Hi

Just wondering if anyone's got any advice regarding the airbag light on my Renault Megane.

The dash is saying my airbag needs a "Service" with a warning light. Unfortunately the local dealer wants to charge £80 just to diagnose (not fix). I think this is outrageous but I think I'm going to have to stump up as my local guy who services my wife's car won't touch it.

Any ideas what I could do? Someone suggested disconnecting the battery for a few minutes - will this muck other things up?

Also the steering whel bearing sounds like it needs attention - could the problems be related?

I'd be grateful for any advice. Read more

I have a Renault Espace Mk3 2.2DCi 2002 that has done 75000 miles and I would like to know if any other Espace Diesel owners viewing this forum have experienced the following.

When coasting up to a stop (usually three or four minutes into a journey) the car stalls, especially up hill. It does not stall at high speed (like some other reports) and it is independent of temperature. The local Renault garage cannot find a reason. The diagnostic check said ?glow plugs? but at least they were honest to admit that that was unlikely to be the cause which saved me a waste of money but I am still none the wiser.

The stalling is not that serious but it could be. The loss of power which until you re-cycle the ignition means that the brakes and steering are much less effective which downhill on a bend leading up to a busy road might cause a scare. Along with all of the other reports on this website I think Renault really should be obliged to make these stalling problems a safety recall. Perhaps they do not know how to fix it.

I have also had the ?loss of power? two or three times since new when the car goes into ?limp mode?. The first was after only 12 months from purchase of the new car. I do not remember what they fixed as it was all under guarantee and I did not get a copy of the paperwork, but I do remember that it took them a few visits to the garage for them to fix the problem. I seem to remember that it might have been the TDC (Top Dead Centre) valve (or adjuster).

More recently, just before the (3 year) guarantee ran out the loss of power happened again and the garage changed the ERG valve about 3 months later when they finally figured out what they thought was wrong. It seems to have done the trick so far. Renault paid 80% of this claiming that if I paid 20% it would be guaranteed for a year. Seemed a reasonable compromise but that year has almost passed now.

My local non-Renault garage thinks that the ERG valve might still be the problem so I am thinking of having it blanked off, like some other respondents in this forum have suggested/done. Anyone able to tell me what they experienced after doing it. The car is booked in for next Friday so I am keen to get feedback before then.

Seems like I should think strongly about getting rid of this car but as I bought it expecting to keep it from new for 10 and possibly 15 years, I am still quite reluctant to do this especially after just paying for the 72000 cambelt change, the 72000 major service, and for coolant and brake fluid changes (not at a Renault garage but using Renault parts and a saving over Renault dealerships of 50% £600 for all this rather than £1200). Apart from the engine problems I think the car is excellent. As Parkers and other second hand car guides now mention the problems with the diesel variants, I expect the second hand value is plummeting like a stone.

It seems from what I have read (on this and other sites) that if I keep the Espace I am looking at a future of a new turbo every 100,000 miles, 4 new injectors every 100,000 miles, ERG valves every 50,000 miles and possibly much more before it gets to even 10 years old, let alone 15 and possibly much sooner. Pity as the bodywork will probably last forever.

Then if I do change the Espace for another car, any suggestions as to what large People Carrier I can buy to match the Espace Grand that will not have similar problems, what about a Renault Espace Petrol?, a Toyota Previa?, a Chrysler Voyager?, a Mercedes ???, a large Volvo?. Do all the modern diesel engines (common rail designs) suffer from the same high failure rates a few years down the line, or is it only Renault that got it so wrong?



Post renamed as suggested (by the OP amongst others) in now hidden replies. As Volume 1 reached 180 posts, this post has become Vol2 - Vol 1(below link) has been locked - continue debate in this one, far more logical than my original edit !

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=24...3

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Does anyone know if a 1999 Honda Accord 1.8i Executive has a OBD diagnostic socket ? I've looked under the dash, behind the ashtray etc but can't see anything. Has the car even got one ? I was under the impression that all post-96 cars had them possibly that is not true.

Also does anyone know how to reset the airbag warning light on this vehicle ?

Any help welcome !

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Being rather disillusioned with my 2007 Honda CRV (Sport) which has quietly been driving me bonkers, I have been looking at various SUV type vehicles to get some idea of what I could replace it with. Although I have had Honda CRV's since 1997, (four automatics) I get the impression with my current CRV that it is in charge of me, rather than the other way round! Having said that, I must admit the drive is very smooth and a great improvement on previous models.

I suppose in real terms I find my current CRV too large and awkward compared with earlier models (although it is, in fact, shorter etc.)

I have read HJ's admirable road test of the Qashqai and extensive reader reviews on another magazine website (which I guess I had better not mention!) and everyone has nothing but praise for the car. In fact, I have never seen such glowing reviews.

I would be very interested to learn the views and experiences of forum Qashqai owners, please.

Personally, I think I would go for the Acenta 2.0i 4WD CVT6 model. Any comments?

PS. What sort of spare wheel has the car got, please? (If any)

NB. I may have made a duplicate post on this item. Apologies if so. I find this site somewhat confusing these days. Read more

Forgive me if this has been suggested before, but would it be worth retightening the cylinder head bolts routinely every 40,000 miles or so?
Many years ago I had a Passat GL5. When it got to 120,000 miles and wasn't worth very much I heard that head gaskets sometimes failed from then on. So with nothing much to lose I uncracked the head bolts in turn and retorqued them. It was still going strong at nearly 200,000 when I eventually sold it although it did barely 1000m per litre of oil by then.

I suppose head gaskets fail because the cylinder head is no longer squeezed firmly against the block. Repeated expansion and contraction presumably stretches the bolts very slightly, and if the distance between the threads and the heads of the bolts is great, the stretching will be more pronounced.
Might it be as important to do this at 100,000m on any engine as changing the cam belt? Read more