[srameshdelhi]

Originally Posted by ravee_nk

Whitefield Renault, Bangalore charged me Rs 200 plus taxes

Nothing I have paid for the first service at Renault Delhi West. But they did mention and showed me that the car had only undergone few checks as per a format and some nut tightening here and there besides washing.

Then what would they charge for?

Ramesh

[BUXX]

Got some accessories/upgrades for my car today.

bought the Galio 3-set chrome kit-door latch +fog+rear light cluster. 1100/- incl. installation. Thx to h.s.r for the reference !

Also got the HELLA SUPERTONE RED horn set for 1050/-
http://www.shop4hella.com/listProduc...tId=2&CatgId=7
got it installed from a mechanic there for 100/-.
he said the duster already has a relay and didn't install the one that came with the Hella kit. He spliced a wire to connect the 2nd horn. Is the technique ok?
The horn is loud & menacing! and the red peekaboo from the front grille just looks fantastic !
have kept the OEM Horn, just in case.

Also, got the HSRP installed today. Finally!!

I am thinking of getting HIDs. Anybody done that? how has been the cost/experience ?
The guy told me that Hella HID cost 5-6K for the set. is it really that cheap? i thought that these cost 20K-ish...

[Neil Roy]

Originally Posted by Shandy1981

Guys,

Went on a road trip from Chennai to Goa and back on my duster (110 ps rxz). On ward journey was about 17 hrs and return about 19hrs, took a different route through Karwar.

More details please. How was the body pain, driver fatigue and passenger comfort after the drive? Iam assuming that this is a no break drive all the way to goa.
This is what I personally love about the Duster. It can cruise at 110-120 all day long without a fuss. Way to go Shandy1981.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by BUXX

...

I am thinking of getting HIDs. Anybody done that? how has been the cost/experience ?
The guy told me that Hella HID cost 5-6K for the set. is it really that cheap? i thought that these cost 20K-ish...

If you can get Hella for that price, it's really a good deal. The kits were NEVER 20Kish, atleast for the last 2-3 years. Philips used to cost close to 10K a couple of years back, not sure of the price now.

But having an HID on regular reflectors are NOT recommended on the forum for the reason that the beam will NOT be aligned and may blind oncoming traffic. It's BEST used with projector set up on ANY car.

[biplav]

[quote=GTO;2847117]

I've never been much of an MRF Tyres fan, yet I'll give it to them for the Wanderer Tyres of our Duster. They provided good levels of grip, even with a heavy right foot, leaving me pleasantly surprised. Indeed, this is excellent rubber by OEM tyre standards.

205mm of ground clearance and a shorter wheelbase ensure that the underbelly doesn't scrape anywhere. In fact, we took it for some soft-roading down a hill (see picture below) and still, no part of the SUV hit the surface. The approach & departure angles are 30 & 35 degrees respectively. Do keep in mind that the MRF tyres are made strictly for tarmac. They lose grip easily on the likes of mud & grass. As the Duster is a 2WD, you shouldn't attempt anything remotely close to off-roading with it.

QUERY:
Can we get the dealer to change the Wanderer with Michelin Latitude Cross variants, so that some amount of off-roading can be done on mud & grass (have tried the same with my ol' Safari 2.2 VTT). Is that possible ?, thanks

[h.s.r]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Got some accessories/upgrades for my car today.

bought the Galio 3-set chrome kit-door latch +fog+rear light cluster. 1100/- incl. installation. Thx to h.s.r for the reference !

Also got the HELLA SUPERTONE RED horn set for 1050/-
http://www.shop4hella.com/listProduc...tId=2&CatgId=7
got it installed from a mechanic there for 100/-.
he said the duster already has a relay and didn't install the one that came with the Hella kit. He spliced a wire to connect the 2nd horn. Is the technique ok?
The horn is loud & menacing! and the red peekaboo from the front grille just looks fantastic !
have kept the OEM Horn, just in case.

Also, got the HSRP installed today. Finally!!

I am thinking of getting HIDs. Anybody done that? how has been the cost/experience ?
The guy told me that Hella HID cost 5-6K for the set. is it really that cheap? i thought that these cost 20K-ish...

I have got Roots Megasonic installed on my Duster.
I wasn't sure about the warranty,therefore i didn't go by removing the wire sleeve.I asked installer to use the horn socket.
The guy from whom i got horn installed told me that,since Duster has single tone horn therefore relay is not provided by the company.
I also got roots relay installed with the horn.
Now, who is correct i don't know.
Will upload pics later.
PS: Mopeds have better horns than what is provided in Duster.

[h.s.r]

Here's the picture of my ride.
Roots Megasonic & Eagle eyes which i use as DRL's.
What say guys about In your face look.


Mods:30 minutes time expired.Please merge with previous post.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by biplav

...QUERY:
Can we get the dealer to change the Wanderer with Michelin Latitude Cross variants, so that some amount of off-roading can be done on mud & grass (have tried the same with my ol' Safari 2.2 VTT). Is that possible ?, thanks

There are two ways it could be done

1. Duster comes in both options and you could wait for a car shod with Michelins. But I doubt Duster has Michelin as OEM?

2. Get the dealer to buy back the original tyres and buy Michelins if they stock it - Trust me, this will be a disaster as you will get pea nuts and the dealer will charge you sky high for new tyres.

So the BEST option is you trade off MRFs to Michelins at a reputed tyre dealer for a nominal loss. But even with Michelins, please don't try out stunts as the car will still be a 2WD. Else please wait for the 4WD Duster to launch (in case you have NOT bought your car yet).

PS:: Frankly, I don't see any point in spending extra cash to get a slightly better off-road tyre on a car which is NOT meant to off-road.

Originally Posted by h.s.r

....Roots Megasonic & Eagle eyes which i use as DRL's....

Took some time to find your eagle eye DRL! Might look good in person, looks a bit too small! What is the price anyway?

I liked the chrome around the fog lamps the most! Looks really good.

[h.s.r]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Took some time to find your eagle eye DRL! Might look good in person, looks a bit too small! What is the price anyway?
I liked the chrome around the fog lamps the most! Looks really good.

They are small,hence the name.
DRL's which are easily available are too common now days.
Can be seen even on auto rickshaws,i wanted something which looks unique
That's the reason to chose these.They just serve the purpose i.e Show off.
Price is Rs 600 for a set.They are sealed therefore dust & water proof.

[TheTeacher]

[quote=biplav;3080850]

Originally Posted by GTO

I've never been much of an MRF Tyres fan, yet I'll give it to them for the Wanderer Tyres of our Duster. They provided good levels of grip, even with a heavy right foot, leaving me pleasantly surprised. Indeed, this is excellent rubber by OEM tyre standards.

Do keep in mind that the MRF tyres are made strictly for tarmac. They lose grip easily on the likes of mud & grass.

QUERY:
Can we get the dealer to change the Wanderer with Michelin Latitude Cross variants, so that some amount of off-roading can be done on mud & grass ?

This is the biggest worry with the Duster (and the Yeti). Limited choice of A/T tyres compared to Scorpio. I did some research, and this is all I could find in the Duster size (215/65 R16):

Pirelli Scorpion STR All-terrain
Pirelli Scorpion ATR All-terrain off road
Bridgestone Dueler D689 All-terrain ?

[swiftnfurious]

Am sure Duster (prospective) owners are gonna love this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky1sTk7T0vk#

!

Originally Posted by h.s.r

i wanted something which looks unique
That's the reason to chose these.They just serve the purpose i.e Show off.
Price is Rs 600 for a set.They are sealed therefore dust & water proof.

Nothing wrong in that. But it would be nice if you could source a couple of more sets and do something creative, like creating a pattern or something.

[h.s.r]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Nothing wrong in that. But it would be nice if you could source a couple of more sets and do something creative, like creating a pattern or something.

I have one more set with me right now,but don't have time for retrofitting.
The picture was taken in broad day light & it looks more prominent if you see in person.

[shankar.balan]

Yes I agree that most tyres offered for the Duster and Yeti here in India are highway tyres.

Incidentally the D689 is also an HT Tyre not an AT Tyre.
However, Bridgestones are generally tough and long lasting.

With ref to tyres losing their grip in wet conditions like on wet grass etc, this is an imminent danger with most of these tyres which are predominantly designed for proper tarmac road use. Add to this their slightly hard ish compound and you have a lovely set up for a spot of aquaplaning. Most dangerous indeed.


[quote=TheTeacher;3081163]

Originally Posted by biplav

This is the biggest worry with the Duster (and the Yeti). Limited choice of A/T tyres compared to Scorpio. I did some research, and this is all I could find in the Duster size (215/65 R16):

Pirelli Scorpion STR All-terrain
Pirelli Scorpion ATR All-terrain off road
Bridgestone Dueler D689 All-terrain ?

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

This is the biggest worry with the Duster (and the Yeti). Limited choice of A/T tyres compared to Scorpio. I did some research, and this is all I could find in the Duster size (215/65 R16):

Pirelli Scorpion STR All-terrain
Pirelli Scorpion ATR All-terrain off road
Bridgestone Dueler D689 All-terrain ?

I have a question for you. Why do you need the A/T tyres?
These compact soft-roaders have limited Off-Road capability and add to that only FWD in Duster.
The Chances are that if you need A/T tyres to visit a place, the Duster (or even the Yeti 4x4 for that matter) is not the car you should put them on.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Yes I agree that most tyres offered for the Duster and Yeti here in India are highway tyres.

Incidentally the D689 is also an HT Tyre not an AT Tyre.
However, Bridgestones are generally tough and long lasting.

With ref to tyres losing their grip in wet conditions like on wet grass etc, this is an imminent danger with most of these tyres which are predominantly designed for proper tarmac road use. Add to this their slightly hard ish compound and you have a lovely set up for a spot of aquaplaning. Most dangerous indeed.

I believe an HT tyre is a bit more Tarmac-oriented than A/T. But much more SUVish than the normal tyres for passenger cars. So I suppose H/T tyres should be a perfect match for the new breed of compact SUVs i.e. the Duster, EcoSport, Yeti etc. considering their capability.

[TheTeacher]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

I have a question for you. Why do you need the A/T tyres?
These compact soft-roaders have limited Off-Road capability and add to that only FWD in Duster.
The Chances are that if you need A/T tyres to visit a place, the Duster (or even the Yeti 4x4 for that matter) is not the car you should put them on.

Those using their vehicles in the city will do fine with HT or normal highway tyres.

The problem comes when you do want to soft road. Even Altos have successfully made a trip to Ladakh. But as far as I know, there were proper SUVs to bail them out. A/T tyres will perform much better in mud and slush. I'm not talking about rock climbing here, but going off the beaten track. There are plenty of places like that one can go to in mainland India without going to Ladakh. If there is any interest at all in going to these off beat place, A/T tyres are a must.

The Duster is 2WD, agreed, but it has excellent ground clearance and begs to go off tarmac. It certainly won't go everywhere a 4x4 will go, but can go to some places you can't take a sedan to.

For more on the type of softroading I'm referring to, read Samurai's travelogues and long ownership thread on the Suzuki Grand Vitara. That is an AWD vehicle, but nevertheless the concepts are the same, and the Duster will go to at least some places Samurai's Vitara went.

At the end of the day, to each his own!

I hope at least when the 4x4 Duster comes out there is a different wheel spec and/or tyre manufacturers start offering more options.

As for taking the Yeti out of the city, I will defer to the many Yeti owner experts here! There are enough videos on Youtube about Yeti softroading if you're interested.