[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by shibujp

Seems that Maruti has introduced a cheaper Made in India oil filter for the RS. The old Made in Japan used to set me back by 800 rupees but the new one costs around 80 bucks.

The part number is 16510 M 68K10.

This 16510M68K10 filter has been around since ages. I won't comment on if using it would cause any trouble or not, but even the old SGP filter is still available from Maruti. Stories that Maruti sends MGP filter instead of SGP is just crap. Having been closely associated with this MGP business since many years now(family friends own an MGP store and a Dealership), I can very well confirm that this happened only because someone wanted to get rid of their inventory and not order a fresh piece. This 68K10 filter has been around since ages, and if it was so suitable for Baleno RS, why didn't Maruti use it in the first place, but instead took the pains of introducing an imported filter?

I also wouldn't believe some random guy on Boodmo, because I have been told by them once that if a filter screws and fits properly, its compatible. That way, you can fit almost every single screw on filter by Maruti. I can tell you two more filters which will fit perfectly well(physically), but that doesn't mean your engine/Maruti recommends it.

Since I know how much you care for cars, unless there is an official written communication from Maruti regarding interchangeability of parts, don't believe any random guy. Realise this, if anyone has anything to lose, its you.

Hope you get the point. I don't remember exactly what the difference is, but the SGP filter has some additional valve which the 68K10/K00 doesn't get. I'll ask the official trainer again who told me this.

Also, if filter weight is any indication of quality, 16510M68K00 is much better. I had done a small comparo here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4587954 (The love of my life - A 2000 Maruti 800 DX 5-Speed. EDIT: Gets export model features on Pg 27)

Regards,
Shashi

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

This 16510M68K10 filter has been around since ages. I won't comment on if using it would cause any trouble or not, but even the old SGP filter is still available from Maruti. Stories that Maruti sends MGP filter instead of SGP is just crap. Having been closely associated with this MGP business since many years now(family friends own an MGP store and a Dealership), I can very well confirm that this happened only because someone wanted to get rid of their inventory and not order a fresh piece. This 68K10 filter has been around since ages, and if it was so suitable for Baleno RS, why didn't Maruti use it in the first place, but instead took the pains of introducing an imported filter?

Also, if filter weight is any indication of quality, 16510M68K00 is much better. I had done a small comparo here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4587954 (The love of my life - A 2000 Maruti 800 DX 5-Speed. EDIT: Gets export model features on Pg 27)

Regards,
Shashi

Thanks for this information. Even the regular MASS does not seem to stock the SGP part and uses the 16510M68K00 part of the regular Baleno instead as was done during my last service. Let me try to get some confirmation from Maruti about this. I just sorted out the oil conundrum before the last service. Looks like something more needs to be done.



Regarding why Maruti did not use the filter (the regular Baleno filter at least), could the revised service norms for the spark plugs have a clue? When I went for the 40K service, it was told to me that Maruti had revised the service interval for the iridium plug to 60K kms instead of the 40K kms as indicated in the manual. I was shown a circular to this effect as well.


Would it be that Maruti is using service data and refining service norms for new engines like the BoosterJet?



I have not used this part yet anyway so not harm done so far. After your heads up it's scheduled for a return as well.



Drive on,
Shibu.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by shibujp

I was shown a circular to this effect as well.


Would it be that Maruti is using service data and refining service norms for new engines like the BoosterJet?

Better shoot a clarification mail to Maruti and demand a clear reply regarding the filter. Unless they show you a service circular(like for the spark plug), don't take just verbal assurances from these service guys. JFYI, spares interchangeability in Maruti happens as per root part number. If two different parts are truly interchangeable in all sense, they'll belong to same root part number. And RS' SGP filter doesn't share family with any MGP filter. Hence I'm so sure.

Regards,
Shashi

[shibujp]

You learn something new everyday. This time it was time for me to get myself schooled on the intricacies of the rear disc brake pad replacement.

As shared a couple of posts above I had got a set of rear brake disc pads from Boodmo. Planned to fit it over a weekend and just about got it done after nearly having my plans derailed.

Tools:
- Jack stand and jack to jack up the car
- 12mm ring spanner. A deep offset ring is most convenient.
- Piece of rough grade emery paper or a rough surface to lightly roughen the surface of the pad before installation

Step 1 : Apply wheel wedges at the front wheels since you would not be able to put the handbrakes. The handbrake should be release otherwise the rear pad cannot be removed.

Step 2 : Jack up the rear of the car and remove the wheel. Safety calls for using the wheel jack only to raise the car and support the car on jack stands while you work.

Step 3 : Remove the rear brake caliper. As indicated in the picture below both caliper nuts have to be removed to remove the pads. This is the first difference from the front calipers. While replacing the front brake pads you can remove just one of the nuts and swivel the caliper on the remaining nut to gain access to the pads and remove them.

In the case of the rear disc pads, you have to remove both nuts and lift the caliper clean off, to access the pads.



Step 4 : Remove the pads but pushing them horizontally out of the retaining clips. Use a paint brush to clear the brake dust accumulated on the disc pad clips, the caliper and the piston.

Step 5 : Replace the pads. The picture below compared the thickness of the old and new pads. I did have around 5k life left on them but decided to replace them as the brake pedal travel was getting too long. The pads lasted for 48,000 kilometers.

I did get some molykote grease with the pads. This is used for lubrication between the metal shims, to lubricate the calipers pins and the seats of the pads. DO NOT apply on the braking surface of the pads.

Molykote paste


Applied on the pad. The shim goes over this


Step 6 : Since the new pads have a increased thickness, the caliper piston has to be pushed inside to fit it back over the pads. To push in the piston on the front calipers it is simply a case of placing a long T rod horizontally over it and using some leverage to push it in. Easy peasy... However this did not work for the rear caliper piston. A you-tube video threw some enlightenment. The piston had to be rotated clock-wise to push it in. In the picture below you can see some notches on the face of the piston for this purpose. There is a special tool to get this done easily but I made it work using a flat end screw driver and a mallet. Carefully place the flat end on the notch and tap it clockwise to send the piston back in.

Rear brake piston face. The pads are already installed.


Tool to turn the rear disc caliper piston.


Step 7 : Seat the caliper over the pads and tighten the caliper screws. Do not overtighten. Hand tightening is sufficient.

Old v/s new comparo


Drive on,
Shibu.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Better shoot a clarification mail to Maruti and demand a clear reply regarding the filter.

Regards,
Shashi

So I got around doing this and the dealer has confirmed that the RS filter is 16510-82703. Seems that the filter has an extra valve that opens faster to facilitate the turbo engine. The dealership has promised to replace it. Since I have already booked my 50K service at my place of work they promise to connect with that workshop at which this is going to be carried out an facilitate the replacement.

The addressing of the complaint was quite fast and prompt. Maruti service still retains some of it's old charm.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[VWAllstar]

Shibu as you must have read that MS has slashed the Baleno RS price by a Lakh. Speculation is that they may discontinue like they did with S Cross 1.6.

Do you envisage any issues for potential buyers now? Will the servicing and spare part cost be a lot higher? Any other impediment?

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

Shibu as you must have read that MS has slashed the Baleno RS price by a Lakh. Speculation is that they may discontinue like they did with S Cross 1.6.

Do you envisage any issues for potential buyers now? Will the servicing and spare part cost be a lot higher? Any other impediment?

I don't foresee any difficulty as we do have a lot of examples from Maruti itself. Cars like the Zen, Esteem etc do have reasonable spares support even after all these years not the mention the Baleno's previous namesake.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[Leoshashi]

Even cars like Grand Vitara and Kizashi have all their parts on sale. I don't see any reason why Baleno RS would face spares related issue. Heck, even the older Baleno still gets most of its spares.

Originally Posted by shibujp

So I got around doing this and the dealer has confirmed that the RS filter is 16510-82703. Seems that the filter has an extra valve that opens faster to facilitate the turbo engine. The dealership has promised to replace it. Since I have already booked my 50K service at my place of work they promise to connect with that workshop at which this is going to be carried out an facilitate the replacement.

This again proves why trusting Root or family part number is better than trusting some random guy wanting to sell you spares, even if he is from workshop. Glad you checked this and it would do your car a world of good.

Regards,
Shashi

[shibujp]

Been a bit since I updated this thread. Hasn't been for want of running though. The RS sang through it's 50,000 km milestone and is doing fine. Touchwood.

Had completed the 50,000km service and it was nigh perfect. Oil filter, oil grade and oil quantity. Check.

The Nexa lounge is an excellent place to be while waiting for your car. Very comfortable, decent magazines and a coffee machine. With a few reading material of your own and some media on your mobile and a few hours can be spent in excellent comfort. Top marks to Nexa on this front. All the while your car gets serviced under your eyes.

The service itself took a little over two hours. Though my slot was 11:15 am i reached an hour earlier. The car was collected promptly however service started at the appointed time. So it's better to keep to your slot.

The wash as usual introduced the most delay. Around two hours extra. Next time I plan to ask them not to wash the car and hand it over after the service. Easier that way. Quality of wash is good though, but they still put slightly damp mats back into the car.

Service cost me around 4000/-. The breakup is below.


Added a couple of simple accessories.

A shark fin antenna purely from an aesthetics point of view. Available on Amazon.



I had obtained flexible front mud flaps a year back and completed the package by getting the rear flaps too. Great help in the Kerala monsoons expecially with my wider tyres. These are OEM Suzuki available off ebay. Link

They are meant for the regular Baleno. The skirts of the RS mean that some measuring and drilling is required. But they have held up very well this monsoon and have not been ripped off inspite of hitting water at speed etc. An added bonus is that they reduce the "tail up in the air" look of the car and pull the visual mass a bit lower.



Drive on,
Shibu.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by shibujp

I don't foresee any difficulty as we do have a lot of examples from Maruti itself. Cars like the Zen, Esteem etc do have reasonable spares support even after all these years not the mention the Baleno's previous namesake.



Drive on,

Shibu.

I second this. For my entire Gypsy King's (2005 model 1.3 Mpfi) purchased used in 2018 and all the big time restoration work I carried out, all I had to do was go to Essaarr Auto and Popular Auto in Bangalore and get the requisite replacement parts. If they had it in stock they would serve me promptly. If they didnt, they would order it in on my behalf.
I do believe that Maruti has built up one of the absolute best spare parts networks even when viewed from a global perspective.

[ada]

The K&N filter 33-3063 is not available at Amazon India, can you tell me from where did you get the filter?

[shibujp]

The RS is currently at 57000 kms enroute to it's 60K milestone. Had a small disagreement with a dog on rights on the road during a trip at night as few weeks back. Not sure what came of the dog but it did some damage to the RS.

The damage was primarily to a corner of the bumper which got torn through. Surprisingly the front skirt which costs more than the bumper - 4000 vs 2000 - was undamaged and could be reused.





The incident also ripped off the front half of the fender liner. The fender liner is actually one piece with a small kink in the middle. This ensured that only the front half was ripped off. This exposed the fog lamps, the windshield wiper fluid reservoir etc to water and muck thrown up from the road.



I was able to source the liner from an MGP shop for 350 rupees and replace it on my own.

The bumper was replaced at a Nexa service center here at Trivandrum and was neatly done. They did mess up the LED fog lamp connections and I had to redo that but I was happy that the painting and the refitting of the bumper was very well done. Total damage for the replacement was a little over 7000 rupees.

Originally Posted by ada

The K&N filter 33-3063 is not available at Amazon India, can you tell me from where did you get the filter?

Yes, I was not able to source it in India either. I got it from ebay from a seller in Australia. Here is the link - KN Filter

Drive on,
Shibu

[shibujp]

So the RS went in for the 60K service recently. With the Covid scenario and the fact that running was light, I was wondering whether to postpone the service for a couple of minds. The fact that Nexa service is largely appointment only helped which meant that the rush would be less compared to a MASS center. The service center is quite large too. So I decided to get it done after some thought.

Covid Precautions


The major replacement in this service was the spark plugs in addition to the regular oil change. When booking I usually ensure that the requisite parts for the RS is available so that I don't end up with the parts meant for the regular Baleno. The spark plug is one such item. The RS uses iridium plugs that are SGP and cost 2000 rupees a piece. This is compare to the 200 rupees per unit price for the spark plugs of the regular K12. So service centers rarely stock these parts as the RS is a quite uncommon.

Before picking up the car for service, a basic sanitisation of the interiors is done at the receiving bay. Additionally plastic covers are placed on the driver's seat, the steering and gear shift knob. The SA informed me that in addition to the above mentioned items the brake fluid and coolant would also be replaced. An injector cleaning fluid used for the GDI engine every 20K kms was also provided to add when the tank was filled up next.

I usually ask the SA to show me the replacement parts first which was duly complied with. More to do with ensuring that the correct parts are used and not those of the regular Baleno. I also stress on the oil grade. The perils of buying an uncommon variant with mechanical differences! Had to do this with the Polo 1.6 TDI as well. However since the Vento shared the engine it was not so much of a problem.

RS SGP oil filter


SGP irridium spark plugs


I usually get a life of 30K kms on the front brake pads and 40K on the rear pads. The brake pads were cleaned and the brakes bled. The front pads had around 2k of life left on them and I was advised replacement. However I had purchased Bosch pads from the front discs and intended to replace them on my own, so asked them not to replace the old pads.

The cabin filter was inspected and duly replaced as well. I feel that NEXA technicians pay more attention to detail. Service bays are well equipped to with all bays having service lifts. It points to the importance of a well equipped work environment on productivity and quality.

No complaints or problems reported, touchwood. The dust cover of the front left caliper was reported to have a tear in it. The part was not in stock and an order was placed for the same.

The old spark plugs had some scorching on the insulator. Did some reading on Google and it seems to be a Corona effect as far as I could figure out.

Old Spark Plug

Video 1

Video 2

Link

The Michelins were rotated. The tyres have now run about 60000 kms and still have around 5-10K life left on them. Very consistent performance through out the life time. Grip is a little less initially but the noise, or rather the lack of it is consistent throughout. The premium paid is quite justified.

This was one of the most expensive services with the injector cleaner and the plugs accounting for 8K of the total 13660/-. But I am fine with that given that I had picked up the variant specifically for the turbo-petrol engine. So long as the correct parts are used it's a justified price to pay.

Parts Bill


Final Bill


Overall the car is holding up good. I still love taking it out for the slightest excuse. The highlight of the performance is usable performance in regular driving environments. More on that in a later post.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[shibujp]

The Baleno RS - 3 years and powering on

The Baleno RS has had a muted year of running thanks to the Corona situation. A car that would bave been normally pusing well past 75K by now on a regular year is soldiering past 63K. However given that travelling has now started happening during the daytime it has opened another set of capabilities in traffic. My regular long drives prior to this tended to be at night during times when traffic was low enabling me to settle into a smooth fast pace. However during the daytime traffic on my regular route between my workpace and hometown ( a distance of 120kms) is quite crowded. And on a two lane Kerala state highway it's not exactly a dream. However I was surprised how much I enjoyed piloting the RS in these circumstances. The peppy 1.0L engine has excellent midrange making short work of exploiting half chances. And the manual gear shift is a joy to shift with it's excellently chosen ratios. Add to that the throaty sound track inside the cabin when the revs climb and it's amazing how much fun this car is. A simple yardstick is how I enjoy taking the Baleno out in traffic compared to the Polo GT TDI which was not exactly thrilling to pull in and out of gaps. It's skills lay is more in those high speed runs with excellent composure at unspeakable speeds. And the slug of torque that powered you there.

A big part of the enjoyment is the agility that the Baleno RS has. it's quite light on it's feet and eager to change direction. Point and scoot. Pulling in an out of gaps is a piece of cake. I test drove the RS three times just to make sure that I was ready to trade in the capabilities of the GT TDI. The liveliness the car showed pushing hard around a set of corners at legal speeds left a grin on my face and I think the NEXA salesman knew he had me at that point. It's suspension shortcomings have been well documented and publicized but I am of the opinion that the suspension is extremely well tuned for a fast hatch in regular Indian conditions. A drawback of the suspension was the excessive dive at the front due to weight transfer. And the lack of weight compared to the Polo GT meant that I had to drive it differently. But more of that later. Past the ton the front would get a little light headed but that was sorted using a set of RogerAB buffers. This has the benefit of reducing the dive and squat on braking and acceleration respectively. It make the front less susceptible to wash out into an understeer trail braking into a corner.

Yes the overall engine performance in terms of raw power and torque is not mind boggling. But it's plenty fast in real life situations and you can use all of the power without getting up to silly speeds.

Braking
Tremendous. If there is one thing Maruti should be praised for, is for offering disk brakes on all four corners. The four anchors are more than upto the task of slowing down the car so much so that I have rarely used more than 50% of it's stopping power. A full bore braking I would say exceeds the acceleration capabilities as far I could judge which is the way I like it. This also gives you great confidence to push the car. Another aspect that I find very good is the ability to modulate the braking to get just the right rate of deceleration for the given situation.

Driving Style
The RS is lighter than any of the other powerful hatches in the segment. And it's suspension is tuned differently to given you an excellent ride on any surface. Which means that the agility and liveliness you have call for a different style of driving with respect to what I was used to in the GT. The weight of the GT meant that I could rely on it to load the suspension while I threw it around a corner. Which is not quite productive in the RS and the front washing wide due to excessive weight transfer. With the RS I find that the best way is to ensure that the car is setup well for the corner and you keep the turning smooth without any sudden yanks on the steering. I never find it a problem to trail brake into corners either just so that I don't slam the brakes causing the weight to shift. I feel that this along with the manual suspension make it more involving around set of corners. I find myself using the shift much more than the GT TDI which is not at all tiresome given the light clutch and the shift quality. In the rain too, given the lack of weight, standing water has to be treated with respect. I realized how much I got used to this when I recently peeked under the car and found that the RogerAB buffers had literally disintegrated. I did have a indication by the way the car behaved in a couple of situations but put that to the shortcoming of the handling. Nothing negative in my book, just that you need to drive without banking on the assistance that a relatively body weight would provide. It's a different experience from driving the GT but I just love it. The ultimate sleeper. A fast hatch from Maruti Suzuki!

Suspension Update
One of the biggest wants I had for the car was a more competent handling. I was prepared for a tradeoff in comfort on B roads for better handling on the twisty bits. This saw me finally settle for a set of Cobra lowering springs. Will provide a detailed experience of the installation and feedback. Initial feedback is positive after around 500kms of running.

Conclusion
A powerful, spacious hatch that does the 9 - 6 drill well, isn't a challenge to use in traffic or the city, seats 5 in good comfort as an all out family car. All the goodies and riches of a top spec hatch in the segment. And tops it all by providing a satisfying driving experience when you push it around hard. This is my experience with the Baleno RS and it's setting up to be one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever owned so far. The grey shark has made it's mark.



Drive on,
Shibu

[shibujp]

I had used the Michelins for the first time on an extended stint on the Baleno. Though they felt a little less grippy at the start especially in rainy conditions, further use impressed me. They are so consistent in experience right to the end.

At 65K they still provided decent grip and were silent. The tread was almost right down to the wear indicators but I was attempting to push it for another 5K kms to touch 70,000 on those tyres. I already had replacements got in December 2020. As Michelins were unavailable I went in for Yokohoma Blue Earth AE50s. Bought them off Amazon at 7500 per tyre. I have been using Yokohomas for around 9 years before the Baleno starting with the ES100s on the Swift, moving on to three sets of S-Drives on the Polo and I have always loved the experience. So though I would have loved to try on a set of PS4s there was not much hesitation in going for Yokos.

So much for my desire for wanting to complete 70K kms. Fate had other notions. One fine afternoon a gentleman taking a U-turn across the road failed to notice my car passing him and promptly bashed into the side of my car. So bar which was part of his front bumper pieced the sidewall of the rear left tyre and that was that.



Space saver was s size smaller so the tyre replacement was preponed.

The tread wear on the Michelins were pretty even. I am seriously impressed with Michelin. Primarily due to the increase life which justified the premium pricing and even more because of the consistent behavior right till the end of the experience.



Decided to go for the Blue Earth AE51 GT series this time round. The Earth 1 range is pretty good it seems with a cousin of mine too using it for quite some time on his i20.





Experience
Haven't really had a change to really put the tyres to the test given Covid lockdowns and so on. But no unpleasant surprises so far. One aspect that I feel better than the Michelins is wet behavior. The tread depth is much more and stability hitting standing water on the road at some speed seems much better with the Yokos. Big deal in Kerala especially during the monsoons.

Drive on,
Shibu