What do you folks know about Renault dCi engines?

My dad has just bought himself a Kangoo Trekka 4x4 1.9 dCi 80

Have to say it looks really great. Full Renault service history, only one owner, and has had everything done that it's needed. Doesn't look like it's been skimped on at all. Not bad for £2700.

Definitely isn't a speed machine, but the ride is sublime, and 4wd as well

I've said I'll service it for him as it shouldn't be any bother.

Ground clearance is so high, I probably won't even need a ramp to get to the sump plug.

Do they need a special type of oil like PD engines do?

Anything to watch out for with these engines?

Bad for coking up. Renault had a run a while back with dCi engines refusing to turn off and overrunning on the sump oil until either you were able to stall it or it launched the pistons out the bonnet. this was almost always on car that were doing short town runs.

Even if they've solved the catastrophic faults I'd suggest plenty of long runs and diesel additives like Millers.

On the good side I found the 1.5 dCi in my Clio to be the best thing about the car. Very smooth for a little oil burner, lots of torque and power and very economical (I had a an early 100hp version). Despite what I've said above the engine in my Clio ran for 4yr and 80k without a fault.

At every service I was warned that the engine was coked and I should "take it out for a long run once in a while". I was doing 120m a day every day!

So good engine in the right circumstances, the rest of the Renault was crap though and I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Hmm, well my dad will pretty much be using this for local journeys.

Anything that can be done to help prevent a build up?

I ran a 1.9dci 120bhp for 60k and never had a problem with it. Fuel economy not quite as good as a 1.9PD, but didn't seem a bad engine at all.

I've got a 1.5 DCi and I think it's brilliant, I've my mates have had a few and the only problems I have ever heard of other than electronics is the turbo blowing on them.

If youre going to service it you'll need a square sump plug tool to remove the plug.

My mate has one in his Clio and his is a dog. There's definitely something wrong with it but he isn't the brightest when it comes to cars or mechanical sympathy. Phoned me 4 times in one week asking what PSI his tyres should be ffs!

Use Millers, avoid supermarket diesel, clean the EGR by hand and give it a regular thrash.

I'm not sure how you can prevent them getting clogged.

Get the intake and EGR and the rest cleaned up, put in new air filters on a regular basis (annual/10k) and a double dose of millers, followed by using it in the tank most tanks should be fine.

I'm not so concerned about the supermarket fuel, especially if you're putting millers in anyway.

To reduce future sooting, put in an oil catch can, in the output from the breather, so that there is less oil in the gases being fed back in.

That way the soot from the EGR has less to stick to.

Edited 25 June, 201213 yr by cheezemonkhai

I had the Megane 1.5dci and tbh i fell in love with this car, it was not fast or anything (obviously) but it was brill on fuel, i had the estate and this was cracking for the dogs, the engine was nice and revvy and it was dirt cheap to run, it was mega comfy, it had enough mod cons for the trim level and it was great...that was till the gearbox went bang :(

I never experienced problems with the engine just the box and wish bones (or bushes?) never got to the bottom of it (nasty banging over bumps)

Honestly id happily have another but its finding a good one, there are so many horror story's

We used to have a Nissan Micra with the 1.5 dci and it was great -really fun to drive and very rapid up to about 40mph, we used to rag it and it still did 60mpg. Ran it for 2 and a half years and clocked up 56,000 miles on it with no faults. She has another Micra of the same type but it's a 1.2 petrol and that engine is dull, dull, dull -slow, underpowered and not particularly economical, hence the change to a Citigo

Ive had 2 friends with clio 1.5dci's

One of them coked itself until it would no longer run despite regular egr valve clean outs altho it was only used for short journeys.

The second ones high pressure fuel pump failed and would only run for 5 minutes until it died altho this was thrashed to death everyday.

Both were brilliant engines while they run right and one friend even bought a new one with dci engine in it and hasnt had any trouble with that. Other friend also bought a newer shape clio but a 1.4 petrol and does nothing but moan its underpowered

SWIBOs Mergane cabriolet skip had this engine - really was quite decent and never gave any problems

We had an Espace 2.2dCi as a works vehicle.

The engine was the best thing about the entire car.

However, under our tender loving car (always serviced properly and driven well), it ate a turbo, ECU and some injectors.

A very easy car to like, but not one to trust.

IMO effing expensive dealer servicing.

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Hmm... I'm not mad about mine.

Bought an ex fleet van from my last company.

Outwardly it was a bargain. Got it with 11 months mot

12 months tax on an 03 plate with 106k for £700.

I was always in good grace with one of the directors at my

last firm and he did me the best deal he could. He also

added me to the company insurance for a week until I could

sort my own out and so I could get the van home. Plus a full

tank of diesel from the pump in the yard.

January the cambelt snapped, more or less destroying the engine.

£1500 at mates rates to get her going again. Previously She was

serviced regularly and without regard for expense throughout her life

at my old firm. Although this wasn't at a Renault dealer after the

warranty was up..But the cambelt wasn't due for a change for a while yet.

It broke doing 35 in 3rd on a NSL while accelerating up to speed.

The van was empty. No weight on board at all.

By the time I got to the winter, a problem with

the glow plug system started to develop as the temperatures dropped.

Up to 50 turns of the key brfore the glow plug light illuminated,

then it would start normally. Still trying to get to the bottom of that one.

Think it's an iffy relay now. Oh and the starter motor seized up and needed

replacing a couple of weeks ago. That's £220 quid I'll never see again.

Both the front suspension top mounts need replacing and the NSR wheel

bearing sounds like a snoring dog so that'll be next. Oh, and add to that

the boost leak which makes lots of whoosh but no noticeable go.

If it wasn't so good on fuel I would have got rid a while ago.

And bizarrely it only failed its last MOT on a numberplate lamp

needing a new bulb and hazard switch faulty. (which was cured with a squirt of wd40)

although the top mounts were advisories.

I'd prefer a caddy next time round.

So I finally drove this yesterday.

First thing I noticed..... NEEDS a 6th gear!

It's only got 80bhp, so they've geared it low to help acceleration. Problem is, 5th gear at 70mph is 3500rpm! Got it to 80, briefly, but gave up after about 5 seconds as it was pointless. No wonder the fuel gauge dropped like a stone.

I've never seen a diesel rev gauge that's marked all the way to 7000 rpm, with no marked redline either

Bottled out at 5000rpm as it was screaming its head off.

Sticking to 60 it's not so bad, and is certainly very comfy. Pot holes that make it feel like I've crashed my vRS, didn't feel them at all.

Gearbox is a bit like stirring porridge, and is quite vague, but I guess that's what you get when it's based on a van.

Quite entertaining to drive so high up - the 4x4 version has 40mm higher ride height than the standard Kangoo so can lord it over other drivers quite easily

Oh my. 3500rpm at 70! I'm almost certain that our old Pug 306 1.9D (non-turbo) revved nowhere near that at 70... although I can't be sure as it had no rev counter! lol

I'm surprised at the rev counter. Have the clocks been changed to petrol ones or something?!

Could be handy/fun in the winter with some winter tyres on it!

Phil

Doubt they've been changed.

Below video is exactly the same.

Already has Michelin chunky 4x4 tyres on it, so will be fun with a bit of mud

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Some renaults don't have red markings on the rev counter, neither do fiats and some other makes too.

I quite like the kangoo trekka, if I was still doing high mileage and wasn't in a car school I would be tempted to have one of these as I would love to take it off road around the lakes.

Mine looks like it revs right round into MX5 territory as well

I've never ever revved it past 4k, Most of the time I drive it off boost

and use the torque and gearing. Since the boost leak it just

makes a noise, some black smoke and picks up pace so slowly

that it's just not worth it.

Even with fooked topmounts I agree about the ride, it's on a par

with my SDI on bad roads. The sit up and beg driving position is

comfortable and helps with visibility and there's about 2ft of headroom

so the cabin feels big inside.