Many Maruti Suzuki Jimny 4X4 AT sub-4 meter SUV owners face brake failure at high altitude


A group of Jimny automatic owners on a trip to Umlingala faced braking problems

Recently, on TeamBHP’s online forum, several Maruti Jimny 4X4 AT owners have reported brake failure while driving on steep slopes at high altitude. The post regarding this issue was made by a member whose username is Purohitanuj.

He started by mentioning that recently he, along with 9 other owners of Maruti Suzuki Jimny AT, embarked on a challenging expedition to Umlingala, one of the highest motorable passes in the world. His SimplyJimny group consisted of 10 Jimnys, and their journey took an unexpected turn when they made a shocking discovery in Jispa.

“During my stopover in Jispa, I attempted to move my Jimny (Alpha AT) the next morning, but made a shocking discovery: zero braking! The brake pedal felt very solid and did not move. After checking the brake fluid (which was at the proper level), I became concerned. I asked Manik to try it, and he too was amazed by the brakes and said, ‘It feels like trying to pull a dead car.'” The owner of the Jimny described the problem.

The owner found the brake pedal unresponsive and solid (the pedal does not go down when you press it). Even after confirming that the brake fluid level was sufficient, the vehicle’s brakes were not functioning. To further verify the problem, another Jimny owner attempted to apply the brakes, and were both surprised when the pedal did not bend. Another Jimny owner described the situation as “like trying to pull a dead car.”

What the Jimny Owners Manual Says

Subsequently, in a desperate attempt to regain control, the first driver switched the engine to neutral, relieving them, resulting in some braking. However, this was a temporary improvement as the brake booster struggled to provide adequate boost at idle or low rpm, especially in ‘D’ mode when descending slopes.

In the post describing the issue, it was reported that the brake failure was not an isolated incident for the original post author. The same problem continued to plague all the Jimnys in the group for the next few days as the journey continued.

According to the drivers’ post, All owners of Maruti Suzuki Jimny AT were forced to drive in ‘L’ or ‘2’ mode to maintain high engine speed, so that the danger arising from brake failure can be avoided. Fortunately, upon returning to lower altitude, the problem disappeared, suggesting that the problem was altitude dependent and not as severe in the manual transmission variants.

This aspect is also mentioned in the Jimny Owners Manual, which states that on long slopes, Jimny AT drivers should do exactly this – drive on L or 2 mode. However, this is for long slopes and not high altitude roads.

Video proof of this issue

In the same post, the primary owner who started the thread also shared a short video demonstrating the issue. The video showed that he was approaching a blind turn on a narrow mountain road, where suddenly he saw two fuel tanker trucks coming from the opposite direction. In the video, he then mentions that he had applied the brakes much earlier, but the Jimny stopped too close to the road.

Another high altitude issue – 4×4 hub struggling to engage

Apart from the brake failure, drivers and other Jimny owners reported that there was another unexpected challenge that came up with their Jimny at high altitude. It was reported that the 4×4 hub in the Maruti Jimny 4X4 AT was having trouble connecting, with the 4×4 indicator blinking continuously. To solve this problem, some drivers resorted to manual intervention, shifting the car into neutral in 2H and rotating the engine to successfully engage 4H.

Considering the above mentioned incidents especially during high altitude adventures, many users shared their suggestions and support. For now, the solution at higher altitudes like Umlingala seems to be to use 2 or L mode. We will keep you updated on any updates on this issue.

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