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Renault
Renault ecu problem faults ,clio,clio bonnet catch,megane ,scenic
Renault have a issue with ecu transponder fitted to most of the range,can be as trivual as changing the battery,needs to be rectified by using obd2 diagnostic equipment.
Bonnet Catch
Renault has liaised fully with the UK government enforcement agency, the Vehicle and Operator Service Agency (VOSA), on the issue and both Renault and VOSA have concluded that the bonnet catch mechanism on the Clio II has no design or construction defect.
Since Watchdog's original broadcast, Renault has monitored and analysed every case we have received and a dedicated Task Force of more than 30 of Renault's worldwide experts has investigated this issue, including carrying out vehicle inspections. VOSA has been kept fully informed throughout.
In co-operation with the relevant authorities including the DVLA, Renault is writing to all Clio II owners, more than 400,000 people, inviting them into their nearest Renault dealership, where the opening and closing mechanisms of the bonnet will be checked to ensure the correct maintenance is being undertaken. If poor maintenance is detected, the appropriate corrective action will be carried out at no cost to the customer as a gesture of goodwill.
Also known faults are with the Alternator fitted to the clio,new generation alternator with a gear reduction system fitted(pointless),we have had loads of these in due to no official recall on these units,we have a supplier that reconditions these units,let us know at help@autozaar.com
Slow, no power, glow plug light permanently lit (all diesels)
From Dave Mears: I've just bought a Scenic 1.9 diesel auto and on the second day I started it and it just cut out, so I started it again and selected drive and off I went but it seemed slow and gave out a bit of smoke , well i just made it back to the garage where I bought it, there is no power at all and the glow plug light is on all the time and d3 has lit up twice. I turned out it was the ERV valve - this had broken, one repaired valve later and the car runs as good as new.
Starting problems
From Tony Brown: Twice now my Scenic has been a pain to start, especially if by accident you press the accelerator pedal before starting it. Turned out it was the Top Dead Centre (TDC) Sensor each time. Apparently on the Scenic and other Renaults, the sensor collects fragments of metal/filings on the sensor (must be magnetic) which, if not cleaned away, leads to starting problems (sometimes up to 20 attempts before it does start !) It is bolted to the engine by two bolts and is easily removed for a clean up - I used a wire brush, a rag soaked in WD40 and rebolted it back in and the problem went away. It took 12 months to return but a repeat clean up sorted the problem again. A friend took his to a local car repairer and they charged him £60 to sort - they tried to say they had replaced the TDC but hadn't, just cleaned it like I did.
Poor power on acceleration (all turbocharged diesels?)
From Mike Sullivan: I'm experiencing loss of engine power with the 1.9 dci diesel. My glo-plug heater light comes on and stays on now and there is a complete lack of power from the engine, it just wo'nt pull. There is no over heating of the engine, and the exhaust emissions appear to be fine. This has just happened suddenly. [later] I finally got to the root cause. After much time spent checking out the engine timing, exhaust system, fuel system and gving the engine a flush out with fuel and oil treatments, I put the car onto a diagnostic test system, this revealed several faults in the electrics (various codes) but they all pointed to the turbocharger. Turns out the turbo is defective. A costly repair with what Renault are asking for the turbo and the garage to fit it as I don't have the facilities to do this job.
Water in the footwells (2000-2003)
From Geoff Punnett: I've recently had a problem with water dripping into the drivers footwell; it's due to blocked skuttle drains. You have to remove the wiper blades and surrounding plastic trim to access the drains, there's no easy access from within the engine compartment.
Turbo seal trouble (all dTi models)
Two owners wrote in about this: "there are 1 of 2 possible turbos you may have on your vehicle: a ''kkk'' or ''garret''. The latter being the best turbo and it's important to change your oil every 6000 miles. I think you should give people fair warning that there is a possible design fault. Engine oil flows through the turbo to lubricate it, the turbo is there to pump air at pressure into the inlet manifold, and a seal inside prevents the oil from leaking into the air inlet. If this seal leaks, oil is allowed to flow into the engine combustion chamber, then we have a problem because a diesel engine will run fast on oil, because its like giving a child chocolate - they love it. Constant oil monitoring and listening to the turbo is needed. Thanks for your time"
Jerky transmission from standing start (all models)
This is caused by a leak in the transmission oil system and is especially noticeable when the engine is cold (lower oil pressure).
Air-con fan only works in position 4, 1 to 3 are inoperative (all models)
This is a fairly common fault and is down to a faulty resistor pack next to the fan motor. The resistor pack is relatively cheap, at £50 or so. Replacing the pack isn't trivial, although reader Barney Owsnett managed a home-made repair for next to no money at all. Barney:"Firstly, take out the pollen filter (if fitted) then get upside down in the passenger footwell and look up into the air chamber. You will see the resistor pack, but you won't have much of a chance carrying out the repair. Too get to the little beastie, I had to take off the top of the dash, as per the Haynes Manuel. Once that's out of the way, you will seen the left hand air vent tube, it's got a thin sponge cover. This has to be pulled from the centre console air ducting and from the left hand air vent. It does come off, it just needs a good 'yank'. Underneath this trunking, you will then see the top of the resistor pack and you can now undo the little grub screw that holds the resistor pack onto the air box. Once this is undone you can lift the resistor pack out and undo the electrical connections, 4 in total, with one underneath the sponge cover below the dash. The biggest of the 3 connections ia a bit of a funny set up, as you will see a red ribbed 'tab' at one end. This simply pulls away from the main body and as it does so, it releases the connection. The fuse is easily identified, as it's the only one there, simply cut off its 'legs' as close to the fuse as posible, and bend them up at right angles. Using a 5 amp 'Choc Block' connector, with the plastic cut off, screw one of them (2 small screws) onto each leg. Now take a new Thermal Fuse and bend its legs at right angles, you'll probably need to trim them down a bit, and screw the legs into the empty choc block connector. Once you have replaced the thermal fuse, it all goes back together in reverse order. Give yourself a big pat on the back as it's only cost you a few pence. The fuses are available over the counter at Maplins. Read the thermal fuse rating from the side of the old fuse before you throw it away, mine was 192c, thats the temperature it blows at. A nice cheap repair."
Key no longer turns off car immobliser (1998, RT)
As an alternative to buying a new key, from Jamie Ford: I have found a solution, It can be used all the time but does take a few moments to perfect. What the owner needs to do is find out the 4 Digit code for the immobiliser from the dealer. They usually complain and say this number does not exist but it does. Depending on the dealer there may be a charge for this number (no more than £30). When you have the number, you turn on the ignition. The red light on the dash should flash rapidly, press in the lock button on the dash and the light should slow down. You need to count the number of flashes to correspond with the first digit of the code, then release the button pressing it in again for the second number and so on. When all numbers have been entered in this way the button should be released and the light will stay illuminated for about 10 seconds - when the light goes out the immobiliser is turned off and you can start the car.... It sounds a little long winded but when you get the hang of it it takes about 30 sec to complete and saves the owner about 150 quid on a new key....
Loose front air dam moulding (1997-1999)
Original Scenics had a stapled-on(!) extra section on the bottom of the front air dam moulding. It's not unknown for these to start falling off, but don't worry, they're not really needed. If it starts coming away, just lever it off completely and throw it away. Car performance and economy isn't significantly impaired.
Rough engine sound, lower power (1999-2003, petrol models only)
Many owners find that one or more of the ignition coils fail. If this does happen, it's definitely worth having them all replaced, to avoid them failing one by one. Typical symptoms are "misfiring, smelling hot and losing power at times...". Complain to Renault about these - apparently they acknowledge that it's a design fault and they fit a newly designed replacement part free of charge. Or get a Diesel model, like me 8-)
Water in the body cavities (2000-2003)
After heavy rain, water does tend to collect in small pockets at the top of the engine bay, underneath the windscreen and then you can hear it sloshing around on cornering for a mile or two until it's all found a way out to the ground. Annoying, but don't worry about it.
Water in side sills (just 1997-1999 models?)
Should you ever hear a swooshing(!) sound when braking, it'll be water that has somehow found its way into the side sills. The cure is to remove one of the rubber plugs on the sill underside, to let the water out. It's not entirely clear how the water gets in there in the first place, but leaving the plug out certainly makes sure it doesn't hang around and cause rust problems.
Brake discs going rusty (all models)
To be fair, this probably applies to all cars to some extent, but the Scenic doesn't like being left to stand, unused (as if!) for long periods. If you're not going to use it regularly, at least give 10 miles every week, using the brakes a lot to try and keep rust from developing on the discs.
Electric window fails on the driver's door (1997-1999?)
The regulator for this window has been known to fail.
Pool of water under engine on hot days (models with air-con)
This isn't unique to Scenics but is worth noting. On very hot days, significant condensation builds up on the air conditioning compressor unit. Once parked, you'll find water dripping down onto the road. It's water from the air though, don't worry, your Scenic isn't losing fluid!
Alternator belt keeps jumping pulley (1997-1999)
One owner with a 1997 1.9 dti had this, went through several belts and tensioners. One day whilst buying yet another belt, he asked a Renault mechanic about it and he remembered something about it on an internal memo - it turns out there was a modified alternator pulley that solves the problem.
Have to lock the car, unlock it again before it will start (1997-1999)
You haven't been reading your manual properly. This is a design (security) feature. You have to switch on the ignition within 30 seconds of unlocking the car. If it takes you longer than this to settle the children, etc, why not put the key in the ignition and turn it on without actually starting up? Then, a few minutes later when you're ready, just advance the key and start up for real.
Corroded wiper linkage (1997-1999)
From Robert West: Wipers..... one knuckle of the linkage gets water and road salt running onto it. This then corrodes and falls off. This has been corrected in the new linkage by a bellow cover to keep the water off. You can no longer buy the plastic fittings, the whole linkage must be replaced. Advice: if you don't have the extra bellow cover modification, grease up the linkage before it falls off.
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