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Renault Scenic Problems

No car is perfect, of course, there are far too many moving parts that wear out and go wrong, although the Scenic seems more reliable than most (see the Guestbook for ringing endorsements). Nevertheless, this page will build into a catalogue of real world problems (and possible solutions), discovered by other Scenic owners. I hope you find it useful.

Don't get the impression that the faults below are necessarily common. Most have only been reported in by a couple of people, unless stated otherwise. You can send in your own problem/solution by emailing me the details. If it's been confirmed as something other than a one-off, it'll get printed here. Thanks.

In no particular order...

Fraying fan belt
From Lorraine Taylor: We have a 2001 scenic 1.9 dci rxe. When we purchased the car it needed a new engine as the cambelt had sheared. Having put a replacement engine in the car, we noticed that the fan belt was beginning to fray and was trying to ride off the pulleys, only a week or so after we had completed the work on it. This we think was the cause of the cam belt failure as it had only recently been changed on the previous engine. Having inspected the the old engine we realised that the old fan belt was only half its original width and was badly frayed and the cambelt inner cover had been worn away over a period of time. we found deposits of the fan belt wrapped around the lower cambelt pulley. This was caused by the spring tensioner doing up the belt too tight and the belt vibrating at certain engine speeds due to the spring. The solution was to make an aluminium bracket out of a flat bar to allow the fan belt to be set to a fixed tension. The problems seems to be solved and the fan belt is no longer fraying or vibrating.

Slow, no power, glow plug light permanently lit (all diesels)
From Dave Mears: I've just bought a Scenic 1.9 diesel auto and on the second day I started it and it just cut out, so I started it again and selected drive and off I went but it seemed slow and gave out a bit of smoke , well i just made it back to the garage where I bought it, there is no power at all and the glow plug light is on all the time and d3 has lit up twice. I turned out it was the ERV valve - this had broken, one repaired valve later and the car runs as good as new.

Starting problems
From Tony Brown: Twice now my Scenic has been a pain to start, especially if by accident you press the accelerator pedal before starting it. Turned out it was the Top Dead Centre (TDC) Sensor each time. Apparently on the Scenic and other Renaults, the sensor collects fragments of metal/filings on the sensor (must be magnetic) which, if not cleaned away, leads to starting problems (sometimes up to 20 attempts before it does start !) It is bolted to the engine by two bolts and is easily removed for a clean up - I used a wire brush, a rag soaked in WD40 and rebolted it back in and the problem went away. It took 12 months to return but a repeat clean up sorted the problem again. A friend took his to a local car repairer and they charged him £60 to sort - they tried to say they had replaced the TDC but hadn't, just cleaned it like I did. See also here on the Renault Forums.

Whistling noise in line with engine speed
More from Tony Brown: You have a note on your site about alternator belt and pulley failures but did you know that a failure of the alternator belt or pulley can lead to a shredded/snapped belt that can get caught up in the cambelt/crankshaft pulley, causing the cambelt to jump or stretch causing top end failure ?
I only found this out after visiting my Renault dealer for them to examine my engine which was making a whistling noise which rose and fell in line with the engine speed (sounded a bit like the interference you used to get on car radios which didn't have suppression). Renault thought it might be the power steering pump bearing or alternator bearings failing and suggested I took off the alternator belt and spin the pulleys on the aforementioned to determine which was the problem.
I then accidently chipped the alternator tensioner pulley belt wheel meaning I had to order new ones from Renault. I took the tensioner pulley wheels off so I had them with me to take to Renault and noticed that when you spun the tensioner pulley wheel it made a noise like an old roller skate wheel !. This must have been the cause of the whistling noise. The power steering pump and alternator pulleys spun cleanly without noise so presumably are ok. Owners should be very wary of belt, tensioner or pulley failure due to the potential disasterous consequences.
Owners should check for signs of wear and cracking, especially across the grooves which run longitudinally, signs of fraying and if there are any noises eminating from the belt area get them checked out. In addition Renault advised me that pulleys on certain alternators fail and can become undone or shear causing similar failures. I also understand that the crankshaft pulleys on certain engines are made in two halfs with a rubber insert and that they can fail too.
My problem turned out to be a relatively cheap fix compared with the cost of replacing the engine. Renault were very helpful and informed me that they had the pulley tensioner kit in stock for about £37 plus VAT. The kit contains the sprung tensioner unit and pulley wheel, the idler pulley wheel and a Renault alternator belt. (out of interest - the tensioner and pulley wheel on its own without belt and idler pulley costs £98 plus VAT ! The parts chap who served me couldn't explain why but knew of many similar strange pricing policies on Renault Parts!)
Not sure if you are interested in the steps required to replace the tensioner, pulleys and belt but...... Firstly if your belt is still on the car, make a drawing to record the route the belt takes around the various pulleys. After you remove the belt (I cut through mine but be careful as the tensioner will spring back at speed - keep your hands clear) you can remove the old pulley wheels using a 13mm spanner on the bolts that pass through them - it is difficult to get a socket in as they sit tight against the chassis leg. The tensioner pulley unit itself is held on by two more 13mm bolts. Again it is hard to get a socket in to remove them and I took off the inner plastic wing liner to get better access - it is fastened by three plastic push fasterners and 2 screws into the outer wing lip. You can then just about undo the 2x 13mm bolts which hold the tensioner unit to the engine and it simply drops down. You have to be really careful when refitting the new tensioner unit as it is pre-sprung to allow you to refit the new belt over the pulleys. It has a pin inserted to keep the spring under tension and if it gets knocked it can come loose and give you one hell of a crack whilst you refit it. Tighten it up carefully avoiding hitting the pin. Refit the new idler pulley wheel againt being careful not to hit the pin on the tensioner unit. You can now fit the new belt, which has longtitudinal grooves which line up with the grooves in the pulleys (the idler and tensioner pulley are plastic and not grooved). Make sure the belt is perfectly lined up on the pulleys and not overhanging the side. I managed to refit the belt on my own but it would be easier with someone to help you. Watch you don't catch your hand or finger in the belt or pulleys (ouch). With some dexterity you can relieve the pressure from the spring in the tension using a 13mm spanner turning it clockwise whilst at the same time pulling the pin out using pliars - watch your hand as the pulley wheel bangs down hard under the tension of the spring. Check the belt is cleanly on the grooves and that it is under pressure fro the tensioner. Double check that all the bolts are tight and give the engine a quick turnover. If everything is ok then refit the inner wing and take it for a test drive. Tools used - big screwdriver, 13mm ring and open spanners, 13mm socket and slim drive ratchet and pliers. The whistling noise on my Scenic is no more. Time taken - about 45 mins to strip down everything ready to fit the new parts and approx 45 minutes to refit everything.

Poor power on acceleration (all turbocharged diesels?)
From Mike Sullivan: I'm experiencing loss of engine power with the 1.9 dci diesel. My glo-plug heater light comes on and stays on now and there is a complete lack of power from the engine, it just wo'nt pull. There is no over heating of the engine, and the exhaust emissions appear to be fine. This has just happened suddenly. [later] I finally got to the root cause. After much time spent checking out the engine timing, exhaust system, fuel system and gving the engine a flush out with fuel and oil treatments, I put the car onto a diagnostic test system, this revealed several faults in the electrics (various codes) but they all pointed to the turbocharger. Turns out the turbo is defective. A costly repair with what Renault are asking for the turbo and the garage to fit it as I don't have the facilities to do this job.

Water in the footwells (2000-2003)
From Geoff Punnett: I've recently had a problem with water dripping into the drivers footwell; it's due to blocked skuttle drains. You have to remove the wiper blades and surrounding plastic trim to access the drains, there's no easy access from within the engine compartment.

Turbo seal trouble (all dTi models)
Two owners wrote in about this: "there are 1 of 2 possible turbos you may have on your vehicle: a ''kkk'' or ''garret''. The latter being the best turbo and it's important to change your oil every 6000 miles. I think you should give people fair warning that there is a possible design fault. Engine oil flows through the turbo to lubricate it, the turbo is there to pump air at pressure into the inlet manifold, and a seal inside prevents the oil from leaking into the air inlet. If this seal leaks, oil is allowed to flow into the engine combustion chamber, then we have a problem because a diesel engine will run fast on oil, because its like giving a child chocolate - they love it. Constant oil monitoring and listening to the turbo is needed. Thanks for your time"

Jerky transmission from standing start (all models)
This is caused by a leak in the transmission oil system and is especially noticeable when the engine is cold (lower oil pressure).

Air-con fan only works in position 4, 1 to 3 are inoperative (all models)
This is a fairly common fault and is down to a faulty resistor pack next to the fan motor. The resistor pack is relatively cheap, at £50 or so. Replacing the pack isn't trivial, although reader Barney Owsnett managed a home-made repair for next to no money at all. Barney:"Firstly, take out the pollen filter (if fitted) then get upside down in the passenger footwell and look up into the air chamber. You will see the resistor pack, but you won't have much of a chance carrying out the repair. Too get to the little beastie, I had to take off the top of the dash, as per the Haynes Manuel. Once that's out of the way, you will seen the left hand air vent tube, it's got a thin sponge cover. This has to be pulled from the centre console air ducting and from the left hand air vent. It does come off, it just needs a good 'yank'. Underneath this trunking, you will then see the top of the resistor pack and you can now undo the little grub screw that holds the resistor pack onto the air box. Once this is undone you can lift the resistor pack out and undo the electrical connections, 4 in total, with one underneath the sponge cover below the dash. The biggest of the 3 connections ia a bit of a funny set up, as you will see a red ribbed 'tab' at one end. This simply pulls away from the main body and as it does so, it releases the connection. The fuse is easily identified, as it's the only one there, simply cut off its 'legs' as close to the fuse as posible, and bend them up at right angles. Using a 5 amp 'Choc Block' connector, with the plastic cut off, screw one of them (2 small screws) onto each leg. Now take a new Thermal Fuse and bend its legs at right angles, you'll probably need to trim them down a bit, and screw the legs into the empty choc block connector. Once you have replaced the thermal fuse, it all goes back together in reverse order. Give yourself a big pat on the back as it's only cost you a few pence. The fuses are available over the counter at Maplins. Read the thermal fuse rating from the side of the old fuse before you throw it away, mine was 192c, thats the temperature it blows at. A nice cheap repair."

Key no longer turns off car immobliser (1998, RT)
As an alternative to buying a new key, from Jamie Ford: I have found a solution, It can be used all the time but does take a few moments to perfect. What the owner needs to do is find out the 4 Digit code for the immobiliser from the dealer. They usually complain and say this number does not exist but it does. Depending on the dealer there may be a charge for this number (no more than £30). When you have the number, you turn on the ignition. The red light on the dash should flash rapidly, press in the lock button on the dash and the light should slow down. You need to count the number of flashes to correspond with the first digit of the code, then release the button pressing it in again for the second number and so on. When all numbers have been entered in this way the button should be released and the light will stay illuminated for about 10 seconds - when the light goes out the immobiliser is turned off and you can start the car.... It sounds a little long winded but when you get the hang of it it takes about 30 sec to complete and saves the owner about 150 quid on a new key....

Loose front air dam moulding (1997-1999)
Original Scenics had a stapled-on(!) extra section on the bottom of the front air dam moulding. It's not unknown for these to start falling off, but don't worry, they're not really needed. If it starts coming away, just lever it off completely and throw it away. Car performance and economy isn't significantly impaired.

Rough engine sound, lower power (1999-2003, petrol models only)
Many owners find that one or more of the ignition coils fail. If this does happen, it's definitely worth having them all replaced, to avoid them failing one by one. Typical symptoms are "misfiring, smelling hot and losing power at times...". Complain to Renault about these - apparently they acknowledge that it's a design fault and they fit a newly designed replacement part free of charge. Or get a Diesel model, like me 8-)

Water in the body cavities (2000-2003)
After heavy rain, water does tend to collect in small pockets at the top of the engine bay, underneath the windscreen and then you can hear it sloshing around on cornering for a mile or two until it's all found a way out to the ground. Annoying, but don't worry about it.

Water in side sills (just 1997-1999 models?)
Should you ever hear a swooshing(!) sound when braking, it'll be water that has somehow found its way into the side sills. The cure is to remove one of the rubber plugs on the sill underside, to let the water out. It's not entirely clear how the water gets in there in the first place, but leaving the plug out certainly makes sure it doesn't hang around and cause rust problems.

Brake discs going rusty (all models)
To be fair, this probably applies to all cars to some extent, but the Scenic doesn't like being left to stand, unused (as if!) for long periods. If you're not going to use it regularly, at least give 10 miles every week, using the brakes a lot to try and keep rust from developing on the discs.

Electric window fails on the driver's door (1997-1999?)
The regulator for this window has been known to fail.

Pool of water under engine on hot days (models with air-con)
This isn't unique to Scenics but is worth noting. On very hot days, significant condensation builds up on the air conditioning compressor unit. Once parked, you'll find water dripping down onto the road. It's water from the air though, don't worry, your Scenic isn't losing fluid!

Alternator belt keeps jumping pulley (1997-1999)
One owner with a 1997 1.9 dti had this, went through several belts and tensioners. One day whilst buying yet another belt, he asked a Renault mechanic about it and he remembered something about it on an internal memo - it turns out there was a modified alternator pulley that solves the problem.

Have to lock the car, unlock it again before it will start (1997-1999)
You haven't been reading your manual properly. This is a design (security) feature. You have to switch on the ignition within 30 seconds of unlocking the car. If it takes you longer than this to settle the children, etc, why not put the key in the ignition and turn it on without actually starting up? Then, a few minutes later when you're ready, just advance the key and start up for real.

Corroded wiper linkage (1997-1999)
From Robert West: Wipers..... one knuckle of the linkage gets water and road salt running onto it. This then corrodes and falls off. This has been corrected in the new linkage by a bellow cover to keep the water off. You can no longer buy the plastic fittings, the whole linkage must be replaced. Advice: if you don't have the extra bellow cover modification, grease up the linkage before it falls off.

More problems here soon...