Trying to change the oil on the Scenic and REALLY struggling with the undertray, or rather one bolt.
I've undone the 3 across the front where it meets the front valance, and the two at the back. These were nicely copper greased and came straight out.
There's another pair about half way back either side which screw into the chassis rails. One of these doesn't seem to impede the removal of the undertray (the bolt head is smaller than the diameter in the hole in the undertray). The other (passenger side) definitely has to come out. Trouble is, the bolt turns, but does not come out. It's not seized as such as it turns quite easily, but it's almost as if there's a nut on the other end of it which needs to be held.
I've taken the arch liner out to see the chassis rail, and it's a box section with no access to the other side of the bolt apart from a tiny hole which is about the size of a 5p piece. I can just about make the bolt out, but can't see any thread on it. I've tried "wedging" it as best I can with a screwdriver while turning the bolt, but nothing.
I can't believe it can be this hard to get an undertray off. It's free apart from this bolt!! Any ideas? Am I missing something obvious?
Cheers
DP
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If you've exhausted all possible means of removal, then it's possible the thread has been stripped/cross-threaded.
I was start by trying to drill it out. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, angle-grind the nut down to near the tray then use a filing sander to finish the job and cause the least damage to the tray.
You'll either have to helicoil a repair in, or create a new attachment method using perhaps some cable ties.
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mfarrow - thanks for your reply. Yes, I think it's going to need to be drilled. I can't even cut the head off as it sits in a recess in the tray.
I have managed a workaround for now - it was possible to rotate the whole tray just enough on this stuck bolt to gain access to the sump plug and oil filter. It hasn't fixed the problem, just put it off for another day.
On a different, but related note, anyone who says 18k service intervals are OK on a Renault diesel is crazy. The oil, after just over 10,000 miles, came out a filthy sludgy brown colour. With a sumpful of fresh oil and a new filter, it's noticeable quieter and smoother than before. Even the turbo sounds different - hard to put my finger on how.
Just a shame it was such a pig of a job all round - getting the oil filter out of the engine compartment could be adopted by MENSA as a membership test. I've never seen anything quite like it!
Anyway, cheers for the advice! I have a happier car, which is what I set out to do. Shame it was at 10:30 this morning! :-(
DP
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According to some people on Renaultforums, this is a common problem and is caused by the captive nuts welded into the chassis members becoming uncaptive!! So there is a nut on the other end, but instead being attached to the inside of the chassis rail, it's now loose.
Oh joy of joys! Not only is it going to be fun drilling something that's free to rotate, but getting the remaining bit out of the chassis rail is going to be a challenge.
Cheers
DP
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DP
Either angle-drill it; [start straight and then come off to 45 degrees as soon as you can] and use the rotational speed difference to nibble your way through.
Or, better still, buy a solid tungsten-carbide burr and just obliterate the bolt-head.
Then drive the whole cage-nut into the chassis rail with hammer and tapered punch and pop in a new one - with copper-slip.
Edited by Screwloose on 26/01/2008 at 20:21
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I change my oil at 9K. Latest Renaults down to 12K I think.
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Thanks Screwloose - I'll bear that in mind. Very helpful.
Xileno- 9k was my intention, but a couple of busy weekends, and a glut of miles on the car in the past fortnight pushed it 1,000 or so miles over.
It hasn't transformed the car or anything, and it drove well before, but it's noticeably smoother than it was, particularly at idle and under hard acceleration.
The cack left behind in the drain can by the old oil spoke volumes.
Cheers
DP
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Another example of poor Renault build quality. Our Scenic now has problems with the heater motor, sounds like a wind farm!
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so that never happens on other cars? Like it did to my vauxhall and my ford?
Have you thought it might be a foreign object in there? Like a leaf or something?
Probably caused by a French tree.
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Have you thought it might be a foreign object in there? Like a leaf or something?
I had that on the Mondeo, made the fan sound like an RB211, took the leaf out, all was well.
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