Talk me out of a laguna 2 please!!!

[maxxo]

So as you all know i'm an idiot, who loves spending money on cars

anyway i could be having some money come to me in the next few months, so that obviously means i need another car (i don't need 2 obviously but i want 2)

Now laguna 2's are my thing at the moment in a total masochistic way (terrible i know)

I have a strong want for the IDE engine for maximum masochism or the v6, as early as possible too! I'm aware i need sectioning...

So please talk me out of the laguna! or at least someone let me have a go in one so i can get it out my system

I need help

[SiC]

You'll struggle to find an IDE engine to be honest. They were only around for one year until Renault canned them. I'd be highly surprised if you can find a running one and if you do, you won't be able to get parts for them. Pretty awful experiment they did. 

Phase 2 are much better built than the Phase 1. The Phase 2 V6 I had ( now owned by @angle ) feels in much better fettle than my current Phase 1 1.8. Both have been cared for cars. The phase 1 I inherited from my Grandad and so I know it was especially looked after. 

The V6 is the best engine. Enough power to make it an absolute laugh but only in a straight line. Don't expect it to corner though! However off the line, I can pass E60 530i and easily match or pass a E46 330i - depending how well they get it off the line. 

[SiC]

Where in the country are you based?

[SiC]

Also the V6 is the quickest but only comes in auto. The 2.0t (F4Rt engine) isn't far behind but probably could be easily remapped. 

V6 is worth it for the noise it makes. Disconnect the intake silencer for much more bark above 3000rpm. Made it sound good enough that I didn't bother changing the exhaust. Also easy to put back if you wish. Plus you don't get a droney sound at highway speeds. 

[maxxo]

it's the whole parts unobtainability that's appealing to me tbh, i;m weird....

i just love the way they look and i do love a flaky french car tbh so much character. it's the whole talking dashboard in the phase 1's i love.

I'm ooop north in Teesside where the laguna is a rare beast these days, see more laguna 1's than 2's

[SiC]

I'm going to bed now so cba to get direct links but a few of us have had them on here. But if you look at the following usernames you'll find their threads:

 - @scaryoldcortina legendary thread of his early free one. That was a 1.8l manual y-reg  

 - Hooli had a phase 2.0l manual Estate, but the mods zapped his account and so not easy to find 

 - @Mr_Bo11ox had a phase 1 2.0t estate

 - @beko1987 had a phase 2 2.2dci

 - I've had two. A phase 2 3.0 V6 and now a phase 1 1.8 auto (with a speaking computer)

[maxxo]

  On 11/02/2020 at 00:34, SiC said:

I'm going to bed now so cba to get direct links but a few of us have had them on here. But if you look at the following usernames you'll find their threads:

 - @scaryoldcortina legendary thread of his early free one. That was a 1.8l manual y-reg  

 - Hooli had a phase 2.0l manual Estate, but the mods zapped his account and so not easy to find 

 - @Mr_Bo11ox had a phase 1 2.0t estate

 - @beko1987 had a phase 2 2.2dci

 - I've had two. A phase 2 3.0 V6 and now a phase 1 1.8 auto (with a speaking computer)

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Thanks! i've read a few threads on them

is much appreciated

[Ohdearme]

I’m interested to see how they drive as I am going to bed a now to rest as I happen to be collecting a V6 Laguna of this parish tomorrow (well today actually looking at the time now).

 

[wuvvum]

I had an early (51 plate) V6.  It did go bloody well, although it had a variety of electrical gremlins as they all do.

[beko1987]

I've had a Mk2 ph2 initiale and a Mk2 ph1 almost povvo spec

The Mk2 ph1 was by far the better car. Buy cheap, make sure the dmf isn't making a bid for freedom and don't get an electronic handbrake. I'd have another in a heartbeat if the general public didn't think they were worth over £500... I loved both, they lovely things! I took my 2nd one to Scotland for shitefest and it was brilliant! 

I don't think I had any electrical issues with either of mine tbh, bar the first one having a dead battery, it still went on, just needed a jump after the weekend if I didn't use it! 

[Sir Snipes]

I asked her same question 3 years ago;

 

 

[beko1987]

I think this thread covers both 

 

[paulplom]

I want you to get one. I don't think I've seen a grown man in tears before.

[andyberg]

Probably the wrong answer but I have a laguna 2, sport tourer. I really quite like it? tho I have booked an appointment with a shrink to find out why!!!! 

[sierraman]

Why would you do this to yourself? ?

For some reason there’s some wildly ambitious prices on them, 120k 52 plate PH1 for £800 I saw recently etc. I’d look to pay no more than a thousand quid for a very late one. Why anyone on the open market that didn’t specifically want a Laguna would pay more I don’t know. I don’t think the late ones with the 1.5 dci in them weren’t quite as bad but the damage was done by then. 

[beko1987]

  On 11/02/2020 at 07:34, sierraman said:

Why would you do this to yourself? ?

For some reason there’s some wildly ambitious prices on them, 120k 52 plate PH1 for £800 I saw recently etc. I’d look to pay no more than a thousand quid for a very late one. Why anyone on the open market that didn’t specifically want a Laguna would pay more I don’t know. I don’t think the late ones with the 1.5 dci in them weren’t quite as bad but the damage was done by then. 

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Its nuts isn't it! My ph2 was free, my pH1 was £150!

You wa t to wait until @SiC cracks and wants shot of his v6, then you can kick him when he's down and offer £200

If you do get a laguna, an android phone, Bluetooth obd dongle and Mr Sic's oh no renault app is critical to have! 

[Kiltox]

I’ve had three - a 2.0 ph2 hatch, a 2.2 dci ph2 estate (the one Beko ended up with) and a 1.8 ph1 estate (briefly, bought it from the disappeared man pretty much just to scrap) 

The ph2 is a far, far better car. The 2.0 petrol is probably the best of the bunch. I need a V6 in my life at some point though. 

[SiC]

  On 11/02/2020 at 08:44, Kiltox said:

The 2.0 petrol is probably the best of the bunch.

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The V6 is rare but much better imo. Except more difficult/awkward to fix but then it's more reliable!

[Kiltox]

  On 11/02/2020 at 09:47, SiC said:

The V6 is rare but much better imo. Except more difficult/awkward to fix but then it's more reliable!

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The 2.0 isn’t unreliable is it, dephaser issues aside (which really is a maintenance issue)

The V6 is hella rare, one on eBay for £1495 with (unsurprisingly) no bids. 

[SiC]

Right, Gooner ownership:

 - phase 2 they sorted pretty much all of the gremlins on the phase 1

 - around 2004 they sorted most of the major issues

 - major electrical gremlins can be associated with water getting into the uch (body computer). Water drains from the sunroof into a catch funnel next to it. This then drains out the wheel arch. Drain in wheel arch gets bunged up with dirt. Water then can't drain. TL;Dr keep this clean and clear

 - rubber in rear subframe mounts. This causes interesting steering. Worse case the frame separates from the car but you'll know long before. Use only genuine mounts, otherwise you'll be redoing it a few months later

 - V6 and 2.2dci have harder suspension to counteract the weight of the lumps. Looses some of the nice squishy ride of the Laguna. But you get quicker straight line performance.

 - window regulators go but then what doesn't of this era?

 - phase 2 satnavs much better. None have postcode search

 - phase 1 satnavs all seem to have dead cd readers. At least I've yet to find a working one on eBay to replace mine. Screen still works though

 - in the last year or two I've noticed second hand parts are drying up. I just can't get a second hand throttle body now. Basically the same problem as the Laguna I now. 

 - 4 speed auto box on the 1.8/2.0 petrols. Works alright but can have pressure control solenoid go. Most scrap as cars worthless but it's not supposed to be a hard fix. 

 - 5 speed auto is the AW55 as used by Saab 9-5/Volvo/others. Good box when working. But needs fluid changing. Renault unfortunately specced as filled for life. Life being 100k...

 - TPMS is great when working. However PIA to fix. My phase 1 Laguna II is still got it all working. I suspect because most of the time it lived in a garage. The Phase 2 I had, had at best 3 working sensors. Then driving through a puddle one day stopped it working again. Sensor receiver lives under the car. I ended up disabling it. Not an MOT failure on this year

 - I have never had a problem with the electronic parking brake on Renault's. But many have. Phase 1 never had them, phase 2 did. Can always get the bits from a phase 1 to convert to manual on a phase 2. 

 - Phase 2 keycards are keyless and you just need it in range of the car to open doors and start

 - both keycards don't like going around the washing machine. Easy to do!

 - 1.9 DCI is an alright diesel. But most will be pretty knackered high mileage examples now

 - alarm connector is in the boot. Disconnect when unlocked to disable. You'll be glad of doing so, otherwise you'll wish you did in the early hours of the morning...

 - Initalie is top spec. Privilege is next one down and has most stuff. Bigger engines only on the upper specs. All of them are well specced though. ABS, electric windows and Aircon on almost all. Most have climate and xenon's. Very well ahead of their time.

 - talking computer came on upper specs but was deleted in 2003. 

Probably other stuff when I can think of it.

[SiC]

  On 11/02/2020 at 09:51, Kiltox said:

The 2.0 isn’t unreliable is it, dephaser issues aside (which really is a maintenance issue)

The V6 is hella rare, one on eBay for £1495 with (unsurprisingly) no bids. 

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Yeah the 2.0l (non IDE) is a durable unit. The 1.8l is the same engine base just smaller capacity. Both easy to fix. Most Dephasher issues seem to stem from a small window of a bad batch or neglected oil changes. 

My 1.8 auto is just really rather slow. But then others may find it acceptable. Depending what you are used to I guess.  

Took me a good 10 months-ish to find my phase 2 V6!

[Volksy]

I bought the ex-bollox Laguna 2.0t F4RT Sport Tourer auto,

I ran it for about six months, but gradually the car slipped into its own insanity. As mentioned by other posters it suffered from electrical/electronic maladies, the weird circuits and electrics meant that if one system failed, it would take our other random parts of the vehicle. e.g. Heated rear window circuit also controlled the headlight washers, which technically needed to work due to Xenons. But if the fuse was in, the HRW circuit would drain the battery. Windows regularly forgot that they were supposed to go up and down, and needed reseting constantly. As the Sat Nav didn't work, you couldn't set the clock etc etc etc...
I never got to the bottom of the cooling fans being inoperative, nothing on the car correlated with anything i could find on the web etc..

In the end, it lost boost pressure which was the last straw, so I sold it to work. It looks like someone persevered with is for a while after being sold at BCA, as it was a good few months before it disappeared off the DVLA.

[carlo]

Didn't these things have a habit of breaking their front springs too?

[maxxo]

  On 11/02/2020 at 06:53, beko1987 said:

I've had a Mk2 ph2 initiale and a Mk2 ph1 almost povvo spec

The Mk2 ph1 was by far the better car. Buy cheap, make sure the dmf isn't making a bid for freedom and don't get an electronic handbrake. I'd have another in a heartbeat if the general public didn't think they were worth over £500... I loved both, they lovely things! I took my 2nd one to Scotland for shitefest and it was brilliant! 

I don't think I had any electrical issues with either of mine tbh, bar the first one having a dead battery, it still went on, just needed a jump after the weekend if I didn't use it! 

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oh don't worry i'd be trying to track down an auto for the maximum waft

I'm an idiot but i absolutely love them

[maxxo]

  On 11/02/2020 at 10:02, SiC said:

Right, Gooner ownership:

 - phase 2 they sorted pretty much all of the gremlins on the phase 1

 - around 2004 they sorted most of the major issues

 - major electrical gremlins can be associated with water getting into the uch (body computer). Water drains from the sunroof into a catch funnel next to it. This then drains out the wheel arch. Drain in wheel arch gets bunged up with dirt. Water then can't drain. TL;Dr keep this clean and clear

 - rubber in rear subframe mounts. This causes interesting steering. Worse case the frame separates from the car but you'll know long before. Use only genuine mounts, otherwise you'll be redoing it a few months later

 - V6 and 2.2dci have harder suspension to counteract the weight of the lumps. Looses some of the nice squishy ride of the Laguna. But you get quicker straight line performance.

 - window regulators go but then what doesn't of this era?

 - phase 2 satnavs much better. None have postcode search

 - phase 1 satnavs all seem to have dead cd readers. At least I've yet to find a working one on eBay to replace mine. Screen still works though

 - in the last year or two I've noticed second hand parts are drying up. I just can't get a second hand throttle body now. Basically the same problem as the Laguna I now. 

 - 4 speed auto box on the 1.8/2.0 petrols. Works alright but can have pressure control solenoid go. Most scrap as cars worthless but it's not supposed to be a hard fix. 

 - 5 speed auto is the AW55 as used by Saab 9-5/Volvo/others. Good box when working. But needs fluid changing. Renault unfortunately specced as filled for life. Life being 100k...

 - TPMS is great when working. However PIA to fix. My phase 1 Laguna II is still got it all working. I suspect because most of the time it lived in a garage. The Phase 2 I had, had at best 3 working sensors. Then driving through a puddle one day stopped it working again. Sensor receiver lives under the car. I ended up disabling it. Not an MOT failure on this year

 - I have never had a problem with the electronic parking brake on Renault's. But many have. Phase 1 never had them, phase 2 did. Can always get the bits from a phase 1 to convert to manual on a phase 2. 

 - Phase 2 keycards are keyless and you just need it in range of the car to open doors and start

 - both keycards don't like going around the washing machine. Easy to do!

 - 1.9 DCI is an alright diesel. But most will be pretty knackered high mileage examples now

 - alarm connector is in the boot. Disconnect when unlocked to disable. You'll be glad of doing so, otherwise you'll wish you did in the early hours of the morning...

 - Initalie is top spec. Privilege is next one down and has most stuff. Bigger engines only on the upper specs. All of them are well specced though. ABS, electric windows and Aircon on almost all. Most have climate and xenon's. Very well ahead of their time.

 - talking computer came on upper specs but was deleted in 2003. 

Probably other stuff when I can think of it.

Expand  

ideally a v6 initalie auto, ph1 of course

I'm using the excuse as i need a petrol for shorter journeys and i feel a laguna would do this well

I love the whole key card issues they have too and i mainly want something that will make me apprecaite the picasso a lot more, i don't mind if it needs work

[maxxo]

The gooner is a car i want to hate, it's a car i shouldn't like......with all the issues they have no one should like them

I sort of get it out my system and then i see one, which just makes me want one more

mind you i'm also going to get an avantime at some point for maximum part unobtainability

[beko1987]

  On 11/02/2020 at 10:42, maxxo said:

oh don't worry i'd be trying to track down an auto for the maximum waft

I'm an idiot but i absolutely love them

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My auto was worse! As sic said, the aw55 box... Mine wasn't too well! 

The way I found to test it was to get up the road and lift off the throttle, let it change down a gear or two then floor it again, if it bangs up through the gears, walk away. Also at junctions, it goes into neutral at low speed, check it doesn't bang back into drive. 

If you're feeling brave, and it has cruise, find an open stretch of road, and set the cruise to 70 and pause it. Hold on and hit resume. It should take off fine (mine always did even with those issues) 

Saying all that I drove around those issues all the time, and only sent mine to the bridge because the rear bushes were gone and the engine (2.2) drank coolant and pissed oil out the top of the engine so much that when the injectors started blowing it caused the oil to flick up. 

Again though, no electrical issues although I did clear locked sunroof drains ASAP, they were clogged up! Don't even need to remove the wheels, just full lock to open up the bit by the door and peel the liner back, shovel the mud out, remove the plastic bit behind that, more mud and there's the end of the drain tube! Nice bit of scrap 3 core mains cable rodded it out nicely, then I poured G101 and hot water through until it ran clear. 

Id have another tomorrow if anyone's got one for sale for £200... Manual 1.9dci was fab

[maxxo]

  On 11/02/2020 at 10:49, beko1987 said:

My auto was worse! As sic said, the aw55 box... Mine wasn't too well! 

The way I found to test it was to get up the road and lift off the throttle, let it change down a gear or two then floor it again, if it bangs up through the gears, walk away. Also at junctions, it goes into neutral at low speed, check it doesn't bang back into drive. 

If you're feeling brave, and it has cruise, find an open stretch of road, and set the cruise to 70 and pause it. Hold on and hit resume. It should take off fine (mine always did even with those issues) 

Saying all that I drove around those issues all the time, and only sent mine to the bridge because the rear bushes were gone and the engine (2.2) drank coolant and pissed oil out the top of the engine so much that when the injectors started blowing it caused the oil to flick up. 

Again though, no electrical issues although I did clear locked sunroof drains ASAP, they were clogged up! Don't even need to remove the wheels, just full lock to open up the bit by the door and peel the liner back, shovel the mud out, remove the plastic bit behind that, more mud and there's the end of the drain tube! Nice bit of scrap 3 core mains cable rodded it out nicely, then I poured G101 and hot water through until it ran clear. 

Id have another tomorrow if anyone's got one for sale for £200... Manual 1.9dci was fab

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Thanks! like i say my goal this year is to have another car

When the day comes and i test drive one....knowing me i won't test drive it and just buy it because i'm that much of an idiot, i'll keep these tests in mind

All i care about is the autobox is alright i can deal with the electrical issues

[beko1987]

Oooh if you get one with xenons, check the levelling brackets aren't snapped. Rebuild able with little metal rods and pivots, but makes it a twat to drive at night (my passenger one was snapped and cable ties don't hold it for much longer than driving to and from an mot (which was all it needed to do) 

If you get an estate, check the rear wiper works, they seize up

Keyless is great until you do a tip run or pack the car, after about 6/7 locks and then unlocks as the doors are open the alarm goes off. I just used to chuck my wallet in the door pocket or manually unlock it

Don't put the keycards through the wash

[andyberg]

As above really, I have a ph2 initale. Yes my rear window regulators have packed in and my air con doesn't but everything else works. The heating is like a furnace, the sat nav is ok but a bit out of date, I can't get a newer than 2014 disc, and no traffic. Seats are comfy, it's a 2.0dci and eats motorways and does 45+ mpg. As a daily it does all I need. No real problems as such, but then I think mine was pampered before I got it, fsh at a Renault dealer. 

I would only change it if a nice, xantia or early C5 came along.