New Dacia Duster

[Bailes1992]

Yes you definitely have to be organised and get the order in well in advance of any work.

Generally for basic service items - ECP as I can just pop to a local branch and collect whenever I like.

If it's a bigger job that's been planned in advance then I look to Autodoc.

I'd love to utilise my local motor factors more but generally quite expensive and they've started stocking 'NAPA' stuff which just seems really low rent.

 

[Bailes1992]

So while driving back from Bristol yesterday the car hit 30,000miles.

30,000miles (or 4 years) is the 'big service' time. Dacia calls for the following at this service...

-Engine Oil & Filter
-Air Filter
-Fuel Filter
-Pollen Filter

I decided to add into this the driveline lubricants as the car does get used quite hard from time to time with towing and off roading etc.

Went for Mann filters this time for a change. The exception being the fuel filter as there was several different types so played it safe and ordered from the dealer which came in a totally battered box.

So I started with the fuel filter which was buried deep in the wheel well. To get to it you have to pull back the wheel arch liner.

Was a bit shocked at the state of the old filter. But then when you consider the off-roading, wading and other shenanigans I've done then maybe it's not a surprise.

I gave the filter housing a good scrub and a spray with Bilt Hamber Dynax UC to try hold back the corrosion in the future as I don't intend on changing the way I use the car!

And then all refitted with the new filter element.

Then it was oil change time, just like the previous 5 OCI's.

New Mann filter installed, didn't feel quite as robust as my usual Bosch filter. Lets see what it looks like in 5k!

And then installed 6 litres of the catchy named Fuchs Titan GT1 XTL Flex 3 5w40.

Next up, gearbox, transfer box and diff time!

 

[Bailes1992]

I started with the transfer box.

Oil drained first and it was remarkably clean, I expected worse. Especially considering what I've thrown at this thing over the last 18 months or so and with a tiny 400ml oil capacity.

I then whipped up this contraption and installed 400ml of Millers Oils MTF 75w90.

Next, the gearbox. The oil was a fair bit darker with some black sludgy bits. Looking forward to seeing if there's any improvement in shift quality.

And filled back up with Millers Oil TRX Synth GL5 75w80 (I believe this is an older bottle and it's now just called MTF 75w80) using the same method as the transfer box.

And the rear diff got the same treatment using the same Millers MTF 75w90 I used in the transfer box.

 

[Bailes1992]

I swapped out the air filter, the old one looked really good for 30,000miles!

Gave the front wheels a good wash while they were off...

And then gave the car a quick freshen up considering it hasn't been washed this side of Christmas!

I've left the pollen filter for the moment. I need to give the interior of the car a clean as my kids destroyed it while they were off school for 2 weeks holiday recently. So I'll swap it out then!

Surprised how many fine scratches the car and wheels have picked up during my 'shenanigans'. Luckily they will all polish out, wheels included so I need to find some time to get that done. Quite little contamination on the paintwork, I'm putting it down to the polish and wax I gave it late last year. But I do need to find time for a clay and a run around with the machine polisher just to tidy things up. Good news is that silver hides a lot!

 

[Bailes1992]

Just wanted to add.

Gearchange has had a nice improvement. Feels quite slick and light compared to usual. Also on down changes the gearbox baulks a lot less and you can select the lower gear faster. Don't know if that means the new lubricant is better or if the old lubricant had started to 'wear out'? Other than that the rest of the car feels exactly the same.

Also, just to make @KrisZ happy. I of course cleaned my engine bay after doing this service

Usual, spray with Bilt Hamber Autofoam at 2%, agitate where required and spray off at low pressure with Bilt Hamber Atom Mac at 4% and then a light spritz of Autoglymn Vynil and Rubber Dressing over the entire engine bay and then left to dry.

Love having a clean engine bay!

Off on a little bit of a tangent, my Uncle brought his '18 Kia Sportage with 46k on the clock around the other day for me to wet vac the seats for him as he's been using it like a van while doing work on his house. I took a look under the bonnet and it looked like it had been in the ocean! Rust, salt and dirty everywhere! The 1.6 GDI engine was also looking all sludgey through the fill hole too and I had to add 2 litres of oil. That's on a 20,000mile or 2 year OCI. But he does a lot of short trips so probably isn't best places for such a long OCI. But the entire situation made me feel good about the time and money I spend looking after this.

 

[KrisZ]

Also, just to make @KrisZ happy. I of course cleaned my engine bay after doing this service

I'm overcome with joy

On a serious note though, these two wire bands look to be squeezing the tube a little too much. At least that's how it looks to me.

 

[Bailes1992]

I'm overcome with joy
View attachment 214947

On a serious note though, these two wire bands look to be squeezing the tube a little too much. At least that's how it looks to me.

View attachment 214933

Not quite sure what the purposes of those bands are for. They are like that on every 1.5DCi engine. Maybe to stop the hose collapsing under compression when the engine moves? Typically that hose would connect to the front mounted intercooler, but on this later 'BlueDCi' it has a block-mounted air to water heat exchanger.

 

[dumkid]

The intercooler pipe boots usually look like that. It lets the hose stretch and compress instead of just bending side to side.

 

[Jetronic]

It's quite a french thing, the 1.6 hdi has the same, likely on ford 1.6 tdci aswell