Yet more problems with this Megane.
Tonight whilst driving home the engine began to rev of its own free will then rev counter dropped to 1k revs regardless of throttle input, about 200 yards away from home there was masses of smoke pouring from the engine bay and the car cut out but restarted itself straight away. The stench was terrific ( burning clutch type smell ). Whilst the car was running I limped it the few yards to home then decided to call the RAC.
2 hours later and car is still smelling like a burning rubber tip and an RAC visit, the patrolman reckons he can't find a fault.
I am now very very disillusioned with this megane as I'm still only achieving 35 mpg max from it.
As some of you may recall it is a megane III 11 plate, 5 months old with 4,500 miles on the clock.
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If there was an EGR fault, there'd be an engine fault light flashing or some indication on a display.
Has really basic stuff like the oil level been checked? Burning oil has a very acrid smell and produces lots of bluish/grey smoke.
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Petrol or diesel engine? Model/type?
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First things first..
If it is a diesel, immediately check the oil level, if it is high, you may need an oil change if this model has a diesel particulate filter which has not been getting regenerated by getting up to a sufficient temperature to burn of the soot in the filter, It is possible that the engine is pumping extra diesel in to make the exhaust gases burn hotter when the regeneration cycle is triggered, and some of that diesel will go past the piston rings into the oil sump..
Again if it is a diesel are you doing too many slow short journeys, thus not getting the regeneration cycle to trigger.
However, your car is under warranty, and your dealer can plug it in to their reader and see if any fault codes are stored.
Might also sound silly to ask, but is it the "right" car for your driving conditions? Did the dealer ask about what driving you would be doing or were you "seduced by the mpg claims".
Please tell us the engine type and GO AND SEE YOUR DEALER!
best wishes
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Hi,
Yes it's the 1.5 dci eco2 110 engine.
Tonight the car give up big style, clutch went altogether, gearbox seems to have seized but prior to that the engine was self fuelling and wouldn't stop, only way I could get it to stop was to turn ignition off and once the car would go no further due clutch and gearbox allow it to rev itself until it decided to stop. I was sat for almost 15 minutes with the car revving it's spheres off but the ignition off and stuck across a mini roundabout with no drive and the gearbox locked in gear.
I did check the oil level earlier today as ORB suggested and although it didn't seem above the max level the oil did look decidedly watery and I have had to fill the water reservoir a couple of times recently ( I put that down to cold weather and using the air con to defrost th interior screen ) but it seems it may have been leaking into the oil somehow.
The car does have a DPF and is used mainly for 4 to 5 mile short stop start journeys with maybe one longer 20 mile journey per month. It very rarely gets above 30 mph so hardly ever gets out of 3rd gear ( stupid thing wont take 4th until you're doing almost 40mph, and 6th doesn't get used at all as it won't take 6th at the legal limit on dual carriageways, to use 6th the car has to e travelling at 74+ mph or it labours and feels like a kangaroo ).
Well it's now up to Renault, the dealership, Motability and the RAC ( they told me last night here was nothing wrong with the car and just continue to use it ) to sort the problem, I just have to await recovery tomorrow and a replacement hire car from motability.
Will keep everyone up to date with developments as and when.
Carole.
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Short journeys, low speed=classic DPF regeneration problem, I'm afraid.
I can't believe you have to exceed 70 to get into 6th. Even greared at 35mph/1000RPM (pretty tall for a small diesel), that would equate to 2000RPM-about the sweet spot for a diesel.
The car was self fuelling on diesel/oil from the sump. If a diesel engine starts running away the only way to stop it is to stuff a rag into the air intake pipe to choke off the air supply. I doubt the gearbox has gone, there's probably an interlock to stop the gearbox/clutch engaging if the revs are too high.
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Sounds like its not fit for purpose !
reject the car rather than ponce around anymore. Recently i allowed a dealer to fix my car under warranty, 14 faults in 3 weeks & a year later it was still plagued with faults. By the time I took the decsion to reject the car it was considered too late ! It continued to be plagued with faults and after finally contact the MD of the manufactuer its taken another year or so to finally find a fix. Its now sorted but through sheer incompetence of not one but two dealers is just unbelievable ! Never again will I accept a car that starts going wrong from new.
good luck and keep us posted, dont tolerate any excuses from the dealer, they iether find a definate cause or replace it.
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This car is a disaster for your motoring habits - but no one selling one will ever admit to it.
Reject it as not being fit for purpose and get yourself a petrol.
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Well motability have finally allowed us to change to a petrol car, they agreed short journeys was wrong for DPF'S, which I had been trying to tell them for weeks.
We've ordered a petrol qashqai but it won't be ready til march so when Renault dealer finally repairs the megane we will have similar problems again til march.
Dealer update on 23 dec was that they had removed gearbox, replaced clutch, repaired something in gearbox and refitted it all but on testing the ar found it still wasn't right so have to do it all again plus try to sort the self fuelling problem.
In the meantime I have been given a previous model 10 plate 1.6 focus zetec and can say that it certainly put me off a petrol focus full stop. It is very very boomy, uncomfortably hard on poor road surfaces and feels a bit numb in corners compared to te megane. It is however more economical than the diesel megane, 45 mpg local for the focus compared to 35 local for the megane. It's also much more torquey than the megane and will happily pull from 1500 revs in 4th or 5th gear no problem, the megane struggled to pull from such revs in 3rd.
Will update again when Renault finally inform me of the final problems/resolutions.
Merry Xmas and happy new year everyone.
Carole
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in the meantime I have been given a previous model 10 plate 1.6 focus zetec and can say that it certainly put me off a petrol focus full stop. It is very very boomy, uncomfortably hard on poor road surfaces
This is a consequence of suspension and tyres-nothing to do with the choice of engine.
and feels a bit numb in corners compared to the megane.
If you think a Focus is numb around the corners, the cashcow will be a lot worse.
45 mpg local for the focus compared to 35 local for the megane.
Are you sure?? My dad ran a 1.6 Focus estate and it managed about 40 combined. 45 Around town from a 1.6 Zetec would be staggering.
I'm not trying to nitpick, but you you seem a little confused as to what you can actually expect to get from a vehicle-and this is leading to disappointment from your cars.
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If a diesel engine starts running away the only way to stop it is to stuff a rag into the air intake pipe to choke off the air supply. I doubt the gearbox has gone, there's probably an interlock to stop the gearbox/clutch engaging if the revs are too high.
Hand brake on, foot on footbrake firmly, select 1st gear and drop clutch, Does the trick and a clutch is cheaper than new engine, just did that a bit back for a very bemused man at the side of the M4.
Carole, Good luck, merry christmas too!
Edited by OldRoverboy on 27/12/2011 at 09:11
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Hand brake on, foot on footbrake firmly, select 1st gear and drop clutch, Does the trick and a clutch is cheaper than new engine, just did that a bit back for a very bemused man at the side of the M4.
I assumed it was an automated manual-re-reading the post, probably not!
select 1st gear and drop clutch...much cheaper than a new engine.
Why would choking off the air supply require a new engine? Lots of industrial diesels use emergency air cut offs-the detroit 2 strokes, in particular, are notorious for running away. No one reccomends stalling a runaway engine unless no other method is available.
If you must stall the engine-use 4th gear. First gear multiplies engine torque by a factor of three to four-and transmits this torque through a locked drivetrain-not good!
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Hand brake on, foot on footbrake firmly, select 1st gear and drop clutch, Does the trick and a clutch is cheaper than new engine, just did that a bit back for a very bemused man at the side of the M4.
I assumed it was an automated manual-re-reading the post, probably not!
select 1st gear and drop clutch...much cheaper than a new engine.
Why would choking off the air supply require a new engine? Lots of industrial diesels use emergency air cut offs-the detroit 2 strokes, in particular, are notorious for running away. No one reccomends stalling a runaway engine unless no other method is available.
If you must stall the engine-use 4th gear. First gear multiplies engine torque by a factor of three to four-and transmits this torque through a locked drivetrain-not good!
I didn't say choking off the air supply would cost a new engine, my inference is stopping the engine quickly will save it. opening the bonnet, locating the entrance to the air intake, finding a rag or such all take longer. Only way to stop a runaway engine is stalling it by fair means or foul. Point taken about 4th gear, but i can;t argue about what gear you choose...
So now we need an extra safety feature instead of manufacturers having nice lean burn engines and being buried under more and more oppressive legislation.
Fot the record. my next car will be petrol, have had the light come on requesting "oil change now!" on the epica diesel, another £50...
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A lot of drivers would be better served by petrols. Blame BIK and VED for distorting the market-Nothing worse than ignorant politicians deciding that 'something' needs to be done!
I still think that if used as intended, modern diesels will provide excellent service. I haven't seen many Scanias with petrol engines...
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I agree with the comment about Polititians especially those in Europe.
I usually buy diesel cars because I like the torqueyness of a diesel or at least I did til I got that stupid megane. The hire focus I'm in at the minute has much better torque characteristics from its 1.6 petrol engine than the 1.5 dci renault, yet the older version of the 1.5 dci Renault engine was great. By trying to get the emissions as low as possible ( down to 106 g/km from 119 g/km ) they have totally spoilt it. Also by having to fit DPF's the diesels are now not suitable unless you're racking up vast mileages or doing a good 30 minute motorway/dual carriageway journey without stop starts a couple of times a week.
Maybe using Ad Blue the same as some US states and newer HGV's ( yes I know the name changed thanks to the Europrats sorry Eurocrats but it will always be HGV'S and PSV to me even though I'm only 45) would solve the issue of expensive DPF failures and allow a lot more drivers to enjoy the torque and economy (usually) of a diesel engine.
Looking forward to the Qashqai arriving in March even if It is a petrol ( the fuel of the devil lol) for hopefully some modern day trouble free motoring.
It's just a pity my dad can't get into my discovery 300tdi as my 16 year old disco gives me better economy and less trouble than the 5 month old megane.
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I agree with the comment about Polititians especially those in Europe.
The Americans in some cases arent much better. When some suit over there one day decided 'something must be done!' and introduced the CAFE regulations it never included vehicles designated as 'trucks' so years later it indirectly aided in the SUV boom as Americans became more wealthy and 'gas' became very cheap.
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I agree with the comment about Polititians especially those in Europe. I usually buy diesel cars because I like the torqueyness of a diesel or at least I did til I got that stupid megane. The hire focus I'm in at the minute has much better torque characteristics from its 1.6 petrol engine than the 1.5 dci renault, yet the older version of the 1.5 dci Renault engine was great. By trying to get the emissions as low as possible ( down to 106 g/km from 119 g/km ) they have totally spoilt it.
I doubt it is the emissions, your Megane sounds like it was obviously a dud. A properly torquey motor will likely have better emissions coz it doesn't need to labour at low revs or be revved.
Although I like torquey diesels, I still find it misleading that people claim diesels have much better low end torque because actually they are high geared and the low-end (1500rpm or below) often feels much less solid than a petrol engine which has lower gearing. Actually I find the use of torque also misleading: much better would be to quote the power at a given rpm instead of the familiar "80% torque from 1500rpm".
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