[HillMan]

Originally Posted by Tgo

Why do they all have these few illogical standard answers for all such problems:

1. Sir, this is a european vehicle these things happen
2. It is a heavy vehicle, not like Maruti
3. This is a problem in all Dusters
4. Sir, you have run so many kms and this is tire noise as the tire is getting old

Looks like the SA is a freshman assigned for filling up job card with customer complaints.

You must request to see the floor supervisor, like #himadrimondal mentioned. Because the sound starts at 30kph, just guessing if it is related to EBD getting engaged. But then the sound should not increase with speed, should be something consistent.

Tyre will never make a humming noise.

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by Tgo

......... The current ODO reading stands at 24,000 km which is similar to the first year's reading in our brand new Qualis back in 2001.

There is this humming noise which has cropped up. In the 40-60 kmph range it is really noticeable and above these speeds it goes away or is masked by the wind noise. The sound changes with speed (accelerating/decelerating). It is not originating from the transmission as the noise is present while coasting in that range in neutral.....................

Originally Posted by Tgo

.....
He also told me the nature of the humming noise in detail:

• It starts at 30 kmph and is audible up to 60 kmph. After 60 kmph the wind noise is more prominent.
• It sounds like HmmmmmHmmmmm Hmmmmm....
• As the vehicle speed is increased it varies like HmmmmmHmmmmmHmmmmHmmmm HmmmHmmmHmmmHmmHmm HmmHmHmHmHm
• And the pattern repeats in reverse direction on decelerating HmHmHmHmHmmHmm HmmHmmHmmmHmmm HmmmmHmmmm HmmmmmHmmmmm

[/list]

Ok. Sorry for the late reply. Just saw your PM and the link.This is what I think might be the reason.
1) Uneven Tyre wear. Have you rotated your tyres every 8000 KMs? Considering your ODO reading, you must have done atleast 3 tyre rotations and 2 wheel balancings. The simplest way is to take an old one rupee coin and check for tyre depth. Put the best two balanced tyres in front and the rest in rear.
2) a faulty bearing. The funny thing about all renault cars is that you can hardly find out if your bearing is gone just by shaking the wheel or looking for irregular tyre damage . You have to remove the bearing and check for ply manually. My friend had a very similar problem in his logan and we changed the tyres but the sound persisted. Only then did the SA remove the bearings and checked the bearings to find that the bearings were shot.The reason why they try to postpone is due to warranty claims. So ask them to check the bearings and please be physically there when they do it.

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

.......
Just before my 4th service on Monday, 4th Nov 13, I was experiencing a slight vibration on my accelerator pedal around the 2k rpm mark. I checked for engine mounts and other interferences near the accelerator and found none.
Took it to the service station where the mech working on the car too looked around for the cause.
Later even at 5pm when the matter was not getting resolved, had a word with a senior technician and requested him to have a look.

The problem was solved within 5 mins.
It was a metal pipe touching the back end of the air-filter unit as the car was revved.
Since the pipe was attached to the firewall, accelerator pedal picked up the vibration.
I might have bent the pipe while cleaning the air-filter myself.

Himadri, you are truly a Godsend. I had the exact same issue in my Duster and my SA told me that since my vehicle has already crossed 42000 Kms the clutch needs to be overhauled and the cost is around 20K.
I was mentally preparing for the financial strain when I chanced upon your post.More than the financial aspect, driving with a vibrating accelerator was really getting on my nerves.Thanks a ton mate.
NOTE TO ALL DUSTER OWNERS : Please check the official review section periodically. Else you might miss out on the issues cropping up on your Duster and be the poorer for it(quite literally)

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by Neil Roy

Ok. Sorry for the late reply. Just saw your PM and the link.This is what I think might be the reason.
1) Uneven Tyre wear. Have you rotated your tyres every 8000 KMs? Considering your ODO reading, you must have done atleast 3 tyre rotations and 2 wheel balancings. The simplest way is to take an old one rupee coin and check for tyre depth. Put the best two balanced tyres in front and the rest in rear.
2) a faulty bearing. The funny thing about all renault cars is that you can hardly find out if your bearing is gone just by shaking the wheel or looking for irregular tyre damage . You have to remove the bearing and check for ply manually. My friend had a very similar problem in his logan and we changed the tyres but the sound persisted. Only then did the SA remove the bearings and checked the bearings to find that the bearings were shot.The reason why they try to postpone is due to warranty claims. So ask them to check the bearings and please be physically there when they do it.

1) The only time wheel rotation was done in front of me was at 15,000 km. Apart from this it was done during the 10,000 km and 20,000 km services. That is what the SA told so I do not know for sure whether it was done or not. But at 15 K I do remember the better two out of the four wheels being put in front.

2) This gives me reason to believe that the bearings used in our car might have been a one off sub-standard part supplied by the bearing manufacturer to Renault. That is, if it is the bearings which are faulty. Will have to compare it with a vehicle which has run similar miles on stock tires. Does it necessarily have to be a 110 model or it can be a 85 one also? Even if they try to delay checking the bearings how long can they persist? We do have 2+2 years 80,000 km warranty and the tires will be changed twice in that time frame so they cannot keep blaming old and worn out tires till then.

I was wondering how your tires are coping up after 42,000 km. Have you changed them already?... I doubt it since you are so particular about the upkeep of your vehicle, wheels and brakes. But if you have put a new set of tires did you go with the wanderers again or you changed brand?

Secondly, why is the warranty mentioned as 2+2 years. Are there some exclusions after the first 2 years?

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by Tgo

1) .......... But at 15 K I do remember the better two out of the four wheels being put in front.

2) This gives me reason to believe that the bearings used in our car might have been a one off sub-standard part supplied by the bearing manufacturer to Renault. ...............
I was wondering how your tires are coping up after 42,000 km. Have you changed them already?...
Secondly, why is the warranty mentioned as 2+2 years. Are there some exclusions after the first 2 years?

I am assuming here that the humming sound that you are hearing is more like a droning sound which increases with speed which indicates bearing failure.
Firstly, when it comes to tyre rotation claims made by the SA, take it with a pinch of salt. This is the recommendation of tyre manufacturers for tyre rotation
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=43

Secondly, bearings being substandard is one of the many possibilities for bearing failure.My guess is that since the DUster rides like a dream on all kinds of roads, the tendency to drive at higher speeds might be the culprit. Sadly, on our roads, pot holes on even National highways are quite common and even if you land heavily at one of these moon craters( as I call it) your bearing takes a hit, your wheels become unbalanced and the possibility of tyre bulges is increased exponentially. Upto 30000 kms, conventional tyre rotation is good, but after that, it is the logic of "best two tyres come in front". Best tyre does not mean the ones with the best tread alone, it is also the ones which are more perfectly balanced. Once a tyre is bulged, no amount of balancing will correct it's inherent tendency to wobble. Regular proper tyre care will increase your tyre life by at least 50%.I am regularly crash landing on these craters as of late and hence my experience If the bearings are shot due to such crash landings, it will be better to check the lower arm suspension also. And here's the deal. All of these are covered by warranty. We will be milked anyway once the warranty period is over, so make the best use of it.

I am planning to wear out my wanderers upto 55000 Kms before going for a change. My next set of tyres will in all probabality be Michelins.Even though they are overpriced, they are more easily balanced and their life is a lot longer.
The standard warranty for Duster is for 2 years only but Renault is "offering" an additional 2 years cover free to inspire " customer confidence".I just wish they would do that by having a sane pricing strategy and better quality Service advisors to provide such inspiration to us.In my experience, only the top echelon in service centers have a good fundamental knowledge of the Duster. The freshers (SA) just go through the motion of SOP(standard operating procedures) without even having a clue as to what the customer is telling. I dont think they have any exclusions in warranty claims for the subsequent two years. Will revert with further details.

[werfish]

Originally Posted by werfish

Had been on a long drive to Goa over the weekend, the AC made a loud sound and stopped working somewhere near Hubli, had to continue the rest of the journey without AC, was a very difficult situation.On reaching Goa,called the Goa service center,unfortunately they were closed for Deepawali and asked me to come on Monday. When i went on Monday they said that the AC blower was stuck and they would take a day to set it right,since I was on my way back to Bangalore, decided to fix this in Bangalore.The response in Goa Service center left a lot to be desired,their response was more like this is a common problem.Has anyone else faced this?

The SC has said that the HVAC unit needs to be replaced since the knobs are not working and they will get a replacement in 7 days.

[pahwa]

No offence to the 3M fanboys around - the Duster already has a 'very good' under chassis coating. The rubbery coating under the chassis is 3-4 mm thick and it is better than anything 3M or local shops can do using Wurth or RubaSeal. I had almost paid 5k for the under chassis coating at 3M when I decided to hold it for an inspection by my brother who is a Metallurgy Engineer. We took the vehicle to a service (washing) station where the vehicle was lifted up and we realized how good the company provided under chassis coating is.

To me, it is unethical for 3M and Renault service stations to sell under chassis coating when the vehicle already has one from the factory. Its like a doctor charging you 5k for a bandage over an existing bandage, without telling you that you already have a bandage that is enough to protect the wound

[chetan]

Would like to know, which A.S.S offer the best quality care for the Duster in Bangalore ? There is a leakage in my four day old Duster, I think its water.

[pahwa]

Originally Posted by chetan

Would like to know, which A.S.S offer the best quality care for the Duster in Bangalore ? There is a leakage in my four day old Duster, I think its water.

Well, Bangalore only has Trident as far as my knowledge goes. Both Trident service centres (Palace Road and Whitefield) use the same spare parts inventory. The quality of service is almost consistent. I'd recommend you go to the service centre at the dealership you bought it from. It helps.

The leakage issue is minor and should be attended and solved by any of the A.S.S. I hope.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by pahwa

I had almost paid 5k for the under chassis coating at 3M when I decided to hold it for an inspection by my brother who is a Metallurgy Engineer.

Thanks #Pahwa for getting this confirmed. I am really surprised, the dealers push for under body coating when the manual itself suggests it has a good anti-rust treatment.

What the Duster really needs is a good treatment of wax and paint sealant. I find the road tar stick easily on the paint and difficult to remove.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by HillMan

What the Duster really needs is a good treatment of wax and paint sealant. I find the road tar stick easily on the paint and difficult to remove.

We had some mud splashed onto the rear wheel arches. The Reddish-Brown coloured sort which has the consistency of say.. shampoo, and the marks that it left are still visible if one looks closely. It improved greatly when this was pointed out to Renault and they gave us a free Teflon coating.

A separate observation I made was that the guy who did the "Teflon Coat" gave me his number and asked me to get it done from him separately on a Sunday. He would use the same products and would charge half the amount charged by the service center. I didn't encourage him much as I would go the regular wash-and-wax way rather than letting a chor-bazaar-mechanic like looking guy use machine tools to rub off the vehicle's paint.

I faced this on my Thunderbird recently. The buffing wheel had worn off so much that the guy rubbed off the layer of paint from the fuel tank to such an extent that the primer was visible. Will post a picture of it tomorrow.

[pahwa]

Originally Posted by HillMan

Thanks #Pahwa for getting this confirmed. I am really surprised, the dealers push for under body coating when the manual itself suggests it has a good anti-rust treatment.

What the Duster really needs is a good treatment of wax and paint sealant. I find the road tar stick easily on the paint and difficult to remove.

I am also surprised by the money making tactics of both 3M and Renault A.S.S. This is completely unethical. If you just have one look under the car, you will realize how good the coating is. It now way needs another coat of underbody coating. After this experience, I have decided to completely stay away from 3M.

[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by pahwa

No offence to the 3M fanboys around - the Duster already has a 'very good' under chassis coating. The rubbery coating under the chassis is 3-4 mm thick.

If you don't mind can you share the method you adopted for checking the coating thickness? In my opinion if the thickness is actually in the range you have mentioned, it is well above industry standards.

Originally Posted by HillMan

I am really surprised, the dealers push for under body coating when the manual itself suggests it has a good anti-rust treatment.

The under body coating does not have any direct correlation with anti-rust property of the body. It actually protects the sheet metal and the ED (Electro Deposition) Paint from getting damaged due to stones, gravel etc while vehicle is moving. Electro Deposition and Phosphate Coating are actually protecting the body from rusting. Other advantages of under body coatings are better noise insulation and less chance for water seepage through sheet metal joints.

Having said that pushing a customer for under body coating is unethical.

[::CMS::]

Sorry guys, I am not at all worried about this unless my car is going off road very often or facing frequent underbody scrapes or if the car is in a coastal area. Rest of the claims are BS. When somebody buys a new car, they will go for anything to "protect" their car irrespective of thinking "how" it works or "can it work". Also they start recommending it to others assuming that their car is protected for lifetime and the chain continues..., Its like I follow you...

Underbody coating \ Epoxy coating is nothing but a rubberised coating to protect any exposed metal. Its very useful for old cars, modern cars comes with enough protection to the metal parts and none of the "so called" aftermarket protection will help in case of underbody scrapes. You need to do the painting to protect it from rusting. So dont waste your money. Also its been highlighted as a good sound damping solution, LOL, but people dont think its only a side note. If you need proper damping, do it properly using the right technique.

Another BS is the Teflon coating, people are misguided that its a life time protection for the paint. Instead I would apply a good wax polish once in 3 / 5 months and prepare the surface once\twice in a year based on the requirement, the difference will be day and night.

[BUXX]

I am seeing a lot of faint scratches on the paint. and on the driver side (could not be due to bikers, cyclists etc..) what to do? how doi I protect the paint...

[::CMS::]

Originally Posted by BUXX

faint scratches on the paint

how do I protect the paint...

Protecting paint from scratches is almost impossible. If the scratches are minute, apply a good compound / polish (depending on the depth of the scratch) and apply a good paste / liquid wax. This will protect the paint from de-colouration and keep it shining, not from the physical damage like scratches. If the scratch depth had gone to the metal, repainting / touching is the only way out. To an extend, Opticoat is effective in preventing the scratches, but expensive.

For detailing I use Meguair's Ultimate Polish (light abrasive + polish unlike a compound) and finishes it with Meguiar's NXT 2.0 paste wax.