197: Common problems with the 197

[Carl_1290]

Hi guys, what are the common problems with the 197?

Is there anything mechanical, electrical etc that is common to go wrong or need changing at certain mileage etc

Many thanks Carl

 

[Roy]

cambelt,aux belt and water pump 5 yrs or 72000 miles

 

[ben_r1]

Starters usually fail early, fuel pumps can go without warning, con rod bolts snap and blow engine up and the gearboxes usually last sub 40k lol. Apart from that they're solid honest

 

[Ospi]

Sheesh, I'm overdue for a catastrophe then!!

 

[Foxspeed]

they run poor when cold....so let it warm up for a minute or so
gearboxes - synchro go weak and can fail (crunch when changing gear)
check service history - you cant beat regular oil changes
check to see when the brakes were checked or serviced as the pads can sieze in the calipers causing poor brakes
if it has recaros - check the side bolsters for wear
cam cover bolts can leak oil
steering rack inner ball joints can wear
air con is weak but can work better if re-gassed
check tyre wear as they can be hard to set the tracking right
starters can fail
a few fuel pumps have failed

just do the normal checks you would for any car -

history
condition
service history
panel fit/finish
make sure ALL the electrics work

road test - all gear are smooth but the actual change can be notchy and the engine revs freely and pulls very hard over 3500rpm and has a nice metallic buzz at 7000rpm+
there are trim rattles
brakes are strong but not over servoed
corners flat but the rear end is "alive"

:wiz:

 

[RalphyBMW]

There is a thread somewhere called something like "what has gone wrong with your Clio" lots of useful info there.

 

[sthomasj10]

I've noticed in the 3 months of having my 197;

Running cold in the mornings or 3-4 hours at a standstill - jerky and horrible to drive. I normally look for 3-4 minutes to warm before I drive away. However turning of the TC can help if you're in a hurry.

Trim rattling - annoying on a bumpy road, my 197 isn't a cup and the ride is firm enough!

Crunching gear box - normally more of a problem on a cold morning etc. However on a long drive it's absolutely fine.

Apart from the above, nothing else bothers me really. There are faults with all cars. My old man's old Mercedes CLS had some bugs with the gearbox and brakes when he first bought it. Can't predict these things!

 

[tiababy]

I must have gotten lucky with my Clio. 9 months in and I've had no issues and all it's needed was a change of tyres. Looking through its history it still has the original gearbox and exhaust and it flew through all it's past MOTs with no advisories.
Look out for a well cared for example with good history and you can't go wrong.

Kangarooing is a common issue but be gentle until the car has warmed up and it helps.
I'd say gearboxes are the biggest issue with the 197.
1st gear is a bugger to get into when the car is cold.
Exhaust manifold developing cracks in some cases.

 

[luke3]

1st gear is a bit of bitch when cold as Is the kangarooing when cold as well, look out for wear issues with seats as well, also the steering wheels tend to get really manky!
Other than that mine has been perfect!

 

[neil]

don't let this thread put you off, if you asked about issues on ANY car forum you'd get a lot of response, foxspeed said it all really. do the usual checks and enjoy

 

[Surrey-Paul]

on mine drivers window, pinch feature kicks in when its very windy or dirty so makes the one touch rise impossible and you have to keep pressing to rise in 2" stages

Also driver/passenger door lock buttons don't always work, but recently both been fine

but overall the bits that do work such as handling etc. make up for a few glitches as in this world very little is perfect

 

[Roy]

But for the fault it's a FANTASTIC LITTLE CAR YOU WILL HAVE SO MUCH FUN IN IT

 

[Carl_1290]

don't let this thread put you off, if you asked about issues on ANY car forum you'd get a lot of response, foxspeed said it all really. do the usual checks and enjoy

Thanks mate, yeah i know what it is like i mean all cars have their problems, just wanted to see what the 197's are so i can look out for things etc like foxspeed mentioned

hasnt put me off one bit just need to find one with all the goodies i want

 

[ben_r1]

People moan ( usually me first up ) but it's generally a reliable car if it's looked after.

 

[Surrey-Paul]

Too be honest I expect if i strip down and clean & re-grease the winder mechanism it'll be fine, suspect it's got 5 years worth of crud stuck in it, giving resistance. The door lock thingy well that's just modern electronics and all cars that have flashy gizmo's get problems once they start getting older

Parts are pretty cheap as well compared to some sports cars I've owned and if your a motorhead you have to have things go wrong to give you an excuse to pull it apart

 

[Blandy197]

hey guys, i bought my 197 cup last week and i love driving it, cant fault it at all. Im hoping my car avoids the afore mentioned issues in this thread but you never know. It's 5 years old on a 57 plate and my only gripe really is with the dealer, (Evans Halshaw) in wakefield. They fitted 2 new front tyres but managed to get the rotation the wrong way round!

 

[MikeH]

Introduce yourself and the car in the new members section matey, don't forget pics of the 197!!!

 

[BenW]

Mine's been 100% reliable in the 2 and a half years I've had it.

For those of you struggling with the gearbox when cold, put a fully synthetic fluid in it and you'll never see the problem again