R26 Project (#1581)

Discussion in 'Megane Projects' started by SomeGuy, Jul 4, 2018.

  1. Hello all,

    Recently acquired the above in Deep Black to replace my trusty Clio 182.

    I figured I should pop a thread up here rather than clog up the suspension related thread I have started previously with unrelated info & cries for help.

    I had assumed given the mileage (126k) that it would be a little tired & in need of a refresh, but the immediate requirements were somewhat more urgent, and expensive, than I had planned for.

    Previous owner, in fairness, did take pretty good care of the car but mostly through corrective maintenance rather than any refreshing of tired components, so lots to get on with which I shall detail in the following posts.
     
  2. So, first course of action was to pop to my friendly & knowledgeable local RS specialists predominantly for the belts to be changed (overdue) but also for a healthcheck to be performed.

    The list was rather more considerable than I had hoped as I alluded to in my initial post above & includes issues with the inner CV boots, suspension (rear shocks & springs), tyres (all four), mounts & a few other bits & pieces.

    The car is also in need of a good clean inside & out & has a few cosmetic bits to sort such as the driver seat bolster, engine cover, undertray & front bumper reattached correctly (not flush).

    So, as stated, lots to do!
     
  3. First new parts day today.

    Order placed for the bits that need to be addressed due to expiry/condition:
    Inner CV boots
    Gearbox oil & sump washer
    Shocks (front & rear)
    Shock Nut & Bolt
    ARB Drop Links
    Anti-Twist/Rotation Links
    Centre exhaust mount/bracket
    Cooksport springs
    Hub swivel bearings
    Hub swivel bearing seals

    Ouch. Still, at least it will be done. Track rod ends, & possible inner track rods, were done not too long ago so I'm hopeful that these will be ok. Also hoping that the bushes, control arms & balljoints will also be ok for now, although knowing my luck they'll probably need to be done too.

    Will be fitting it all over the next few days, so should be an 'in at the deep' end introduction to the R26, mechanically speaking.

    Next outlay will be Michelin PS4 x4 fitted & geometry/alignment done, which I will do once the suspension refresh has been completed.
     
  4. Further to this, I now have the good ol' 'check injection' message, complete with limp mode, ongoing & it would appear that the A/C is unhappy about being asked to function on anything other than 'molten' for an extended period of time.

    I'll check the usual 'easy outs' for the check injection message (sensors, hoses) & i'll also be picking up an OBD reader to see if any codes have been thrown up that will lead me to the cause of this.

    The A/C appears to cool on it's lowest setting for a period of time, although not particularly chilly. But seems to give up & blow hot air instead after being on for a while. Hopefully this is a re-gas scenario, but I'll check the rad pipe connection & pressure switch.

    Lot's to read, for which you have my apologies. Should now be an occasional update rather than essays galore.
     
  5. Sounds like you're having quite a bit to do! Doing some of the work yourself?

    Throw up some pictures!
     
  6. Yeah, plenty to do! Yup, doing it all myself (famous last words).
     
  7. Good luck! Once you get to know these cars, they are not that difficult to work on. It takes me 5 minutes these days to removed front bumper and undertray!

    Have you managed to align your bumper yet? They quite a PITA to get right. Main issues I've detected are:
    1. The headlight unit has a broken bracket (thus bumper pulls headlight down and causes misalignment).
    2. Undertray(s) removed by previous owners. This is not as major but it help make the whole bumper rigid and when secured with the bolts at the subframe, prevents bumper from sagging.
    3. The bumper is not correctly clipped into the headlight. It must clip in a specific way or it will be crooked. Just look in there and you'll see how the two should go together.
    4. The little "ear" through which the torx bolt goes where the wing and bumper meets, needs to be pulled over the spire clip and then the "ear" bolted down between the wing and spire clip.
    These have been my finding to the issue and have them currently aligned quite well but definitely need new spire clips to replace the worn ones.

    Will hopefully be doing balljoints, tie rods, inner tie rods, subframe bushes and Powerflex control arm bushes this Saturday!
    Will take a few snaps and post it on my project thread.
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  8. What brand of shocks are you planning to order?
     
  9. I've gone with OEM all round. It is my understanding that the Cooksports work pretty well with the damping so I didn't feel the need to further confuse things by adding aftermarket shocks into the equation as well.
     
  10. I wonder if Bilstein Shocks are compatible with this model.
     
  11. I believe there are some compatible Bilstein's (B14's?), but felt it would introduce to many variables that weren't matched.

    I'd have gone for OEM springs as well had they not been absurdly priced when compared with aftermarket options.
     
  12. Anyone know which bolts I need to secure the front bumper to the front inner wheel arch lining?

    I have 1 missing, 1 rounded, 1 correct & 1 'random' bolt in place. Somebody has clearly 'cowboyed' the refitting of the bumper which is reflected in the siting of the bumper at present, which appears to be an inch or so forward of where it should sit....
     
  13. should be 1 push in plastic fixing,
    and 2 torx screws,with plastic insert clasps, attached to the bodywork/bumper
    ,to screw the torx screw into.

    The bumper really is held on poorly..the majority of the fixing is the sprung plastic clips under the headlights...which snap for a passtime!
     
  14. here

    or not...stupid upload!
     
  15. Ah. More complicated than I had hoped. A link to the necessary kit/parts would be most appreciated.
     
  16. you might be able to get a` bumper fixings pack` from renault..going in to the parts dept next couple of days..will ask.
     
  17. but really its all standard stuff.,..the plastic push in fittings,i have just bought similar from ebay,and the torx scresw are nothing out the unusual..just a standard screw with a torx head,in the usual french style.

    the main bit is,if your under light sprung plastic fixings are still intact..this is the most secure fixing,as well as the undertray central part being intact...it keeps the bumpers shape.
     
  18. Further investigation today has confirmed that this is an option, part number 620102576S. Not cheap though!
     
  19. I haven't removed the bumper yet as I fear it won't go back on with it's current mishmash of random fixings...

    The bumper is sitting forward (gap to bonnet is too wide) & is not sat flush with the headlights, again, slightly forward of where it looks like it should sit.
     
  20. nothing is for the front of the R26..front lower grill£150..front bumper,bare without undertray..£330...central undertray £120..lower lip £60+..

    Is your undertray intact..most are not.
     
  21. releasing the bumper from the sprung plastic fixings under the lights is a delicate affair.
    they snap for a passtime..so be carefull
     
  22. So, ran out of fuel on the way home last night, which was fun. Fuel gauge suggested I had just under half a tank left, which remained the case even after I had brimmed it.....

    This leads me to assume that the 'float' in the fuel tank is faulty/broken/AWOL/other. Do I need a new fuel pump? Is this likely to be a contributor to the 'jolly' check injection message I have been getting?
     
  23. Looks like the pump/sender is leaking, so a new unit it is. Sigh.

    I'll need a new pump & a new seal kit. Talk of a loom of some description as well, is this required? Hefty bill to replace this so any suggestions for a more 'affordable' pump/seal (£230 OEM) welcomed!
     
  24. Went a bit quiet, back for a progress update.

    The following has been completed:

    - Inner CV boots
    - Gearbox oil change
    - Shocks (front & rear)
    - Cooksport springs (front & rear)
    - ARB Drop Links
    - Anti-Twist/Rotation Links
    - Hub swivel bearings
    - Hub swivel bearing seals
    - Fuel pump & sender unit
    - Michelin PS4's all round
    - Wheel alignment
    - Scuttle drains unblocked (I can see this being a regular occurrence....)
    - Aircon re-gas (worked for about 3 days & then went back to being ineffective, presume there's a leak)

    From the original list, I still have the centre exhaust bracket, dogbone mount & oil filled engine mount to change.

    In addition, whilst the wheel alignment was being done it looks like an incorrect track rod end has been fitted (one side longer/wider than the other), so I'll need to replace both (would rather have new parts both sides) & get the alignment redone.

    Still need to remove & refit, correctly, the front bumper & whilst I'm there I need a new screenwash reservoir (last attempt to top it up resulted in screenwash all over my driveway) & I'll need to have a look at the aircon pipes to see whether there is a leak somewhere.

    Currently out of action following knee surgery so it has to wait, car is absolutely filthy too.

    So, lots done & still plenty left to do, then I'll sort the paint out (swirly.....).
     
  25. Latest repairs now I'm back on my feet.

    Oil & filter change

    Centre exhaust mount replaced

    Dogbone mount replaced

    Oil filled engine mount replaced

    Bumper refitted/realigned, much happier with it

    Also haven't noted the cabin filter being replaced during the last chunk of work.

    Car is a much nicer place to be now the mounts have been done, was vibrating like crazy beforehand.
     
    Ian Hughes likes this.
  26. Also, worth noting that the 'Check Injection' & limp mode issue was solved, sometime ago, via the replacement of the N75 valve, as usual. No issues since.
     
    Ian Hughes likes this.
  27. Good to hear that was sorted, encountered that issue myself recently. Did it feel like it lost a cylinder when it happened and idle went to about 1800 revs?
     
  28. Bit late now, my apologies for missing this. Didn't drop a cylinder or idle high, just kept going into limp mode once warmed up, preventing any use of boost.

    High idle could be air inlet sensor?

    Popped a new set of injectors in to cure a bit of 'coughing' at idle. No idea when they were last cleaned/replaced so seemed like a sensible course of action & has cured the cough.

    I've pretty much settled on replacing parts with new as I go so I know what has been done & when. Car has a reasonable amount of paperwork/history, but I'm not sure it's comprehensive.
     
  29. Cheers, I replaced the ignition coils after the N75 didnt fix the issue and it seems to have it sorted. Happened once since but thats after i was revving a bit too much on my driveway
     
    SomeGuy likes this.
  30. Next run of parts to replace......

    O/S driveshaft inner CV joint is on its way out (vibration under load & odd rotation at slow speed) so the driveshaft to be replaced together with the driveshaft seal & gearbox oil.

    In addition, my brakes need some attention so I'll be doing discs & pads all round, with new front pins/clips, brake fluid & some braided hoses whilst I'm there.

    I'm also in the process of having the A/C looked at as it remains an issue & I have a few more bits & pieces to do in addition (coolant bottle, pre-cat lambda & so on).
     
  31. As a point of interest, can anybody give me a list of spares/parts I should have knocking about so I don;t come a cropper when I'm working on the car?

    I'm thinking bolts, trim clips etc. Any help would be most appreciated.
     
  32. Next raft of jobs completed.

    Discs & pads all round with new caliper pins, braided lines & uprated fluid. Also refurbished the front calipers as the rubber seals were looking pretty tired.

    Coolant bottle replaced as well (leaking), also had the rear brake pipes some time ago (MOT) as they were shot.

    Next on the list is a bush replacement process (ARB bushes, wishbone refurb etc) together with a few other bits & pieces such as engine mounts.

    Still have the A/C to look at (pretty certain it's a leak somewhere as a previous re-gas was baltic for a few days before going back to tepid).

    Getting there, once the mechanical bits are tidied up I can move on to the cosmetic stuff!
     
  33. Strolled through its MOT without too much drama. Inner tie rods need doing otherwise all is well.

    Still have the bushes/balljoints & top engine mounts to refresh. Likely to do the rack bush alongside the inner tie rods as there's some play in the rack.

    Oil & filter changed at MOT, so I'll need to replace the air/pollen filters too & I think I'll replace the pre-cat lambda, spark plugs (about due for a change) & give the throttle body a good clean to boot.

    Needs a wash too, as it's absolutely filthy at present.

    Cosmetic bits remain on hold until I get through the above as that should be pretty much everything mechanical take care of for the time being (hopefully).
     

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