Mk2 Ph2 1.4 Expression

[16_Valve]

Bought the Clio (Mk2 Ph2) just over 3 weeks ago… 1.4 16v (K4J) engine, 4-Speed (DP0) transmission, trim level ‘Expression’…

Work done so far:

1. Full valet inside & out. Including upholstery, dash & door cards.
2. New wheel trims with Renault centre cap decals (OE 14“ steel rims).
3. Pirelli tyres up front & Avon’s at the rear.
4. Fitted new wiper blades & windscreen washer motor.
5. New ‘BOGE’ coil springs front & rear.
6. New OE lower (dog bone) gearbox mount.
7. New CV boot (n/s/f).
8. Replaced air filter (OE Panel filter).
9. Wynn’s ‘valve lift’ oil treatment & Redex injector treatment.
10. Waxed whole car ‘top to toe’ with original Turtle Wax (twice!)… Paintwork looks immaculate and water just beads off like new. That’s it for now (plenty more to do)…

Pics of the K4J wearing ‘P’ plates below...My better half has just passed her test (car sharing!)

 

[16_Valve]

Pics...

 

[Alan]

4 speed, is it an auto ?

 

[roryb]

Didn't no they did 4speed? Gotta be an auto?

 

[16_Valve]

Yep.. DP0 Auto box

 

[16_Valve]

One more pic I forgot to upload.. Also a pic of identical mk2 ph2 1.4 engine bay (borrowed from an older thread)..



New Pioneer 'DEH-1600UB' mp3 CD player now fitted...

 

[16_Valve]

New Pioneer 'DEH-1600UB' mp3 CD player now fitted...

Here she is.. http://youtu.be/wVyIeef8jDU

 

[16_Valve]

New anti roll bar link fitted today (n/s/f).. the o/s/f ARB link was replaced fairly recently so I didn't need to do both sides. Also fixed the faulty earth connection on the horn while she was jacked up.

 

[N4TH4N]

Nice little motor. . I had a 1.4 auto few yrs back it drank more than my 182!

 

[16_Valve]

Nice little motor. . I had a 1.4 auto few yrs back it drank more than my 182!

Thanks Nathan.. yeah most auto's are quite thirsty but this one is a little gem.. 36mpg so far (mostly urban) not too bad really. I don't rely on trip computer for mpg, always work it out the old fashioned way, i.e. how many miles driven vs how many litres used then a bit of number crunching i.e. 1 litre = 0.22 imp gallons. Lovely motor & quite good spec i.e. Air Con, Sunroof, Steering wheel audio controls etc. Pulls like a train with a kickdown, just a shame it has bog standard steel rims.

 

[16_Valve]

Cleaned spare wheel compartment & tidied up the OE tool kit...

Replaced o/s/r indicator bulb.. previous owner had fitted a clear (not amber) turn signal bulb!?

Fitted new OE cigarette lighter socket (old one was rusty & not working properly).

Discovered slow puncture on n/s/f Pirelli.. pressure had dropped 13 psi (30 psi to 17 psi) over two weeks (approx 120 miles).. need to check valve & rim seal for leaks before replacing tyre.

Refitted front slam panel rubber seal properly.. also fitted a new cold air intake pipe (red corrugated type)..

Checked dash service menu (pressing in the wiper stalk button whilst turning ignition on).. worked a treat & no fault codes displayed.

More pics very soon..

Still some minor detailing to do before I get busy with any performance upgrades!

 

[16_Valve]

New wheel trims delivered today... Genuine Renault OE trims @ £20.39 a corner!

 

[16_Valve]

Fully restored passenger side front headlamp.. There was a rough cloudy film of oxidation giving the headlamp a yellowish brown appearance. Used 2000 grit wet and dry paper (wet) in circular motions until the surface of the headlamp lense felt smooth to the touch, then rubbed down with turtle wax 'safe cut' scratch remover several times, buffed off the residue & finished with turtle wax 'hard shell shine' wax polish to seal the lense. Amazing results, mirror finish just like new! Also t-cut, polished & waxed the bonnet. I'll get some pics of the restored headlamp & post them on this thread..

 

[16_Valve]

Discovered slow puncture on n/s/f Pirelli.. pressure had dropped 13 psi (30 psi to 17 psi) over two weeks (approx 120 miles).. need to check valve & rim seal for leaks before replacing tyre.

The slow puncture turned out to be a leaking valve.. New valve, job done! Tyre / wheel rotation because I had mixed speed ratings on front & rear axles, i.e. 1x H rated and 1x T rated on the front axle and the same mix on the rear axle. So, now I have both T rated tyres (Avon ZT5's) at the rear and both H rated tyres (Pirelli P4000's) at the front. Going to do the whole car with Autoglym SRP on the weekend & get some shiny pic's (hopefully)...

 

[16_Valve]

Update on MPG or 'gas mileage' as they say across the pond... 5 litres in the tank at purchase, 89 litres filled since purchase & 36 litres left in tank after 500 miles driven (mostly town) @ 3rd October. So that's 58 litres used over 500 miles.

58 (litres) divided by 4.545 = 12.76 gallons... 500 miles divided by 12.76 gallons = 39.18 mpg!

Not bad for a 16V auto that's 10yrs old.. Quite happy with that.

Always driven enthusiastically too!

 

[16_Valve]

Stripped down the sunroof because the factory seal had perished causing a nasty leak and subsequently a puddle in the passenger footwell. Re-sealed with silicone, put everything back & eliminated that annoying 'rattle' that I've had since I bought the car in August. Well worth the time and effort.

 

[16_Valve]

Fixed the boot lock button.. The boot lock had jammed closed & the diamond button wouldn't press in..
Here's the link with pic's.. Loose Boot Lock Button

 

[16_Valve]

Deep clean yesterday.. Boot carpet & spare wheel out, rear seat bench up & hoovered all the nooks & crannies that don't get seen.

Cleaned behind all the rubber door seals (to get rid of moss & other crap that's built up over the years).

Put everything back & valeted the whole car, plus more turtle wax (I think I'm keeping turtle wax in business).

Also replaced the OE roof aerial with a nice new stubby bee sting!

Finished up & car wouldn't start.. drained the battery playing CD's for 2 hours at full volume.. oops!

Borrowed some jump leads (and a car) and she started up, no problem. Nice long run to boost the battery, so hopefully should be ok now.

 

[16_Valve]

Recently had problems starting the car... The engine would crank but not fire up.

Tested the battery with a multimeter (12.57v open circuit) Hal-frauds 'Super' Maintenance free. Starter motor & alternator both ok.

Removed the battery lead clamps (black 'Neg' first) & cleaned battery posts (terminals) with a dry brush then lightly coated with copper slip. Left battery disconnected for 20 mins to reset the ECU.

Traced the Crank sensor wires to locate the white tag with the part number printed on it, in case it needs replacing. Part #8200673202

While the battery was disconnected, removed plug connectors for each coil and sprayed a tad of WD40 on the contacts before refitting them. Checked all the main fuses in the engine bay fuse/relay box (all ok) and pushed them home (while the battery was still disconnected!). Blasted the main chassis earthing point (just beneath the air intake duct in the battery compartment) with WD40, reconnected the battery clamps (red 'Pos' first!) and reprogrammed the transponder key to the immobilizer.

Started up perfectly & runs like a dream!

*****I suspect there may have been a poor contact between the 'Neg' battery post and the clamp connector!*****

Also...
Took the Clio to a trusted local garage with ramps & replaced o/s/r tyre with a Firestone F-590 (to match the tread pattern & speed rating of the Avon ZT5 on the n/s/r). Also replaced the spare wheel tyre (excessive shoulder wear & barely legal) with a decent Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter tyre. Both new tyres balanced with new valves.

Inspected under body & front suspension components (arb links, track rods etc.), brake discs & CV gaiters for wear and tear. Everything was nice and sound. Refitted plastic moulding behind front bumper and the front splitter because they'd worked loose, catching on curbs etc.

Happy with progress so far, just need to fit the new OE 'Caroli' wheel trims (above) and give all the rubber seals a lick of universal grease before the bad weather kicks in.

 

[16_Valve]

Removed the front grille (at night, pitch black with a flash light) because the grille was getting caught by the bonnet striker spring, each time I opened the bonnet.

2 x plastic rivet clips each side (top of grille) and then hand right down where the bottom of the grille 'clips' to the bumper (there aren't any clips as such, it just pulls away!). Managed to cut my knuckles to shreds, but it comes out quite easily :wink:

While the grille was off, I took the opportunity to remove and service the slam panel bonnet catch. Just 2 x 10mm bolts and it slides out from the little recess in the slam panel. Cleaned all the working parts with WD40 (carb cleaner would be better). Then coated the working parts (see thumbnails) with "DuPont Teflon" (fluoropolymer) grease... The best stuff ever imo! Although white lithium grease would suffice.

Replaced everything and refitted the grille properly (I have big issues with previous owners... all previous owners!).

If you do remove the slam panel bonnet catch, be sure to re-align it properly before you nip up the 2 x 10mm bolts! There's lots of room for play with the bolt holes because it's French.

Moved on to the upper bonnet catch. Same process... Cleaned all the working parts with WD40 then sprayed with silicone grease just for good measure, before coating with Teflon grease (as above).

Most importantly, lots of grease behind the black plastic safety catch handle, where it slides against the metal of the bonnet (see thumbnails).

Mine wasn't returning each time and it's meant to be the secondary safety catch!?

Job done, kettle on!

 

[16_Valve]

Recently had more 'starting' issues... So I bought a new battery from Hal-frauds HCB063 (Calcium, maintenance free type). Only £10 more than the standard HB063 Lead Acid type.

Fitted the new battery and clamp (properly). The previous owner had put the clamp in first! So the old battery was sitting on the top lip of the clamp, tilted to one side. The edge of the clamp and bolt were visible, so I guess the MOT guy missed it!?

Got 13.97V @ natural idle with engine warmed up and no extra loads i.e. headlights, heater fans etc. Using a DMM. I was hoping for 14V+ from a brand new battery with the engine running? I may need to keep an eye on the alternator.

Also suspected there may have been a fault with the engine control (injector) relay.. So I carried out the following remedial procedure.

So, there are 3 small brown relays (black on some models) in the engine bay fuse box. The small relay nearest the engine is the engine control relay. The middle of the three brown/black relays is the starter motor relay and the one nearest the wing is the engine coolant blower motor relay. All three relays are on one black connector block. You will find that all of the relays pulled out will have corrosion on the pins and the engine control relay is the one that stops the engine from starting. The middle relay if corroded stops the engine from cranking and the one nearest the wing if not connecting properly will make the car overheat as it should operate the blower motor. Cleaning all the pins on the relays and the sockets (contact cleaner and a toothbrush or some emery paper), should restore operation.

Having cleaned all the relays & sockets (as above) I replaced them but swapped them around for diagnostic purposes. Knowing that the starter relay was working properly, I placed it in the socket for the engine control relay.

Here's a thumbnail with the original layout...



And a thumbnail showing the swap...



New relays on order, just in case I still have any trouble. The OE part number for the
small brown relays'(difficult to see, until you wipe the dirt off!) is 8200263345
Lastly a pic of the new battery...



That's it for now :wink:

 

[mrsouter]

Hi their I see from another one of your posts that you were planning to/have changed your standard grill on your Mk2 Phase 2 clio I'm just wondering about how you did it because I'm tempted to change my standard grill to one that's on the 172/182's

Thanks in advance.

 

[16_Valve]

Hi their I see from another one of your posts that you were planning to/have changed your standard grill on your Mk2 Phase 2 clio I'm just wondering about how you did it because I'm tempted to change my standard grill to one that's on the 172/182's

Thanks in advance.

As above...

2 x plastic rivet clips each side (top of grille) and then hand right down where the bottom of the grille 'clips' to the bumper (there aren't any clips as such, it just pulls away!). Managed to cut my knuckles to shreds, but it comes out quite easily

It's pretty straightforward and a Sport grille will go straight in without any modification afaik!