A handful of queries

[sputniknick]

Hi there, i bought a cc 2004 1.9 dci dynamique 60k earlier this week and i have a few queries:

1) the speakers are advertized as 4x15W at the moment, if i get a new stereo that's maybe 4x50W, will that kill my speakers?
2) i scroll through my trip computer screens and i only have "average MPG", i don't have a "current MPG", is this a feature only on certain models?
3) under the panel where you put the card key and in front of the in car charger bit, there is another panel with a small lip on it... what does that do?
4) my stereo stalk controller has a button underneath... what does that do? and can i not change tracks on this stalk controller? at the moment i can only adjust volume, pause/resume and change radio <> cd
5) has anyone been through a car wash?

that is all the questions i can think of at the moment, i too have the dreaded sticking rear quarter light that doesn't go down with two switches but the switch to control all windows makes it work, it's booked back into the dealers to get sorted under warranty next week

i've also noticed this forum is quite dead? i also have an alfa and they're booming with people readily getting their hands dirty for fixes/repairs etc

thanks in advance

[synchro]

Hi there, i bought a cc 2004 1.9 dci dynamique 60k earlier this week and i have a few queries:

1) the speakers are advertized as 4x15W at the moment, if i get a new stereo that's maybe 4x50W, will that kill my speakers?
2) i scroll through my trip computer screens and i only have "average MPG", i don't have a "current MPG", is this a feature only on certain models?
3) under the panel where you put the card key and in front of the in car charger bit, there is another panel with a small lip on it... what does that do?
4) my stereo stalk controller has a button underneath... what does that do? and can i not change tracks on this stalk controller? at the moment i can only adjust volume, pause/resume and change radio <> cd
5) has anyone been through a car wash?

that is all the questions i can think of at the moment, i too have the dreaded sticking rear quarter light that doesn't go down with two switches but the switch to control all windows makes it work, it's booked back into the dealers to get sorted under warranty next week

i've also noticed this forum is quite dead? i also have an alfa and they're booming with people readily getting their hands dirty for fixes/repairs etc

thanks in advance

Hi to you, and welcome to the wonderful world of CC ownership. I've had mine since October and love it.
I'm loving it more now the sun is starting to come out!
I'll try and answer your questions.
1. Not sure about the speakers, but if they're rated at 15w and you put more in, they'll probably distort
like hell long before you blow them up!
2. Mine only gives me average mpg
3. This panel is a cover for the cars diagnostic OBD socket
4. That button on mine changes the radio band I think from memory
5. I've used car washes and jet washes without any problems whatsoever

I also have a 1.9 diesel. Be aware your car is due for a timing belt change, so make
Sure this has been done. It's better to be safe than sorry. Renault did mine for
£500 including all ancillary belts. Other garages were very slightly cheaper, but
Renault also use a special electronic belt tensioner to guarantee it is correct.

Enjoy your new car!

[sputniknick]

Hi, thanks for that quick response!

I can stop trying to yank off that panel whilst at red lights now, I have the cable from my Alfa that's OBD2 so I think that'll be compatible with this
It's annoying that it only gives average MPG as this engine seems to prefer higher revs compared to the Alfa 1.9mjtd which could sit at 1600 revs comfortably, this one seems to want 2100 revs before gear changes, I've stalled this a few times going from 1st to 2nd gear as I'm not putting enough revs in (either that or I'm putting it into 4th gear... which is a possibility...)
I picked the car up on Tuesday and had the timing belt kit and waterpump done on Wednesday at a garage I always use, I was only charged £100 labor + parts, Evans Halshaw have an offer at the moment I think for timing belt kit change for £299

Do you know if there is a power graph for this engine that will show bhp and torque across the rev bands? I know on the newest renaults, the catalogue shows this information on their latest engines

I installed a new CR2025 battery into both keycards and it still says on the dash to replace card batteries?
Finally, when I turn the steering wheel, I can hear some clicking noises, I searched the net and found this...

About the clicking noise you hear when you fully turn the steering wheel left or right, this is not normal it is a known manufacturing fault in almost all the Meganes and they provide the solution to it. You have to visit the nearest Renault service center, where this will exchange a bolt and a nut at the bottom of the steering column,torque it to 28 Newton meter and then apply a double tube silicon adhesive to eliminate friction.

So that's another thing to add when it goes back to dealers garage, there seems to be an awful lot of common problems with the megane

[willholdsworth]

A car wash! That is terrible..... Might aswell get somone to key your car while you are at it

(Im do Detailing hence my reply)

Al the answer given to you already are spot on, as per the other questions, your best bet is to visit a dealer...

[synchro]

I'm glad you had the belts and pump done. Better safe than sorry!

My last car was a petrol so I can't comment on the revs, although I find
Sixth gear very high.

I've not seen a power graph for the engine. I think yours will be a 120bhp
Non fap version though.

I've heard of the key fob internal aerial wire snapping. Maybe this could
Cause a low output making the car think the batteries are low?

My steering doesn't click, but the ABS solenoids sometimes self test and
Click when pulling away. I heard of this before I bought the car, so just
Got used to it. It's not all the time and it's not annoying enough to worry
Me.

The only other advice I have is to buy from silicon grease from the local
Plumbers merchant. Smear this on all the seals. It stops leaks and rattles.

Check out the following site for info:

https://www.cabriault.com/meganecc/tips/index_uk.htm

[morganjake1544]

Welcome,

2. Current MPG is shown in all the handbooks but I'm sure that it has never been operational on UK spec cars, only average MPG. (I must have handed over maybe 1,200 new cars to customers when I sold Renaults and not one had the current mpg).

4. The button under the stereo control has a couple of functions (if I remember correctly). If you have the multi CD it changes which CD is in play, if you're in radio mode it changes it from presets to list, to manual tuning. To change tracks on CD or radio presets rotate the wheel on the back of the control either up or down.

Regards

[sputniknick]

Hi, thank you for the responses so far everyone, I've made a note of some of them so I can take back to the dealer this Thursday.

Alas I finally found the twisty thing to change track on my CD, I thought it was quite stupid at first with only being able to control volume etc!

I went to fill up with diesel earlier and the bloody fuel filler cap comes flying off leaving the black thing underneath that pivots out, I've slotted the color coded filler cap back onto the rubber black pivot thing but I'm a bit annoyed how flimsy it was in the first place. It means my filler cap doesn't lock anymore when the car is locked too.

Oh, how do I know whether my car has the handsfree mode? at the moment I use the keycards remote features to lock/unlock and I have to put the card into the card slot in the dash to start engine but there's a small black panel behind the door handles which I haven't figured out what they do yet?

[synchro]

If you have handsfree entry the handles have a sensor behind them on the bodywork, in the shape of a square
plastic section. If you are carrying your card it just detects it when you grab the handle. To lock the car just push the door lock button on the handle.

In the car, it also detects the card in your pocket and let's you start the car. I'm not sure if this is
Standard on the Dinamique model though? maybe all cars have the plastic sensor cover, even when the actual handsfree isn't fitted?

[morganjake1544]

Hands free.....
....dynamiques don't have it as std......privilege did....Oasis did.....optional on everything else I think. It's the small oval button built into the door handle itself that is unique to the hands free.
Hope that helps.

[ChrisM]

If you have handsfree entry the handles have a sensor behind them on the bodywork, in the shape of a square
plastic section.

They all have these, but only the hands free locking systems have the outer door handle with the button on the front, on both passenger and driver handles, non handsfree are just smooth faced.
pain in the bum anyway, only work when they feel like it the opening side is ok but the pittyfuly weak button only works as and when it feels like it, I find I use my card to lock it even though it is hands free.

As for a car wash NEVER! it flayes the hide of them, you will end up with thousands of tiny scratched on the body work, I prefere to hand wash it myself so I can get a decent look at the bodywork as I go around it...

[sputniknick]

I have my car booked into my local Evans Halshaw later today (I bought the car from a Renault EH) and I'll be taking the following problems to them:

1) Nearside quarter light window doesn't go down when using passenger switch or nearside rear door panel switch, centre console switch operates fine for putting it up and down however
2) Clicking noise after turning steering wheel and accelerating (i.e. turning a corner) – More noticeable after start up for a short time (in the morning etc)
3) Replaced battery in key card but dash still says replace card battery
4) Air con does nothing

I understand 1 and 2 are common and maybe 4 just needs re-gassing (I hope)

[ChrisM]

If it needs re gassing you need to investigate why, hopefully the dealer will put a colour in it so a leak can be spotted easy, if it has no gas or low gas you may have a dry seal.
Good luck!

[sputniknick]

So after having the car in for a single day, then telling me they'll need it in a few more days and giving me a crappy 1.2 clio hire car for a week, I finally got the Megane back, I only got it last month and have only been in possession of it for maybe 50% of that with the rest being in a garage somewhere!

Anyway, the following were all sorted free of charge "under warranty":

Faulty keycard was replaced with a brand new one
Handbrake play was tightened... I think they took the pish a bit with tightening it as it's not rock solid and locks fully after two clicks...
Air con fault was sorted by replacing the air pressure sensor, then was regassed and now fine again
Rattling noise underneath car was down to sh1t tray (sump guard) bolts corroded and snapped coil spring, they removed sump guard but quoted me £329 to change coil spring, I declined their offer and got it done at a mates garage £36 coil spring + £30 labour this evening
Clicking noise on steering was sorted by replacing driveshaft
The rear passenger window not working with two out of the three switches they said was due to a failed regulator (...even though it still works with the center switch) they wouldn't be prepared to pay out however Renault have got the 75% contribution policy in place, I since took legal advice and wrote a letter demanding they (Evans Halshaw) fix it free of charge or get taken to court as I only bought the car last month which is when my contract begins with them, not when the car was manufactured as what the dealer seems to think...

Hmmm, that's all I think there is to it, the brakes on the Clio 1.2 were increadibly good, my Meganes' brakes are pretty useless although they seem to pass an MOT and stop me eventually and had new pads all around fitted two months ago, can I improve braking by changing the discs? And finally, the clutch pedal is pretty stiff, is there somewhere I can get access to to lubricate near the clutch bell housing? Or are they generally stiff clutches?

Thanks

[ChrisM]

mine is a 1.9DCi 2004.
Brakes - car will stop on a six pence (old money) all discs and pads changed as they where coroded front are EBC as are pads, rears are OE from Renault pads EBC, having said that even with coroded discs it still stopped very smartish when needed to, you may need a brakefluid change!
Hand brake - have read on here some where about h/brake adjustment and how it should not be adjusted to tightly, (low) perhaps you should do a quick web search on it.
Rear reg - I always thought it was a regulator problem this 3 switch problem, and I bet it is down to water damage on your rear reg it has a 6 wire "comfort" conector on the regulator ECU, windows go haywire when this gets wet, tis a common problem as Renault due to the fact they must have only just come into the car manufacture business have had the window regualator put at the bottom of the window panel so any water that leaks runs down the metal window carrage (panel) and folows the contors directly to.... Yep you guessed the REG!, it has been mounted on the lowest part of the carrage with some really nice chanels to guide water right to it.
No idea with clutch pedal, mine is quite light really but they do tend to squeek some times so the piviot on the pedal may need some lube, other than that could be a cable issue, all it takes are a few strands to break insidd the sheath and the pedal gets tighter, unfortunatly nothing you can do if this is the problem no amount of lube in the world will change it = new cable! other idea may have had an aftermarket clutch fitted not the Renault OE one, these as with most other makes are a lot harsher than OE products, personally I would be looking towards pedal or cable myself.