[prashant_dv]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Thank you all for the compliments and wishes.

I'm not going to repeat that mistake again. Had a very bad experience with one of my previous car.

Are you running with 185 or 195 section width tires? I'm more inclined towards 195/55R15 Should I reconsider switching to 14"?
Regarding the headlamps, I'm switching to 100/90W today. If that couldn't help, the only left out option is adding auxiliary lamps, any suggestion?

Call me 'light footed'
Spares are little time consuming, but I hope we could get from MASS.

Service history verified. Alloys and Tire upgrade planned after a couple of months. This probation period is to understand the vehicle behavior and other mandatory repair & maintenance.

Hi,

I am running on 195/55/R15 as well and i love the looks of the Lenso Alloys with the Yokohama S-drives on my car.

90/100w is mostly not going to suffice for your needs, so external lights like Hella or Light-Force would be good (Light-Force is going to be a bit more expensive I believe).

On highway drives, even i get a good FE or something like 14-15 or even more if i drive sedately at 80-90 max.. but if i am at speeds like 120 then it goes down ..

Cheers

[supremeBaleno]

Congratulations on the car !!! As mentioned on another thread, your car reads almost like mine - same year, trim, kms run etc, with only the color being different.

Loved the attention to detail in the review, and more so since such care has been taken for a pre-owned car review.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Absence of cup holder in the front (and rear too) is very much disappointing.

There's a pair of cup-holders at the front, just below the ashtray in the centre console. You need to pull it out to use.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

400L Practical Boot with boot lamp.

Be careful with the boot-lamp. While it sounds wierd, in the Baleno, the boot-lamp comes on when any of the four doors is opened, even though boot itself is closed & the cabin-light switch is set to off. So, if you forget to fully close one of the doors, the boot-light will be on and drain the battery. I had my battery drain out twice due to this and so removed the bulb from the boot-light - don't use the boot much anyway.

To avoid this, you could keep the cabin-light switch to middle position (light on when door open) - that way you will know if any door is not closed properly.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Braking is not that inspiring on this particular car. Brake pads are due for change and let me update the experience after cleaning the brakes and changing the brake pads.

IMO brakes are one of the best things about this car. Possibly the car is running the stock pads that might have worn off - do update how it feels after changing the pads.

[swamyzen]

Congratulations on the Baleno Mr.Boss and wishing you many happy miles with the Baleno. Incredible attention to detail in the review. The car looks really well maintained and neat both on the inside and outside. Spares I guess might be a bit tough to find but nonetheless the car itself being reliable and parts long lasting I don't think there is much to worry about.

[ciddharth]

Congratulations on this pre loved beauty Mr.Boss.
I am no longer in this club of Baleno owners since my dad sold away our Baleno recently.

It is one beautiful and understated car.

Though personally I love it best in white, black and a very dark bottle green colour that was available in the first lot.

Minor electrical gremlins, rear suspension issues and rusting of the boot near the spare tyre area is what we experienced at the sag end of our ownership period. But hopefully you have selected a good example.

Spares are a major problem which was the main cause of selling this away.

I would suggest to keep off remote locking and unnecessary electrical modifications if unless absolutely required as it drains away the battery. The automated antenna also packed up often and caused snags.

Why don't you try the USB radio transmitter thing which is put in the place of the cigarette holder and pen drive can be inserted and music played through radio transmission - however I have no experience with it myself.

We had also faced issues with the central locking but it was replaced by a component from the Hyundai Accent very cheaply.

Just a suggestion if you could please get rid of the new 'S' logo at the rear, also at the rear bottle holder and some weird sign below the 'Lxi'. It looks tasteless IMO. There is something special about the old Suzuki logo.

Wish you a trouble free experience with this Baleno. Don't spend too much unless you are crazily in love with it.

[Mr.Boss]

Thanks you all for the kind words

Originally Posted by prashant_dv

90/100w is mostly not going to suffice for your needs, so external lights like Hella or Light-Force would be good (Light-Force is going to be a bit more expensive I believe).

Switched to Philips 90/100W bulbs today but it proved your words are 100% correct. There is an improvement in lighting, but the throw isn't suficient. Now I'm left with 2 options,
1) Add a pair of Auxiliary lamps
2) Switch to projectors with HID
Let me understand the Pros & Cons of these options along with the cost and then decide which one to choose.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Congratulations on the car !!! As mentioned on another thread, your car reads almost like mine - same year, trim, kms run etc, with only the color being different.

Let's meet someday to have a photo-shoot of Black & Silver together.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

There's a pair of cup-holders at the front, just below the ashtray in the centre console. You need to pull it out to use.

Never paid attention to the space below ash tray. Thanks for the information.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Be careful with the boot-lamp.
....
keep the cabin-light switch to middle position (light on when door open) - that way you will know if any door is not closed properly.

I read your experience on this regard.
I have the habit of keeping the cabin lamp switch in middle position always.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

IMO brakes are one of the best things about this car. Possibly the car is running the stock pads that might have worn off - do update how it feels after changing the pads.

I had driven Baleno in past and I have the same opinion as your. I'm waiting for the Bosch pads to arrive at my FNG and let me update once I fix the same.
BTW how good are Bosch brake pads?

Originally Posted by ciddharth

I would suggest to keep off remote locking and unnecessary electrical modifications if unless absolutely required as it drains away the battery. The automated antenna also packed up often and caused snags.

Is it something unique with Baleno (battery drain)? In past we never faced such an issue after fixing the remote lock in various cars.

Originally Posted by ciddharth

Why don't you try the USB radio transmitter thing which is put in the place of the cigarette holder and pen drive can be inserted and music played through radio transmission - however I have no experience with it myself.

I had used FM transmitters in past (in my City & Linea) and not satisfied with the audio quality.

Originally Posted by ciddharth

We had also faced issues with the central locking but it was replaced by a component from the Hyundai Accent very cheaply.

Can you please share more details on this subject ? This must be helpful for the other Baleno owners as well.

Originally Posted by ciddharth

Just a suggestion if you could please get rid of the new 'S' logo at the rear, also at the rear bottle holder and some weird sign below the 'Lxi'. It looks tasteless IMO. There is something special about the old Suzuki logo.

All these additional badges will be removed by this weekend.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Let's meet someday to have a photo-shoot of Black & Silver together.

Sure.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Never paid attention to the space below ash tray. Thanks for the information.

The cup-holder tray is kinda flimsy though - so be careful when pulling it out or pushing back in.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

BTW how good are Bosch brake pads?

My Baleno is running the stock pads. Lately the brakes seem to be a bit spongy - the mechanic said (by visual examination, without taking out the pads) that they will last a few thousand kms more. I already have a set of pads bought (don't remember the brand) - will fix them the next time the car goes to the mechanic. Bosch should be good.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

The cup-holder tray is kinda flimsy though - so be careful when pulling it out or pushing back in.

I read somewhere earlier (may be in your thread I suppose) about this hidden Cup holder but this never came to my mind until you pointed out. Thanks buddy.

[prashant_dv]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Thanks you all for the kind words

Switched to Philips 90/100W bulbs today but it proved your words are 100% correct. There is an improvement in lighting, but the throw isn't suficient. Now I'm left with 2 options,
1) Add a pair of Auxiliary lamps
2) Switch to projectors with HID
Let me understand the Pros & Cons of these options along with the cost and then decide which one to choose.

Hi,

the earlier owner of my car had used the HID bulbs in the car, but he had removed it and used 90/130W Hella with relay. The heat of the 130W bulbs actually made the headlamps go darker and now even though i had done a cleaning ( professional headlamp cleaning was done at JC Road bangalore ) the dark stained color still remains and the light is something i need to upgrade to aux lamps.

The previous owner did mention that the HID were not that effective either, but you can probably give it a try if you get a used kit. I could have given you mine, but unfortunately i do not reside in India as of now and i dont have anyone who can get the kit from garage to ship it to you.

Cheers.

[james]

Congrats on a great car. I have a baleno and absolutely love it!!

Just a few points on your headlamp-
* Your headlamps are beyond repair. Get a pair of basic ones from J.C. road and swap the reflector and lens into your existing HL. The basic ones don't have a very strong housing nor does it have a motor to level out the HL.
*Do not go over a 100/90 bulb kit. Make sure you use proper wiring and relay.
* Do not put in a HID kit. Thanks to the lens, the output wont be great and its very annoying to oncoming traffic.
* You could opt for a good set of projectors + HID. You could use the existing HL assembly for this provided the lens can be restored. Saves you the cost of new HL's.

If the car is going to be driven sportily or on highways at speed, I would suggest OE/Brembo/Mintex front brake pads. The first 2 options are easily available.

Lastly, please do not use cheap aftermarket parts like lower arms, drive shafts etc. Things can get very nasty if one of these critical components were to fail when you are driving fast. Ask me how I know.. LOL..

Happy motoring.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by prashant_dv

The previous owner did mention that the HID were not that effective either, but you can probably give it a try if you get a used kit. I could have given you mine, but unfortunately i do not reside in India as of now and i dont have anyone who can get the kit from garage to ship it to you.

Thank you dear.
I'm looking to install HIDs with Projectors. I hope this must give some better result than the OE reflectors.

[prashant_dv]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Thank you dear.
I'm looking to install HIDs with Projectors. I hope this must give some better result than the OE reflectors.

Let me know how your installation goes and the final results as well. Because if it actually makes a difference i would want that in my car too.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Is it something unique with Baleno (battery drain)? In past we never faced such an issue after fixing the remote lock in various cars.


Can you please share more details on this subject ? This must be helpful for the other Baleno owners as well.


All these additional badges will be removed by this weekend.

IMO the battery drain might not be common to the Baleno except on our particular car.

The car ran particularly fine for the first 2 years or 30,000 kms.

It started with the water seeping through the rear spoiler in one monsoon(I am glad you don't have one on the Lxi) after which the rear antenna would always make a whirring sound but wouldn't go up.
Every time the stereo was on (while the radio would be off) the antenna would still make that whirring noise. Note that we kept the car completely stock and didn't even change the basic JVC stereo.

This ultimately led to the control lights fading, dimly lit or would be partially lit. ie:- left side would be on but speedometer lights would be off.

Soon after the battery died abruptly at around 30,000 kms.

However after the first battery replacement - around 48,000 kms the central locking started acting up. The button simply didn't budge. It would just spring back in a hollow way. The motor inside was packed up and the component was estimated at 5000/- INR. Even the door handle was estimated upwards of 2000/- if I am not wrong and hence was left neglected.

All this was rectified at the local FNG who with some jugaad with some part of the Hyundai Accent.

Neither MASS nor FNG could repair that antenna so I think it was simply snipped off.

At the end everything was responding sluggishly. The power mirrors and windows were extremely slow. Cabin light unreceptive.

We really are not the DIY types due to lack of technical knowledge per se.
Mean while dad had bought an A - Star in haste as he became skeptical of the 'powered' features and it was a thorough downgrade 2 segments below. The Baleno would be retained had it not been neglected under incompetent FNGs.

I will admit at the time of having this car I was not on team BHP and had just begun to drive as it would be away most of the time on long distance commutes.
It was low and comfortable - the ride was soft and cushioned.

I do miss it. Your review refreshed memories about our beloved white Baleno. But we never found a good enough mech for maintaining it routinely.

Hence my advice was to avoid electrical mods on a decade old car - we faced issues within the first 4 years. We never really had fellow Baleno owners for friends - the car was so rare. And now when I could get some advice I am no longer having the privilege to be in the Baleno club. :(

I am glad to see you are adventurous enough to spruce up the sundry interiors by the LEDs and dropping of those hideous badges. Please do post pics.

The seats in your car look really luxurious. And yes the VXi's silver finished central console looks better than the woody finish. Though I feel it isn't stock as Lxi's had a rough black finish something similar to the speedometer area.

IMO, I am not fond of the body coloured handles and mirrors - as far as I remember none of the variants had colour coordinated parts and the glossy black looked good that way.

Here is wishing you a trouble free ownership. You are well versed with the Baleno and cars in general to nip any problems in the bud.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by james

Congrats on a great car. I have a baleno and absolutely love it!!

Just a few points on your headlamp-
* Your headlamps are beyond repair. Get a pair of basic ones from J.C. road and swap the reflector and lens into your existing HL. The basic ones don't have a very strong housing nor does it have a motor to level out the HL.
*Do not go over a 100/90 bulb kit. Make sure you use proper wiring and relay.
* Do not put in a HID kit. Thanks to the lens, the output wont be great and its very annoying to oncoming traffic.
* You could opt for a good set of projectors + HID. You could use the existing HL assembly for this provided the lens can be restored. Saves you the cost of new HL's.

If the car is going to be driven sportily or on highways at speed, I would suggest OE/Brembo/Mintex front brake pads. The first 2 options are easily available.

Lastly, please do not use cheap aftermarket parts like lower arms, drive shafts etc. Things can get very nasty if one of these critical components were to fail when you are driving fast. Ask me how I know.. LOL..

Happy motoring.

I would agree with Zahin on this one. If the headlamps have not been changed on the car so far, get a new pair, around 3.2k/each from GP road, Chennai.

I did the same on my 2002 City, and the difference was significant.
Again 90/100 is the highest you should goto, thought I would suggest trying nightbreaker plus before adding a relay etc. It is an old car, and the last thing you would want to happen, is fuses blowing for unknown reasons. HID with stock reflectors is the worst possible thing you can do to this car and other motorists.

Rest of this car is quite bulletproof, stick to OE branded components for all the mechanical parts, pads and you will be safe. This and the old Honda city were from the 90's, a decade where the Jap's totally dominated and it clearly shows. Happy driving !

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by ciddharth

It started with the water seeping through the rear spoiler in one monsoon(I am glad you don't have one on the Lxi) after which the rear antenna would always make a whirring sound but wouldn't go up.

The Vxi cost only some 60K more when I bought my car 10 years ago and was within my budget. But somehow then I felt that the goodies that came in were not worth the 60K.
Ofcourse, in hindsight I realised I should have gone Vxi - for the alloys, wider tyres, spoiler, music-system, etc which I anyway bought after-market - would have got factory quality/fit.
And other stuff like the silver console, power antennae, seat-height adjuster, remote-locking etc. Though the spoiler-water-leak and antennae woes make me feel good.

But yeah, you learn from mistakes. Since then every car we bought was the fully loaded variant. And will be so for future cars too.

Originally Posted by ciddharth

And yes the VXi's silver finished central console looks better than the woody finish. Though I feel it isn't stock as Lxi's had a rough black finish something similar to the speedometer area.

You are right. The wood-finish thing is after-market - looks garish IMO. Lxis came with black finish.

P.S.: BTW, did Suzuki not call back 3 of the 94 horses once the car became BS-III ? I think the 2005 model packs only 91 horses.

[Sunsh!nes]

Congrats on getting the Japanese Motor have a happy and safe motoring.

Baleno sure is one gem of a car for budget below 2L. I personally own a Baleno, believe me you will love everytime you are driving this car. This car has oodles of power on tap and one satisfying machine to live with. Happy Motoring !!!

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

The Vxi cost only some 60K more when I bought my car 10 years ago and was within my budget. But somehow then I felt that the goodies that came in were not worth the 60K.
...

P.S.: BTW, did Suzuki not call back 3 of the 94 horses once the car became BS-III ? I think the 2005 model packs only 91 horses.

Yeah, till 2005 Balenos had 91 BHP. 2006 and 2007 models have 94 BHP.

But still the car has enough power to satisfy any adrenaline hungry driver. This definitely is one satisfying car to own and very heart breaking to depart with. Whoever owns a Baleno will fall in love with it forever. Definitely not a drive it and forget it car. Car lovers truly know what a Baleno means to one.

Originally Posted by prashant_dv

Hi,

I am running on 195/55/R15 as well and i love the looks of the Lenso Alloys with the Yokohama S-drives on my car.

Would you mind posting the pics of your Car, I would like to see the pic of the wheels. I am looking for a wheel upsize to similar profile or 205/60/15 or 205/50/15. Can you advise which one is better option. I am currently running 195/60/14.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Engine Bay

Massive Hood with insulation
Attachment 1398179

Reliable 4 pot 16V 1.6L Engine
Attachment 1398180

Tires

This car is running on different combinations,
Front: Michelin 185/70 R13
Rear & Spare : Apollo 175/70 R13

Alloys and Tire upgrade planned in near future. 185/65R14 (VXi spec) or 195/55R15 these are the choices in my mind, please suggest.

Its not good to have different profile tyres and different profiles running the same car. Handling will not be good though suffice to drive around. Very strange to see a car with different profiles in front and rear. It would be good to stick with same profile for all 4. Experts can comment better here. SupremeBaleno is one of them.

195/60/14 is a perfect balance between ride, comfort and performance. I have driven my Baleno at 130+(at times) it handles well and is stable with this profile. However, I feel 195/55/15 or 205/60/15 is also an option(I like the look of 15" on Baleno). Slight drop in ride, comfort but handling does improve a lot better with 14" or 15" rims. Better stick to Michelin XM2 or Continental CC5 or CPC2. These are good tyres slightly expensive but super silent while on the run and sticky too. Just my two cents.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Thanks you all for the kind words

Switched to Philips 90/100W bulbs today but it proved your words are 100% correct. There is an improvement in lighting, but the throw isn't suficient. Now I'm left with 2 options,

1) Add a pair of Auxiliary lamps
2) Switch to projectors with HID
Let me understand the Pros & Cons of these options along with the cost and then decide which one to choose.

A sure shot little expensive but worth alternative will be to use a after market HL assembly and get a good pair of Projectors(hella if possible) and mini projectors for fog lamps will be a superb solution for lighting needs in Baleno.

Sorry for so many posts, forgot about the multi quote option. Mods please ignore this time.