RM04 MOR - Arctic Blue 182

I put the car back into storage recently as I’ve got a new daily shed - A MK1 Berlingo 1.9D It fits the bikes in the back and I can leave it without worrying if it’s going to get pinched, so it’s a win win. A 70hp non-turbo diesel lump takes some getting used to though…

So, I pulled the Clio out of storage for its MOT today. Annoyingly, I noticed the drivers headlight was high and the rear lights had a bad earth. I didn’t have time to fix them, so it initially failed. Once sorted it passed with flying colours.

Managed to wash all the crap off it too, as I didn’t have time to wash it before storing it.


Sorted the CTEK comfort connector , so
it’s easier to hook up the charger conditioner over winter.



It’s off to Rentec at the end of Nov for belts etc. It’s the yearly 4 figure pre-winter bill

HaveaCuppa said:

I managed to get a few bits done on the car this evening.

First up was sorting the aerial.
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Old base off.

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New base and aerial on.

Now the only issue is that I’ve replaced my boot struts with cheapo knockoff jobs and they are slightly too long, which means the spoiler catches the aerial when the boot is open. So new struts will be ordered this week. Buy cheap, buy twice…

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Oh, and if anyone else tackles this job at home, the aerial base is a git to remove with a socket. I used an old lambda sensor tool and it worked a charm.
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Up next was sorting the crack cup spoiler light - which didn’t work. I’d bought a new light as well as a new board, just incase. The new board wasn’t needed, so happy days!
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Old cup light. You can see the corrosion on the solder here.

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New cup light. Pretty mint board.

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Gave the spoiler a quick clean inside and then refit everything.

View attachment 1606903We now have a working high level brake light and zero cracks

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looks amazing!

did you just use a trim tool to prise the third brake light out?

where did you get the replacement?

ldubl said:

looks amazing!

did you just use a trim tool to prise the third brake light out?

where did you get the replacement?

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Sorry for jumping on somebody else's post.
There's a guy on Facebook called Craig Cockburn who was selling new led boards for the brake light. It might be worth dropping him a message if he has any left. They were £30 posted.

I’ll be adding to this over the next few days updating this - I always forgot!

So, belts, waterpump etc were sorted by Barry and the folk at Rentec as well as the service. Top job as per usual!
This was the drive to the unit once I had picked the car up…


Tucked up with some very tidy stable mates for the winter…


Ticked over 113k


Fast forward to May and it’s time to bring it back out of storage.


Met up with @Hamish Laurie for a run in the sun with his arctic blue 182. I think I may have mentioned this route before but if you’re in the Scottish Borders, give it a run, it’s brilliant. It’s the Selkirk to Moffat road and up to the devils beeftub.





After this run I noticed it was blowing through coolant. Roughly half a litre in 100 miles. A quick look under the engine bay and it looked like there was a leak coming from the thermostat housing. So back up to Rentec it went for a fresh gasket and the once over to make sure all was well.


Picked up and all sorted. Next on the list was to sort the lack of gearstick gator that’s been bugging me for months. Finally managed to nab a cover from RPD.

As always, a very late update. I must keep on top of this!

The car has changed a bit since my last post. I managed to get hold of an OG Carbon RS2 I let from Stu at Renomotive. I had been after one ever since buying the car, so I couldn't say no.
I booked the car into EFI for mapping and began to fit it - only to find it wouldn't quite squeeze in the engine bay with AC.

So, with 2 weeks until mapping, Stu managed to get me a Cup non-ac setup and sorted me out. Crisis averted haha!



The bonnet latch is very very tight up to the inlet. I think I'll be sourcing a fiberglass bonnet when the car is laid up in storage for the winter.

I ran around in it for a week or so before the rolling road session, to iron out any issue with it.

There were a couple of minor issues. It would hunt on idle - turned out to be a perished seal for the map sensor.
The seal around the VVT was on its last legs and it was chucking oil all over the engine bay. Fish Brothers in Peebles managed to get me a seal the day before mapping so big thanks to them.


With the above sorted, it was good to go!

Early start as it was a 170ish mile each way.


Annoyingly, I forgot to chuck the 197 injectors in the boot. The plan was to swap them into the car outside EFI, ready for its run. Bugger.
Chris confirmed that the car had a flash on the ECU already - RSTuner with a piss poor 167bhp on it.

5 runs later the car was at a healthy 189.4bhp, so I'm calling it 190bhp. Im chuffed to bits with that figure considering it's just got the RS2 inlet and a Miltek on it.
The injectors are at 100% duty cycle at the top end though, so the 197's need to be dropped in soon and the map adjusted.





I think I've done about 2000 miles in the car since being sorted and it's night and day different. No more hot start issues, far smoother in traffic and it just feels more refined.



Pt1.

With the engine pretty much where I want it (apart from injectors and possible cams in the newer future), I've been spending most of the summer just enjoying the car.

The clutch it's getting high and my gearbox is leaking like a sieve. It's not just the Renault sweat anymore, it's full on pissing out. Perfect time for a fresh box.
So again, Stu to the rescue. He's got a nicely refreshed box for sale, so that's being picked up in the next week or two.

A few smaller bits I've done in between other things.
The plastic handbrake cover was swamped for a trimmed leather one.


Gave everything a decent clean in the engine bay. Currently in the process of pulling the Aircon motor out as I've got a carbon bulkhead plate to replace the metal one.



And that's really it. There's a few little bits to do:
1) Advocult power steering line kit - the standard one only just clears the new inlet

2) I need to source a 197 dipstick and dipstick tube as checking the oil level is a nightmare unless you can break your hand in 7 places.

3) I could still do with a new windscreen but that's me just being picky.

4) fiberglass bonnet and aero catches for clearance.


Made the most of the decent weather recently and went for a drive on my favourite route. Selkirk to Moffat, then onto devils beeftub. 120 mile loop and has some of the best roads in the borders. Spoiled slightly by my mates 172 chucking it's read pads out the caliper, but hey ho 😂







And a bonus shot of poor @Hamish Laurie's Clio after ejecting the pads.

I wish I could take good photos. The cars look amazing.

Mr Underhill said:

I wish I could take good photos. The cars look amazing.

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Haha thank you mate! Truth be told, they are just camera phone shots with a bit of editing. They come out well though!

This looks absolutely incredible fair play! So happy to see it’s being looked after since I had it 💙

Dropped the Clio at Rentec in Leith for its MOT and service.

To be honest, I was expecting a fail due to to sheer amount of gearbox oil we are leaking at the moment, but it landed a pass with only one advisory - Gearbox leak

The gearbox is a job for the new year. I picked up a freshly rebuilt 130 'box from Stu at Renomotive last month, along with a few other bits and bobs. Toying with the idea of a lightened flywheel - depending on if one pops up second hand...

So, in the new year the new box will be put in as well as a fresh clutch. After that, it'll be a trip back down to EFI to get the 197 injectors mapped in ready for spring 25. I'm hoping to get out to more shows next year - CSF hopefully as well as finally getting it on track at knockhill/croft.



Anyone had a windscreen replaced btw!? Mine really could do with a new one but I've read a few stories with the wrong windscreen being fitted - no rain sensors in it etc.

The car looks great! I don’t suppose you remember which size eyelet the Ctek comfort connection is?

HaveaCuppa said:

Dropped the Clio at Rentec in Leith for its MOT and service.

To be honest, I was expecting a fail due to to sheer amount of gearbox oil we are leaking at the moment, but it landed a pass with only one advisory - Gearbox leak

The gearbox is a job for the new year. I picked up a freshly rebuilt 130 'box from Stu at Renomotive last month, along with a few other bits and bobs. Toying with the idea of a lightened flywheel - depending on if one pops up second hand...

So, in the new year the new box will be put in as well as a fresh clutch. After that, it'll be a trip back down to EFI to get the 197 injectors mapped in ready for spring 25. I'm hoping to get out to more shows next year - CSF hopefully as well as finally getting it on track at knockhill/croft.

View attachment 1712180

Anyone had a windscreen replaced btw!? Mine really could do with a new one but I've read a few stories with the wrong windscreen being fitted - no rain sensors in it etc.

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Autoglass replaced my screen a fews back when the bonnet went through the screen. They couldn’t find me an exact replacement so I lost the rain sensors but it was a good fit.

ChrisP_182 said:

The car looks great! I don’t suppose you remember which size eyelet the Ctek comfort connection is?

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I'll have a look tomorrow for you and snap a pic. Im sure I had to slightly drill the hole a touch larger, but it's spot on now

Mr Underhill said:

Autoglass replaced my screen a fews back when the bonnet went through the screen. They couldn’t find me an exact replacement so I lost the rain sensors but it was a good fit.

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I did think that might be the case! To be honest, I'm not too arsed about the rain sensors. Thanks man, I'll get auto glass to have a look over the winter months.

The auto wipers are s**t anyway so that's no loss, but I'm sure they stopped doing the athermic coating on them so you'll lose the blue tint it has from the outside.

Clio_fool said:

The auto wipers are s**t anyway so that's no loss, but I'm sure they stopped doing the athermic coating on them so you'll lose the blue tint it has from the outside.

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Yeah that as well.