My old Clio II 2 has a problem ..

[suein56]

It's never ending is it .. no wonder I prefer to stick to older cars. Tho my life would be easier if I (or my OH) was DIY orientated car-wise.

[RobertArthur]

Older cars: in the brochure of my VW Sharan (August1998) a lot of technical details. About safety features and the quality of connectors and plugs: ' Interference-free contacts. All plug connections in the Sharan are sealed watertight to ensure optimum operation. That too is Volkswagen - quality down to the last detail.' Not interesting anymore I'm afraid.

Today's brochures are about design, doesn't it look nice, the infotainment system, smiling faces on every page and nice landscapes, the enormous amount of electronic warning features to keep you safe and sometimes preventing you with their many flash lights and audio beeps to look what's happening around you on the road.

This modern brake unit: a design can be perfect, but as soon as something goes wrong down the production line, quality inspection, tolerances, cheaper components from third parties, it will not be easy to repair the damage.

Modern cars, electronics in a harsh environment. Huge connectors ( picture from Continental's website), a lot of digital circuits, the problem of spurious noise on top of low level digital signals, not easy to cope with.

[suein56]

Just had a call from the chief mechanic at Renault who said they cannot repair my car because they cannot find a new replacement 'câblage au moteur' as they are no longer made. He has tried places other than Renault.
I can understand why they won't risk putting in a 2nd hand part in this case but I have little option than to try and find one or else my car is for the breaker's yard.
Not feeling in a happy place at the moment.

[RobertArthur]

@ Suein, to the breaker's yard because of a cable? Modern times, indeed, but several questions.

a/ Electrical cable or mechanical cable? Because in one of their earlier messages they mentioned something about a clutch cable.

b/ Fault finding: computer says or hands-on, visual inspection?

c/ Did they give any precise details about this cable and its function? Part number could be useful for searching elsewhere.

d/ Nobody around the next days or weeks for a second opinion?

e/ To get the feeling that you are still a little bit in control: don't wait for X-mas gifts, buy now, that simple OBD-II scanner for around 25 euros as mentioned in the test by Haynes.

f/ Mind over matter.

[L Austin France]

'câblage au moteur'

I thought that garages were now obliged to fit 2nd hand parts if requested.

[RobertArthur]

@ Curtis, wouldn't it be nice if a few lines of text of the existing legal framework would be in bright huge neon letters somewhere in these garages, visible for customers and others.

7 - Le garagiste doit-il proposer des pièces d’occasion pour la réparation ?
Oui, depuis le 1er janvier 2017, les garagistes (ainsi que tous les professionnels de l’entretien et de la réparation automobile) doivent permettre aux consommateurs d’opter pour des pièces issues de l’économie circulaire (article L. 121-117 du code de la consommation), c’est-à-dire des pièces d’occasion.

Source: https://www.inc-conso.fr/content/les-ga ... s-reponses

7 - Must garage owners offer second-hand parts for repairs?
Yes, since 1 January 2017, garage owners (as well as all car maintenance and repair professionals) must allow consumers to opt for parts from the circular economy (Article L. 121-117 of the Consumer Code), i.e. second-hand parts.

[L Austin France]

Sue
Maybe try https://careco.fr/pieces-occasion/93-re ... 043/page=2
Dunno if this is your model & dunno what the bit your after is but maybe worth investigation

[curtis]

Sue , the part name has now changed. Câble pédalier , câblage au moteur.
You really need to understand what is the exact name and the function. I have found parts for both those names but without knowing what it does it's difficult to know if it's right or not.

[suein56]

Câble pédalier , câblage au moteur.
You really need to understand what is the exact name and the function.

On the phone on Tuesday the lady from reception said 'câble pédalier' .. today the chef de l'atelier on the phone said 'câblage au moteur' .. I haven't had chance to visit them as my OH had a fall on Monday evening and has a few nasty bruises and a very nasty headache. He bled a lot too .. he's stopped taking the (new) medicine that was making him dizzy but I daren't leave him at the mo. He won't have the Dr.
I did ask for a reference number for the part : 8200346202. My car is a Clio II 2 September 2001 1.4 16 Valve.
I'm hoping to go and retrieve my car tomorrow if possible. I shall then ask to see the OBD report they did last week.

[suein56]

I thought that garages were now obliged to fit 2nd hand parts if requested.

He said it as risky as the secondhand new-to-my-Clio part could have the same intermittent problem.