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My Black Gold (no)mod thread



Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
As I've just got my 182 I thought it best to start a thread straight away so I can look back and remember all the love and caring I put into the car over the coming years. Or so I can be reminded of what a ball ache it was and how it cost me a s**t load of cash!
This will most likely be a maintenance thread for year 1, I'm not planning to spend a load of cash modding it. Plans rarely work and an environment such as this does'nt help the weak of will to resist (that's me!) so some mods will surely appear, I just need to hide the bills from the wife. So here goes...

Picked the Clio up yesterday :smile: Typically it was pissing it down so the shiny black didn't last long. The drive home was not what I expected, the suspension beig more compliant on the motorway and the exhaust being less intrusive. The mpg was also good enough to keep the wife from complaining!

A few things need to be looked at though. First the iinside needs cleaning as it looks to have been sprayed with Mr sheen and not wiped, everything feeling squeeky clean but slimy at the same time!? The radio which I'll admit I've never touched a radio in any car I've test driven doesn't work at all. I suspect an aftermarket unit was installed and was just swapped over prior to sale, my bad for not checking it. it has carbon thumb grips and door handles which if I had bought them would have been sent back because the fit is piss poor, I have a plan to add some colour in the future so they will be going anyway. The bloody seat belts need adamn good clean, daft French idea that one! Belts are 3 years old but as I'm going to keep the car a while I'm going to have them done so I know it's all a1. Considering it passed MOT yesterday theres a funny noise when braking to a halt, kind of like a gear crunching type noise, any ideas on that anyone? The passenger headlamp needs polishing, shame that only one was replaced.

I like the way it does roundabouts. I like the way it feels small and that you can place it anywhere you want. I like the fact that car people acknowledge and respect it, I had a golf GTI slow and cruise past on the motorway and a Fiesta ST slow and blow his dump valve at me then cruise past. i love the fact it can dispatch idiots in diesels with lots of revs and large dose of exhaust noise, God I hope it wakes the neighbours when I come home at 5am every morning:smiley:
I'm going to hav a ball with this little car. 10 years after I first tried one and I'm glad I decided to scratch the itch already!

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  RB Clio 182
Looks great mate, are you considering some springs and to remove the sticker off the rear bumpstrips?

The exhaust hangers may need some attention too :)
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Yeah those stickers are going, and yes the exhaust does need some adjustment. It's pretty solid though so at least the bushes are good for now and it's not hanging off! Unusually for a bank holiday it's very sunny today and as this is the first time I've seen the car in sunshine it's a swirly nightmare! Going to need plenty of tlc to make her shine like she deserves.
First I need to source some radio keys though!
 
  RB Clio 182
Yeah those stickers are going, and yes the exhaust does need some adjustment. It's pretty solid though so at least the bushes are good for now and it's not hanging off! Unusually for a bank holiday it's very sunny today and as this is the first time I've seen the car in sunshine it's a swirly nightmare! Going to need plenty of tlc to make her shine like she deserves.
First I need to source some radio keys though!

Dont you just need the code for the radio?

Where abouts in Barnsley are you from mate?
 

Jekyll

ClioSport Club Member
Nice mate. Get those horrid stickers off the side, and replace the badges/wheel diamonds for some standard ones and your onto a winner.

Do like a BG but pain to keep clean. However, when they are clean and when the sun pops out, the gold fleck looks amazing.
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
I'm between Barnsley and Doncaster, Goldthorpe. Pay Barnsley council tax but have a Rotherham phone number! I used to live in Pontrfract, off Monkhill Lane.

I don't understand why someone would go tho the hassle of painting the wheel diamonds but not the front and rear ones?? The stickers are quite subtle, well by my previous sins anyway.
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  RB Clio 182
I'm in south Elmsall mate about ten mins from Goldthorpe I know it well.
We will have to have a meet when I get my car mapped at the beginning of next month(hopefully) :)
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Today I had a look at a couple of things, the radio and the interior light, neither of which worked. Radio first and after searching the forum it seems theres some confusion as to which radio should be in which model Clio. I'm still no clearer on that issue, but my offending part is this one:
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I pulled it out and tested that it had power and all was good so either this isn't compatible with my 182 or it's just buggered. I had a old Sony HU hidden away somewhere so dug that out. I thought the car would have the wrong connectors on for a aftermarket unit, I remember there was a big fuss about it back in the day when I was on Megane Sport, but ISO it is and it worked! As were leaving the diesel family car at home and doing a 160 mile trip in the clio now I'm very happy it worked.
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While I was in the car playing with the radio I though I might as well clean the interior a bit because it was very slimy, like it had just been sprayed with some dodgy cleaner and not wiped. Honestly I never thought a steering wheel could be so dirty! I need to get something to clean the seats and seat belts though, anyone have any suggestions?
Onto the interior light and this was even easier to diagnose. Quick look inside the unit and there's no bulbs in it! Think I'll get on ebay and try find some suitable led ones. I also noticed a suspicious bulb hanging down from the rear bumper. Pulling the number plate light out revealed no light at all! Seems the bulb holder part has broken where the clear lens clips to it. At least the bulb still works! Temp fix with some tape until I can source a new bulb holder.
Weather permitting tomorrow I need to polish up the nearside headlamp, on the Mrs orders "that needs doing cos it lets the car down"!
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Had a go at the offending headlamp today, It needs more work but at least I can see the indicator bulb now! Of course now those big orange blobs are causing offence so I looked into changing them. Seems it's not a 2 minute job so I think I'll leave it a while longer and do a bumper off job and replace all the bulbs at once.
I had to give the car a wash after making a mess, but that just showed up all the swirls again. I've never been one to spend ages cleaning my cars but a mirror finish on this little black car just seems right so I might just get the detailing bug! I cracked open a bottle of trim detailer I've owned for a very long time and found some metal polish I've had even longer to clean the tailpipes! I've persuaded the wife that we need a new jet wash to clean all the garden furniture, snow foam here we come:smile:
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Had a long run out at over the bank holiday and the car ran great, next day the emissions light has come on! Might have to book in at my trusty local garage for investigation.

Spring is finally here and upon leaving work at 4:30am the car was frozen over. Fired her up to defrost and noticed my sidelights are LED's. That's a job ticked off already then! Should the headlights do an up n down cycle when switched on? Mine don't seem to but I'm sure the Megane 225's did do.
 

Typhoon

Gangsta
ClioSport Moderator
Have you got xenons mate? They do the "up & down nod" when starting the car.

As for grinding, sure the front pads aren't shot and grooving the discs? Or did you sort that?
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Have you got xenons mate? They do the "up & down nod" when starting the car.

As for grinding, sure the front pads aren't shot and grooving the discs? Or did you sort that?
Yeah it has xenons, that's another thing to add to the list then. Thankfully there not pointing too high. Discs and pads look ok, it only does it for a couple of seconds when going really slow.
Looking good pal!

I like the wheel diamonds? Are they 195/40 tyres? Look pretty low profile

Car is looking nice!
Cheers, I'm not sure what profile the rubber is, what was the standard size fitment?
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Just had mot with no advisories so they should be OK. If its not raining at weekend I'll have the wheels off and give some bits a wiggle.
 
Yeah it has xenons, that's another thing to add to the list then. Thankfully there not pointing too high. Discs and pads look ok, it only does it for a couple of seconds when going really slow.

Cheers, I'm not sure what profile the rubber is, what was the standard size fitment?
Standard size is either 195 or 205 then 45/16. I run 205/45/16 ps3's and Alpin A4's and both have been great so far.

Also, it's addictive trying to keep the bg clean because it is worth it for the one day/half day/5 minutes it's spotless.
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
I can confirm that it's on 195/45 Pilot Sport 3 all round. After crawling underneath today I can also confirm the cxhaust has a slight blow from the centre box and some hammerite is needed where a jack has removed some of the seal.
Gave it a vac and the front seats need attention as they have not worn the miles well. Need to look into de-bobbling and cleaning them when the weather picks up. I've got a week off work later this month so need to do some decorating so I can spend some time with the car then:smile:
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
So I'm a bit nervous today. The car is in for belts etc and needs the abs sorting and the EML investigating. I'm sat expecting a call to say it's £XXX more than I have approval to spend on it
Then I can get on with enjoying it and finally explore the upper rev range without the belt anxiety.
 
  RB Clio 182
So I'm a bit nervous today. The car is in for belts etc and needs the abs sorting and the EML investigating. I'm sat expecting a call to say it's £XXX more than I have approval to spend on it
Then I can get on with enjoying it and finally explore the upper rev range without the belt anxiety.

Who you getting the belts done with mate?

Your abs could simply be an abs ring they're about a tenner iirc.

Eml could be just a lambda, have you got a decat?
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Ricky P is doing it. Got abs rings to go on and I checked the cat was fitted when I viewed the car initially. As I've only had it a short time it's a bit of an unknown as to what might crop up.
 
  RB Clio 182
Ricky P is doing it. Got abs rings to go on and I checked the cat was fitted when I viewed the car initially. As I've only had it a short time it's a bit of an unknown as to what might crop up.

Shouldn't be much more expensive mate tbh.
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Just picked the car upand all went well. Old belts were in good condition apparently but were 5 years old nearly so now I'm happy it's all fresh. Abs rings were ok but live data showed nearside sensor reading over 1000kph when the others were at 30! New sensor needed but fek they ain't cheap. The car also had a long list of error codes logged and determining which were genuine or just because the car has had a dead battery was impossible, so Ricky cleared them and ran the car to see if any came back but it stayed clear. I'll go back next month for the abs sensor and exhaust straightening out and see if any errors are back then.
Ricky P is a sound guy and I'm very happy with the work done. Now to enjoy driving it!
 
  RB Clio 182
Is this the Ricky rpm from around the Shafton area?

Ive heard of him a few times he is meant to be s**t hot.
 
I can confirm that it's on 195/45 Pilot Sport 3 all round. After crawling underneath today I can also confirm the cxhaust has a slight blow from the centre box and some hammerite is needed where a jack has removed some of the seal.
Gave it a vac and the front seats need attention as they have not worn the miles well. Need to look into de-bobbling and cleaning them when the weather picks up. I've got a week off work later this month so need to do some decorating so I can spend some time with the car then:smile:
Get a £4 eBay De bubbler, worked an absolute treat on mine.
 

Clio_fool

ClioSport Club Member
Not much happening since the belts were done. I've been enjoying the upper rev range in my way home [emoji48]. Good job I don't go past too many houses at 5am, but I'm sure I've woken up plenty of sleeping truckers on the bypass[emoji1].
Going to try get the exhaust straightened out and a bit of polishing done as I'm going to http://www.carsinthepark.org.uk/ next month. Never been to Newby Hall so taking the family for a rare day out.

Had the serv and passenger airbag lights on this morning which turned out to be related to the airbag off switch on the passenger door pull. I'll have to remove it and check the plugs at the weekend. Best pull the bag fuse first though!
 


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