[halleyboy]

Originally Posted by uncharted

Literature on battery types surprisingly is relatively limited online. All I could see online was EFB is a type of ISS (Idle Start Stop). Its been a couple of days and all seems fine so far. Auto start stop works like a charm and A/C blower and audio system o/p seem to have noticeably improved though I am not sure if I am imagining things! Only bummer was the stock battery's heat shield doesn't fit this one. Want to know from OP if it fit the above EFB battery. Technician says service center should have a heat shield that fits 70DIN battery. Need to check. Also was wondering if changing the stock 60 Ah battery with this 70 Ah one is ok but then settled after seeing this post as well as my SA mentioning 70 Ah.

Thankyou. Your research really helped me. My battery health also did come down after 2 and a half years of usage. 23k covered only.

I too just replaced with Exide DIN70 ISS. Reused the heat shield. Tore it up and left the open area away from the engine.

Cost 7900 after exchange.

Notable difference is the cranking smoothness and higher fan speed when on standby.

Like you said, the warranty is the USP of buying outside from Renault. Additionally the extra 10ah capacity.

[mav3r1ckblu3]

Originally Posted by rahulya007

Thanks for the reply. AT tyres do have slight road noise anyways. Is it too pronounced on the UM ATs? Wanted to know about their dry and wet grip. Most people you talk to about these tyres say they are bad but your experience says otherwise. Some reviews i read on amazon said the wet grip is bad. Has the ride quality improved as compared to your earlier ones ? Would you compare them with maxxis or radar tyres ?

I again apologize for the delayed revert, I have only logged into the TBHP website today since my last revert!

AT's traditionally because of their tread patterns are noisier than their HT counterparts, so is the case here as well. The grip on dry and wet roads is good as well, never faced any issues driving all those KM's in Kerala and TN during summers and monsoons. I usually slow down when I approach a water puddle for pedestrian's sake, so the risk of hydroplaning is also negated, though on highways I have on rare occasions driven through water puddles as well without any issues. 24000 Km's without a single puncture and counting. Since the tyre's side profile increased (215/65/R16) when compared to the factory setup (215/60/R17) the ride is more cushy and comfortable. Unfortunately I won't be able to comment on Maxxis or Radar since I haven't personally used those brands so I am not in a position to compare them.

[ElectricVrooms]

I have recently purchased a used Renault Duster 1.3T CVT. I have been facing the following minor issues:

1. I drive every day to work, so the cold start in the morning is done not more than 12 hours from the last drive.For the first 5-10 mins, and while driving within the RPM range of 1000-1800, the car shudders and behaves like a normal car would on low battery. Sorry for my lack of knowledge, this is the best I can explain.
2. Secondly, with respect to the idle start-stop, when the car goes on battery mode, and I have to move right after (within 2 seconds lets say) it goes to battery mode, more often than not the car stalls. I am fed up with restarting the car every day, as the Noida-Delhi stop and go traffic has been horrible recently. Is there a way to completely remove this feature?

Now when i got the car inspected initially before buying, the OBD reader did give an error regarding Injection (picture attached), but there has been no check engine light, and two sets of garages have said to drive the car normally and only worry when the check engine light blinks.

The battery was also tested and confirmed to be working fine. The battery is a replacement battery (Exide) and not the one that comes from the factory, going by the other messages and pictures shared on this thread.

Please someone help me in understanding/resolving these two issues.

[du5t3r_tur30]

Hi all,

Our Renault Duster Turbo CVT (purchased on September 2021), has covered 43000 + km.

About two weeks ago, we noticed a recurrent noise coming from the vehicle as it was driving which was barely noticeable but still a point of concern.
Initially, we had assumed it was from the engine and during an appointment with the service centre, the sound had remarkably refused to make an appearance leaving us puzzled over its origins.

Yet the sound continued to show up on occasional drives.
While having the horns replaced at a local car mechanic, we decided to consult the mechanic for a solution to his problem to which he had pointed out that the wheel bearings needed replacement.

Soon enough the sound started getting louder and louder until the cracking sounds seemed to engulf the cabin every time the car moved...and this incident just so happened to occur on a drive.

Hence, we made our way to the nearest Renault service centre, where we were quoted a price of 6K per wheel and a waiting period of atleast two weeks. A quick call to the local mechanic and we were informed that this was too high a price and that he had the bearings in stock.

And so we made our way home with the noise elevating our blood pressure everytime we slowed down.

Upon parking the car at home, the right rear wheel emitted an immense burning smell and the alloy was much hotter than it was supposed to be.
(The other three wheels were warm, if not room temperature while this one was too hot to touch)

The next day we set out to the mechanic to get the bearing replaced.
However twenty minutes into the ride, the sounds kept increasing in intensity and volume ultimately concluding with the rear right wheel locking up.

We pulled over and waited nearly two hours for a tow truck to show up and watched our beloved Duster get loaded onto a towing bed for the first time.
(First time for any of the vehicles we've owned actually)

Its been two days and we haven't recieved a call back from the Renault Service Centre regarding the parts.

So my question is this -

Is it normal for a vehicle to have its wheel bearings in this condition at around 43K + kms?

Especially because we had owned a Ciaz for 55K kms prior to booking the duster and we didnt have any such problems.

So is it a normal occurence for Renault cars or is it specific to the driving patterns?

My uninformed assumption tells me that the front wheels (bearing the load, since the SUV is a FWD vehicle) might need replacement sooner than the rear wheels...so any specific reason why it might have happened to the rear wheel?

Your inputs will be of great value.
Thanks.

Attaching pictures of our Duster on the towing bed

[aKrain]

Originally Posted by ElectricVrooms

Secondly, with respect to the idle start-stop, when the car goes on battery mode, and I have to move right after (within 2 seconds lets say) it goes to battery mode, more often than not the car stalls.

I have faced this issue in my Duster Turbo as well and the fix is to turn off the auto start stop feature in a traffic jam using the button next to the 12V socket. Have even faced this issue with cold starts in the morning when the car doesn't start in one go but that is alleviated to some extent by pressing the accelerator while cranking.
I think this issue may be related more to fuel intake rather than battery as I have a new battery which is in good health.

[ElectricVrooms]

Originally Posted by aKrain

I have faced this issue in my Duster Turbo as well and the fix is to turn off the auto start stop feature in a traffic jam using the button next to the 12V socket. Have even faced this issue with cold starts in the morning when the car doesn't start in one go but that is alleviated to some extent by pressing the accelerator while cranking.
I think this issue may be related more to fuel intake rather than battery as I have a new battery which is in good health.

Thanks for your reply! Do you think it could be related to the "Injection issue that is mentioned in the picture attached to my previous message? although the check engine light does not turn on, this issue was detected through an OBD scanner before buying the car. My mechanic said its a non-issue as of now.

[mav3r1ckblu3]

Ownership update (pending for a long time) approx. 34000 Kms on Odo...


Hi Fellow T'BHP ians,

This is just an ownership update since my last upgrade (which was actually about the downsizing of tyres). I've now driven 34000 Kms approximately in 3 years and it has been a wonderful experience of owning this underrated beast of a machine. One thing that has stayed consistent since the beginning of ownership is that even to this day, every time I switch off the beast and lock it to park it, I look back at it in admiration atleast once before walking away

Everyone already knows about the good things of this beast so at the cost of sounding like a broken record let me go over it all over again.

1. Powerful engine
2. Great suspension
3. Exterior has aged well (I'm old-school, and this looks brilliantly proportionate from ANY angle)
4. VFM product (15 Lakhs on-road for a fully loaded Turbo Petrol MT at the time of purchase)
5. Interiors have held well, NO loose fitting peripherals which rattle at the slightest jerk on bumpy roads.
6. Hydraulic steering, so great feedback from road (not to everybody's liking though)
7. OEM ICE has held its own, I only upgraded the front speakers to JBL (you can find the write up on this thread)
8. Storage, plenty of spaces to store things inside the cabin and in the boot.
9. Highway mileage of 15 Kmpl is my personal best so far.

Not so great things:

1. Turbo lag till 2000 RPM (I'm used to it now, learnt to modulate the clutch and accelerator to overcome this)
2. Hard clutch (used to it now, for comparison, the clutch of the new Force Gurkha is light-er compared to this)
3. Manual transmission makes its presence felt during rush hour and start & stop traffic (I don't need to go to gym to exercise my leg muscles due to point no. 2 above)
4. Interiors (I don't mind it though, functionality over form for me)
5. Single digit mileage when driven hard.

Things I faced during ownership (I have opted in for extended warranty and Renault easy care packages BTW)

1. Auto start-stop feature - I never used this feature (disabled this to save battery and turbo) but it stopped functioning one time and the ASC replaced the relay fuse which had gone kaput, free of cost.

2. Rat bite issue with engine harness wiring, TWICE. Once in Kerala during second year of ownership, which the in house insurance took care, got it back within a week. The second time in Chennai, just before the floods last year, in house insurance kicked in again, but this time I got the vehicle back in 45 days (due to the engine harness wiring being in backorder status). It's a long story of me running pillar to post, involving the Renault India CEO in the email, which I'll elaborate maybe some other time. But the insurance saved me a total of 72000 INR, I only had to pay total 5000 INR out of my pocket for both instances. I have the engine protection cover in my insurance BTW. After the second instance, I got the underbody gauge mesh wiring installed to prevent any future Rat incursions (9000 INR spent)

3. OEM Battery dead (this was immediately after the second instance of rat bite, vehicle lying in ASC for 45 days might have played a part, but by then it was already 32000 Kms run, had to spend 6K (with exchange of old battery) for a 60 DIN Amaron battery, the original VARTA battery was no where to be found.

4. Scratches and little dents, so these maybe due to the cleaning guys over the years, plus also due to the lovely colour of my beast (Mahogany Brown, which is a blessing and a bane at the same time)

5. Expensive in-house insurance cost, I opted out of it during the beginning of 4th year ownership, and it saved me 50% cost of renewal (INR 36000 in house vs INR 18000 outside)

6. Steering vibrations while traveling at 100+ Kmph, this was after the 4th service of 30000 Kms at the ASC that I noticed while driving back to Chennai from Kerala. While doing the wheel rotation during service the front left wheel rim just won't come off from the centre hub, despite the bestest of kicks from the engineers at ASC, then I had to intervene and show them the party trick of how to get it off. I'm afraid whether those kicks had done some sort of damage. After the service I got the tyre balancing done from outside but the issue still persists. I'm in a fix as to how to get it resolved. Any pointers would be helpful.

If you've read it all and have come this far, I appreciate you spending time reading this. Apart from that 45 days stint at the ASC and the yet unresolved steering vibration issue, my ownership has been nothing short of wonderful. Especially considering the horror stories that I've read of owners of some of the newer vehicles that have arrived, I consider these issues pretty trivial.

I hope the next 34000 Kms are as eventless and "boring" as the previous 34000 have been.

[Sai Arjun]

Firstly, I would like to express my appreciation to everyone for sharing such detailed insights about the Renault Duster. Your contributions have truly inspired me to explore this option further.

I seek your guidance and suggestions regarding the purchase of a second-hand Duster in 2024. Recently, I test drove a 2021 Duster Turbo MT model with 30,000 kilometers on the odometer, priced at 9.7 lakhs.

From the moment I sat in the car, I was captivated. The plush ride quality akin to a carpet, the mature steering feedback (a significant contrast from my 2009 i10 Sports), and the excellent front bonnet visibility all contributed to my admiration for this vehicle.

However, several concerns are holding me back from making a decision, and I would greatly appreciate your opinions on these matters:

1. I reside in Delhi NCR and am unsure about Renault's service. Could there be issues with parts availability in the long run, especially since this model was discontinued a few years ago?

2. I've heard that turbocharged engines require extra care, such as adhering to specific start and shut down protocols, using high octane fuel instead of regular, and servicing every 6,000 kilometers. How much truth is there to this, and would it significantly impact maintenance costs?

3. Considering an approximate expenditure of 10 lakhs, does it make financial sense in 2024? My heart is set on this car, but my rational side is cautious, much like the alert sound that triggers when exceeding 80 km/h.

Thank you all in advance for your valuable insights. Please pardon any inadvertent breaches of forum etiquette, as I am new here and eager to learn.

[Ritz2010]

[

Originally Posted by ElectricVrooms

1. I drive every day to work, so the cold start in the morning is done not more than 12 hours from the last drive.For the first 5-10 mins, and while driving within the RPM range of 1000-1800, the car shudders and behaves like a normal car would on low battery. Sorry for my lack of knowledge, this is the best I can explain.
2. Secondly, with respect to the idle start-stop, when the car goes on battery mode, and I have to move right after (within 2 seconds lets say) it goes to battery mode, more often than not the car stalls. I am fed up with restarting the car every day, as the Noida-Delhi stop and go traffic has been horrible recently. Is there a way to completely remove this feature?

Now when i got the car inspected initially before buying, the OBD reader did give an error regarding Injection (picture attached), but there has been no check engine light, and two sets of garages have said to drive the car normally and only worry when the check engine light blinks.

I don't see any shudders as such.

ISS idle stop start feature is a pain. Don't use it as much as possible.

A check at Renault ASC should give you clarity.

Originally Posted by du5t3r_tur30

Is it normal for a vehicle to have its wheel bearings in this condition at around 43K + kms?

Especially because we had owned a Ciaz for 55K kms prior to booking the duster and we didnt have any such problems.

So is it a normal occurence for Renault cars or is it specific to the driving patterns?

My uninformed assumption tells me that the front wheels (bearing the load, since the SUV is a FWD vehicle) might need replacement sooner than the rear wheels...so any specific reason why it might have happened to the rear wheel?

I've crossed 50k on my Duster. The last 10k under 4 months. I've been said in the service that front suspension is weak and bearings should be changed in next service.

I had few rough patches in high speed and handled pretty hard in the last 10k especially. So yes it depends on how you drive.

Originally Posted by Sai Arjun

I seek your guidance and suggestions regarding the purchase of a second-hand Duster in 2024. Recently, I test drove a 2021 Duster Turbo MT model with 30,000 kilometers on the odometer, priced at 9.7 lakhs.

1. I reside in Delhi NCR and am unsure about Renault's service. Could there be issues with parts availability in the long run, especially since this model was discontinued a few years ago?

2. I've heard that turbocharged engines require extra care, such as adhering to specific start and shut down protocols, using high octane fuel instead of regular, and servicing every 6,000 kilometers. How much truth is there to this, and would it significantly impact maintenance costs?

3. Considering an approximate expenditure of 10 lakhs, does it make financial sense in 2024? My heart is set on this car, but my rational side is cautious, much like the alert sound that triggers when exceeding 80 km/h.

Thank you all in advance for your valuable insights. Please pardon any inadvertent breaches of forum etiquette, as I am new here and eager to learn.

Renault is launching new Duster in 2025. Spare parts aren't an issue. Every service cost is about 10k as I say no for anything extra like balancing alignment and brake shoe replacement et al. Alerts happen at 80, 100, 110 and 120 onwards continuous beep which ensures you slow down for sure

Carpet ride is true but steering seems hard. After Mangalore to Bangalore trip I had pain in my right shoulder (may be I steered with right hand mostly). Watch out this one aspect. (I'm just looking for the new gen Duster just for this reason.)

Plus a general warning for all the owners. The engine warning light is on when you cross the service schedule that's been set in. For example mine was set around 49.3k (when I was waiting for 50k) but had yellow warning lit up and it made me to do the OBD error read out more than once to ensure the 1.3Turbo is fine after me taking it for task

[Ritz2010]

I've my 60k service pending and service centre here says they don't have parts and haven't done 60k service on a 1.3 Turbo in their service centre.

Anyone who has done 60k service could you please share the cost, parts replaced and et al.

Thanks in advance.

[stoic007]

My Duster, which has only run 30k kms, had noise coming from the left front side. The local mechanic and service center said there was an issue with the left strut. Hence, I got both the front struts replaced with Gabriel struts by the local mechanic since the service center didn't cover this under warranty.

Unfortunately, the noise continues, and now the left side of the car is 2 cms higher than the right side. As per the mechanic, all the other suspension components are okay, and he cannot figure out the cause of the left lean. Please help, since I have run out of ideas.

[Ritz2010]

I had my 60k service done - replaced belt and injectors as suggested in service schedule. There was shudder for first 500m to 1km drive from basement to parking after every start. The ASC claimed it's cos of low fuel. This didn't make sense as issue was seen with full tank as well. He said the injectors are new and with time it might get sorted. That was the joke of the year.

Even went on to say that's how all petrol cars are and his MD as well has same model and 60k service done (injector replacement) and similar issues are seen. Classic generalization by ASC.

After 60k service observed the crank struggling and now today morning after a run about Battery went dead at 3AM stranding me n my family. I could smell smoke in the cabin and figured it out by checking the engine bay where battery had smoke emanating from it. Rang Renault RSA and they responded quick but I didn't get a technician till 6AM.

The old battery had just 12 months warranty and looks like I need to buy a new battery. Probably the MLDIN70ISS that's suggested in thread purely for 30 months warranty. Will see if there is any more killer deals out there.

Fun facts about battery- Stock battery lasted for 2.5 years and 28k KMs. DIN70L (EFB) New battery lasted for 2 years and 34k KMs. MLDIN70ISS should last longer probably.

Fun facts about RSA - RSA takes call anytime of the day/night. But they wouldn't ensure someone is there to assist you. They'll just open ticket and will be on the assumption the assigned RSA technician would have taken care if it. On top they wouldn't give the technician contact and you have to wait till they call you. I was waiting till 4:45am and I asked for an update only to hear he hasn't even started. RSA is a joke.

Coming back to battery dead ordeal someone came around 6:00am jump started and suggested to idle for 30 minutes. Post that drove home for 30 minutes. Still the battery hasn't charged to crank.

Reached out to ASC which did the 60k service. The technician blames me I would have left the lights on so it battery died ! When I shared smoke emanating from battery when it went dead at 3AM he said I might have overcharged. I understood it's hopeless to engage him any further !

Smoke picture


Crank failing and Screen going blank

[varunmox]

Good day to you all!

After decades of using Team BHP, here's my first real contribution. First off, thank you to GTO and mav3r1ckblu3. Your excellent and in-depth reviews were the primary reason I considered the Renault Duster 1.3 turbo petrol MT. The car, in my opinion, is extremely underrated and is truly fun to drive/own.

I'm not sure how many cars of this variant (1.3 turbo petrol) Renault sold in India, but it does seem quite rare. Like the other contributors in this thread, I'd like to add my experience of owning and driving this car, so that it helps with the buying decision for other enthusiasts. It does seem significantly less expensive than the other cars in its class, but it does not seem to lack much.

There are currently 2 cars on duty in my household, the Renault Duster 1.3 Turbo Petrol and the Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI. The Duster has done about ~30k km, with sparing use in urban settings and a large majority of its use on highway and rural settings. I ain't no expert, but here are the broad pros and cons so far,

PROs

1. Absolute beast of an engine! Like most of the others have already mentioned, the motor on this unit is quite powerful and is quite likely to put a nice smile on your face. 150 odd bhp and 250 odd NM of torque is on par with the Korean and German offerings, cannot fault it there.
2. Ride Comfort is great! Even compared to the newer entrants to the segment (Creta, Taigun, Kushaq, etc.)
3. Convenient - This could be subjective, but the RXZ version which I own has given me little reason to want anything more. I haven't felt that it lacks anything outright, seems a well stocked car.
4. VFM - Cheaper and as well equipped as the leading cars in the segment. Service costs so far have been quite affordable.

CONs

1. AC blower noise in the cabin - going by the number of DIY videos on YT, I think this is known (and well documented) Duster issue. Extremely irritating in the summers and if you take many calls whilst driving. The sound is quite loud.
2. Quite a bit of Feedback when braking at speeds over 70-80 kmph - Wasn't there earlier, something that seems to have crept in over the last 1-2k km. I can feel the excessive vibrations on the steering wheel and the brake pedal. Something I will get checked in the upcoming service.
3. The steering and the clutch are on the harder side. It's not a blocker at all, but if you are used to driving a korean/japanese/german petrol car, this is relatively heavier. You will feel the effects during a long drive or during long urban jams (Shoulders especially!)
4. Fuel Efficiency - I have 2 cars with similar output specs (the duster and the octavia) and here the Duster does not do that well. While the highway fuel efficiency is good, in the city it's 8kmpl at best in Bangalore traffic conditions.

Don't get me wrong, for the price, the car is an absolute delight. If you are in the market for a car in this segment, please do consider, you will not regret it.

[stoic007]

Need your opinion. My pre owned duster 1.3 turbo has run just 31k kms. I got both the front struts replaced recently since the ride quality was really poor (could feel all the road undulations and thud on potholes). While the thud sound has abated, the ride quality continues to remain poor even at speeds of 50-60kmph. I got all the suspension components checked at ASS and they said it's all good. What else can be the culprit? Is it the stock apollo tyres? Had got the wheel balancing and alignment done too. Please suggest since i bought the car for the ride quality and that's the one aspect that's lacking.

[aKrain]

I recently upgraded the tyres of my Duster Turbo (31,000Kms) to Nitrogen filled Yokohama Earth 1 Max. The older Apollos had a profusion of punctures and did not feel comfortable to ride on. The upgrade has actually solved two of my main gripes with the car:

1. There used to be a "thud" sound on potholes with the old tyres which is considerably reduced now. Additionally, the ride quality has improved and the car feels much smoother to drive. The "thud" sounds are more muted now.
2. The other area of improvement is the steering feel. As most people here have observed, the Duster's steering has a mind of its own when cornering on rough terrain and it is prone to some serious kick back. With the Yokohamas, the kick back effect is lesser and the steering has become lighter than before. Turning the car on tight roads takes is easier and less tiring as compared to earlier

Originally Posted by stoic007

Need your opinion. My pre owned duster 1.3 turbo has run just 31k kms. I got both the front struts replaced recently since the ride quality was really poor (could feel all the road undulations and thud on potholes). While the thud sound has abated, the ride quality continues to remain poor even at speeds of 50-60kmph. I got all the suspension components checked at ASS and they said it's all good. What else can be the culprit? Is it the stock apollo tyres? Had got the wheel balancing and alignment done too. Please suggest since i bought the car for the ride quality and that's the one aspect that's lacking.

If you have checked all the suspension parts already and they seem to be fine, a tyre change may do the trick for you as well. Maybe the Nitrogen is also helping with the ride but I am not sure about that as this is the first time I have used it.