Megane 1.5 dCi Estate

[jimmymarsbar]

My 307 has given me enough grief, and I'm in need of a bigger model too, as I've got a little'un on the way, so I'm looking at a Megane 1.5 dCi 106 bhp estate to transport me, the missus, the baby when they arrive, the border collie in the boot, and all the bits that goes with an expanding family.

The car I'm looking at has 97k on the clock, part service history and has 12 months on the MOT. For £1,395 it's a nice looking motor, and it ticks many boxes, more so than other similar marques and models.

Unfortunately, I know very little about Renault cars and engines, other than their F1 exploits!

So, I guess I'm asking for people's opinions, experiences, likes, dislikes etc. Any input would be much appreciated

[Peter.N.]

I know the bigger diesels are not to reliable but don't know about that engine, I'm sure someone will. In general the best engines are without doubt the PSA ones, with the possible exception of the 1.6Hdi. A good general guide is to look on ebay at the models you are interested in and see what sort of miles they are capable of. The 2.0. Hdi's in the 406 are often seen for sale with in excess of 300,000 miles and occasionally 400,000+ so they have to be pretty good.

Peter

[jimmymarsbar]

I've heard the higher power output 1.5 Megane (such as the 106bhp) have reliability issues with the turbo and EGR, I don't know how much truth or accuracy is in this though. If Renaults are anything like PSA's then I'm hoping it won't be too much hassle. My 307 is a pig to work on, because of the turbo and EGR stuffed away down the back of the engine.

Also, is it a vacuum or electric EGR on the 1.5 dCi? I've had loads of fun with vacuum pipes jumping off the solenoid valves on the 307!