News
Maruti Suzuki has recalled over 7,000 units of the Baleno RS sold in India over a defective brake part.
According to the carmaker, 7,213 units of the Baleno RS manufactured between October 27, 2016, and November 1, 2019, are affected by this recall. The cars are said to have a possible defect in the vacuum pump.
The vacuum pump assists the brake function. Affected vehicles may require increased effort in brake pedal application.
Maruti Suzuki dealers will reach out to owners of the affected vehicles for the replacement of defective parts. The parts will be replaced free of cost.
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BHPian ROG_AK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
The quest for better audio is something I'm sure most of us yearn for, me being no exception to that. Although I wouldn't classify myself as a hard-core audiophile, I do enjoy good clean audio. This led me on a journey to fulfil my desires and in the end finally say 'I'm done with audio.'
It all started back in 2018 when the first set of upgrades was done (more details can be found here). Just to summarize the changes:
In this setup, the front components were driven by the amp while the rear was powered by the HU. The other 2 channels on the amp were bridged to power the subwoofer. Stock wiring was retained, and no high-low converter was used.
I had no clue about car audio installation during this time and relied on the installer completely. As it turned out, the installer was absolute trash (something I found out later)
Although it was much better than stock, it just didn't sound right. The highs were tinny, mids muddled with vocals and the sub could be heard but not felt. It was also just not playing some of the lower frequencies. The audio also used to cut off now and then, while people in the rear complained that the bass was overpowering and couldn't hear the music clearly.
I ran with the setup for a while and tried to find a proper installer in the meantime, someone whom I can really trust to get things done and not just do it for the money. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon an old high school friend who is in the auto industry. Jackpot! I didn't have to worry about getting cheated and ripped off for anything related to cars anymore!! I spoke to him at length about car audio and he got an expert (Raghu) along to help. The first step was to assess the damage:
Removing the so-called 3M damping. The only useful thing is those metal plate:
The crossovers were placed inside the door. This explains why the audio used to cut off, it got wet. Luckily nothing shorted:
Tapping the wire:
Well, it was time to start fixing things. First up, damping! The plan was to damp all 4 doors and the boot. Raghu was meticulous with his process and took about an entire working day to get it done. He decided to use Dr Artex Iridum medium with a thickness of 2.0mm. The damping was done on the interior and exterior of the door, it took about 12 sheets:
Damping inside:
Damping inside the boot lid:
Damping outside:
Damping outside the boot lid:
During this process, we realized that the rear speakers (DB522) were only 5.25" and it would be better to have 6.5" speakers instead (another noob thing I did not realize during the initial installation). This is probably why the rear fill was lacking. They had to be replaced and were done so by the Polk DB651, which should complement the front perfectly.
The smaller 5.25" DB522:
Replaced by the proper 6.5" DB651:
Right, with the speakers and damping sorted, things should sound better. It did, the sound was clearer and had better separation. It still didn't feel balanced though, it's hard to put into words but it felt lacking. Raghu suggested replacing the HU with a Pioneer one, I wasn't ready to shell out so much (at the time) and I wanted to maintain the stock look. The next best thing would be a DSP according to him, my idea of a high-low converter was swiftly dismissed by the claims that it would not help much in terms of SQ. DSP it is then! We decided to add the Pioneer DEQ-S1000A to help fine-tune the sound and improve the overall SQ. A consequence of this would be that all 4 channels of the AMP are needed for the speakers and the sub is left out in the cold. A mono block was needed and came in the form of the JBL Club 5501 and it would also run off the DSP.
A bit of extra wiring was needed running from the DSP to the AMPs. The speaker wires were not changed and didn't need to be, according to Raghu. The previous installer had cut the main harness to the HU and that also needed fixing. A tedious and time-consuming process.
WIP:
Continue reading on BHPian ROG_AK's audio upgrade on his Baleno RS for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
News
BHPian ROG_AK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
The quest for better audio is something I'm sure most of us yearn for, me being no exception to that. Although I wouldn't classify myself as a hard-core audiophile, I do enjoy good clean audio. This led me on a journey to fulfil my desires and in the end finally say 'I'm done with audio.'
It all started back in 2018 when the first set of upgrades was done (more details can be found here). Just to summarize the changes:
In this setup, the front components were driven by the amp while the rear was powered by the HU. The other 2 channels on the amp were bridged to power the subwoofer. Stock wiring was retained, and no high-low converter was used.
I had no clue about car audio installation during this time and relied on the installer completely. As it turned out, the installer was absolute trash (something I found out later)
Although it was much better than stock, it just didn't sound right. The highs were tinny, mids muddled with vocals and the sub could be heard but not felt. It was also just not playing some of the lower frequencies. The audio also used to cut off now and then, while people in the rear complained that the bass was overpowering and couldn't hear the music clearly.
I ran with the setup for a while and tried to find a proper installer in the meantime, someone whom I can really trust to get things done and not just do it for the money. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon an old high school friend who is in the auto industry. Jackpot! I didn't have to worry about getting cheated and ripped off for anything related to cars anymore!! I spoke to him at length about car audio and he got an expert (Raghu) along to help. The first step was to assess the damage:
Removing the so-called 3M damping. The only useful thing is those metal plate:
The crossovers were placed inside the door. This explains why the audio used to cut off, it got wet. Luckily nothing shorted:
Tapping the wire:
Well, it was time to start fixing things. First up, damping! The plan was to damp all 4 doors and the boot. Raghu was meticulous with his process and took about an entire working day to get it done. He decided to use Dr Artex Iridum medium with a thickness of 2.0mm. The damping was done on the interior and exterior of the door, it took about 12 sheets:
Damping inside:
Damping inside the boot lid:
Damping outside:
Damping outside the boot lid:
During this process, we realized that the rear speakers (DB522) were only 5.25" and it would be better to have 6.5" speakers instead (another noob thing I did not realize during the initial installation). This is probably why the rear fill was lacking. They had to be replaced and were done so by the Polk DB651, which should complement the front perfectly.
The smaller 5.25" DB522:
Replaced by the proper 6.5" DB651:
Right, with the speakers and damping sorted, things should sound better. It did, the sound was clearer and had better separation. It still didn't feel balanced though, it's hard to put into words but it felt lacking. Raghu suggested replacing the HU with a Pioneer one, I wasn't ready to shell out so much (at the time) and I wanted to maintain the stock look. The next best thing would be a DSP according to him, my idea of a high-low converter was swiftly dismissed by the claims that it would not help much in terms of SQ. DSP it is then! We decided to add the Pioneer DEQ-S1000A to help fine-tune the sound and improve the overall SQ. A consequence of this would be that all 4 channels of the AMP are needed for the speakers and the sub is left out in the cold. A mono block was needed and came in the form of the JBL Club 5501 and it would also run off the DSP.
A bit of extra wiring was needed running from the DSP to the AMPs. The speaker wires were not changed and didn't need to be, according to Raghu. The previous installer had cut the main harness to the HU and that also needed fixing. A tedious and time-consuming process.
WIP:
Continue reading on BHPian ROG_AK's audio upgrade on his Baleno RS for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
News
BHPian S2K recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hello everyone,
I will be in a position in few months where I will have to decide which one car, from the two we have in the family, should I keep and let the other one go.
The choice is between a 2017 MS Baleno RS and 2020 BS6 Ford FreeStyle Titanium+ petrol. We will have to let one of these cars go as we get a new one in the latter half of the year.
I would request the more experienced and knowledgeable forum members to share some advice and guide me on which vehicle to keep based on the above points and also some other points I should think about but haven't.
Thanks,
Sanket.
Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:
Both cars are good and have a lot of life left in them. First things first, you are selling & changing cars too early. Two threads you just have to read:
5 year old car: Keep, sell, swap?
How a more expensive car can work out cheaper
To answer the thread question, between the two, I would keep the car that makes me smile more. In your case, it is clearly the Freestyle, so retain that. You'll get good money for the Baleno as there is a used car supply crunch currently. On the other hand, your Freestyle will suffer a major depreciation hit today...and so will it 4 years from now (because of the Ford exit). Your warranty will ensure a fuss-free ownership.
Ford will continue to support your car. And there are enough Figos, Freestyles & Aspires on the road for the after-market to as well.
Here's what BHPian nvldvr had to say on the matter:
For me, it's a no brainer. I will any day keep the much safer / better built freestyle with 6 air bags, over the Baleno any day. I will not look beyond this, if I were to decide which car to keep.
Here's what BHPian livetodrive had to say on the matter:
Hi S2K, your concern regarding Fords exit is valid. In 2020, I booked FS along with my friend and in June Ford bumped the price up by 50K which my friend was ready to absorb but not me. During same time I persuaded another friend to buy the EcoSport diesel over the Brezza and he listened to me.
After Fords exit, I felt sorry for both of them and I keep checking on them if they have any trouble with service. I know hardly I can contribute if they are dissatisfied customers. Still I feel if I had not persuaded them so much to buy Ford , they would be in much mental peace.However I can see they are very happy Ford owners till date. Both of them keep appreciating great diesel mileage, strong build and comfort of co-passengers in long drives.
It's hard to say if Fords service quality will deteriorate in future. But considering your current observations and the inputs from my friends I feel keeping the Ford will be a good decision.
Thanks.
Here's what BHPian Voodooblaster had to say on the matter:
Why selling the Freestyle is a bad idea :
- Cars take a massive depreciation hit in the first year (after road tax and the 3 year insurance is factored in).
- Since you had purchased a demo car, I am assuming that RTO records will show you as the 2nd owner. Higher the no of owners, lower the resale value.
- Compared to Ecosport, Freestyle was less popular and sales numbers were poor. Again, lower resale value.
- The elephant in the room: Ford's exit has dampened the resale value.
- You enjoy driving Freestyle more than Baleno.
- Safer car.
- Most Important: It tugs at your heart.
Why selling the Baleno is a good idea :
- Has a higher resale value (MSIL+Baleno combination).
- Since you mentioned some aggressive driving, it'll not age very well. (May need early suspension and related parts).
- Has lesser safety features than the Freestyle.
- Taking a bigger rental car (Innova , Marazzo, Ertiga etc) for your combined family trips is a better option. You can enjoy a different car.
- Finally, I would advise against installation of cruise control from 3rd party vendors. It may void warranty, and there are safety risks involved.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.