Just Left Deposit on 2004 Megane CC Privilege

[starspud]

Hi everyone, just joined and hopefully will be answering more questions than asking..

I'm finally getting rid of my 2004 Laguna 1.9dci and getting a Megane 2.0vvt Privilege.. i did vow never to get a renault again to be honest - although the engine was fine, things on my laguna were starting to suffer, i sensed a huge bill looming..

So I'll soon be picking up a 2004 Megane 2.0vvt Privilege Convertible in Black. I've driven it and a couple of things are bugging me.. if you can advise great, if not, the dealer will probably sort them.

Firstly, we set off and within 5 minutes the folding mirrors decided to fold in on their own! Now the knob was missing off the top of the mirror control- the dealer said 'it was something and nothing' and said it would be sorted, but i'm curious what it could be?

Secondly, when i got in the car, it said 'press clutch + start'. I thought this meant handsfree, so i pressed clutch and start as advised, then it told me to insert keycard!? A bit strange i thought

Thirdly, the interior looks really really worn for a 54000 mile car. With 2 previous owners (the last being 4 years, and a woman doh!) i'd have thought it would have held up better. The drivers seat is quite well worn (the interior's leather) as is the steering wheel, and the gear knob. Is this connected with it being a convertible and the sun being on it or is it just poor quality?

Finally, there was a wind whistling noise that i later found was a gap between the back of the front passenger window and the seal - about 3mm so quite a bit. I asked the dealer to quickly lower and raise the roof - the weather wasn't great either, but when it was put back up the gap had gone.. so i'm a bit confused here.

I don't know about anything else yet - i've a feeling that i may be having problems here but that could be just me being used to mine.

Thanks again
Bazza

[starspud]

Wow, is there anyone on here?

[morganjake1544]

Welcome Bazza. Good luck with the new car.

Ref the key card issue - if a hands free car (which yours is) insists that you put the keycard in the reader to start the car it's usually because a door or the boot isn't shut. Or the car 'thinks' that something is open.

Concerning the state of the interior - 1. Beige is a bugger. 2. It may have been a lady owner but she could have been a 25 stone, soap dodging, chain-smoking, pie muncher. 3. Have you got/seen all the MOT's and service history to back up the 54k mileage?

[starspud]

Hi Morgan, thanks for the reply.
I don't actually know if i tried the handsfree thing correctly tbh.. i tried just pressing the clutch+start, and then footbrake+start, but should i have pressed both the clutch and footbrake? I didn't try that lol
I'll attach a picture of the interior - you can give me your opinion then, but i think its a bit rank, it'll be getting a clean thats for sure (along with the bucket of mud that i noticed at a 'hidden' part of the hardtop as it was converting. Good to know (i think) that the beige is known to be a bit mingin, though i'd rather cast aside the thoughts you've just placed about the fat lady that may have owned it lol
As for the mileage, curiously there isn't any documentation supporting it - not even a handbook! The dealer showed me that the car was bought from a main agent 4 years ago and that it was serviced twice in that time, but thats all there is.
cheers

[morganjake1544]

Clutch with start, or brake with start, or both clutch and brake with start. All should work.
Check the keycard allows you to open both doors hands-free (with the card in your pocket) and that the buttons on both door handles allow you to lock the car hands-free.
Also make sure that the car starts without having to put the card in the reader.
Lastly, make sure you get TWO working keycards 'cos if you only have one and it gets lost or damaged heartache will ensue. No reputable dealer would sell you a Megane with only one key (when I was a sales manager a part ex had to come in with two keycards or the customer was given £500 less for his trade in, alternatively the salesman who took the car as part ex was docked £500 off his wage that month! to cover the cost of replacement.)
Don't take delivery of the car on the promise of a second card to follow, it'll never happen.
Good luck.

PS Lack of service history would concern me. Has timing belt been done, etc?

[starspud]

Clutch with start, or brake with start, or both clutch and brake with start. All should work.
Check the keycard allows you to open both doors hands-free (with the card in your pocket) and that the buttons on both door handles allow you to lock the car hands-free.
Also make sure that the car starts without having to put the card in the reader.
Lastly, make sure you get TWO working keycards 'cos if you only have one and it gets lost or damaged heartache will ensue. No reputable dealer would sell you a Megane with only one key (when I was a sales manager a part ex had to come in with two keycards or the customer was given £500 less for his trade in, alternatively the salesman who took the car as part ex was docked £500 off his wage that month! to cover the cost of replacement.)
Don't take delivery of the car on the promise of a second card to follow, it'll never happen.
Good luck.

PS Lack of service history would concern me. Has timing belt been done, etc?

Oh dear, me thinks i may be in the do do... hope not though.
None of your first suggestions did anything - but it was a quick test drive and i didn't really expect to see handsfree anything to be honest. Fingers crossed it'll work when i take delivery. The doors had buttons on them, and there was a sensor behind the handle so it looks like it's handsfree alright, how 'unreliable' is it anyway?
As for the keycard, i'm only getting one which isn't in the best of order - there was damage to the outer casing revealing some circuitry but i asked how many there were to which i was told only one. I know how dear they are - i'm trading in a Laguna 2, but the deal offered to change was quite cheap in my opinion, plus i'll be getting a 12 month mot and 6 months tax. I phoned the guy today, the mirrors were fixed - apparently it was the switch, so he's had it replaced and said it's fine now. The gap in-between the window and seal he's getting looked at tomorrow, and he'll know the results of the MOT then as well.
I know the car has been serviced twice whilst the previous owner had it, but don't know what was done. I'll do some poking around with renault uk to see if they have any records.
I thought i saw a Renault programmer on Ebay recently for about the same price of a card - may be worth while do you think?
As for the Cambelt - didn't think of that one, but the deposits been paid. I can't start arguing about the keycard now.
Cars only standing me at about £1800 though
cheers
bazza

[morganjake1544]

Sorry to point out the negatives, they are really nice cars. However,a bad one can be a money pit and the issues you've mentioned would have made me walk away.They're not rare so another one will be around the corner soon. £1800 is cheap enough (probably £1000 less than a fully sorted one - see link below) so hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I've got fingers and toes crossed for you.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201208451458198/sort/priceasc/usedcars/body-type/convertible/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/fuel-type/petrol/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/model/megane/make/renault/postcode/bb48ly/page/2/radius/1500/keywords/privilege?logcode=p

[starspud]

Sorry to point out the negatives, they are really nice cars. However,a bad one can be a money pit and the issues you've mentioned would have made me walk away.They're not rare so another one will be around the corner soon. £1800 is cheap enough (probably £1000 less than a fully sorted one - see link below) so hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I've got fingers and toes crossed for you.


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201208451458198/sort/priceasc/usedcars/body-type/convertible/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/fuel-type/petrol/maximum-age/up_to_10_years_old/model/megane/make/renault/postcode/bb48ly/page/2/radius/1500/keywords/privilege?logcode=p

Just my luck, that one wasn't there when i was looking. I've attached a picture of the interior of the one i'm buying..<center>
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I'll keep my fingers crossed as well.. I'm only really mainly concerned with the lack of documentation, only one key, and the seemingly overworn interior