Taken From Clio 197/200.net Courtesy of Noddie,
Common faults, and things to look for
• The standard cloth upholstery is very prone to wear on outer seat bolsters. While this is a known issue with the Recaros, the standard seats are also prone to wear, both of the cloth on the bolsters and to the foam inside the bolsters.
• The leather trim on the steering wheels also can wear badly, with the top layer peeling off. For seat repairs try local car upholstery places and expect to pay from £50 up. Steering wheels can be retrimmed with something special like alcantara, or replaced. New replacement wheels are available from the Renault accessories catalogue from around £160, retrimming would typically cost a similar amount.
• The wiper mechanisms can be problematic, especially on older cars. Check that the wipers operate freely and through the full sweep. Also check that they will operate on the higher speed – the greater drag of a sticking mechanism will stop the wipers from operating quickly.
• Make sure both key cards work, they are quite expensive to replace, (£170+) also check the lock buttons and unlock sensors on both front doors, these can be replaced by a competent DIY’er but the parts are typically around £85-£100 each (four in total, 2 x lock, 2 x unlock).
• While blown bulbs are a minor issue, changing headlamp bulbs is very awkward and can require the removal of the bumper. Where fitted, make sure that the cornering lamps work – if they don’t then the car may have had them retrofitted.
• Look out for holes on the tailgate where a spoiler has been fitted, and on the front bumper where a RenaultSport front chin spoiler has been fitted, but removed by a previous owner.
• Generally avoid cars with aftermarket induction systems, these Clios don't like them. Also exercise caution with “performance” exhausts, many of the more reasonably priced systems have a reputation for exaggerating a flat spot at moderate revs.
• Steering link rods seem prone to wear, which I understand is relatively common on many modern Renaults, relatively inexpensive to resolve.
• Mild steel exhausts systems will rot.
• Rattles from the rear are typically either the boot catch or the rear seat back catches.
• Suggestions of weak hub carrier joints, though to be honest I am only aware of one car that has been affected.
• Split rubber seats in the leading edge of the rear side windows.
• Glovebox doors can warp out of shape.
• Some early cars had problems with the A/C system.
• Gearboxes are known to be awkward when cold, but all changes should be smooth, especially when warm. More seriously both versions of the gearbox can be prone to premature syncro failure, this is generally most noticeable when changing down into 3rd gear, especially if you skip a gear, though other owners have first noticed issues with 4th.
• Some examples have been known to suffer poor door alignment, though this should be relatively easy to resolve.
• Avoid cars with patchy history or missed services, these cars are built to be used quite hard, but a degree of mechanical sympathy is still required, preventative maintenance should not be ignored and this includes regular oil changes, 12k is fine for a motorway car, but if using on track then oil changes should be made every 6k.
• Something that seems to have appeared relatively recently on older cars is a clunk from the steering when turning from lock to lock; while I don't believe this is really a safety issue, as far as I know the cause has not been fully diagnosed; if it is the PAS motor then I think that requires a complete upper steering column which is very expensive.
Higher mileage cars and those which have been used on track are not necessarily to be avoided. Renault built these cars with track use in mind and they do seem to hold up very well, just be more vigilant for any mechanical issues with cars that have perhaps had a harder life. As with any car there are good and bad examples out there, but find the right car and you will have a permanent grin when driving it.
Ownership Advice
One thing to be aware of is the fuel consumption, it isn't great. Not only do they like a drink, but they prefer the expensive stuff. The Clio has a knock sensor, so it can make the most of higher octane fuel. The benefits are most noticeable when the car is cold – on a standard ECU map, and running 95RON fuel these cars tend to be very lumpy when cold, often kangarooing embarrassingly until warmed up, using 97RON didn’t make much difference to me, but using 99RON the symptoms seem to be reduced – this seems to be the sentiment of a number of owners.
Check for blocked scuttle panel drain holes – this more of a maintenance issue, these are difficult to see without removing the scuttle trim but if blocked can immerse the wiper motor in rainwater.
Rear brake discs – OE discs come ready fitted with bearings and ABS tone wheels, cheaper aftermarket discs often don’t, and can work out more expensive.
Occasionally the auto wipers can have a mind of their own, typically rectified by a restart, and sometimes the dash lights won’t come on with the headlights, usually rectified by turning them off and back on again.
Performance Modifications
In terms of power increases, there isn’t an easy way to get significant gains, the F4R variant used in the 197 is already quite highly strung (though few make the quoted 197PS / 194BHP). Panel filters are a popular upgrade, though any power increase is unlikely to be noticed. Avoid messing with the secondary inlet trumpet, it opens above a certain rpm and its removal typically causes a fault light to illuminate.
The exhaust system starts with a nicely designed 4-2-1 manifold, with collector cat where the 2 pipes become 1. It is then followed by a secondary cat, which leads on to the rest of the system, with a large single silencer behind the rear diffuser. The standard manifold and primary cat design is pretty good, though gains can be made through the removal of this first cat and just relying upon the second for emissions testing. Be aware though that any reduction in back pressure typically exaggerates a midrange flat spot necessitating a remap to improve things.
Like the 1*2 the inlet manifold on the 197 responds well to port matching, with power gains in places across the rev range of upto 10BHP being reported by some companies.
Much beyond this your options are limited, performance cams are available, but these can require head work to provide enough clearance for more aggressive lobes, and if the cams are too aggressive then aftermarket management may be required, possibly with forged engine internals. The costs quickly spiral and you are still unlikely to achieve much more than 230BHP. Some tuning companies are developing supercharger kits though little appears to be known about their results or reliability.
Braking
The car loves to be used on the track, but the standard braking combination can quickly fade. There are many upgrades available, with different people swearing by their setup. The main issue with standard is that you can easily overheat the standard pads with a plain disc. This gives two choices, grooved discs to reduce the temperature of the pads, or hotter pads. Hotter pads are the cheaper option, however they can often be a bit wooden when cold, and their higher operating temperature could contribute to warping the discs. Grooved discs can be an expensive option, especially if you go for a bell and rotor setup, but you may be able to retain the relatively inexpensive standard pads and still get terrific braking.
Wheels / Spacers
Renault chose an unusual offset for the wheels at ET68. From some angles the wheels can appear too far hidden in the arches, many owners seem to try spacers for the cosmetic effect of filling the arches, but these same owners often seem to be selling the spacers quite soon afterwards, suggesting that altering the offset (with the spacers) has a detrimental impact upon handling.
Suspension
Lowering springs and coilover suspension are popular with some owners, if this is going to suit you really depends on what you are going to use the car for. Also remember that coilovers need careful setting up to be an improvement in anything more than cosmetics, or even to match the standard car.
