[jmktm]

Originally Posted by ampere

A thing to note: After I changed the case it did not work right away. Got me thinking. A check between old and new clearly showed a difference in length of the lead wire from pencil cell casing to the PCB contact. I played with it and made sure it would connect to the PCB after the casing is closed. And then it worked like a charm. About 500/- for the casing is all it took.

Thanks for the update, ampere.
My key has started to act up and I think it's time to replace the shell this time. The silicone boot is working ok.
An old problem has reared up again- the a/c compressor occasionally (for a few seconds at length) stops cooling at random and comes back again.
Happened maybe 4-5 times in the last month.
This was there some years back but could not be diagnosed. Since it kind of sorted itself out , I had forgotten about it. Shall update.

[Touringlawyer]

My Duster AWD 2016 Model completed 30K Kms in about 22 months (bought in August 2016)

Got the First Paid service done (30K Service)

Total Bill - INR 9289 (inclusive of Parts and Labour) - includes Engine Oil (Regular), Oil Filter, Air Filter, Washer Cap Seal, Wiper Wash Fluid, Labour, Wheel Alignment, Wheel Balancing, Cleaning Rear Brakes and AC Vent Cleaning.

The rear left shocker was leaking and was replaced under warranty, so no cost for that. Other than that, no problems faced so far in almost 2 years. Dream run continues. I love this vehicle every single time I take it out for a drive. My front brake pads have run 30K and the mechanic at the service centre said they are good for another 5K Kms easily, so that made me very happy

I have one query though, if any of the experts could answer. My Service Advisor suggested that after the Car completes 50K run, I should shift to Synthetic Oil instead of Regular. Is this advisable as a standard for all vehicles? Thanks in advance.

[revved_up]

Originally Posted by Touringlawyer

I have one query though, if any of the experts could answer. My Service Advisor suggested that after the Car completes 50K run, I should shift to Synthetic Oil instead of Regular. Is this advisable as a standard for all vehicles? Thanks in advance.

It is advisable yes, but not standard. Synthetic oil usually is 3 times the cost of mineral oil and all SAs have internal directives to push customers for a higher service bills.

So there are some pros like engine will run smoother, but on the other hand cost increases and service interval remains same 10k.
In the end its your decision, Renault will be ok with mineral oil too. I also intend to shift to synthetic from 60k onwards.

[v6kgang]

Another sad story, Sorry for spoiling your moods, please skip the post if you love your AWD too much.
AC regulator (airflow position) knob got stuck and wouldn't move, it redirects all the air towards de-fogger outlet on top of the dash and fogs up the glass(Irony). Driving without AC for the last couple of weeks. Visited the service center last week and they are quoting 2 days to see what's wrong with the knob. According to SA the entire Dashboard assembly should be torn down to see what's wrong and according to him they need a highly skilled technician to do the job and hence the quoted 2 days. The Rear wiper motor that was supposed to be back ordered 6 months ago has still not reached them from chennai (if a person walked with the part from chennai he should have reached Bengaluru 5 months back). Also unsure of the expenses that are going to be piled up from the AC knob check. Going to check in the car tomorrow with the service center and see how it goes. (have 3 back to back chennai trips this month where i would need my car). Also 6 months are up according to Renault since my previous service, so they want to bring my car in for general check up. as mentioned in one of my previous posts, have stopped using the car completely inside city and started using my Dominar for Daily commutes and have only driven the car 1000 odd kilometers in last 6 months (71000 Kms in 3 yrs and 1500 kms in last 6 months). still wouldn't stop with these niggles.

[revved_up]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

Another sad story, Sorry for spoiling your moods, please skip the post if you love your AWD too much.
AC regulator (airflow position) knob got stuck and wouldn't move, it redirects all the air towards de-fogger outlet on top of the dash and fogs up the glass(Irony). Driving without AC for the last couple of weeks. Visited the service center last week and they are quoting 2 days to see what's wrong with the knob. According to SA the entire Dashboard assembly should be torn down to see what's wrong and according to him they need a highly skilled technician to do the job and hence the quoted 2 days. The Rear wiper motor that was supposed to be back ordered 6 months ago has still not reached them from chennai (if a person walked with the part from chennai he should have reached Bengaluru 5 months back). Also unsure of the expenses that are going to be piled up from the AC knob check. Going to check in the car tomorrow with the service center and see how it goes. (have 3 back to back chennai trips this month where i would need my car). Also 6 months are up according to Renault since my previous service, so they want to bring my car in for general check up. as mentioned in one of my previous posts, have stopped using the car completely inside city and started using my Dominar for Daily commutes and have only driven the car 1000 odd kilometers in last 6 months (71000 Kms in 3 yrs and 1500 kms in last 6 months). still wouldn't stop with these niggles.

Buddy, i understand the pain! However, before anything else you should escalate this matter to Renault India and highlight on their FB and Twitter handles. They are very responsive to such complaints.


Regarding the AC issue. I have also got this done in my last service and apparently it is a known issue. The SA told me during service that the knob has started to get hard and i should rectify this within warranty. They kept the car for 2 days and the whole dashboard was dismantled and put back to resolve the issue. The did a ok job in fitting the dashboard back, I was in two minds earlier whether to take the risk of getting whole dashboard opened.


Which service center in Bangalore are you going to? I know quite a few duster owners and they go to Sarjapur(?) one i think and are pretty happy.


Please send me a pm with your contact details, probably i cant get you in touch with the right people.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

Also unsure of the expenses that are going to be piled up from the AC knob check.

AC Drain Pipe: 195/-
AC Compressor Fluid: 60/-
AC Gas: 1050/-

Refrigerant Drain/Refill: 424/-
Remove/Refit Distribution Unit: 1752/-
AC Vent Cleaning: 955/-

Total: 4436/- parts and labour. Free if in warranty.

Got the exact same work done for my 2WD at its 1,30,000 km service carried out by ASC in Jaipur.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by Tanmay K

A friend of mine owns Duster AWD which is just a few months old. The AC compressor was changed under warranty recently after it stopped cooling.

Having the same problem now in my 2012 model. Can your friend share the invoice of the bill in which compressor was replaced? Need to see the part number of the compressor. URGENT.

[ahindra]

Originally Posted by jmktm

Damper replacement at 35k is indeed short life, In my case, 3+ years and 85k KM is kind of ok, I guess. In any case , 7000/- is definitely ripping us off.

I have to replace my rear shocks today. Confirmed 7000 each. 40k on odo. I have been bad behind the wheel when it comes to those sequence bumps. It’s easy to run over it on the fly. I am from Hyderabad and the location where I stay, I end up going over them frequently. But didn’t expect this in 40k. Neither the Alto nor the Celerio had this issue. Break pads are worn., which is fine.

[ahindra]

Walked into the workshop and checked the price. It’s 68xx. So after taxes it would be 7k. Also reckde the once that were removed... they are busted.

[SajiNSalin]

Diesel injectors, shocks and clutch are the frequent problems faced in the Duster AWD. I have replaced two injectors and the clutch so far. Every now and then I have a look at the shocks to see when they will act up. Now the vehicle performs flawlessly and driving is a pleasure. A recent trip was during heavy rain when a lot of cars had stopped for the rain; I could easily drive through. Odo closing in on 47,000km.

[v6kgang]

Originally Posted by Tgo

AC Drain Pipe: 195/-
AC Compressor Fluid: 60/-
AC Gas: 1050/-

Refrigerant Drain/Refill: 424/-
Remove/Refit Distribution Unit: 1752/-
AC Vent Cleaning: 955/-

Total: 4436/- parts and labour. Free if in warranty.

Got the exact same work done for my 2WD at its 1,30,000 km service carried out by ASC in Jaipur.

Got the car back , paid around 4.5 K to get the issue fixed(the knob is still iffy it doesn't free flow as before experiencing this issue ) and got my rear wiper motor replaced for 12k(My SA escalated and got the part - kudos to him). Did 2 trips to Chennai from Bangalore back to back and now my front windshield has a huge crack, no signs of impact like stone hitting or branch falling etc. Parked the car in open road in the night (not below any trees) and when I came back to the car in the morning there was this huge crack on windshield ...yet to check with Service center on the pricing and availability.

[v6kgang]

Originally Posted by revved_up

Buddy, i understand the pain! However, before anything else you should escalate this matter to Renault India and highlight on their FB and Twitter handles. They are very responsive to such complaints
Which service center in Bangalore are you going to? I know quite a few duster owners and they go to Sarjapur(?) one i think and are pretty happy.
Please send me a pm with your contact details, probably i cant get you in touch with the right people.

Thanks a lot Revved_up .. I goto KRPuram SC and happy with the service center as such (save for a few altercations) it's the product that am unhappy with. Apart from the windsheild crack I posted in the previous reply, almost all problems are happening in all the cars which makes me wonder what is wrong with the company. Lack of options like "Class action lawsuits" to protect group of customers are absent in our judiciary system to make a manufacturer like Renault pay and take the product and customers seriously

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

Got the car back , paid around 4.5 K to get the issue fixed(the knob is still iffy it doesn't free flow as before experiencing this issue )

I suspect that my A/C compressor clutch has failed after running for a few days (lass than 1000 km) co incidentally less than 2 weeks after the dashboard was opened and fresh gas was filled.

Going to get it checked next week. Vehicle is parked for the time being.

[v6kgang]

Originally Posted by Tgo

I suspect that my A/C compressor clutch has failed after running for a few days (lass than 1000 km) co incidentally less than 2 weeks after the dashboard was opened and fresh gas was filled.

Going to get it checked next week. Vehicle is parked for the time being.

How many KMs on the Odo? Is your car still under warranty? My advice would be to goto a independent car AC Mech first to take a stock on what's wrong.
When I had a similar problem with Manza earlier, checked with an independent mechanic and saved quite a few thousands

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by v6kgang

How many KMs on the Odo? Is your car still under warranty? My advice would be to goto a independent car AC Mech first to take a stock on what's wrong.

1.30 Lac. This is the old 2WD I am talking about.