[Abdul786]

Hi all,

I've just signed up to this excellent forum site where Renault car owners can discuss issues and help one another with their problems.

I bought a M reg Renault Clio RN, MK1, 1.2L last year and when winter had arrived, I had my car serviced and had the water/coolant changed with new anti-freeze put in. I had this done by a local garage person and he couldn't find a bleeder on the car and had to maually bleed the air out himself and everything was in working order i.e. the fan does come on. I then drove my car for a while and noticed no hot/warm air was coming into to my car. It comes for about 3 seconds and the disappears again and returns to cold air!

I would reallyt like to ask what my main gripe is here??! Where is the bleeder and do the MK1 Clio's have a bleeder?
Is there a problem with my matrix? I have been advised to use radflush?!

Please help as it's freezing in my car!!!!!!

 

[bonedavid]

http://www.renaultforums.co.uk/heating-cooling/13751-cold-heater-again.html

read the above link as there is some good info there that mey help.

also look here http://www.renaultforums.co.uk/faq/13212-clio-faq.html for more info specific to the Clio range.

 

[chris m]

welcome to the forum and the chilly world of Clio ownership. I think you will have a "C type" engine so there should be 2 bleed screws. 1 on the top pipe to the radiator and 1 on the pipe to the heater. Clio's of this age are prone to blocking in the matrix but check the links in the faq as they may help

 

[Abdul786]

no heat in my car

Thanks for the responses. I have checked my car and there does not seem to be any bleeding valves/screws on there. Is this the main reason why I'm not getting any heat/hot air into my car?

 

[madnoel10]

Hi Abdul - sounds very much like an airlock especially if the heater was working before the coolant was changed. It's very unusual to find a Clio without bleedscrews. If you could unscrew the header tank and lift it up as high as possible with the cap removed and engine running it may help the air escape as it always tries to reach the highest point in the system - also a few hard revs of the engine may help purge the air. Failing this try undoing the return hose from the heater and pulling it back ever so slightly to see if an uninterrupted flow of coolant emerges. Continuing to use the car could cause the engine to overheat and end up with serious damage. I am very surprised the guy who done the work let the car out in this condition. Take care as coolant can get very hot and cause serious burns.

 

[chris m]

Any update?

 

[Abdul786]

Thanks for that. I forgot to mention that my clio is a MK1 model and I've been told that these models do not have bleeders on them, apparently!

The guy who initially changed my antifreeze and flushed the old water out i.e. that was already in there, was moaning alot that there were no bleeders on my car. So instead, he had let air come out of the pipe nearest to the radiator. I'm not too sure whether the heating was operating ok before the service as I bought it last year in summer and hadn't checked at the time. It was only til I had had the antifreeze/coolant changed to a fresh one (in winter), that I'd noticed that there was no warm air/heat coming into my car.

I really need to get this done as it's very chilly in London these days and I'm fed up of the heater not working in my car. What should I do?? HELP!!

 

[chris m]

My 1.4RT is a MK1 also. I have the "E" type engine and the bleed screw is on the rear drivers side of the radiator. As I posted earlier I think you have the "C" type so there should be 2 bleed screws, but with the age of the car they may have been removed at some time. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news though but Clio's of this age often have blocked heaters. Mine struggles in the winter with similar symptoms to yours and I've flushed and bled it to no avail.

 

[Abdul786]

So it's a common problem then. Yes I agree - someone's changed the pipes in the car!

Any suggestions as to what I do now as the last thing I want to do is spend a fortune on my heating system! Or I'll just have to wait 'til summer arrives as and I won't have to bother with it then will I!

 

[chris m]

There is a good thread in the Clio FAQ under heating and cooling. It relates to a heater matrix from another Renault model but would be applicable to Clios as well. It explains in detail how to remove and take apart the matrix and physically clean it. However this involves breaking off the end plate and re attaching it and I would advice caution or perhaps getting a matrix from a scrap dealer, trying that in the car and if that is unsucseful you then have a spare to take apart.