[kskthere]

Fog lights upgrade to LEDs:

The stock bulbs are from Philips with H8 socket. They have mediocre spread and throw. So wanted to upgrade them to LEDs for long and finally bought the LEDs from this link.

The specifications of the upgraded LEDs are as follows:

• Bulb size : H11
• Power: 72W (36W per bulb)
• Intensity: 8000 lumens (4000lm/bulb)
• 3-sided LED COB for 360 degree beam angle
• Colour temperature: 6500K
• Price: ₹2,250/- after discount

Though they can be installed without removing the front bumper, I chose to remove the bumper for easy access of the bulbs and also to adjust LED beam using fog light leveller screw.

LEDs from Autobahn:




Stock Philips bulb:


Comparison of stock vs LED:


Before and after changing the fog light:


Left halogen vs Right LED:


LED seen through the lens:


Light beam adjustable screw:

https://youtu.be/L7A7BWCXvKI

https://youtu.be/8orfrLioMXU

Illumination of LEDs installed:


Top: Throw of stock fog lights.
Bottom: Throw of LEDs.


Result: I didn't test them out on the road, but after installation, I felt the LEDs are way better than the stock halogen fog lamps. The spread of the light on sides is very good and also throw distance. Throw of light can be enhanced by adjusting the screw present on fog lights assembly. This setting was suggested by my Baleno friend Noushad. Overall happy with the result, but I'm gonna test them further.

[F150]

I think the spread of the stock lamps is better and focussed. The LEDs are throwing light above the boundary wall in the pictures above and is reaching even the cieling. Also the yellow shade is preferable compared to milk white.

But the intensity seems to be better on the LEDs.

[kskthere]

Originally Posted by F150

I think the spread of the stock lamps is better and focussed. The LEDs are throwing light above the boundary wall in the pictures above and is reaching even the cieling. Also the yellow shade is preferable compared to milk white.

But the intensity seems to be better on the LEDs.

Yes, yellow light is preferable in foggy weather, but never found the need to use fog lights because of that weather in Hyderabad. Moreover, the stock ones are useless when projectors are switched off. I wanted to have LEDs with reasonable spread and throw of light when projectors are not turned on.

I've tested the LEDs on road. They managed to do better job than the stock fog lights, especially spread of light on both sides of the road is good. Now the visibility of road edges is more clear. Also tested whether the cut-off is high and posing any problems to on-comers, but they're not. In pictures, it seems the light is reaching the ceiling but I think it's just the reflection (even halogen light is reaching ceiling somewhat). For now, happy with the performance.

[kskthere]

Baleno Owner's Club Hyderabad (BOCH):

So this group was created to provide a platform for Baleno owners from Hyderabad to share and seek information about various aspects like sales, service, warranty, insurance, accessories, modifications, etc at a core level, also to engage in frequent meet ups - and boy did it deliver. At least 15 members got their Baleno suspension setups replaced under warranty at a time when almost all service centres in Hyd were denying to replace; a couple of steering column replacements and a couple of tyre replacements done under goodwill warranty. Also, in order to bring unknown members together, we've conducted 6 meet-ups so far in the last 15 months. These meets have helped immensely in knowing each other and also to strengthen the bond among group members. We hope to continue to organize these meet-ups as long as we can. Now the group's count is 150 plus members.

Some pictures and videos of BOCH Meet-ups:

The latest meet-up (6th) on November 18, 2018:

https://youtu.be/lMuuHsWs7RE

https://youtu.be/381_RMFkrmU

5th meet-up:




4th meet-up:

https://youtu.be/YYPHgpDu5aY

https://youtu.be/8cYteUAsTSs

3rd meet-up:




2nd meet-up:



And the very first meet-up:

[kskthere]

DIY - Hardwiring Viofo A119 v2.0 Dashcam:

Thanks to @A4anurag and @interc00led for the expert advice and help in getting this DIY done.




Bought this Dashcam along with hardwire kit and a fuse tap for a price of $102, from Aliexpress.com in October 2017. After booking, it was delivered after a month or so without any custom duty. Since then using 12V socket to power it until last month when finally got time to hardwire it.

Here are some observations after using it for more than a year.

Pros:

• Stealthy design
• Uses capacitors
• Great video quality, with or without WDR, both day and night
• Multiple resolution options: 2K, 1080p 60 fps, 1080p 30 fps etc
• Error notification buzzers
• Timelapse option

Cons:

• No Wi-Fi connectivity
• Not a 180- or 360-degree rotatable lens
• No automatic parking mode
• Rattling sound when mounted on GPS module

GPS module:


Dashcam mounted on GPS module:


Before fixing Dashcam, clean the part of the windshield with wet cloth (preferably use shampoo) and then with dry microfibre cloth, and fix the mount sliding upside down so that no air gap(s) are formed. As I did not follow this procedure, installation resulted in a big gap:


Used ACC2 to tap the fuse:


Routed wire through left hand side A-pillar to fuse box:




Ground point:


OEM 15A fuse:


Used 10A fuse for Dashcam:





Installing EVA foam pads:

When I bought Viofo A119 dashcam, the box didn't include EVA foam pads, so I sourced them separately from US by a friend. These foam pads are 0.5 mm thick 3M stickers, which are installed on backside of dashcam so that the gap between dashcam and GPS module is covered. After sticking these pads, the rattling sound had reduced significantly, to almost nil.

EVA foam pads:


Rear view of Dashcam with 3 cooling vents:


Align narrow cut-out against edge of Dashcam and remove inner cut-out piece:


3rd cooling vent blocked:


Trimmed approximately 1.5 mm of pad to unblock 3rd cooling vent:

https://youtu.be/A1mgWuHM4SA

https://youtu.be/7T6gDDWR1Us

Overall, I'm happy with the performance of Viofo A119 v2.0 dashcam, even so after fixing EVA foam pads. The only shortcoming is not having Wi-Fi functionality. Otherwise, it is a VFM product.

[kskthere]

DIY - Illuminated rear LED reflectors:



There are different designs of illuminated rear LED reflectors for Baleno in local market as well as online (much cheaper online). I liked the above design as it looks simple and classy. Bought them for ₹550/- from Amazon. link

These LED reflectors have 3 wires (black, red and white) and can be connected directly to the tail lamp socket without any wire cutting or splicing. IMO this is the best option to do rather than using scotchlok splice connectors.



Before connecting reflectors, let's look at the wiring on the tail lamps. Below pic is of Alpha's tail lamp (sorry for grainy image).



#1 - Socket and wires for Indicator
#2 - Tail parking light
#3 - Brake and high mount stop light

We can connect reflectors in a couple of ways:

• LEDs ON when indicators/hazard switch ON
• LEDs ON when parking lights/lights ON

I connected the wires to achieve the latter option because I want the LEDs to be ON always at nights. Hence, the connection was made as below:

• Red wire of the reflector to green-white wire
• White wire of the reflector to red wire
• Black wire to black wire (ground)

Stock reflector:


Screw that holds the reflector:






Made threads in the hole before fixing:


Latch to hold it snugly, and to remove push this:


After installing:


Tail lamp male and female connectors:




A closer look:


Push the reflector wiring through the rubber casing:


Insert reflector wires from behind the male connector so that they do not come out, and secure the wiring harness with electrical tape:




Classy looking Lambo-styled LED reflector at day:




At night:


Normal red when lights ON:


Bright red when braking:

https://youtu.be/GdvuO9ObFDk

IMO, these provide added visibility of your car to rear traffic especially on highways.

[kskthere]

During Christmas holidays, we wanted to travel to Hampi but due to some emergency work, we had to go to our hometown. After travelling 100 km or so from Hyderabad, we saw an Alto and a bike involved in a fatal accident. The bike was taking a U turn and the Alto hit it at a decent speed. Both the biker and the pillion rider (woman) were lying in blood on the road (later both were transferred to hospital in an ambulance). We wanted to stop our car and check their condition right after crossing the accident site, but as people were crossing the road, I couldn't see the bike's visor fell on the road and drove over it dragging it for a good 15-20 meters . The car took a couple of bumps in the process. Worried about any critical component damage, me along with my son checked the underbody. I was freaked out when my son told me that there was some liquid leakage. After thorough inspection, I was relieved that there wasn't any sort of damage to the underbody or tyres, and the leakage was AC water.

https://youtu.be/_MV19Bap6T0

During the trip, also noticed my Baleno's front right side and rear wiper blades got damaged and their rubber had ragged edges. And also somebody broke the RHS tail lamp at the edge, so temporarily fixed the chip with Fevikwik.









Ordered myTVS Frameless Wiper Blades from Amazon.

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by kskthere

Fog lights upgrade to LEDs:

Thank you for your post on this thread. I have placed an order for H7 based LED autobahn bulb to try out my luck on the headlight setup. I was already running on LED setup (NightEye sourced from XP last year) which fused without any warning. Therefore, this time I would want to try out products in the market and then finalize on the investment plans on the LED for the best one available in the market for a substantial amount.



Hope the product will live upto my expectations. Autobahn seems okay at first interaction. Will comment on their service in days time.

[kskthere]

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Thank you for your post on this thread. I have placed an order for H7 based LED autobahn bulb to try out my luck on the headlight setup. I was already running on LED setup (NightEye sourced from XP last year) which fused without any warning. Therefore, this time I would want to try out products in the market and then finalize on the investment plans on the LED for the best one available in the market for a substantial amount.



Hope the product will live upto my expectations. Autobahn seems okay at first interaction. Will comment on their service in days time.

The AutoBahn LEDs that I upgraded are nothing extraordinary, but they are certainly better than the stock fog lamps. Now, more often, I'm driving without turning on projectors in city traffic compared to previous.

Good luck with your buy!

[kskthere]

Front brake pads replaced:

In the last 6 months, I've been to MASS more than twice for a brake-related noise issue. Every time they ignored it as saying that's how ABS works; but, I was adamant this time and made them test drive my Baleno multiple times to realize when and at what speeds the noise is occurring. I used to get a constant hissing sound whenever applying brakes at speeds ~20 to 30 kmph. After multiple attempts, they finally noticed the underlying problem, but declined (even after showing circular (Maruti Baleno : Official Review)) to change brake pads stating 'wear and tear' clause. The general manager told me that they didn't receive any circular for Baleno and the modified part no. mentioned in it is also not for Baleno. After much deliberation, and considering my history with their service centre, he finally obliged to change the front brake pads.

Front brake pads:




Disc brake:


A closer look at the caliper:




Part no for front brake pads:


New brake pads:


Comparison (right new and left old):




Cleaned and greased rear brake shoes too:


Also, front and rear wiper blades changed (not for free ):




After brake pads replacement, the prevalent hissing noise is no more .

[kskthere]

On Jan 13th, we went to Kondaveedu fort and Mangalagiri and Kanaka Durga temples in Vijayawada link (A trip to Kondaveedu Fort in our Baleno), and returned home on the same day. Total trip was 635 km including local drive. It was an effortless and comfortable drive in my Baleno. Didn't get a chance to test brakes after recent brake pads replacement. So this was a perfect long drive to test braking, and braking was excellent compared to before. Average fuel economy was around 19 km/L as most of the time maintained 120 kmph or above. Both NAM expressway and NH65 have excellent roads and with sparse traffic (maybe all folks reached to hometowns for Sankranthi on 12th itself).

[kskthere]

Visited Koilsagar dam (145 km from Hyd) today link (A short drive: Hyderabad to Koilsagar Dam), and en route crossed 20,000 km.

[HighWayMan]

Very nice and detailed review .Glad to hear you have come out of the initial ownership trauma.

How is your experience on the Suzuki Connect(Telematics Control Unit)? Feature ,response and reliability wise is it worth the 10K charged my MSIL?

Finally, the BOCH meet pictures look smashing. Would love to be part of the next edition of the meet-up.

Stay Blessed! Drive Safe!

[kskthere]

Originally Posted by HighWayMan

Very nice and detailed review .Glad to hear you have come out of the initial ownership trauma.

How is your experience on the Suzuki Connect(Telematics Control Unit)? Feature ,response and reliability wise is it worth the 10K charged my MSIL?

Finally, the BOCH meet pictures look smashing. Would love to be part of the next edition of the meet-up.

Stay Blessed! Drive Safe!

Thank you @HighWayMan

IMO, Suzuki Connect or any other tracking device is a must (along with a dashcam) nowadays. I recommended many Baleno owners and friends to have one in their vehicles. I'm happy with its overall performance and functionality, but surely needs enhancements / updates. The response time is anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to receive alerts as opposed to stated REAL-TIME. Connectivity in some areas is very poor or non-existent - needs a big improvement on this front. A couple of times the location of my car shown wrongly on the App. Immediately, I complained to Nexa customer care and I got funny and strange replies both times (see attached pic).

Regarding meets, we are having a meetup planned on March 9th and 10th at Chirala beach. Let us know if you wish to join us. BTW, which car do you own?

[HighWayMan]

Originally Posted by kskthere

Thank you @HighWayMan
Regarding meets, we are having a meetup planned on March 9th and 10th at Chirala beach. Let us know if you wish to join us. BTW, which car do you own?

Thanks @kskthere for the inputs on Suzuki connect.
Please count me in for the Chirala Beach meetup.I drive a Baleno RS .