RS Clio 172 PH1 - Any info appreciated
Discussion
Depending on insurance quotes come renewal for various group 18+ cars I may possibly opt for a ph1 172 for a year. As much as I love it I fancy something a little bit more lively and slightly cheaper to run than the 323i.
Information on common faults and things to look out for would be ideal
Is the melted steering wheel inevitable? How much should I be looking to pay for a good standard (or virtually standard) example with lots of service history, 6 months+ MOT and around say 60-75k?
Information on common faults and things to look out for would be ideal
Is the melted steering wheel inevitable? How much should I be looking to pay for a good standard (or virtually standard) example with lots of service history, 6 months+ MOT and around say 60-75k?
I've recently sold my 70,000ish mile sun flower yellow 172 for £2300 with a fair bit of history so anything from £2-2.5K is around the right money.
Steering wheels do all seam to be quite melted, even the phase 2's suffer and it's quite expensive to fix.
Other things worth checking based on my short ownership are
Rear shocks - mine were solid at 66K miles - £40ish each for patten parts
Exhausts snap around where they go over the rear axle - circa £130 renault only part.
Rear exhaust hangers wear quickly - £30ish from Renault although I think paten parts are available.
Also worth checking the power steering pipes as I've heard these can split and are around £100 & £200 each and a bugger to fit.
Mine was a great fun little car though and did have the advantage of returning very good fuel economy most of the time.
Have a look at www.cliosport.net for more info.
Steering wheels do all seam to be quite melted, even the phase 2's suffer and it's quite expensive to fix.
Other things worth checking based on my short ownership are
Rear shocks - mine were solid at 66K miles - £40ish each for patten parts
Exhausts snap around where they go over the rear axle - circa £130 renault only part.
Rear exhaust hangers wear quickly - £30ish from Renault although I think paten parts are available.
Also worth checking the power steering pipes as I've heard these can split and are around £100 & £200 each and a bugger to fit.
Mine was a great fun little car though and did have the advantage of returning very good fuel economy most of the time.
Have a look at www.cliosport.net for more info.
I got one in Dec last year, sold in Feb. Not for me.
But things it needed,
Idler pully bearing = noisy
Rear wheel bearings= easier to put new discs in with pressed bearings.
Sold mine for £1650 Ph1 in silver, early car with lightweight bonnet and shift light.
Nice enough car but I needed a run around not a hoon around go kart.
But things it needed,
Idler pully bearing = noisy
Rear wheel bearings= easier to put new discs in with pressed bearings.
Sold mine for £1650 Ph1 in silver, early car with lightweight bonnet and shift light.
Nice enough car but I needed a run around not a hoon around go kart.
Theres a good buyers guide on www.cliosport.net but you have to be a member to view it. Ive owned one for the last 4 years and its approaching 90,000 miles, i still love it and its the only car ive never got bored of. Service history is very important, it should be serviced once a year or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first), the cambelt should be done every 72k or 5 years and the aux belt every 36k or 5 years. ALso check to see if its had fresh fluids and gearbox oil changes. Check the exhaust and driveshaft gaitors, take it for a good test drive. Make sure there is no knocking from worn engine mounts or worn steering/suspension. The suspension takes a battering as they can go round corners very fast, problems sometimes start to arise around 60k miles if they have had a hard life but replacement and uprated parts are readily available. The steering wheels wearing/peeling are a common problem even if cherished. Check the air con, check theres a spare wheel, check there is 2 keys a locking wheel nut, and there should be a cd changer under the drivers seat on all cars. The 172ph1s seem more raw to drive and will always put a smile on your face, they also seem to get better mpg than the other Renaultsport Clios.
Edited by davebem on Tuesday 15th December 17:40
davebem said:
Theres a good buyers guide on www.cliosport.net but you have to be a member to view it.
I always thought that was a stupid idea, Edited by davebem on Tuesday 15th December 17:40
Can't view the buying guide until your a paid up member, but not a great deal of point in joining until you've bought a car and if you've bought a car you don't need the buying guide.
Buzzkill said:
I'm a member on cs, but not a paid member so am unable to view the guide 
Any optional extra's worth looking out for?
I don't think there were many options looking at the specs on here - http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/roadcars/heritage/17...Any optional extra's worth looking out for?
Edited by andye30m3 on Tuesday 15th December 19:23
I can send you the guide when I get home. There wernt any official extras, some cars had heating ducts in the rear, some had lighter weight saving alu bonnets and some had a "optimun gear shift light" on the dash. The cars were assembled in Dieppe in the RS factory and it seems they fitted whichever of the above bits were in the part bin at the time...Renault sold a 16" version of the oz f1 wheels seperatly so theres a few with slightly bigger wheels. The red and yellow cars are rare but dont seem to go for much more ££. There was also a 172 exclusive which had full grey leather interior, leather steering wheel, and was limited edition 1-172, they are numbered, have a special green paint job and BBS alloy wheels.
davebem said:
I can send you the guide when I get home. There wernt any official extras, some cars had heating ducts in the rear, some had lighter weight saving alu bonnets and some had a "optimun gear shift light" on the dash. The cars were assembled in Dieppe in the RS factory and it seems they fitted whichever of the above bits were in the part bin at the time...Renault sold a 16" version of the oz f1 wheels seperatly so theres a few with slightly bigger wheels. The red and yellow cars are rare but dont seem to go for much more ££. There was also a 172 exclusive which had full grey leather interior, leather steering wheel, and was limited edition 1-172, they are numbered, have a special green paint job and BBS alloy wheels.
If you could send it over that would be great dave 
Renault Clio 172mk1 Buyers guide
The Renault Sport Clio 172mk1 was regarded as one of the best modern front wheel drive hot hatches of all time. It was reviewed on the old version of Top Gear by Vicki Butler Henderson in 2000 and she was so impressed by the ‘evo ness’ she brought one for herself. In the episode she is racing Tiff in a Saxo VTS and the Clio was clearly beating the Saxo on the straights. The slogan for the Clio at the time was “Size matters”.
The 172 was the beginning of the Renaultsport Clio range which led to the 172mk2, 172cup, 182, 182 cup, and finally the 182 Trophy. The 172 started as a Cup race car that was the replacement for the Renaultsport Spider.
The Renaultsport Clio 172mk1 arrived in the UK in January 2000 on a W plate, there’s not many W plates around most of these were dealership demo cars. Up until June it was only available in Titanium silver. From June Sunflower yellow, Odyssey blue, pearl black and Flame red were added. In January 2001 Titanium silver was replaced with Iceburg Silver. In February 2001 the Renaultsport 172 exclusive was released see below for more details. By June 2001 1359 172mk1s were sold when it was replaced by the facelift 172mk2.
The base 2.0 engine was the same took from the Laguna and Espace. But Renault handed it over to Renaultsport and F1 supplier Mechachrome and when they finished with it the power was up to 166hp (172ps). The major changes include enhanced flow into the intake manifold, machined cylinder-head ducts, Nimonic valves, platinum electrode spark plugs, increased valve overlap and an all-new exhaust system.
The 172mk1 has gained many nicknames: ph-quick, ph-ugly, 172ph1, RS-1.
Some of this guide does apply to the facelift 172 and 182, but there are many differences between the cars, the 172mk1 has the following benefits over its successors:
* Lighter overall weight
* Slightly faster acceleration (hence the nickname “ph-quick”). We are only talking about 0.1's of a second here.
* Slightly longer gear ratio’s
* Cable throttle that is more responsive
* Arguably a better air box
* Cheaper price!
Useful Information (as of April 2007):
* Insurance group 16
* Tax £180 per year.
* Servicing every 12,000 miles
* Average mileage for age 62,000 miles
* Rough cost of car £2700-£5000
Driving and safety
* Power steering
* Sports tuned suspension
* Drivers and passengers airbag
* Front lateral airbags
* ABS with EBD
* Height adjustable front seatbelts with SRP
* Three rear 3 point seatbelts
* Isofix child system
* High level rear brake light
* Side impact bars
* Blind spot eliminating mirrors
Security
* Transponder controlled Thatcham cat2 immobiliser
* Volumetric Thatcham cat1 alarm
* Central door locking with 2 remotes
* RAID (Renault Anti Intruder Device)
* Security code etching on windows
* Stay shut system
Exterior
* Sports styling kit, wider front wings, side skirts and sport front and rear bumpers
* Body coloured rear spoiler
* OZ 15” F1 Alloy wheels
* Integral fog lamps
* Double optic electrically adjustable headlamps
* Body coloured and Heated door mirrors
Interior
* Air conditioning
* Pollen filter with recirculation
* Heat reflecting windscreen with clear section for camera detectors etc
* Electric windows with one touch
* Smart rear wash/wipe
* 2 speed wipers with adjustable intermittent wipe
* Tinted glass
* Heated rear window
* Delayed courtesy light
* Map reading light
* Alcantara covered steering wheel
* Storage space under passenger seat
* Instrument lighting adjustment
Seating and trim
* Leather alcantara sport seats with Renaulsport embossed colour logo
* Tilt and slide front seats with position memory
* Reclining/height adjustable Drivers seat with lumbar adjustment
* 3 rear headrests
* Height and tilt adjustable front headrests
* 60:40 split folding rear seat
* Brushed aluminium effect dashboard and door inserts
* Aluminium gear knob
* Drilled aluminium pedals
* Door sill tread strips with Renaulsport logo
* Alcantara door panels
* Carpet mats
In car entertainment
* Radiosat 6010 60W multi cd RDS radio cassette with 6 speakers and fingertip remote control. 6 Disk CD changer under the driver seat.
* Traffic and news Information.
Instruments and controls
* White instrument dials with Renaultsport logo, the tachometer goes up to 8000revs.
* Digital oil level indicator with time delay
* Trip computer with digital display, MPG, mileage etc..
* Fuel level gauge with warning light
* Water temp gauge
* Driver seatbelt undone warning light
* Lights on warning buzzer
* Front doors open warning light
* Exterior temperature indicator
Other/Optional/Differences
* Some earlier 172s mainly the Titanium silver cars have a light weight saving aluminium bonnet and these can be more sought after.
* Some cars have an “optimum gear change indicator” light on the dash, this was advertised by Renault to be in all the cars but it seems it’s mainly the W and some X reg cars.
* Renault also spec the car as having heating ducts that go to the rear but I have never seen one have them.
* Some of the later cars made in 2001 had a different cat that was the same as the 172mk2, the earlier cat is a twin type with 1 sensor. The later has 2 sensors.
* Its not clear when the production ended but any 172s made after march 2001 have a slightly higher tax band.
* 16” Oz F1 wheels were available to buy separately from Renault, there are some cars about with slightly larger wheels/lower profile tyres.
172mk1 Exclusive
In feb 2001 a limited edition was released the main differences are outlined below from the normal run of cars, 172 were brought to the UK:
* Scarab green pearlescent paint
* Unique renaultsport door sill plates with serial number, they are numbered 1-172
* BBS 15” alloy wheels
* Dune grey full leather trim.
* Silver 2.0 16v badge on sides
* Extra £300 premium over the standard 172.
Colours
Specification (Official Renault specs)
* 1998cc 2.0 16V with VVT F4R engine
* Maximum power 172hp at 6250rpm
* Maximum torque 200NM at 5400rpm
* 5 Forward gears
* Kerb vehicle weight 1035kgs
* Gross vehicle weight 1490kgs
* Servo assisted diagonally split braking system with disc brakes at the front (ventilated discs) and discs at rear with ABS
* Front suspension: MacPherson struts with coil springs, telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers and roll bar.
* Rear suspension: Semi-independent, trailing arms linked by a torsion beam, anti roll bar.
* Rack and pinion steering with speed ratio, turning circle kerb 10.8m
* Tyres Michelin Pilot 195/50/R15
* Luggage capacity 255-596 litres
* Fuel tank capacity 50 litres
* 0-62mph 7.2 seconds (EVO magazine quote it as 6.6secs)
* Power to weight 163bhp/ton
* Max speed 138mph
* Drag coefficient 0.35cx
* Fuel consumption: urban 26.9mpg, extra urban 44.1mpg, combined 35.8mpg
* Co2 emissions 189g
Viewing a car steps 1-5
1 Service History:
Service history is very important, check all the history the owner has, lots of stamps in the service book and wallet full of receipts is an encouraging sign. A non Renault service history is nothing to be worried about too much, there are many specialists around that probably know the cars better. Some service their cars with some of the reputable sellers/members in cliosport such as Rentec, k-tec, yozzasport etc..Theres another useful thread in this section of the forum which shows what should be done at each interval.
2 Known major problems to worry about and to look out for 1st:
Engine mounts, listen for knocking in 1st , 2nd and 3rd both accelerating and coming off the pedal sharply. Rock the engine back and forth it should be nice and tight. Replacements mounts are expensive from Renault but fairly straight forward to change.
* Cambelt change, the cambelt MUST be done before 72k or 5 years, EVERY 172mk1 should have had this changed by now DESPITE MILEAGE. Ideally this should be done before this around 60k or 4 years. This involves the replacement of the cambelt, 3 tensioners/rollers the aux belt and the tensioner. This is a very expensive job (£500-600 independent £600-£900 Renault). Some garages wont touch them and special tools are required. Check the service history, if you spot that the water pump has been changed as well this is a very good sign. Check there are no noises coming from the timing belt tensioners.
* Aux belt, the aux belt is the belt you can see on the drivers side of the engine. This is what drives the alternator water, power steering and air-conditioning pumps. This must be changed every 36k, again check the service history, this is also done again at 72k with the cambelt and again at 108K. Along with the aux belt the tensioner should be replaced and the idler ought to be done too.
* Exhausts, Renaultsport exhausts rarely last anymore than 40K, they can rust and start blowing, inspect as much as the system as you can for blows and rotten joints. The weak spot is at the back of the backbox, this part is under a lot of stress and can fall apart/ blow here. There should be 2 visible exhaust mounts, one about halfway through the car in the middle and one right at the back that’s a star shape, these can become perished and fall off so check these as well. Another common problem is the 4K rattle. Its caused by the heat shield coming loose and banging on the centre box and also where the manifold joins the Cat. A lot of 172s have aftermarket exhausts, these are worth checking too. If you find one that has the original Renault exhaust don’t worry too much as there are not many options for a quiet exhaust for this car, just give it a good check over.
* If the engine is making loud knocking noise (coming from under the engine cover) when revving the throttle or when idling walk away . You can rev the engine and listen by flicking the manual throttle with your finger. As above listen for loud cambelt tensioners/belts squeaking.
3 Other check to make:
* Gearboxes can be weak if miss treated, check for fairly smooth gearchange, ideally check the service history to see if the gearbox oil has been changed, this is a good sign it has been looked after. The gearbox maybe a little stiff getting into 1st when its cold but once warmed up, smooth operation is expected with no clunking.
* Clutch, the clutch is a manual type and shouldn’t be excessively stiff, the biting point is normally 2/3rds the way up the pedal. A lot of the clutches sometimes whistle when the clutch is released. This is due to a worn release bearing, there is not much you can do without replacing it which is a very long job, its not really an issue to be too worried about. The clutches can easily wear out if driven hard/not very well, take the car for a good drive and make sure it is smooth and does not slip.
* Suspension knocking at full lock, this should be a easy fix, its just the top of the strut knocking on the turret due to it being turned at an angle. This can be fixed by fitting a washer between the rubber mounts. See the other thread on the forum.
* Knocking from the suspension when cornering is normally caused by worn ball joints, anti rollbar links or wishbones. Keep an ear out when going on a test drive.
* Creaking steering or steering that clicks is a bad sign, turn the wheels on the spot, make sure the steering is not noisy, clicking/creaking is normally down to a worn steering rack (£450 for a new one) or it can just be the 2 mounts that hold the rack to the subframe.
* Rear wheel bearings should be checked, make sure the car is not humming from the rear.
* Rear shock absorbers. Check for leaks and funny noises at the rear.
* Springs, make sure the suspension is not rattling, sometimes the springs can rust and snap at the ends.
* Make sure the passengers side rear wheel is not rubbing on the wheel arch, this normally indicates the trailing arm bushes are worn.
* Driveshaft gaitors, check the driveshaft gaitors, visible grease around the hub and grease on the inside of the wheel is a bad sign, driveshafts for this car are hard to get hold of. The Renault gaiter clips have to be put on by a special tool and they are prone to coming loose.
* Electrical problems, check every electrical component in the car. Start the car from cold and from being warm. Also make sure the alarm works and sets properly, there should be no warning lights on the dashboard. Also the sensors in the engine can fail, if the car has trouble starting, idles roughly or has erratic behaviour this is normally down to an electrical fault.
* Airbag service light, if this stays on this is probably due to loose wires under the seat, this should be an easy fix.
* Water pumps/power steering/ can leak after a while check the coolant levels. Also make sure they are not noisy when starting from cold, listen for droning down the aux belt area after startup.
4 Easy fixes / not to worry about too much:
* Worn steering wheel these were very badly designed and do peel easily, if you find a car that has a mint one though it’s a good sign its been well cared for or had it replaced.
* Worn/dirty door grab handles
* Scratched gear knob.
* Interior rattles
* Flaking/damaged paint on the wheels, again if you find a car with mint wheels it’s a good sign its been cared/cleaned regularly for or they have been refurbished.
* Stone chips, the paint on these cars is applied very finely.
* Lumpy idle, the engines do idle quite unsteadily when cold due to emissions regulations.
* Rusty wheel nuts.
* Bent jacking points, the jacking points on Clio’s are quite weak, beware if they are excessively bent as the car will be hard to put on axle stands.
5 Final points to check:
* Check the cd changer under drivers seat has not been removed
* Check the car has a spare OZ wheel in the boot with toolkit
* Check the air conditioning works
* Check for parking dents and scuffed side skirts
* Check the car is not an import. Imports didn’t have an alarm and window etchings.
* If the car has locking wheel nuts, make sure you have the key, Renault charge £30 for the pleasure if lost and they have to be ordered from Italy.
* Check the bonnet release catch has not rusted too much and moves freely, when undoing the bonnet make sure it doesn’t just lift up. There should be a safety catch that you pull towards you first.
* Check the service history; it should be serviced every 12k miles. Look at the other guide on the forum to see what’s done at each interval; the main one to look out for is the cambelt at 72k/5 years.
* Trip computer, hold the button at the end of the right stalk for a few seconds then turn on the ignition while still holding the button, it will do a self test. It doesn’t really tell you much but will show if all the dials are working. Press the button again to clear this. Start the car, when it displays ‘oil ok’ press the button and it will give an indication of the amount of oil. When the time delay passes cycle through it, this may give a good indication as to how the previous owner drives the car, very poor mpg (below 20mpg) is a worrying sign. In normal day driving it can reach a steady 36mpg and can reach as high as 42 on the motorway.
* Check for any crash damage, a poor fitting front bumper doesn’t always mean it has been in a crash, they never fitted perfectly anyway. Check to see if the original inspection record sticker is on the bonnet or grille.
* Check braking, the brakes on the Clio are very strong, inspect the discs for warping and/or lots of rust especially on the rears.
Good luck!! Please don’t be put off buying one from all the mechanical issues mentioned above. There are some good, well looked after examples about that are maintained regardless of cost.
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Old 10-11-2007, 15:10 #2
davebem
ClioSport Club Member
davebem's Avatar
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,508
Car: 172Mk1 & Suzuki Swift
Location: Hinckley, Leics
Re: Renaultsport Clio 172mk1 2000-2001 Buyers Guide
Colour examples (some of these cars have subtle modifications).
Odysey Blue:
Pearl Black:
Iceburg Silver
Titanium Silver:
Sunflower Yellow:
Flame Red:
Scarab Green:
Engine Bay:
The Renault Sport Clio 172mk1 was regarded as one of the best modern front wheel drive hot hatches of all time. It was reviewed on the old version of Top Gear by Vicki Butler Henderson in 2000 and she was so impressed by the ‘evo ness’ she brought one for herself. In the episode she is racing Tiff in a Saxo VTS and the Clio was clearly beating the Saxo on the straights. The slogan for the Clio at the time was “Size matters”.
The 172 was the beginning of the Renaultsport Clio range which led to the 172mk2, 172cup, 182, 182 cup, and finally the 182 Trophy. The 172 started as a Cup race car that was the replacement for the Renaultsport Spider.
The Renaultsport Clio 172mk1 arrived in the UK in January 2000 on a W plate, there’s not many W plates around most of these were dealership demo cars. Up until June it was only available in Titanium silver. From June Sunflower yellow, Odyssey blue, pearl black and Flame red were added. In January 2001 Titanium silver was replaced with Iceburg Silver. In February 2001 the Renaultsport 172 exclusive was released see below for more details. By June 2001 1359 172mk1s were sold when it was replaced by the facelift 172mk2.
The base 2.0 engine was the same took from the Laguna and Espace. But Renault handed it over to Renaultsport and F1 supplier Mechachrome and when they finished with it the power was up to 166hp (172ps). The major changes include enhanced flow into the intake manifold, machined cylinder-head ducts, Nimonic valves, platinum electrode spark plugs, increased valve overlap and an all-new exhaust system.
The 172mk1 has gained many nicknames: ph-quick, ph-ugly, 172ph1, RS-1.
Some of this guide does apply to the facelift 172 and 182, but there are many differences between the cars, the 172mk1 has the following benefits over its successors:
* Lighter overall weight
* Slightly faster acceleration (hence the nickname “ph-quick”). We are only talking about 0.1's of a second here.
* Slightly longer gear ratio’s
* Cable throttle that is more responsive
* Arguably a better air box
* Cheaper price!
Useful Information (as of April 2007):
* Insurance group 16
* Tax £180 per year.
* Servicing every 12,000 miles
* Average mileage for age 62,000 miles
* Rough cost of car £2700-£5000
Driving and safety
* Power steering
* Sports tuned suspension
* Drivers and passengers airbag
* Front lateral airbags
* ABS with EBD
* Height adjustable front seatbelts with SRP
* Three rear 3 point seatbelts
* Isofix child system
* High level rear brake light
* Side impact bars
* Blind spot eliminating mirrors
Security
* Transponder controlled Thatcham cat2 immobiliser
* Volumetric Thatcham cat1 alarm
* Central door locking with 2 remotes
* RAID (Renault Anti Intruder Device)
* Security code etching on windows
* Stay shut system
Exterior
* Sports styling kit, wider front wings, side skirts and sport front and rear bumpers
* Body coloured rear spoiler
* OZ 15” F1 Alloy wheels
* Integral fog lamps
* Double optic electrically adjustable headlamps
* Body coloured and Heated door mirrors
Interior
* Air conditioning
* Pollen filter with recirculation
* Heat reflecting windscreen with clear section for camera detectors etc
* Electric windows with one touch
* Smart rear wash/wipe
* 2 speed wipers with adjustable intermittent wipe
* Tinted glass
* Heated rear window
* Delayed courtesy light
* Map reading light
* Alcantara covered steering wheel
* Storage space under passenger seat
* Instrument lighting adjustment
Seating and trim
* Leather alcantara sport seats with Renaulsport embossed colour logo
* Tilt and slide front seats with position memory
* Reclining/height adjustable Drivers seat with lumbar adjustment
* 3 rear headrests
* Height and tilt adjustable front headrests
* 60:40 split folding rear seat
* Brushed aluminium effect dashboard and door inserts
* Aluminium gear knob
* Drilled aluminium pedals
* Door sill tread strips with Renaulsport logo
* Alcantara door panels
* Carpet mats
In car entertainment
* Radiosat 6010 60W multi cd RDS radio cassette with 6 speakers and fingertip remote control. 6 Disk CD changer under the driver seat.
* Traffic and news Information.
Instruments and controls
* White instrument dials with Renaultsport logo, the tachometer goes up to 8000revs.
* Digital oil level indicator with time delay
* Trip computer with digital display, MPG, mileage etc..
* Fuel level gauge with warning light
* Water temp gauge
* Driver seatbelt undone warning light
* Lights on warning buzzer
* Front doors open warning light
* Exterior temperature indicator
Other/Optional/Differences
* Some earlier 172s mainly the Titanium silver cars have a light weight saving aluminium bonnet and these can be more sought after.
* Some cars have an “optimum gear change indicator” light on the dash, this was advertised by Renault to be in all the cars but it seems it’s mainly the W and some X reg cars.
* Renault also spec the car as having heating ducts that go to the rear but I have never seen one have them.
* Some of the later cars made in 2001 had a different cat that was the same as the 172mk2, the earlier cat is a twin type with 1 sensor. The later has 2 sensors.
* Its not clear when the production ended but any 172s made after march 2001 have a slightly higher tax band.
* 16” Oz F1 wheels were available to buy separately from Renault, there are some cars about with slightly larger wheels/lower profile tyres.
172mk1 Exclusive
In feb 2001 a limited edition was released the main differences are outlined below from the normal run of cars, 172 were brought to the UK:
* Scarab green pearlescent paint
* Unique renaultsport door sill plates with serial number, they are numbered 1-172
* BBS 15” alloy wheels
* Dune grey full leather trim.
* Silver 2.0 16v badge on sides
* Extra £300 premium over the standard 172.
Colours
- 647 Titanium Silver, 934 in the UK
- 000 Scarab Green, 172 in the UK
- 676 Pearl Black, 117 in the UK
- D44 Odyssey Blue, 116 in the UK
- 640 Iceburg Silver, 99 in the UK
- B76 Flame Red, 60 in the UK
- 377 Sunflower Yellow, 31 in the UK
Specification (Official Renault specs)
* 1998cc 2.0 16V with VVT F4R engine
* Maximum power 172hp at 6250rpm
* Maximum torque 200NM at 5400rpm
* 5 Forward gears
* Kerb vehicle weight 1035kgs
* Gross vehicle weight 1490kgs
* Servo assisted diagonally split braking system with disc brakes at the front (ventilated discs) and discs at rear with ABS
* Front suspension: MacPherson struts with coil springs, telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers and roll bar.
* Rear suspension: Semi-independent, trailing arms linked by a torsion beam, anti roll bar.
* Rack and pinion steering with speed ratio, turning circle kerb 10.8m
* Tyres Michelin Pilot 195/50/R15
* Luggage capacity 255-596 litres
* Fuel tank capacity 50 litres
* 0-62mph 7.2 seconds (EVO magazine quote it as 6.6secs)
* Power to weight 163bhp/ton
* Max speed 138mph
* Drag coefficient 0.35cx
* Fuel consumption: urban 26.9mpg, extra urban 44.1mpg, combined 35.8mpg
* Co2 emissions 189g
Viewing a car steps 1-5
1 Service History:
Service history is very important, check all the history the owner has, lots of stamps in the service book and wallet full of receipts is an encouraging sign. A non Renault service history is nothing to be worried about too much, there are many specialists around that probably know the cars better. Some service their cars with some of the reputable sellers/members in cliosport such as Rentec, k-tec, yozzasport etc..Theres another useful thread in this section of the forum which shows what should be done at each interval.
2 Known major problems to worry about and to look out for 1st:
Engine mounts, listen for knocking in 1st , 2nd and 3rd both accelerating and coming off the pedal sharply. Rock the engine back and forth it should be nice and tight. Replacements mounts are expensive from Renault but fairly straight forward to change.
* Cambelt change, the cambelt MUST be done before 72k or 5 years, EVERY 172mk1 should have had this changed by now DESPITE MILEAGE. Ideally this should be done before this around 60k or 4 years. This involves the replacement of the cambelt, 3 tensioners/rollers the aux belt and the tensioner. This is a very expensive job (£500-600 independent £600-£900 Renault). Some garages wont touch them and special tools are required. Check the service history, if you spot that the water pump has been changed as well this is a very good sign. Check there are no noises coming from the timing belt tensioners.
* Aux belt, the aux belt is the belt you can see on the drivers side of the engine. This is what drives the alternator water, power steering and air-conditioning pumps. This must be changed every 36k, again check the service history, this is also done again at 72k with the cambelt and again at 108K. Along with the aux belt the tensioner should be replaced and the idler ought to be done too.
* Exhausts, Renaultsport exhausts rarely last anymore than 40K, they can rust and start blowing, inspect as much as the system as you can for blows and rotten joints. The weak spot is at the back of the backbox, this part is under a lot of stress and can fall apart/ blow here. There should be 2 visible exhaust mounts, one about halfway through the car in the middle and one right at the back that’s a star shape, these can become perished and fall off so check these as well. Another common problem is the 4K rattle. Its caused by the heat shield coming loose and banging on the centre box and also where the manifold joins the Cat. A lot of 172s have aftermarket exhausts, these are worth checking too. If you find one that has the original Renault exhaust don’t worry too much as there are not many options for a quiet exhaust for this car, just give it a good check over.
* If the engine is making loud knocking noise (coming from under the engine cover) when revving the throttle or when idling walk away . You can rev the engine and listen by flicking the manual throttle with your finger. As above listen for loud cambelt tensioners/belts squeaking.
3 Other check to make:
* Gearboxes can be weak if miss treated, check for fairly smooth gearchange, ideally check the service history to see if the gearbox oil has been changed, this is a good sign it has been looked after. The gearbox maybe a little stiff getting into 1st when its cold but once warmed up, smooth operation is expected with no clunking.
* Clutch, the clutch is a manual type and shouldn’t be excessively stiff, the biting point is normally 2/3rds the way up the pedal. A lot of the clutches sometimes whistle when the clutch is released. This is due to a worn release bearing, there is not much you can do without replacing it which is a very long job, its not really an issue to be too worried about. The clutches can easily wear out if driven hard/not very well, take the car for a good drive and make sure it is smooth and does not slip.
* Suspension knocking at full lock, this should be a easy fix, its just the top of the strut knocking on the turret due to it being turned at an angle. This can be fixed by fitting a washer between the rubber mounts. See the other thread on the forum.
* Knocking from the suspension when cornering is normally caused by worn ball joints, anti rollbar links or wishbones. Keep an ear out when going on a test drive.
* Creaking steering or steering that clicks is a bad sign, turn the wheels on the spot, make sure the steering is not noisy, clicking/creaking is normally down to a worn steering rack (£450 for a new one) or it can just be the 2 mounts that hold the rack to the subframe.
* Rear wheel bearings should be checked, make sure the car is not humming from the rear.
* Rear shock absorbers. Check for leaks and funny noises at the rear.
* Springs, make sure the suspension is not rattling, sometimes the springs can rust and snap at the ends.
* Make sure the passengers side rear wheel is not rubbing on the wheel arch, this normally indicates the trailing arm bushes are worn.
* Driveshaft gaitors, check the driveshaft gaitors, visible grease around the hub and grease on the inside of the wheel is a bad sign, driveshafts for this car are hard to get hold of. The Renault gaiter clips have to be put on by a special tool and they are prone to coming loose.
* Electrical problems, check every electrical component in the car. Start the car from cold and from being warm. Also make sure the alarm works and sets properly, there should be no warning lights on the dashboard. Also the sensors in the engine can fail, if the car has trouble starting, idles roughly or has erratic behaviour this is normally down to an electrical fault.
* Airbag service light, if this stays on this is probably due to loose wires under the seat, this should be an easy fix.
* Water pumps/power steering/ can leak after a while check the coolant levels. Also make sure they are not noisy when starting from cold, listen for droning down the aux belt area after startup.
4 Easy fixes / not to worry about too much:
* Worn steering wheel these were very badly designed and do peel easily, if you find a car that has a mint one though it’s a good sign its been well cared for or had it replaced.
* Worn/dirty door grab handles
* Scratched gear knob.
* Interior rattles
* Flaking/damaged paint on the wheels, again if you find a car with mint wheels it’s a good sign its been cared/cleaned regularly for or they have been refurbished.
* Stone chips, the paint on these cars is applied very finely.
* Lumpy idle, the engines do idle quite unsteadily when cold due to emissions regulations.
* Rusty wheel nuts.
* Bent jacking points, the jacking points on Clio’s are quite weak, beware if they are excessively bent as the car will be hard to put on axle stands.
5 Final points to check:
* Check the cd changer under drivers seat has not been removed
* Check the car has a spare OZ wheel in the boot with toolkit
* Check the air conditioning works
* Check for parking dents and scuffed side skirts
* Check the car is not an import. Imports didn’t have an alarm and window etchings.
* If the car has locking wheel nuts, make sure you have the key, Renault charge £30 for the pleasure if lost and they have to be ordered from Italy.
* Check the bonnet release catch has not rusted too much and moves freely, when undoing the bonnet make sure it doesn’t just lift up. There should be a safety catch that you pull towards you first.
* Check the service history; it should be serviced every 12k miles. Look at the other guide on the forum to see what’s done at each interval; the main one to look out for is the cambelt at 72k/5 years.
* Trip computer, hold the button at the end of the right stalk for a few seconds then turn on the ignition while still holding the button, it will do a self test. It doesn’t really tell you much but will show if all the dials are working. Press the button again to clear this. Start the car, when it displays ‘oil ok’ press the button and it will give an indication of the amount of oil. When the time delay passes cycle through it, this may give a good indication as to how the previous owner drives the car, very poor mpg (below 20mpg) is a worrying sign. In normal day driving it can reach a steady 36mpg and can reach as high as 42 on the motorway.
* Check for any crash damage, a poor fitting front bumper doesn’t always mean it has been in a crash, they never fitted perfectly anyway. Check to see if the original inspection record sticker is on the bonnet or grille.
* Check braking, the brakes on the Clio are very strong, inspect the discs for warping and/or lots of rust especially on the rears.
Good luck!! Please don’t be put off buying one from all the mechanical issues mentioned above. There are some good, well looked after examples about that are maintained regardless of cost.
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Old 10-11-2007, 15:10 #2
davebem
ClioSport Club Member
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,508
Car: 172Mk1 & Suzuki Swift
Location: Hinckley, Leics
Re: Renaultsport Clio 172mk1 2000-2001 Buyers Guide
Colour examples (some of these cars have subtle modifications).
Odysey Blue:
Pearl Black:
Iceburg Silver
Titanium Silver:
Sunflower Yellow:
Flame Red:
Scarab Green:
Engine Bay:
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