[SajiNSalin]

DBeast: You need to check with Renault whether Maps can be loaded. Are you able to see the number of satellites the GPS is picking up. On my AWD, when I select Maps, a bright red arrow shows up the current location overlaid on the Map. The Navigation option allows selection of the target; either by name from a drop down list or by entering coordinates.

Tgo: 1.3 lakhs of driving on the original clutch is wonderful. I was told that the normal life is about 70k and in abnormal cases like mine less than 35k. The service bill seems to be reasonable for such an advanced mileage. Did you replace the diesel injectors so far?

Repsol: The Duster navigation works in remote regions as it only depends on satellite visibility. I had several occasions in remote places when GMaps did not have data coverage while the vehicle navigation worked well. While not as good as GMaps, it is still useful.

Olympal : The clutch smoked during city driving and the vehicle was immediately grounded. Called RSA and they took it to Renault. They changed only the clutch plates and that cost 20K. If the flywheel assembly has to be changed, the cost will go up to about 80K.

[driverace]

Our Duster (2013, 85PS) is at the service station for it's 70K service.

Regular service (Oil, oil filter, fuel filter, A/C filter etc) done.

Clutch overhaul is being pushed by the SA.

1. He talked about clutch overhaul - right after I mentioned to him that the Gear 1 & 2 are a bit sticky/don't engage as eagerly as other gears (while handover).
2. He said, that the clutch pedal doesn't "release" fully, that's an indicator of clutch going bad.

Clutch plates, pressure plates, Master+Slave cyl etc need to be replaced, total estimate is 25k INR (as is the cost of clutch replacement).

I asked him to not go for the clutch overhaul right away, since I am not totally convinced because:
1. I do not really notice any significant slippage/ loss of power
2. The car returns pretty good FE on highways (20-25kmpl) as well as city (15-20kmpl) - (although, we don't really push the car too hard)
3. I haven't yet noticed any burnt clutch kinda smells.

When asked, what symptoms are expected, if clutch is going bad, the SA gave the following (standard scary) inputs:
1. Gearbox will go bad and need repair too.
2. The Clutch will slip "more" and suddenly "leak oil" and the car will have an immediate breakdown!

-----------

To the experience folks who have done the clutch overhaul in Dusters:

1. Did you notice any symptoms that led you to believe that the clutch is due for replacement?
2. I have a 1500 km trip coming up this weekend. Should I recheck with the neighboring garage before that?


Thanks,

Ace.

Edit:

Originally Posted by ::CMS::

In 85PS, the random gear stuck (1 - 2) is a known issue. If you were following the duster club in fb, you would have known about this and the issue is with the master - slave cylinder for most of the cars and in a very few with synchroniser. Usually they will start with a clutch bleeding and if persists, they will take all the measurements and based on that they will suggest a solution from either of the above.

Thanks to CMS for sharing that (quite a few pages ago).
But, I am still keen on knowing the tell-tale signs of bad clutch.
I will try that 3rd gear test which someone mentioned, to check if clutch good_or_bad condition.

Cheers.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by SajiNSalin

Did you replace the diesel injectors so far?

No replacement of injectors also. I might be lucky or there's added credibility to my theory that injector failures are more prevalent in southern states.

The car even today is bone stock including the original battery. Had replaced just one headlight low beam bulb 4 months ago spare for which was given in a box in the tool compartment (not anymore though). Also the solenoid valve mentioned in the post.

Can you share what you felt when your clutch failed. I need to be on the lookout for such signs which may show up any day now. Don't want to miss them and damage the flywheel as well.

[SajiNSalin]

Tgo, the clutch replacement on my AWD is something I have not fully understood. Both I and my wife drive the vehicle. The day before the clutch failure, I had driven the vehicle and did not notice anything unusual. The next day she took the vehicle for a short distance of less than 4 km from our residence. In between she made many stops for shopping etc. The president of India was in town that day and traffic was a heavy. Some pedestrians asked her to stop and said smoke is seen coming from the bonnet. She stopped immediately and could make out smoke. She contacted me and I in turn called RSA. They arranged for a flatbed truck to pickup the vehicle.

Both of us are very experienced in driving and this is our 4th vehicle. We never had a clutch replacement in the previous vehicles including an M800 bought new and used for 17 years. We don't ride the clutch and are sedate drivers.

So I don't know what the symptoms of clutch failure are. I saw the burnt clutch plate which are returned to me.

Two of the injectors failed due to the faulty piezoactuators. It seemed to be an electrical fault rather than fuel quality issues. In fact I had just filled a full tank from Reliance prior to the injector failure. I try to use diesel from Reliance to the extent possible.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by SajiNSalin

Some pedestrians asked her to stop and said smoke is seen coming from the bonnet.

So I don't know what the symptoms of clutch failure are. I saw the burnt clutch plate which are returned to me.

First things first: The other duster we have the "AWD" has had 3 shock absorbers replaced, 1 inter-cooler hose replaced, and currently is in line for the AWD transfer case replacement which is on its way to the ASC from Chennai for warranty repair. The part itself costs 1.57 Lac. I was experiencing the whole drive train judder (like an old truck/jeep) while moving from standstill in Auto mode also. The diagnosis they did meant that the Haldex clutch pack was not behaving itself and was jamming up erratically. On the rare occasion it was put in 4wd lock due to requirement, it used to disengage leaving us in a tricky situation in sand.

Guess I'll worry about the clutch when it fails, will keep the RSA membership updated till then.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by driverace

1. Did you notice any symptoms that led you to believe that the clutch is due for replacement?
2. I have a 1500 km trip coming up this weekend. Should I recheck with the neighboring garage before that?

I haven't heard of clutch replacement at 70K kms for 85 ps duster, but the 110 duster will need it anywhere from 70K-90K depending on one's usage.



Two of my friends with 110 ps duster had abrupt clutch failures with the pedal going to the floor dead. Prior to that they used to get some shuddering when taking off from standstill in first gear.



If your's is 85 ps just to the clutch test and let it run. My brother in law's 85 PS ran about 140K kms on the first clutch in the Ooty hills !!

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by driverace

When asked, what symptoms are expected, if clutch is going bad, the SA gave the following (standard scary) inputs:
1. Gearbox will go bad and need repair too.
2. The Clutch will slip "more" and suddenly "leak oil" and the car will have an immediate breakdown!

-----------

To the experience folks who have done the clutch overhaul in Dusters:

If the basic functioning of clutch isn't very different to other vehicles, then my 2 cents.

The best way is, in a fully loaded car, it should pick from its overdrive [5th or 6th] at very low rpms. RPM's shouldn't shoot. I mean rpm should be in correspondence to vehicle's speed.

To be honest, I am hearing not very encouraging things about Renault ASC's nowadays [none are saints].

[ampere]

Originally Posted by driverace

1. Did you notice any symptoms that led you to believe that the clutch is due for replacement?
2. I have a 1500 km trip coming up this weekend. Should I recheck with the neighboring garage before that?

Mine (85) is past the 100K. For the 100K service the SA was not advising a clutch plate over haul. But he did say it would make sense with another 10K. But I pre-empted and got it changed. But on the whole, I never felt any signs that I may be staring at a failure.

That apart car is as good as it was. I pre-empted the 120K service items (like the timing belts and suspension related items etc) at 100K so that I can enjoy another 30-40K of happy riding before even I start thinking of change (if I do!) .

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by Sheel

To be honest, I am hearing not very encouraging things about Renault ASC's nowadays [none are saints].

To me, if the ASC or the Service Advisor/Manager, is not able to take correct part names, state diagnostic procedure and inferences, isn't aware of differences is equipment and their functioning between models, isn't able to return a stain free interior/glass, loads items like tyre care and engine lubrication coat, then the service experience is just an eyewash.

Many others including Renault have this "non-disclosure" way of carrying out their business. This and the absurdly high spares prices are my only gripe with Renault. The product has not failed me even once.

[DBeast]

Originally Posted by SajiNSalin

DBeast: You need to check with Renault whether Maps can be loaded. Are you able to see the number of satellites the GPS is picking up. On my AWD, when I select Maps, a bright red arrow shows up the current location overlaid on the Map. The Navigation option allows selection of the target; either by name from a drop down list or by entering coordinates.

Thanks for this info. Yes I can see the number of statellites, also the red arrow on my location but as you said the maps are not loaded so I am not able to use it. I will check with the service center if they can upload the maps (chargeble though). Initially I was told by the CSE that GPS is not enabled in this head unit, but I guess he was wrong.

[driverace]

Originally Posted by Tgo

To me, if the ASC or the Service Advisor/Manager, is not able to take correct part names, state diagnostic procedure and inferences, isn't aware of differences is equipment and their functioning between models, isn't able to return a stain free interior/glass, loads items like tyre care and engine lubrication coat, then the service experience is just an eyewash.

Many others including Renault have this "non-disclosure" way of carrying out their business. This and the absurdly high spares prices are my only gripe with Renault. The product has not failed me even once.

I think, you just NAILED it.

The two "observations" the SA made, right after prelim inspection of the car were:
1. Brake pads are gone and Brake disc needs to be replaced as well. When I questioned how he gauged the disc going bad, he tried the 'explain' saying "look at the grooves", "look at the thickness", without giving proper reference indication or any absolute way to come to a conclusion by visual inspection.
I showed him similar marks on rotors of new car there (for first service), and I wasn't convinced.

So, to that I demanded a check on previous service, where I knew, that the pad was replaced.
The SA (fortunately) had a printout of work done in last service, which reflected what I said.

The SA then went on a bit of back-foot.
I told him I needed the thickness in mm before even discussing any change, and the SA agreed while giving me a estimate quote right away.

(The Pad and disc are at 20mm and 13mm respectively & were later confirmed to be okay until next service / 10k kms)

2. As I explained above, after depressing the clutch, he gave his opinion - that the clutch needs complete overhaul. No checking, No need for other experts to have a look, nothing in the middle.

After the vehicle was ready, I took it on a test drive with the SA inside.
I asked him how he arrived at the conclusive suggestion of clutch replacement, but I did not get a proper-direct-convincing answer.

I told him, I haven't observed any slippage, lack of pick up, loss of power, or lower FE, burnt clutch smell, but he wasn't really 'listening'.
So, I stopped that discussion.

He reminded me, that the gearbox will need repairs if I do not get the clutch work done ASAP.

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

I haven't heard of clutch replacement at 70K kms for 85 ps duster, but the 110 duster will need it anywhere from 70K-90K depending on one's usage.

Two of my friends with 110 ps duster had abrupt clutch failures with the pedal going to the floor dead. Prior to that they used to get some shuddering when taking off from standstill in first gear.

If your's is 85 ps just to the clutch test and let it run. My brother in law's 85 PS ran about 140K kms on the first clutch in the Ooty hills !!

Pedal going to floor dead, sounds scary.

I really need to check, how that shudder feels like. So far, I haven't observed any shudder, as such.

Off-late my driving style has become a lot more sedate & I haven't gone beyond the 2000-2500 rpm mark that much.

Originally Posted by ampere

Mine (85) is past the 100K. For the 100K service the SA was not advising a clutch plate over haul. But he did say it would make sense with another 10K. But I pre-empted and got it changed. But on the whole, I never felt any signs that I may be staring at a failure.

That apart car is as good as it was. I pre-empted the 120K service items (like the timing belts and suspension related items etc) at 100K so that I can enjoy another 30-40K of happy riding before even I start thinking of change (if I do!) .

Yeah, Ampere. Most of the 85 models from our era, seem to hold up okay past 100K for the first clutch change.


---

The SA had chalked up 6500+1800 for the paid service (sneaking up synthetic oil without asking). I was looking at that estimate and called them up again, to check on this. He admitted to have included synthetic oil, which I asked to be made mineral.

The Brake pads & disc replacements were quoted another 11k approx. (which were not replaced as they have plenty life to go).

Final basic 70k km service = 5662INR.

--

If anyone knows any definitive clutch test, that will be really helpful!

EDIT: Trying the tests from below mentioned video

Thanks all,

Ace.

EDIT2: Can some of you Duster 85 owners confirm that your Dusters stall with the 3rd gear test?

3rd gear test

[engrohit]

Hi All

Reg the clutch plate discussion, I had my car's (85PS / 2012) replaced last week at 100K (24K cost). The gears had started getting stuck badly esp in bumper to bumper kind of traffic. Total service cost came to 44K (including brake disc replacement). Now I have an upcoming tyre change (32K min) and service at 120K with timing belt change etc which is approx 25K. My last 3 srvice costs have been 24,9,16 and next 2 are epxted at 12,26. My daily run is approx 60 KM.

So I am seriously considering a replacement rather than keep spending on this cost guzzler. The problem is that what's a reasonable upgrade to Duster within the 20 lakh bracket. I am looking at an SUV only as i find sedans very diffcicult to get in and out of (Height - 6'2").
Endevour is where the heart tugs but with 3.2 coming at 34 Lakhs on road, that's out of budget

Anyone here who has upgraded from Duster or has any pointers. My most likely shortlist is XUV5OO (AT). Any feedback on that?

Thanks!

[Mu009]

Originally Posted by engrohit

So I am seriously considering a replacement rather than keep spending on this cost guzzler. The problem is that what's a reasonable upgrade to Duster within the 20 lakh bracket. I am looking at an SUV only as i find sedans very diffcicult to get in and out of (Height - 6'2").
Endevour is where the heart tugs but with 3.2 coming at 34 Lakhs on road, that's out of budget

Anyone here who has upgraded from Duster or has any pointers. My most likely shortlist is XUV5OO (AT). Any feedback on that?

Thanks!

Where is the Endeavour 3.2 available for 34L on road?
I would be very interested. Is there some discount?

[invictus]

With regards to Clutch replacement..Presently my Duster 85PS (2013) has clocked 73K and for the last 3 weeks clutch was too hard to operate in MUMBAI' bumper to bumper traffic. Approached ASC and as usual I was informed about clutch replacement, without any proper justifications. I did some reading here and on international Duster forums, went back to the ASC and asked them to perform clutch bleeding and cleaned my MAP & MAF sensors and EGR with industrial alcohol (which by default was not available, so had to carry it along). To my surprise my EGR assembly was completely clogged with thick black carbon deposits. I checked my old records and found out that during 60K service EGR was cleaned as per the invoices, whereas looking at it the ASC staff said it was not cleaned at all. SO here was another case of fleecing the customers. Anyways finally the work was accomplished and to my surprise Duster is smoother than earlier, moves quickly on merely releasing the clutch, doesn’t make my drive stressful in traffic, millage has suddenly increased by 2KMPL and above all the Highway drives have changed a lot.

[psmenon]

Hi, anyone here have done a remap on their duster 110ps. I have a duster 110ps and planning for remap, opinions are welcome.

Spoke to petes and they have informed that the remap would help get rid of the turbo lag and better turbo ratios. I am taken, but would be a cautious decision since I am still in warranty.