Megane MK3 250 Cup

[Ian_R]

Well, it was an eventful week last week, the car broke it's self. Driving to work in the morning and about 10 mins into the journey a distinctive noise change in driving, sounded like an exhaust blow but mechanical. Now my first thought is that's the clutch went change me now and broke something, or something completely different. Pulled over and popped the bonnet and had a look underneath, nothing looking untoward - what put me off the idea of not being the clutch, is it was still driving and not slipping in anyway - but still something wrong. So after 5 mins of what to do, thought sod it - i head down to Rentec in Edinburgh (Renault Specialist) as if it is the clutch, they would be doing it anyway.

Anyway, got there at 7.50 - don't open until 8.30 - so a wait and watched them move out all the nice cars currently being worked on, and went and chinned them, explained everthing, and his thoughts - gearbox Bolt - now i had it on my radar to check/replace but as yet not done. Anyway, up on the ramp to check and boom, gearbox mount bolt snapped. The relieve of that rather than a clutch, but still not good - anyway the question asked, when can you do it, erm next week was the answer, I explained any chance that day/tomorrow would be really good (issue was a mech was off that day) Fortunately they fitted it in, so i was expecting it back the following day, but nope, back the same day. What a service. So the most expensive bolt i think i have ever bought, Sent mount away to an engineer to drill and tap for a bigger bolt.

Also to note while it was on the ramp mentioned the clutch line was weeping at the dampener. So i had ordered a HEL clutch line, which i fitted this evening, fairly straight forward apart from bleeding it. google to the rescue and @Brigsy with advice on another forum, syringe bought and filled etc, and have a pedal. Just fortunate i was able to drive it down to the garage to sort.

 

[Aldo]

The bleeding procedure is a bit of a twat!

Glad it was only the bolt that had failed and not something more serious

 

[DaveL485]

The bleeding procedure is a bit of a twat!

Glad it was only the bolt that had failed and not something more serious

Its such a stupid setup isnt it.

 

[Ian_R]

Your telling me, good job google is a thing and screwfix sold a giant pump/syringe thingy. Just bizarre and daft you have to inject fluid in ha ha.

 

[Aldo]

I think because from the slave connection down to the actuator is a dead leg, its just a big air trap.

I normally use a long bit of poly tube on the nipple, open the valve and let the fluid level even out. Then use my mk1 air pump to blow fluid back down. It starts to displace the air thats trapped.

It would be far easier if the nipple was on a little return pipe after the actuator part. Would bleed no bother.

 

[Ian_R]

So Small update, nothing exciting really, thought i may have broke it after what i done.

Since it has been nice weather recently, i thought i'd take the re-circ blanking plate off / i have a OEM one. Checked with Chris at EFi when he mapped it i planned on putting it back on, and said there would be no issues with regards to the map. So stripped down the scuttle, and as always found a swimming pool, so unblocked that yet again and flushed with a hose, lubed everything up and cleaned the areas. Whipped the intake hose off and proceeded to swap items out, What a complete sod the top bolt is for them.

Got it all bolted back up, took it down the end of street and seemed all good. Parked up and washed.

Well the following day driving into work yet again, lost power and what felt like all the boost. no smoke, engine still working fine, no limp mode, just no boost. Now i'm thinking the worst as always, and the only thing i had done was swap over the blanking plate. anyway job for after work.

Driving home pulled the RS monitor up and looked at boost and was not going above 150mbar - anyway got the car home and rather than pulling everything apart again, thought i'll just blank the lines for the valve, have the same effect as the blanking plate. Rather than pulling front end off to check for boost leaks etc. Done that and drove the car along the street, still the exact same. Rage was an understatement - so thinking to myself that it has to be a boost leak somewhere - i'll need to whip the bumper off and start to check all the hoses.

This is where my luck changed, as i was sorting the vac pipes i noticed the pipe that what i assume pumps noise into the cabin (Goes into the scuttle) was completely off. I'm thinking no way its this easy and this pipe, put back on, made sure it was tight, and boom, back to full boosting. Obv not been tight enough since before i got the car, as i haven't had it off etc. So that saved a lot faffing about taking bumper off etc. Anyway a couple of pics - forgot to get proper in depth ones as i was doing the job.

 

[Ian_R]

So After @Leew1985 pointed me in the direction of some tape, i went and got it, and below is the results, i think with the black blade and the colour of the car it really does work.

 

[Leew1985]

So After @Leew1985 pointed me in the direction of some tape, i went and got it, and below is the results, i think with the black blade and the colour of the car it really does work.

View attachment 213548
View attachment 213549

Looks good mate

 

[Ian_R]

Small Updates, Nothing to exciting, but updates none the less. Got myself a Pioneer GM-D1004 Amp for the god awful stereo. What a difference it has made, so just need to get some tweeters and possibly upgrade the speakers as well.

Also done a little bit of body work, with having the shorter plate - there was a few screw holes that had been made by absolute twats that can not use the marks for the number plate. So ordered up some paint and filled and painted the rear number plate plinth - Colour match is not the worst in the world (Forgot to take a Final Pic) But saves putting it into a shop.

 

[Ian_R]

Not really an update, just a bit of maintenance. Decided the other week when it was decentish weather up here in sunny Scotland to remove and clear out behind the arch liners on the rear, and also gave the rear beam a knock to get the surface rust off and a coat of black. Need to remove the fronts, but for the time they got a wash without removal. Need to take the bumper off anyway to sort the horn, sounds like a wet fart and sort that.

 

[Ian_R]

So Another small update,

The handbrake gaiter had seen better days, 2 small tears on this. So seen a company called Kolor Koncept and they do stuff in Alcantara and various colour stitching etc. So bought one and pictures below are the end result. Think i'll get the Gear Gaiter next again in the same colour as handbrake gaiter. They also do a cover for the arm rest, but unsure on those, as you have to stick this down on top of the existing vinyl.

 

[Ian_R]

Small Update, Nothing really exciting - Needed to change the oil in the old girl, so thought i'd try out a new Purchase, Vacuum pump, worked well, apart from wishing i had a pneumatic one. Also got an RStuner - undecided if i will keep or not, as i will have to buy the Module for Megane ECU at 98 euro for it to work with the car, so undecided yet, was also looking at installing Renolink if anyone has any thoughts? Also gave it a wash for the first time in a good while, starting freezing by the time i finished.

 

[Adey]

I have renolink, vary capable and equally dangerous if you aren't careful. I also have an RS tuner and I needed an upgrade with extra modules for the mk4 Clio so ended up with renolink instead

 

[Ian_R]

I have renolink, vary capable and equally dangerous if you aren't careful. I also have an RS tuner and I needed an upgrade with extra modules for the mk4 Clio so ended up with renolink instead

Thats the thing, £30-£40 for renolink or the £100 for RStuner - the one i bought is the pro, and also has MK2 clio ABS module on it, so i'll make my money back if i sell it. Good thing with Renolink is Key coding aswell. Knowing me, i'll prob end up with both, although need to get some plugs and pollen filter for thing aswell

 

[Brigsy]

Vac pump ftw. Get more oil out via dipstick than taking sump plug out.

Renolink for diagnostics and oem reprogramming. RsTuner for logging.

 

[Ian_R]

Vac pump ftw. Get more oil out via dipstick than taking sump plug out.

Renolink for diagnostics and oem reprogramming. RsTuner for logging.

Cheers, Thought you'd have the good lowdown and experience, think i'll make the renolink purchase first, then look at unlocking the RStuner. Yeah the Vac pump worked well, just a shame you still get oil over your hand with the bloody oil filter

 

[Ian_R]

Another small update,

So got myself a set of feeler gauges, and brake fluid tester, 1st of wanted to make sure the fluid was alright, and it was, will change it out in the warmer months when i rebuild the calipers. But i've had this weird intermittent fault recently, where if i am sitting in 4th/5th gear about 30-40 MPH and put the foot down, i get a terrible shutdown of power (Like limp mode for a split second) and then all is normal. Any time its done it, it has thrown a code of 061A61 - Now googling this it brings an old thread up on Meganesport.net mentioning possible spark plugs (Hence the feeler gauges) But what is wierd is when i plug code reader in, say the fault is in Variable PAS - i suspect however this is nonsense.

So today i whipped them out one by one, to check gapping and to make sure they are the correct ones. All correct plugs but the gapping could have been better, one was 0.83ish and the other 3 all roughly about 0.62, so i have closed them all down to 0.6 and see how i get on with them, will be purchasing a new set of plugs anyway. If anyone has any thoughts i'm all ears.

 

[Ian_R]

Well, it was a little sunny yesterday, so thought you know what i'll change my pollen filter. Renault are absolute weapons for not doing anything for RHD cars and leaving it in the same place as LHD cars. The positions you have to get in to change the bloody thing. I'll be leaving for 2 years thats for sure. But on the added bonus, Aircon seems to be sorted. Also don't think the filter has ever been changed from new.

 

[andybond]

That looks like a "fun" job!

 

[Ian_R]

That looks like a "fun" job!

See if it was a LHD car, then 10 mins to change i reckon, but good old Renault in their wisdom - need to remove clutch pedal, sneaky hidden nut at the top, pain to get too, and then you can't fully move really because of the fluid lines