Best garage for Renault repairs?

[Aqua 10]

I've got an 11 year old Renault Clio which needs some repairs. The first thing is the sunroof leaks so think the seal needs replacing. The other thing is it has an intermittent stalling issue. I've done a bit of online research and it seems the most likely reason for this is the electric throttle body needs replacing, which apparently is a very common issue in that era of Clio.

 

Can anyone recommend a garage that is good with Clios? Ideally in or close to S8. Thanks.

[mr_arc 10]

Before taking it somewhere..

 

The throttle body is often cited as being faulty when it isn't. It's often connectors from / to the throttle body or accelerator pedal (it's fly-by-wire). Open the bonnet, and on the right hand side near the battery remove the main fuse box cover. At the bottom of the fuse box is a white plug/connector. Cover this in WD40. Use the tube and squirt it into the actual internal bits of the connector (squirt it in through where the wires go in). You could also do any other electrical connectors whilst you're there, they don't like getting wet and my girlfriend's Clio would throw all sorts of wobbles in the rain.

 

I had to redo the seal on my girlfriend's Clio, and it's a pig of a job but simple enough. It's not the glass to frame seal, but the frame to roof seal. The short of it is that you need to remove the glass, then remove all the bolts that hold the frame to the roof. To do this, you need a decent ratchet spanner and LATEX GLOVES else you'l be picking stuff out of your hands of ages.

 

The frame and roof need cleaning up well, and either a replacement seal from Renault (which will shrink and leak again in a few years) or just silicone it back up.

 

BettaWindScreens are mobile and came rated highly, I've spoken with Bob from there for some tips on the one I did (I initially used the wrong type of sealant, it never set and so carried on leaking!)

 

Repairs to Renault Clio 98/05 Sunroof

Repair of a sunroof on a Renault clio can be carried out by anyone who likes a bit off a challenge

Tools Needed are ;

• one 10 mm

• ratchet spanner

• one sealer gun

• tube of silicone sealer clear or black is best one

• bottle of white sprit

• old rags to clean up

• glass cleaner

• latex gloves

• bog spreader/plastic card

 

Lets start, as sunroof fitters we are aware there is a big problem with the Sunroofs in clios so were going to help you fix it. Starting in the driver seat, open the handle on a manual roof, behind the handle you will see the joint in the trim which holds the headlining to the roof. Take hold of the trim by the joint, pull forward and remove the trim. Once the trim is removed the headlining can be pulled down slightly to reveal the 10mm bolts. The housing unit which contains the light is not fixed by screws and can just be pulled down in one complete unit. By holding the head lining down approximately 4 - 5 inches the 10mm ratchet spanner can be used to remove the bolts which hold the lower frame to the upper frame. Once all bolts are removed the sunroof drain pipes which are located in the 2 front corners need to be pushed forward to separate them from the sunroof frame. Once this is achieved the sunroof can now be lifted out starting from the back. Once the sunroof has been removed from the vehicle glass side down you will find that the roof was fitted with a damning tape from the factory, once you have found this you have now found the problem. Remove the damning tape with a flat headed screw driver. Clean the back with white spirits, wait for the spirit to evaporate. Whilst the spirit is evaporating the roof needs to be cleaned any damning tape which is stuck to the roof should be removed. Once dry then we can apply the silicone sealer to the upper frame of the sunroof. Don’t be shy when applying sealant i recommend going round twice. Using a pair of latex gloves pick up the sunroof and replace into position make sure that the sunroof is sat correctly remove gloves enter the car and begin to replace the 10mm bolts. Once all bolts are fully tightened the pipes which are located at the front can be reconnected. The headlining trim can now be put back and the interior light calving can now be pushed back into position. From the outside of the vehicle all excess sealer can be removed with a bog spreader or a plastic card. Do not use a metal scraper as this can scratch the roof. Once excess sealer has been removed using a rag and white spirit clean off the remainder the sealer once this has been achieved spray glass cleaner on glass and paint work and polish up. Job well done.

NOTES

Do not carry out work on a warm day because by the time you have got all the bolts back into the sunroof the sealer will be semi set and this will be hard to remove.

 

If you find that this information was helpful and has saved you money please consider making a small donation to Diabetes UK. http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Get_involved/Donate/

 

Failing that, I've heard good things about

 

J S Services-Renault Specialist

(01709) 550553

Meadow Bank Road, Rotherham, S61 2NF

 

Whilst we're on about Clios, could you do me a favour? If you have remote central locking, can you press the fob and let me know how many flashes the LED does. Does it look like

? (Am trying to diagnose a fault myself)

[Xt500 10]

I've got an 11 year old Renault Clio which needs some repairs. The first thing is the sunroof leaks so think the seal needs replacing. The other thing is it has an intermittent stalling issue. I've done a bit of online research and it seems the most likely reason for this is the electric throttle body needs replacing, which apparently is a very common issue in that era of Clio.

 

Can anyone recommend a garage that is good with Clios? Ideally in or close to S8. Thanks.

 

 

You need to have the codes read.Guessing what problems are will just be a waste of money.

 

The sunroof is likely to be a combination of the drains blocked and the rubber needing cleaning and conditioning.Few people bother to clean them.Clios are renown for roof leaks.

 

Any reasonably able garage could do both jobs.

[mr_arc 10]

You need to have the codes read.Guessing what problems are will just be a waste of money.

 

The sunroof is likely to be a combination of the drains blocked and the rubber needing cleaning and conditioning.Few people bother to clean them.Clios are renown for roof leaks.

 

Any reasonably able garage could do both jobs.

 

Having the codes read is what leads many people to have the throttle body replaced.

 

The roof will be leaking from the car roof to sunroof frame, not the glass to the sunroof frame - so it's unlikely to be in need of the rubber cleaning / conditioning. (I think that was the issue with earlier Clios, but this shape has a new designed sunroof with new problems!).

[Iron Feliks 10]

Can fully recommend Js Services for Clio servicing and repairs. No frills or fancy showroom to pay for, just Renault mechanics who know their job.

 

If it's of any further interest, a number of the main Renault dealers allegedly send cars to this firm when the Dealer's own mechanics have failed to diagnoise the problems. (Information from more than one Renault owner fed up after being ripped off by dealers maintenance departments who couldn't fix their problems).

 

J S Services-Renault Specialist

(01709) 550553

Meadow Bank Road, Rotherham, S61 2NF

[Aqua 10]

Thanks for the garage recommendation, I'll give them a ring. No idea where they are but I have a trusty A-Z!

 

The sunroof leak is definitely leaking between the car roof and sunroof frame, not where the glass is, as it's coming through the material and the front seats are getting soaked. I don't want to go messing about under the bonnet myself as I'm not mechanically minded at all - I'll leave that to the professionals!

[adysheff 10]

Greystones Garage on Little London Road, S8. Boss there used to be a Renault mechanic and has kept my trusty Megane going for a few years now.