MOT FAIL - various reasons - Help

[JBC27]

Evening

Car (ph2 172) just bombed the MOT. A few bits I'm fine to fix myself but a few I could really do with some advice on

1 - Steering wheel retaining device not secure - basically since I had the wheel off to change the slip ring thing it's had a little play in it. Didn't think it was an issue but it's a fail. I'm gonna check the nut hasn't come loose but could it be play in the steering column and if it is how much is second hand one?

2 - CV gaitor on drivers side is damaged. Is this a drive shaft off job or is it pretty simply to DIY replace?

3 - Carbon Monoxide emissions fail. Fast idle limit is 0.3 and I came in at 0.75. Natural idle limit is 0.5 and I came in at 0.96. Any thoughts on whether this is more likely to be the 10yr old cat giving up or is it more likely to be a dodgy lambda? MOT place reckon if it was a sensor the readings would be quite a bit higher so it's more likely to be the cat. The emissions light did come on ages ago and the fault code was something to do with the cat not operating efficiently but i cleared it and it's never come back so assumed it was just being French and temperamental...

Any advice greatly appreciated. Need to work out whether to get it off the road and do the work myself or part ex the old girl or sell it.

[sbridgey]

My car failed its MOT today too.

I require a CV boot and a wishbone on the passengers side.

I have bought a CV boot kit to replace that and there is a guide on here of how to do it.

Going to order the wishbone from Renault tomorrow.

[JBC27]

is it one of them bailcast ones you glue on?

[sbridgey]

No it is clipped on with jubilee clips.

[JBC27]

Oh right can you send me a link. The only ones I've seen for self fitting are split down the middle and you put them in place and glue em and then clip em.

What needs to come off to change the gaitor? Wheel, disc, hub?

[sbridgey]

I just bought it from a local motor factor so no link i am afraid.

Here is a link to the guide which you might find handy http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showt...nt-Replacement

[JBC27]

Ahh sorry mate just seen the guide, cool beans

[Daniel]

Before you go spending money on a cat, chuck a bottle of cat cleaner in it, and give it a proper italian tune-up.

My 172 (after nearly a year of not moving) failed on emissions and after the above, it pissed through.

[JBC27]

Oh right didn't know you could even do that. Cheers

[JBC27]

btw this was the cv boot thing I was on about http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bailcast-S...item43a543bcdb no taking anything apart although it may be a complete pig to use I dunno...

[Daniel]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cat-Clean-...item2a1bea0af5

[JBC27]

what and you pour that in your tank, baz the nuts off it and it cleans up the catalytic converter, thats immense

[shiyan]

I failed today on CO with roughly the same numbers. Will give this CAT cleaner thing a go.

[guysy]

If i where you (after doing a stretch cv boot kit, then after doing it properly with the outer cv joint off) I would get the outer cv off and put a good boot on it. The stretch universal boot i used was a pain in the arse and although did the job i couldnt see it lasting very long it was quite thin.

The hook/glue type cv boots some people say are OK but realistically with all the side to side movement they do I cant see them lasting.

[JackJack]

Clio CVs don't come off mate afaik that's why it needs a replacement shaft if it breaks or maybe it's just because no one sells replacement CVs can't remember.

[guysy]

Iceberg182 seems to have done it on his 182? seems like its a strike off job

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showt...nt-Replacement

[JackJack]

After reading that it's just that you can't get replacements not that they won't come off my mistake.

[sbridgey]

You can get a boot kit from renault. £35 if you pm T21 ADS.

[shiyan]

Passed on my 2nd try, having done nothing mechanically.

Over the weekend, with help of an OBD reader, I noticed that the upstream O2 sensor being stuck at 0.07V when the car is cold, then fluctuating between 0.1 and 0.9V like it should, once the car warmed up. This meant that the heater coil inside the O2 sensor died, so it doesn't work properly when you first start up.

Warmed the car up probably before promptly taking the smog test, and passed - CO was 0.3%, under the 0.5% limit for my car here in Belgium.

[mantis946]

With the CV gaiter, I'd personally not go down the stretch kits route - they can be quite thin and a few times when taking the damper off I've had brown pants moments when it's caught the gaiter on the way off. Stripping the shaft down isn't so bad and as it's drivers side, you wont be needing gearbox oil.