Changan Alsvin ; Dedicated Discussion, Owner/ Fan Club Thread

[mrdeejay]

Changan should make Auto Start-Stop a standard feature on Alsvin. I've used that feature in US and it really helps with fuel efficiency. In bigger cities (lahore etc) where we are stuck at traffic lights this feature would greatly improve fuel economy.

[htb456]

you are right about MGs reliability. And "what happened to turbo civics in pakistan" is the fault of owners not following the onwermanual for maintanaince. One example is the wrong grade engine oils people often use here on the recommendation of their mechanics rather than following owners manual. And turbo charged engines are very sensitive to these things. Strictly follow the onwer`s manual recommendations and turbos will last as long as NA even in pakistan

[burhanahmed1]

Changan should make Auto Start-Stop a standard feature on Alsvin. I've used that feature in US and it really helps with fuel efficiency. In bigger cities (lahore etc) where we are stuck at traffic lights this feature would greatly improve fuel economy.

This feature will be useful for around 2 months in a year

[an_average_car_user]

This feature will be useful for around 2 months in a year

True if more than 2 people are in the car. But like most of the morning and evening commutes where only 1 person is in the car, it should stay cool enough to withstand AC turning off (with the blower running) for 2-3 minutes. And it will save a lot of fuel. This is something they should include in all variants.

[an_average_car_user]

you are right about MGs reliability. And "what happened to turbo civics in pakistan" is the fault of owners not following the onwermanual for maintanaince. One example is the wrong grade engine oils people often use here on the recommendation of their mechanics rather than following owners manual. And turbo charged engines are very sensitive to these things. Strictly follow the onwer`s manual recommendations and turbos will last as long as NA even in pakistan

Well if cars are maintained by the user manual the NAs will also last longer. My point is at a fuel pump when someone pays for Hi-Octane but, it cannot be a guarantee that hi-octane will be filled in the car. At one's hometown, one can go to a preferred filling station, but people who travel a lot will have to get petrol all over the country, and fuel can be bad. The same goes for an oil change if it is due en-route.

Narrow tolerance is a big hindrance, even if within that tolerance the reliability is as good as NA. I mean I would never recommend buying a turbo second-hand in Pakistan at this time, because it is not possible to determine how it had been maintained by the previous owner.

[mrdeejay]

Wrong. I've lived in hot places in US, and it was still very effective. Once the car interior becomes cool/comfortable, only then Auto Start/Stop starts working. And when the engine turns off, the blower is still on (only compressor turns off) and soon as cabin temp drops a bit engine starts automatically. Its very seemless and you won't even notice it.

The only time its annoying is in stop & go traffic, but you can simply turn if off. For our 1 min long traffic signals, its ideal because once the engine is off for 7 seconds, remaining time you're saving fuel.

[burhanahmed1]

I've lived in hot places in US, and it was still very effective.

Let's not compare weather and traffic conditions of US and Pakistan

Thanks to JDM imports, it's not a feature Pakistanis know nothing about

If the car performs reliably and after sales support is up to the mark, lack of this feature will be the least of anyone's worries. And if there are reliability or after sales service issues, nobody will care if the car has this feature.

[Massive_One]

I've lived in hot places in US, and it was still very effective. Once the car interior becomes cool/comfortable, only then Auto Start/Stop starts working. And when the engine turns off, the blower is still on (only compressor turns off) and soon as cabin temp drops a bit engine starts automatically. Its very seemless and you won't even notice it.

isn't repeated start/off of the engine at every signal is bad for engine health in the longer run ?

[mrdeejay]

No. Modern engines and lubricants are quite good so the frequent startup has virtually no effect on engine life. The startup is hard on the piston rings, mainly in severely cold areas and only when engine is cold because lubricants are cold and don't have the same protective effect in reducing friction. Since we don't have severe cold weather in most of Pakistan, that's not an issue.

The other component that's affected is starter motor, however, car manufacturers are using heavy duty motors to ensure they don't suffer premature failure.

I've had two BMWs driven for 6 years, no issue at all with engine/performance/climate control etc. Only issue was in very slow moving traffic/stop and go, the engine turns off which can be annoying but then again, having a button allows you to disable it in such situations.

[burhanahmed1]

I've had two BMWs driven for 6 years, no issue at all with engine/performance/climate control etc.

You're making assertions about performance of a Chinese car in Pakistani conditions based on BMWs performance in American conditions?

[an_average_car_user]

You're making assertions about performance of a Chinese car in Pakistani conditions based on BMWs performance in American conditions?

No, he is talking generally about the implementation of start-stop in cars. Alsvin has yet to prove its reliability in everything, so there is no point in discussing that. We'll know when we'll know.

Another thing to mention is that hybrids do the start-stop all the time. The engine stops when the car stops, the engine stops when the car is slow/at a constant speed and there is enough charge in the battery. And the engine kicks in when needed. So if the vehicle is designed with start-stop in mind, there shouldn't be any issues, based on what we know about Hybrids.

The common complaint with 660cc JDMs is because of their low-powered ACs, the car gets hot as soon as AC turns off because in most cars it is barely enough even when Eco-idle is turned off.

But yes, this is another mechanism added to the car, so its performance and longevity depend on how well it is designed, plus it is another maintenance item.

The startup is hard on the piston rings, mainly in severely cold areas and only when engine is cold because lubricants are cold and don't have the same protective effect in reducing friction. Since we don't have severe cold weather in most of Pakistan, that's not an issue.

Also, it will not be a problem if we use recommended weight engine oil. If 20W50 is used when the recommended grade is 5W30 or 0W20, then obviously there will be problems.

[shapeesh]

That can only happen
1. when the car has climate control.otherwise the engine would not know if cabin is hot or not. Alsvin doent have climate control.
2. excellent batteries, batteries need to be in excellent shape and quality as all acc load goes to the solo battery.

[biloo]

I have been using Idling stop and start in my JDM ALTO from 3 years. I think it's a useless feature.

[Massive_One]

I have been using Idling stop and start in my JDM ALTO from 3 years. I think it's a useless feature.

and why do you think it's useless, doesn't it help save fuel ?

[biloo]

Well, it's a very basic on and off system.
In our scorching heat it's useless as when it switches off, the air blowing through the vents becomes hot instantly
Our traffic doesn't let the stop and go system succeed as the car looses it completely in bumper to bumper traffic in peak hours.
In winters one can use it but how much fuel it really saves us is unknown to me as it just starts to work when you stop at a signal for 30 -60s. I personally have very few signals in my route and when one signal does come i prefer to keep the idling system off as One has to keep the brake pressed to keep the idling system working, and at times i am not in the mood to keep the pedal pressed.

[Massive_One]

: ) yeah it makes sense .

[bmuqtadir]

Watch this.

[alfa_whsky]

Plz dont take mr. afridi's tweets too seriously.

[an_average_car_user]

I went to see the Alsvin today in Lahore. The car, specially the interior felt very good.Car seemed to be reasonably well put together, and seeing in front, it looks like a very nice little sedan. The start was smooth too. Engine had sound dampening material under the hood. What I liked the most was the seating arrangement. It had almost the same space as Yaris, but the seats, specially the rear sear was laid out better, and felt more comfortable. I had trouble fitting my head at the back seat (same as Yaris) though.

One small thing (being nit-picky), the display car had the lid to pop the hood broken, and one had to pull the wire directly.

The staff mentioned that this is the CBU imported from China. Locally made unit should be available for test-drive by the end of the month.

The concern about longevity and durability remains, specially of the engine. If it proves to be reasonably reliable its a good little sedan.

[engineerjibran]

yah there is no information on the engine whatsoever which is very odd to say the least as alsvin was first launched in 2009 and this is the 2nd generation which was launched in 2018. So there should be more information on the engine.