18th August 2019, 00:54
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| Senior - BHPian  | Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km To begin this ownership thread we need to pick it up from the following post. Quote:
 The sojourner. Pushkar, December 2011. The Verna was a really good car. It was a first from Hyundai which made Maruti’s to VW's line-up look drab and under equipped. The sweet engine and the unique gizmos were quite nice to have but their novelty wore out. My dad (the primary user) never connected with the car. The low seating position, the claustrophobic rear seats and the bouncy ride didn’t make it last long in the garage. With just a tad over a year and 18,000 km of use, it was sold off as soon as other events unfolded. It started with the venture into the unknown, much like with the Qualis, being a first of its kind launch in India from a foreign manufacturer. At the time, Renault had the Koleos and the Fluence as a CBU and Pulse (a rebadged Nissan) in their line-up with the Scala to launch soon. The Duster was going to introduce the affordable crossover SUV market in India and was to be manufactured here too. The XUV 500 was the only competitor in the market and its persistent niggles with the engine and electronics didn't deem it fit as an option. It was also priced higher and was not in line with our 'want of a 5-seater' decision. I was eagerly awaiting the Duster’s official review as much as my dad was planning to get rid of the Verna. In the second week of July 2012, I visited the Renault showroom in Mangalore where there was a big queue and a wait till 7:30PM for a test drive. I only got to sit in the back while an equally enthusiastic and well experienced customer looking to replace his Xylo, took the driver’s seat. That, I must say, was the most fun I had in a test drive ever. As we took off towards Kottara flyover, heading south on NH 66, I had my eyes fixed on the gauges where the needles looked pumped up on adrenaline. The push in the seat was not as thrilling as the Verna, but that was IT. The whole thing felt like a vessel and not like a tin can on nitrous. The guy cuts lanes like the Dhom inspired bikers, it felt wrong, but alright. A quick flick of the indicator stalk and we get off the NH to make a U-turn at Kuntikan Junction. Into the broken service lane, at a decent pace, I didn’t feel the bumps which I used to avoid even on my bike. They were there but we drove over them comfortably. Merge back onto the highway and we begin the return dash. The cabin felt silent. The headlamps had a wonderful throw and intensity. The rear seat recline angle was perfect. I heard the man behind the wheel admire the heaviness in the steering and the short throws of the gearbox. Soon we pass Chevrolet (now a Bosch Service Center) and take a U-turn at Kuloor Junction. The brakes impress. Back to the showroom, we all shake hands and I immediately get on the phone to call my dad in Jaipur and insist him to take a test drive the very next day. He called me back a few week later saying that it had been booked. Booked twice, eventually.  The two Dusters sharing a garage. Hissar, October 2018 From that period in the second half of 2012 till today, in the coming posts, I have tried to pen down the ownership of the Dusters and the relationship with Renault India.
Disclaimer: I have driven very few cars. The ones that I drove quite a lot are Qualis, Santro, i10, Verna and Figo (old-petrol). The ones I have driven briefly are Scorpio 2.6, Cruze AT, Figo (old-diesel), Ciaz (old-diesel), Brezza, Swift (petrol), Wagon-R, Brio AT and Fortuner AT. This is a long thread and I have tried to cover the ownership part rather than getting too technical and comparing the Dusters with their competitors in the Indian context. Last edited by Tgo : 25th August 2019 at 14:23. | |
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18th August 2019, 01:16
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| Senior - BHPian | Two Dusters sharing a garage - The White One Nov 2012 | 110PS | RXZ(O) | 2WD  The harbinger of good times. Sambhar 2012 All that I like • An all rounder with practicality par excellence. • Comfortable ride well settled at high speeds too. • Ingress and egress. The seat base height hits the sweet spot. • Good amount of steering feedback helps relay the terrain condition to the driver. • Frugal engine which is enjoyable at highway speeds. All that I dislike • Poor AC cooling. • Poorly matched first 3 gear ratios. • Compromised rear legroom. • Durability and life of wearing parts is inconsistent. • Expensive spares compared to the segment of the vehicle. • Many Gen-1 (Borneo-1 Engine) specific parts. Will be hard to source in the future. In November 2012 we took delivery of the car from Renault Jaipur. I remember being stuck in Mangalore and waiting eagerly to get back home for the year-end break. A trip to Deogarh had been planned and I was keen to get behind the wheel. I remember the parents pulling up in the airport pick-up lane and having felt a great deal of joy seeing this one of a kind thing. The planned trip went well. I was quite amazed by the maneuverability it had to offer in the tight village lanes and how the visible bonnet acted as a visual aid. Seeing a range of 770 km on a tank-up was commonplace. Loved the comfort in which 3 people could sit in the back with a bit of wiggle room to spare. The leg-space was mediocre but not dis-comfortingly so. Since then on, I found my dad going for some trip the other on the drop of the hat. The first long trip was a 13 day road trip along the coast in Gujarat. Being away from home I liked getting updates over the phone. In the summer of 2013 we traveled to Dehradun to drop off my brother to IMA. One trunk full of his stuff had nicely fit in the boot with the luggage of the other 4 passengers.  Resting in a cozy corner. Dehradun, July 2013 It was during these long trips that some of the issues became more evident. The creaking from the doors and the humming from the tyres became unnoticeably irritating. We had to deal with Renault quite sternly for these issues but the overall ownership experience was mostly positive. November came and the car had clocked 25,000 km in one year. The 10,000 km service interval came as a boon for my dad who was accustomed to the 5,000 km service interval of the Qualis. Costs were reasonable till then. December 2013 came by quickly with a long trip to Udaipur in tow. On the way back we took a little detour to Sambhar Lake for flamingo sighting. Driving on the lakebed was a different experience altogether with a caution taken to not cross into the moist sections. That setting provided a picturesque backdrop for my favourite picture of the Duster (the opening picture of this post). For the wildlife and outdoor lover this car proved to be the perfect match. Its readiness to venture out into the wild (akin to off-road) complemented my dad’s hobby. Everything about it matched the eagerness for travel he has in him. The next year had bigger plans unfold as it had to change station to Gujrat. My dad had been posted there. The distances seemed far, there were connectivity issues with trains between Jaipur and Gandhidham. After a few initial trips, we often heard of 9-10 hour journey times to cover the 900 odd kms. Others could only relate to the soreness from traveling such a long distances. However, I would be grinning at my dad jokingly, taking his case for the speeds he must have been doing and thoroughly enjoying those long drives. He always says its only because of two things. 1st is the car and 2nd is the timely maintenance. I have seen him follow the maintenance schedules more strictly than the utility bill payments. Conversations used to go like this... Me: The tyres have 1 mm to go till the tread wear indicator show up Dad: Forget it, they’ve done 40,000 kms. I’m getting them changed. ASC: Sir there is 3,000 km life left in the pads. Dad: Change them now, I don’t want to be calling you from the side of the road. People: Why Renault? It has not run well in India. Dad: We’ll make it run. People: Why not an XUV? Dad: I like a car which has its basics sorted out. That year the Duster became an international traveler. Dad and a few of his birder friends went to Bardia National Park in Nepal. It was so enjoyable to drive that the return trip was a 18 hour dash from Nepalgunj to Jaipur. This trials of sort was the highlight after which the bond with the car had become rock solid. In December 2014 we went again to Dehradun for my brother’s passing out from the IMA. So this Duster brought a cadet to the academy and ferried back an officer back home, within the first two years of ownership.  Everyone needs a fill-up. En-route to Dehradun, December 2014. The coming year the Duster had settled-in nicely in Gujarat. Dad was alternating between the train and the car for his monthly visits back home. However, work related travel had picked up to 120 km per day. The lovely roads of Gujarat begged my dad to explore the place even more. Local trips with family and friends were a weekly affair. mangoes and dates, snacks and pickles, savouries and souvenirs or folk art work, the Duster took on the carriage duties impressively.  Salt-pan or Blacktop, just another lane for me. Bhuj-Mandvi Highway, December 2015 In December 2015 we had the annual winter trip planned in Gujarat. This time it was the smallest gathering of five. A crammed up yet exciting trip was planned with close to 1800 Km to be covered in 5 days. This was my first trip to the State and we visited the grasslands of Velavadar moving on to Bhavnagar and later Zainabad. Off-roaded across the little rann from Zainabad to Palansva to the ruins of Dholavira onto the Rann of Kutch festival, Rudrani, Mandavi, Gandhidham and back to Ahmedabad. I was pretty impressed by its composure both on and off road. Switching from on-road to off-road and back was seamless. We would be doing triple digit speeds even before one could see the dust settle in the rear view mirror. The coming year was business as usual, apart from a month’s rest in September owing to overseas travel. In October 2016 there was a Change of Guard of sorts. My dad and I exchanged the cars for a yesr. I was relayed the baton with 92,xxx km on the ODO. That was when I truly got to experience the 1st Gen car and its quirks. I realized how moch more fun to drive it was. There was lag and coupled with the poor gearing of the first two gears it felt slow from the get go. But in the turbo zone, this one surged ahead with more determination than the new gen cars, Also the seats were plusher which was great. Compared to my car the headlamps seemed more effective. The additional boot space was welcome. December 2016 rolled by and I was having fun with it getting accustomed to the different engine tune, gearing and suspension setup. Early next year I took it to Sheopur, MP to visit our relatives living there. This was a memorable trip since it was to a small hamlet in the heart of MP and on roads that had not been charted by me before. We visited the Palpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary where the boot doubled up as a seating for two. This two day trip was the beginning. Work related travel and the usual home coming runs kept the odo clicking steadily. Later in July, we traveled to Dehradun (for the third time) to visit our relatives there. Started early from Delhi, 3:30 AM and reached in time for breakfast. We trekked up to George Everest Bungalow during a day trip to Mussoorie making this the highlight of the trip. On the way back the boot had a decommissioned medium frame mountain bike, 10 kgs of farm fresh Lychees in addition to the luggage we took with us.  Fresh back from the goat's neighborhood, the bug doesn't know it has already bitten me. Dehradun, July 2017 Later that year there were a few social gatherings in the family, attending which made the ODO cross 1,20,000 km by the end of December 2017. This was a special occasion for me since I had never seen the odo roll over the hundred thousand kilometers in any of the cars we owned previously. With this one I got to do it let alone see it and then some. My dad and I also exchanged the cars since he was back home in Jaipur and was busy with the construction at his new house. In 2018, the Duster went back to Jaipur but only for a short while. We exchanged the cars again in May as my car needed major work and required to be in Jaipur at my trusted ASC. This Duster suffered an AC compressor failure for which we had to send the car to Jaipur hence another exchange was on the cards. To put it in effect, in August, we started early one morning from Auraiya and my parents from Jaipur and met mid way for the exchange at Bharatpur. ... difficult to keep track? It is for us too since the Numbers are similar. Its easier to refer to them by the colour and even that was going to be the same, initially. You can imagine the drama keeping track of service schedules, insurance renewals, PUC checks and the keys. We’ve faced it all. But The car in question here, the white one, was back in Jaipur and after the compressor replacement was functional again. Dad settled into his routine after an early retirement and the Duster was clicking 80 km daily, golf in the morning, construction site after breakfast, back home for lunch and a second visit to the construction site in the evening. Plants, milk cans, farm produce, labour, tools and hardware everything possible was being hauled from across the town to this rural site which is soon to be the Dusters and its owners’ new home. Not to mention, the trips kept coming its way within Rajasthan now. By the end of December 2018 the Odo was reading 1,48,000 km completing just over 6 years of ownership. This year too, the miles are being clocked at a steady pace. A journey of 2-3 thousand kms are childs play and require just a few precautionary checks of the tyres and fluids. The age is starting to show in places like the paint chips on the body, lost mud-flaps, worn out seat upholstery, rock chips on the windscreen, dulled down headlamps and a funny drone from the underbody which seems like a loose engine guard. I think of them as battle scars. On the drivetrain front there are no issues, its even running on the factory clutch till now. Mounts and bushes might need a change along with the shock absorbers but that needs further investigation. There is no way I am going to pay the Renault tax for these parts if I can help it. The hunt for a good FNG as begun as the required part suppliers are being identified.  On the rare occasion it looks clean. This Duster has always been serviced at the Renault ASC, whether it be in RJ, GJ, UP or DL and it shows. People sit in the car and are surprised to see the Odo reading. The premise behind sticking to the ASC was that FNGs open 10 nuts and reinstall only 9. That is the case for the parts you can see are missing, what happens to the ones you cannot. And gradually you stop caring about it either just because you save big on cash. At least this way there is some semblance of accountability. They have a stock of the smallest of the plastic clips and washers which for your car. With the service manuals and knowledge about parts through online resources, I now feel more confident into venturing into the FNG world. Today, the Odo reads 1,70,000 and the rig is ready for whatever you plan to do with it. It has never let its occupants stranded anywhere in these years and still has the grunt to cross the next milestone eventually. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thoughts on the..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Duster has been to many places and a Jist has been given below. Many places have been missed out or cannot be recalled at this time. Some of the places jotted down have been visited multiple times as well.Places Visited  RJ – Jaipur, Dholpur, Alwar, Udaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Kota, Hanumangarh, Anupgarh, Suratgarh, Bharatpur, Ajmer, Deogarh, Kishangarh, Karauli, Boondi, Bishangarh GJ – Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Alang, Surat, Gandhidham, Mundra, Zainabad, Bhavnagar, Zainabad, Rudrani, Lakhpat, Morbi, Bhuj, Mandvi, Dhordo, Dholavira, Palanpur, Jessore MP – Gwalior, Sheopur, Datia, Bhind, Morena NCR – Gaziabad, Noida, Delhi, Gurgaon UP – Etawah, Agra, Kanpur, Auraiya HR – Chandigarh, Sirsa, Hissar, UK – Dehradun, Mussoorie DD – Daman and Diu PB – Abohar, Amritsar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-routine Maintenance
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accident Repairs Rear-end collision at a traffic light. A distracted young chap in a Santro didn’t brake in time behind us which led to the rear bumper and the tailgate getting banged up. This called for the first insurance claim last year. Good thing - the rear emblem which was nicked long ago by some hooligan was replaced under the same claim. The rear looked neat again after 4 years of it looking naked. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plans for the future...  There won't be a need for both the Dusters doing active duty, so this one will become the farm hand eventually. It will be looked after though but will serve a specific role. The plans for the future have loosely been categorized into 3 stages. Spoiler - It is going to be bone stock as far as the drive-train is concerned. Don't want to mess around with an already finicky engine. Stage - 1 : Get the basics sorted.
Last edited by Tgo : 26th August 2019 at 14:04. | ||||
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20th August 2019, 16:44
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| Senior - BHPian | Two Dusters sharing a garage - The Green One In February 2015, I had a big change on the work front which involved a move from Mangalore, KA to Auraiya, UP. It was closer to home in Jaipur but the connectivity was very poor only one slow train which usually got delayed and getting reservations from the small station it stopped at was impossible throughout the year. I was feeling trapped and a need for a means for transport with flexible timings was grave. It was going to be a car for sure. The Ecosport seemed the right and affordable choice, but they were delaying the launch of its face-lift which even made me consider the Avventura. Day dreamt about ownership with the Avventura for a few days and it didn’t feel right no matter which plots I played in its favour in those dreams. Fiat India’s future was not looking promising and for the price of an Ecosport the practicality was shortchanged. I was in Jaipur on one of my visits home in May and my dad accompanied me to the bank to enquire about the loan procedure and the documents required. As the officer checked the documents I was eagerly awaiting the final number that he would say I’m eligible for. And it was way above my expectations. Needless to say we agreed to proceed with the loan without having decided on the car, and I heard my dad say, “ How about a Duster again?”. Till that point I never considered it as an option, probably because I was thinking from my head. But listening to that, it felt like a valid suggestion. Called up Renault Jaipur for the OTR pricing and the AWD could be squeezed in. Went back home for lunch and I replaced the Avventura with the Duster AWD in all those plots and replayed the day dreams. It fit in superbly. The deciding factor was the extra boot space, which was a must since it was going to be full of stuff (groceries, winter wear, furniture, plants) whether it would be a to or fro trip home. Having a hatchback would have made spending that money useless. Came back to the bank after lunch, the salesperson met us there. Handed over the booking amount cheque to him and he handed over the receipt to the loan manager. Walked out of the bank with the loan sanctioned without even finalizing the colour. Without even a test drive. Yes, technically I hadn’t driven the AWD (advertised as the new gen Renault Duster). Later, the colour Amazon Green was decided upon for the uniqueness. I think the colour was later later renamed to Outback Bronze (...could be wrong) when the Kwid came out. June 2015 | 110PS | RXZ | AWD  Day-1. Kalakh Bandh, Jaipur 2015. Likes (over the 2WD) • Perfect gearing which eliminates the turbo lag altogether. • Independent suspension adds another feedback stream to the driver's senses. • Better NVH on the outside. • Ease of access to the air filter. • Additional driver aids: Hill Hold, ESP, Cruise, Limiter, AWD. Dislikes (over the 2WD) • Pathetic cooling. • No place to store the parcel shelf. • Repeated part failures raise further questions on quality and durability. • Firmer seats do not take the form of the body and become uncomfortable on long drives. • Placement of the (touch based) Medianav unit is too low from an ergonomics standpoint. The first thing I learnt after owning this car is that I had overspent. I was enjoying it too, but the expenses had to be calculated. A substantial chunk of the monthly income had to be kept aside for the EMIs and travel related expenses. The threads giving financial advice for car buyers and hidden to me till then caught my attention but it was too late. The next best thing to do was to reap returns from your investment. It began slowly. From August till December I had done a few day trips and three runs back and forth between Jaipur and Auraiya. I was getting used to the car. I bought a few essentials - Tyre Inflaror, Wash Mits and Cloths, Wheel Cleaning Brush, Tyre Pressure Gauge and a Puncture Repair Kit and put some of it to use.  Posing after its first wash. Auraiya, July 2015 I used to religiously maintain the expenses in the Fuelio app for android. I was also exploring and getting used to the routes around Auraiya. Routes that lead to places of interest or places where relatives and friends live. I used to rely heavily on the maps and used to feel like a novice in those days. One of the first memorable drives was a drive from Jaipur to Auraiya via the Karauli-Dholpur-Etawah route. It was a solo drive during the monsoons and I had meticulously put in the way-points in the navigation system to guide me.  The monsoon drive and proof of having a great time. Karaili-Auraiya, August 2015. The coming year was a very hectic one. It was the year I was getting married and a number of runs back home and to the in-laws' had to be done in preparation for the functions. A second car at home was such a great asset in those times. From February to May it was a jam packed affair. Wedding shopping, visits to the venues, the decorators, ferrying the guests and being a part of the actual Baraat, this Duster did everything along with its mate. In the mean time it had had its first accident repair and had covered 20,000 kms at a pace of 2000 km per month. The remaining year went by as numerous outstation trips were lined up for buying furniture for the house and to Delhi for work on a few occasions.  No frills attached. Auraiya, October 2015 My daily commute was limited to 20 km but I was also using the bike intermittently. Graduating from a bike to a car for the daily commute was cumbersome in the beginning. It took a bit longer but was more comfortable. Later on the bike started giving me trouble and it has since been parked requiring a thorough inspection which has been on the cards for the past 3 years now. In October 2016, my dad and I exchange the cars. This one had covered 33,000 kms till then and had undergone two more body repairs which have all been covered later in this post. Handing over to dad meant it had to go to Gujarat. Over there, he was engrossed into his bird watching hobby. This Duster always had the Camera equipment, Binoculars, a chair and an umbrella in it since his plans would materialize randomly. He would be in Banni one weekend, Zainabad on the other, Jaipur on the next and so on. Even he found the clutch to be nicer, the acceleration subdued but the steering to be nicer. The AWD gave him some extra peace of mind when venturing off the road. On one occasion he drove off the highway into a ditch as he got distracted and missed the sharp bend doing highway speeds. He said it felt like the Duster was going to roll over. It was a severe and unsettling situation which had no effect on the car. It only required a shock absorber replacement and a wheel alignment which was dealt with under warranty. Getting out of the ditch would not have been possible without the AWD system and he drove sheepishly back home in it. By the end of 2016 the Odo stood at 38,000 km. In January 2017 the year began with the service and a tyre replacement at 40,000 km. Since Renault had opened up an outlet in Gandhidham he no longer had to send the duster to Rajkot for a service. The Duster got a month's rest in April that year as my parents were in Canada visiting a family there and later road tripped for 5 days around Vancouver. On their return the Duster was used more for commuting locally in Gujarat as the train connectivity had been sorted out and became the more convenient choice. The usual 120 km daily run kept the odo ticking steadily. The green car served him in the same capacity as the white one and it had clocked 60,000 kms by the end of December 2017.  When it got stuck. Badopal, December 2017. They were getting ready to walk to the nearest road to wait for help since there was poor connectivity. My dad's tenacity made him choose otherwise and he dug around and under the car to get it free. We later realized that the rear differential was acting up. I had also settled the car loan from SBI by transferring it to a service loan offered by my employer. That was a big sigh of relief as I could now spend freely on traveling. Early in January 2018 we exchanged the cars and I had got the Green one back in my custody. In Lucknow in February and Alwar in March. A few works related trips had just got the momentum built-up but soon it started having problems. I had it checked for the jerky pick-up and drive-train shuddering at the ASC in Jaipur. The did some checking and booked a replacement differential. Had to leave the car at Jaipur with dad to follow-up. They were quite upfront about accepting the problem and did their best to carry out the job as quickly as possible. In July, we drove to Chandigarh from Auraiya, breaking the journey in Delhi for some work. Later, On one of the journeys via Karauli I clicked this picture.  One from my favourites. Karauli, August 2018 It reminded me of the first solo drive I did via this route two years ago. This time again I was driving solo and the weather was the same as before. It was great to see better roads throughout the course. You might wonder where's the need for an AWD these days? Its part of the package for me. It wasn't a conscious choice but something that amalgamated into this later. The tractable drive-train and the driver aids alone, justify the decision to go for an AWD. The AWD is an added extra which works like insurance. In September we realigned our bearings to head eastward. My parents were visiting me in Auraiya and we had planned to visit Varanasi. Mom had some shopping and temple visits in mind and dad wanted to visit Sarnath. My brother was to join us in Varanasi. And I was more than happy to plan the route and time. We drove the whole leg of 500 kms non-stop. Sometime in the last year I had added the fastTAGs to both the Dusters and they made crossing the toll plazas more convenient. No more loosing the cool air from the cabin which is so precious. In October I got the battery replaced which solver the stereo sound muting and the ESP malfunction lights go for good. Was in Shahjahanpur, UP to celebrate Diwali with a close friend and his family. Back home in December for the annual family get together bringing up 79,000km on the odo. Back in Auraiya after the annual family meet, the first outing of 2019 for the Duster was to Ayodhya. I had planned to attend a friend's wedding there which was a great excuse to visit this ancient city which would otherwise not warrant a separate visit. or plan was to leave on a Saturday evening and stay in Lucknow for the night. Begin early the next day and reach Ayodhya, visit the landmark temples and the ghat and later attend the wedding and drive back to Lucknow the same day. Return to Auraiya beginning early from Lucknow on Monday. The plan changed on Sunday morning on our way to Ayodhya when my wife was reminded of the very old Parijat Tree begin somewhere in the vicinity of Barabanki district that we would be crossing soon.  The ancient Baobab tree and another one of its kind experience. Barabanki & Agra Lucknow E-Way, February 2019 This gave us little time to visit the Hanuman Garhi Temple and Ram Janma Bhoomi which were a let down. We later went for a boat ride along the Sarayu Ghat which was very soothing after the temple run in the heat of the day. Attended the wedding functions and had to make an early exit in order to stick to our schedule. As we approached Lucknow late at night we thought it would be best to stretch a bit further and return back to Auraiya the same night. Once on the E-way it was a thrilling drive. The fog was dense and the road had no reflectors to aid the drivers. My wife took the wheel for half of the way. Off the E-way it became more scary as ongoing road work meant we had to be careful of the unmarked diversions in poor visibility conditions due to the fog. And all this is happening on roads where stories of people being looted are commonplace at 1:30 AM and no vehicles on the roads except for dump trucks ferrying stone and gravel for the road work. Eventually we managed o get back home safely. Soon after in March, plans for a visit to Dudhwa and Katarniyaghat materialized. This was a long trip covering 800 kms across UP. The Duster was packed full of passengers and their luggage. Five of us had a wonderful time. There were 3 drivers among us. Our routes were planned in a way to avoid traffic. Approaching the terai region felt very surreal. The change in topography and vegetation was welcome after synonymizing UP with crowded cities. I wrote my first travelogue on Team-BHP covering this trip. However it calls for this little snippet tobe shared here once again:  Ghaghara Barrage, March 2019 The Duster performed without a hiccup. The fun part was the last few kilometers after Palia where the roads had been battered to death along with the drive from Kheri to Katarniyaghat which was along an irrigation canal on similar roads. This year was proving to be jam packed for us. April brought about another longer journey in store. This time it was Auraiya - Jaipur - Hanumangarh - Ajmer - Auraiya with close to 2000 kms of travel during the peak of summer. The journey to Hanumangarh was done with a full load in the back. Seats folded, carrying, blankets, room heaters, 10 days of luggage for two and miscellaneous stuff. All it took was 3 tank-fulls. And during this trip I decided that a dash cam is a must. There are some scenic routes which make for some great memories. It was a delight to travel toll free on the state highways in Rajasthan.  en-route to Hanumangarh, April 2019. Another trip to the mountains materialized in June. This time time to a small hamlet called Haidakhan in Uttarakhand. The night we reached there was a heavy storm which engulfed the valley we were in. The Duster remained perched in this spot overnight while I was worrying about a tree branch or a light pole falling on it. The low ratio performance was a treat in those steep inclines and the dimensions of the car were not a deterrent to venture into the narrow lanes either. We had planned to visit Jim Corbett in the way back. The resort we were put up at had an approach road which was along a dry river bed. Even the last treacherous mile was traversed in comfort because of the Duster.  The calm after a storm. Haidakhan, June 2019 As of today, the odo reads 96,000 kms in 4 years and a month of active service. I confess that I have enjoyed owing this car more in its second stint with me and the bond with it grows stronger. Safe to say that the Duster and its owner have both matured with age. People often talk of a vehicle being a depreciating asset. But what does one do if one makes so many memories doing what he likes (driving) along with people who love to travel. I long for outings with the Duster every now and then. The Extended Warranty elapses soon and I am getting paranoid since there is no end to issues that could crop up going by the experiences other owners. However, I leave it to karma. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Places Visited  In the last four years it has been to the following places. Many of which have been repeated multiple times. Looking at the list below I feel there is scope to extend the reach to more places further North, East and South. Some day, the epic tour of the country will take shape. GJ – Gandhidham, Zainabad, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Rajkot, Banni, Velavadar, Rudrani, Bhavnagar, Kandla, Mundra, Bhuj RJ – Jaipur, Ajmer, Hanumangarh, Dholpur, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Alwar, Sambhar, Sikar, Laxmangarh UP – Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahbad, Varanasi, Agra, Mathura, Dudhwa, Etawah, Katarniya Ghat, Ayodhya, Shahjahanpur HR – Palwal, Hissar, Sirsa, Chandigarh, Ellenabad NCR – Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Gaziabad UK - Haldwani, Haidakhan, Ramnagar MP - Bhind, Morena ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-Routine Repairs • Wheel Well Liner - The first day out in the open, I had a humbling experience with a log ripping out the wheel well liner. Mental Note: Being too adventurous has to be done along with being mindful of the risks involved. Got the liner replaced the next day which was a 20 minute job and was light on the pocket too considering what all could have been damaged behind the liner. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accident Repairs I though of myself as a safe driver. But there is also no replacement for experience. Being the first car I've owned it has had 3 minor incidents. You only learn when you have to pay the price. I am a much safer driver now. I also keep an eye out for risks while choosing a parking spot. • LH RH rear quarter panel + RH rear door - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Insurance I have had a very tricky situation with the insurance renewal in the second year. Firstly the a claim was made while the renewal policy was not finalized. I only had the cover note which was of a lesser amount (which I had duly paid) than actual. Some calculation error on the part of the saleswoman. While taking delivery there was a delay of 4 days since the insurance company was expecting the balance payment. On the same policy I had to make another claim. When I went to renew the policy, Bharti AXA refused to provide a renewal or quoted something like 45K for the renewal. Asked other companies for a quote and everyone said they won't provide a quote for Duster diesel models. I had to face a panic situation since there was less than a week left before the expiry of this policy. On asking a few WhatsApp group members who are well versed in insurance and finance matters, I found out that there has been a Moratorium issued for Duster diesel models in Rajasthan due to a very high claim ratio. Which meant that no insurance company was providing insurance for it. Finally had to buy Renault Assured policy which was issued by Marsh India through Bajaj Allianz. Has anyone else faced this? Have been renewing through Renault Assured ever since with the current (5th) year policy also having Zero-Dep. cover. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maintenance Log With this car I was quite particular about keeping a track on the maintenance expenses. As a result I have kept each and every invoice safely and have prepared a detailed maintenance log for all the upkeep related costs. Exclusions - Puncture repair, car wash, accessories, cleaning equipment, seat covers, floor mats etc. for a quick glance you can have a look at this table:  For those wanting to have a thorough look at the maintenance log have a look here. It has the detailed part codes and service codes for all the jobs carried out on the vehicle till date. I plan to keep updating it regularly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plans for the future...  A hand me down for my brother or the main outstation vehicle for my dad. Only time will tell. It will have the stock drive-train which is a given since I am quite happy with the performance. With time and increasing traffic on the roads, this drive-train should feel adequate according to me. The following is a tentative list: • Dashcam – Dual Channel. Have already installed a DDPAI mini dash cam and have found it to be great. Would like to go for a dual channel dash cam with the hard wire kit just to have extra safety while parking. This is going to be the more used car for outstation travels in the future. Last edited by Tgo : 26th August 2019 at 14:02. | |||
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21st August 2019, 14:41
| #4 |
| Senior - BHPian | Two Dusters sharing a garage - Differences For the casual observer it looks as though the two cars are the same. So how does one overcome the boredom of owning, driving and maintaining two similar cars? Well, here is a list of everything that isn't the same at all. • Exterior Wiper blade rear - The AWD gets a thicker pivot pin for the rear wiper blade and the 2WD has a thin pin. Makes it difficult to source the correct part for the two cars. Though the Renault ones are not very expensive either.• Under-body • Boot Load floor - Its a case of win some, lose some. The AWD has the boot floor level with the sill due to the accommodation of the spare wheel under it. In the 2WD you get an extra 3 inches in depth but the items have to be lifted up and placed rather than slid in and out.• Seats Material - The seats in the AWD are fabric seats with a hexagonal pattern embossed in it whereas the 2WD has the faux leather seats.• Interior Scheme - • Controls Stalks -• MID MID functions -• Gauges - Take a Look • Interior Lights - The AWD has this new design dome light which has a single bulb in a large housing. The 2WD has a different dome light configuration with two separate small sections for the driver and passenger having their independent switches along with a common switch of both. I have no grouses with either of the set-ups as both are equally useful. • AC Secondary AC unit- The AWD has the propeller shaft which probably does not allow for a secondary unit to be installed. The 2WD has a very effective rear AC unit which is a boon is the summer.• Stereo • Cup-holder Mats - The AWD has carpet like place mats whereas the 2WD has the rubber mats. Do keep these safe when sending the cars for a cleaning. They are easily misplaced by cleaners since the use compressed air to clean the cup holder cut outs and these things fly off never to be found again. • Extras Bulbs - The AWD has none whereas the 2WD has a set of high and low (4 bulbs) neatly boxed in the jack compartment inside the boot. These were useful twice as in both cases of the low beam lamps going out we were travelling and had no time to search for replacement bulbs from the market. Quick DIY replacements were welcome in both these cases with the spares already available in the car since day-1.• Engine Again it seems to be the same wine in a new bottle but that is not the case. The newer cars have a Boreno-2 engine whereas the older cars have the Borneo-1 engine. A number of changes which Renault decided to be hush-hush about can be easily felt once you have experience both. NVH - Better NHV control in the AWD (Borneo-2). The clatter is also less on the outside and the fan noise is much reduced. For the 2WD (Borneo-1), the shake on start-up and the more distinct clatter along with the industrial sounding fan noise from the engine bay earn it a satisfactory rating from my point of view.• Gearbox Ratios - One of the deciding factors for choosing the AWD was the excellent report the gearbox got in all the reviews. The very short first is rarely used by me. The second and third ratios are also different from the 2WD models. 2nd has enough grunt to start from a stand-still and the 3rd is nicely matched to the two neighbouring gears and provides good acceleration too. The 2WD protests valiantly is you try to make it move in 2nd and the 1st is short but is not low enough.• Clutch - These comments come directly from by back which was weak to begin with but has now become asymmetrically weak biased to the left side.The pedal stiffness is liveable in the AWD whereas in the 2WD it is unacceptable and in heavy traffic becomes unbearable. The 2WD had a spring replaced in the clutch pedal as part of a voluntary recall but it hasn’t helped the cause much. • Brakes - This is another foolish move on part of Renault where they didn’t advertise a major update like this during the new gen Duster launch. The AWD comes with larger size brake rotors and calipers which accommodate larger brake pads. The overall difference is not much but the brake pad and rotor life has definitely increased due to this change when compared to the older 2WD. • Steering- The AWD steering is smaller in diameter ticker around the rim and has in built thumb recesses. It feels nicer to hold than the older 2WD cars’ thinner and larger diameter wheel. Though nicer to hold the newer steering contour presses into the palms and makes them pain during longer journeys. • Suspension Ride height - 210mm v/s 205mm• Driver Aids The AWD comes loaded with quite a few driver aids. ESP - Have felt it cut power delivery when it detects a rollover situation (too much of rolling and pitching).Compared to the long list, the 2WD has just one thing that the AWD doesn’t: Parking sensor toggle - Which is absent in the AWD models where I think it was more useful. The older 2WD has it. PS - Most of the pictures in this post have been taken from the Official Review threads of the AWD and 2WD models. Last edited by Tgo : 25th August 2019 at 13:54. |
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21st August 2019, 16:02
| #5 |
| Senior - BHPian | Two Dusters sharing a garage - The Renault Experience The hodge-podge Renault seems to have gone a full 360 in its approach for the Indian market. They came in with international offerings which were backed by poor after sales support. They are now trying the market specific approach which seems to be going in their favour. Their initial offerings had quality issues and the after sales were being handled very poorly. The dealerships and ASCs and the parent company seem like separate entities having their separate interests. Whether I am a happy customer or not, I have one thing to say and that is their cars are quirky but in a smart way. The Duster still appears to be a simple and butch design compared to all the other crossovers that have been launched since. Yet, it was so quirky that no one else tried to copy it till date. The Kwid and the Triber are very smart looking cars for the price point they cater to. The Indian design team should be applauded for this achievement. Renault was slow to introduce latest features and followed a functional approach to car design. This makes their products look old, early in the life cycle. Frequent updates do breathe in some more life, but the situation today is that the cars from the lower segment are receiving the updates faster than the higher priced models making the buyers of those cars feel like they're late to the party. Some cars they seem to have forgotten altogether. The Captur for example which would have benefited from the petrol CVT and Diesel AMT from the day it was launched. Then there is the black sheep sibling Nissan and its freeloader friend Datsun. Nissan started in the same way with the X-trail and Teana. The Micra and the Sunny seemed to get the ball rolling for Nissan in India. Then they forgot about bringing new products to the market and hit their lowest with the launch of Datsun. Washing the wine down with a big gulp of water. ------------------------------------------------ Living with a Renault - After Sale Services I have interacted with many Renault associates. Co-tecs, SAs, Sales people and the higher ups at the dealerships and ASCs. For a knowledgeable customer the front line seems to be a bunch of people trained to follow a certain SOP. The 'have been taught to do this' types who switch from one brand to another doing the same job over and over without gaining any valuable experience.There are a few people among them who have progressed a level further because they stuck with their employer a little longer than the others. They have a better knowledge of the product and the customer's expectations. They make this out by reading the customer, the way he/she explains the problems, the manner in which they communicate etc. These people are the ones you build up a rapport with and this is what comes in handy. It takes a lot of time. I am still not comfortable with Renault ASC. I know how fake those customer satisfaction ratings are. Toyota is the benchmark here. Renault has some very knowledgeable co-techs. These co-techs are Renault employees who travel between ASCs within a region for handling technical issues. They are the link between the ASCs shop floor and the technical team back in Chennai. I have seen them investigate issues like a thorough professional who knows how the vehicle is put together and how it functions. But, I have also seen them being let down by the ASCs and their lackadaisical attitude for investigative problem solving. Sometimes it is also because of the customer being unreasonable (wanting the car back in a day) and sometimes the ASCs are so packed that there are no empty bays or technicians available to assist them or the equipment is down. Some of the known quality and consistency related issues we faced and the the response we got for them from the ASCs. Issue - Vehicle pulling to the left Me: Vehicle is pulling to the left. ASC: Indian roads are banked to the left so this is normal. It is only after I drove on the right (wrong side, with the banking on the right) and showed the left pull did they acknowledge it and get the alignment adjusted. This happens after every alignment done at the ASC. And I have given up hope on them centering the steering before adjusting the alignment. Tyre shops do a better job of wheel alignment and balancing. Issue - Seat rattling Me: Seat is rattling and needs fixing. ASC: It is normal in cars with height adjustment. Issue - Poor accident repair work 1. Rear end collission - Rear door lines are messed up and the bumper was not repainted at all which has cracked paint on it now. The hatch is also not properly repaired and the edge is crooked. 2. Door replacement - The door repaired closes with less resistance than the other one and the B-pillar vinyl wasn't replaced. 3. Fender and bonnet repair - Inside of bonnet was not re-painted, inside of engine bay was not repainted and the replacement bumper had very shabby cut-outs for the fog lamps and I later discovered that one of the fog lamps was installed with the help of steel wire because the replaced bumper was damaged too. Issue - Mud flaps Me: Pls. replace the mud flaps (white car, pre facelift) ASC: Better to buy from outside as we have it on back order and it is not expected anytime soon. Issue - AC blower direction selector getting stuck A known issue which is best tackled under warranty. Otherwise you have to let it be in the position it is and never touch it. For some reason it is a Dashboard out job and there is no fix to it other than replacing the whole unit. It also is a given to put it on the customer could have broken it rather than accepting it as a defective part design. Issue - Missing ashtray Replaced after holding the bill payment for over a month. Issue - Part Cost for Emblem 2-3 different costs when the same emblem is used on the Kwid, Fluence and the Duster. Issue - Replacement of shock absorbers Renault has not commented on why they fail so frequently. Almost every AWD owner has had one or more shock absorbers replaced. Issue - Injector failure Though I have not encountered the same, there are many who have had multiple if not one injector fail. A widespread issue which is blamed on adulterated fuel by Renault. Issue - Poor AC Which has not been addressed even after 7 years of feedback from customers. Issue - Cleaning guys at ASC looking for tips Encountered this only in UP at Kanpur and Etawah where the SA would ask to go and check whether the cleaning has been done satisfactorily. Once there you would find one of the cleaning guys tail you expecting a tip and at times even mentioning it verbally. Issue - Repeated visits to ASC for a particular problem Simplest of issues which have been pointed out verbally often require a second visit since they are overlooked. I make it a point to take a test drive with the SA before dropping off the car now. Even then I am at their mercy. Issue - Maintenance Records in brief The maintenance records are kept on their servers in brief. As an example, the stored record showed a wheel bearing replacement but it did not mention anywhere, which one (front or rear, left or right) was replaced. ------------------------------------------------ Reality of customer satisfaction ratings Usually the call comes on the same day or 1-2 days after a visit to the ASC. It is sometimes not enough time to assess the quality of work. If you score anything less than 7 they arrange for a call back which asks you to get the vehicle back etc. etc. which is pointless - The car is a small part of my life, not the only thing in my life that I keep attending to. I expect better quality and attention to detail from their end from the get go. Most of the time I give them what they want to listen wanting to hang up the call as soon as possible. ------------------------------------------------ Renault Authorized Service Centers Since it has been serviced at various ASCs our experiences with each of them have been summarized here:
The overall experience remains positive. Its more because of the product on offer than the actual focus on the customer. Last edited by Tgo : 25th August 2019 at 14:16. |
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22nd August 2019, 00:43
| #6 |
| Senior - BHPian | Two Dusters sharing a garage - The Extended Family The overall sales for the Duster have been summarized in the two charts below. This does not include the sales of its twin the Terrano.   • Renault has sold 1,88,860 units of the Duster as of July 2019. Add to this the sales of all the vehicles using the same platform or power-train, I think we can be assured of a good after sales back-up from Renault for the coming 5-7 year time frame, even if they discontinue the diesel engines next year.All this while I used to wonder how come the ownership and official review threads for the Duster are so dead. Until I dug a bit deeper into it. Needless to say, I was proven wrong. It is in the top 10 club of Team-BHP Official Reviews and it has a very active owner base. The last point was the trigger which made me write this detailed review which I had been procrastinating since I got the green car home. Hats off to those still reading it. This was a thread for which I did a lot of mining on the cloud base storage I use for photos and on Team-BHP itself to get the chronology of events correct. It also required multiple drafts printed for review before posting the final version. Consider it as my 'Kaal Granth' of Duster ownership. I thank each and every one of you who has contributed to the Duster threads and helped many of us look beyond the shortcomings of owning this iconic SUV and enjoy the experience.  Signing out till the next time with this picture of the green one at Sambhar, February 2016. Last edited by Tgo : 24th August 2019 at 15:23. |
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26th August 2019, 18:10
| #7 |
| Team-BHP Support   | re: Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Long-Term Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing! Shortly going to our homepage too  . |
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26th August 2019, 22:17
| #8 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Pune
Posts: 99
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26th August 2019, 23:43
| #9 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 76
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27th August 2019, 08:43
| #10 |
| Team-BHP Support  | |
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27th August 2019, 11:13
| #11 | |||
| Senior - BHPian | re: Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
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27th August 2019, 16:33
| #12 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: KOL-DEL-LKO
Posts: 720
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| re: Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km Wow. What an exhaustive report of both of your steeds. I agree with your overall observations. Duster comes with its share of niggles but the smile it puts on your face whenever you take it on a long drive is priceless. Hope you cover many more miles on the Duster. Not that you haven't covered them already   Among the 11 travelogues that you have shown in one of your picture, 5 happen to be mine done on my Duster. Cheers, Pawan |
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27th August 2019, 17:33
| #13 | |
| Senior - BHPian | re: Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km Quote:
I love to go through your travelogues time and again. I wish to visit North Bengal and Sikkim too sometime, hopefully plans for a long drive are aye'd in the parliament. | |
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27th August 2019, 21:55
| #14 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Guntur
Posts: 30
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27th August 2019, 23:27
| #15 | |
| Senior - BHPian | re: Two Renault Dusters that once shared a Garage @ 3,75,000 km Quote:
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