Ok Im new to the forum, and to Clios aswell...
My girlfriend has just bought a Renault Clio RL Prima (94 M) but were having a few teething issues with the car...
First problem, the heater doesnt seem to work at all, just always blows cold... I did some searching on the net, and from what I can find its a common fault with Renaults in general, where the heater matrix becomes clogged or buggered some how & needs replacing? Would this be the right?? The fan blows fine, but always cold... Also, is it just a case of dragging the dash forward & not having to completely remove it to access & replace the matrix, or will I have to completely remove the dash to sort it? Someone also said the engine will need moving forward a few inches to re-plumb a new matrix in... surely not!
Also... Fan belt... do i REALLY need to remove the near-side upper engine mount to access this? As it looks pretty damn evil to get to with it in place...
Fitting of a Water Temp Gauge... same as any other, plumb in a T-piece in one of the coolant hoses yes?? Where would be best place to fit this on this engine, after the thermostat??
One more thing too... Rocker gasket... common fault?? Its leaking pretty badly, but again not a big job I know! Guessing there cork too by the way its leaking??
Would it be worth checking anything else while Im at it?? It has recently had a new timing belt & also oil change (albeit slightly over-filled) but general condition of the engine seems fine, compression tests (wet & dry) all good, but it is a bit tappy & sometimes sounds like a 3cyl engine (just the way it idles, its not chugging or anything) so might be worth checking the dizzy & rotor? as its just had new plugs & leads too... It also smokes slightly when cold, but its not blue nor black, so probably just condensation... its absolutely fine when its warm!
Sorry for sounding like a fool though with the car, just Im more a Vauxhall man, so these Renaults are all completely unknown territory to me!
Cheers!
Paul
[Edited by PaulW on 01 August 2005 at 1:57pm]
