Ford Fiesta XR4 / ST150 Differential Bearings

The most commonly discussed Achilles heel to the Fiesta XR4/ST150 is the IB5 transmission. The gearbox doesn’t randomly explode, but has one significant weakness in addition to the “usual” front-wheel-drive hot-hatch gearbox fragility.

Continue reading Ford Fiesta XR4 / ST150 Differential Bearings

2016 Rathmines Catalina Festival Car Show Gallery

Changing Renault Keycard Battery

The first time the “keycard battery low” warning came up on the instrument cluster was after 18 months of ownership and I studiously spent a week or two trying to ignore it before ending up locked out of the car.

Would you believe I actually couldn’t work out how to change the keycard battery?  It’s one of those quick jobs that needs to be done, takes only a minute, but yet can cause a touch of anxiety while trying to force the battery compartment open.

Here’s the quick steps to put a new CR2032 battery into your keycard:

Remove the Emergency Key

Emergency Key Release
Emergency Key Release on a Renault Megane III Keycard

Pressing the grey release button on the side of the remote while pulling on the end of the keycard will release the emergency key.

Open the Keycard Battery Compartment

Opening battery compartment
Opening Renault Megane III Keycard battery compartment

Use the end of the emergency key or fingernail or coin to open the battery compartment.  A thin coin twisted in the slot between the keycard case and cover works best, this will not be an “easy” pop and release.

Lift off the cover – it has clips all the way around so it will need a firm tug to remove completely.

Keycard battery compartment
Renault Megane III Keycard battery compartment

Now that you’ve removed the battery compartment cover you can see the CR2032 battery which can be flipped out with a fingernail from the edge closest to the end of the keycard.

Changing the KeyCard battery
Changing the KeyCard battery

Reassembly

As you’d expect the keycard is reassembled in the reverse of the above process.

  • Make sure you’ve got the battery correctly orientated.
  • Line up the battery compartment cover carefully before firmly pressing down into place.
  • Slide the emergency key back into place and ensure the catch “clicks” back into position.

 

The Minimalist 2-Bucket Wash Kit

The 2-Bucket Wash method is the most commonly recommended process for keeping your car clean.  In this post I describe a minimalist approach to the 2-Bucket Wash Kit which will keep your car looking great on a tight budget. Continue reading The Minimalist 2-Bucket Wash Kit

Detailer Tip: Stopping Creaky Door Noises

One of the most common complaints with late model cars are door noises like creaks, squeaks or rattle noise from the doors.  It can sound like a “crack” when crossing driveways and often can often get worse after the car is detailed.

Once the usual suspects like loose and broken trim are ruled out dealerships and workshops are often at a loss to explain the noise let alone remedy it.

What causes Creaky Door Noises?

The noise we hear is actually caused by part of the door seals design and material that’s meant to reduce noise!  When you look at your door seals you’ll see they are made up of a number of parts.  The main cause of the noise is the outermost “flap” that serves to reduce wind noise and also act as an initial barrier to dust and water.

Door Seal Flap
Outer door seal “flap” circled.

On the inside the seal has a “flocked” or “felted” finish which is the cause of the noise.

Why?  Well I’ve heard a lot of reasons and the most common is that as manufacturers strive to reduce costs of cars the quality of finishes like these suffer, this results in the fibres not being as long, plush or effective as intended.

Instead the fibres stick and release with movement of the door.  This appears to worsen after waxes or sealants are applied to the paintwork in the area of these seals.

How do we address it?

There’s three possible solutions:

  1. Replace the seals:  BMW for example has a number of replacement seals available that are used by dealerships to address the noise when raised as warranty complaints.  Anecdotally the replacement seals have a plusher finish and resolve the issue.
    I doubt this is cost effective for owners and most manufacturers will not have a revised part.
  2. Lubricate the seals: As detailers this is the easiest approach requiring a small addition to our “tool kit” and requiring only a few minutes of our time.  While this is not a permanent solution it can be incorporated into the regular wash process and remains very cost effective.
  3. Add lubrication to the body:  This fix is now used by BMW and other manufacturers to provide a long-term fix.  It involves laying a low-friction self-adhesive strip around the door openings where the flocking would normally contact the bodywork.

Lubricating Flocked Door Seals

There are a number of products of varying prices that can used for the job.  My preference is for a simple Paraffin Wax stick which does the job, costs next to nothing and doesn’t have any risk of marking clothing or hands if touched.

Really when deciding on a product you want two things – a “dry” finish and a product that doesn’t mark or discolour clothing when brushed against.

Gummi Pflege, Teflon Sprays, Dri-Lube, Silicone Sprays all will work – however they only last 3-4 weeks.

Goss Dri-Lube
Goss Dri-Lube is my goto for creaky door seals

My goto is Goss Dri-Lube, a stick of paraffin wax that is applied much like a crayon

Applying Goss Dri-Lube
Applying Goss Dri-Lube to creaky Renault door seals

As you can see in the photo I’m applying a generous layer over all the flocked parts of the seal.  In warm weather the whiteness “melts” away quickly eating the fibre and stopping the creaking door noises!

But what if that doesn’t work?

While in most cases lubricating the flocked door seals will resolve the door noises there are cases where it doesn’t work.

Bentley has this particular issue on some models which is resolved by adding lubrication under the seals where they attach/fit to the door.

For this a Silicone Grease is used, and simply smeared between the rubber of the seal and the door.  To do this I’d use a spray pack of silicone grease and the tip to get between the seal and body and then massage around the door.

What about a permanent solution?

The most cost effective solution thats likely to last long term is to apply a Teflon tape around the door openings where the flocking contacts the body.

The recommended tape is 3M “5430” Squeak Reduction Tape which is best described as specialised and has a specialised price tag of AUD187 for a 33m roll of 25.4mm width.

 

Renault Megane RS265 Front Suspension – Parts Diagrams 2

Perfohub upgrades have been done the Megane III’s in various forms.  The easiest method is to simply dismantle a donor Megane III with Cup (Perfohub) suspension and  bolt all the required parts onto the recipient.

In this post I continue the break out of Dialogys diagrams and the part numbers associated with the RenaultSport “Cup” (otherwise known as Perfohub) Mk3 Megane Front Suspension.

While it’s not possible to identify all specific versions and damper/spring combinations of the RS250 / RS265 / RS275 the majority of “hard parts” are common.  I have used a “DZ18” 2013 Mk3 RenaultSport Megane as the sample.  Springs are generally ordered in sets based on a painted colour code.

As with the other pages of part numbers I haven’t included descriptions.

Megane III Perfohub Suspension Part Numbers (Part 2)

RS265_1495-m-32-1010
RS265 1495-m-32-1010

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 546110033R 1495/M/32/1010
2 546180002R 1495/M/32/1010
3 7703602264 1495/M/32/1010
4 7703034251 1495/M/32/1010
5 7703034251 1495/M/32/1010
6 546120316R 1495/M/32/1010
7 546130001R 1495/M/32/1010

RS265_1495-m-32-3015
RS265 1495-m-32-3015

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 410019207R 1495/M/32/3015
2 410113693R 1495/M/32/3015
3 411203690R 1495/M/32/3015
4 7701209424 1495/M/32/3015
5 410609317R 1495/M/32/3015
6 8200468227 1495/M/32/3015

 

RS265_1495-m-31-4015
RS265 1495-m-31-4015

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 400119927R 1495/M/31/4015
2 400105293R 1495/M/31/4015
3 401330008R 1495/M/31/4015
4 401320005R 1495/M/31/4015
5 555738441R 1495/M/31/4015
6 555728534R 1495/M/31/4015
7 400117258R 1495/M/31/4015
8 400108108R 1495/M/31/4015
9 8200416590 1495/M/31/4015
10 8200468421 1495/M/31/4015
11 402027369R 1495/M/31/4015
12 402060019R 1495/M/31/4015
13 402060019R 1495/M/31/4015
14 7703004176 1495/M/31/4015
15 8200964242 1495/M/31/4015

 

RS265_1495-m-29-0110
RS265 1495-m-29-0110

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 391012511R 1495/M/29/0110
2 8200866827 1495/M/29/0110

 

RS265 1495-m-29-0310
RS265 1495-m-29-0310

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 7701071133 1495/M/29/0310
2 7703066381 1495/M/29/0310
3 8200502735 1495/M/29/0310
4 8201013040 1495/M/29/0310
5 7700112085 1495/M/29/0310
6 7700870056 1495/M/29/0310
7 7703602193 1495/M/29/0310
8 8200866827 1495/M/29/0310

The Parts Lists

On the following linked pages I’ll cover off the parts that make up the Mk3 Megane GT220 and RS265 front suspension packages along with the diagrams from Renault Dialogys.

  1. About the Perfohub transplant
  2. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1
  3. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2
  4. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1
  5. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2 (this page)
  6. Parts Common between the GT220 and RS265

Renault Megane RS265 Front Suspension – Parts Diagrams 1

Perfohub upgrades have been done the Megane III’s in various forms.  The easiest method is to simply dismantle a donor Megane III with Cup (Perfohub) suspension and  bolt all the required parts onto the recipient.

In this post I break out the Dialogys diagrams and the part numbers associated with the RenaultSport “Cup” (otherwise known as Perfohub) Mk3 Megane Front Suspension.

While it’s not possible to identify all specific versions and damper/spring combinations of the RS250 / RS265 / RS275 the majority of “hard parts” are common.  I have used a “DZ18” 2013 Mk3 RenaultSport Megane as the sample.  Springs are generally ordered in sets based on a painted colour code.

As with the other pages of part numbers I haven’t included descriptions.

Megane III Perfohub Suspension Part Numbers (Part 1)

RS265_1495-m-31-0110
RS265 Front Suspension 1495-m-31-0110

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 544010250R 1495/M/31/0110
2 7703602185 1495/M/31/0110
3 7703602185 1495/M/31/0110
4 7703602335 1495/M/31/0110
5 7703602335 1495/M/31/0110
6 544F00003R 1495/M/31/0110
7 7703602295 1495/M/31/0110
8 544C50004R 1495/M/31/0110
9 544C40006R 1495/M/31/0110
10 7703602193 1495/M/31/0110
11 7703602193 1495/M/31/0110
12 544640003R 1495/M/31/0110
13 7703602235 1495/M/31/0110
14 7703602235 1495/M/31/0110
15 ? 1495/M/31/0110
16 547273347R 1495/M/31/0110
17 8200976877 1495/M/31/0110
18 7703053968 1495/M/31/0110
19 7703053968 1495/M/31/0110

 

RS265_1495-m-31-3010
RS265 Front Suspension 1495-m-31-3010

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 401609060R 1495/M/31/3010
2 8200624491 1495/M/31/3010
3 7703034247 1495/M/31/3010

RS265_1495-m-31-0215
RS265 Front Suspension 1495-m-31-0215

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 545010011R 1495/M/31/0215
2 545000010R 1495/M/31/0215
3 7703102026 1495/M/31/0215
4 7703102026 1495/M/31/0215
5 7705098191 1495/M/31/0215
6 7705098191 1495/M/31/0215
7 7703101623 1495/M/31/0215
8 7703101623 1495/M/31/0215
9 7703033209 1495/M/31/0215
10 7703033209 1495/M/31/0215
11 7703034281 1495/M/31/0215
12 7703034281 1495/M/31/0215
13 543175784R 1495/M/31/0215
14 8200896829 1495/M/31/0215
15 8200896829 1495/M/31/0215
16 540100108R 1495/M/31/0215
17 540100108R 1495/M/31/0215
18 ? 1495/M/31/0215
19 ? 1495/M/31/0215

RS265_1495-m-32-0210
RS265 Front Suspension 1495-m-32-0210

Index Part Number RS265 Diagram RS265
1 540500012R 1495/M/32/0210
2 540500012R 1495/M/32/0210
3 543256557R 1495/M/32/0210
4 543020055R 1495/M/32/0210
5 543020055R 1495/M/32/0210
6 7703602317 1495/M/32/0210
7 7703602317 1495/M/32/0210
8 7703034282 1495/M/32/0210
9 7703034282 1495/M/32/0210
10 543301929R 1495/M/32/0210
11 543301929R 1495/M/32/0210
12 543A08989R 1495/M/32/0210

The Parts Lists

On the following linked pages I’ll cover off the parts that make up the Mk3 Megane GT220 and RS265 front suspension packages along with the diagrams from Renault Dialogys.

  1. About the Perfohub transplant
  2. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1
  3. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2
  4. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1  (this page)
  5. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2
  6. Parts Common between the GT220 and RS265

Renault “Oval Plate” Decoding – General Information

The “Oval Plate” is a key part of establishing the features and equipment fitted to any Renault.  It has been used by Renault since 1909 and has evolved over the years from an oval shaped plaque in the engine compartment to a decal applied inside the right-hand door opening (Front or Rear).

By using a combination of your VIN Number and “Oval Plate” data you can use the Dialogys software to determine part numbers, directly read paint and a trim codes or just be mystified about what it all means.

In this post I’ve gathered together as much of the late-model decoding information I can find!

Where is the Oval Plate?

On post 1995 models the Oval Plate relocated from the engine compartment to the door openings on the right-hand side of the vehicle.   The plate can be in either the front or rear door opening.

Oval Plate Location Diagram

 

Decoding

Sample Oval Plate
Sample Oval Plate
Divided into a table of 12 code blocks and integrated with (or next to) a decal giving the vehicle VIN number and load information (model dependent).

    1. Vehicle Type
    1. Build Sequence
    1. Equipment Level
    1. Equipment Code
    1. Limited Edition
    1. Paint Code
    1. Seat Trim Code
    1. Interior Trim Code
    1. Technical Country Code
    1. Extra 1
    1. Extra 2

1. Vehicle Type

The vehicle type consists of 4 characters and under most conditions is the same as the 4-7th characters of the VIN.  If your car is a limited edition then the last two characters of the vehicle type are likely to be unique.

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Body Type

Model

Model Specific

Model Specific

B: 5 doors

C: 3 doors

D: cut

E: cabriolet or roadster

F: Cargo Van

G: company based 5-door

H: SUV

J: MPV

K: Estate (or break) – also used for VP versions of the Kangoo

L: 4-door sedan

A: MPV long version

S: Company based on 3-door

U: Pick up (VU: chassis cab)

V: Company on a break

W: project to study non-validated

X: Project to study validated (setting assured production)

Z: used for concept cars

0 – Twingo

1 – R4

2 – R25

3 – R4

4 – R21 / Express

5 – Clio I / Laguna / R19 / Safrane

A – Megane I / Master

B – Clio II

C – Kangoo

D – Master

E – Espace III / Avantime

G – Laguna II

H – Master Propulsion

J – Vel Satis / New Traffic

K – Espace IV

L – Trafic

M – Megane II / Scenic II

P – Modus

S – Logan / Sandero / Duster / Dokker / Lodgy

Y – Koleos

Z – Megane III / Scenic III

2. Build Sequence

This identifies the specific vehicle in the production run.  When using Dialogys this value ensures the correct revision parts are shown.  Dialogys includes options to use Build Month & Year to “guess” this value.

The first character typically indicates the production plant or country:

A

Portugal

K

Dieppe

B

Batilly (RVI)

N

Mexico

C

Creil

Q

Amercian Motor Corportaion

D

Douai

R

Bursa (Turkey)

E

Spain

S

Sandouville

F

Flins

T

Romorantin (Matra Automobile)

G

Grand Couronne

U

Maubeuge (Spain)

G

Yugoslavia

W

Valladolid (Spain)

H

Haren (Belgium)

X

Heuliez

J

Billancourt

Y

Yugoslavia

K

Dieppe

Z

U.S.A.

3. Equipment Level

4. Equipment Code

5. Limited Edition

6. Paint Code

The first two characters “TE” may be part of the paint code, but most common references for Renault colours use the last 3 characters.  Some colours may be encoded differently with different year models but have the same name.  Always use the code on the Oval Plate when ordering paints.

7. Seat Trim Code

This code combines a description and colour code.  The description is the first 4 characters while the last two represent the colour:

TICU: Mixed upholstery fabric & leather
DRAP: Upholstery cloth / velvet
CUIR: Full leather

8. Interior Trim Code

This is a 4 character prefix with a numerical code.  “HARM” for Inner Harmony.

9. Technical Legislative Country Code

This code indicates the Country that the vehicle was to be exported or sold in.  In most cases this is used to indicate that the vehicle was built to comply with the particular vehicle standards for that country.

This can be numeric or a 4 character code preceded by “TL”.

10. Extra 1

This is actually 4 unique codes joined together.  Currently being investigated.

Letter 1: Type of suspension (A = normal (non-reinforced) – B = reinforced)
Letter 2: Type climate of the country (C = temperate countries) – (D = Cold country)
Letter 3: Air conditioning type (H = auto Clim) – (G = normal Clim) – (F = Not Clim)
Letter 4: Engine Type Filtration (K = without pre-filter)

11. Extra 2

This is actually 4 unique codes joined together.  Currently being Investigated.

Letter 5: Steering type (N = normal steering) (P = Parametric)
Letter 6: Type dampers (R = no variable dampers)
Letter 7: Trim System (T = without correction)
Letter 8: Braking (ABS with W =) (V = without ABS)

Renault Megane GT220 Front Suspension – Parts Diagrams 2

Perfohub upgrades have been done the Megane III’s in various forms.  The easiest method is to simply dismantle a donor Megane III with Cup (Perfohub) suspension and  bolt all the required parts onto the recipient.

In this post I continue to break out the Dialogys diagrams and the part numbers associated with the Mk3 Megane Front Suspension.  I’ve not included the descriptions as anyone doing this conversion should be able to tell a spring from a bolt 🙂

Megane III non-Perfohub Suspension Part Numbers (Part 2)

1495-m-32-0210
1495-m-32-0210

Index Part Number Diagram
1 540500016R 1495/M/32/0210
2 540500016R 1495/M/32/0210
3 543256557R 1495/M/32/0210
4 540340002R 1495/M/32/0210
5 540340002R 1495/M/32/0210
6 7703602317 1495/M/32/0210
7 7703602317 1495/M/32/0210
8 7703034282 1495/M/32/0210
9 7703034282 1495/M/32/0210
10 543301929R 1495/M/32/0210
11 543301929R 1495/M/32/0210
12 543A06874R 1495/M/32/0210

1495-m-32-1010
1495-m-32-1010

Index Part Number Diagram
1 546110003R 1495/M/32/1010
2 546180002R 1495/M/32/1010
3 7703602264 1495/M/32/1010
4 7703034251 1495/M/32/1010
5 7703034251 1495/M/32/1010
6 546120005R 1495/M/32/1010
7 546130001R 1495/M/32/1010

1495-m-32-3013
1495-m-32-3013

Index Part Number Diagram
1 410117489R 1495/M/32/3013
2 410150002R 1495/M/32/3013
3 7703101617 1495/M/32/3013
4 7701209198 1495/M/32/3013
5 410015317R 1495/M/32/3013
6 440A00877R 1495/M/32/3013
7 411200949R 1495/M/32/3013
8 410605055R 1495/M/32/3013
9 410830001R 1495/M/32/3013
10 410150002R 1495/M/32/3013

 

1495-m-31-4013
1495-m-31-4013

Index Part Number Diagram
1 400159066R 1495/M/31/4013
2 400146027R 1495/M/31/4013
3 402027369R 1495/M/31/4013
4 402101877R 1495/M/31/4013
5 402140003R 1495/M/31/4013
6 402064155R 1495/M/31/4013
7 8200964242 1495/M/31/4013
8 7703004176 1495/M/31/4013
9 400150080R 1495/M/31/4013
10 400140076R 1495/M/31/4013
11 7703008215 1495/M/31/4013
12 7703008215 1495/M/31/4013

 

1495-m-29-0110
1495-m-29-0110

Index Part Number Diagram
1 8200725508 1495/M/29/0110
2 8200974681 1495/M/29/0110

 

1495-m-29-0310
1495-m-29-0310

Index Part Number Diagram
1 7701071133 1495/M/29/0310
2 7703066381 1495/M/29/0310
3 8200502735 1495/M/29/0310
4 8201013040 1495/M/29/0310
5 7700112085 1495/M/29/0310
6 7700870056 1495/M/29/0310
7 7703602193 1495/M/29/0310
8 8200974681 1495/M/29/0310

The Parts Lists

On the following linked pages I’ll cover off the parts that make up the Mk3 Megane GT220 and RS265 front suspension packages along with the diagrams from Renault Dialogys.

  1. About the Perfohub transplant
  2. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1
  3. Mk3 Megane GT220 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2 (this page)
  4. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 1
  5. Mk3 Megane RS265 Front Suspension Parts – Parts Diagrams 2
  6. Parts Common between the GT220 and RS265

2015 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix – Photos

I took a few photos during the 2015 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix.  A “small” selection is below.