Thinking of buying a Clio DCI

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 20 Jan 2011, 20:56

There appear to be 3 versions of the 1.5 dci engine, 65bhp, 80bhp & the rare 100bhp one, for the model that i'm interested in.

Is the engine identical? & if so, howcome theres such a difference in the horsepower, is it just electronic jigery pokery, or are the internals & turbos different?

Which engine is the most reliable, i've heard of injectors going along with turbo's?

How long should a clutch typically last for if driven by the usual idiots out on the roads, i know some modern cars clutches seem to be made of paper & about as beefed up, so not that uncommon to need replacing around the 50-60k mark, which tbh is a bit pathetic.

Are there any other areas that i need to check on any of these cars which may cause big bills if not spotted?

I do fancy having A/C, or does this cause more issues than its actually worth?

I have owned a x reg Clio S (1.4 8V), which was ace, good fun to drive, reasonably economical, decent turn of speed & nothing really went wrong in 3yrs & 50k of ownership & parts were cheap, so looking for something similar.

All help/advice gratefully rec'd, cheers

evilally · Unread post by **evilally** » 22 Jan 2011, 10:23

Hi Swiss, the engine differences are as follows:

DCI65 - No intercooler
DCI80 - Intercooler, better turbo and better injectors
DCI100 - Bigger intercooler, variable geometry turbo, stronger engine internals

You can add another 20-30bhp on depending on model with a remap

The engines are generally reliable, watch out for EGR issues. I think otherwise just check all the usual things you would check when buying a diesel.

The 65 and 80 come with a 5 speed box which I know from experience is not the strongest gearbox in the world. The 100 comes with a 6 speed box.

The clutches are heavy and have a high biting point, this is not necessarily a sign of wear. You should get decent mileage from the clutch.

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 22 Jan 2011, 19:23

Hi evilally,

many thanks for the info on the differences between the 3 versions, never new any of that, i'd presumed that it was just tuning by Renault, but now i know different.

Actually quite handy having a heavy clutch, i find wifey doesn't ride the clutch so much, unlike other cars which are featherweight in comparison, so thats a bonus, i bet you weren't thinking anyone would say that

EGR, erm, i'd be grateful if you could explain a bit more about this please, where abouts is it & what can you do to check it & keep it in tiptop condition?

Weak gearbox, hmmm, any particular things that i should be keeping an eye out when test driving some of these please?

evilally · Unread post by **evilally** » 23 Jan 2011, 13:45

No worries mate, for the record, I've not actually driven a DCi. However, the 65 and 80 have the same gearbox as my RS, albeit the 65 has a weaker variant. Just check there's no crunching on quick changes and it doesn't pop out of gear. They are a bit sloppy at the best of times. Sometimes gear change issues can be due to a worn engine mount which is easy enough to sort.

My RS also have a very heavy clutch with a high biting point, even since new. From what people say about the DCi, it's the same. It takes a bit of getting used to.

The EGR valve is located between the inlet and exhaust manifolds. From what I hear, they are prone to getting blocked or gummed up on the DCi. I think most of the time removing it and cleaning it up does the trick, if not I think they're about £75 for new one off ebay. I looked into changing one for a friend, although never actually did the job. It looks easy enough, Haynes should see you right.

Another thing to watch out for is knackered rear dampers. I believe the DCi uses the same rear dampers as my RS, and they are a known weakness. Fortunately they are £50 a side for genuine parts, and take about 10-15 minutes to change.

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 23 Jan 2011, 18:46

Cheers, very handy info to have. What does the EGR valve actually do? is it something to do with emissions? Does an italian tune up regularly go someway to keeping it working ok, or do they just get blocked/damaged through age/wear&tear?

evilally · Unread post by **evilally** » 25 Jan 2011, 23:14

Hi Swiss, the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) is an anti polution device fitted to most modern diesels. It's a valve that sits between the exhaust and inlet, and allows some exhaust gass to be recombusted at certain engine rpms. This I think reduces nitrogen emissions. The general view is that these are not particuarly good for the engine long term, and many people find a way to disable or bypass them. I don't think that's so easy on the DCi unfortunately.

I can't comment on wether an ITU does them any good or not, but I would always recommend and occasional ITU anyway

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 25 Jan 2011, 23:30

Yes, no harm doing an ITU now & again

Always good to blow diesel smoke out the back with chuffs tailgating, a nice shiny Audi dropped back when i booted the car

I think he/she got the msg

Any tell tale signs that the egr is on the way out?

Can they be cleaned or is a replacement always best? Any idea's about cost & are they easy to remove & replace?

Apologies for all the questions, its a good job you've been answering as no one else can be bothered or knows any of the answers

Cheers

evilally · Unread post by **evilally** » 30 Jan 2011, 10:56

Sorry Swiss, I don't really have any more info on it past that. What DCi did you go for? There's not much Renault stuff going on over here, so stick around and boost the numbers

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 31 Jan 2011, 20:25

I've not bought one yet, infact wifey is preferring to get a megane, which i'm steering her away from as it will cost more to run & i don't fancy changing the headlight bulbs when they go

Compared to the citroen forum its pretty dead over here, perhaps renaults don't go wrong as often

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 11 Feb 2011, 21:10

Hmm, wifey doesn't like the old shape clio, she prefers the newer shape ones.

These ones seem to have the same engine, but have different & higher bhp to the old engined ones. Are these engines the exact same or are they slightly different?

I was also wondering how much it typically costs to get a cambelt done on a dci 1.5 engine & do the different bhp versions have a different costing due to access & complexity?

evilally · Unread post by **evilally** » 11 Feb 2011, 21:22

Sorry to hear that Swiss

I'm not sure of the exact differences, but I would bet the minor power increases are down to software tweeking to help offset the increase in weight of the Mk 3. Expect the Mk3 to return slightly poorer MPG due to weight and power increase, but otherwise it is a far more modern car than the Mk2 and a definite improvement. Some argue that it's not as fun however.

We have a Mk3 Kangoo at work which is built on the same platform, and it has the new 6 speed box. I would highly recommend the 6 speed over the old 5 speed.

Cam belt wise I'm not sure but I haven't heard anything particularly out of the ordinary. Just be thankful it's not an RS, which is about £1,000 for a belt change at dealership prices

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 15 Feb 2011, 19:20

Not used to belt changes as my wifes car is chain driven, so no expensive cambelt changes, why arent more engines made like this? Oh, i know, cos they cost £12 more to make

Yeah, i thought the newer one's would be quite a bit fatter than the previous model. I'm sure they are a bit more refined & with better kit etc...but tbh non of that really bothers me, we had an x reg 1.4 8valve sport which was great, i'd happily go back to another one of those, but its gotta be diesel (& i don't fancy the pre dci engines as they seem to have issues & are down on performance & economy in comparison), was interested in the facelifted versions with the dci engines fitted. I really fancy a 100bhp one as it should hopefully not be too dog slow.

I think i need to get wifey out to do a few test drives to sell the idea, i just fancy 60mpg & £30 a year for road tax tbh, seeing as fuel prices seem to be rising & i reckon they'll be £1.50 a litre this year

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 05 Mar 2011, 23:20

Righto, today me & wifey tested the new shape clio's:

1) 2006 Dci Initial 106bhp - erm pretty rubbish tbh, only had 65k on the clock but felt much more, steering wheel worn along with gear lever & horrible interior, for £5k i thought it was way too much & found it quite sluggish. Is this just the 6spd box being the problem with it being slow?

2) 2006 Dci Expression 86bhp - much much nicer, drove like a new car & felt more lively than the above, is that due to only having a 5spd box? Slightly cheaper than the above & probably worth the money. Downside was that it was dull

I might try the previous shape clio's to see if they are more lively & fun to drive. I knew going from a cooper s was going to be difficult, but i was pretty underwhelmed by both tbh at that sort of money.....

Anyone got any experiences of driving these cars or ideas of alternatives that are better?

SwissSPEC · Unread post by **SwissSPEC** » 26 Mar 2011, 00:11

Decided that for similarish amounts of money that i'd much rather prefer a much nicer Honda Civic 2.2 diesel. Erm, it kinda made those clios feel cheap tbh, so just got to sell my car & then i can be driving a nice 06 plate or later civic