[ssingri]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Does any guideline-value exist for per-year or per-km maintenance expenditure against which I can compare these values to know if the values are ok/good/bad ?

This is my expense sheet if you want to compare this covers the period between about 40000 KM and 75000 KM in about 5 years.

[supremeBaleno]

A light issue :
Couple days ago while leaving from work, I switch on the lights and it looks like there isn't much light. The Baleno IMO has crappy lights (our Scooty Pep seems much better), so I think that is what it is, but since I am not able to see anything, I stop and check the lights. While parking lights work, both the headlights are not working. It seems to me too strange a coincidence for both bulbs to fuse at the same time. Try the hi-beams and they work and drive home using them. Since the hi-beam filament of the bulbs work, I rule out any fuse going kaput. Yesterday I remove the bulbs and replace them with another pair and both hi and lo beams work for these.

General :
The car has completed 65000kms and in end-March-2013, it would be 8 years old. An average annual running of 8000kms. No issues since the last service. The rear-brake shoes seem to have bedded-in with the milled-drums and now I don't get the brake-judder that I had when the shoes were replaced.

The car is a pleasure to drive as always. When in a sedate mood, it obliges by requiring minimal gear-changes and easy run in 5th gear even in the 1000-1200 rpm range. And when in the mood for a quick sprint, it again is quick to stretch its legs by helping work each gear till the red-line.

One of the 5 tyres had shown considerably more wear than the other 4 and I had moved it to stepney, with the erstwhile stepney now doing duty. However, I could not exchange the rims of these 2 tryes which meant I was running on 3 alloys and a steel wheel. Today, got a weekend at Chennai after a long time and had the neighborhood tyre-wala exchange the rims. Charged me Rs150, which I thought was a bit high - would have thought 100 bucks to be enough.

[carzone]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

A light issue :
General :
The car has completed 65000kms and in end-March-2013, it would be 8 years old. An average annual running of 8000kms per month.

I am sure you meant to say 8000 kms per year or may be 800 kms per month.

[supremeBaleno]

Black beauty completed 8 years yesterday, with the odometer at 67500 kms. In a few months, the car will be due for the 70K service.
No issues as such to report other than a puncture last week. Otherwise the car has been in a FISIFI mode (Fill It Shut It Forget It) for a long time.

On 20th March evening, a colleague returning from coffee-break near the basement parking drops by my cubicle to say that the rear-left tyre of my car is punctured. Strange because the tyre was OK till noon. Anyway after work, go down to replace it with the stepney. Find a thin 1-cm long screw embedded in the trye and assume that is the cause. While 3 of the wheel-nuts come off without any hassle, the 4th is literally a tough nut to crack. I stand on the wheel spanner and it seems to move, which makes me think I loosened the nut, but what actually happened was that the spanner got bent. Anyway borrow the spanner from a friend's Jazz and the nut comes off easily.

Next day take the tyre to get the puncture repaired at a small tyre-shop adjacent to the gates of CTS-Thoraipakkam - the owner is wearing a CTS T-shirt. The chottu helper says there is a puncture (which we know) and also an issue with the neck since air is leaking out of there, but that turned out to be an issue with the valve not being tightened properly. When the tube is removed, we see that the 1-cm screw was not the cause of the puncture. Instead, embedded in the tyre was a 2-inch nail with a really sharp end. Damage : Rs80, for puncture fixing.

[TheTeacher]

Glad your Baleno's doing well.

Mine is 8 yrs 4 mths old, going to touch 60k kms soon.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Black beauty completed 8 years yesterday, with the odometer at 67500 kms. In a few months, the car will be due for the 70K service.
No issues as such to report other than a puncture last week. Otherwise the car has been in a FISIFI mode (Fill It Shut It Forget It) for a long time.

Many happy returns to the Black Beauty. Even my Red Injun had its b'day this month, though it was its 6th.

I've always liked the Baleno, and would have bought it when I was scouting for a sedan, but news of its dis-continuance made me stay away. Even today I always say that the Baleno is far better than its successor, the SX4.

[supremeBaleno]

@vnabhi, in hindsight your decision to go for the Fiesta was spot on, since Ford has not only retained it alongside the new Fiesta, but the older version seems to be outselling the new one by a big margin.

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

When the tube is removed, we see that the 1-cm screw was not the cause of the puncture. Instead, embedded in the tyre was a 2-inch nail with a really sharp end. Damage : Rs80, for puncture fixing.

One question, Aren't you using tubeless, at 65+k you would have changed the tyres once?

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Otherwise the car has been in a FISIFI mode (Fill It Shut It Forget It) for a long time.

Like the FISIFI , i agree this is a very painless car. At 8 years and 67+ K Kms how long do you intend to keep it? Mine with similar age but higher odometer reading (80K+), i am not yet sure how long i intend to keep it. A part of me says for as long as possible .

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

One question, Aren't you using tubeless, at 65+k you would have changed the tyres once?

No, it's the stock tubed tyres. Initially thought I would change to wider Vxi tyres when the stock set wore out, but they seem to be wear resistant. The tread is still great on 4 running tyres - only 1 tyre wore out which has been made the stepney. Previous page has snaps of the tread of each tyre and not much has changed since then - looks like they will last another 20K kms or more. I rotate the tyres myself every 5K kms, check/top-up air atleast once a month (+2psi than MSIL recommended) and drive without late-braking etc. Maybe that's why they lasted so long or maybe just chance.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Like the FISIFI , i agree this is a very painless car. At 8 years and 67+ K Kms how long do you intend to keep it? Mine with similar age but higher odometer reading (80K+), i am not yet sure how long i intend to keep it. A part of me says for as long as possible .

FISIFI borrowed from the tagline of my HH-CD100. I plan to keep it atleast for the Govt mandated 15year life or till it stays reliable, whichever is earlier. It is FTD, FE and reliable - so see no reason to change it.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

I plan to keep it atleast for the Govt mandated 15year life or till it stays reliable, whichever is earlier. It is FTD, FE and reliable - so see no reason to change it.

That's exactly my plan for my Fiesta too. I'd done the same thing for my M800, and have similar plans for my 12-year old Waggie.

There's no point selling a petrol car before a decade of use, as we'd take a huge depreciation hit.

[supremeBaleno]

Exactly. If I were to sell it, I would get maybe 1.5L today (1/4th of what I paid for it). But if I were in the market for a similar reliable car in 1.5L, I doubt I would get it. And apart from the depreciation hit, the other advantages of keeping cars for atleast 15 years is that the tax has been paid for that long anyway. Selling it and buying a new car means you end up again paying the tax + insurance etc filling the Govt. coffers for no reason.

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by ssingri

This happens in my car too. I think it is got to do with the IAC(Idle Air Control) Valve sticking due to carbon deposits. I cleaned the throttle body using WD40 and it help but does not eliminate this problem completely. Will try dis assembling the IAC and cleaning when I have the time.

Can you educate on how to do this please? I am sailing in the same boat.

[petrolhead_chn]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Exactly. If I were to sell it, I would get maybe 1.5L today (1/4th of what I paid for it). But if I were in the market for a similar reliable car in 1.5L, I doubt I would get it. And apart from the depreciation hit, the other advantages of keeping cars for atleast 15 years is that the tax has been paid for that long anyway. Selling it and buying a new car means you end up again paying the tax + insurance etc filling the Govt. coffers for no reason.

I am so sure you are enjoying your drive. The black color is cool! Congrats on completing the 8yrs now.

BTW, where do you get your Baleno serviced periodically? Mine is due for a service now and am finding it hard to leave the car with any mechanic including the A.S.S. I prefer to take the car to a mechanic, stay with him, get things done and drive the car back home even it costs me few hundreds more.

I need to change engine oil, coolant, gearbox oil (do you have gearbox seals as such) along with head gaskey if need be (no serious oil leaking but it seeps behind the valve cover.) I also feel a slight surge in power when accelerating with AC on in 2nd gear. Any pointer to clean IACV would be great! My Baleno is about 57,000 kms on the odo.

[supremeBaleno]

I stopped going to MASS after the 30K service. The 40K service was done at Electra on OMR. Then I discovered Ignite on ECR and found them good and got the 50K and 60K services done with them. The car is due for 70K service in coming weeks and will be going to Ignite for the same. IMO, Raghav & team at Ignite do a good job and as of date I am happy with the service they provide.

You could try Ignite and they won't have any issues with you staying with the car till the work is done - getting prior appointment with them is not mandatory (I usually do), but will help.

[ssingri]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_chn

Can you educate on how to do this please? I am sailing in the same boat.

Hi,
It is quite a simple procedure and you will require one size 12mm wrench a socket is preferable and one Phillips head screwdriver (PH2) it is the regular one that comes in any 2 wheeler tool kit and a bit of clean cotton waste.
Unfortunately I do not have photographs as I did it in the basement car park using a torch for light when needed and could not reach for the cell phone camera as my hands were extremely grimy.
Here is the procedure from memory:

1. Open Air Filter Cover
2. Loosen the circlip on the hose near the throttle body and remove hose and airfilter cover, detach rebreather hose also
3. Remove throttle cable
4. Remove throttle position sensor cable
5. Loosen and remove the two 12mm nuts and 2 12 mm bolts
6. Remove Throttle Body
7. Detach 2 vaccum hoses attached to the underside of the IAC
8. Loosen and remove 2 phillips screws to detach the IAC
9. Now spray WD 40 and clean with cotton waste till the Valve rotates freely (see 1. in the first picture)