[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

For the past few days, I am hearing a weird engine noise when the RPM is just about 1500 mark and in 1st and 2nd gears. Any one else observed this?
This is the 110PS engine. 9700 km done in 6 months. Due for 2nd service. Just wanted to check with you all if any one else too observed this. Thanks

None what so ever from my side, Thalavoy.
I have crossed the 11k mark.
With 3 trips to Sikkim mostly through horrible roads of NH34 and some more in Sikkim, I have no problems with the duster.

Owning the Duster is a pleasure, as far as I am concerned.

[motorhead1981]

I need inputs from fellow owners regarding brake noise. I have noticed it from the beginning especially when moving out of a slope when the brakes are slowly released. I pointed it out to ASS in my first service, they said the cleaned the pads but its been persisting. It's a grinding sort of noise especially when brakes are released.

[Clouseau]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Cons:
1. The hard Hornpad and the hard clutch takes its tool while driving for long.
My thumb was literally sore after the drive!
2. I have done 4300Kms , but the reversed indicator stalks still feel counter-intuitive and giving the dipper is a royal pain ! (As a workaround , I just had my headlights on low beam, the entire day)
This is not just a pain, but a real safety issue as well. At least for the Right handed drivers. It IS much more easy to give the dipper and the turn signal for them when they are placed the "normal" way.
3. The AC is poor. There is no two opinion about it.
Its barely turning into summer here and I am sure it cant handle the full blown NCR summer heat. This is surprising since the Duster was initially launched in the middle-east countries and one would assume that the AC would have been designed to be strong.
4. An annoying rattle has developed that I first noticed after the first service at 2K Kms. Sounds just like the window glass rattle of buses !
Much more pronounced on rough roads, but is still present on smooth tarmac.
Initially it came on occasionally, but is almost present continuously now.
looks to be coming from the passenger side window...

Hi BUXX,

Just to add:
- The a/c is not great but adequate. Also keep in mind that compared to a sedan the cabin space is larger so the car will generally remain cooler in summertime.
- You'll defintely get used to the indicator/headlight settings. Don't worry about that.
- I'm getting 18+ kmpl for my 85 and my running is in the city. The a/c running in the coming months may affect this so let's see.
- There is ditto noise in my duster too. Could be the front passenger window or the plastic panel under the seat belt or the plastic panel on the door itself. It's not painfully loud but just loud enough to disturb - like a pipsqueak! Will need to get it checked in the next service. Let me know what you find...

Cheers!

[BUXX]

Hi Clouseau: where are you getting the vehicle serviced and how's the experience been? I went to the Renault South Delhi/GGN workshop for the first service and it was pathetic. Planning to go soon to the Noida one and see if its any better. This rattle/creaking issue is bugging me a lot and I dunno whether Renault A$4 can actually solve anything.

There was another issue in my car from day1 .
Both the front windows left a streaking mark when winding up/down(in the middle of the window, top to bottom) .
At that time, the dealer had said, "we will get it fixed at the 1st service, no worries." These buggers just sprayed some WD40 in the 1st service and said now it will go.
It hasn't.

[Phukan]

I have barely done around 1400 KMs in my duster and I could here a faint rattle from one of the rear doors. I guess it was there from the day 1 but it could not get my attention because music was always on. I was planning to get it rectified in my first service. With so many people complaining about the door rattles, it seems renault has one more job in hand.
However, it seems renault is catching up as few niggles that early owers have pointed out like the blue tooth issue, radio reception issue, water leakage to compartment etc are no more.

I got an 85 PS and I did a 700 KM trip to Mount abu (from Vadodara). The journey was smooth and my duster just performed fabulously. Loved each and every bit of the journery through the exceptional Gujarat highways and I had to conciously control the rpm below 2500. The GHATS in mount abu did call for some extra work form the dusty and I have to admit it was not as smooth as you wanted it to be. Pulling in the 2nd, 3rd gear felt strenuous while going uphill ocassionally making me to downshift, which I normally would not do in my Santro. This may be bacause of a different gear ratio which I need to get used to.

Few pics of my dusty on her home coming

[himadrimondal]

Did my third long distance trip to Sikkim from Kolkata, this time it was a drive of 24 hrs at a stretch in the second week of March. Duster worked like a charm.

Could not post details till date, busy work schedule and processing my bird photographs for an upcoming competition. I will try and make up for it soon.

[Rigid Rotor]

An update on my six month old 110 RXZ at 5K km on the odo

Fixed a couple of persistent rattles from the boot area:

• The cover for the wiper motor & wash on the inside on the boot cover was tightened fully (there are two screws on the lower portion inside the recessed grab area) . See pic-1 (the areas circled in Red are where the pieces of foam were inserted).
• The upper portion of the plastic cover was thumped back into position after wedging two small pieces of foam insulation in between the wiper cover and the metal. See pic-2. It had appeared to have had loosened somewhat.
• Ensured the jack was properly secured and tightened the retaining bolt.
• Wedged appropriately sized pieces of foam between the parcel tray retaining points and the frame.
• The rattles have gone!
• Source of rattles can be deceptive, an example-
  • My colleague's Duster suddenly developed a very distinct and deep sounding rattle.
  • We analysed with our discerning ears and came to a consensus that the rattle was definitely from the engine bay.
  • A critical metal pipeline that had worked loose perhaps?
  • He rushed off to the service centre to check it out and came back a bit sheepish- the rattle had been traced to the roof mounted radio antenna which had been pushed down to the roof perhaps by the car-wash boy. On a rough patch of road, the antenna would bob up and down and hit the roof and was the source of that ominous sounding rattle.

Fixed the spongy brakes:

• Brake pedal modulation had been poor and had felt spongy at low-moderate speeds, especially after a cold start.
• Vehicle was taken to the Renault service center at KR Puram. The SA David Babu promptly attended to the problem and bled the brakes.
• Pedal modulation has improved to what it should have been!
• In addition, they also topped up the coolant (small but nice gesture).
• No charges for any consumables used (brake fluid).
• Good A*S*S experience at Renault Whitefield!

Radio & Bluetooth Patch:

• The radio & bluetooth patch has improved the performances of the radio (fading reception) and also the bluetooth connectivity with phone.
• The audio quality has dramatically improved after the patch (I use JVC speakers) . Chaps using the original HU with high-end amp-speaker combinations will definitely notice the audio improvement.
• My Android phone's contacts and call details are faithfully downloaded every time. Before the patch, this was intermittent
• No reports of echo during calls now.

Notes on Engine Response:

• The engine has definitely opened up.
• Renault states 6K km is required for the engine to open up fully.
• Turbo-lag in 2nd gear at lower speeds has reduced.
• Its important to wait for the engine to warm up with about 10-12 minutes of operation to get better response and minimum turbo-lag (coolant temperature indicated as 2 bars above the bottom bar with the temperature icon)- one needs to be patient with a cold engine and accept the more sluggish response in 2nd gear and resist the temptation to 'give it the stick' before warming up.
• Please desist from lugging the engine - especially in 2nd gear the minimum speed is around 12-15 km/h. Lugging the engine will result in an engine check warning light coming on and getting locked. This happened in my colleague's case (also an 110 RXZ). He had to go to the service centre, where the SA downloaded the data and politely lectured him on the need to maintain the proper gear-speed combinations. Essentially the beast reports bad driving back to the SA!

The Anemic Horm:

• Replaced with Hella Red Grill Supertone twin horns. Noise pollution notwithstanding, those pesky jaywalkers and maniacal bikers intent on committing harakiri, now visibly flinch away!

Overall Impression:

• As far as I am concerned, its a very good replacement for my Ye Olde Tata Sierra.
• Good combination of ride and handling.
• Good engine. Great for cruising all day long. Fairly okay for city driving.
• Clutch pedal force has lessened. In any case, I was used to typical SUV levels of clutch pedal forces.
• Although the rear leg room could be described as adequate, the rear bench has good support, inclination angle and height. No complaints from back seat pax during long distance drives.
• I have done three 12 hour continuous 750 km drives on the beast and the fatigue factor is minimal.
• There is that sudden benevolent urge to visit distant relations at far-away locations at a drop of a hat. Any excuse for a long distance drive, what?
• The AC is good. The rear AC is particularly effective in hot and humid coastal areas.
• The stalk mounted audio controls are really handy. Dare I say, its better to use than steering mounted controls that rotate with the wheel and change their orientation. Here, the stalk mounted controls are always there at the proper orientation and allow swift change of radio stations, media, muting and receiving calls.
• The vehicle has its fundamentals right : the Duster stops short of the 'Gizmo' level and that's a good thing as far as I am concerned. I prefer reliability & simplicity on the ground as I get my techno kicks in the air.

[TheTeacher]

Thanks Rigid, that was a helpful recap!

Himadri and Rigid, have you taken your Duster to slushy / hilly areas? How was the traction.

Thanks.

[werfish]

I have covered close to 8K on the 110 RXL,i feel that on full load,the vehicle struggles while negotiating a steep climb and i feel a lack of power,Has any one else had this.

[Rigid Rotor]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Himadri and Rigid, have you taken your Duster to slushy / hilly areas? How was the traction...

Nope, I'm afraid I have not taken it into any hilly or slushy terrain. However, Himadri definitely has taken his Duster into some fairly hair-raising terrain in Sikkim. Check out his ownership thread for some very awesome pics and descriptions.

Originally Posted by werfish

..i feel that on full load,the vehicle struggles while negotiating a steep climb and i feel a lack of power,Has any one else had this.

Is it an issue between the largish spacing between 1st and 2nd gears that you feel on inclines -or is it a general lack of pulling power all across?
It may even be something as simple as a clogged air-filter.

Our fleet-leaders - Neil & Himadri (especially Himadri who has made repeat trips to Sikkim) have not reported such issues. On the rather gentle highway inclines that I have taken with full load and AC on, there never seemed to be any shortage of power. In fact, there is hardly any difference in performance with or without the AC. (important point - the engine should be warmed up as I had said earlier with at least 10-12 minutes of operating and the coolant temperature at 2 bars above the minimum temperature icon bar).

[werfish]

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

Is it an issue between the largish spacing between 1st and 2nd gears that you feel on inclines -or is it a general lack of pulling power all across?
It may even be something as simple as a clogged air-filter.

I notice it when the vehicle needs to move from zero right next to a huge road hump.It gets switched off in 1st gear and then i need to use heavy acceleration to come out.

[srameshdelhi]

Got the first service done today of my RXL 85 ps.

Unlike others, I did not have any issues with the car worthy to report. But the Renault Delhi West work shop is one hell of a cramped place. I wonder how Renault agreed for such a cramped place to be kept as their authorised service centre for a city like Delhi.

More than the service issues I was scared of taking back my Duster scratch free after the first service. Thank god nothing happened.

After first service the car became more smoother without any rattle while driving on low rpm with high gear. I have a habit of shifting to higher gear too early and Duster used to rattle when I used to do this before the service. But it is gone now.

Currently with A/c in Delhi city bumper to bumper traffic I get 16 km per litre. Though on a high way trip to Pant nagar I got 22 km per litre.

Can anybody suggest how to change from one folder to another folder when using a USB drive?

Ramesh

[amitdan]

Unless I am starting on an incline I do not need a heavy foot on the gas pedal on the first. Actually even coming out of the basement, the steep slope can be easily managed by a slow and steady rev on the first. If you have recently moved from another petrol car then the clutch and the diesel's not so stellar first gear could take some getting used to. The best way to exit a hump is starting from the first, even though the car is in dead slow motion. I have a 110.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by werfish

I notice it when the vehicle needs to move from zero right next to a huge road hump.It gets switched off in 1st gear and then i need to use heavy acceleration to come out.

Yours is a 110? That's the turbo lag playing it's game. Please do revv & build your rpm a bit to get out of such situations.

Originally Posted by srameshdelhi

....After first service the car became more smoother without any rattle while driving on low rpm with high gear. I have a habit of shifting to higher gear too early and Duster used to rattle when I used to do this before the service. But it is gone now...

NOT a good practice. Please do upshift a bit late & at a higher rpm so as to avoid the jerk. I kind of feel you are used to a petrol car and this is your first diesel vehicle?

[himadrimondal]

Hello Rigid Rotor, fantastic update on the rattle issue, will surely have a look at mine too.

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Himadri and Rigid, have you taken your Duster to slushy / hilly areas? How was the traction.

Originally Posted by werfish

I have covered close to 8K on the 110 RXL,i feel that on full load,the vehicle struggles while negotiating a steep climb and i feel a lack of power,Has any one else had this.

Though these are not actual representation of how messy things become



I have taken my Duster through quiet an amount of slush but never felt lack of any traction.
The first gear has massive pull, umpteen number of times I have got stuck on the middle of a steep slope.

Just release the handbrakes as you disengage the clutch, the car climbs like a charm, with full load
(3 adults, camera equipment weighing around 30kgs, ration both veg,non veg for 5 days, 20L water jar, 3 bags, gas burner, utensils).
Infact front wheel drive comes in handy here. I changed my air filter at 10k mark.

You can go through the video to see some sections of the drive. View it in full screen by clicking 'Renault Duster, Sikkim' and going full screen.

Renault Duster, Sikkim