Air pressure for Gypsy King tyres...

[Django]

Next time look for SGP or Denso cap and rotor as well as points and condensor, far better performance, mileage and starting. Also make sure your tappets have been done, NGK are the top notch spark plugs from Japan, they are now OEM in Mercedes and BMW who use them instead of German BOSCH. They perform far better than the usual MICO plugs. Also next time make sure when the brakes are flushed, use DOT4 only, when was the last time your wheel bearings were greased, make sure your mechanic checks the tappets and timing.

[Mack The Knife]

when was the last time your wheel bearings were greased?

I assume that should have been done this time but I will ask him.

Thanks.

Mack The Knife

[sat]

Mack The Knife,

6.11 kmpl is poor, if all else is well, slip up in the tuning I think... I would go back to the workshop.
Several times I have been dissapointed with the tuning at the authorised Maruti service center's.
I recollect 2 years ago while in jodhpur, I had the 86 gypsy tuned at a tiny unimpressive garage (young mechanic was recommended). superb job he did, vehicle drove very well, averaged 12.2 kmpl on the highway, was driving between 80-90 kmph.. several months later when I took the vehicle for some minor work to the maruti workshop, the so called 'ustad' fiddled with the tuning & ruined it.. nearly clobbered him when I found out.. how ever hard the mechanics tried at this workshop they never managed to get the vehicle to run as well ....

[Django]

As long as the dwell is within spec with no bounce, timing within specs, carb clean and tappets to spec with good NGK plugs and clean filter, no drag on wheels or drivetrain, Gypsies run smooth and give good mileage.

[mundaire]

make sure your mechanic checks the tappets and timing.

The 1.3L King has electronic ignition & timing, so should not be the timing, unless the unit has gone bust... Most probably it's one (or more) of the brakes "dragging" - especially since you say that you have recently had them worked on... get it up on a lift, put it in neutral and try spinning each wheel individually. Get someone to brake & release, then try spinning again - do this a few times... Using this method, if the brakes are dragging you'll come to know pretty quick.

IIRC the older models of Gypsy had a separate handbrake drum located on the rear shaft, but the newer ones use the rear brake drums directly for the handbrake... have these linkages checked, just in case these are causing a drag on the rear wheels.

BTW - why did you replace the original carb?! Not sure about the difference in jet sizes between the Esteem and Gypsy King carbs, but if the former has a larger jet - then you will quite clearly get lower mileage by using it... You could of course have the jet changed... Have you had your car checked for PUC recently? The pollution checking machine can give you and instant feedback about how "rich" your fuel-air mix is... and adjustments can be made accordingly.

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Mack The Knife]

Sat, this was not serviced by a Maruti Service Centre. The mechanic came very highly recommended ad seeing the cars entrusted to him, I have no doubt he knows what's what. However, if there as been a mistake I am sure he will rectify it. The only question is when.

Django, the odd thing is that the car has really smoothened out and the engine literally purrs at rest. The acceleration has also improved not that I have tried any tyre smoking starts that could result in such a low mileage figure.

get it up on a lift, put it in neutral and try spinning each wheel individually. Get someone to brake & release, then try spinning again - do this a few times... Using this method, if the brakes are dragging you'll come to know pretty quick.

IIRC the older models of Gypsy had a separate handbrake drum located on the rear shaft, but the newer ones use the rear brake drums directly for the handbrake... have these linkages checked, just in case these are causing a drag on the rear wheels.

Will do. Thanks.

BTW - why did you replace the original carb?!

Mech wasn't happy with the existing one. He offered me a choice between a second hand and a new one. Since, this Gypsy is here to stay for a good few years, I opted for the latter.

I got the PUC certificate the day I bought it or within a few days of the purchase and it was fine then but I do see what you are getting. Will try and get that done tomorrow itself.

Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice.

Mack The Knife

[mundaire]

Django, the odd thing is that the car has really smoothened out and the engine literally purrs at rest. The acceleration has also improved not that I have tried any tyre smoking starts that could result in such a low mileage figure.

If the acceleration has improved, then the engine is in all probability getting a richer fuel-air mix than it was previously... It's oftentimes a bit of a zero sum game - performance vs. mileage...

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[Django]

Older Gypsies like the one I had, the hand brakes were on the propeller shaft, a practice still used in Land Cruisers etc. If they are dragging, you will get a tell tale smell of burning leather as it happens on my Jonga. As for the King having an electronic ignition, that's quite correct but its not distributor-less, so it needs a check from time to time to accommodate for variations. The jetting of they Gypsy should be stock and it should not be tampered with, leaner or richer mixture are both bad for engine life and performance, optimum mixture set by the factory is the best reference point, if your engine is unable to burn that mixture it could be due to loose tappets, bad timing or other factors including plugs.

[Mark]

To help narrow down whether you are having reduced mileage due to engine inefficiency or to road friction, every once in a while switch the engine off while driving down a stretch of road, and I think a long, gentle sloping hill is one of the best. Listen to how the drivetrain sounds, and every once in a while remove your hands from the wheel to see if it pulls. If traffic allows, let it slow almost to a stop, some things become more apparent when you slow to almost a walking speed.

Make certain you have the proper amount of oil in the transmission, transfer case, and the differentials (both F&R).

Does yours have locking front hubs? They are a nice feature to have installed if not. The only criticism of them is if you are unfortunate enough to get stuck in mud with them unlocked, then you have to wade out into the mud to lock them but if you get into the habit of locking them if you even have a hint you might need them it is no inconvenience at all.

Another trick to do, though not recommended to the general populace, is to drive for 20-30 minutes being extremely careful never to use your brakes, then pull over and feel all of the hubs to see if any feel excessively warm.

Check the alignment, that can also cost an MPG (k/ltr) and they do change on vehicles, especially when used on bumpy roads.

While I'm spending your money, might want to try some newer shocks with higher tire pressure.

Also, what is the factory recommended spark plug gap? For most operations, an increase in the gap of .002 helps mileage but is not recommended if most driving is short trips at slow RPM's.

If you have a distributor ignition and a competent mechanic, have the timing advance checked. If you have a timing light I can tell you how to do it yourself, it is somewhat simple once you inderstand what is going on. At the very least, remove the distributor cap and visually inspect the centrifugal advance weights can move freely, a squirt of light oil on them doesn't hurt either. If you have a vacuum advance on the distributor, have that checked for operation and verify it is not leaking.

Open the hood and look at the running engine at night sometime when it is very dark, if there is any arcing or sparking from the high tension leads you can often see it.

Hope this helps!

Mark

[Pran]

If you have a distributor ignition and a competent mechanic, have the timing advance checked

Most new automobiles here have electronic ignition systems.Not sure if that applies to Gypsy.

Mark,
Are there any vehicles being manufactured in the US that have a distributor/CB ignition? OT, but do Harleys come with a distributor ignition?

>Open the hood and look at the running engine

Would love to that next time I'm there, Mack The Knife

Pran

[Pran]

....as it happens on my Jonga.

Django,
Would love to see pics of your Jonga.Seen a few in Darjeeling but was told that most of them were running on Mazda engines.What's the year of manufacture of your Jonga?

Pran

[Django]

Pran,

I bought my Jonga brand new from VFJ when they issued them to civilians in limited numbers, it has the HINO 4cyl engine and has 4WD with 3 speed Jonga tranny and the year of manufacture is 1997. I have posted pics of my Jonga and Gurkha in this forum, you will find them under their individual heading.

....as it happens on my Jonga.

Django,
Would love to see pics of your Jonga.Seen a few in Darjeeling but was told that most of them were running on Mazda engines.What's the year of manufacture of your Jonga?

Pran

[Pran]

Django,
Found the thread.Thanks.

btw, that's a great mileage for a 4 litre engine.Still can't believe it

Pran

[Django]

Pran,

The HINO 4cyl is rated for 11ton trucks, its a low RPM, high torque engine meant to pull load, in the Jonga, there is hardly any load and most of the time the engine is idling while cruising, therefore the good consumption numbers, I get 15kmpl on highway with my Gurkha as well, whats funny is both these engines have no fancy electronic fuel injection, just plain good old mechanical which works and works good day after day. Just needs the filter change and additive diesel to stay happy.;

[Pran]

>The HINO 4cyl is rated for 11ton trucks, its a low RPM, high torque engine meant to pull load, in the Jonga, there is hardly any load and most of the time the engine is idling while cruising, therefore the good consumption numbers

Okay.

>...Just needs the filter change

Air filter?

Pran