[shuvc]

Originally Posted by ssingri

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.

Whhoops ! How much does each coil cost?

The vibration seems to go away a lot, if say at idle, I take the revvs upto around 900.

Did you have vibration inside the cabin as well as the engine (say if you checked by opening the bonnet)?

[ssingri]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Whhoops ! How much does each coil cost?

The vibration seems to go away a lot, if say at idle, I take the revvs upto around 900.

Did you have vibration inside the cabin as well as the engine (say if you checked by opening the bonnet)?

Each coil costs about Rs1200. You can switch it with another car,s coil (it is the same coil for Wagon r too) and check if it helps before you replace.

[shuvc]

My driver keeps pushing the envelope.

The last 550kms. All within the city. 75% on fairly empty roads.
20% AC.
195 F1s.

FE : 15.8kmpl !

I guess now with the summer setting in, it'll go down.

[dww]

Originally Posted by shuvc

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 ?

I have a problem that is very similar to what you describe on my 4-year old Baleno.

When stopping at traffic signals, the RPM drops slowly to about 700 or so and then the steering vibrates badly, making it feel like a diesel car. The RPM then increases on its own to about 900 or so. It stays at 900 for a while, and then the cycle restarts. I have seen this with both a/c and without a/c. I am wondering if my idle RPM is set wrong.

Just for information, when I start my Baleno each day, the RPM starts at about 1200 and gradually comes down to the 900-1000 range. Isn't this too high?

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by dww

When stopping at traffic signals, the RPM drops slowly to about 700 or so and then the steering vibrates badly, making it feel like a diesel car.

So the car is due for it's 10th service. 75K kms. 5.5yrs.

I went to a different MASS this time to get a fresh pair of eyes/ears have a look at the car and do an initial diagnosis. The primary 'issues' being
- the vibration that @dww indicates he has in his car too. Basically revvs dropping a bit too much when the AC switches on-off resulting in the car shaking a lot.
- add to that, the engine feels a tad less peppy too. (Could be the 27K run 195 F1s contributing a bit too)
- overall it just feels too noisy (maybe the Civic effect !)

Other than this it's running fine.

Diagnosis and work proposed on the car are:
- Injector & Throttle body cleaning (1000rs)
- All oil check/change. Will mainly need engine oil change (1500rs)
- Timing belt adjustment (said it seems a bit tighter than normal) (500Rs)
- Tappet adjustment and head gasket/packing change (1000Rs). There's some amount of oil leak. Looks like it has seeped out very very slowly.
- Rear window motor repair (300Rs). If not repairable, he advised me to wait for a motor from an accident car etc.

He recommended doing these first and then if required, will check the mounts. Otherwise gave a clean chit to clutch, brake, suspension et al.

Originally Posted by dww

Just for information, when I start my Baleno each day, the RPM starts at about 1200 and gradually comes down to the 900-1000 range. Isn't this too high?

It is ok to start high. But it should ideally settle down to the 750-850 range IIRC.

[shuvc]

10th service was carried out over yesterday and today.

- Routine service
- Injector & Throttle body cleaning
- Timing belt adjustment
- Tappet adjustment and head gasket/packing change

Total cost Rs. 3050 (including labour and taxes)

Engine feels maybe a bit quieter. The vibration issue remains. There's a vibration even when I revv to 1500rpm with the car stationary. The engine revvs are fine but there's an intermittent and irregular (no pattern/rhythm) slight shivering. The proposed solutions were :
a) IAC valve issue. A replacement could help reduce vibrations.
b) Engine mounts. The RHS front is a bit weak. The other 3 are supposedly fine. Mounts though are not an immediate suggestion.
c) Replace clutch as it is slipping a bit in 1st/2nd.

IAC valve costs around 8.5K
Mounts - 11K for the set of 4
Clutch - 7 to 10K !!! I had replaced the clutch 3.5 yrs back for around 3.5K. Have the prices increased? Or was the car fitted with the Esteem clutch then?

I'm planning to take it step by step.
IAC followed by clutch. And then hold onto the mounts for sometime.

[shuvc]

The last service was in June (previous post) and since then I've kept procrastinating on addressing the vibration issue since there was no confident diagnosis.

There still isn't.

However, I ended up spending a packet on the car over the last week ! My hand was forced as the AC suddenly became erratic. Sometimes warm , sometimes cold. And then the amount of cold air began to go down. Seemed there was a leak somewhere. Then it was hot air only.

Went back to my trusted dealer workshop. And planned to keep the car there for a couple of days for taking care of a few issues at one go.

The AC evaporator coil had developed a leak :( .. tentative cost for a new SGP one was 14-15K !

I also decided on getting new front brake pads and discs. The pads were around 40K kms old. The discs were OE (75K kms). Pads were down to half thickness. The discs had almost a 1 cm rust around the periphery. Braking per se was not that bad or rather I did not feel it much since the car is used at pretty sedate speeds within the city nowadays. But it lacked bite. And once or twice I felt I had misjudged the stopping distance. Safety first !! The caliper pins had also developed some play, adding to some rattling (as per the SA).

The clutch had also run 53K kms. Again no major issues except a bit of slipping. MASS diagnosed some gear oil leaking onto the clutch which had become wet. Hence clutch was changed too. Along with the errant gear oil seal.

A new set of NGK spark plugs went in too.

--------------------

Cost of major stuff:

1. AC Cooling coil - Was quoted 8K by an independent AC specialist garage. I mentioned that to the spares guy. Negotiated and got the job done for around 10K at MASS (spare+recharge+labour). Significantly down from the earlier estimate of 14-15K just for the part !

2. Brake job.
Discs - Rs. 2200 for the pair.
Pads - Rs. 4000 for the pair (This is SGP. The price has doubled post the Japa quake). I was quoted around 650-700 for aftermarket TVS brake pads from a spares shop. But decided to play safe and stick to OE for peace of mind.
Caliper pins - Rs. 600 for the pair.

3. Clutch
Around 3500 for the job. The Esteem clutch fits and that's what went in. I was running the Esteem clutch earlier too. The SGP Baleno clutch costs around 8K, I'm told.

4. Around Rs. 750 for the 4 spark plugs.

Around 23.5K in total.

---------------

Outstanding issues:

a) The vibration still remains. They checked the IAC valve and the mounts. Ruled out IAC. Said possibly the mounts. But since they don't have the mounts in stock, they were unable to change them one by one to identify the problematic one. Maybe I'll feel rich some day and order a set, lol !!

b) After replacing the cooling coil, the blower has developed a mild squeaking noise. Seems to be the motor. Sounds like a very mild version of a squeaking fan belt. Just noticed it as I was about to leave the premises. They took out the blower and checked it. No go. And apparently the blower is expensive too ! Let me observe for a few days.

c) The brakes seemed to be 'sticking' and making a khut-khut noise - specially when inching. Again could be due to a brand new set? It probably went down by the time I reached home. Again, will keep a ear-out for the next few days.

d) Both rear power windows have developed cable issues. In short - they don't work. The motors are fine. Window glass is permanently up for now. Found a guy who says it can be repaired and will not cost much. Pending.

-----------------------

Overall - Drove out and it felt lovely ! It felt significantly smoother to drive than it has been over the past few months !! I was loving it ! Wanted to keep driving .. fantastic !! The TLC was overdue!

I plan to keep this car for another couple of years. It's still so much fun to drive

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by shuvc

I plan to keep this car for another couple of years. It's still so much fun to drive

That is what most Baleno owners feel. After using my Baleno for 4 1/2 years and 55k kms I have recently moved to Optra Magnum, mostly to shift to Diesel but am keeping the Baleno in the family, for my wife.

Even I need to address few issues: Mainly suspension related which is creaking and needs a over haul and then the right ORVM which got broken when a bike guy hit it recently.

Will probably send the car to garage next week.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Outstanding issues:

c) The brakes seemed to be 'sticking' and making a khut-khut noise - specially when inching. Again could be due to a brand new set? It probably went down by the time I reached home. Again, will keep a ear-out for the next few days.

As I had suspected, the noise was probably due to the new set bedding-in(?). It's disappeared now So that takes care of 1 outstanding issue !

Checked the AC blower fan price : Rs. 11450 /- ! Anyway, am in no hurry to change it until a confirmed diagnosis, of the noise, is made.

@norules - very true. I hope it stays healthy for a few more years. Which is the reason I do quite a bit of proactive maintenance. The expenses thus incurred are far less than replacing with a new car (which btw may not be as good an overall package as this !)


ps:
a) The caliper pins/bushing are SGP.
b) The pads that came off the car are Sumitomo. I presume the same brand went in. Could not make out the brand of the discs.
c) The OE cooling coil too did not have any brand name mentioned on it. I'm told it's from Denso.

[shuvc]

The state of the almost 6 year old alloys were bugging me. There were too many stains and dirt that had 'stuck' to it. Specially around the nut holes and the air valve. So I got into the mode one Sunday and cleaned all the alloys (Civic and Baleno !) The Baleno wheels took an average of 30 mins each. The Civic slightly less.

I just used Pril (liquid dishwasher) and Cif (kitchen cleaner). Ended up using the Pril more since Cif did not seem to have any additional effect.

Soaked the alloy with water having a decent amount of Pril (in a mug). Then used a toothbrush. The bristle end to get rid of the loose dirt and the rounded plastic back to grind out the areas around the nut holes and valve. These really took some effort. Maybe a very fine sandpaper would have made it easier.

Here's a sample before and after pic.

[basky]

Originally Posted by shuvc

The state of the almost 6 year old alloys were bugging me. There were too many stains and dirt that had 'stuck' to it.

Six years of muck is quite an effort. Job would have been easier if you pre-soaked the wheel with WD40 or diesel and removed one wheel at a time to clean it conveniently. Total access and the ability to clean the insides of the wheels (and arches, suspension and brake assembly) would have been possible. You could use Scotchbrite or 1000 grade on the insides of the wheels. The outer surface is the finished surface and best cleaned with WD40/diesel, clayed (keep old clay for this) and polished with a rim wax. Apart form looking good, it protects the wheels from strong adhesion of fresh muck. Take time to clean the lug holes and lug nuts to bring it to a high finish. Clean the wheel arches too.

For the final effect, apply tyre gel on the wheel arches and tyres too to bring out the best finish. Your car will look its best!

[shuvc]

Car completed it's 6th birthday this Jan. Has been a wonderful journey
Odo inching towards 78K kms. It's been running a bit less of late, but will be compensated heavily very soon !

Got some regular maintenance done at a known Bosch Authorised centre. Small setup, but the guys used to look after my 800 many years back.

- New Oil (Bosch mineral)
- New Oil filter
- New fuel filter
- New air filter

Umm - I got a K&N stock replacement air filter ! I never had any plans to. But then found them priced at around Rs. 1350 at Amazon. Given that the SGP Denso filters cost 700+, I decided it's ok to try out the K&N.

And saved a lot by getting the rear power window repaired. The cables had given up. Motors were fine. The guy took them to some place, got them repaired and fitted them back on day 2. Damages - Rs. 900.

Got the exterior polished too. Plan to get the interior polish done next.

Happy Birthday ol' friend ....

[v&v]

Congrats Shuvc. Nice ownership report too.
My baleno also power windows and the switches are the main trouble maker. They are still very expensive.

[ssingri]

I went down to polish my car yesterday and also wanted to see if I can cure the vibration issue so widely reported in the forum and also the issue of jerking when decelerating or accelerating in lower gears.
FYI - My car is 2003 Baleno with about 72K on the clock, I have been running synthetic oil from 60K.
I opened up the throttle body and cleaned both sides of the throttle body with WD40 and a bit of cotton waste. There was a lot of black sticky gunk that came out. I could not reach the IAC or the magnetic valve as I could not disconnect the vacuum hoses and unscrew the IAC. I did spray down the IAC intake and exit openings and clean them as much as I could. This is about a 15 min job.
The throttle body cleaning that MASS does is only spraying down the throttle and will not help clean the gunk in the IAC intake or exit.

The result is that the vibrations have reduced by about 50%, I will give it a further cleaning when I can find the time to confirm if the IAC is the culprit.
I suspect a sticky IAC magnetized valve or an air leak in the IAC causes the varying idle and the vibration is because delayed action of IAC which leads to a drop in RPM below 800.

[shuvc]

Ol' friend is back to heavy running. Around 100kms a day on weekdays !

- Car is nudging 83K kms. No major issues.
- 90% driver driven. FE is wonderful ! 12.5+ in city, with 100% AC and wide tyres.
- Eagle F1 GSD3's have run 35K kms and seem good for another 5-10K ! Unexpected.
- GSD3's are as expected, noisy. But less so than the GSD2's I had earlier
- RHS ORVM mirror broke mysteriously. Probably had come loose courtesy the cleaner guy. Replaced. Details in the Baleno spares thread.
- Left wiper stopped working. I thought the arm needed to be changed. Nada. It had come loose. MASS guy just tightened it.
- New Bosch wiper blades replaced the old set. Smooth wipes again.
- Right parking bulb fuse blew. Replaced.

All else seems fine ! Touchwood ! Love japs