# Wonderful French design



## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Well I found myself in a bit of a pickle the other night after doing something truly stupid. 

Long story short, I had to prise one of the number plate bulbs out of my wife's megane, but like the big eejit I am, I forgot to turn the lights off before doing so. Result: blown fuse. 

Now to the pickle. The fuse for the number plate lights is in the fuse box in the engine bay. I did a bit of googling and the following had to be done. 

Battery out - disconnect posts and torx bolt for battery clamp. 

Ecu out - 2 bolts and 3 multi plugs

Battery tray out (disconnecting several clips holding cables etc) - 3 torx bolts in the bottom of the tray

Fuse box is upside down and slides out of the holder into the space normally occupied by the battery. Nuts. 

Anyhoo. Job done but it's an hour and a half I'll never get back. Oh and apparently Renault charge roughly £100 for the same job.

Cooks


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Oi, don't tarnish ALL French cars with Renault sillyness


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

you wont do that again will you! :thumb:


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Mistakes happen.

Learn from it and move on.


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

PugIain said:


> Oi, don't tarnish ALL French cars with Renault sillyness


But as a Renault fan, it's pretty much true!! :lol:

Hence I'm on the prowl for a good specialist to do the cam belt in my 225 Trophy as Renault claim it's a 10 or 11 hour job. :doublesho


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Alex_225 said:


> Hence I'm on the prowl for a good specialist to do the cam belt in my 225 Trophy as Renault claim it's a 10 or 11 hour job. :doublesho


Wow.
I think when I had it done on my little diesel Saxo it took about 1.5 lol.
Randomly that's the only car I've had the cam belt done on..


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


I didn't think it was exactly unusual or specific to renault?


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


Yeah on some stuff, my mate owns a garage he had a customer come in for a bulb change after halfords refused to do it lol

They do have some silly designs


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Really don't like Renaults or Peugeots (infact anything French) cheap rubbish cars.

No offence meant to any owners on here but just my opinion.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


I contemplated it on my Clio III, you cannot see what your doing via the engine bay, I jacked the car up, took the wheel and wheel arch liner out and changed it through there and even so took over and hour. very bad design, my sisters megane theres a cover in the wheel arch liner and its a bit of a pain. My Mums Citroen C3 is also a pain as theres a fuse box in the way on one side and no way to remove the headlight without removing the bumper, Luckily some manufacturers do have sense my new fiestas headlights you can remove from the car in about 30-60 seconds and take it in the house and change it in there.... good work ford :thumb:

my dads golf mkv has tonnes of space behind both headlights as well so dont imagine that being too hard but even though its rarely used no bulbs have gone in 5-6 years


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> Really don't like Renaults or Peugeots (infact anything French) cheap rubbish cars.
> 
> No offence meant to any owners on here but just my opinion.


Yep, hence why I can have a top of the range one for the same price as the window winder for a Golf


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> Really don't like Renaults or Peugeots (infact anything French) cheap rubbish cars.
> 
> No offence meant to any owners on here but just my opinion.


You really don't do yourself any favours do you.


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

PugIain said:


> Yep, hence why I can have a top of the range one for the same price as the window winder for a Golf


You get what you pay for. :thumb:


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

I have had one or two clipsports in my time (in fact I have probably owned more French cars than any other marque) , I found it easier to swap cars than swap the headlights :lol:



Christian6984 said:


> I contemplated it on my Clio III, you cannot see what your doing via the engine bay, I jacked the car up, took the wheel and wheel arch liner out and changed it through there and even so took over and hour. very bad design, my sisters megane theres a cover in the wheel arch liner and its a bit of a pain. My Mums Citroen C3 is also a pain as theres a fuse box in the way on one side and no way to remove the headlight without removing the bumper, Luckily some manufacturers do have sense my new fiestas headlights you can remove from the car in about 30-60 seconds and take it in the house and change it in there.... good work ford :thumb:
> 
> my dads golf mkv has tonnes of space behind both headlights as well so dont imagine that being too hard but even though its rarely used no bulbs have gone in 5-6 years


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> You get what you pay for. :thumb:


Yup, leather lined silence


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

PugIain said:


> Yup, leather lined silence


:lol: :lol: Fair enough!


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> Really don't like Renaults or Peugeots (infact anything French) cheap rubbish cars.
> 
> No offence meant to any owners on here but just my opinion.


I've owned 3 golf gti, still have one now

I've had 2 clios

as much as i love golfs, the clios where far better built and more reliable

Only downside to RS clio is how cramped the engine bay is, need to near on take the engine out to do the cambelt and dephaser, costs a fortune


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Clancy said:


> I've owned 3 golf gti, still have one now
> 
> I've had 2 clios
> 
> ...


Which clios and which golfs?, just wondered as my experience is the exact opposite?


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> :lol: :lol: Fair enough!


Apart from when the wife is going anywhere with me.
She has this habit of "talking".


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Shaun said:


> I have had one or two clipsports in my time (in fact I have probably owned more French cars than any other marque) , I found it easier to swap cars than swap the headlights :lol:


I had the Mk2 ph 2 which i think was the same as your 182, they were easy, its the later one like the 197's there not so much fun, I do agree if a headlight fails its easier to write the car off :lol:


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Shaun said:


> Which clios and which golfs?, just wondered as my experience is the exact opposite?


I had a Mk2 ph2 1.2 clio

then an RS 172 which was the best car I've ever had. Had a lot of money spent on it though but was so much fun and never let me down, wish I never sold it

had a mk3 golf gti anniversary, loved the car but central locking and alarm had a mind of its own, as did the sunroof, then the gearbox exploded when I was 300 miles away from home, was a fun trip on the recovery truck :lol:

then had a mk4 golf gti, that started falling apart all over the place, got shot before it got expensive

now I've got a mk3 golf gti 16v. This one's lovely with no rust! No problems so far touch wood

I love golfs, I'm a sucker for a nice mk3. But out of these cars I've had the clios have been far better build quality and reliability for me


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Shaun said:


> Which clios and which golfs?, just wondered as my experience is the exact opposite?


This is a tricky one for me, ive had a mk2 and 3 clio, the mk2 had a oxygen sensor and mk3 nothing, both were driven reasonable quickly as a young driver. My Dad has a Mk V golf 1.4 TSI 170 GT that doesnt hardly get used being a second car, its been into VW for ABS light issues and the gearbox crunches into changing down to 2nd but only when the engines hot, its a lovely finished car but i do question reliability although to be fair VW know about the ABS problems and was carried out FOC.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


Having owned 3 meganes (wife's cars) I have it perfected to about 3 minutes, without removing the wheel or arch liner.

Go me eh?

Actually it's the best car we have ever owned. Never had any bother with any of my French cars, apart from the clutch (actually 4 in 37000 miles from New) on my 407 but that's another matter.

Cooks


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

If you had access to a ramp then surely you could access under the bumper a bit easier ultimately not necessarily having to remove it?


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> If you had access to a ramp then surely you could access under the bumper a bit easier ultimately not necessarily having to remove it?


How many people have access to a ramp?


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Shaun said:


> How many people have access to a ramp?


A lot of people on here seem very technical minded (maybe are mechanics or ex mechanics) so that is why I say that.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

My 182 wasn't good, in 6 months from new it had new middle exhaust box (bodged on by Renault too), oil leaking from head bolts, alarm problems, and the door went out of alignment and Renault wouldn't fix it under warranty even though it was 6 months old, I need up getting a seperate garage to do it. 
My local dealer was Crap, it's probably why I never went back to the Renault brand again.



Clancy said:


> I had a Mk2 ph2 1.2 clio
> 
> then an RS 172 which was the best car I've ever had. Had a lot of money spent on it though but was so much fun and never let me down, wish I never sold it
> 
> ...


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

PugIain said:


> Wow.
> I think when I had it done on my little diesel Saxo it took about 1.5 lol.
> Randomly that's the only car I've had the cam belt done on..


Yeah it's something to do with hoisting the engine although I'm aware some specialists can do it without this and charge a lot less.

Rentech did the first cambelt on my Trophy and it was £650. Still not a cheap job but a lot cheaper than Renault.



Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


The Megane II ideally needs the bumper off to do the headlights. They did put hatches in the arch liner but unless you have child like hand there's no chance of being able to get it done.

This was the state of mine whilst me and a friend changed a headlight bulb but did both and indicator bulbs whilst I was at it. Lucky he knew exactly what he was doing as it's a fiddly job!


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## bradleymarky (Nov 29, 2013)

I think i remember watching something on Top gear about the renault headlight bulb, didnt it take an AA/RAC man over 2 hours to change it.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

bradleymarky said:


> I think i remember watching something on Top gear about the renault headlight bulb, didnt it take an AA/RAC man over 2 hours to change it.


5th Gear. Please notice, if you will, the 2.7 V6 Hdi 407 
And he's only PRETENDING to fix it..... this time..


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> If you had access to a ramp then surely you could access under the bumper a bit easier ultimately not necessarily having to remove it?


I just turn the wheel out and reach in through the wheel arch opening. I'm not the smallest of people either.

Cooks


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Alex_225 said:


> They did put hatches in the arch liner but unless you have child like hand there's no chance of being able to get it done.


I definitely don't have hands like a child lol. 6'1" and 18 stone....

Cooks


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Cookies said:


> I definitely don't have hands like a child lol. 6'1" and 18 stone....
> 
> Cooks


Exactly the same as me mate!! Some of my work colleagues kindly nicknamed me Gripper because I have massive hands lol


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

When I met Alex, I noticed how big his hands were. I'd be properly sensitive about those if I were you... 
I, on the other hand *insert groan at rubbish pun*, have tiny hands and found the bulb change on the megane simple and quite quick. Totally blown out of proportion for a story on the telly I suspect


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## Chrisr1806 (Aug 6, 2013)

Good old Frenchies.:thumb:

I'd rather have a list of problems as long my arm on a Peugeot than having a soulless black Mk6 Golf. :wave:


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Maggi200 said:


> When I met Alex, I noticed how big his hands were. I'd be properly sensitive about those if I were you...
> I, on the other hand *insert groan at rubbish pun*, have tiny hands and found the bulb change on the megane simple and quite quick. Totally blown out of proportion for a story on the telly I suspect


Yeah I am actually very sensitive so thanks for bringing that up! haha


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Alex_225 said:


> Exactly the same as me mate!! Some of my work colleagues kindly nicknamed me Gripper because I have massive hands lol


Lol. Wasn't there a Sherlock Holmes episode called that!

Cooks


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

Cookies said:


> I just turn the wheel out and reach in through the wheel arch opening. I'm not the smallest of people either.
> 
> Cooks


My dad managed the megane the other day from above and he doesnt have small hands, i think you can get your hand in behind if you remove the cover just above it that surrounds the engine. I do find not doing them very often means using a small mirror to help what im looking at. One big advantage of the renault is the clip is one piece that you slide to the side and lock the bulb in (push and twist wouldnt half make thing simple but hey ho!), the Citroen C3 is down right daft, the main bult has a clip that is in 2 pieces so you have to get one side on then the other 

heres what it looks like...

http://piku.org.uk/files/2011/03/C3-headlamp-bulb-clip.jpg


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Cookies said:


> Lol. Wasn't there a Sherlock Holmes episode called that!
> 
> Cooks


That was my autobiography! :lol:


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

vek said:


> it seems there are a lot of french car haters but i wonder how many have actually owned one ? i appreciate the posts of previous owners that did have problems,but i have also seen problems posted on forums with all other makes. i myself dont have any loyalty to any particular marque but having owned 3 renaults that i used for twice weekly beer running duties in the 90s-early 2000s the only problem i had between the 3 was an alternator packing up.the combined milage was well over 80 thou so mine were very reliable,in fact i have gone back to a french car at present (citroen) & again it is reliable & well made.my most unreliable cars were rover sdi 3500s,great motors ****e everything else.my favorite cars i have owned were 2 hondas,brilliant build quality & super reliable.


It's ironic that as a big RenaultSport fan, you get so many comments from people about French cars being generally sh!t yet many are from people who have never driven one let alone owned one.

No marque is perfect and I'm not deluded as to some of the failings and mistakes made by Renault but having owned four Renaults, five Renaultsports and one VW, the least reliable car was the VW Lupo!

I like cars with character and that are fun and I've always said to people, drive one before you slate it. My girlfriend wasn't a fan of my 172 when we first met, I got her to have a go in it and she couldn't help but admit it's fun.

Yeah, I'm sure there's better cars out there for commuting, reliability, families etc. But for a bloke who does minimal driving and who likes a laugh, a hot hatch is perfect and the French make a good hot hatch!


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


Early Audi A4's too.

KA's were very unpleasent to change bulbs in too, took my nail half off doing one....the pain......never again.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

I had an HH-R Rover, and the headlight bulbs were a pain on that.


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## Oldsparky (Jun 18, 2014)

I still have the scar on my hand from changing the bulb on my Citroën. Who puts sharp metal where u need to put your hands?


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## Starburst (Oct 10, 2014)

Nowt wrong with Renault and Renaultsport's. I've owned two RS200's and have to say that they were two of the best hot hatch's I've ever owned.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Christian6984 said:


> My dad managed the megane the other day from above and he doesnt have small hands, i think you can get your hand in behind if you remove the cover just above it that surrounds the engine. I do find not doing them very often means using a small mirror to help what im looking at. One big advantage of the renault is the clip is one piece that you slide to the side and lock the bulb in (push and twist wouldnt half make thing simple but hey ho!), the Citroen C3 is down right daft, the main bult has a clip that is in 2 pieces so you have to get one side on then the other
> 
> heres what it looks like...
> 
> http://piku.org.uk/files/2011/03/C3-headlamp-bulb-clip.jpg


The facelifted Megane 2 has done away with the clip, instead it has two wee locating lugs that you just push the bulb past and it clicks into place.

Far easier but the bulb can be difficult to remove if it has been in there for a while!! I'm speaking from experience in that respect.

Cooks


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Et viola (to keep with the French theme)










Cooks


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Shaun said:


> My 182 wasn't good, in 6 months from new it had new middle exhaust box (bodged on by Renault too), oil leaking from head bolts, alarm problems, and the door went out of alignment and Renault wouldn't fix it under warranty even though it was 6 months old, I need up getting a seperate garage to do it.
> My local dealer was Crap, it's probably why I never went back to the Renault brand again.


Christ that's bad luck

Yeah we literally had opposite experiences lol

I guess the truth is that there is no particular manufacturer that makes an extremely reliable or unreliable car. It's more of a lottery, bar the few manufacturer errors that get made

like vw changing to a lower grade metal halfway through the mk3 lifespan, meaning all the newest mk3 golfs rust 100x worse than the earlier models. Stuff like that


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## RPC (May 11, 2014)

Cant speak for the latest french cars but i used to have a 206 which was family owned from new. It had a new set of discs all around, few pad changes, new exhaust, clutch and a couple of tires and bulbs... just general maintenance work really. Not bad in over 8 years and 70k + and nothing ever went wrong with it. Was a brilliant car


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## Strothow (Oct 29, 2009)

Shaun said:


> Isn't it Renault that required a bumper to be removed (or something simillat) to change the headlight bulb.


Renault Modus need bumper to be removed to do the drivers side, Megane is easy enough  :thumb:


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## rory1992 (Jul 22, 2012)

I agree with vw golf fan my megane 265 cup is a cheap rubbish car, i mean its only voted by all as the most entertaining hot hatchback currently on sale and the 3rd quickest fwd hothatch around the nurburgring (minus the tyres). For me personally though i like a unique, entertaining car not one of these popular boring cars. Ive had it around 19months and pretty much nothing has gone wrong, to be fair though my mrs had a vw fox with 105k and nothing went wrong in the year we had that.


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## transtek (Mar 2, 2007)

VW Golf-Fan said:


> Really don't like Renaults or Peugeots (infact anything French) cheap rubbish cars.
> 
> No offence meant to any owners on here but just my opinion.


But there are some quite nice-looking "older" models that I'm sure you would like!:wave::wave:

(E.g. I don't think you can dislike a 205 GTI, can you?)


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

My wife's last megane had a great wee feature - whenever you had the front wipers switched on and pressed the brake pedal, the rear wiper did one sweep of the rear screen. 

Turned out to be a bad earth....

Cooks


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