Finally got my baby....NOW I understand all the fuss

[TRL]

(finally) Picked up No250 today and drove it home the long way from Essex to Surrey, avoided the M25 as much as possible, and then spent the whole night grinning, much to the wifes concern. Keep looking out the window wandering when I can next go for a long drive......to think I nearly bought a 197 instead......thanks guys!

couple of questions to the knowledgeable ones;
Previous owner had the gear knob replaced with a standard plastic one, are the silver painted ones plastic too? Would have thought they should be leather? (apparently paint peeled off).
Also looks like the fuel gauge might be throwing a fit...the needle is still on full after 50 spirited miles and when i check the digital 'remaining miles' it shows flashing dashes and wont measure, even after resetting. I had this on a 21 turbo after a flat battery and a guy fiddled with the fuse box and reset it....any ideas before I book it in?

 

[pacey]

Glad your enjoying your new purchase , nice number too

 

[Matt X2C]

well done on picking up the car. Glad you are enjoying it. No doubt i will drive past you at some point

 

[Steve]

(finally) Picked up No250 today and drove it home the long way from Essex to Surrey, avoided the M25 as much as possible, and then spent the whole night grinning, much to the wifes concern. Keep looking out the window wandering when I can next go for a long drive......to think I nearly bought a 197 instead......thanks guys!

couple of questions to the knowledgeable ones;
Previous owner had the gear knob replaced with a standard plastic one, are the silver painted ones plastic too? Would have thought they should be leather? (apparently paint peeled off).
Also looks like the fuel gauge might be throwing a fit...the needle is still on full after 50 spirited miles and when i check the digital 'remaining miles' it shows flashing dashes and wont measure, even after resetting. I had this on a 21 turbo after a flat battery and a guy fiddled with the fuse box and reset it....any ideas before I book it in?

Excellent TRL, well done. Just take it out in the middle of the night, don't wait for an excuse. first thing I did with mine was drive it straight to Wales for four days (Steve let me have it before the funds had cleared!) and as soon as we got anywhere I just wanted to drive back again.

Standard Trophy gear knob is identical to the normal Clio one except for a cheap nasty silver painted plastic insert, it scratches very easily and is probably the reason SCR replaced hers (rings). The only leather in the car is on the (non-renault) seats. The steering wheel will melt over about 45 degrees celcius, cows do not do this. I personally would use the opportunity to fit a nice alloy one (maybe one from a V6 but the gears are wrong). Especially as summer might be starting soon.

Your fuel gauge is perfectly normal, they don't register a drop for about a gallon or so then drop down to the half-way mark in the next three gallons, then tell you you're running on vapour when you have about 1.5 gallons left. I always reset my trip computer every time I fill up (always to the brim) and the petrol light will always, without fail come on when the electronic reading says 8.6 gallons. Then you can carry on until about 10 safely and it will conk out at 10.2-10.3 gallons. I know, and despite what other's say, I think it's deadly accurate, I fill up when it's on 9.9/10.0 and it's always the same amount goes in (46.8-47.1 litres).

I've just re-read your post and I think I might be talking out of my bottom, 50 spirited miles would be two gallons or more, so I'd say you have a fucked fuel level sensor. Unfortunately this might mean you need to book it in, as the android says to Ripley in Alien - you have my sympathies.

 

[trophy176]

Pick my wee baby up on Sat cant wait! London to Newcastle drive should be fun!

 

[Cue]

gear knob: they should be black with a silver middle bit that has the gear selection diagram on it - a couple of people have changed to a steel one but they're cold during winter....

re the fuel indicator: not quite sure what your describing.. the fuel level is full but the miles to go is just dotted lines? if this is the case i'd be worried. Fill it up - you should be looking at 45 ish litres to fully fill it. If it'll take any more than 5 litres of fuel with the indicator showing full, id get it into a dealer - you still have warranty!

 

[FunkyMunky]

Your fuel gauge is perfectly normal, they don't register a drop for about a gallon or so then drop down to the half-way mark in the next three gallons, then tell you you're running on vapour when you have about 1.5 gallons left. I always reset my trip computer every time I fill up (always to the brim) and the petrol light will always, without fail come on when the electronic reading says 8.6 gallons. Then you can carry on until about 10 safely and it will conk out at 10.2-10.3 gallons. I know, and despite what other's say, I think it's deadly accurate, I fill up when it's on 9.9/10.0 and it's always the same amount goes in (46.8-47.1 litres).

that without doubt is damn useful information to know

 

[Cue]

assuming you do what Steve and I do, that info is spot on. The miles to go isn't though - i once ran out of fuel with it still saying 30 miles left.... always fill up, always reset the comp. and just go on fuel used - i generally fill up at 9.5-10 as you've only 10 miles left after that and they nearest garage is 10 from me

 

[FunkyMunky]

yup i always reset every time i fill up.... never rely on the trip computer though on the range of it.

all good to know though

 

[trophy176]

Yeah same here with my 172 as soon as light comes on fill up. Wee computer goes blank so you driving blind!

Good info.

 

[theo]

Well done, and welcome to the priviliged few! lol! Enjoy it! I managed to get an average of 38.8 mpg on my way to santa pod on sunday!

 

[g40steve]

I get 31mpg but thats over 3,000 miles since last reset it.

Went to wakefield & back at 80ish only crept up to 31.3, but when i give it some it don't drop below 29.

 

[theo]

thats coz ur running it over such a large mileage gap! This was off a reset on sunday morning! lol!

 

[Steve]

The 'Miles left' indicator is about as useful as a hole in your aorta, I used it once when I first had the car, it's about as accurate as an indicator telling you how many years you have left to live, that goes down every time you eat a fry-up and up every time you enter Worthing (some of the old duffers there have biology defying longevity).

Just use the 'Gallons used' indicator instead and remember to reset on a full tank and that you've only got 10.0 Gallons (it's actually slightly more but it's good to have a safety buffer).

 

[oliie]

My top tip for getting an accurate 'miles left' reading is this: don't reset your trip meter every time you fill up!

I did not reset my trip meter for 9999 miles (until it reset itself) and was getting quite an accurate reading, providing I drove it in my 'average' way... it had quite a few thousand miles to establish my average MPG. Combined with a regular driving style (on the M1, cruise control) it proved to be quite reliable.

That said, if I were to drive it quicker than normal then it would probably tell me that I have another 50 mies to go wen in fact I would be sitting on the side of the road waiting for help to arrive....

 

[TRL]

Thanks for that guys, much appreciated. I have to say that it is great on fuel, the gauges seem to be fine now and I will use the 10g rule.
When I borrowed a 197 it drank fuel on the commute I currently do, yet another reason to stick with the old girl.
One last question....today I actually looked over my shoulder and it appears that my rear bench is covered in material from a lesser model!! I am sure you all know what I mean, and it looks more dark grey than black. Any mods been done there? :?

 

[Steve]

Hee hee, no, this is the much discussed Nightfire fabric - think yourself lucky you don't have it on your recaro seats like the Swiss! Gareth swapped his rear bench for Alcantara 172 rear seats. It looked really good, shame he decided to throw it into the undergrowth and start again. :lol:

 

[Cue]

lol, re the rear bench. I believe there's 3 camps of people, which one do you fall into.

1. can't stand it - want to change it
2. don't like it - i never sit in the back so sod it.
3. I don't care - 'purist's choice'

:?:

 

[hoolio]

3.'purist's choice'

:?:

No guessing needed as to where you stand then Cue.

 

[Steve]

I'm actually a bit like 3. but even more so;

4. I don't care because I never use or look at the rear seats, don't mind the upholstery anyway it's quite inoffensive and I much prefer that it's a cheap lightweight foam bench than a perhaps nicer looking leather split folding affair that would weigh a lot more.

Not quite as catchy as your options Cue, but I've never liked being pigeon-holed. :lol: