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Scenic Auto still going nearly 7 years later! Finally on borrowed time...


aldo135

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Here is my latest purchase, a 2001 1.6 Alize auto with just 12,000 miles on it! A bit modern (and french) for me maybe but with twins on the way looks a good buy.

 

I was looking for an old 7 seat estate like a Volvo or Merc but a mate I play football with happened to mention he had this in for a service in his garage and the lady was looking to sell it. I went down to his the next day and couldn't believe how clean it was! The story goes that the lady bought this new in 2001, but when the car was about 18 months old she had an operation and lost her right leg. The car was parked in her garage and has only done about 100 miles a year since, but has been serviced and mot'd every year. I maybe paid over the odds for it at £1500 but its like a new car, and the wife and wee one love it!

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I like these more than most. I had a 2.0 with leather as a company runabout for a bit in about 2000 and liked it rather a lot.

 

But, even I would concede that it would take a brave man to take on the automatic variant. They do have a bit of  a reputation y'know and not without good reason. Hopefully given its low mileage / lack of use it will be ok.

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Haha! CMS Andy told me you said having a Renault Auto was like playing Russian roulette with 5 bullets! I've not given up getting something older once I sell our ZS. I like the diesel challenge, you can get 2.1 406's with 7 seats eh?

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Aye I've heard that Mr Lobster but hoping that the low mileage will save me! It does drive really well, It's surprised me that I actually like it!

 

Cort16 I think it pretty much just came out the garage to get serviced / MOT'd! Are you going to Cumbernauld tomorrow?

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It's common knowledge that these cars are prone to all sorts of issues, especially if neglected. This is especially true of the automatic variants, as the Megane H8RZ have already pointed out.

 

However, the car has only done 12K and I assume that you will keep on top of routine maintenance, Surely, it should manage to provide you with a good few years of family motoring ? [ No warrantly given or implied :mrgreen:  ]

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I had a P reg laguna auto - I bought despite being advised that anything french + auto = utter wank.

 

On going to look at the car, the vendor, who was honest, admitted that box had played funny buggers and it cost him £500 to have it repaired, that was just the bit(s) that needed replacing (he worked in the trade and got trade prices). I bought the car and had trouble free motoring for six months.

 

The SERV light would illuminate from cold, the car would pull away in what seemed like third or fourth, and was like this until it warmed up. Once hot turn off engine and restart, normal service resumed.

 

Took it to selector gearbox in Garston, paid £200+ for a used valve chest to be fitted which cured the problem. However, by this time I had seen my arse and moved it on to a couple of polish for a reasonable price.

 

A work colleague bought the same type of car at three years old and ended up handing it back to the garage such were the problems with the box - it made me wonder if Renault actually did any development work.

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I now have the third car with the AL4 automatic and never ever had the slightest trouble with any or them.

I'm not trying to imply something, but is it really always the fault of the manufacturer if a gearbox breaks, and never the user?

You all bought them used, so you can't possibly know how the previous owners treated them.

 

You say they replaced the valve body on yours. Did they do this using the special tool (CITROEN/PEUGEOT/RENAULT DP0/AL4 Detent Setting Tool for Valve Body Alignment Part No. DPO.TOOL01) to align it properly? Do they even know such a thing exists and is needed?

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Ah the usual Renault abuse, gets a but old after a while.

 

This shape Scénic is a bloody brilliant car, still comfortably bought and sold by the trade and actually makes more money in auctions etc than early Scénic IIs. Fuck ups just don't really happen to them, there's not much to go wrong besides an ignition coil, a boot button that falls out and the odd leaky sunroof.

 

That gearbox ain't half as bad as other, older ones. My mum had the same, a 1.6 auto, which she put 112k trouble-free miles on until selling it last year. The worst that really happens to them is dropping into third with a THUD at speeds over 50, it puts the gearbox light on and goes into safe mode. Usually a sign of dirty fluid but at worse its a solenoid that needs replacing. My Meg Convertible has started doing it at 70k miles but nothing that turning the car off and on again doesn't clear. I'll have to investigate soon through as its pretty uncomfortable when it happens :(

 

That looks like a great find, enjoy it, I'd bet a lot of my Renault autos (all working) on that fact that you'll still be very happy with it this time next year.

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The gearbox will explode, but they only do it at about the 100k mark. There's a little £5 seal that perishes but it's right in the box and you have to take it completely to pieces and pull the engine out to get to it. Proper design fault. Nothing else went wrong on ours until the car was quite old and knackered elsewhere. We were going to keep it until it died but, despite as much neglect as I could possibly throw at it and 20k miles on £3.99 oil and no filter chainge, it never did completely pack up. Just a warning, to change the slightest component, no matter how accessible it looks, you'll have to strip quite a lot of the car apart to remove it.

 

 

As a Megane Scenic owner I wholeheartedly endorse this purchase.

As an ex Scenic auto (hahaha, I win) co-owner I also endorse this purchase :D

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No, the usual 'no idea how to drive an automatic' abuse. Oddly never gets old despite automatics are around since the 1930s.

I imagine these are named after the type of area in which the car tries to break down, to lessen the pain?

 

Approved. *STAMP*

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I don't think you can blame the user. A manufacturer should design a car to be relatively dunderhead proof. I see people saying that the K-Series engine is killed by neglect. Really? Why do so many fail even when owned by enthusiasts who have spreadsheets and everything? It's like the Triumph Stag engine - not bad really, just a shame that Mr Consumer ends up doing the development work.

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As I said by text to Alan when he sent me the pictures - after I'd cleaned tea off the dog, it having born the brunt of my laughter induced tea spittage - my mate's old man had a T-reg misery spec Scenic and it wasn't entirely hateful at all. Quite pleasant in a "my life has ended, bloody kids, I never loved you anyway. Are the little fuckers even mine?" kinda way. It sadly dissolved and was chopped in for a Chevrolewoo Tacuma.

 

Prefer the original prefacelift ones myself.

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I don't think you can blame the user. A manufacturer should design a car to be relatively dunderhead proof. I see people saying that the K-Series engine is killed by neglect. Really? Why do so many fail even when owned by enthusiasts who have spreadsheets and everything? It's like the Triumph Stag engine - not bad really, just a shame that Mr Consumer ends up doing the development work.

 

A collegue of mine has the third (although manual) gearbox in his 120000 mile A-class shit, and according to him those gearboxes are rubbish and Mercedes doesn't replace them on good will and it's always 1200 quid and jada jada and evil Merdedes, and bad guys, bla bla.

The other day during lunch break I rode shotgun with him for the first time ever. And sure enough, the gear change is his permanent handrest, about 60% of his gear changes are completely unnecessary, and his one-handed approach to steering has already left a nice wear mark on the 2 o'clock area.

 

But it's never the fault of the user and the manufaturer is to blame in every case.

 

I can tell you of countless other examples, where I am surprised that the cars last as long as they do with their owners' driving habits.

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