Maintenance ... why is it required?

Your car has been manufactured to give you economical and trouble free performance. To achieve this please follow the instructions as stated: Your car is entitled to four free services (labour only). The free service coupons are attached to the sales invoice. Please present these coupons to the servicing dealer while availing free service. The free services should be availed of, at the following kms within 2 Years. Indica (Petrol/Diesel): Service after every 5000 kms.

Engine
Engine oil Engine oil reduces friction & thus reduces wear in pistons, bearings & other moving parts. Engine oil also helps in better sealing during combustion of fuel. Engine oil also cools high temperature zones in engine through heat transfer to oil cooler & engine sump. Oil also helps in flushing & cleaning carbon & soot depositing during combustion within the engine. Some amount of oil is lost or consumed in process of all of above. The oil consumption may vary from engine to engine & may also depend on driving condition & usage. It is thus necessary to periodically check & top up the engine oil level. Engine oil gradually loose its said properties with use & is to be periodically changed to restore its effectiveness & improve engine performance & life.

Engine oil filter Engine oil filter removes the impurities accumulated in oil during flushing & cleansing. The accumulation of filtered impurities decreases the filtering capacity of filter, which may lead to greater wear of engine components. Oil filter therefore has to be periodically replaced along with engine oil. Please note that filter is not reusable & cannot be cleaned.

Engine oil / oil filter change recommended India (petrol/diesel) every 10,000 kms for petrol and 7500 kms for Diesel. Indigo / Marina Petrol every 10,000 kms Indigo / Marina diesel every 7,500 kms. Sumo with any engine every 7,500 kms, TC Engine every 10,000 kms.

Safari every 10,000 kms.

Recommended brands of Lubricants Engine oil : Castrol GTD/GTX, Superior D/P Grade 15W40/20W40 for Diesel and Petrol respectively. Hypoy 80 EPT. Golden Cruiser 1400M Premium, Frostox SFD 12

Gear oil Coolant Timing Belt

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Timing belt becomes worn, elongated & hardened with usage. In case of any teeth damage/uprooting the valve timing would get disturbed with major damages to valve train, camshaft & pistons. Thus timing belts are to be periodically checked & replaced as per TML recommendations.

Valve Clearance Valve contact with their seat should be air tight for optimum engine performance. With use the contact surface of valve with seat & camshaft wears off increasing the clearance. The increased clearance results in leakage of compression & thus inefficient engine operation. Valve clearance thus is to be periodically adjusted as per TML recommendations.

Drive Belts Drive belts drive engine auxiliaries like alternator, AC compressor, Power steering pump & radiator fan (in some models). With usage, the drive belts wears out, elongates & hardens. This leads to belt slip which affects the performance of these auxiliaries viz. Battery draining, Less AC cooling, engine overheating etc. The belt tension is thus to be periodically adjusted & belts to be replaced, if damaged. Snapping of belt during drive could be potentially dangerous due to sudden loss of brake & power steering efficiency.

Cooling system The cooling system is sealed & pressurized to improve cooling. For prevention of rust & scaling, which reduces cooling water passages in engine & radiator, coolant is used. The coolant looses its properties gradually due to heat & chemical changes. The coolant is thus to be periodically replaced as per TM recommendation for better efficiency.

The rubber hoses in cooling system harden over a period of time, thereby loosing flexibility in connections or develop cracks. This leads to water leakage, which can overheat & damage the engine. The hose clips are therefore to be tightened periodically & hoses replaced for crack & hardness complaints.

Exhaust Pipe & Catalytic Converters

Exhaust pipe & silencer can corrode due to moisture & sulphides in exhaust gases. Damage to exhaust pipe can also take place due to flying stones hitting the underside of the same. Leakage of exhaust gases lead to air & noise pollution. The noble metal insert in cat con has fine passages for chemical reaction to reduce emission. The passages can get choked gradually with carbon/soot, especially if fuel system is defective & fuel is adulterated. This reduces engine pickup, increases pollution & fuel consumption. The exhaust pipe & catalytic converter are to be periodically cleaned by blowing compressed air.

Catalytic Converter To reduce exhaust pollution, your car is fitted with Catalytic Converter, which removes harmful pollutants. For its proper functioning, we recommend the following fuels to be used: For diesel version it is mandatory to use diesel fuel with sulphur content less than 0.25%. For petrol car use only Unleaded Petrol with octane rating of at least 87%.

Some Donts Do not add detergent or any solvent in Wind Shield Washing water. Do not use High air pressure while cleaning Air Cleaner Element (it may puncture the filter). Do not remove Coolant Bottle Cap hastily. The coolant may be under pressure, may spray out and cause injury. Do not exchange the fuel cap of Petrol vehicle to Diesel vehicle. (Diesel Fuel cap is vented). Never drive the vehicle in engine Switched Off condition and never remove the key in engine Switched On condition. Do not force the wheel in lock position either to the extreme left or right, otherwise it will damage the Power Steering Pump.

Do not reverse battery connection; else it will damage the Electrical. Avoid wiping of painted surface in dry condition. It may lead to scratches. Do not put excessive pressure on top of bonnet to avoid damage.

Electrical & Ignition system

Spark Plugs (Petrol engine) & Glow plugs (Diesel engine) Spark plugs generate spark for fuel ignition. The Spark plug electrodes erode with usage thereby increasing the gap in between. This makes spark generation difficult. The combustion deposits & oil etc, on the electrodes short the current. This results in poor start ability, poor combustion & loss in fuel efficiency. Spark plugs are to be cleaned periodically & gap maintained. Spark plugs are to be replaced as per TML recommendations. Glow plugs preheat Pre combustion chamber for smooth start of diesel engines, & lower emission. The erosion of heating element with usage may result in poor cold start of engine & air pollution. These are to be replaced as per the need.

Battery & Charging system Battery supplies current to ignition system, starter, lamps & other electrical equipment. Battery gets charged through alternator. Battery will discharge, if current used is more than charging current. Battery electrolyte level reduces due to charging/discharging cycle & also due to vaporization. Thus Battery electrolyte level & sp.gravity is to be checked periodically. The electrolyte is to be topped up with distill water only. Alternator belt tension is to be adjusted periodically for maintaining charging efficiency.

Air & Fuel system

Air Cleaner Air filter removes dust particles from engine air intake & ensuring supply of clean air to engine. With usage the filter gets clogged thereby reducing airflow which diminishes engine performance & increases smoke emission. In case of severe clogging, the filter paper in air filter may puncture causing flow of dust, etc into cylinders. This will lead to rapid wear of engine. Air filter is therefore required to be cleaned (by gentle tapping) from time to time & replaced periodically.

Fuel Filter Fuel in fuel tank contains impurities like sediments, dust, moisture, etc which can clog fuel injectors & cause wear & damage to precision Parts in fuel injection system. The fuel filter helps remove impurities & supply of clean fuel. Fuel filter also separates out moisture in fuel, which gets collected in fuel filter housing. With use, filters get clogged & reduce fuel supply to engine leading to loss of power. Excess collection of moisture may lead water flow to fuel injection system leading to rapid wear of FIP components. Water from Fuel filter housing is to be drained from time to time & filters to be replaced periodically as per TML recommendations for optimum performance of fuel system & engine.

Idle speed, Anti stall RPM adjustment Engine idle speed, fast idle peed, Anti stall adjustments influence engine performance, fuel consumption, start ability & transmission shift shock. With usage these parameters may change & thus need periodic adjustments.

Carbon Canister To arrest leakage of evaporated gasoline vapour or other related issue, periodic inspection of carbon canister is needed. Carbon canister is to be replaced as TML recommendations.

Exhaust Smoke By inspection of exhaust smoke - fuel combustion, air & diesel filtration & engine health can be ascertained to a certain extent. Taking timely remedial action can help reduce pollution, save fuel or expensive repair to engine at a later stage.

Chassis & Body System

Clutch pedal Clutch Mechanism is hydraulically operated & consists of parts like Clutch Master Cylinder & Clutch Slave cylinder with pipes in between them for carrying the hydraulic oil & is operated by a part called as clutch cable. In course of time, slackness appears in the Clutch cable. As a result, when you press the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch, the slackness in the cable gives a false impression that the clutch is disengaged. This causes clutch riding thereby damaging the clutch. Clutch pedal height setting is the removal of slackness in the clutch cable. To be done during service as per TML recommendations. Clutch free play (in case of MUVs, incase of cars not required) to be adjusted when you take your vehicle for servicing at regular intervals. Else gear shifting becomes hard. Clutch life gets reduced.

Brake pedal & parking brake Brake pedal height & free play to be ensured as per TML recommendations. Nonconformance of the same will result in ineffective braking. Insufficient parking brake lever travel will cause rear brake shoes to drag on brake drum resulting in poor pickup, excessive fuel consumption when you give more acceleration to increase pickup & excessive heat generation.

Brake linings and drums (Rear Brakes only) Brakes linings are wear and tear items, which wear gradually when it comes into contact with brake drums due to the frictional energy developed between them. To compensate for wear which increases the clearance, periodic adjustment / replacement of linings as per TML recommendation may be required. Please note that use of brake lining beyond the recommended limit results in ineffective braking & damage to brake drum.

Brake pads & discs Brakes pads are wear and tear items, which wear gradually when it comes into contact with brake discs due to the frictional energy, developed between them. Inspection of both brake pads & discs at TML recommended interval is necessary, as on account of excessive wear there is a danger of direct contact between Brake disc & brake pads damaging both.

Brake & clutch fluids Both Clutch & brake systems are hydraulic systems having components like Master Cylinder and Slave cylinder with hydraulic oil in the lines between them. Presence of hydraulic oil helps in easy brake & clutch application. Fluid level may go down due to leakages. The same has to be topped up & leak arrested. Periodically check brake & clutch fluid level. With usage, of brake fluid looses its properties. The same is to be replaced as per TML recommendation for optimum performance of the brakes.

Power Steering Oils Power steering principle makes use of hydraulic oil power to assist easy steering operation. Insufficient power steering oil will result in steering operation becoming heavy & noisy. Hence periodic check of Power steering oil level in the power steering reservoir as per TML recommendation is necessary. This will help identify leaks, if any.

Steering wheel and linkages Over a period of time, play or looseness develops in the steering wheel. Also, joints in steering linkage, gears in the gear housing and bearings get worn out leading to steering problems and also affecting vehicle handling. As such, periodically as per TML recommendation, it needs to be checked.

Transmission oil & differential oil Oil reduces friction & wears between the mating gears and at the same time absorbs the tremendous heat, which is developed on account of rubbing of gears. With passage of time, the oil loses its viscosity & it lubricating property due to continuous usage. Hence transmission & differential oil is to be replaced at recommended interval as per TML recommendations.

Hub greasing Hub greasing at periodic interval is necessary for smooth operations of wheels. Use of genuine grease is also necessary, as non-use of the same may result in damage to wheel bearings in turn affecting smooth operation of the wheel.

Tyres Over the period of time, the wear pattern of Front tyres is seen to be different when compared to Rear. Reason: The front wheels are steered resulting in faster wear of front tyres when compared to rear. Hence Tyre rotation to be done at TML recommended interval so that wear pattern of all tyres becomes uniform. This helps in increasing the tyre life and improves vehicle handling and ride. Maintain tyre pressures as per recommendations to ensure smooth ride & better tyre life.

Tyre inflation:
Properly inflated tyres give you the best combination of riding comfort, tyre life and fuel economy. Over inflated tyres are more prone to uneven wear and damage from road hazards. They make the car ride bumpy and harsh. Under inflated tyres reduce your comfort in car handling and are prone to wearing out due to high temperature caused by increased friction. They cause uneven wear and more fuel consumption due to rolling resistance.

Recommended Tyre Pressure for unloaded vehicle:

Vehicle Indica Sumo Safari Indigo Front 30 psi 26 psi 32 psi 28 psi Rear 28 psi 26 psi 35 psi 28psi

Front & rear Suspension

Consists of springs, shock absorbers, arm, rods, etc. which support the vehicle body on axles. Shock absorbers are provided to absorb road shocks & ensure smooth ride. With usage, these components wear out and would cause change in wheel alignment values resulting in inferior ride & vehicle handling. As such periodic checkup / adjustment and replacement of the parts & wheel alignment is required.

All lights, horns & wipers

Lights are provided to help you to navigate roads during nighttime. Horns also help you to inform others of the presence of your vehicle. Wipers help you in smooth driving during rainy seasons. Non-operation of any of the above will hamper driving. Periodic check-up, during servicing, of the above is necessary.

Some Emergency Service Tips

These tips are to be followed in case of an emergency. The vehicle should then be attended to in an Authorized Service outlet. S.No. 1. Problem Observed Engine not cranking Probable Cause Loose or bad Battery / Electrical connections Air in the fuel system Engine fan not working Fuse blown in the circuit. Loose connectors. Circuit relay / controllers loose in the base. Action to be taken Check ignition fuse. Clean and tighten connections. Get the air removed by bleeding. Check/replace the cooling fan fuse. Replace the fuse if blown. Get the Connection properly tightened / fixed. Fix the relay firmly.

2. 3. 4.

Engine cranks but does not start Engine overheats Non-functional electrical accessories such as power windows, head lamps, fuel and temp. Gauge, RPM meter, wiper and washer unit and all lamps