Anyone out there who can rebuild a Renault 2.2 dci grenade?

[Pete-M]

My brothers beloved E-Spaz decided to lunch its turbo oil seal and self-fuel itself to death. Hmm, there's a surprise.

 

However, he loves the thing and figures that as he's had it from new he'd like to get it fixed so it'll last a few more years.

 

I've spoken to all the mechanics and garage owners I know who've all said "Renault engine rebuild? I won't do that. Fucking thing will clutter up the workshop for months while I try to get the right bits for it.".

 

So, I know we've got a few Renault pervs in here. It needs to be fixed, and a new turbo... It's a 54 plate E-spaz.

[Father Ted]

Rather than re-build, just lob in another donkey.

The XU9D would be my favorite

[Guest]

Try breakers on Ebay

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-Grand-Es ... 0644749998?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Renault- ... 0586812247?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENAULT-ESPAC ... 0728309386?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREAKING-ESPA ... 0783256226?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BREAKING-ESPA ... 0642288062?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Grand ... 0672274314?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Espac ... 0657270482?

 

May be better searching for another engine

[kinkersaab]

and..... after the new engine is in... make sure and empty the intercooler of oil before you press it back into service........... otherwise.... it *might do it again.

 

* probably will .

[stuboy]

mate has lagoona and its just waiting to expire

[wuvvum]

Are Renault DCi engines that hard to stop when they get into self-destruct mode? When my Trooper started drinking its own engine oil, I pulled over, stood on the brakes, stuck it in fifth and came off the clutch - stopped the engine dead, and a big 3.1 turbo diesel screaming away at 5,500 rpm takes some stopping. Are Renault clutches that feeble that they can't cope with stalling a runaway engine?

[kinkersaab]

i had thought the same. i think what happens is panic sets in, on every occasion it has happened to me, it has been a "non car person" and it doesn't seem to occur to them, they turn off and just stand and watch....

[Pete-M]

I'm not gonna comment on whether my brother is a car person.

 

He says it only revved itself once, and that was about four months ago. It ran fine afterwards (and it will have, he's a fussy bugger) but smoked a bit. Then recently it just stopped running on four cylinders and has lost compression on two or three now. I suspect it may have self-fuelled more than once but he's not been told.

 

He stopped it rapidly when it did it do it so it didn't explode or seem harmed other than smoking a bit afterward but he reckons it has finally just given up because of the one time it did go mental. I suspect it's melted a couple of pistons but they've hung on before holing.

[dollywobbler]

i had thought the same. i think what happens is panic sets in, on every occasion it has happened to me, it has been a "non car person" and it doesn't seem to occur to them, they turn off and just stand and watch....

 

If you've got an auto, that's pretty much all you can do. That and run a safe distance...

[warren t claim]

i had thought the same. i think what happens is panic sets in, on every occasion it has happened to me, it has been a "non car person" and it doesn't seem to occur to them, they turn off and just stand and watch....

 

If you've got an auto, that's pretty much all you can do. That and run a safe distance...

 

I saw the M6 totally blocked with smoke pouring out of the back of a Laguna. The owner was just standing in front of it with his ignition card frantically pushing buttons to no avail.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Are we needlessly harsh on renners, or are they really the utterly hopeless 'unfit for public use' time bomb shit heaps that I think they are? I presume them must be better than my perception of them, otherwise Renner would be bankrupt by now.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Are we needlessly harsh on renners, or are they really the utterly hopeless 'unfit for public use' time bomb shit heaps that I think they are? I presume them must be better than my perception of them, otherwise Renner would be bankrupt by now.

 

Well, they're merged with Nissan and they also have loads of sales in the developing world (simpler cars with a bit less to go wrong).

 

I think the petrols aren't quite as bad as the diesels, but I've been staying away from them just to be sure...

[M'coli]

Harsh? When it comes to the diesel engine, no - I've never seen any other make trying to grenade itself on its own oil at the side of the motorway, it's always a Renault. An aquaintence had it happen to him twice, the second time under warranty.

[peter9000uk]

And it's normally the turbo at fault and it is not made by Renault. Also, it seems to be the 1.9 that suffers more than the 1.5 or 2.2

[M'coli]

IIRC the 1.5 can be stalled, the 1.9 rips the centre out of the clutch.

[dollywobbler]

Harsh? When it comes to the diesel engine, no - I've never seen any other make trying to grenade itself on its own oil at the side of the motorway, it's always a Renault. An aquaintence had it happen to him twice, the second time under warranty.

 

Isuzu's 3.0 TD and Land Rover's TD5 will both happily do this. Isuzu fixed most of theirs under warranty. Land Rover probably called it Heritage.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The turbo will be fundamentally the same turbo as is used on pretty much 50% of all european turbo diesel cars of similar age. However although it is not made by renault, its Renault who decide what they want out of it, approve the sizing/engine match etc, provide the lubricants and control logic for the VNT gubbins etc, so ultimately they are responsible for its longevity/shortevity too.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

ANYWAY what I meant to say was, theres absolutley NO WAY i would ever get involved in an engine rebuild on one of these, i would just buy a secondhand engine from a reputable breaker and lob that in.

[AnthonyG]

Renaults sales have definitely declined in the UK, they used to be competing with Peugeot for the number three spot after Rover lost it about 1999 or so, now they are at number 7 or something. I have noticed a lot less current gen Meganes compared to the 'big bottom' one, and the Laguna has more or less disappeared from the market after the mk3 came out.

 

So I think all those broken ones on ebay are having an effect. The ugly-as-sin styling on many of the new models may have something to do with this as well.

[Pete-M]

Judging by the responses I've been getting from various mechanics over the last day or so.

 

"Renault has gone pop"

"It's a 2.2 dci isn't it?"

 

This seems to be the common theme. Nobody is interested in fixing it if it is more complex than hoiking the old lump out and shoving a brand new one in. Most won't even fit recon ones as "It's a Renault, I'd be trying to track down unobtanium bits for months to make it work, and to be honest I don't want anything to do with it".

 

Even the Renault specialists I've spoken to aren't interested. "2.2 dci? Even Renault gave up making those things".

 

Shame really as he's had it from three months old (and just short of £20k which was 9k off list), loves it to bits, it's done 90k and never given him a moments grief until this. Not had any electronic issues, nothing has fallen off and it's been looked after really well. It drove very nicely indeed, but now it's a couple of hundred quids worth of ornament.

 

He'd be happy to spend a couple of grand fixing it if it was likely to last another three or four years, but nobody wants to fix it. Not even my tame mechanic friends will touch it. I feel bad because he's totally stuffed.

 

He doesn't want to chuck a used motor in as the way he sees it is he could spend a few hundred quid on another engine, the same again on a new turbo and the thing might last a few weeks before grenading. He'd rather spend a bit more and get the engine reconditioned and a warranty.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

is there any way of swapping the 2.2 for a petrol unit?

[Pete-M]

is there any way of swapping the 2.2 for a petrol unit?

 

It probably could be done, but it's not something he (or I) would consider.

[fiatdaft]

Hammer a socket onto it?

[chaseracer]

Hammer a socket onto it?

15 or 19...?

[Negative Creep]

Renaults sales have definitely declined in the UK, they used to be competing with Peugeot for the number three spot after Rover lost it about 1999 or so, now they are at number 7 or something. I have noticed a lot less current gen Meganes compared to the 'big bottom' one, and the Laguna has more or less disappeared from the market after the mk3 came out.

 

So I think all those broken ones on ebay are having an effect. The ugly-as-sin styling on many of the new models may have something to do with this as well.

 

Mk3 Laguna is virtually non existant as well

[25v6turbo]

What happens is they pick up on there own oil and go bang in a big way,same as the 1.9(F9Q) the 2.2 is a G9T and is trouble,we have changed a few Espace engine over time,if its got full history and not silly miles it MIGHT be worth contacting Renault customer services to complain,but don,t get you hopes up,any glitch in the history and they will not want to know.

They suffer from pressure problems and blow the inlet manifold which is hundreds...

[Cavcraft]

Bit of a cop out but personally speaking I'd tart it up a bit, lob it on an internet auction site and buy something better. Which, in the words of Siadwell, 'could be anything, really'.

[Pillock]

The general theme seems to be that it's a bit of a lottery anyway, whether you get a "rebuild" or a secondhand engine. If they have that much of a reputation for lunching themselves you just need to spend as little as possible to leave more money for next time it does it. And the time after.

 

My Seat engine came with a 3 month warranty which is all a garage would probably give you on a rebuild anyway, that really does sound like the best route. Then all you need is a guy in a red and white land rover to fit it for you (and optionally perv over your neighbours).

 

Even hearing all this though, I still look at Laguna prices and think "hmmmmm. that's good value".

[cort16]

Could you not take the engine out for repair and leave/return the car to his drive or street without an engine? Without a whole car taking up a workshop area a garage is maybe more likely to take it on as a bench repair. It also gives you the option to give it to an engineering shop to repair rather than a mechanic who may have more of the specialist skills/equipment to repair it properly.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Are we needlessly harsh on renners, or are they really the utterly hopeless 'unfit for public use' time bomb shit heaps that I think they are? I presume them must be better than my perception of them, otherwise Renner would be bankrupt by now.

 

Well, they're merged with Nissan and they also have loads of sales in the developing world (simpler cars with a bit less to go wrong).

 

I think the petrols aren't quite as bad as the diesels, but I've been staying away from them just to be sure...

 

Yers, they're shite. And they're dragging Nissan down to their level by all accounts.