*sigh* anyone work for renault?

[Sparkie]

hiya anyone work for renault? ive gone and won a scenic 2 1.5 dci that needs an engine rebuild. - not that its much of a problem.

the real problem is that the battery is flat as a pancake and its been sat with the parking brake on for 6months....

so i connect a battery up, get the ignition on (both key cards work), and try to disengage the parking brake.

the red led in the middle starts flashing at me - parking brake fault appears on the dash.

the brakes appear to be stuck on - would this cause the parking brake issue?

If i pull the emergency release in the boot, does this wreck the ecu/motor assembly, as ive heard people get away with a recalibration??

i have access to diagnostics in DEC superscan which can do recal on the EPB ecu.

i just want to tow it home and get working on the engine!!!

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

I have used the emergency brake pull cable and managed to recal an EPB before...but, we are talking Renault here.
Check the connection to the EPB module as I've had the terminals turn green and wreck the looms in the past.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

....oh and have fun getting the lump out!

[chris]

I dont know much bout cars but we get this alot on trucks and when the brake caliper gets stuck due to a long sat still with handbrake on the caliper postion sensor reads it as the handbrakes on and light stays on dash can you try maybe shunting it with towbar on? Or is it an electrical problem?

[Sparkie]

....oh and have fun getting the lump out!

well, after i opened the miniscule bonnet and noticed the engine is halfway under scuttle panel, i realised its gonna be a front end off job.
i got the engine crane itching for action. apparently its been to two garage already, one said "it needs a new engine", the other said, it needs a new bottom end. - - they've had the sump off to check this.

i see there are second hand epb ecu's on ebay too.....

[Sparkie]

I dont know much bout cars but we get this alot on trucks and when the brake caliper gets stuck due to a long sat still with handbrake on the caliper postion sensor reads it as the handbrakes on and light stays on dash can you try maybe shunting it with towbar on? Or is it an electrical problem?

its electrical matey.- i tried dragging the car backwards with a rope - moved a could of inches, with the rear wheels stuck in one position.


i've also read that the park brake handle electronics can go funky.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

You tried pulling the yellow emergency cable yet? You sometimes have to pull it bloody hard!!

[Sparkie]

no mate, i didnt pull it , cos i got advised by a french car specialist we deal with, not to pull the lever as it immediately meant a scrapped mechanism/ecu to the tune of £600.
i've since read more than a few people pull the cord, sort the brakes out and then recal the handbrake and its all good.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

If you have a friendly Renault man with a clip you could always try a release actuation in command mode.

[Sparkie]

i assume im supposed to hear the motor working under the car when im pressing the button, whilst inside the car.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

Obviously I'm not teaching you how to suck eggs here, but when you try to operate/release the handle/switch you are pulling the bottom half and pressing in the led at the same time?

[Matt Cole]

can you not temporarily remove the brake assembly and off you go?

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

Epb module has manual handbrake cables going from it to the normal style rear calipers.
If you try, and succeed to remove a caliper with the epb in park brake on mode, you had better be quick!! It will take your hand off then it over adjusts itself and kills the unit anyway.

I always hated scenic 2, moody instrument panels, radios that freeze in the cold, windows that drop by themselves, fragile 'water cooled' wiring components....

Sorry sparkie! I will try and find something nice to say about them.... Just give me time...

[Sparkie]

Obviously I'm not teaching you how to suck eggs here, but when you try to operate/release the handle/switch you are pulling the bottom half and pressing in the led at the same time?

the led button didnt exactly push in 'properly' - felt a bit fragile and graunchy- infact it didnt even move in much at all. would that come up with the wording parking brake error on the dash?

i only bought the car for £600, i figured i could potentially fix it for less than £700.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

You have to pull the bottom bit out first all the way and then push the led section in... You 'should' hear the motor buzz, releasing the brakes.

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

I'm trying to remember, bear with me I'm getting old, but I seem to think the brackets on the calipers unbolt?? Poss a 13mm nut?? If you do get them off though you could still run the risk of the epb adjusting itself.

[Sparkie]

funnily enough the woman who i bought it from literally didnt have a clue about the park brake mechanism either. - ive since read in the manual on how to operate it properly.

ive currently got an R reg scenic dti thats on 189000 that is literally wobblin away on its last legs, but it still keeps on going. (and towing any cars i throw at it) hence why electric handbrakes arent summat i know much about.....

[Sparkie]

I'm trying to remember, bear with me I'm getting old, but I seem to think the brackets on the calipers unbolt?? Poss a 13mm nut?? If you do get them off though you could still run the risk of the epb adjusting itself.

yes i spotted that too. - a single 13mm that seemed to hold a bracket on both sides.
i reckoned a sneaky mole grip to the inner cable on both sides might stop it pulling into the outer cable

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

No comment...

[Trevhib]

[Thundercat]

Is the servo sprung loaded or just a motorized adjuster. If the later why not disconnect the battery and remove the said cables to release handbrake. Then remember to refit cables at destination before reconnecting battery. Just an idea and thinking out of the box!

[Matt@CodeRedMotorsports]

If the parking brake is set you won't free off the cables.
Imagine you have pulled your handbrake on really hard, then cut the handbrake lever off.

[Sparkie]

spoke to an actual renault specialist today who said that you can pull on the emergency release handle and then you can get it reset later.

i also spoke to the garage who last looked at the car and said that i'll need a new crank. - renalt sell em for £356+vat new - which isnt that bad considering!

[Trevhib]

Can't you get a complete engine from a crash-damaged vehicle for £500 and just whack it in Mark?

[Tony Walker]

Can't you get a complete engine from a crash-damaged vehicle for £500 and just whack it in Mark?

[Sparkie]

Can't you get a complete engine from a crash-damaged vehicle for £500 and just whack it in Mark?

well, you would have hoped so, however they are allegedly hard to get hold of.
on ebay just the blocks are expensive.

i've called a local renault breaker and got a quote of £500 for a block and head with no ancilliaries.

on ebay there are good 2nd hand std cranks going to £150 + £20 carriage.
i can get mains + big ends bearings for about £90 off ebay
i can get the headgasket and bolts from work

i think the reason people strip the blocks is that the injectors are expensive and can get good money on their own.

[DaveL485]

First post!

After being offered the task of a cambelt on one of these bad boys, I looked under the bonnet and walked off laughing to myself......

Good luck matey!

[Moggy]

41000 miles in 19months!!!

we use and an abuse it! dog bus, N travels to work in manchester every day!

bar for 2 injectors dying on the way to you wedding, its never let us down!!! (and they where bloody expensive!)

service it every 9k miles and the turbo should last and it also helps the crank etc etc

cambelt is actually easy to do on it if you can work on anything renault built after 1993

if you get stuck mate, shout as I have CLIP sat next to me! comes in very handy!!!!