[Buffetfan]

the Baleno is a bit noisy engine for sure...I have clocked 32 k kms on the 2005 Lxi and the engine does have a rough edge (compared to say ...esteem/swift) ...but ...it only seems to have smoothened over time..

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by siddhu_75

Yes, I did get rear speakers installed. Will have it checked

I got this strange rattling sound from the rear while driving to work today morning. After reaching office, I checked the rear tray and saw that one of the press-in type fastener that holds the rear tray in place was loose (not surprising given the fact that of my total 40kms daily commute, around 12kms is on sick dirt road - the Old Mahab Road).

Pressed it into place and hopefully the problem should be gone - will know for sure while driving back home.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Pressed it into place and hopefully the problem should be gone - will know for sure while driving back home.

Yes, problem solved. Thank God. Rattles can be irritating.

[antony5279]

something abou the tyres and pressure.

i have about 45k of driving experience in all sorts of roads. i wonder why the baleno has a higher recommended tyre pressure for highway driving compared to city roads. when you go for a long drive, because of the fact that you have been driving for hours and hours without stopping, the tyres heat up and this automatically raises the pressure of the tyre by a few psi. in the indica i have noticed that this increase is roughly 4 psi. perhaps this is the reason why it is recommended that you have +4 psi tyre pr for the baleno too and maybe you really dont have to spike up the pressure yourself. the heating during the driving does that for you and all you need to do is not to reduce it.

higher or lower TP?
a higher pr has the advantage of improving FE and also increasing the speed at which the car will aquaplane/ hydroplane on a wet surface. the disadvantage being that you will have a bumpier drive and of course the tyres will not "sit" correctly on the road causing inequal wearing, poor traction, low coeff of rolling friction and skidding during braking.. it is always good to maintain the TP that the manufacturer has recommended

[siddhu_75]

So finally I ot down to write the report after the first service:

1. K-tack sound when the tyre hits a bump remains but I have lreant to live with it
2. Mileage has been between 11-11.7 - fill the tank at Shell Petrol Pump in Whitefield, Bangalore before first service but rpm never crossed 2K.Though after first service I became more casual about the rpm an on the last tank I got only 10.3 which is worrying - AC usage has always been 90%+

3. The glue which fxes the roof lining to the roof had come off, and Pratham motors guys had to write to Maruti to source the glue - I have to give it back to them have it fixed again

4. First Service was done hurriedly and I couldnt even feel the difference in the drive afetr the service was done, not to mention that Car wasnt even cleaned properly - but Pratham Motors has offered to get it serviced again

5. I have still not driven out of station but I am still to feel the power in the Baleno which so many people on these posts have talked about...I always find it touch to even overtake Cars with much smaller engines - can someone tell me at what rpms do you really start to feel the burst of power ?

[Buffetfan]

the Mileage will generally vary a lot with your driving style and traffic that you encounter..
The power surge really starts around 2200+ rpm and will be there with you all the way to the redline...to experience it, ook out for low traffic area...

just take the car in second gear (dont recomment 3rd since you would be doing insane speeds in the city)...and take it slowly to 2200 rpm.. now floor the acclerator....and let it go till 6500 rpm...you would be doing about 100kmph (speedo indicated) at this rpm

let us know how you feel..

[filcord]

Originally Posted by antony5279

something abou the tyres and pressure.

i have about 45k of driving experience in all sorts of roads. i wonder why the baleno has a higher recommended tyre pressure for highway driving compared to city roads. when you go for a long drive, because of the fact that you have been driving for hours and hours without stopping, the tyres heat up and this automatically raises the pressure of the tyre by a few psi. in the indica i have noticed that this increase is roughly 4 psi. perhaps this is the reason why it is recommended that you have +4 psi tyre pr for the baleno too and maybe you really dont have to spike up the pressure yourself. the heating during the driving does that for you and all you need to do is not to reduce it.

This has been written about before in this forum, but it's so very important, it needs to be repeated.
1. Tyres are meant to withstand the rise in pressure from highway driving, that rise has already been factored in.
2. The real danger in keeping low pressure is that it stresses the rubber of the tyre, since the tyre flexes much more than it was designed to. This flexing of an under-inflated tyre will lead to failure of the casing/tube, and cause a blow-out. This is a catastrophic thing to happen when you are at 120 kph.
3. A properly inflated tyre will not flex as much, and there is much less stress to the rubber, much less heat-build-up.

[shuvc]

It's been a long time since I updated this thread ! About time I did.

The car will complete 5 years next month and has run 71000+ kms as I write this. When I bought it, I wanted to buy a car which I would not want to sell. I'm glad that after 5 years, I still cannot find a suitable replacement for it. Yes, the Civic has joined the garage. The Baleno is mostly used for family runs, but I still take it out for some fun during weekends !

Continuing from the 13K kms update.

At around 22-23K kms, it went under water.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...der-water.html

Just around the time I started upgrading the ICE - the process continued for a year.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ask-gu...oem-setup.html

Full services were being carried out regularly every 6 months.

After the flood incident, there were some hiccups
# FE was low ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...d-repairs.html )
# 35K kms: Car refused to start around Jun 08. Turned out to be a jammed starter motor. It was taken apart and cleaned/greased. Never had a problem since.
# 36K kms: (Aug 08) the O2 sensor went kaput. CEL came on. Got it changed. The FE problems sorted itself out after that.
# 40K kms:
- changed the front brake pads,
- switched to a Bosch horn (one of the OE horns was croaking)
- the whole LHS mirror was changed. A cycle coming from the opposite (wrong) direction banged into it.
# 42K kms: some noise had developed around the front suspension. It was narrowed down to a damaged Tie rod end. This was replaced.
# 46K kms: there was a bit of a 'storm-wind' type sound in the engine bay. The tensioner assembly was replaced. The V-Belt was replaced. It would still have run peacefully but the SA showed me that it had become hard and had some wee-wee cracks. He suggested not to take an chance. The steering damper was 'adjusted' too to take care of some noise when going through rough roads.

The problems started reducing after this (Sep 09) and the car settled down again to peaceful and fun mile-crunching.

# 47K kms: replaced the 35K kms run GSD2 F1's with GSD3 F1's of the same size. 195/60/14.
# 55K kms: switched to Petronas Syntium fully synthetic. Did not really notice that much of a difference.
# 68K kms: (Aug 10) got black art leather seat covers fitted.


Meanwhile it had it's share of bruises in the battlefield that is our roads. Had both bumpers, the bonnet, one rear and one front fender painted. Very little denting required. Mostly scratches.

Early 2010 saw the usual nicks and scratches and some rattles. It was running less this year, since the Civic came home in May. Finally got around to changing oil after 15k kms. Switched to Bosch Pulse. Cost me Rs. 1000 with the filter. I was told it's semi-synth. The difference between 15K run synth oil and this new oil was immediately evident. Engine was surely running smoother. Henceforth, I'll change with Bosch every 7.5k kms or 6 months.

# 70K kms: Of late the front suspension seems to be loose again. Quite a bit of noise over rough roads. Maruti's diagnosis is that the lower arms possibly have gone kaput. More so the LHS one. But if replaced, both need to be. Steering column needs some lathe work too.
# The rear left power window is jammed. Diagnosis not done yet. The window comes down slowly but refuses to go up. Could be the motor or the channel. I hope it's the channel, since the motor costs 11-12K !!

A driver drives the car mostly these days. The route is pretty good. Fairly smooth and empty roads. He managed 14.7kmpl during the last refill. Without AC.

Yes, there have been some hiccups during years 3&4, but I believe they were mainly after effects of the flood mishap. In general, it has been quite reliable and comfortable and fun to drive. Maruti's service has helped keep it so.

I must also add, that I don't really mollycoddle the car on rough roads. So that way, I am to blame too for some of the issues !

All in all, I must say my decision to plonk my money on this car at the fag end of it's life, has been vindicated. 5 years on, I see no reason to sell it. I'm hard pressed to find a car with similar qualities at that price with the service backup it has.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by shuvc

# 70K kms: Of late the front suspension seems to be loose again. Quite a bit of noise over rough roads. Maruti's diagnosis is that the lower arms possibly have gone kaput. More so the LHS one. But if replaced, both need to be.

Suspension noise taken care of. Lower arms and stabilizer bar bushes changed. Updated details here. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ion-noise.html

Feels lovely to glide over rough roads once again !

Originally Posted by shuvc

# The rear left power window is jammed. Diagnosis not done yet. The window comes down slowly but refuses to go up. Could be the motor or the channel. I hope it's the channel, since the motor costs 11-12K !!

Confirmed that the motor is damaged :( .. I'm thinking of trying to repair it once. Worth a shot if it costs below 1000Rs.

Now that the suspension noise is gone, I'm hearing some new rattles ! Primary being the passenger seat. If I put my hand beneath it from behind, and knock upwards, it sounds as if there's a lot of pebbles inside the seat 'floor'.

That and still bugged big time by the amount of vibration inside the cabin, when the car idles. Idle rpm is normal around 700-800. But I can 'feel' the engine inside the cabin. MASS says, mounts are fine.

Something is resonating at those rpms ....

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by shuvc

.....still bugged big time by the amount of vibration inside the cabin, when the car idles. Idle rpm is normal around 700-800. But I can 'feel' the engine inside the cabin. MASS says, mounts are fine.
Something is resonating at those rpms ....

In my opinion, the idle rpm is slightly on the lower side. From what I've seen on the Baleno, the idle rpm was close to 750-850 without A/C, depends though on what you are comparing the 'feel' on the engine to.

In case you are interested in the workshop manual for the Baleno, click here to download.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Amartya

In my opinion, the idle rpm is slightly on the lower side. From what I've seen on the Baleno, the idle rpm was close to 750-850 without A/C, depends though on what you are comparing the 'feel' on the engine to

Ah well. I'll need to check what it exactly is, but it's been set to the 'normal' position on my insistence at MASS.

What bugs me is that the engine almost feels like a diesel ! And the cabin does not feel insulated from the vibrations of the engine. Granted that the G16B is a noisy/buzzy engine but, this is not just about engine noise. Pop the hood and the engine sounds normal. The problem is when seated inside the car. The vibrations seem to get transmitted into the cabin.

On the other hand my driver managed the best ever FE from the car in these 5 years ! 15.48kmpl over the last 622kms of city driving (good roads, without AC).

There's also some rust on the front discs, courtesy the lad that cleans the car and probably splashes water on them daily! MASS is recommending replacing them as opposed to some lathe work. Rs,1200 odd apiece. I always give priority to brakes/tyres etc... so should I go ahead and replace them (71K run), considering safety is top priority ?

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by shuvc

What bugs me is that the engine almost feels like a diesel ! And the cabin does not feel insulated from the vibrations of the engine. Granted that the G16B is a noisy/buzzy engine but, this is not just about engine noise. Pop the hood and the engine sounds normal. The problem is when seated inside the car. The vibrations seem to get transmitted into the cabin. On the other hand my driver managed the best ever FE from the car in these 5 years ! 15.48kmpl over the last 622kms of city driving (good roads, without AC).

That's a nicely detailed description that makes it easier to diagnose the problem, thanks. As I see it, this should be a 2-step process:

a. Check idle rpm on a warmed up engine, see if it's below 750. If it is, take it to a MASS to confirm that the idle is set to "base idle rpm" (if you are in a DIY mood, take a look at the manual I linked in the previous post). This check is necessary because you report excellent mileage figures in city (low idle rpm definitely plays a part here), and because even slightly lower/incorrect idle rpm can result in resonance. I quoted the 750 number from the G16B repair manual, the screenshot is attached(note the IAC off numbers, IAC = Idle air control).

b. Other than that, it can only be the engine mounts (you mentioned that yourself). Now, do a thorough visual inspection of the engine mounts and see if there are any cracks in the rubber (I forget if the Baleno had hydraulic mounts or not, if it does, check for fluid near the mounts). If that doesn't lead to anything, get someone to rev the engine sharply, while you look at the engine and see how much it "rocks". Usually on an auto-transmission, one checks in the reverse and Drive modes by stepping on the brake and gently revving the engine and then check for the amount of movement of the engine('rocking'), the torque from transmission cause the engine to move. Now, I have to think of a way to replicate that test (safely) on a manual tranny equipped car.

Originally Posted by shuvc

There's also some rust on the front discs, courtesy the lad that cleans the car and probably splashes water on them daily! MASS is recommending replacing them as opposed to some lathe work. Rs,1200 odd apiece. I always give priority to brakes/tyres etc... so should I go ahead and replace them (71K run), considering safety is top priority ?

Some surface rust is fine, and as long as there is not too much scoring (grooves/scratches on the disc). Any groove upto .4mm is fine. Also, the discs usually do not need replacement before 80K (sometimes much more than that), unless excessively worn brake pads have scored it or if the thickness is below company specified levels. Check the image below for thickness limits.
The disc is made of cast iron and rusting is imperative (especially with Calcutta's moist air), but that shouldn't be a cause for worry. If thickness is within bounds and the rusting is severe enough (i.e. the rusting itself has caused scoring), then go for the lathe, it's safe.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Amartya

a. Check idle rpm on a warmed up engine, see if it's below 750

Had gone to increase the idle rpm. They did slightly, but it came down to what it was soon after. Will go again. I suspect idle rpm is the major contributory factor.

A recent snap. 5yrs, 72K kms and running strong.


And the GSD3 F1. Going strong after 25K kms.


And basic art-leather seat covers that went in last year. Had updated the garage but not sure I had posted here.

[cityvic]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Had gone to increase the idle rpm. They did slightly, but it came down to what it was soon after. Will go again. I suspect idle rpm is the major contributory factor.

A recent snap. 5yrs, 72K kms and running strong.
Attachment 505498

And the GSD3 F1. Going strong after 25K kms.
Attachment 505496

And basic art-leather seat covers that went in last year. Had updated the garage but not sure I had posted here.
Attachment 505497

Get the Door Pads done too.

[ssingri]

Originally Posted by shuvc

That and still bugged big time by the amount of vibration inside the cabin, when the car idles. Idle rpm is normal around 700-800. But I can 'feel' the engine inside the cabin. MASS says, mounts are fine.

Something is resonating at those rpms ....

I have a 2003 Baleno that is at 65k. I experienced very bad vibrations at idle some time ago, this was followed by an igniter/HT coil failure. The vibrations are reduced after replacement of one igniter but still present to an extent especially if the ac is on.
The next step is to replace the other igniter and check if it helps.