Drove 612 km back from Haridwar to Auraiya on less than a tank-full.Update on the White one
Had ordered a set of aftermarket replacement gas springs for the boot lid manufactured by Motherson Auto Parts. Cost me INR 709/- for a set, delivered after some discount. Installed it on my own.
It is a bit noisier in operation than the OEM ones but does the job well.
There are two different part numbers on the two cars we have.2WD OEM P/N: 904520004R (INR 1700/- each)Since they have the same function, the suggested aftermarket replacement part below was ordered.
AWD OEM P/N: 904524666RMotherson P/N: GS-RN061RC (INR 379/- each)
After the Gujarat trip, dad took it for a Birding trip to Udaipur.Combined Odo reading: ~ 2,86,000 km
He complains of the clicking noise from the under-body has gotten worse. I am suspecting the CV joint, but it could also be some ball joint in the suspension. Will go in for service next month and will get it checked.
I am sort of prospecting since my brother is planning to buy his first car next year. So these experiences with different body style cars are going to help me suggest a good option that suits his needs.
- Ride Quality and Stability : Far below what the Duster has to offer. It only feels nice on well surfaced roads. Anything else will help you build some body core strength. You also have to shed speed on curves. Brakes are pretty spongy too.
- Size : Its a big SUV but is still manageable for someone used to the Duster. Lack of rear sensors is a bummer specially since the camera display is of very poor quality.
- Build Quality : So much for the Toyota build quality. This one has clocked close to 1 Lac and there was an incessant rattle from within the dash-board. Why do I remember it from another Toyota I sat in the past? The silver paint from the switches and buttons was wearing off and looked a bit ugly. There were rattles and squeaks from the panels on the B-pillar and or seats which was very annoying. On the other hand - Rest of the car (engine, gearbox, underpinnings etc.) felt to be built like a tank.
- Drive-train : The engine feels very less stressed. Its a relaxed engine and the gearbox does the work. I felt from driving an automatic that the engine revs climbed slower in comparison to the speed gain. The gear shifts were tangible. kick-down felt abrupt but the subsequent increase in speed didn't feel very substantial. A big contributor was the car masks its speed well which is due to the stress-free and slow revving engine.
-This one has done more than 2500 km since the last update. Had to visit Jaipur and Shri Ganganagar in two separate trips starting from Auraiya. I clean the air filter before every long drive and that along with the cold weather up here makes it a fun to drive car on the highway.
-The DDPai mini dashcam has started acting up. Will need to do a hard-reset of all software and hardware to see if it starts working again.
-It'll go for the 110K service this weekend. Will get the differential oil changed again (following the 20,000 km cycle to be on the safe side).
-This car has been doing short trips.
-The left front door has started drooping and the door needs to be lifted up a little while closing or it doesn't shut properly.
-The rough sound from the engine is still present since the ECM replacement. I feel they have provided us with a slightly different tune in the ECM or the ASC has removed some insulation from the engine bay or the under-body. Can't put my finger on it, even though they have checked it multiple times and reported all injectors and parameters to be healthy.
-Rotating the Air-flow direction change knob doesn't do anything. Suspecting that the cable has come lose or snapped. Should be dealt with in the next visit to the ASC.
-Have ordered a set of Monroe rear shocks for this one. They are the OE supplier for Renault and provide the same part for half the ASC price. Will report after installation.
-The car will go for the 180K service next week.
The ETC messages on the phone suggest that dad is out and about again, headed towards Ajmer, as of today.
- Being and even 10s service, the car got a new fuel filter. Noticed that the oil billed was Castrol instead of the usual Elf. Accessory-drive-belt-kit and the coolant was replaced too as that comes in the 60k schedule. Got the wheels aligned and balanced too. The final amount invoiced was: INR 17,938/-
- They attended to the direction control knob at no cost, however they didn't tidy up the cables under the dashboard, didn't replace a clip from the front carpet, misplaced the lighter and lost a tyre valve cap. On taking up the issue, a technician was dispatched to set things right at home.
- Got the car back from Renault Etawah yesterday. They had replaced the oil sump the day before and had filled in fresh oil. All I did to confirm is to take a look from below and I could see a shiny new sump with a new OEM drain plug. So too their word for it and drove back home.Feels good to have the cars serviced back to back, even though in different locations. Gives you the peace of mind to pick up the keys and head out without worries.
- Closed the complaint by signing a Satisfaction Note (the first time I came across this). Basically it mentions your complaint number and states that your issue has been addressed to your "entire satisfaction".
Note: I didn't get to fill a satisfaction note when I complained about the ECM going bad or the flywheel damage immediately after clutch replacement in the white car.
Here is what I suspect: They sign the form on your behalf and send it to Renault. They any-way forge the customer satisfaction feedback after every service, so it is not a big surprise. Their method is to change the registered mobile number (confirmed as I have been logged out of the app - which requires your registered mobile number for login, several times after getting a service done). So when Renault calls for feedback, someone from the dealership can give 10/10 for all questions. The second confirmation was that I needed time to print and sign the satisfaction note today. In the mean time, I got a call from the service center saying that they could sign on my behalf, if I permit. :Shockked:- The LTX force tyres on this car, after the 18,000 kms that they have run, have lent a bit of heaviness to the steering.
- The rear right shock had signs of oil seepage. Will keep an eye on that for now.
Originally Posted by Tgo
(Post 4776559)
Update on the Green One Went on a short 2-day trip to Khajuraho. Finished writing the travelogue just now. |
Originally Posted by nagr22
(Post 4776562)
Now you are making us poor souls feel jealous :mad: |
I opened the cowl covers (left and right) to access the fresh air intake for the AC. Showing two pictures of the vent flap close and open. There was a big pile-up of leaves and cotton which I cleared out using a vacuum cleaner. Just imagine the mayhem if I would have opened the fresh air vent without clearing the junk on top of it.With both the nozzles cleared out, The nozzles were back in service. Installed them back and tested them which went well. Issue sorted. Thanks to the guy who built this feature into the nozzle. Now I wonder what one does with the nozzles which do not have this feature - bin them?
The windshield washers had choked badly during the lockdown. There was no water coming out whatsoever. So I did the usual drill, check water, check the pump, check the water tubes. Finally came to the nozzles. I looked up how to remove the nozzles, which was a little challenging since I they cost 1200 bucks for a single nozzle. Once Out, believing that thei might have some scaling which was causing them to choke up, I dipped them in vinegar for an hour.Finally figured out the nifty reversing feature built into the nozzle. After soaking, the screw started moving a bit.I used a simple flat head screw driver and rotated the screw half a turn. And see what reared its ugly face.
Finally - This is the extent of damage on the rubber seal under the bonnet due to the battery dying out. Got lucky?
Some of you might know that the Green car is going to be in the garage for longer. My dad has a wish to tour India and has been going through routes and planning in advance. Being optimistic about the plan even during COVID-19, he has planned to commence in December this year (If things get back to normal). I thought it would be a nice add-on to get a roof box for the car specifically for this trip. It would help in carrying some light camping gear (chairs / mats / umbrella / laundry etc.) and would serve as some extra luggage holding space. It would be nice if the kids or friends could tag along on certain stretches and that's when it is intended to be used to the T.My dad was itching to get behind the wheel since the White One was in the ASC for repair. So on the return Journey, he accompanied me (this is how he came back). The drive back was a relaxed one. We chose a route which is a bit longer and had a near miss near Bharatpur. It might look really gruesome, but miraculously, no one was severely injured, just some cuts and bruises.. we checked.
So here's a short run-through of the Roof-box and its features.
Model: Thule Touring M (/ Touring 200)
Colour: Grey
Material: ABS Plastic
Capacity: ~460 L
Load Capacity: 50 kg
Weight: 14.9 kg
Max Speed:130 kmph
Clamping: Claw type quick clamps accessible from inside
Security: Lockable (both sides) with 3 tie down straps inside
Hinges: Two, can be opened from either side (L or R)
It could be a bit lower with some customized cross bars. The Generic cargoloc ones serve the purpose well for now.
The dual opening hinges in action - Access from both sides of the car.
The tray with the clamps and tie down straps.
So over the last week we got the chance to try it out on the car. Fitting it onto the cross bars is a 5 minute job. Just place it on the cross bars and center it. Insert the clamps and turn the knob till they start ratcheting. The claws would have had a firm hold on the cross bars by then. Insert the tie down straps and we-re done.
IMPORTANT: As suggested in the supplied literature, it is recommended to measure the overall height of the roof box after installation and write it down on a sticker and paste it inside the car for the driver's reference.
Using it on the duster required standing on the rear wheel or using a stool to gain height. The hinges provide some assistance in opening the box so there isn't much effort required there. The slots where the clamps go through the lower box have a rubber gasket so it is properly weather sealed. We had the engagement at the farm so lots of stuff needed to be shifted there. The roof box came in handy ferrying the outfits to be worn for starters and later some odd items after placing them in suitable duffle bags. After strapping down the luggage,it doesn't bother you anymore. One has to be constantly aware of the increase in height so that you can avoid low lying branches and boom barriers. I left it on the car for the whole week whether it was full or empty. There was no additional wind noise except from the already existing whistle at >=80kmph which is a result of the roof bars. The handling didn't seem to change very much with light loading ~20-25 kg at city speeds neither did I feel much drag. So I guess it is a well designed product which I am happy to have with me for the added utility. Best thing is that the installation is simple, reversible and most importantly, transferable to the other car.
Originally Posted by Nikhildrao
(Post 4839292)
Is there any car that you've driven that comes close to the ride quality of the duster? And have you driven the Captur/kicks ? |
Originally Posted by baradus1210
(Post 4839519)
I have a colleague in my office who owns a petrol Duster (I am based in Dubai) - pre Covid he used to drive from office in Jebel Ali to Al Ain (200+ kms return) daily and has run up a high mileage (300k kms+) and the Duster is still going strong |
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