Sooo much pooping

[stoice]

I feel the need to vent!!

 

Had my 02 clio 1.2 since it was about 18 months old with no problems. Until this winter. It has had an intermittent problem - usually in a heavy downpour (Which in this country is quite common) where the car feels like it looses acceleration and my speed drops. If it happens in a low gear it stalls. No lights dim or anything, it's related to the petrol mix i thought so I'd tried that redex stuff but no help. Anyway, friday night, just setting off to go home in a downpour and it's worse than ever. Undriveable really. Luckily my brother was not far behind in his car (We usually car share but that day i had a dr appointment so we came in our own cars). I limped to a petrol station and called the AA. He investigated and diagnosed a fault with the o2 sensor, loom box that is wearing down on wires and maybe the ECU all due to water ingress. Great. He wasn't confident that a standard garage would find the faults so recommended i take it to Renault dealer.

I was warned if it's as AA man described then it may be £500-£600, maybe more if it's something else he thought of. He didn't sound surprised it was a 1.2 clio with this fault either. My on-line research has found this is a common fault that all renault dealers know about. One guy had to pay over £900 to fix it! OMG!!!

 

If it's that common, why aren't they recalled or something. I think it's disgusting.

I still haven't got the official sum from the dealership yet but it's not that hopeful. I don't have that sort of money 'spare'. I may just pay for the diagnostic results and take it elsewhere - can i do that?

Either that or i may trade it in and get a newer car (With a loan for the rest)

 

Rah - so angry!

 

Ok, rant over.

 

Thanks

 

Stacey

[Redwing]

yes I would get them to diagnose it and give you the details in writing (which should specify parts) and then take it elsewhere, or use that threat to get the dealership repair price down

[Mrs Webmuppet]

What a pain, I hope it's not too expensive to fix.

 

Thanks for the warning.

 

I have an 07 1.2 Clio. My developed a fault with all the cold weather, it decided to start one day but not the next. Poor Mr W had to jump start it twice. I took into into the Renault garage that it came from. They tested it thoroughly and still couldn't find anything wrong with it ( I thought there was a problem with the battery). I ended up with 4 mechanics peering under the bonnet looking baffled! I suggested it was the battery that was duff ( but hey I'm a girl what do I know!). Anyway it has a nice new battery and it's a happier car.

 

Don't let them try to baffle you just 'cause you are a girl. I had to point out to the garage that yes I do know what I am talking about I used to be owned by a 1968 VW Beetle and my bedtime reading was the Haynes manual!

[stoice]

Mrs W

 

I don't know if the fault happens on the newer shape clios. I think 07 plate is the newest shape isn't it? But in case they are similar under the bonnet - one particular fault with my shape is the little metal box at the top at the back of the engine that covers the ECU (Centre yourself over your car and lean riiiiiight forward to the very back - really silly place for it) It has been merrily chomping through the wiring loom (Bundle of wires coming out of it) all the rubber padding has gone. As the wires wriggle and flex they can break up. Great. Hopefully yours is ok.

 

I've scared myself silly reading other peoples worries about clios problems and up until now i wouldn't believe them. here is where i found out about looms and stuff - and how much I'll be overcharged too!

 

My garage called me back. They're going to fix my bonnet catch FOC (Recalled all clios of my shape as the bonnets flew open while people were driving them) but they don't have the part till tomorrow. Then they said they'd like to drive my car about to see if they can pin point the original fault - so i repeated s l o w l y that it only happens in heavy rain, so they won't find anything now will they?

 

They've agreed to just 'price up worse case scenario' for me to decide what to do.

I'll find out tomorrow the 'damage'

[chelsea]

Don't know anything about Clio's im afraid but just wanted to add that I totally feel your frustration.

 

You were lucky that the AA man sort of diagnosed the problem, when our 02 Freelander broke down last Autumn the recovery just dumped me at the garage and left me there!

 

I hope you get it fixed and it's not too costly for you - our 4x4 is still sat on the drive un-fixed. They keep running it on diagnostics and saying "there's no problem" and as soon as we get in to drive it all the lights come on.

 

I think in future when a car runs out of warranty we will get rid of it pretty quick!

 

Let us know how you get on......

[Snowy]

The main problem seems to be these stupid computers that all cars have nowadays. If the computer doesn't flag up a fault, then there is obviously nothing wrong with it, no matter how many times it breaks down We had a problem with our Renault last year,in France of all places, where I was quietly confident that if anyone could fix it, a french garage could. Er ... guess again. "It's fine the computer says there is no problem". No of course there isn't, it's perfectly normal for it to stall at 70 miles an hour Back in the UK - "it's a fuel injector". Fuel injector replaced - £400. Fault reoccurs. It must be all the fuel injectors. All fuel injectors replaced. Another £1200. Fault reoccurs. "The computer still says there is nothing wrong with it, but the air filter looked like it needed replacing, so we did that. Give it a try" Fault resolved!!!! What the heck are they teaching car mechanics these days?? I feel your pain!

[chelsea]

What the heck are they teaching car mechanics these days?? I feel your pain! [/color]

 

I completely agree!

 

We were paying Land Rover £100 an hour for a top diagnostic man just to look at codes and he still could not find anything wrong despite a burning smell from the engine

 

It's almost like "little Britain" ....."computer says "no"......so they say "there's nowt wrong love"......

 

You've got to laugh or you'd cry.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Thanks for the info, Stoice. My Clio is the new shapped one but I will go and have a look under the bonnet and see if the ECU is in the same place. If it is I will know to keep a close eye on it.

 

The problem with modern cars is they are just so high tech. Gone are the days of a greasy mechanic and a spanner. I used to do oil changes etc on my old Beetle ( ok under supervision and with the Haynes manual to hand) but I wouldn't know where to start with a modern car

[stoice]

I miss my little vauxhall nova.

No frills but no high-tech-computer-stuff to go wrong either.

Great little car.

 

And why does it cost so much for them to plug our cars into a diagnostic machine anyway? Daylight robbery. (I feel another rant coming on. Breathe, Stacey, breathe. LOL)

[Seagazer]

I had a Renault 5 originally which was a fantastic little car and went like the wind .I then had an old shape Clio, manual and that was fantastic until I got a dog that was too big for the boot!

 

A few years back I bought a Clio automatic (old shape), it was absolutely rubbish and would accelerate at all. I kept taking it back, it was only a couple of years old, but they said that the 'puter says there's nothing wrong with it.

 

I sold it within a year, I was so disappointed . I loved the other Clios. My OH thinks my problem was more to do with it being an automatic in a small car

 

I hope you manage to sort your car out without having to stump up lots of cash.

[missuscluck]

Sorry to hear you are having car problems. You are quite within your rights to ask for their verdict on your problems and take it elsewhere if you have paid for the diagnostic check then that information is yours to do with as you will.

 

My advice to you would be to ring round when you have this info and get a few quotes. Try someone in the phone book who is a renault independant specialist. If they are renault only parts that you need, they will have to come from renault anyway so the cost will be the same for the parts but the labour rate will be considerably less, so you will make a saving here. If you are really lucky the parts you require may be available 'after market'. The manufacturers of cars do not manufacture the parts themselves so parts are often available, exactly the same but not in the dealers box, at a considerable saving. Not all parts are availible 'after market' though, but its well worth an ask.

 

The reason why you pay such a lot of money for it to be plugged into a computer for diagnosis is that the equipment used to diagnose your fault is extremly expensive and unfortunatly as modern cars cant run without the stupid computers that are now standard it is impossible to do the job without one. Also the equipment needed wont run without an also very expensive subscription to the keepers of all the information.

 

I run a citroen independant workshop and have done so for the last 19 years. the jobs not what it used to be. Cars are so complicated these days and we spend an awfull lot of time using computer equipment to daignose faults. There is an element of 'the computer says no' but it does depend on the skill of the operator and their will to try and sort it out.

 

Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out.