Maruti Suzuki Baleno Premium Hatchback Now Launched

[Amaran]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

@Amaran

Where have done alignment, where are the caster values? camber is ok. So don't worry, but I need caster values. Toe should not be adjusted by degree, it should be adjusted by mm, difference between toe in to toe out should be +/- 2mm. But after converting you degrees to inch and to mm your toe values are OK.

Usually caster will cause one side leaning problems that is car will pull to least amount of positive caster.

But in your case it is not one side leaning so I hope caster is also fine. Don't do one more alignment for caster values, every time you do alignment you are altering your factory alignment which holds good for up to 20000km. These outside and MASS alignment centres are rubbish and always out of calibration.

-suryaputhra

@Suryaputhra, Last week my Baleno met with a accident due to a negligent driver. As a result front suspension connecting hole got oval and resulted in toe out, hence the following parts of Front right side wheel were replaced and alignment done by MASS
1. Strut Assembly Front Suspension RH,
2. Hub assembly Front wheel
3. Knuckle Steering R
4. Arm Assembly Front Suspension R.
What shall i do now? Tomorrow i am planning to give it for Service

 

[1989rs500]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

Its not really an issue. Lots of Baleno owners had their cars drift to one side then the other at those speeds including me. Reported it several times to the ASC and everything was normal. Even took the issue to MS. It finally stopped doing it much after 3~4k km. Now it drifts like that only in the stretch on the Expressway between pune & talegaon. At low speeds and in the city you dont even notice it

Ameyam

I mean thats terrible, how come a car do such insane unwanted drifts, that means the cars front is not at all stable,
Can you post a pic of the car with its steering fully locked to left or right, and then the pic of both tires from almost same angle,
Usually if car is turned fully to the left, thr left tire will turn more than the right one and vice versa...

 

[Amaran]

Amaran,

Its a known problem & will reduce substantially as the tyres break in. Still, if you are in doubt, have the ASC check it

Ameyam

Thanks @Amayam, I got a little bit relief now. However will discuss with the ASC guys tomorrow

I mean thats terrible, how come a car do such insane unwanted drifts, that means the cars front is not at all stable,
Can you post a pic of the car with its steering fully locked to left or right, and then the pic of both tires from almost same angle,
Usually if car is turned fully to the left, thr left tire will turn more than the right one and vice versa...

ok, will check and post the pictures tomorrow

 

[Suryaputhra]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

"As a result front suspension connecting hole got oval", you mean strut tower, if so then post caster values and possibly part numbers of changed parts.

-suryaputhra

 

[Amaran]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

@suryaputhra i am a newbie, i need to check out. however i have attached the picture. In this can you see the Suspension connecting support bottom hole got enlarged, and wheel was slightly inclained inward

 

[1989rs500]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

"As a result front suspension connecting hole got oval", you mean strut tower, if so then post caster values and possibly part numbers of changed parts.

-suryaputhra

I dont think its strut tower, a strut tower damage means the car is almost totaled
I think its the upper arm ball joint that braces the suspension that got damaged

The ball joints if hit from acute angles might become oval and should be replaced

Also according to the above told parts changes there must be complete removal of lower control arm,sway bar and tie rods for the work
Its a major work, seems like the hit was pretty hard
@Amaran
That needs a full suspension re assembly man, the lower arm housing and joint might have got bent, I think even if we do some work and try to make it straight with force the suspension wont work as smooth as it used to, the lower arm is the brown metal that holds the shiny gas filled damper
Kind of complex to explain but I think a full suspension replacement is needed otherwise in future it will be more prone to troubles,
The wheel facing inward can be due to the broken or bent steering knuckle or even the outer Tie rod
Anyway a full suspension replacement is best
the above told 4 parts replacement is MUST, and arm assembly means upper and lower arm I guess,
So I think they will replace full front suspension assembly

Anyway after the full work is done, keep a keen eye on noises from the replaced side, also check the cars behavior at highway speeds, test braking(check whether car leans towards one side while braking hard), and do a thorough and satisfactory test from service center before signing all the papers
I have a friend who faced lot of issues with his 2009 Honda City after it got into an accident, the front left was damaged and even though Honda claims the car is working fine, it didnt, it gave more troubles and he eventually sold the car, but that accident was far more serious as the accident was between City and a inter city speeding bus,
Still keep watch as a small issue can make the whole things go wrong
Also try to give break up of costs for parts as well

Hope for a smart speedy recovery for the car

 

[Amaran]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

@suryaputhra here with find the part numbers
1. Strut Assembly Front Suspension RH - 4160M68P20
2. Hub assembly Front wheel - 43401M68P00
3. Knuckle Steering R - 45111M68PB0 (last 3 digits PB0 or P80 not clearly printed in jobcard)
4. Arm Assembly Front Suspension R - 45201M68P00

 

[Suryaputhra]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

I dont think its strut tower, a strut tower damage means the car is almost totaled
I think its the upper arm ball joint that braces the suspension that got damaged

The ball joints if hit from acute angles might become oval and should be replaced

Also according to the above told parts changes there must be complete removal of lower control arm,sway bar and tie rods for the work
Its a major work, seems like the hit was pretty hard
@Amaran
That needs a full suspension re assembly man, the lower arm housing and joint might have got bent, I think even if we do some work and try to make it straight with force the suspension wont work as smooth as it used to, the lower arm is the brown metal that holds the shiny gas filled damper
Kind of complex to explain but I think a full suspension replacement is needed otherwise in future it will be more prone to troubles,
The wheel facing inward can be due to the broken or bent steering knuckle or even the outer Tie rod
Anyway a full suspension replacement is best
the above told 4 parts replacement is MUST, and arm assembly means upper and lower arm I guess,
So I think they will replace full front suspension assembly

Anyway after the full work is done, keep a keen eye on noises from the replaced side, also check the cars behavior at highway speeds, test braking(check whether car leans towards one side while braking hard), and do a thorough and satisfactory test from service center before signing all the papers
I have a friend who faced lot of issues with his 2009 Honda City after it got into an accident, the front left was damaged and even though Honda claims the car is working fine, it didnt, it gave more troubles and he eventually sold the car, but that accident was far more serious as the accident was between City and a inter city speeding bus,
Still keep watch as a small issue can make the whole things go wrong
Also try to give break up of costs for parts as well

Hope for a smart speedy recovery for the car

A strong pot hole hit can mushroom struct tower, inclined, side hit can mushroom struct tower. You can read at bimmer and mini cooper forums regarding mushrooming struct towers and repair options. These cars are not totalled.

I have seen several Zen, Wagon R cars with mushroomed struct towers which are not totalled.

When you are analysing a critical issuse you need to go by every possible angle and make sure its not affected.

For your kind information there was no gas filled damper in the baleno front suspension, brown metal is knuckle not lower arm.

-suryaputha

 

[ameyam]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

I mean thats terrible, how come a car do such insane unwanted drifts, that means the cars front is not at all stable,
Can you post a pic of the car with its steering fully locked to left or right, and then the pic of both tires from almost same angle,
Usually if car is turned fully to the left, thr left tire will turn more than the right one and vice versa...

The car will pull gently to one side. You correct it by giving the opposite steer then centre the wheel. But now it pulls to the other side. I, Ice_wise and a few others reported this problem similtaneously. However, MS says that if the car travels in a straight line for 40M, there is no steering or alignment issue. We feel that this is more of an issue of slop in the power steering servo / hydraulic mechanism or a dead band in the same that does not detect the centre position accurately. Its similar to the issue in the Hyundais where the issue is well reported, probably because the unit is sourced from the same supplier. However, this problem is not to be mixed up with any accident damage issues.

Other well-reported issues are aircon cooling from a heated car in auto mode, stiff rear ride at stock pressure, jerks while releasing clutch mostly in 1st gear, lack of pickup as compared to the Swift and a gear stick that seems to resist going into gear.

For the 1st problem, the solution seems to be to run the aircon in manual mode. When the car is hot, such as when stood in the sun and aircon is set in auto mode, the car seems to want to go into outside air mode as the outside is colder than inside. However, it doesnt indicate this and while running in outdoor air mode, the cooling suffers drastically.

For the 2nd problem, I worked out that reducing tire pressure helps. I run my Zeta at 28 instead of 29psi. It will certainly help dropping further but I dont have the courage to do it on this thin profile tyres. Further, the suspension seems to ease out after 5000km

For the 3rd problem, I dont have a solution. I reported it to MS and they say its because engine and transmission speeds dont match when releasing clutch. Well hello, a clutch is there for the same reason. A jerk even when releasing clutch slowly means the clutch is operating in a ON/OFF Mode and there is no slip in the system, which is the clutch's job in the first place. Someone told me this problem was also there in the 2015 Swift and Dzire which is a sign of poor component quality.

The lack of pick up is a issue with the car ECU programming. You get used to it in some time but I am really waiting for the K&N filter and its supple power delivery characteristics.
I also had the issue with the car stalling in auto aircon in the dead of the winter when the aircon was set to 25~26 Deg C. I resolved it initially by setting the fan at one speed higher than auto speed. I havent seen this issue since the outside temperatures began to go up, just as I predicted. I had informed MS of my findings but they refused to believe it

The issue of gear stick getting stuck or notchiness in the gear stick movement was also reported to MS. In my case, this happens in 3rd gear. MS told me this is because the gear gates were very tight. So it seems this is a characteristic of the gear box and how its put together (tolerances)

Just sharing my experience for newcomers here

Ameyam

 

[Amaran]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

@suryaputhra, The suspension to Knuckle connecting area 2nd bolt hole got oval due to the impact.

I have taken delivery of the vehicle already, During test drive i showed the MASS persons about the vehicle moving to either left or right direction he said it's normal at inclined roads.

@Ameyam, i haven't keenly observed if there is any pull to one side before this. Hence i am unable to conclude it as existing one or a new issue

 

[Suryaputhra]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

@suryaputhra, The suspension to Knuckle connecting area 2nd bolt hole got oval due to the impact.

I have taken delivery of the vehicle already, During test drive i showed the MASS persons about the vehicle moving to either left or right direction he said it's normal at inclined roads.

@Ameyam, i haven't keenly observed if there is any pull to one side before this. Hence i am unable to conclude it as existing one or a new issue

Yes now got the point, go to any good reputed wheel alignment centre and get me caster values along with full alignment report I will tell you after seeing that report.

-suryaputhra

 

[1989rs500]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

Yes now got the point, go to any good reputed wheel alignment centre and get me caster values along with full alignment report I will tell you after seeing that report.

-suryaputhra

Thanks for correcting me there
I didnt know Baleno didnt have gas filled struts
The brown cast iron piece indeed is the Knuckle, and the knuckles connection joint is what got damaged
I suspected a upper arm or lower arm joint damage, which was not the case
Regarding the strut tower damage, usually if strut tower is damaged the car should be towed to repair, the tower is bolted on to chassis and a damage means it can be down right dangerous hence lot of people consider a tower damage as totaled, while small rubber bearing damages etc are something that can be rectified easily

And just dont think I am mocking, but see MSIL new cars too have fair share of issues, so I dont think reliability aint MSILs strong point, its the number of service centers that saves them
A new car running wide during break in period is a failure in my opinion, however one may try to justify it and which ever brand may have done it, be it Maruti be it Hyundai

 

[surya3103]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

So confused of Baleno petrol or Polo 1.2 Petrol..

Last week before booking

Polo means outdated and 3cyl is a concern..

Baleno. Means crowded brand Suzuki and waiting period months is cons...

Anyone please guide me....

I'm buying this only for driving passion.. Monthly Avg 600kms

 

[1989rs500]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

So confused of Baleno petrol or Polo 1.2 Petrol..

Last week before booking

Polo means outdated and 3cyl is a concern..

Baleno. Means crowded brand Suzuki and waiting period months is cons...

Anyone please guide me....

I'm buying this only for driving passion.. Monthly Avg 600kms

Just go for Polo petrol or Figo petrol,
Driving passion Maruti is no match to European cars,
Polo i3 has some weak spots in power band and real world mileage will be lower than what Baleno and Figo can achieve because its 1126 kg kerb wright is all German strong metal that is a bit too much for the car to pull specially if car is loaded, if the travel mostly is with just driver then Polo is better buy than Figo as well
Baleno will feel the most powwrful out of Polo,Figo as its just 890 kgs
But despite the light weight the Baleno has a moderately precise but lack luster feedback steering,
Figo has best steering out of 3
But Figo lacks the built and cabin insulation and overall refiement of Polo,
Ride quality is undoubtedly best for Polo, it behaves like a sedan more than hatch in isolating road from bumps and imperfections, Baleno too is good and actually slightly better than Figo at slow to moderate speeds, Figos slightly stiffer setup is a boon at higher speeds though.
Rear seat comfort is best for Baleno out of 3 ,Figo gets a second in my opinion.
Polos service costs are a little bit on higher side whereas Ford is way more cheap and Baleno too ischeap,
Feature wise Baleo wins the game, loaded and future proof while Polo and Figo might feel outdated after 5 years.

 

[Suryaputhra]

Re: Suzuki's New Premium Hatchback Baleno Now Launched!

MacPherson struts are not gas filled instead they are filled with special grade hydralic oil filled, when they fail one of the symptom is oil leak. Some MacPherson struts become weak without oil leak ones piston worns out. MacPherson struts are commonly used in front suspension of the cars, gas filled shock absorbers are used in the back suspension, baleno uses those gas filled shock absorbers in the rear suspension.

Cars with struct tower damage necessarily need not be towed, its depend on the damage.

But I don't like this High tensile strength steel used by ford and MSIL, this steel bends instead of break causing micro damage to structure which is very difficult to find and correct.

-suryaputhra