Duncan Grier
Well-Known Member
Dave is far more than a mechanic.....he is 'special' 
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Clio My 197/Meglio conversion
- Thread starter DaveL485
- Start date
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- conversion
Dave is far more than a mechanic.....he is 'special'
He’s just like a mechanic, but Lankier.
DaveL485
Staff member
I used a Phase 2 225 loom but the R26 loom should be the same.
It gets a lot harder/more complex with a Phase 1 225 loom/ECU so would advise against that.
DaveL485
Staff member
I've been carefully monitoring fluid levels since the conversion, the expansion tank dropped a bit initially which is fine, air bubbles and all that, but it kept dropping and needing a small top up - 3 times now in 200 miles so it's losing coolant. I had a hunt around the engine bay a couple of times but no sign of any issues, nothing dripping, so last night I waited till it was dark and went out for a look with a bright torch (different light types and perspective can help sometimes). As I was shinig the torch around the engine back I caught a little glisten from the bulkhead at the very back, and a quick check revealed a bit of wet from the matrix hoses, it looks like the spring-clip on the hose I didnt change to the jubilee isnt quite tight enough either and it's weeping a bit. I'll change that out tonight and hopefully that will stabilise the coolant level.
It also put the "Check emissions" light on the dash after 180 miles, I expect this is the decat? To be investigated.
Other than that - this conversion makes the car everything it should have been in the first place, with basically no trade off. It's superb, and with 15% better economy doing 5000 miles a year the fuel saving will pay for the balance of the conversion in around 4 years.
Next steps-
Proper air filter
Mount expansion tank properly
Tidy up the top crossmember
Remove the rest of the AC pipework
Change fuel pump (service interval)
New front pads, new rear discs and pads (wear related)
Remap
It also put the "Check emissions" light on the dash after 180 miles, I expect this is the decat? To be investigated.
Other than that - this conversion makes the car everything it should have been in the first place, with basically no trade off. It's superb, and with 15% better economy doing 5000 miles a year the fuel saving will pay for the balance of the conversion in around 4 years.
Next steps-
Proper air filter
Mount expansion tank properly
Tidy up the top crossmember
Remove the rest of the AC pipework
Change fuel pump (service interval)
New front pads, new rear discs and pads (wear related)
Remap
Probably, however are you running a SMF?
DaveL485
Staff member
I don't believe so, but i'm not 100%. Why would this put the emissions light on?
Because Renault.
If only there was a way to get a spare header tank lid , drill it out and fit a bike tyre valve and glue it in place to raise the pressure ...Decat is probably throwing the light on, bang clip on it and see what codes are stored. Best way to find coolant leaks is to whack 1bar of pressure into the header tank
If only..
DaveL485
Staff member
30 miles later and it's turned the EML off
hahaha French cars eh! Drove it on the 70-mile work run today to see if the coolant level has stabilised after I sorted the matrix pipe. It really is now a fun car, even on the commute!
I bet 50p then that its has a SMF. Mine did that when I first had it installed. Light goes on30 miles later and it's turned the EML off
Drove it on the 70-mile work run today to see if the coolant level has stabilised after I sorted the matrix pipe. It really is now a fun car, even on the commute!
Light goes off
DaveL485
Staff member
Nope, both still in the normal (decat) downpipe locations. I do have the Clio cat still in the exhaust, though its after the second lamba, if it comes on again I might switch the 2nd sensor to the OE Clio place behind the cat.
DaveL485
Staff member
Coolant level stable, so thats sorted.
Took the battery tray out Saturday and used a dremel to skim a bit off the battery tray, and then the top of the linkage edge where it was catching, now reverse engages properly which was pleasing, otherwise I was facing having to strip out the main gearbox suspended mount which would be a ballache.
Took the second lambda out the downpipe, plugged the hole, refitted it behind the 197 cat and extended the wiring. Will see if that gets rid of the EML.
Took the battery tray out Saturday and used a dremel to skim a bit off the battery tray, and then the top of the linkage edge where it was catching, now reverse engages properly which was pleasing, otherwise I was facing having to strip out the main gearbox suspended mount which would be a ballache.
Took the second lambda out the downpipe, plugged the hole, refitted it behind the 197 cat and extended the wiring. Will see if that gets rid of the EML.
DaveL485
Staff member
Door handle shenanigans, as the keyless "Lock" button stopped working and the paint had faded.
Old left, new right
Soldered on
Stuck back in with goop.
I left the metal ball bearing putton push bit on top with the pokey green rubber bit under it, then sat the new button under that. Also painted the handle while it was off
Unfortunately my compressor fired up just after the first lacquer coat and blew a couple of bits into the paint, which was annoying.
Reassembly was also a sod, getting everything to sit right. Tested it out OK before refit of the handle but first refit the button was pressed in permanently, then second refit the goop pulled out of the handle back and I cracked one of the locating tabs, then I got annoyed and damaged the paint on the button reassembling it
so going to start over with a new handle. The keyless and button do work now but it was so much hassle!
Old left, new right
Soldered on
Stuck back in with goop.
I left the metal ball bearing putton push bit on top with the pokey green rubber bit under it, then sat the new button under that. Also painted the handle while it was off
Unfortunately my compressor fired up just after the first lacquer coat and blew a couple of bits into the paint, which was annoying.
Reassembly was also a sod, getting everything to sit right. Tested it out OK before refit of the handle but first refit the button was pressed in permanently, then second refit the goop pulled out of the handle back and I cracked one of the locating tabs, then I got annoyed and damaged the paint on the button reassembling it
so going to start over with a new handle. The keyless and button do work now but it was so much hassle!
DaveL485
Staff member
I was on the way home last Tuesday and the battery light came on, and "Low Battery" on the dash screen. Subsequent checks showed the wiring seemed OK, and it wasn't charging so I made the assumption the Alternator had gone for a burton.
So - Saturday the whole front end came off for easy access
Didnt need to take the rad off or drain it which was a help, whipped the Alternator off - it looks like the bolts are too long to come out against the chassis but actually the channels in the braket have cutouts so you can just pull the Alt forward without removing the bolts out.
I replaced the Megane original Alternator with the one that came off the 197 lump, although the Meg one is 1 pin and the Clio one is 2 pin, and you have to split the main battery cable from the main loom and reroute it slightly it does go on and it does work
So it's all back together and working again. I did also change a lambda to try and get rid of the bloody EML, as the fault was "Sensor 2 heater circuit" so need to get that reset now. I also wanted to make a bracket for the header tank, but it's so awkward with nothing solid to bolt to so I sacked that off, left the large ziptie there and maybe i'll just make a header tank to fit or something.
So - Saturday the whole front end came off for easy access
Didnt need to take the rad off or drain it which was a help, whipped the Alternator off - it looks like the bolts are too long to come out against the chassis but actually the channels in the braket have cutouts so you can just pull the Alt forward without removing the bolts out.
I replaced the Megane original Alternator with the one that came off the 197 lump, although the Meg one is 1 pin and the Clio one is 2 pin, and you have to split the main battery cable from the main loom and reroute it slightly it does go on and it does work
So it's all back together and working again. I did also change a lambda to try and get rid of the bloody EML, as the fault was "Sensor 2 heater circuit" so need to get that reset now. I also wanted to make a bracket for the header tank, but it's so awkward with nothing solid to bolt to so I sacked that off, left the large ziptie there and maybe i'll just make a header tank to fit or something.
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