Just picked up a cheap Ph.1 172 and joined the forum: A few questions

[Dom9]

Hello everyone,

I just picked up a silver Phase 1 Clio 172, with 105k on the clock from a local guy. I didn't pay too much for it, so it isn't perfect by any means.

It seems in pretty good nick (was owned by a mechanic), considering the miles but has a few of the usual faults. I am basically using it as a nippy runaround and commuting car since I have a Porsche 911 that is mainly for track work and my missus doesn't like to put miles on her Alfa - Don't ask! :S

Cosmetically the car seems ok... It had the bonnet do the flip-up thing, at speed (so did Lou's last Clio), so it has had that replaced but the roof still has a couple of dents in it, by the drivers door. The steering wheel is absolutely knackered!!!! As they all are... A couple of bits of trim need replacing, but I will get round to it.

I am loving it though! Seems a bit long geared and I need to really rev it to get it going, but it is very economical (trip computer says 36mpg for the 200 miles I've owned it) and brings a smile to my face everytime I am on the back roads. :evil:

It's being treated to a full set of new tyres all round in about 2hrs time, so that should be good! It is currently on 4 different ones, all varying makes, tread styles and depths! :dapprove:

My major questions at the moment are (though I will post them in the other sections/ faults etc if they are better in there) are:

1. Can anyone recommend a good garage in the SW London or Surrey area?

2. The car hunts and revs high at idle, when warm. Assume this is probably the idle control valve and that needs a clean as well as maybe the throttle body? Is that a common fault? Could it be anything else?

3. The steering wheel needs either replacing or re-covering. I have just bought a cover as an interim measure, but it would be nice to get a new one or have it re-covered. Can anyone recommend somewhere to do the re-trim? I believe new ones at Renault are aboyt £300 fitted, which seems expensive when they aren't likely to last long, right?

4. There is a vibration above 70mph from the wheel area, which I had assumed to be the balance of the dodgy wheels/ tyres. Since I am getting new ones put on today, i guess we will see if that cures the problem. Else, can anyone suggest whether it could be something else? I am thinking that it could be connected with...

5. I have to go up a multi-storey carpark to park at home. That means I mainly turn left under power. On full lock there is a real grinding sound coming from somewhere, under power (though not a lot as it is tight in there). I assume it is round the front wheels. Could that be connected with the vibration and could it be an/ the driveshaft/s? Is that a common problem or has anyone had these symptoms before?

Well, that list wasn't too long! LOL! It really is great and I am loving it, I am just a bit OCD about having these things sorted, especially since we need to do a London to NE Yorkshire and back trip in a couple of weeks! which has to be 4-500 miles round!

Many thanks in advance and I am looking forward to spending more time on here!

 

[Fletcher]

Welcome to CS..

www.k-tecracing.com do steering wheel re-trims.

 

[DannoTheGreat]

dont worry bout the idle, mine does it when warm. think most do it

 

[Poopensharten]

If the bonnet flipped up i recommend you take it to Renault asap to get the bonnet catch re-placed (its free of charge,was a recall as alot of catches were faulty)

Steering wheel re-trim can be done for about £100, i belive a lad on here was doing the re-trimming from ireland on the basis you send him your shagged one and he sends you one while he trims yours.

The steering vibration could be the steering geometory being out of alignment or like you say un-balenced wheels or a flatspot on one of the tyres.

Grinding noise could be the top mounts on there way out, solid ones are what you need to sort it, i believe the problem is water gathering in the top mount and causing it to rust/wear.

Not sure on the idel hunting when warm, usually a cold start problem, a diagnostic may show the problem.

Id be oretty concerned for the dents in the roof (that can lead to a car being a write off?)

Welcome to the club anyway mate!

 

[Little Newms]

Hello and welcome! When i had my vibration on the ph1 around 60mph it turned out to be two knackered drive shafts... Fingers crossed its just your tyres!

 

[domjolly]

mine idles a bit funny all the time. when it first fires up it will always idle lumpy becuase of renault and something to do with the emmisions. and mine does it every now and again when warm becuase the throttle cable gets sticky. new throttle cable usually fixes this

 

[Gally]

Welcome matey enjoy the 172

 

[Budgie]

The idle quite high maybe a throttle body/throttle cable problem. Mine does it. You can try a few things. Try tapping the throttle, it should go back to normal. If it's that, you can grease the cable, or it could need a new throttle body as the spring is a common fault.

Steering wheel.. MikeyK18 in Ni. (Area rep (name in blue)) IIRC.

As for a local garage, there's a few about. What jobs are you after? JMS tuning are only in Staines? Or R-Sport in Kingston on Thames.

Vibration could be one of many things!

 

[shadowsun]

All Clio RS's idle rough, but once warm idle between 600 to 1000rpm roughly.

 

[Dom9]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

The dents in the roof are very minor and could be filled easily. The bonnet has been replaced and the catch updated. We got rid of Lou's Clio when hers did the same, so we will keep an eye on it just to be sure.

I will get the grease and cleaner out and take a look at the throttle body, cable, idle control valve etc... It's not a serious problem I don't think.

The new tyres have sorted out much of the vibration but I can still feel 'some' (alignment was done recently and 'feels' ok) and there is the grinding on full lock, so I think it is probably due at least one driveshaft, may take it to someone to get them to confirm. The front pads need changing, if not the rears (yet to look at doing them, is it a caliper off job, or slip them in the back?) so i may just get a garage to have a look and do the lot at the same time as work is busy and my next 4 weekends are busy.


Steering wheel re-trim for £100 doesn't sound too bad. Are there any pictures of his work on the site? I tried to contact K-tec, but they are yet to get back to me as I didn't see re-trimming on their website, though i didn't spend ages looking.

I am loving the car though. I drove 205 GTi's for many years and although this doesn't seem to have the low down urge, it's great when it's revving and feels more solid and better for the longer journies we do.

I Googled JMS tuning but couldn't find them (clearly I'm not very good with PCs), but they sound worth a go as I work in Staines, so could drop the car to them and then pick it up on the way home (for small jobs). Do they have a website or contact number?

I really just need someone to swap the driveshafts, if they need it, but it would be nice for a specialist to take a look and just note any other jobs that need doing as I don't know 172's very well and there may be the odd thing that needs doing (bl00dy STOP and '!' lights go on and off intermittently, which is the wiring under the drivers seat, I believe), which I will probably get done.

Many thanks for all your help!

Dom

PS I only bought this as i was given a Megane hard top convertible, diesel, with 3 hubcaps, as a replacement for my 911, while it is in the garage being worked on... What a dreadful car that is. Creaks, moans, groans, turbo-lag etc Best decision I have made, it really is a good laugh this 172!

 

[AlexS]

STOP and (!) light is low brake fluid, could point to knackered front brakes.

 

[happycallis]

JMS website is http://www.jmstuning.co.uk or pm jamesstone or tompoms to speak to them.

 

[Poopensharten]

The wiring under the seat pretty much affects every 172.

Its just the drivers weight seperating the connecting wires apart, male and female connectors and some electrical tape will sort it easily, take it you flinched when they came on the first time lol? It really is a 10 min job

 

[Dom9]

Thanks for the help chaps. Sorry for the slow reply, work has been mega-busy!

Spoke to Tom at JMS, who has been very helpful. They are currently moving workshops so I have asked to have the car booked in when they have that done. In the meantime, I have picked myself up some new front discs and pads as I reckon the 'grinding' noises on lock were actually a coincidence and it was the (very) worn front left brake pad reducing the front disc to a mess!

I assume the brakes are a fairly simple job? 2 bolts for the calipers and the jobs a goodun? Anyone know what socket/ allen size I will need for the calipers or any other tools?

When they arrive, I will get them on myself... Other than that, all is going well and I am still loving every minute of it! I promised myself that I wouldn't modify it, so i will be trying to keep it standard, but the idea of a turbo kit is starting to become tempting!

I think that can wait though... Must get the throttle body refurb sorted at JMS (seems like good value) as i am pretty sure that the 'hot hunting' is something to do with a sticky throttle and if the 'stop' light is still on after the brakes are sorted, then getting that wiring sorted is top priority!

Clearly not driving it hard enough though as I am averaging 36mpg, 6mpg more than Lou's Alfa... And about 16mpg more than the Pork - LOL!

 

[Greeny.]

Welcome to cs, hope you get the little bits and bobs sorted You looking to keep the car for long?

 

[Dom9]

Welcome to cs, hope you get the little bits and bobs sorted You looking to keep the car for long?

To be honest, I don't know... I am really loving it at the moment, especially on the £:smiles ratio! But, there will come a point when I will want something different. If I keep the Porsche as a track car (it runs R888's, very stiff suspension, fixed carbon seats etc) then I will always need a runabout... This suits me at the moment, but I wouldn't mind a Trophy or a late 182, if I feel i need something a bit 'nicer'.

Maybe even a 200... It just depends how work is, if we have a wedding to pay for, new house etc etc.

The other alternative would be to sell both cars and get something I can use everyday and for the odd trackday, maybe another 911 or a GTR or some such... We shall see!

So, will definitely keep it for the rest of this year, get the little bits and pieces sorted out and just see how it goes. It will almost certainly have some miles on it when I have finished with it. I reckon I must have done around 1,000 since I bought the poor thing!

Having come from Pug 205 world, i wasn't sure how I would find the Clio, but I really do love it! I am slightly worried the Porsche won't get used enough when it comes home! :dapprove:

 

[Dom9]

Quick update:

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=437838

The car has new brakes and stops and goes like a dream

It was far from an easy task as you can see from that thread, but the warning lighst are all now off as well, so it was brakes after all! They really were dangerously low!

The car is booked in at JMS next Tuesday, so it will get a service there and maybe a remap and ported inlet manifold, which will be nice. After that, no more tuning - Honest! It is all for fuel economy, you understand!!!