Maruti Swift Ownership Review. All thoughts on Swift Diesel Experience

Maruti Swift Ownership Review Detailed. All from Owner Experience of a 5 Year Old Swift Zdi Diesel in respect to Pros, Cons of Car

Maruti Swift Ownership Review

I am not very good in writing interesting reviews! Anyways during this Covid 19 lock down period with surplus time in hand and after successfully completing a full DIY general services (AC cabin filter change, Engine Air Filter change, Engine Flush, Engine Oil and Oil filter Change, Complete Coolant flush and refill, New battery, tire pressure etc.) for my Swift ZDI 2015 model.

I decided to type in my thoughts. Maybe it could qualify as an honest ownership review. Yes! 2015 Swift is an old topic , one of the most commonly discussed and everyone already know everything about it.

So why this post? That too even after few months the company discontinued the model being discussed, Why ?

Well I just love this machine and sincerely hope there could be thousands of others out there who own the same model and intending to run it for many more years to come. Until this model which at a point of time was the favorite car in the country, completely cease to be used for daily drives. Maybe we can all add and improve on this post with as much details as possible to be on a single consolidated post covering every detail and real user experience running, maintaining and repairing this machine.

There could be other similar posts however hoping recently joined interested members could at least participate. Maybe this post could benefit others who have similar questions or thoughts in future. Who knows? Always wished for to adding my own post on Swift Long Term Ownership Review one day. So here I am attempting the same hoping that all would go through fine for me. Again for an already discontinued model I do not wish to focus right from the start with my booking experience, PDI or taking delivery , first impressions and stuff like that.

I intend to share overall actual user experience mainly my own feelings and doubts, maintenance jobs and hurdles faced resolving issues while running it and stuff like that. Nowadays all are after video reviews and may not even have enough patience to sit and read a lot of text, however I am determined to type in my thoughts. So here I go and kindly bear with me. I have typed my random thoughts and some may not completely agree and kindly excuse as I am not an automobile expert but just narrating a layman's user experience and thoughts.

All I am writing is based on my actual experiences and how I felt and looking forward for some valuable suggestions and corrections from experienced senior community members if they don't mind. Also the sole reason for posting is maybe to instill a healthy discussion if possible and I sincerely hope it's going to be just another simple humble ownership review from a newbie on this forum. 

Dream of My Own Vehicle

From my childhood memories of stories I have heard and read. Interesting Men and Women always had their own mode of transport. Be it the fictious Magic Carpets, Spears, tigers or the realistic horses and chariots and what not. I used to envisage or envision "myself the lines from the poem "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening' by Robert Frost in a wanderlust perspective. In my mind I am seeing a determined and aspiring traveler on his beloved transport.

As for me the lines "My little horse must think it queer" and He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake is quite motivational enabling you to keep promises. And miles to go And miles to go before you sleep. Poems or any other literary work can have different perspectives. Different people see it differently and would find a different meaning. I am least interested to analyze the philosophy of what the poet actually intended. In other words from the young age of twelve I can see myself associated with own transportation and it always used to be my favorite possessions all the time.

Starting with a BSA Cycle, Ind Suzuki 100CC 2 stroke bike, Yamaha Libero 100CC 4 stroke bike, 2006 Maruti Alto LXI, 2012 Maruti Ritz VDI ,2015 Swift ZDI and currently aspiring for a reliable EV for the future. I have grown up in a family that had many vehicles and people running and maintaining them. At a point of time early mornings when I wake up and come in front of our ancestral home there used to be at least 6 vehicles including cars, jeeps, tempos and lorries with drivers and cleaners prepping them for the days work. From those days I could also remember my father with a scooter or bike. I still remember the days he would completely disassemble and rebuild his Royal Enfield Crusader bike and original Piagio Vespa scooter all by himself at home. I can still remember and feel the smell of petrol and oil from those vehicles. Well believe I have written enough an introduction to showcase my association with automobiles.

As you can see I have used only affordable, easy to maintain and economical bikes and cars so far. For me owning a bike or car is not prestige but for the practical convenience and value for money performance it can offer. Rather than sheer power delivery I would prefer reliable, easy to maintain and economically viable transport. I would use it to run carelessly all my daily errands, interstate runs as my family and work spanned across TN,KA and Kerala. I love long road trips driving across the country and have even driven to neighboring counters that allows a driving permit. When I decided to give away my immaculately maintained Ritz VDI most of my close friends advised me to go for a sub four meter SUV and opt out of Maruti.

However by that time I had clearly understood the fact for a four wheeler other than cost and mileage it's all about the Seating Position, Suspensions, Rim Size, Tire Profile & GC !

Maruti Swift Diesel

In India from 2005 to present looking at the entire hatch backs and sub 4 meter suv offers ,one thing I had learned is the overall best experience you can have is still with the Swift 185/65 R15 with a GC of 170 mm.(In 2015 there was the Duster, but still I do not least regret choosing Swift ZDI) Most sub 4 meter suvs are a trade off either on GC or lower profile tires on larger rims not suitable for Indian roads ! For an SUV there should be at least a 65 or 70 profile tires. That's totally my personal opinion. In nowadays trend owning a Maruti is considered cheap and as lack of appreciation to aesthetics, quality and safety. I have seen people who have grown up with Maruti and eventually moved to other brands blaming Maruti for poor quality. However interestingly I have also witnessed same people still earnestly opting for Maruti fleet for deliveries and daily runs for their businesses.

Yes I accept Maruti build quality in entry level segments is not very good. But they were real value for money until December 2019. Now with new BS6 norms we have to wait to  understand the emerging trends CNG or EV and still not convinced fossil fuels could be completely abandoned. At least for the next 20 years! Anyways thanks a lot to all those self proclaimed environment warriors. Now in 2020 they have finally succeeded in killing India's most fuel efficient and economical diesel engine. And what options do we get now? Still more larger diesel versions, claiming lower emissions at a much more hefty pricing. What would be the final outcome we have to wait and watch. I see no point and totally irritated with rising fuel costs ,car prices, higher loan interest rates, and higher maintenance costs. So now I have "The Swift ZDI 2015" and I intend to keep it running.

I repeat it's the Swift ZDI and not LDI or VDI. ZDI in 2015 was a class apart considering Maruti features and pricing. With factory Key Less Entry & Remote Central Locking, Electrically adjustable & foldable ORVMs, Manual Day & Night Rear View mirror adjustment, All 4 Power windows, Auto door lock and unlock, rear Parking Sensors, Security Alarms and Shock detection alarms, Front and Rear Defoggers with Rear Windshield Wiper and washer, 3 speed windshield wipers, Steering Mounted audio ,volume ,Bluetooth phone controls, Climate control AC, USB and Cigarette lighter ports, Pop-out passenger side cup holder, ABS with EBD, Dual Air Bags, Press button boot open, Music System supporting AUX,CD,FM,USB & Bluetooth which can be paired with your phone. 4 Door Speakers and 2 Tweeters producing really good audio. I personally feel once you pair your Phone or Tablet with CAR AUDIO then you will not miss the latest nowadays much boasted about touch infotainment systems.

Except for rear view camera. If you could live without rear view camera then still in 2020 you have mostly all essential like to have features a car could offer. Also it came with 15" Alloys with MRF ZVTV 185/65 R15 Tubeless tires. So if you were mainly after the economics of car owning and running it with reasonable features, comfort and resale value. Then in India Maruti was your best option and Swift  ZDI matched with most of my requirements. Above all by that time I had developed a clear understanding and was confident of how Maruti vehicles perform and how to maintain them after sale.

Also I felt kind of loyalty towards the brand that enabled me with Alto in 2006 which was my first car ! Buying my first car was on a sudden impulse to beat the searing Chennai weather for daily Commuting. Alto was a very pleasant, memorable and successful decision and it was a used car. Best part it even fetched me nearly the same amount I purchased it at the time it was sold after 5+ Years of service.

Not to forget I had maintained it so well and had added Premium Seat Covers, Body Colored bumpers, ORVMS, Music System, Alloys with Michelin tires etc. Thoroughly serviced and maintained. It was 1.20L on ODO but with all that perfect engine services and genuine part replacements, it could easily do another 1 Lakh with no any major issues. After Alto I upgraded to Ritz VDI which was another awesome car from Maruti stable. It was an absolute pleasure to upgrade and drive around in Ritz VDI coming from Alto. In Ritz the front driver and passenger seats are so very comfortable. The front seating positions are so good and it definitely gives you that tall boy SUVish feel they claimed in their advertisements. Ritz front seating position is even better than of Swift however it lacked a little with handling. Many would not like the rear design of Ritz but I was OK. Also at that time Ritz was a newer Maruti model and most other technical specifications were same as of swift and costed much less. Ritz was an amazing car and with the diesel price benefit those days it was a pleasure owning it. Long trips were fun and I did 1Lakh on Ritz in just 3 years even when I had other office arranged daily Commute. The only reason to switch to Swift ZDI was in 2015 I relocated to Bangalore permanently and at that point of time Kaveri water issues between KA & TN was at its peak. I was getting stopped on a daily basis by Police and RTO. Again inter state vehicle movements had some ridiculous clause which I believe are not much of a concern nowadays. So I simply drove into a Maruti showroom and exchanged it for a Swift ZDI. Well on economic terms I could have gained more if I had sold it myself. However at that point I had many other important things in life to be busy with and felt the Maruti offer reasonable, safe and reliable.

One major advantage I have experienced with Maruti cars are these easy hassle free exchange options. Though you very well know dealer is making good money, overall with their exchange offers, loyalty bonuses, new car discounts etc you can some how bear it. And the best relief is you know you are getting the most popular car model in India with an assured resale value.

For the last couple of years Diesel car vs Petrol is the biggest myth! Considering the hefty price difference on a new diesel car, higher taxes, insurance, maintenance costs and a max life of 9 years from now, for an average car user a Petrol/CNG car will be less in cost to run and easy to maintain. A normal car user may not use the same car above 1.5 Lakhs KMs or more to even start reaping any benefit from a diesel model. At present the only way to satisfy that inner urge, if you are only after economics of car owning and running it, then look for good CNG options. Check the Hundai Aura or Nios which have good looks, features, good pricing and less taxes. Most of the manufacturers are now going to come up with better features in CNG models.

Otherwise the best option is EV. EV cars are the present and in couple of years EV will be the standard for city driving. Going forward CNG or EV would be the only options to be considered if you are looking for cheaper fuel costs. As only BS6 fuels will be available the count down for BS4 vehicles  have already begun. Being lower on  Sulphur content BS6 Diesel with less lubricant is likely to wear down fuel injectors. Fuel injectors for main stream BS4 diesel vehicles could be on high demand then. Also may have to spend extra on costly additives to maintain BS4 diesel engines. With all that being said I am still an ardent diesel fan for the torque and the feel of a diesel engine which is awesome! 

Maruti Swift Exterior

Swift indeed is India's MINI Cooper. I feel 2015 Model swift the best looking among the old models and I personally like this model better than the latest on going models. The car has decent looks for a hatch back. I have replaced factory front black Grilles with Jaguar type chrome finish ones which I personally like very much and really enhances the looks of the car. Apart from that I have only added door visors, Rear spoiler, Sill Guards, scuff plates, swift default door and bumper guards. On the rear boot lid have added a chrome finish strip etc.

Those times Maruti seemed least bothered about aesthetics. I am not against reasonable modifications and I have tried my fair share in the past. Nowadays I would prefer to have factory fitted accessories than after market and on this Swift apart from the above mentioned cosmetics everything else is stock. Most modifications I see nowadays on YouTube and social media are centered on mere looks alone. Many modifications especially of tires and body kits are simply overkill and completely ruining the car performance, mileage and GC.

I feel for swift 185/65 R15 factory size gives the best value and performance or at the max 205/65 R15 any others you need to sacrifice tire profile which simply isn't suitable for Indian roads. Or you may super charge the engine and re-map with modified suspensions preserving tire profile, where you can at least justify with more power and handling. Newer models though they offer better features and mileage they tend to look OK but feel much more lighter and small. Maybe I am stuck with the old 2015 design still. Maruti cannot be compared for build quality however I feel old 2015 model at least felt more sturdy. One other relevant factor I would like to mention When we complain of Maruti's build quality except for safety during a real fatal accident.

The cost to repair damages or part replacement of a Maruti car is always going to be cheaper than other brands. I mean for minor dents and scratches which are sure to happen in city driving. However safety is something we cannot afford to overlook and quantify for nominal economic gains. At 45K on ODO I got a puncture on one of the front tires while in between a wild life crossing zone at around 6:30PM and couldn't stop as it was getting dark. So drove around 10 to 15 Kms or more with the puncture and that damaged the tire beyond repair. So at 45K changed all 4 tires with Yokohama Earth-1 185/65R15 88H. With Yokohama the handling and ride quality really improved and I would say Yokohama Earth-1 is the best tire for Indian roads. On highways now it's a breeze to drive and these tires are really very durable. Will discuss more on tire pressure and ride quality later. I have also used Michelin tires in the past and they are even more softer and would offer the best comfort driving in good roads. However seem to have lesser tire life. Lot of people usually also upgrade the headlight units with projector or more powerful bulbs, fog lamps, DRLs etc. However I have maintained everything stock and have found no much difficulty driving different terrains in the dark.

I generally avoid late night driving in long trips and in city driving I drive around in dim only. I often feel irritated with people driving in city or halted at signals with such powerful after market headlights full ON which isn't even legal. Also not a fan of too much stickering or wrappings. There are clear clauses in MVD rules for car color change and endorsing the same in RC. Swift 2015 model also has a good looking antenna. I like it, not bad I would say.

Maruti Swift Interior

The car has decent Interiors. Plastic quality of the dash ,cup holders etc. are not the best in segment however they are OK. I really like the 2015 Swift meter console and wish there was also an option to change meter lighting from default orange to something bluish or greenish. In fact I still have not started liking the latest complete digital only meter consoles that come in newer vehicles. The average fuel economy and range display adds value. Front passenger side pop-out cup holder is quite nice, really like it and very convenient while with a cup of coffee and trying to have a snack. Dash storage area is sufficient and can hold a lot of items. Passenger side Sun visor has a mirror and have noticed people using it. I have added some wooden finish beadings to AC air vents, center console and door handles. I think it gives a kind of premium feel. There are fabric inserts on doors and silver interior door handles and handbrake button.

I have added genuine Swift seat covers and have maintained the black and silver theme. I wanted to also add 7D floor mats but considering how mats are handled during car washes I decided to go with TRD high flexible rubber mats with grips for flooring. Have the default factory flooring below it, I only run with AC always ON and interiors for this reason remain almost spick and span. I have also added an after market front handiest which I picked up from a local car accessory shop. It matches the color scheme ,add to comfort and provides a small storage area as well. It's a slide and fix thing and do not require any screws or drilling and can be easily removed if required. This makes using handbrake a little inconvenient ,however now I am used with it and like it. The adjustable and removable headrests adds a premium look and on all four I have added sufficient neck rests as well.

There are total 3 interior roof yellow lightings and wish they were a little more brighter. The manual day & night rear view mirror adjustment is a great convenience while driving at night. There is enough head room and the material used on the roof is not that great. Back seat leg room and thigh support is OK for average height persons. Only 2 will be comfortable in the back for long distances and is the same case on all hatch backs and even sedans. Driver seat height adjustment and steering tilt feature adds to driving comfort. The two front seats are really very comfortable and maybe even better than the latest Tata nexon seats. I felt the nexon seat to be less in size ,maybe the test drive didn't have seat covers and extra support cushions. As I come from Ritz I wish the driver seat have a little more height, from driver side the road view is OK not the best and also have blind spots.

Maruti Swift Features

• Key Less Entry & Remote Central Locking,
• Electrically adjustable & foldable ORVMs,
• Manual Day & Night Rear View mirror adjustment,
• All 4 Power windows,
• Auto door lock and unlock,
• Rear Parking Sensors,
• Security Alarms and Shock detection alarms,
• Child lock, Front and Rear Defoggers with Rear Windshield Wiper and wash,
• Climate control AC, USB and Cigarette lighter ports,
• 3 speed windshield wipers with windshield wash,
• Steering Mounted audio ,volume and Bluetooth phone controls,
• Pop-out passenger side cup holder,
• ABS with EBD, Dual Air Bags,
• Press button boot open, Music System supporting AUX,CD,FM,USB & Bluetooth which can be paired with your phone. 4 Door Speakers and 2 Tweeters producing really good audio.

I personally feel once you pair your Phone or Tablet with CAR AUDIO then you will not miss the latest nowadays much boasted about touch infotainment systems. Except for rear view camera.

If you could live without rear view camera then still in 2020 you have mostly all essential like to have features a car could offer. Cigarette lighter and USB ports offer option for ample power and charging outlets. The average Fuel economy, range display ,Time, outside Temperature ,Separate trip meters ,RPM meter ,Seat belt reminder, doors and boot lid open warnings etc. adds value. Driver seat height adjustment and steering tilt feature adds to driving comfort. If either the remote key battery or car battery is down then nothing will work.

So it's good practice to keep a jump start and spare remote battery in the car at all times. Personally until now I am pretty satisfied with the current features and a major like to have feature is the headlight and fog light ON warning. Have left with fog lamps ON draining the battery completely couple of times. The factory front Windshield wiper blades had some metal part that made scratches on the windshield on a long monsoon drive. Been hearing the scratching noise all the while but never expected it could make permeant scratch on windshield glass.

Maruti Swift Mileage and Performance

Mileage of a car model should always be calculated under the harshest and careless daily driving routines only. Best time to take note of consistent mileage is after a run in period above 5000 KMs and should be monitored repeatedly after every 10K kms.

My Swift 2015 ZDI model currently with 65K on ODO gives 16 - 17 KM/L in Bangalore city traffic and 19 - 20 KM/L on highways ,however you want to drive it with AC always ON ! (I am on 185/65 R15 alloys and if on stock VDI 165/80 R14 Steel rims then mileage would be even better) This is written after above 3Lakh KMs of own car driving through different terrains across India.

There would be several others who would have done many more miles than me, I just mentioned what I have done to validate my experience. I have seen many comments on Social Media about certain driving practices, that would improve mileage and doing mileage tests under near about ARAI conditions just to satisfy their unreal expectations and not real world performance. 

Suspensions & Ride Quality

I had felt the 2015 Swift ZDI suspensions to be little more softer and comfortable when I initially moved from Ritz to this one brand new. However nowadays I cant tell any difference as I am only driving the Swift ZDI. I would say it's slightly on stiff side but still offers reasonably comfortable ride and handling. I believe they have replaced the suspension bushes one time during one of the services, remember discussing the same on phone with the SA. I mostly agree Swift suspension is relatively better than other Maruti Suzuki Cars. Especially Swift ZDI or ZXI models with the Wider 185/65 Tires on R15 alloy Wheels compliment greatly to better handling.

The low turning Radius is good and a real advantage of running a hatch back. I would like to upgrade the seats with more cushioning and thigh support which in turn could further improve overall ride quality. At 65K there is some screeching and squealing noises which is typical for the Maruti brand, however it's OK.

In my case I am using a cheap RNG EKO GREEN - Portable Tire Infiltrator for the last 2 years regularly to top up my Swift ZDI 185/65R15 Yokohama Earth-1 tires. Take clear note I said ONLY top up ! It's an essential and very useful tool to have. I have been very careful using it and have used it only for toppings. I would mostly top up only two tires at a time (5 - 6 minutes each tire)and will do other two next day or after some time. The major issue with this device is it gets really hot when working. So hot that it could eventually burn out the rubber tubing connecting to tire. Really disliked tire pressure toppings from Petrol Pumps and road side vendors. They never did it properly and was never satisfied with the air pressure they fill. Some of them collected around 20 rupees for this drama. So this device brought tire pressure toppings to the comfort of my garage or anywhere and whenever as required. I am sure there will be better quality products available now online or other retails. However when I came across this product ,I was genuinely doubtful of it's performance. In my mind I was comparing it with the heavy duty compressors we are used to. However I never faced any issue with tire pressure as I prefer to over fill which is generally not recommended. I top up all tires to 40 - 45 psi every time.(always fill when tires are cold) The pressure gauge on this device may not be accurate and could have 3 - 4 psi difference. So with 40 - 45 psi my tires always stay rock solid and yes the ride could be bumpy, not good for suspensions and may effect braking. However I have always used above 40 psi for last 15 Years and had to argue at filling stations before owning this device. This would give best fuel economy, reduces wear and tear of steering, more engine power, higher tire life, less punctures etc.

Most of my drives are within city at low speeds so economy and wear and tear are of main concern. When going for long trips I maintain a 90 -110 KM speed limit and never used a tire over 55000Kms. This may not be acceptable for everyone !

Maintenance

I feel Maruti Cars are the easiest to service and maintain. Most of it's service schedules and costs are transparent and are available online. The sad part is the MAS centers do not properly preform these periodic services and you have to keep a close watch and track what they are actually doing. The basic services every 10K kms are the following and these are simple DIY tasks however from 10K service MAS will start billing you 6K up to 10K for each service if you do not monitor closely.

• Cabin AC Filter
• Engine Air Filter
• Engine Oil and     Oil Filter & Gasket
• Check/Clean Brake pads
• Coolant flush and change
• Tire Rotation
• Tire Pressure

Cabin AC Filter & Engine Air Filters are very cheap and available through any Maruti genuine parts and very simple to replace. 

Engine Oil and Oil Filter & Gasket should be replaced religiously without fail every 10K Kms. For ZDI it is recommended to use fully Synthetic Oil. The best 3.5L Castrol Edge Fully Synthetic Oil costs max Rs 2600/- there are even cheaper Semi-Synthetic options available. Oil Filter & Gasket can be obtained through Maruti genuine parts.

It's important to use recommended oil grade. Maruti recommends 5W30 grade oil for Swift ZDI. Where the first number indicates oil's viscosity and its behavior in winter and the later when the engine is heated up . Where a 0W50 or higher is considered as the best oil for bikes and 0W30 or 0W40 for cars. Generally the engine faces maximum wear and tear when it is starting up and most importantly requires oil to reach friction points as quickly as possible!

So the lower viscous oil can flow relatively quickly through oil pump and tubing to reach critical areas of the engine. Once the engine is ON and at operating temperatures then the second number is in effect now. When heated up oil loses a lot of its viscosity and second number is in effect which can offer enough viscosity at high temperatures. All latest engines are designed after lot of research and manufacturers would have exactly stated right oil grades in owners manual for different engine types and brands.

So it's always recommended to follow the owners manual when choosing the right oil. Again synthetic oils contain better additives engineered to give more oil life and better performance when compared to normal mineral oils' I am now using Castrol Edge 5W40 fully synthetic oil in my car and it works great. ZDI has a 3.1L oil capacity and never over fill. Always also replace Oil Filter & Gasket before filling new oil. It's also a good practice to replace the oil drain nut to prevent leaks, it costs just Rs 90.

Check/Clean Brake pads ,as you are using the vehicle you would have a good understanding of your bake performance. If I remember correctly I have got it cleaned or replaced couple of times through MAS now. The only option with MAS is to trust them and hoping that they have properly done the jobs for which they were paid in full.

Coolant flush and change. This was one job I really got frustrated with MAS center. Until the 40K service the car was running absolutely smooth and during highway drives the engine was so smooth and I often used to think what more refinement you can expect from a petrol engine compared to this DDIS engine. And mileage figures were superb too. Then the car went in for 40K service and was returned. I started feeling the car has lost it's initial smoothness. It some how sounded more noisy and when you return after a drive and lift the bonnet I felt it a lot more hotter than it used to be before. Diesel engines do get really heated up and unless you have very closely observed the behavior you will even fail to notice any change. Back in my mind I felt something was different after 40K service but couldn't pin point the cause. Though I was always feeling overall more heat radiating from engine area whenever I open the bonnet, examined all the connecting tubing's with hand and also coolant tank exteriors.

The temperature gauge only showed up slightly exceeding the half way mark once engine is at operating temperatures. I remember the temperature gauge needle staying at exact middle position before. I consulted the issue with MAS center person over phone and he said it's quite OK and asked me to just forget it and the car was running absolutely fine. So I thought maybe I am over cautious and left it for then. The car did another 10K Kms and regular Oil and filter changes were done. Everything else seemed to be normal and car was doing mostly City runs but that feeling of more heat lingered in my mind. I started reading in detail about different coolant types and the actual working of car cooling system, how to completely flush and replace the coolant etc. I decided to do a DIY flush and following is what I learned, experienced and documented.

Maruti Swift ZDI Diesel engines require 5.9 Liters of coolant. There are mainly 3 types of coolants available. The first type being almost obsolete can be ignored, second type is OAT coolant which is recommended for Swift and third you can get HOAT coolants which are used in top brands like BMW, Audi etc. Mostly local workshops and even MAS centers only do a top up of coolant. Which is quite OK if the coolant mix is appropriate. However what gradually happen after couple of drains and top up, the coolant loop could end up with just antifreeze with less or no water or very less or no antifreeze coolant. In both cases results would be poor resulting to bad cooling .Radiator loop ,engine areas and thermostat getting damaged. It's very important to have an exact 50/50 mix of Antifreeze Coolant & Distilled water. (Anti Freeze Coolant concentrate by itself is a poor heat conductor) Always pre-mix coolant concentrate  in a separate container with exact 50/50 distilled water before pouring into the system so that it can achieve it's correct conduction property. (Or you can buy ready to use pre-mix coolant).

This way you can ensure old coolant was completely flushed and new full quantity of 5.9L was added. You may drain old coolant either by removing the radiator drain plug or the coolant exit pipe at the bottom of the radiator. Seems removing the exit pipe from the radiator bottom is what Maruti suggest ,incase if you damage the awkwardly positioned plastic drain plug with a plier ,then the drain plug alone is not available through Maruti Genuine Parts. (I use the drain plug) Ensure the vehicle is on a level ground and old coolant is completely drained. If you do this during a car wash they will have air compressor and you can blow some air through the coolant tank to flush the complete tubing. Use a funnel and slowly pour the complete coolant mix avoiding air blocks. After filling about 4L you may have to start the engine so that the water pump work and the coolant gets to all areas in the loop. Ensure the full 5.9L are in and coolant is upto Full mark level in the coolant tank. Don't over fill.  

Use  only good grade OAT antifreeze  with corrosion and rust protection. I use 3L Castrol Radicool heavy duty OAT coolant concentrate and distilled water. Run the vehicle for couple of days and closely monitor there are no leaks and temperature gauge shows optimum temperature. You may also run the AC heater and ensure real hot air is blowing out immediately at the max setting. In a way this would also mean your coolant loop is working fine. After I completed above procedure Viola!! My engine returned back to that perfect tune and temperatures as it was before the 40K service again. I could immediately notice the difference after a 50KM test drive. After that flush and change I am getting that perfect tune and temperatures till date. It works as if the coolant heat conduction significantly improved and the heat transfer from engine was now getting dissipated much faster and everything tend to cool down faster. Which means the radiator fan itself have to work only for very less time and that itself could reduce lot of vibrations. MAS recommend a coolant change once in 2 years or after 20K kms. Just wanted to document this so it could be useful to someone else with a similar issue or interest.

To my understanding what could have happened in 40K service is the vehicle might have been in a slant position while coolant was drained and re-filled. If the radiator was in a higher slanting position the coolant will not completely drain. Usually the workshop guys will add coolant concentrate directly to coolant tank and will attempt to add water after that and it will not take sufficient water.(At least if they used 1L bottles followed by 1L distilled water it would have been better. I guess similar drain and filling happened couple of times and there was only antifreeze in my loop. I noticed it while draining out during my above DIY process.

Tire Rotation I have a well run nearby tire shop, they have all equipment for Wheel Alignment, Balancing & Rotation mostly for properly driven and maintained vehicles Wheel Alignment, Balancing is required mostly only at the time of tire replacement. To be safer do it for 20K intervals.

Tire pressure I do DIY regularly as explained under Suspensions & Ride Quality.

Wiper Blade Set replace yearly once

Top up windshield wash container with distilled water + some kind of Maruti washing fluid packets I find in car after every MAS visit.

Battery: I changed it recently after 5 Years usage with the factory Amaron white DIN50DLMF ,exchanged for Amaron HiLife Flow AAM-FL-550114042 DIN50 with 30 Months + 25 Months costed around Rs 4700/- If you mention Old model Swift generally you get a quote for 65AH with Rs 6000/- plus. It's better, cheaper and easier to fix same DIN50 if your vehicle already came with a factory DIN50 battery. I never faced even a single issue with starting apart from draining complete battery leaving the fog lights ON accidently couple of times.

Apart from above general services following jobs need to be performed by MAS on 20K or at least 30K intervals:

Fuel Filter Change
Brake Fluid, Clutch Fluid drain & fill

Following jobs need to be performed by MAS at 40K intervals:

1) Gear / Transmission Oil 2.6L
2) Inter Cooler cleaning
3) EGR Valve Cleaning

I really doubt MAS efficiency with above jobs. In my case they have already done Inter Cooler cleaning and EGR Valve Cleaning one time. Hope they have done that properly, anyways so far so good and I am trusting MAS for now. From what I understand proper EGR Valve Cleaning which also need to be combined with Turbo and Inter Cooler cleaning , exhaust pipe cleaning etc is a major job removing a lot of components inside the engine bay and even wiper assembly and ECM mount areas.

I am now targeting for the following 1Lakh KM plus major services to be performed in one single stretch at a friends workshop in my native and ensure following jobs are done perfectly and it run properly for another 1Lakh and above. Hoping these jobs could be pushed on until at least 1.25Lakh KMs if everything continue to work fine as normal. However not sure whether the clutch would last until then?? Correct me and let me know your comments.  I am confident if govt rules allow this piece of machine can easily do 2Lakh Kms and even much more.

• Gear / Transmission Oil 2.6L
• Fuel Filter Change
• Inter Cooler cleaning
• Turbo cleaning
• EGR Valve Cleaning
• Exhaust pipes
• Clutch Kit Replacement / Overhaul - Clutch Disc Plate, Pressure Plate, Flywheel, Bearing etc
• Timing Chain replacement

Please feel free to type in your valuable suggestions and corrections. Thank you !

Resale Value - Still has excellent demand and willing buyers for properly maintained vehicles. Anyways I am intending to run this for quite sometime now and let's see how far it can go? 

Cheers !