[rdhawan15]

Originally Posted by Speedme

Were you able to find a reliable FNG for the duster as I am myself looking for one in South Delhi as being ripped by the asc all the time is not a good idea

I am in West Delhi. And, I have not had any luck in finding a reliable FNG to service Duster.

[Tgo]

The chief culprit seems to be Renault which has put an embargo of sorts. Not allowing local manufacturers to sell OEM replacement parts and also not allowing off the counter sale of parts unless you have a good rapport.

[SideView]

Hi guys,

Any owning duster 110ps changed the gear oil? Maybe you could clarify my query below:


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4607817 (Nissan Terrano : Official Review)

[airfoil]

A non-member friend's 2013 Duster RXZ 110 done about 35000 km has the engine check light and glow-plug/injector warning light on while the engine is running.

Information available:

1. Unusually long amount of cranking required to get the engine started
2. Engine in LIMP mode; max RPM possible is about 2500.
3. The glow-plug light is intermittent, it sometimes goes off and the engine performance is back to normal, but the check engine light stays on.
4. The engine runs smoothly with no additional noises.
5. No major electrical or mechanical work was carried out on this car, it only needed routine service until this problem cropped up.
6. The injectors and glow plugs have been checked and are not contributors to the problem.
7. This car has only been refuelled at reputable outlets and bad fuel is not a contributor either.

The car was scanned at a Renault service center and the fault was diagnosed to be either a faulty ECM or a damaged flywheel. My friend wasn't convinced and the damaged flywheel sounded outrageous, so he looked for an additional opinion from a private workshop, which also came up with the cause of the trouble to be a faulty ECM.
The flywheel sensor was cleaned at the private workshop and this made no difference.

Renault wants 55k to replace the ECM (and they don't guarantee the outcome) while the privateer electrician says he'll replace the ECM for 28k all told and is confident of the outcome. Renault dealer also expects the car to be left with them for at least a week while they find a suitable donor vehicle to 'borrow' a proper ECM for the process of elimination.

Looking for help with these questions:

1. Can the ECM be re-programmed? Is replacement the only way out?
2. Are there aftermarket, lower quality ECMs that can be put in the place of the original? This question arises because the private workshop insists that only genuine Renault parts will be used and there aren't any non-OEM options even available in the after-market.
3. Shouldn't the sensor itself be checked for proper functioning before an ECM replacement is advised?
4. Not much information available online on ECM replacement for Dusters in India. Is this a relatively common problem?
5. Is there anything else that can be checked?
6. Is resetting the ECM an option? Is there a procedure to follow besides disconnecting the battery?

A grab of the scan result is attached, apologies for the low image quality.

Looking for advice to help resolve this problem. Thanks in advance for your attention.

[nettooran]

Originally Posted by airfoil

A non-member friend's 2013 Duster RXZ 110 done about 35000 km has the engine check light and glow-plug/injector warning light on while the engine is running.

I had a similar issue. Except for point number 2, I have all the points ticked. The issue was a leak in the fuel hose from the tank to the engine and air was going in to the pipe. Tightened the hose and all was good.

This may not be the issue here, but do try that out. The symptoms seem to be similar

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by airfoil

A non-member friend's 2013 Duster RXZ 110 done about 35000 km has the engine check light and glow-plug/injector warning light on while the engine is running.

Information available:

1. Unusually long amount of cranking required to get the engine started grab of the scan result is attached, apologies for the low image quality.

Looking for advice to help resolve this problem. Thanks in advance for your attention.

I was talking to a Mahindra technician yesterday, he happens to own a duster, he was saying that although duster 110 needs a flywheel replacement (dual mass) during clutch overhaul, in XUV they recommend it to be replaced only if you are having starting problems or the flywheel appears scorched.

I'm taking a clue there, the DMF is a possibility.

[Tanveer02]

A few words of appreciation to a faithful companion


Bought on 21 April 2015, the Duster was the first "big car" in our home. Prior to the Duster, there were a plethora of 800s and it's likes that we owned. The story started back in 2012 when the Duster was launched. Dad was smitten by it's looks. Even though he wanted the car, he was still in two minds whether to make the jump or not since we had almost no experience of driving and owning SUVs till then.

Came 2015, our erstwhile Indigo was starting to show her age (11 years at the time, now sold) and a decision was needed to be made and made quickly. Since the Indigo was the family car where all the long journeys were made, the new car should be capable enough, if not better than the Indigo.

By the time April came, the decision was made that the Duster would be the vehicle that would replace the Indigo. We also test drove the Terrano just for the heck of it

It has been 1,532 days since the Duster came home and my o my what a journey it was. We bought the car with heaps and mountains of expectations and it sure did deliver like a champ. In this 4+ years of staying with us, never was there a breakdown or a mechanical failure. There were only a few minor fender benders, some of which were due to human errors.

Enough is said and talked about the Duster's engine and ride quality, handling and I can vouch personally how true each words of those sentences are. The car may not be made with the best quality of materials and plastics but it sure is made to last. In the years, after 70k kilometres, there are still 0 rattles from the body. We even made our first cross country trip to Nepal on it and the entire 2000+ kilometre journey was done without breaking a sweat.

But like all wonderful road trips that we make in our favourite vehicles end at one point or another, our journey with the Duster is also coming to an end. As I write this post, the car will be taken by it's new owner a few hours from now. The Duster will be replaced by the Harrier. But if one asks me, there is still no direct replacement to the Duster, maybe the Captur or the Kicks may come close to it as a direct replacement, but I fondly remember the lines once said by BHPian Sid Indica that "Only a Duster can replace a Duster".

I pray that she finds happiness in her new home and gives her new owner the mental and personal satisfaction that she has given us.

In my books, Duster is one of those modern cars that still has a mechanical and raw feel to it while driving. The clattering diesel engine, the spooling whistle of the turbo only adds to the pleasure while driving this perfectly engineered piece of machine.

So long, Duster. You'd be fondly remembered and your memories will be forever appreciated

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by Tanveer02

Enough is said and talked about the Duster's engine and ride quality, handling and I can vouch personally how true each words of those sentences are. The car may not be made with the best quality of materials and plastics but it sure is made to last. In the years, after 70k kilometres, there are still 0 rattles from the body. We even made our first cross country trip to Nepal on it and the entire 2000+ kilometre journey was done without breaking a sweat.

Its always hard to wish our car a good bye and your emotions are being reflected in the post. Anyways congratulations for your new car and may god bless you with a wonderful ownership period with the Harrier.
Duster has a league of its own and no other car can actually replace it. Be it it's ride comfort, or the handling, or tackling the bad terrain, it is a master of all. In short, even today, I think no SUV offers such a perfect balance below 20 lac rupees.

[C300]

Hello Guys - Quick question. Has anyone got the 5th year extended warranty for the duster. Whats the total cost? My 4 yr warranty ends this month end. The car has run 55k without any hassle. Wondering whether its worth it.

[sunny13]

Originally Posted by MrBeast

Its always hard to wish our car a good bye and your emotions are being reflected in the post. Anyways congratulations for your new car and may god bless you with a wonderful ownership period with the Harrier.
Duster has a league of its own and no other car can actually replace it. Be it it's ride comfort, or the handling, or tackling the bad terrain, it is a master of all. In short, even today, I think no SUV offers such a perfect balance below 20 lac rupees.

Congratulations on your new car and good luck with Harrier!
I echo your thoughts and emotions 200 percent!! Despite all its shortcomings, call it ergonomics, interior aesthetics, etc. there is absolutely nothing to replace this mean machine. My 2013 Duster has and is serving me well and every ride to the country side is a memorable one to recount for years later! Despite all it weird issues which prop up now and then, the drive handling and comfort is outstanding. At this price point there is no SUV out there with these credentials. Cheers

[sunny13]

I recently visited Renault service center for the 6th Service with a run of 42,000 kms. Other than minor noise issues, I only had an issue on low cooling due to very low air flow from the aircon. The service advisor however came up with a list of issues.

1. Air-conditioning : He said that the HVAC unit was not thowing enough air through the vents as the inner blades have stiffened and these need replacement alongwith assoicated cables. Cost: 4500/-

Isn't this a reliability issue? I have used Maruti & Hyundai cars. Not once have I experienced this over their entire lifespan. Any similar experiences/views?

2. Alternator belt replacement - 5 k

3. Brake pads - may last for another 5 K, cost about 2.5K approx. I deferred this.

4. Front left shock absorber weak - may need replacement - No decision


Total service bill was 22 K

As of now, I have not replaced the shock absorbe. I do not notice any particular noise or discomfort while driving. Is there any way I can cross check this? How long can I continue using it ?

[nazeer_ahamed]

Originally Posted by C300

Hello Guys - Quick question. Has anyone got the 5th year extended warranty for the duster. Whats the total cost? My 4 yr warranty ends this month end. The car has run 55k without any hassle. Wondering whether its worth it.

I too had a hassle free drive until my extended warranty expired after 4 years. Luckily I opted for Renault Secure Anytime warranty for the 5th year. It costed me Rs. 16,895 including GST for RXZ AWD Diesel model.
One of the injectors failed during the 5th year and was replaced free of cost. If I had not taken the 5th year warranty, it would have costed me more than warranty amount.

[ndp88]

A warm hello to all the members!

After gathering my thoughts, I am putting below my brief purchase & ownership review of Renault Duster. I booked the car on 4th Jun'19 & got the delivery on 28th Jun'19.

Background:

I live in Mumbai. As you can imagine, it was bit difficult to choose the type of car that will spend majority of time navigating the totally ill-disciplined traffic on forever-under-construction roads that are at times waterlogged while still not overlooking the need for highway/country-side vehicle for those road trips.

In terms of users, the car would be driven mostly by me or my fiancée. Very rarely I'd have my family/friends traveling with me. Therefore, capacity requirement was not more than 4 passengers. But we sure did require large boot for roadtrips. I had decided to spend not more than 15 lacs OTR for this purchase.

Advises:

You can't ignore this part. Everyone around you will give their suggestions/opinions the moment they know you are buying a new car. Let me list a few -

- Buy a Used Car instead: Fair argument considering depreciation & actual usefulness for the money you spend. Also you can get a segment higher options to pick when buying a user car. I gave it a thought, got few good options as well. But my heart was in favor of buying a New Car so I ignored.

- Get a Small Car: Spending most time in city requires small and easy to operate car. With a big car parking is going to be difficult, no maneuvering, takes more time for same distance & small cars are cheaper. Again fair arguments but I wanted higher ground clearance and good suspension to soak those bumps.

- Don't buy a Car or Wait: New launches are coming. Wait for MG, Kia or BS6 compliant versions of popular cars. Again I ignored.

Shortlist:

So here are the shortlisted options -

Renault Duster: Not going to lie. I always liked Duster, so bias maybe obvious. I had chance to ride it couple of times in past but wanted to give a fresh consideration so I decided to visit the dealer & conduct TD.

I visited Benchmark Motors Mumbai. Sales rep was courteous. They had only one variant on display. I must say, the design of Duster still looks imposing and quite impressive even when it has barely received small upgrades over 7-8 years in India. Once you step-in, boy you feel like its a totally outdated car in 2019. There is just no comparison between Duster and other cars in same or even lower segments. Duster is just outdated vehicle. But it wasn't the features that were gonna decide my pick for sure. I wanted to TD Petrol CVT version. It was unavailable, and I had to wait couple more days for road test. Nevertheless, I was thoroughly impressed when I drove it. It soaked up all the bad roads in city. The ride was stable, minimum body movement when twisting & turning. High ground clearance, commanding & comfortable seating position. And lots of space inside. I was smitten.


Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezaa: Its difficult not to consider the most selling car while making a shortlist. I went for a Road Test, good dealer experience. The sales rep explained everything and was patient. The TD vehicle was not exactly in best condition. Maybe because the footfall in Maruti showrooms is just high. Brezza is a great car to drive, almost sporty. It reminded me of older version of Swift. It has generous rear space, decent equipment, but that same old engine India is driving for god knows how many centuries. I found the driving position to be bit weird, I felt that the dash was too close. Maybe it was because the raised height of the passenger space in otherwise a sub-4m car. You can't go wrong with Brezza. Apart from being a popular choice; the resale price, availability of spares/service, pricing, features all work in favor of Brezza. I however, felt that a little more space is required in cabin.

Ford Ecosport: Great car, excellent engine, little expensive, puts a smile on your face whenever you hit the road. But my fiancée already owns this bad boy. And it'd be silly to have 2 Ecosports in our home, so I had to pass.

Tata Nexon: Got chance to ride it once. It should be a great VFM option as Tata seems have finally got a good horse in its stable. But that sloping roofline was bothering my head and therefore driving was awkward. Also the same issue persists at rear-seat. Just to validate, I had my father look at it & he concurred. Also we have not had a good experience with Tata vehicles in past. Their cars are sturdy but we remember it spending a lot of time in service workshop every now and then.

Hyundai Venue: I decided to wait till this launch before I book anything because there was a lot of hype in market. Pictures looked great & features were doing their usual trick which seems to be like winning formula of Hyundai. When I saw it in real with own eyes, I was disappointed. I was expecting a bigger vehicle. As reviews started coming out, everyone confirmed it to be having a smaller cabin.

Against my own opinion, a day before final decision I decided to go for TD just to avoid prejudice. Excellent dealer experience. Sales rep was very polite and accommodated my request for TD timings. I must say that one of the major reasons why few manufacturers are so successful in India has to do with their dealer experience. You could have a mediocre product but how you handle customer makes a world of a difference.

TD experience was great. I did indeed liked this car. The driving dynamics are good, you are sorta made feel that you are driving mini cooper. Its just loaded with tons of features, sure to steal the show in sub-compact suv space. However cabin is more like hatchback. I can understand why Hyundai might've wanted to keep it that way, maybe they wanted to tap the segment of premium hatchback buyers. But Venue did impress me.

XUV300: Dealer wasn't responsive even after contacting couple of times. I did not bother further.

Other worthy considerations:

1. Hyundai Creta: I find it overpriced. Also the space inside doesn't justify the cost.
2. Tuv300: I was persuaded against it, and suggested to consider Xuv300 instead.
3. Xuv500: My friend recently bought it and finding very troublesome in city traffic.

Decision:
While Duster was natural choice for my requirements, I did consider the options & arguments against it. There are definitely better products which are more value-for-money than Duster but it was those 1-2 things which negated them. Like ceiling height of Nexon, limited space in Venue, hatchback like handling of Brezza. These negatives are totally personal & others members may want to disagree but thats what led me to finalize on Duster.

I went for Petrol RXS CVT version. Final OTR was 11.6. I did not get any discount, not even corporate discount. Renault dealerships are in pathetic conditions. They had no enthusiasm to sell me this car. They lost any remaining interest the moment I told them that I'd be doing insurance myself (I work in Insurance company so it was very obvious). I opted for Cayenne Orange color, which was unavailable & I was told that they'll arrange from Chennai so wait few days. They took good 2 weeks to deliver the car after all formalities and all payments were made to dealer. I had to chase them relentlessly for delivery and process accelerated only after I was able to locate their regional CEO number & complained on pathetic speed. This was extremely bad experience & I just want to forget it. If any member is interested to know more, please feel free to contact me.

About the Car:
Yes, for the vehicle costing more than 11 lacs it does not even have auto ac. You have to turn those knobs. You don't even get an armrest or rear parking sensors. Interiors are totally outdated. Ergonomics are weird. All buttons feel cheap. Passenger-side power window buttons feel like aftermarket solution. Sound system is mediocre. Don't even ask about modern things like flat-bottom steering or electrically adjusted ORVM.

So then why one would buy this car? Well few things work in Duster's favor. And for me, those were overwhelming to ignore the rest. Its a no-nonsense vehicle; completely utilitarian; sturdy, you don't need to think twice before putting it on bad roads or total lack of it. Ample space in cabin, I don't feel claustrophobic and can stretch my arms; huge boot, like someone said - you can carry your favorite mattress in Duster. CVT is jerkfree & that Hill-assist works like a charm; you won't know how stress-free your drive can be unless you try it; and complete relief to left leg. In crowded traffic, cvt automatic is a blessing. Sure its not a spirited drive or the fastest off that green signal but let's be honest how fast can you drive in any major city today? Max 30-40kmph and then again time saved doesn't make a world difference. And with those asinine rickshaw/2W drivers cutting any space they can find, its best you adopt calm driving style. On highways, I've managed to time the Manual gear shifts for overtaking. Again, its not the sporty drive; it won't match Ecosport but I've made peace with that fact. But don't be mistaken, Duster CVT can do triple digit speeds all day long without sweating once those revs build up. Seats are comfortable, steering is hybrid (mix of hydraulic/power; some may find it heavy at low speeds); there is even Android Auto & I can't help but mention that superior ride quality again. I feel my money's worth everytime I cross a poorly designed speed-breaker or some nasty pothole. So these factors overshadowed any doubt I had about Duster.

Experience so far:

It was necessary to get few accessories, so here's what I got so far -

• Rear-parking sensors & camera setup in rearview mirror (11K - Got it fitted from dealer to have it included in warranty)
• Seat covers (7K - aftermaket)
• Window deflector (1K - aftermaket)
• Complete Floor lamination (2k - aftermarket)

I am thinking of getting those Wheel arch cover & Body cladding maybe to control those obvious scratches.

I am little short of completing first 2000kms & send this baby for its first servicing. So far I drove it through heavy rains, swamped roads, patchy streets, bumper-to-bumper traffic and its been pleasurable ride throughout. Apart from some rumpus in lower area of driver-side dashboard, I haven't had any other issue. That too I believe could be because of my over-enthusiasm to put the car on every pothole just to get a move on ahead. Nevertheless I will get it fixed during servicing due.

I got small share of scratches and dents on sides; thanks to amazing kali-peeli drivers in Mumbai & compact parking space in my society. I fixed the dents and brushed those scratches & its much better now. I also had a speeding two-wheeler hit at the back, small permanent scratch peeling off the paint. Nothing I can do about it I guess, without sending the entire panel for painting. I shall wait on that for some time.

Now, that low mileage and expensive petrol cost is starting to pinch my wallet. I recorded mileage of about 12.5 km/ltr on highway & in the city it has been anywhere between 9.4 to 10.5 kms/ltr. I sincerely hope that this is ought to improve after servicing.

I intend to do some more long-distance trips over next weekends, maybe take it down to Goa and further. I will update my servicing and road-trip experience in coming days. Also will try to add some photos.

Hope this long post was useful. Feel free for your comments.

[C300]

Originally Posted by nazeer_ahamed

I too had a hassle free drive until my extended warranty expired after 4 years. Luckily I opted for Renault Secure Anytime warranty for the 5th year. It costed me Rs. 16,895 including GST for RXZ AWD Diesel model.
One of the injectors failed during the 5th year and was replaced free of cost. If I had not taken the 5th year warranty, it would have costed me more than warranty amount.

Thanks. I am trying to get the quote from the dealer.

Originally Posted by ndp88

A warm hello to all the members!

After gathering my thoughts, I am putting below my brief purchase & ownership review of Renault Duster. I booked the car on 4th Jun'19 & got the delivery on 28th Jun'19.

Nicely written. Congrats on your new Car. Wishing you happy miles.

[civic-dk]

Originally Posted by ndp88

A warm hello to all the members!

After gathering my thoughts, I am putting below my brief purchase & ownership review of Renault Duster. I booked the car on 4th Jun'19 & got the delivery on 28th Jun'19.

Hi NDP, I am planning to replace my Civic SAT 2007 model and looked at lot of options starting with Ertiga CVT, Ciaz CVT, Used Merc, Used Superb, Used Volvo etc. While Ertiga and CVT were quintessential Maruti (wifey didn't agree to move to Maruti after Civic), the used luxury cars were a major disappointment in terms of car feel and most of them for some reason had a weird stink. So, there goes my dream of owning a luxury car. We checked out Duster Petrol RXS Option CVT as well and in spite of the outdated interiors, immediately felt at home. Drove it on good and bad roads for around 8 kms and the drive was effortless (as effortless as Civic) with added benefit of excellent ride over broken / no roads. Wifey too loved the Duster and it fulfills our long cherished dream of owning a City-SUV as well.

However, I was not impressed with the Audio quality (am a big music buff) and will end up upgrading the sound equipment. Not sure if the issue is with the console or the speakers.

Let's see when I am able to get the Duster in my garage. In the meantime, I will be eagerly waiting to hear of your experiences with your Duster.