2003 clio 172
Where to begin...
Lost my last clio to the dismantlers through an licensing admin oversight...
So, off I went to find another clio 172 as a replacement.
Found a good clean looking option at a reasonable price and drove away happy. 2 days later the first of the problems cropped up. Heavy rattling began happening under acceleration. Problem was the passenger side gearbox mount - every bolt was loose, and the rubber in the mount had gotten tired. Tightened everything up and slid the mount forward by loosening it, pulling the engine forward and tightening again. Also hammered in some plastic and rubber between the mount casing and the mount itself. It is now stiffer than new and cost nothing to fix.
Next problem came a few days later - occasionally it would not start. The engine turns over but there is no power at he injectors. The one thing that fixes it every time is a chuck Norris style kick - discovered through frustration - to the top of the engine. Once I do this, I hear the fuel pump priming and it fires up straight away. A bit embarrassing having to perform this manoeuvre at petrol stations, outside shops, etc.
Have changed the tdc sensor but this had no effect. Yesterday I cleaned the gearbox earth and retightened and since then no issues starting. Fingers crossed...
Next job was the brakes. Braking wasn't so hot so I bought new pads. Upon attempting to change them I discovered the sliders in the calliper were fused and did not move... Threaded the calliper mounting bolt on with the box end of a 9mm spanner in front of it. Sid a bar over the spanner and tapped them both out with ease. Filed the crap off of them, coated them in anti seize and refitted. Moving like a dream now and the car actually stays in a straight line when braking.
Another frustrating issue I'm having is with the exhaust system. There was a small leak at the rear joint just before the box which I've patched up with gun gum, but since then a leak has developed between the downpipe and cat pipe. The bolts are rusted solid and seem to be an odd 3/8 socket size which I don't have two of. Does anyone know of an easy way to break these bolts off to make the process easier? Also, how tricky is it to remove the heat shield to get better access to the rear part of the assembly? Any tips?
The last problem I am struggling with is an earth issue affecting the lights. When I brake and indicate at the same time, the lights malfunction. Also, each time the brake is applied the fog light symbol comes up. I've checked the earth at the rear and its all good. Cleaning the gearbox earth has had no effect on this. Ill be checking the rear lights today for dodgy connectors, but any other advice would be appreciated.
Sorry for posting all the problems within one post. I hope some of fixes I've listed, most notably the gearbox mount one, will be of some use to people on here!
cheers,
matti
Lost my last clio to the dismantlers through an licensing admin oversight...
So, off I went to find another clio 172 as a replacement.
Found a good clean looking option at a reasonable price and drove away happy. 2 days later the first of the problems cropped up. Heavy rattling began happening under acceleration. Problem was the passenger side gearbox mount - every bolt was loose, and the rubber in the mount had gotten tired. Tightened everything up and slid the mount forward by loosening it, pulling the engine forward and tightening again. Also hammered in some plastic and rubber between the mount casing and the mount itself. It is now stiffer than new and cost nothing to fix.
Next problem came a few days later - occasionally it would not start. The engine turns over but there is no power at he injectors. The one thing that fixes it every time is a chuck Norris style kick - discovered through frustration - to the top of the engine. Once I do this, I hear the fuel pump priming and it fires up straight away. A bit embarrassing having to perform this manoeuvre at petrol stations, outside shops, etc.
Have changed the tdc sensor but this had no effect. Yesterday I cleaned the gearbox earth and retightened and since then no issues starting. Fingers crossed...
Next job was the brakes. Braking wasn't so hot so I bought new pads. Upon attempting to change them I discovered the sliders in the calliper were fused and did not move... Threaded the calliper mounting bolt on with the box end of a 9mm spanner in front of it. Sid a bar over the spanner and tapped them both out with ease. Filed the crap off of them, coated them in anti seize and refitted. Moving like a dream now and the car actually stays in a straight line when braking.
Another frustrating issue I'm having is with the exhaust system. There was a small leak at the rear joint just before the box which I've patched up with gun gum, but since then a leak has developed between the downpipe and cat pipe. The bolts are rusted solid and seem to be an odd 3/8 socket size which I don't have two of. Does anyone know of an easy way to break these bolts off to make the process easier? Also, how tricky is it to remove the heat shield to get better access to the rear part of the assembly? Any tips?
The last problem I am struggling with is an earth issue affecting the lights. When I brake and indicate at the same time, the lights malfunction. Also, each time the brake is applied the fog light symbol comes up. I've checked the earth at the rear and its all good. Cleaning the gearbox earth has had no effect on this. Ill be checking the rear lights today for dodgy connectors, but any other advice would be appreciated.
Sorry for posting all the problems within one post. I hope some of fixes I've listed, most notably the gearbox mount one, will be of some use to people on here!
cheers,
matti
