hose(that black coloured hose to the airfilter) would always get detached from front side(not from engine side). i showed it to the MASS guys and they glued it in front without explaining to me its cause.Will it also be due to pressure build up being abnormal.any way it doesnt come off now.

Does your car have ABS ?
No, mine is a non abs version.I will post a pic shortly.

And Regarding the hissing sound i will try to check out the places you have marked.But i have a question.Why is that sound suddenly disappearing when i press down the clutch.Is this vaccum leak any way related to clutch?

@patkar_a

Ac compressor of Wagon R ,6 year 2007 model of my friend,turn off at interval of 50,1.30 mins approx.
but as you said rpm goes down from 2500rpm to 1500rpm,sounds strange!!

Yes this strangeness is what makes me nervous.I havnt experienced this much drop in rpm(thereby performance) on switching on AC in any other cars i have driven.Also the engine sound changes drastically during this in a way such that it has heavy load to pull.

Serious Advise to check:
1.Thermostat
2.Engine components,check it Thoroughly.
3.Check the battery.

Thermostat i will check at next service.
Regarding engine Could you please correctly explain which all components i have to check?
And regarding battery,there is no starting trouble or any other major hiccups(except dimming of headlights and other lights even when i press down my brake).
The electrolyte levels are also ok.

Thank you.

 

[patkar_a]

I think that you must check the Timing belt components,suddenly Ac turns on and there is a noticable drop in RPM,means something is pulling down Engine speed drastically.
It cannot be an electronic issue that,because it cant load the engine so much.

So Rotational component have gone faulty...
What i think ac compressor might be slowing the Engine,i mean its bearing or other system might have gone faulty...
Thats why your Alternator also goes slowdown,causing dimming of light..
this is what i think..Overhauling by good mechanic might help.

 

[racerdabba]

I am facing some problems with my 2010 model K10B wagonR and I thought that i could discuss it here on TAI so that you people could help me sort out the problems and bring back my Waggy to perfect state of health.
Vehicle: 2010 WagonR
Mileage till date :12526 km. All services are done periodically at MASS.
Few problems were lately developed while others came up quite early(within months from delivery).I will try to give you each problem in detail.

1.Engine coolant flows out from the reservoir(or overflow) can.
This problem is present now for almost an year.I have showed it to the service people (MASS).They at first changed that can's cap but the problem was not solved so they then replaced the whole gasket(or can) completely but still the problem persist. now the problem in detail: After long journeys or heavy driving i can see that the coolant had overflowed through the cap area of the reservoir gasket.It flows out in small amounts like spills.In small drive this doesn't happends.I really doubt whether my engine is over heating.What do you think guys?


Engine IS overheating. Causes ill explain as below.

2.Recently my AC compressor developed a strange habit of switching ON and OFF very frequently(within 10 -20 seconds interval).I know that after switching on AC, the compressor will automatically switches on and off by itself in every vehicle according to temperature or something but here in my case it does this very frequently, even before cooling the cabin efficiently as i have noticed that AC performance has come down. Will it be due to the engine over heating problem?The sound with which the compressor switches on(that clanging sound that we hear when we switch on our AC )is now very frequent and easily noticeable even to co-passengers. There is also heavy drop in engine performance during this switching on and off process, more when compared to early times? I observed that my rpm comes down by 1000 to 1200rpms during this process. Early times i remember that while switching on AC the rpm needle only comes down by some 200 to 400 rpms.(i checked this by cruising the vehicle at about 2500 rpms , when the compressor comes on the rpm comes down to 1500 rpm range and i have to accelerate harder to keep up the momentum now).I have a feeling that the engine performance has decreased recently. Breaking also has decreased. I assume it to be some problem with the engine overheating. What do you think guys? And also when this happens my headlights dims noticeably with every switching on off compressor making night driving difficult as this happens every 10 to 20 seconds.

ECU cuts off the AC when it senses the engine overloading/overheating.

3.Hissing sound(sound like air going out through small gap or more correctly vacuum leak) is heard from back of the steering wheel( or from behind the driverside dashboard area).This sound comes only after running for about 10 kms(experimented) or after the engine heats up. More pronounced when the AC is switched on.This sound suddenly comes up when i reach about 2300 or 2500 + rpm range and is clearly audible in all gears. I couldnt here it when the car is in neutral. The sound comes up at all gears when the rpm reaches about 2400 mark and continues even at higher rpms but at the moment I press down the clutch the sound vanishes and comes again when I have reached the 2400+rpm mark. As I said earlier this sound also appears only after the engine had heated up. On surfing through net I came to know about vacuum leak from some engine component can cause this which inturn can cause poor performance of power steering, power-brake and engine as a whole. Any idea on this point?
The other thing that I have observed is that the radiator fan also switches on and off frequently with AC compressor(simultaneously within 10-20 seconds)
Now to sum up my car now has reduced AC performance, Reduced breaking performance and even reduced engine performance.The throttle response is not correct either as I have to put in more acceleration than usual at various situations.
So guys please help.The problems 2 and 3 are not reported to mass till now as I didn’t get time to get my car to them. My 5th service is due this month and I hope you will give me some suggestions so that I can pin point the matters to them.

Thank you.

You have a Vaccum leak in the intake manifold. As the car heats up, or engine moves or any other reason, the leak increases, which is the hissing sound u hear. The MAP ( Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor in the manifold gets mad with the fluctuating pressure, and so it makes the engine run super lean. A leaner engine will run hotter and give less power. Ill suggest u get the car hooked up to a diagnostic computer and have the MAP values. they should be out of range. Check thoroughly all the Rubber hoses. The brake problem is also related. The brake booster runs on vacuum from the engine manifold. So a leak will lead to reduced braking.

 

[blueeyed]

hi guys

I gave my car for service yesterday.I listed out my problems to them and they told they will check it.Fut in the evening when i received the car i was disappointed.They couldn't figure out my cars AC cut off and hissing problem at all.

1) They are telling that this AC cut off is normal(Don't know how this AC cut off within 10 seconds interval become "NORMAL"). My car is still under extended warranty so do i need to check from another service center?Also after general service(oil change filter clean etc) AC runs more time when switched on before it cuts off for first time.But after that its still the same.Ac compressor clinging at every 10 to 15 seconds.

2)And for Hissing sound they told they didn't got it.I told them to check for vacuum Booster(brake) leak and also told them to check for MAP values through diagnostic tool as suggested by Racerdabba,But they are saying that every values are normal and they have checked all electrical systems with diagnostic tool and found no complaints with the car.. They also told that they havnt found any leak with intake manifold and brake booster. Anyway they just overhauled my brakes.

So guys what do you think?Should i go for some other mechanics?Will it be a problem if i check my car with another service center(i mean with extended warranty)?

And now i have found out another problem.I think my alternator is slowing down (or is it the problem with that belt). Even when the engine is running my headlights dims when i press my brake pedal or my power windows switches.But when the rpm is above 2000 (approx) it don't dims(that much). And the funny part is that on battery(when Engine is off) the lights don't dim when i use my brake or power window switch. how can this happen? headlights dim momentarily whenever i press my accelerator. I heard that a faulty alternator can also cause a growling or hissing sound.So will it be my alternator which is at fault?may be power steering problem is connected to it.Starting has never became a problem till now(that means healthy battery int it?)

Please reply guys

Thank you.

 

[jarpickle]

My Ertiga had developed a similar problem where the cooling wasn't happening because of the cutoff.

This had happened after one of the battery terminals had come loose.

The people at the service station checked the ecu with the ecu reader and reset it to default values and it started working again.

The hissing sound is apparently normal in the Kseries engines.The ertiga has a K14b, the only thing you need to check as Shantanu pointed out is damaged vacuum hoses.If you see any rubber hoses that are dry or frayed ask the service center guys to change those.

The problem with the alternator could be the belt.It needs to be tightened to a specific torque, because new belts flex.The headlight should brighten when you depress the accelerator.

Yes the alternator can cause hissing sound(bad bearings) you can get the alternator checked.

If you say the headlights dim then it sounds like an alternator problem.Get them to change it or service it, which ever is possible according to your warranty.

The alternator bearings wear out if the alternator belt is excessively tightened.Ask them to check the workshop manual and tighten it as specified in there.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Hi Blueeyed,

Can you take a shot of the coolant reservoir closeup showing the green lid clearly? Can you also take one of the green lid open without removing the hose and post it here?

 

[blueeyed]

Hi jarpickle,

My Ertiga had developed a similar problem where the cooling wasn't happening because of the cutoff.

This had happened after one of the battery terminals had come loose.

The people at the service station checked the ecu with the ecu reader and reset it to default values and it started working again.

My Battery terminals are intact.MASS told me that they have checked alll electricals and found nothing problematic.

The hissing sound is apparently normal in the Kseries engines.

But in my case the hissing sound is not present when engine is cold or it appears only after running for a few kms(approx 10kms).Is it also normal.Are you experiencing the same?

I will get the alternator checked.I told them about this problem then one of the service guy told me that if the alternator is at fault then the car should not start.Do you think that hardness of power steering is also connected to loose belt or alternator problem?

Hi highway Ranger here are the pics.I am scared to open it up as i really dont know how.I am totally a noob.

 

[jarpickle]

The important part was ask them to scan the ecu and reset it.

The hissing is normal if its not from the alternator or the AC.

Can you record the said hissing sound?So I can compare it with mine.

 

[Highway Ranger]

Just wanted to check the connections. They are OK.

For my old Zen, the MASS had given wrong connection (interchanged) and almost led to engine seizure.

 

[aashishkul]

Regarding AC problem, i.e. AC getting cut-off oftenly- Amount of gas in the system has reduced, though not to the extent that AC would stop working. What actually happens is that, when gas is lower, the evap coil (behind dashboard) cools down very rapidly causing the temperature of the air to drop to freezing temp. The sensor which senses the temperature of the cooled air, then causes the AC to trip. To verify this, keep AC on idle and see the amount of bubbles from the AC refridgerant inspection window in the bonnet. There should be no bubbles when AC is on. When you switch off the AC, there should be few bubbles and then refridgerant should dissapear. Check these and let me know. I will guide you further.