Renault Duster with turbo engine – we do maintenance and save!

Duster is a car for people. But a friendly attitude to an ordinary person should be supported not only by the price of a car, but also by the low cost of maintenance and the possibility of self-maintenance. As well as the presence of a large number of available spare parts. Especially in today’s time.

In the second-generation Duster, many are confused by the 1.3 turbo engine: isn’t it too gentle and complicated? Let’s see if it is possible to carry out the simplest maintenance and repair work yourself – using the example of a Duster with a manual gearbox. Each process is rated on a five-point scale.

Engine oil change: 4.0 points

Drain plug – with an internal “square”, known to every Logan owner. Below is the oil filter housing. It unwinds and only the filter element changes into it.

A minor difficulty is only the need to remove the standard steel motor guard – there are no hatches to access the drain plug and filter.

It is necessary to remember about the tightening torque of the oil filter cap – the norm is 25 N m. If you overdo it, the plastic cover can break, and if it’s not enough, it will “sweat”. You really need a torque wrench!

Dealers typically fill with Castrol GTX 5W-40. It takes a lot: the volume of the system is 6 liters, for maintenance it is necessary to have 5.5 liters. In a Renault bus of the brand it will cost 6500-7000 rubles (hereinafter – prices from the beginning of April). A comparable Castrol oil is 1000 rubles cheaper.

If you take Lukoil plastics with the same viscosity and tolerance, you can: save 2000-2500 rubles

The original filter cartridge costs 1000-1200 rubles (complete with a sealing ring). The cheapest substitutes cost an average of 500 rubles, but some analogues such as Mahle are more expensive than the original.

Replace air filter: 4.5 points

You only need a flat screwdriver for the tool. The housing cover is held by two latches. With plastic, be careful not to break the tabs – staples or screws with cage nuts are safer. This is the only drawback.

The original air filter costs 1700-2000 rubles and is installed on many models, including Lada. And this is the way out: if you buy exactly the same filter element specifically for the VAZ, you can save 200-300 rubles Non-original filters “for Renault” cost an average of 700-2000 rubles.

Cab filter replacement: 4.0 points

The cabin filter is located behind the center console and can be accessed from the side of the glovebox, more specifically below it. To remove the filter cover, pull the carpet and press the latch that holds the cover. The difficulty is in an awkward position and the fact that you will inevitably get dirty on the doorstep if the car is dirty.

The original filter costs from 1700 to 2100 rubles. As in the case of air, it can be found not only in the Renault-Nissan catalogs, but also in Lada. True, this does not affect the cost. The price of “non-original” varies from 300 to 2000 rubles. As they say, for every taste and budget.

Spark plugs: 3.0 points

Replacing spark plugs on an H5H turbo engine is not easy. First you need to disconnect the pipe that goes to the turbocharger, which is located just above the valve cover and the rail with the ignition coils. The wiring harness is also in the way. Having previously disconnected the connectors, you can remove it – it will still crawl under your arms, but you can already remove the coils and candles.

Each ignition coil is secured with two 8mm head bolts.

You have to pull the coils out with both hands, swinging slowly so as not to break.

The original coil costs 6500-7000 rubles. Although there are good substitutes produced by Beru and Magneti Marelli, which cost half the price (there is no shortage yet).

Candle holders are located at an angle to the rear wall of the engine compartment.

To remove, you need to use a wrench with a head with a rubber or plastic cover to better grip the unscrewed candle. A head with a feather will not help, and removing the candle will be torture.

Original NGK candles with a narrow insulator cost an average of 2,000 rubles each. You can save money by buying genuine Mercedes spark plugs for Class A and Class B models with the same engine.

Dirt accumulates in the spark plug wells. If you do not want it to get into the cylinders, it is better to clean them with a vacuum cleaner. Some kind of narrow and long nozzle is useful, such as the tip of a plastic funnel from a standard canister.

Quick release brakes: 5.0 points

front toBrake pads are easy to change. The brake caliper is mounted on two guides, which are unscrewed with a 7 mm hexagon. Next, you need to remove the mounting bracket on the outside of the caliper Then you can remove the pads. It’s nice that you don’t have to worry about cleaning and lubricating the guides – they are sealed from dirt.

Original brake pads have recently become very expensive – up to 10-11 thousand rubles per set. Fortunately, there are many quality replacements, for example the brands Brembo, Textar or Ferodo. You can save up to 50-60%. A large assortment of non-original ones is explained by the fact that similar brakes were used on the third Megan, Fluence, Scenic of the previous generation and on other machines.

Relay and fuse box: 4.0 points

Access to the fuses is free. The hood is located to the left of the driver. On the back is a plastic clip for removing the fuses. The diagnostic connector is located next to the fuses.

With the relay block, it’s a little more complicated. The housing is located under the hood near the left suspension cup. And that same cup prevents you from removing the lid, which is secured on two plastic clips. The front latch is free, but the rear latch is wedged between the body and the cup. It is not easy to squeeze the tongue with a screwdriver.

Let there be light: 4.5 points

Replacing burned-out bulbs in the headlights is not a problem, although they must be removed for this. The headlight is held in by two 10-head bolts. Then free access to the lamp covers opens.

Both low beam and high beam are on the most popular H7 lamps, the price of which varies from 200 rubles to several thousand each. The running lights are LED, so nothing can be changed here. If it was not necessary to loosen the two bolts, it would be possible to give the highest rating.

conclusions

Replacing spark plugs takes a lot of time and effort. But otherwise the second generation Renault Duster fully justifies its nationality and the image of a “simple man”. Most routine maintenance can be performed in any universal service. And for some, no tools and a garage are required at all.

In most cases, consumables have many non-genuine replacements at various prices. As a result, the turbocharged Renault Duster earns a confident four in terms of ease of repair and maintenance.

Prices for consumables and materials

Maintenance and repair complexity estimates

• A photo instruction for maintenance and repair of the first generation Duster can be found here.
• “Behind the wheel” can also be read in Telegram.