Dacia Duster, 999cc of Throbbing Fun

[Mikebentley]

It looks like a Duster with some cardboard and cammo on it. I’m desperate for a new model release so I can change mine.

[ChocolateFrog]

Tackled the dodgy undertray bolts. Will pay dividends every year.

[Sheepshanks]

Mikebentley said:

I’ve had a very positive couple of days in the snow. As earlier in the thread I have recently fitted Yokohama Geolander AT tyres on the front of my 2wd Duster.

What’s on the back?

[jamesson]

ChocolateFrog said:

Tackled the dodgy undertray bolts. Will pay dividends every year.

That'll be my first job when the warranty expires.

[Mikebentley]

Sheepshanks said:

Mikebentley said:

I’ve had a very positive couple of days in the snow. As earlier in the thread I have recently fitted Yokohama Geolander AT tyres on the front of my 2wd Duster.

What’s on the back?

Still dragging the original M&S Continentals with 47000 miles on them. Only half worn as 2wd

[Mikebentley]

Well mine was back at the dealers today. I’ve had to wait 6 weeks for the appointment. After they changed the starter motor, fixed the stop/start, changed the fan switch ..again on its last visit 6 weeks ago things haven’t been great. The LPG has failed to switch over three times and the stop/start seems to never kick in. The car also doesn’t like starting first thing each day. The most alarming thing is the fuel consumption on LPG. It’s dropped to about 24 mpg. I’ve been measuring this by zeroing the trip meter after filling with LPG and recording the subsequent refill to full to find the true MPG.

The outcome of this visit today was a phone call 4 hrs after leaving it with the dealer to investigate the faults. They tell me there is nothing wrong with it. So 22mpg is ok?

Put this into perspective my Defender 110 250bhp 3.0 straight six turbo diesel automatic 2.5 ton beast does 30mpg average.

I now have some big decisions as Dacia UK are a joke to deal with. Hold onto it till the new one comes out next year. Upgrade to a newer Duster and try again or get an EV.

[croyde]

Sorry to hear this Mike. That's really shoite, and thus worrying for any owner. Surely not good press.

[DaHell]

Hope you manage to get this sorted, seems most Dacia stealership's are ste from what Ive heard. Apparently a lumpy sometimes misfiring engine is normal to the brain dead mechanics at my local Renault/Dacia. But hey ho

My wife's Suzuki Vitara on the other hand, best service we've ever experienced. The entire network of Suzuki is incredibly supportive.

[LH.]

DaHell said:

Hope you manage to get this sorted, seems most Dacia stealership's are ste from what Ive heard. Apparently a lumpy sometimes misfiring engine is normal to the brain dead mechanics at my local Renault/Dacia. But hey ho

The entire network of Suzuki is incredibly supportive.

Wish my experience was the same years ago...

Suzuki trained techs damaged everything they touched.

And suspension failure at 14k was ignored by Suzuki uk when I complained...

[bungz]

Mikebentley said:

I now have some big decisions as Dacia UK are a joke to deal with.

Had three Dacias and for two of the cars the the CS has been poor enough to really make me consider is it worth the saving.

As an aside just done a run upto Dumfries in the Stepway and managed 330 miles out of the 33 litre tank so I would say yours is definately not fueling right, maybe take it to a LPG specialist I would imagine the dealers have no clue about how LPG is supposed to run.

[ChocolateFrog]

Yep the dealers are crap and to rub salt into the wounds you're waiting atleast 3 or 4 weeks for the privilege of their poor service and lack of skills.

I hate the "they all do that", "quirk of the car", type comments, both of which I've heard.

One of the reasons I do all my own work even during the warranty period.

[PositronicRay]

I use an indy.

[anonymous-user]

ChocolateFrog said:

One of the reasons I do all my own work even during the warranty period.

Absolutely, I changed the pollen filter on my car at the weekend and the old one had been scrunched up to get it to fit and the plastic cover was not replaced, it was loose under the dash.

This was fitted by a main dealer (it was a genuine filter with the date stamped on the side) as part of the service package purchased by the first owner.

[PositronicRay]

I use an indy.

[croyde]

Are these Dacia only dealers? Do they exist?

My nearest local Dacia place is a Renault dealer.

Only had the simple services so far.

[Mikebentley]

Mines a Dacia, Renault, Peugeot and Suzuki dealer, all those highly trained techs. The tearoom must be massive.

A strange thing happened today the day after I collected the car. I drove cross country to Gloucester and then all over South Gloucestershire, Stroud, Stonehouse, Edge, Wooton under Edge, Dursley etc. Since I last filled in Birmingham last Friday when I saw an LPG station in Stroud I took the opportunity to refill. It wasn’t cheap at £0.90pl but I thought still cheaper than the wet stuff.

Anyway using the trip meter I deduced it has done 42 mpg on LPG over 115 miles in a 50/50 mix of motorway, country roads and city driving.

I carried on with my work and returned home and went to my local LPG pump which is expensive at £0.72ppl + Vodka And Tonic. It was a total journey of 93 miles with about 60 at 70mph on the motorway. Guess what………………41.5 mpg!

I can only assume they fixed something. I know the did a full ECU check and reset. Is this the equivalent of turning your computer on and off?

Anyway a 350 mile round trip to Leeds tomorrow so starting on a full tank we shall see. Certainly feeling better.

[Mikebentley]

I forgot to say yesterday when it came to paying the £10 per day collision excess waiver the service advisor refused my money. His exact words were “ no chance you spend more time here than I do”.

[Sonosp]

2024 refresh design is confirmed. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-da...

Before:



After:




The bigster's design is going to transfer to the duster.
Two main takeaways. Hidden rear door handles and rear disc brakes! First time for the duster platform.

[croyde]

Don't like the non colour matched mirrors.

[Mikebentley]

Did my 350 mile round trip yesterday and another 120 today. Overall the car returned 40mpg on LPG and that was with 90% being done at motorway speeds of 70mph. Very pleased it appears to have fixed itself………

That Autocar article is it just me or do they just talk complete bks like all motoring journalists.