Maruti Suzuki Baleno Hatchback: Technical Issues & Solutions

[!Vroom!]

Hi,

I am planning to buy baleno delta petrol. This will also be my first car!

I have gone through the entire thread from the first post to the last. I think the car is ok from what I have read. I took the test drive of both Swift petrol and Baleno petrol. However, there is a difference here when I took the test drive, The Swift was all new and was supposed to be delivered to a customer (they didn't had a test vehicle for swift petrol) while the Baleno was already scratched and tested by a lot of potential buyers even to the speed of 120 kmph.

I found swift to be more punchy, ready to roll and surprisingly silent and in good control. Baleno had a slightly more noise, slightly sluggish on pedal, average ride quality.

My question is, because both the tests weren't on apple to apple vehicle conditions, whether a Brand new baleno is as silent and punchy as a new swift?

What would one suggest Swift or Baleno?

 

[-SKR]

Hi All

On 1st service I reported following issues-

1. Steering issue - It does come to center but not at low speeds(less than 20). Any way some correction is always required be it any speed. Service Center guy told that it is by design and is there in Ciaz and S-Cross as well. I am kind of used to it now but would be good if this can be fixed.
2. Reverse does not engages properly at times - It is usually when you park or take out from parking, 1st and reverse gears are shuffled. Service Center guy mentioned it is working fine and I could not reproduce the issue. He said do not make haste while moving to reverse from 1st and it will engage properly. Lame!
3. USB issue - At times USB was not getting detected though the light used to blink on USB. When you select mode from steering it was skipping USB. Alas! issue could not be reproduced. It seems USB drive was faulty as I have changed it and everything seems ok.
4. Bumper Scratch - Car's bumper scratched. I asked them what's the cost for doing the paint job. They mentioned Rs. 1500 for the kind of scratch is there on the car. Some where around 1 sq ft or less paint job will be required(though the scratched part is not that big). They also mentioned that some difference will be there and will be noticeable between the original and new paint but difference will go away in 8-10 days. This just put me off and I did not get it done.

After reading all the posts I also concur that car does stall in 1st shift if it is there on the gradient or in bumper to bumper traffic. I guess I have to take it to service center.
The default RPM fluctuates between 600-900. Is this ok?

Another issue; yesterday I pressed AUTO for AC and it has stuck there since then. Anybody experienced this issue?

What is the Mileage you are getting for Petrol? I am getting 13.9(MID say 15.4). Or people are doing more?

What about the rainbow effect on headlamps? TSIVipul mentioned somewhere that it is normal. Is it?

 

[Suryaputhra]

Hi,

I am planning to buy baleno delta petrol. This will also be my first car!

I have gone through the entire thread from the first post to the last. I think the car is ok from what I have read. I took the test drive of both Swift petrol and Baleno petrol. However, there is a difference here when I took the test drive, The Swift was all new and was supposed to be delivered to a customer (they didn't had a test vehicle for swift petrol) while the Baleno was already scratched and tested by a lot of potential buyers even to the speed of 120 kmph.

I found swift to be more punchy, ready to roll and surprisingly silent and in good control. Baleno had a slightly more noise, slightly sluggish on pedal, average ride quality.

My question is, because both the tests weren't on apple to apple vehicle conditions, whether a Brand new baleno is as silent and punchy as a new swift?

What would one suggest Swift or Baleno?

You have observed correctly, answer is there in your analysis itself, there is no reason going for baleno except it is a new offering and comes with gadgets. Go for swift, good ride quality and stability.

suryaputhra

 

[chsrdeepu8]

Hi All

After reading all the posts I also concur that car does stall in 1st shift if it is there on the gradient or in bumper to bumper traffic. I guess I have to take it to service center.
The default RPM fluctuates between 600-900. Is this ok?

Another issue; yesterday I pressed AUTO for AC and it has stuck there since then. Anybody experienced this issue?

What is the Mileage you are getting for Petrol? I am getting 13.9(MID say 15.4). Or people are doing more?

What about the rainbow effect on headlamps? TSIVipul mentioned somewhere that it is normal. Is it?

Hi SRK,

I dont see any fluctuations in the RPM. When the engine temp is normal, then the RPM is constant at 600rpm.

About the ACC auto button is normal atleast in my car. May be this is one off case. You can request ASC to replace.

The mileage i am getting is 18 AVG though MID shows as 19.3.

Rainbow effect seems to be in every alpha AFAIK. So far saw that in atleast 3-4 Alphas.

- Sandeep

 

[owaiskhan]

Hi,
My MID is showing an avg FE of 22.2 since a couple of days now.Don't know whether its stuck or normal.Anyone observed this as well.

You have observed correctly, answer is there in your analysis itself, there is no reason going for baleno except it is a new offering and comes with gadgets. Go for swift, good ride quality and stability.

suryaputhra

In addition to gadgets, you have tons of legroom and a gracious boot,u don't feel like caged in a steel box.Engine is relatively similar to swift but definitely whole package is refreshing.

 

[Suryaputhra]

In addition to gadgets, you have tons of legroom and a gracious boot,u don't feel like caged in a steel box.Engine is relatively similar to swift but definitely whole package is refreshing.

But compromising on back seat comfort, you get leg room but when you go long journeys you need back seat comfort right, lot of people complaining on bumpy back seat ride in baleno. Definitely interiors are not premium.

 

[owaiskhan]

But compromising on back seat comfort, you get leg room but when you go long journeys you need back seat comfort right, lot of people complaining on bumpy back seat ride in baleno. Definitely interiors are not premium.

Well Suzuki and premium interiors have never been together.As far as back seat ride quality ,have done 1500 odd kms with max 80 kms continuous drive with family. Nobody felt any bumps.

 

[ameyam]

Hi All

On 1st service I reported following issues-

1. Steering issue - It does come to center but not at low speeds(less than 20). Any way some correction is always required be it any speed. Service Center guy told that it is by design and is there in Ciaz and S-Cross as well. I am kind of used to it now but would be good if this can be fixed.

The real issue is not of it not returning to centre. At city speeds, I dont even notice that its not centering. But when you reach that straight fast run, you realise it needs to be constantly centered and corrected. Not good for a car meant to be driven at high speeds. Maruti, are you listening?

Reverse does not engages properly at times

- It is usually when you park or take out from parking, 1st and reverse gears are shuffled. Service Center guy mentioned it is working fine and I could not reproduce the issue. He said do not make haste while moving to reverse from 1st and it will engage properly. Lame!

Thats the lack of a syncronyser in the reverse gear. Its simple to resolve though- if it doesnt want to go into reverse, go into 1st and then back in reverse and it will go every time

USB issue

- At times USB was not getting detected though the light used to blink on USB. When you select mode from steering it was skipping USB. Alas! issue could not be reproduced. It seems USB drive was faulty as I have changed it and everything seems ok.

First time I heard that

Bumper Scratch

- Car's bumper scratched. I asked them what's the cost for doing the paint job. They mentioned Rs. 1500 for the kind of scratch is there on the car. Some where around 1 sq ft or less paint job will be required(though the scratched part is not that big). They also mentioned that some difference will be there and will be noticeable between the original and new paint but difference will go away in 8-10 days. This just put me off and I did not get it done.

Ok, which colour do you have? If its silver, just forget it. Wash the car a few times and you will find yourself looking for the scratch. If you have white or granite grey, you have a matching colour available with com-paint. However, bumper scratches are difficult because the filler get scratched. Then, apply the patch and polish as per the procedure given with the product and the scratch will be very low visibility. However, getting bumper scratches off is not possible for us because the correct procedure is to sand down the scratch, apply and sand down filler, apply and sand down primer and then reapply the paint.

After reading all the posts I also concur that car does stall in 1st shift if it is there on the gradient or in bumper to bumper traffic. I guess I have to take it to service center.
The default RPM fluctuates between 600-900. Is this ok?

The very well documented reason for this is too low an rpm at idle. If you reported at service, you should see an immediate difference even though the car has continue to idle low. This is because MS has been doing ECU tweaks without telling us. With the aircon (or headlights) ON, idling between 600-900 is normal

Another issue; yesterday I pressed AUTO for AC and it has stuck there since then. Anybody experienced this issue?

To get out of Auto AC mode, press up or down fan button.

What is the Mileage you are getting for Petrol? I am getting 13.9(MID say 15.4). Or people are doing more?

My experience is that FE depends on mostly on traffic conditions. I get 10.5 whilst my MID shows 11. something. I drive through some pathetic traffic

BTW, do you notice a dimming of headlights in 1st gear?

!Vroom!] I am planning to buy baleno delta petrol. This will also be my first car!

Dont buy it if you are a new driver. Visibility is not so great

!Vroom!] I found swift to be more punchy, ready to roll and surprisingly silent and in good control. Baleno had a slightly more noise, slightly sluggish on pedal, average ride quality.

Guess MS wanted the Baleno to be more sedan. Hence a flat torque curve. With the Swift, all the torque is in the lower gears where as the Baleno has it in the mid range- 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears. Its not bad, just needs getting used to. And I am sure a performance K&N filter will help. BTW, if you want a punchy Baleno, try the diesel. When I was test driving it for a friend, I suddenly felt I was driving my Swift!

!Vroom!]My question is, because both the tests weren't on apple to apple vehicle conditions, whether a Brand new baleno is as silent and punchy as a new swift? What would one suggest Swift or Baleno?

My take- the Baleno is a very quiet car. Its difficult to know sometimes if the engine is ON or OFF. Don't believe the test drive car, its surely mishandled a lot. Saying that, The Swift is not bad either. So the differences-
Lower driving position and higher dash in the Baleno
Ride is comparable. But the Baleno's Delta and Sigma are better because of the higher profile tyres
Smaller rear bench in the Baleno. But that also means acres of space in the back. No issues if the rear passengers are shorter or pensioners
More seating options in the Baleno- from the Delta on, you get 60-40 seats
Better ICE in the Baleno- from the Delta on you get dash integrated HU with Bluetooth and steering controls
Easier to get in and out of the Baleno
Baleno has ABS+Airbags whereas the Swift's braking problems are well documented in all three trims

So you make a choice. I would suggest the Baleno is a more flexible car than the Swift, that's why I made the transition. But if you do not want a flexible car and want comfort instead, go for the Dzire with options (ABS+airbags)

Ameyam

 

[Abhisheksinh]

The real issue is not of it not returning to centre. At city speeds, I dont even notice that its not centering. But when you reach that straight fast run, you realise it needs to be constantly centered and corrected. Not good for a car meant to be driven at high speeds. Maruti, are you listening?




Thats the lack of a syncronyser in the reverse gear. Its simple to resolve though- if it doesnt want to go into reverse, go into 1st and then back in reverse and it will go every time




First time I heard that





Ok, which colour do you have? If its silver, just forget it. Wash the car a few times and you will find yourself looking for the scratch. If you have white or granite grey, you have a matching colour available with com-paint. However, bumper scratches are difficult because the filler get scratched. Then, apply the patch and polish as per the procedure given with the product and the scratch will be very low visibility. However, getting bumper scratches off is not possible for us because the correct procedure is to sand down the scratch, apply and sand down filler, apply and sand down primer and then reapply the paint.




The very well documented reason for this is too low an rpm at idle. If you reported at service, you should see an immediate difference even though the car has continue to idle low. This is because MS has been doing ECU tweaks without telling us. With the aircon (or headlights) ON, idling between 600-900 is normal



To get out of Auto AC mode, press up or down fan button.



My experience is that FE depends on mostly on traffic conditions. I get 10.5 whilst my MID shows 11. something. I drive through some pathetic traffic

BTW, do you notice a dimming of headlights in 1st gear?



Dont buy it if you are a new driver. Visibility is not so great



Guess MS wanted the Baleno to be more sedan. Hence a flat torque curve. With the Swift, all the torque is in the lower gears where as the Baleno has it in the mid range- 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears. Its not bad, just needs getting used to. And I am sure a performance K&N filter will help. BTW, if you want a punchy Baleno, try the diesel. When I was test driving it for a friend, I suddenly felt I was driving my Swift!


My take- the Baleno is a very quiet car. Its difficult to know sometimes if the engine is ON or OFF. Don't believe the test drive car, its surely mishandled a lot. Saying that, The Swift is not bad either. So the differences-
Lower driving position and higher dash in the Baleno
Ride is comparable. But the Baleno's Delta and Sigma are better because of the higher profile tyres
Smaller rear bench in the Baleno. But that also means acres of space in the back. No issues if the rear passengers are shorter or pensioners
More seating options in the Baleno- from the Delta on, you get 60-40 seats
Better ICE in the Baleno- from the Delta on you get dash integrated HU with Bluetooth and steering controls
Easier to get in and out of the Baleno
Baleno has ABS+Airbags whereas the Swift's braking problems are well documented in all three trims

So you make a choice. I would suggest the Baleno is a more flexible car than the Swift, that's why I made the transition. But if you do not want a flexible car and want comfort instead, go for the Dzire with options (ABS+airbags)

Ameyam

@Ameyam very well written.

Do not want to go off track since it is Baleno forum, but i would like to take your review and other forum members on their take on Baleno Petrol vs Figo Diesel in terms of reliability and peace of mind. I am confident that Figo is better performer in terms of engine power and braking but not sure when it comes to long term use and reliability.

With all discounts and offer Figo Titanium 1.5 will be around 20K more costly than Baleno.

 

[sdk1234]

I have a few instances when the car switched off in signals /gradients ... is this what stalling is all about? did my first service yesterday reportd the problem but was not able to reproduce it ...positive that no ECU update was done bcos i was with the car full time...

 

[ameyam]

I have a few instances when the car switched off in signals /gradients ... is this what stalling is all about? did my first service yesterday reportd the problem but was not able to reproduce it ...positive that no ECU update was done bcos i was with the car full time...

The stalling is due to low idle. Mine idles under 600 with aircon ON but without headlights. The way to prevent it from stalling is to switch on the headlights before you move & add a little accelerator. After my service, my stalling reduced a lot. You may also notice a greater tendency to want to stall in the nights when the headlights are on

Ameyam

 

[Suryaputhra]

@Ameyam do you tested your alternator? if so what is the result.

-suryaputhra

 

[-SKR]

Thanks Ameyam for such a detailed reply with solutions. Sincerely appreciate it.

Ok, which colour do you have? If its silver, just forget it. Wash the car a few times and you will find yourself looking for the scratch. If you have white or granite grey, you have a matching colour available with com-paint. However, bumper scratches are difficult because the filler get scratched. Then, apply the patch and polish as per the procedure given with the product and the scratch will be very low visibility. However, getting bumper scratches off is not possible for us because the correct procedure is to sand down the scratch, apply and sand down filler, apply and sand down primer and then reapply the paint.

It is ray blue. Guess i will live with the scratch for some time.

BTW, do you notice a dimming of headlights in 1st gear?

I don't think I did. Though every time you switch to AUTO lights, it just flash a mix of yellow and white before it becomes mostly white. I don't know if it just me who feels that or if it really matters.
I will check this dimming thing tonight.

Another issue; yesterday I pressed AUTO for AC and it has stuck there since then. Anybody experienced this issue?

Today I took it to service center. ACC button started working the moment I entered the gate of ASC . I still showed them to which they said bring the car once you encounter the issue again.

I have an observation. It is only through fan buttons you can get out of ACC mode. ACC button doesn't work the way other buttons do. Simple on/off types. Is my observation correct?

-SKR

 

[srinivasan]

Hello All,

I will get my Delta variant petrol car in couple of weeks, i am seriously worried after i gone through the technical issues and now i am thinking do i still go for Baleno . Need your expertise review.

1) Stalling issue & Headlight issue- is it for all cars or one such case .
2) about the thin sheet metal/light weight compared to other cars.

 

[owaiskhan]

Hello All,

I will get my Delta variant petrol car in couple of weeks, i am seriously worried after i gone through the technical issues and now i am thinking do i still go for Baleno . Need your expertise review.

1) Stalling issue & Headlight issue- is it for all cars or one such case .
2) about the thin sheet metal/light weight compared to other cars.

Have driven delta diesel for more than a month now and not a single instance of stalling and Headlight issue is observed.Regarding thin metal sheet if you go by the company claim it is 10% stronger than conventional steel(which i seriously doubt).I checked out in a crude way by pressing slightly against the bonnets of ciaz , scross ,hyundai xcent by my palm and all felt relatively same.