Strange Engine Issues With My Used Maruti 800

[ss80]

Hi all,

I was discussing just a few days back with all of you about my Car. Yesterday morning on my way to office, my car started jerking (as if low on fuel) and pick up was so low.

Immediate actions by me:
I went to the petrol bunk & put 3 - 4litres of fuel (to the existing 3+litres in the tank), that did not solve my problem so stopped the car at a lonely spot (so that I dont create a traffic jam on a saturday morning) and inspected if the tyres were rubbing against the bumper or any other body part. Luckily no such wheel related issues. Opened the bonnet and looked for any visible damage/ electrical wires cut etc..Everything seemed normal.

I thought may be engine is still cold so drove in the same condition till Queen's Road (approx 7kms from my home) and problem became bigger (car just doesnt cross 30kmph in any gear!) I pulled over to a Maruti Service Center there. The service advisor took a small test drive and came back to me with a confused facial expression. Then the below conversation went on

(SA = Service Advisor)

Me: Why is this jerking things happening?
SA: I have to look into it (opens the bonnet, pulls out the wires going towards the spark plug & one wire from the ignition coil) hmmmm may be an issue with these loose wires/ an issue with the engine head

Me: Sweating & worried
SA: Approx bill is 1800INR for Replacing the window glass roller for my driver side door & in & out cleaning of the car.

I was somewhat okay as he said he will try to keep the bill around 1200INR
I left the place & evening I am back at the M.A.S.S. &

Me: Sir, Have you fixed it?
SA: Hmmm we could not fix the jerking issue as the problem is "WE COULD NOT REMOVE THE SPARK PLUGS" & the ENGINE HEAD needs to be removed and sent for lathe work. Total cost would be around 22K & since you already told me half hour back over the phone, we have not touched the engine works. Window roller replaced & car is totally clean. However we have billed you only for body wash & interior cleaning is free (what he meant is - "I did it for free, so give me some tips before you leave").

Me: Common, I have bought this car few weeks back and have not used for more than 250kms till now & already engine issues!
SA: If you are worried about the big bill, then try contacting some local mechanic, they will do it for a lesser price.

Me: Can you brief me once again in simple terms what exactly is causing this jerking in my car?
SA: Hmmmmm, the head needs to be given to lathe & the spark plug threading has gone....(murmurr...), Sir just give it to any mechanic, the moment he goes for a trial he will know.

Me: What About brakes? How much would it cost to sharpen them?
SA: Replacing brake pads & shoes would cost a total of 1800INR for all four wheels. But do it when you give it for a full service, labour cost will be slightly less.

I Paid 735 for cleaning & door glass regulator thing & left the place with the sadest face on Earth kind of expression. I took my car to the dealer (driving in the same jerking manner) who sold me the car & told him the whole conversation with the M.A.S.S, He smiles at me and says -"The music system etc wires could have something with the grounding in the car" Go to my mechanic (refers a name & number) and show him. He will fix in half hour! for a mere 100/ 200 INR.

I came home last night and confused and slept pretty late. This morning I remembered that all this issue could have been caused by the bumper cleaning activity I did on Saturday morning. So I again removed the bumper, check if I have cut/ torn any wires. Nope, everything seems to be fine.

Then comes another shock, ICE stops working (2 out of four speakers dont work) So took it to my known car battery & electricals workshop. He calls another mechanic and I explained him the issue with jerking. He took a trial drive & he says "350rupees & I will fix it, your car will run just like it used to without any jerking. I have 15yrs experience in this field" He is just 30yrs old, looks like 20yr old.

I trust him & allowed him to go ahead, he worked on my car for 1hour and says this is so ridiculous, I would not charge 2000INR even in my dreams! He said the issue was with some ignition wire & one of the spark plugs was not working.

When the mechanic was working, the electrician declared that 3 out of the 4 speakers are fine, the IC in the player has fused/ burnt. So I removed all the speakers in the car. There were too many joints in the wires that go the rear speakers (from the dashboard).

In the meantime, the mechanic replaced the non working spark plug & put a new one, cleaned the rest of the two & adjusted the gap between (electrodes I guess) those two points. I just went for to recharge mobile & have a tea. I come back (in less than 10mins).

I AM SHOCKED! He has fixed all the spark plugs, grill & replaced wires. Adjusted throttle (idling) & is waiting for me. I took the car for test drive & was damn happy. Smooth, same old pick up, no jerking, hit 70kmph comfortably and all electricals are working fine!

I paid him the money
Labour - 350
Spark Plug - 75
Clips - 5
Wires - 20

TOTAL= Rs.450/-

I am seriously confused now, has the mechanic done a temporary fix and pushed the car back to me? Or is he really a genius?

The MASS guy told me that this isnt a small issue and jerking would just not stop till I get the lathe work done (spend 22K to get a smooth engine).

& Why did the M.A.S.S guy say, he could not even remove spark plugs (exact words by the SA are: " SPARK PLUG threading IS STUCK, WE COULD NOT EVEN REMOVE IT), the mechanic removed the spark plugs right in front of me, but the usual tools (T-spanner) dint remove it, he had a custom made one for such cases!

If the SA is speaking truth am I headed for a 30K bill?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, what exactly could be the issue? I also removed the reverse gear music thing (thanks Varun, I found it attached to the left side rear lights) & also there was something behind the bumper (similar to reverse gear music and it was connected to the main wire (red colour & the negative was connected to the body of the car). I removed that too.

Please share your opinions about the strange issue in my car. I am ttaching pictures of the car parts that I removed too.

Sorry for the long post, but I have not slept since last evening. Totally worried, I have not yet paid even the first EMI of my car loan and this happened.

Thanks in advance.

I had removed this thing on saturday morning.




does not work, no noise, no light (no bulbs) nothing, just sits hiding behind the bumper, so i had removed it.


This is how the thing was attached on saturday morning, before I cut it out
Mistaking it for the music thing


This is the actual thing, that makes the reverse noise


removed it & cleaned the bulbs & the reflector glasses


The rear speakers & all unwanted things removed


Slight oil leak continues


Just replaced a screw holding the bumper on the left side


Pictures of the new door pads I installed



Seat covers need replacement soon.


This part had a plastic, which was loose. They removed it & forgot to fix I guess. (MASS - needs to be more careful with customer cars, especially rattling ones)


How do i remove this part to see the drum brakes?

 

[350Z]

Glad that issue has been resolved finally. Do not worry as long as the car is working fine. It has happened with me a several times when authorized workshops quoted a higher sum where as a local mechanic fixed it at cost of peanuts and the car is still working fine. I would recommend looking out for a local garage (but reputed) around your area that you can rely upon for a few issues and cross-verifying. Also, remember not to fiddle with the electrical unless you are totally sure about them.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Varun560061]

I guess it was the problem with spark plugs or the other one is the spark plug cords .

Recently I faced the same issue I took it to the MASS they told that my car's Throttle
Position sensor was gone costs 5000 +. I my self diagnosed the issue by replacing the spark plug cords cost 600rs !!

So now decided, not to visit MASS any more..

 

[ss80]

So now decided, not to visit MASS any more..

Same Pinch, I really dont want to visit MASS any more. Thanks, your reply on other thread helped in figuring out the reverse tone thing .

Glad that issue has been resolved finally. Do not worry as long as the car is working fine. It has happened with me a several times when authorized workshops quoted a higher sum where as a local mechanic fixed it at cost of peanuts and the car is still working fine. I would recommend looking out for a local garage (but reputed) around your area that you can rely upon for a few issues and cross-verifying. Also, remember not to fiddle with the electrical unless you are totally sure about them.

Drive Safe,
350Z

Yes, I fully agree.

 

[singh890]

I guess the issue was caused due to Spark Plugs. I faced similar kind of a issue once. And for 800 i would say you really don't want to go to MASS. In 8 years of our ownership for our 800 we haven't been to MASS i guess single time.

And so far we have come across no issues and our 800 has clocked almost 92K. And still runs great.

 

[joe-ker]

I guess the issue was caused due to Spark Plugs. I faced similar kind of a issue once. And for 800 i would say you really don't want to go to MASS. In 8 years of our ownership for our 800 we haven't been to MASS i guess single time.

Agree..

And so far we have come across no issues and our 800 has clocked almost 92K. And still runs great.

Any roadside mechanic would have been servicing 800s since he started his trade. No need to go to mass at all.
Find a local guy who does clean work and stick with him.

 

[ss80]

Fixing most of the things (simple & easy to learn/do) myself, yet to touch the mechanicals. MASS will simply bill me a good percentage of my car's cost everytime I visit them. I too would prefer a local guy or myself :)

 

[s.santosh2k]

Hello,
I have a similar issue with my Maruti 800 , atlast the mechanic told it could be carbonaization in the car which is casuing the problem , but I do not rely on the MArutri service center guys. can you provide the number or contact for the local service center you tried at ?

 

[ss80]

Santosh you can meet one of TAI members in Bangalore, either myself or Varun or Rpm2500, we should be able to tell you the source of the issue & may be even the solution. Then you can visit any garage with clear idea on what needs to be done & how much it might cost.

I will PM you some more info.

 

[Udit]

I did a 140 kms journey today in my 800 mpfi. Journey was smooth, speed was around 60 - 80 throughout and there were three passengers in the car. But I felt few jerks as if there is no fuel in the tank in first and second gears, the problem subsided after accelerating further. Is there anything serious I should check ?

 

[ameyam]

If everything else checks out, jerky rides are likely to be a engine issue. I mean if you have a normally aspirated car, jerks imply either a ignition lead or distributor issue. If you have MPFI, you can have lead or fuel pump issue. In both the above cases, you can have spark plug issues. Misfires due to spark plug, lead, distrubitor or insufficient fuel supply problems will cause jerky rides
Spark plugs fitted at the company last long, upto 80k km. Most 800s will have completed more distance than that, so it would be time to replace them. Sometimes, the plug head gets so corroded, it is not possible to remove easily. The mechanics who work on these all the time know the tips and tricks of removal. For the MASS, the 800 is phased out, so the mechanics there may have trouble with the plugs. Plus MASS guys are plain nuts in any case in my opinion


Case in point- just a month after I got my Swift, a truck next to me pulled my passenger side ORVM forward. It broke the lock but the mirror remained in place, only rotated towards the bonnet. Plus the housing was cracked. The MASS told me that cost + painting would be 1100Rs. My trusted mechanic asked me to get the housing from a MS authorised retailer and he painted and installed it, all within 300Rs!
When I gave my car for second service, they suggested so many things I didn't want- even suggested to replace the gear knob with a new design. I liked it but these guys were wrestling with the gear stick to remove the stock knob and its hood!. Finally I told them the car was telling it didn't want the knob replaced


In any case, if you are replacing plugs, it makes sense to replace the entire set. That way you will get consistent performance and smooth ride
Ameyam

 

[Nitishmurpani]

Dear All,

I have maruti 800 2000 model. i was facing jerk problem while slowing down my car as when we leave pedal while slowing it happens. i went to local workshop, he replaced the point condenser as he was saying that the ignition coil is heating. and he did the tuning of delco and mixture screw. car was running good after that but new problem occurred, while driving car suppose im going 40kmph continuously when i try to overtake any car it start jerking kinda missing. i went to car workshop guy and told him the issue he and even told him this problem wasn't there before he worked on it. he said i have to check car all over these symptoms maybe occur becz of carburettor or something he said he try to tune up under valve cover. plz suggest what i do.

 

[Rahul401]

Dear All,

I have maruti 800 2000 model. i was facing jerk problem while slowing down my car as when we leave pedal while slowing it happens. i went to local workshop, he replaced the point condenser as he was saying that the ignition coil is heating. and he did the tuning of delco and mixture screw. car was running good after that but new problem occurred, while driving car suppose im going 40kmph continuously when i try to overtake any car it start jerking kinda missing. i went to car workshop guy and told him the issue he and even told him this problem wasn't there before he worked on it. he said i have to check car all over these symptoms maybe occur becz of carburettor or something he said he try to tune up under valve cover. plz suggest what i do.

If your 800 is a carb model, tell the mechanic to clean the 'jet' located behind the carb. It normally resolves the jerk issue.

 

[Kings800]

hi sir,

can i have the mechanic number or the address air i have the same issue in my car.

Hi all,

I was discussing just a few days back with all of you about my Car. Yesterday morning on my way to office, my car started jerking (as if low on fuel) and pick up was so low.

Immediate actions by me:
I went to the petrol bunk & put 3 - 4litres of fuel (to the existing 3+litres in the tank), that did not solve my problem so stopped the car at a lonely spot (so that I dont create a traffic jam on a saturday morning) and inspected if the tyres were rubbing against the bumper or any other body part. Luckily no such wheel related issues. Opened the bonnet and looked for any visible damage/ electrical wires cut etc..Everything seemed normal.

I thought may be engine is still cold so drove in the same condition till Queen's Road (approx 7kms from my home) and problem became bigger (car just doesnt cross 30kmph in any gear!) I pulled over to a Maruti Service Center there. The service advisor took a small test drive and came back to me with a confused facial expression. Then the below conversation went on

(SA = Service Advisor)

Me: Why is this jerking things happening?
SA: I have to look into it (opens the bonnet, pulls out the wires going towards the spark plug & one wire from the ignition coil) hmmmm may be an issue with these loose wires/ an issue with the engine head

Me: Sweating & worried
SA: Approx bill is 1800INR for Replacing the window glass roller for my driver side door & in & out cleaning of the car.

I was somewhat okay as he said he will try to keep the bill around 1200INR
I left the place & evening I am back at the M.A.S.S. &

Me: Sir, Have you fixed it?
SA: Hmmm we could not fix the jerking issue as the problem is "WE COULD NOT REMOVE THE SPARK PLUGS" & the ENGINE HEAD needs to be removed and sent for lathe work. Total cost would be around 22K & since you already told me half hour back over the phone, we have not touched the engine works. Window roller replaced & car is totally clean. However we have billed you only for body wash & interior cleaning is free (what he meant is - "I did it for free, so give me some tips before you leave").

Me: Common, I have bought this car few weeks back and have not used for more than 250kms till now & already engine issues!
SA: If you are worried about the big bill, then try contacting some local mechanic, they will do it for a lesser price.

Me: Can you brief me once again in simple terms what exactly is causing this jerking in my car?
SA: Hmmmmm, the head needs to be given to lathe & the spark plug threading has gone....(murmurr...), Sir just give it to any mechanic, the moment he goes for a trial he will know.

Me: What About brakes? How much would it cost to sharpen them?
SA: Replacing brake pads & shoes would cost a total of 1800INR for all four wheels. But do it when you give it for a full service, labour cost will be slightly less.

I Paid 735 for cleaning & door glass regulator thing & left the place with the sadest face on Earth kind of expression. I took my car to the dealer (driving in the same jerking manner) who sold me the car & told him the whole conversation with the M.A.S.S, He smiles at me and says -"The music system etc wires could have something with the grounding in the car" Go to my mechanic (refers a name & number) and show him. He will fix in half hour! for a mere 100/ 200 INR.

I came home last night and confused and slept pretty late. This morning I remembered that all this issue could have been caused by the bumper cleaning activity I did on Saturday morning. So I again removed the bumper, check if I have cut/ torn any wires. Nope, everything seems to be fine.

Then comes another shock, ICE stops working (2 out of four speakers dont work) So took it to my known car battery & electricals workshop. He calls another mechanic and I explained him the issue with jerking. He took a trial drive & he says "350rupees & I will fix it, your car will run just like it used to without any jerking. I have 15yrs experience in this field" He is just 30yrs old, looks like 20yr old.

I trust him & allowed him to go ahead, he worked on my car for 1hour and says this is so ridiculous, I would not charge 2000INR even in my dreams! He said the issue was with some ignition wire & one of the spark plugs was not working.

When the mechanic was working, the electrician declared that 3 out of the 4 speakers are fine, the IC in the player has fused/ burnt. So I removed all the speakers in the car. There were too many joints in the wires that go the rear speakers (from the dashboard).

In the meantime, the mechanic replaced the non working spark plug & put a new one, cleaned the rest of the two & adjusted the gap between (electrodes I guess) those two points. I just went for to recharge mobile & have a tea. I come back (in less than 10mins).

I AM SHOCKED! He has fixed all the spark plugs, grill & replaced wires. Adjusted throttle (idling) & is waiting for me. I took the car for test drive & was damn happy. Smooth, same old pick up, no jerking, hit 70kmph comfortably and all electricals are working fine!

I paid him the money
Labour - 350
Spark Plug - 75
Clips - 5
Wires - 20

TOTAL= Rs.450/-

I am seriously confused now, has the mechanic done a temporary fix and pushed the car back to me? Or is he really a genius?

The MASS guy told me that this isnt a small issue and jerking would just not stop till I get the lathe work done (spend 22K to get a smooth engine).

& Why did the M.A.S.S guy say, he could not even remove spark plugs (exact words by the SA are: " SPARK PLUG threading IS STUCK, WE COULD NOT EVEN REMOVE IT), the mechanic removed the spark plugs right in front of me, but the usual tools (T-spanner) dint remove it, he had a custom made one for such cases!

If the SA is speaking truth am I headed for a 30K bill?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, what exactly could be the issue? I also removed the reverse gear music thing (thanks Varun, I found it attached to the left side rear lights) & also there was something behind the bumper (similar to reverse gear music and it was connected to the main wire (red colour & the negative was connected to the body of the car). I removed that too.

Please share your opinions about the strange issue in my car. I am ttaching pictures of the car parts that I removed too.

Sorry for the long post, but I have not slept since last evening. Totally worried, I have not yet paid even the first EMI of my car loan and this happened.

Thanks in advance.
View attachment 42806
I had removed this thing on saturday morning.

View attachment 42807

View attachment 42808
does not work, no noise, no light (no bulbs) nothing, just sits hiding behind the bumper, so i had removed it.

View attachment 42809
This is how the thing was attached on saturday morning, before I cut it out
Mistaking it for the music thing

View attachment 42811
This is the actual thing, that makes the reverse noise

View attachment 42810
removed it & cleaned the bulbs & the reflector glasses

View attachment 42812
The rear speakers & all unwanted things removed

View attachment 42814
Slight oil leak continues

View attachment 42815
Just replaced a screw holding the bumper on the left side

View attachment 42816
Pictures of the new door pads I installed

View attachment 42817

Seat covers need replacement soon.
View attachment 42818

This part had a plastic, which was loose. They removed it & forgot to fix I guess. (MASS - needs to be more careful with customer cars, especially rattling ones)
View attachment 42819

How do i remove this part to see the drum brakes?

 

[Kings800]

hi all,

My Maruti 800 1999 Carb model also facing the same issue, some times it goes normal without any issues but some times if i driver around 25 - 30 km engine goes off automatically and fan starts rotating at high speed

things changed
1. Fuel Pump
2. Ignition coil
3. radiator Cleaned completely
4. coolant oil changed
5. Carburetor cleaned
6. Distributor cap changed.
7. Rotor Changed.

can any one suggest what would be the reason.

thanks in advance.