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Megane MK3 250 Cup

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 🤣
I see nothing has changed for Renault ...
 
Well an Eventful drive home today, Brake warning light kept coming up while driving, mainly nose down - thinking it just needed topped up. Nope, started coming up more and more - even driving on the flat. So i still had a pedal so done what anyone would do, turn the radio up to drown out the beeping of the warning.

So got the car home and whipped the front drivers wheel off, a few weeks ago when i was changing the pads, that side wasn't the nicest to change. Also the rubbers were past their best. So i had order up replacement seals to change them all out hen the weather was better. Well today forced my hand, or so i thought.

Whipped the caliper off, and started stripping them, 3 Pistons out and the look alright, no pitting or scoring. then i manage to get the last piston out, no such luck there. really bad pitting etc, so i know i wont be putting that back in, pointless when it'll happen again.

So have ordered up replacement Pistons to put back in, so they should be here Thursday , so until then the car is on an axle stand. Bloody Renaults!!

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So managed to get a new Piston set and sort the caliper today, So all back to being good and no signs of leakage - so all good on that front, built back up and cleaned down all the arch where brake fluid hit. Then gave it a wash after (No Pics) However the best bit of the day / Before starting the caliper i noticed on a Megane forum someone selling a set of 4 Steev alloys that is essentially local to me for ÂŁ100 - Yes ÂŁ100!! They need a refurb and i need 2 tyre's, but ive been after a set for ages and anyone selling them is down south and wont post. So these will get refurbed over the coming time and put on the car.

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Well i went and done a thing, it's up in the air if i'll keep it or not - as it is far more wooshie/fluttery than what i had on the MK2. Will be keeping the inlet hose, but unsure if i'll go back to the OEM airbox (Has a Panel Filter)

Also i've got bits for the rear calipers, they are really sticky, so got a rebuild kit for them, also the brake lines going into the caliper - my luck they will snap, so better to be safe than sorry. Will update when i get around to doing them.

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So Another update,

I knew the rear calipers needed looked at, handbrake was rubbish & putting the pistons in were getting harder and harder. So with the weather paying ball yesterday i made a start - i had collected new seal kits and also new brake lines, as like any old brake line, were def not coming out the caliper without snapping. So with all the pieces i started stripping the rears, but made sure both the bleed nipple and line in the caliper could be moved free - thankfully both were on both sides of the car.

One side the reason the piston wasn't moving, the rubber boot was that bad all caught up in it, so no chance of moving. i decided to get all the corroded paint of one of the calipers, and re-paint. But was impatient and needed the car that night, so only painted the one side - and not the best. Will get a couple of old units and do it properly. Same with the fronts. Also put a new set of pads in - will need discs soon enough.

Once both sides done, i bled all the brakes, front and back just to make sure all was good, now have a functioning handbrake and brakes again.

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My rears on the mk4 are starting to go the same way. Where the paint has flaked anyway. Will be on my future "keep an eye on" list as they move nicely still
 
Another Small but worthwhile fix/relocation. The car has an Airtec intercooler fitted - so much bigger than standard and as such the horns were placed above the crash bar and not fitted how they are meant to, they supply a bracket etc to mount them. But every since having the car really i noticed the horn wasn't the best. Had the Bumper of previously and the horns sit upside down - so would just fill with water after a wash etc. I tried turning them round, but not enough cable and the bumper didn't sit right, so left as it is.

But alas it came to point on the drive home when i need to use the horn and nothing, but a small wet fart, full of water no doubt. So when i got home set about relocating the Horns, this involved cutting the plug off and soldering an extension piece in and relocating them. all joins were properly, heat shrunk each wire and then together, and then finally tessa tapped them - Only pics were of the old placement and then the horns in their new home - behind the passenger side front bumper. THey are also facing down so shouldn't be collecting water again - all tested and working.

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So not updated in a while - (lots of words here sorry) not much happening at the minute, but still a few jobs ticked off. Lets start with what happened with a weird vibration that i was having through the car, not long after i put the cone filter on, so i swapped back to the OE airbox with Panel filter - still the same issue. So a nice day at a weekend i jack'd up and had a look, Low and behold the gearbox was sitting on the Lower arm again!! Now back in the thread you will note that the gearbox mount had went with the Bolt snapping. Fortunately it was still within the 12 months for Rentec doing the work - this is where it got weird, normally with parts, get the usual 12 months warranty, but what they had done was send the mount away to be drilled and tapped, new bolt.

But they were more than happy to book the car in to have a look and work out where to go from there. Me being me i thought lets have a look, so whipped the battery box out etc and there was the bolt, i was half expecting the head just to fall away if it had snapped, to my surprise nope solid!! So out with the jack and stands, jack'd the box up and simply tightened the bolt back up, Phone'd the garage back to advise this, but still wanted the car to check it all.

This is where the garage experience is a little off, i also said when the car to do the driveshaft on that side as it was weeping (I knew a charge for this as above and beyond the box) So got the call of the Garage with regards to the gearbox mount, inspected and found no issue, so were going to strip and re-build for peace of mind. Anyway got back from time away and still no call from garage, so phoned asking etc and also ask'd price for shaft seal etc, this is were it pissed me off - oh i forgot to mention that let me check (Had already the car a week) Erm we can get the seal for the following day as showing stock wo ready the following day. Bit pissed off but no real issue, got a lift to work etc. go all through the day with no call, so called up at back of 3, erm part never got delivered so be the following day. I got miffed now as they had the car over a week and still not got it done (also lack of updates etc) so again the following day still no call all day, so phoned half 3 and art was in, but car on ramp - so said i'd call back in hour to advise on me heading down. (Got the car Back) But really poor service from customer point of view of being told to do the shaft seal from the get go - Really busy garage, seems to much work and not enough staff. Just don't understand why it wasn't all done at the same time!

Now that was a long read, now onto the latest, you would have noted i sorted the calipers with new seals a while back, but on driving home from work, getting brake system warning etc, great another leak, so checked all the wheels for fluid spray and low and behold the rear drivers caliper was leaking from the nipple. So tried tightening and nope still leaking, tried tightening again, and went from righty tighty, to righty loose. Great!!

Onto the usual breakers for the cars, and nothing for a single caliper, so into ebay with the part number - caliper for ÂŁ51 - the same but different in the fact it has the spring for the handbrake cable, other than that, exactly the same as a TRW one, still a 38mm piston so all good. Got it all sprayed up and on the car, and much better. However i'll need to replace the passenger side one too, just so fully refreshed. But what u did do with it - strip the arms for the handbrake cable, and completely full of shite behind the rubber cover, swapped out and cleaned all the build up and works like new. Anyway onto to some pics and the typical bodge to a leaky caliper to keep you on the road ha ha.

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Well Small update, Since i had the Air intake pipe in Black silicon, thought i'd get the Turbo elbow, K-tec had a recent delivery. So ordered one up and got it fitted, That clip Renault have is utter nonsense - I've contacted them as there is an issue with it and it upsets my OCD, have a look and see if you can notice it.

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So another small update, the great washer tube Renault use for the headlight washers, well we all know it is just rubbish. One side was leaking so anytime i filled up it would leak out - so off with the bumper and new tube bought and all is well again - While the bumper was off, i also got a white touch up brush for the Airtec - has seen better days. So before and after pics of that.

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Thanks,

Intercooler really needs to come off to spray black again then do the Airtec logo again, but thats another day 🤣
I'm so glad i opted for a silver one. Was very noticeable when it was new, but now it's a bit dirty it blends in well.

Did clean up well! Way better.
 
I'm so glad i opted for a silver one. Was very noticeable when it was new, but now it's a bit dirty it blends in well.

Did clean up well! Way better.
The intercooler was already on the car when i bought it, so a bonus for me there. I'm off work few a weeks after an operation (however need to take it easy) so will see what happens.

I'm currently looking for decent pads that don't cost the world
 
The intercooler was already on the car when i bought it, so a bonus for me there. I'm off work few a weeks after an operation (however need to take it easy) so will see what happens.

I'm currently looking for decent pads that don't cost the world

I ran mintex 1144 on my Megane. I found them a really good all rounder but with better performance than OE spec. Reasonably priced too.
 
Performance front pads are a big spend for the 250 sadly. Ive been looking and anything decent seems to be ÂŁ350+.
 
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