Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Diesel Suffers Waterlogging

The morning of August 14 was slightly overcast, and hence, I decided to travel to the office instead of working from home, which, in hindsight, was a big mistake. Even when I left, there was little to no rain. However, once I reached the midway point, the skies opened up to a sudden heavy downpour, showing no signs of stopping. 

On entering Udyog Vihar - the locality where the office is located, the roads were filled with water, though only shoe-deep, just about reaching the wheel rims of our Maruti Vitara Brezza. This encouraged me to keep driving, as I thought the water level would be similar, if not lower, near the office, and this was my second mistake. 

As I navigated through my daily route, I entered the road, merely 100 metres from my office, where the waterlogging was significantly worse, making the conditions undrivable. Thanks to some halted traffic just ahead, I could not carry the momentum to keep the car going, and the car got stalled as a result. I did not risk starting the ignition again, as it was clear the water had most likely entered the exhaust. 

Before I knew it, water started entering the cabin rapidly, followed by some smoke (possibly from the electricals), which was even more concerning. Soon enough, the water reached up to the level of the seats, which is when I decided to step out of the car. I quickly grabbed all the car’s documents, unplugged all charging cables, locked the doors, and left the vehicle. To my horror, the water outside was reaching up my thighs, and well above the car’s tyres.

The next few hours were dreadful, as I helplessly watched other cars passing from the side, pushing more water toward and possibly into my car. This carried on long enough for the car to move completely to the right from the position where it was initially stranded. After nearly four hours, when it had almost stopped raining, I luckily spotted a tow truck towing a Hyundai i20 out from the flooded road. I signalled the truck driver, pointing towards the Brezza, and he said that he would come back for it after dropping off the i20 - which he did. After he returned, the car was towed to the office parking, though I had to pay a ridiculous ₹3,500 for it! 

Not long after, my father arrived with a trusted mechanic from Sector 14 in Gurgaon, whom we have long known. He opened the hood of the car, briefly inspecting the engine bay. We found the air intake to be mostly dry, and after topping up the slightly low fuel tank with diesel, the engine started after two to three attempts, briefly emitting a black liquid residue from the exhaust. After running for about three to four minutes, the engine stopped abruptly, refusing to restart despite multiple attempts. After some discussion, the mechanic then called a tow truck to take the car to his workshop for a thorough inspection and regular service.

Over the next two days, the mechanic provided regular updates. He identified that most water had entered the fuel line through the fuel tank. The major repair work included Engine flushing, Fuel injector cleaning, Fuel tank cleaning, and Interior dry cleaning, while the major parts replaced included one fuel injector, Heater plug, Fuel filter, and Rear shockers. The rear shocker issues were unrelated to water damage and were due for replacement regardless.

The total cost was ₹29,100, broken down as follows:

• Crane/Towing charges: ₹1,500
• Diesel: ₹1,200
• Engine Oil: ₹1,850
• Oil filter: ₹370
• Air filter: ₹380
• Coolant: ₹500
• Gear oil: ₹800
• Brake oil: ₹250
• Engine flushing: ₹500
• New fuel injector: ₹5,000
• Fuel injector cleaning: ₹1,200
• Rear shockers: ₹3,000
• Fuel filter: ₹1,600
• Heater plug: ₹1,000
• Diesel tank cleaning: ₹300
• Fog light cover: ₹150
• Interior cleaning: ₹1,500
• Service charges: ₹6,000

After repairs, I have driven the car for almost 50 km. While it is running, the level of performance is no longer what it was previously. The engine now struggles to even cross 2,500 rpm, a stark contrast to its earlier punchy performance up to 4,000 rpm. The gearbox does not feel as slick, with noticeable effort required when shifting from neutral to 1st gear and 1st to 2nd. Moreover, the instrument cluster is showing a range of just around 400 km even after refuelling, when the car easily clocks 780-800 km on a full tank of fuel. Strangely, though, the average fuel economy shows a normal 16-17 km/l, so we suspect it could be a sensor issue. 

The mechanic had advised replacing all major fluids after some running, so we will monitor these issues. If they persist or worsen, we will have the mechanic re-inspect the car. If these problems continue, we will take it to an authorized Maruti service center for further evaluation.