[Andrew_M]

I didn't see anywhere obvious to start a discussion about projects and maintenance. Hopefully this area of the forum is ok...

My story in brief:

In January 2009 we bought, from a Renault dealer, a used 2005/55 Grand Scenic 1.6 Dynamique. The car is now just over 5.5 years old with 75k on the clock.

Just a few months ago we started having issues with the handbrake, at first working intermittently then not at all. So I took it to my trusted French car specialist frontlines who diagnosed it as requiring the motor for the handbrake but he didn't have Renault clip so he felt a dealer or specialist with the right stuff to programme the ECU would be better.

Spoke to my local dealer Gordon Lamb who wanted near on £100 to diagnose which was non negotiable. Fortunately I have a warranty from warranty direct - but the first blow was when I established that the warranty company would only pay £60 an hour.

Disgruntled I went to a specialist in Ilkeston, this is massively inconvenient but a more reasonable £35 or something. Anyway it turns out the problem was warn rear brakes so he cleared the faults and the handbrake started to work. He did advise the car needed a temp sensor too. So I booked the car in at Frontlines had discs and pads and 4 coil packs as it broke during all the messing about. Several hundred pounds lighter and the handbrake lasted a week with new brakes before giving up the ghost.

So I called Evans Halshaw in Sheffield, booked the car in and initially I had a great experience. Attentive service staff, FOC diagnostics, they contacted the warranty company and they were prepared to do a deal on the hourly rate.

I walked out the door which is when the 'service' stopped. 2 weeks on, I had heard nothing so I called and TBH without going into things, I got a load of bull****. But they did confirm the my warranty company WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF THE HANDBRAKE. This was a bitter blow - the dealer said they will do me a deal £700 INC.

As a gesture they called Renault UK, I was on the phone for 21 minutes with a chap who actually sounded surprised at the fault and said Renault pride themselves on the quality of their cars! Anyway, "based on the age of the car and the non dealer servicing we will not be offering any financial support, however we recommend you use our dealer network..." :rofl:

Needless to say I am pretty annoyed all round - but I have had a brain wave that I ran past people on another thread, but no takers. Given the amount of people that suffer these problems with clearly faulty or ill-designed parts there has to be a permanent, affordable solution. I am looking into fitting a genuine handbrake lever and perhaps all components as fitted in the authentique model. This way the fitment will look neat and be a bonus when selling the car on. This will guarantee you not to have handbrake problems at MOT stage, but I am unsure about the electronics side. I was going to use this thread to update any progress and of course I am open to anything people want to add. With a £700 bill looming I think I can easily convert for half or preferably less....

 

[Andrew_M]

Sorry for the delay, I went to the dealer but as I didn't have a registration or chasis number of an Authentique parts were unable to assist me, so I managed to find a registration at least and thus far I have this:

A diagram of an Authentique set up and the cost of the handbrake and the bracket attached to it [circa £200. I have yet to receive a cost for the rest of the bits but I have requested a diagram of a Dynamique to compare the two.

EDIT;Sorry,the image has been removed due to copyright issues

Many thanks.
TBC....

 

[Andrew_M]

So, unfortunately I cannot show the relevant image?

Anyway, there has been a development. The list of parts to do the job in question are as follows:

Handbrake, item number 1 £172.31
2x inner cable, items number 2 £32.81 each
2x clip, item number 7 £2.17
n/s cable tube, item number 3 £12.34
o/s cable tube, item number 4 £6.62
Support bracket, item number 5 £36.86
4xnuts, item number 6 £2.30 each
Switch item number 8 £12.05
All items are inclusive of vat!

There is are a couple of vital bits missing - replacement callipers - not sure how much they should be.

At this point, what I would love to do, is show a youtube video of me doing the job, selling off some bits from my car and completing the job and saving every scenic owner from future headaches by providing a reliable solution.

However, the chap at my local has been pretty helpful and is looking to do a deal on replacing the E-brake with £150+ saving. Still a bitter pill but a lot more straight forward. If I had time/energy to go the alternative route, I would and I would love it if someone tried to convert theirs....

to be concluded....

 

[Scenic 11]

No small project and wish you well with it :beer:

 

[Andrew_M]

I typed out a ridiculously lengthy update, then I pressed the wrong button and it disappeared

So, the gist is the parts man at my local dealer offered a deal on the replacement e-brake. Given how busy I have got recently and we are so reliant on the Scenic, I folded and booked the car in. As the process took that long it is booked in for tomorrow. I negotiated £585.00 for the job. Really steep but it's in and out and paid...

Also this week I had to replace a suspension arm for £118.00 inc but in the mean time it has ruined a goodyear eagle

I will replace with a winter tyre in November then get another goodyear or hankook (heard good things) for the front in March next year....

Apologies to those who were interested in the project, at least the part numbers are all there for you!

Andrew

 

[Scenic 11]

Thanks for the heads up on your project

Glad you are getting it sorted but as you say it's a high price to pay and does that price include the callipers or are they extra.

Good luck with it anyway.

 

[Andrew_M]

So, the job has been done and we have a handbrake. Cannot thank Lee @ Gordon Lamb Chesterfield parts enough - very helpful and refreshing for a dealer!!!

Sadly there is still a fault

Apparently as it needs a new switch in the gearbox to work the reverse lights this is throwing up a fault with the clutch switch, which has already been replaced, and thus while the handbrake is on, and the clutch is NOT engaged it will throw up a fault....

TBC

P.S The service light came on today :crazy:

 

[TTT]

Hi,
Interesting thread.

I suppose if anyone was intent on converting their electronic handbrake to a manual one a lot of the parts could possibly be obtained from a breakers.

I'm not sure how you would go on with the electronics side though, maybe the ECU would have to be reprogrammed to get rid of the info concerning the electronic handbrake.

Just having a bit of a rant here but car nowadays are just becoming silly aren't they. I would say they are now less reliable & cost more to maintain than they did years ago because of ridiculous things like electronic handbrakes. What was wrong with a standard handbrake, you pulled the lever and it went on, you pulled the lever it went off, how hard was that. I could understand if there was a massive advantage of having the electronic version, but the only advantage I can see is in the favour of the dealers who are being kept in work by the fitting of such silly things.

Cheers.

 

[bluemonkey]

This issue is bound to come around again as Scenics with electronic parking brakes get older, more will fail and the Renault repair price will represent a large percentage of the cars value.

Scrapped scenics with manual handbrakes will become sought after and demand may exceed supply however, many of the parts used may be the same as other Renaults and some might easily be fabricated. Ideally someone needs to put a conversion kit together although reprogramming the car to tell it it no longer has the electronic brake will probably be the most difficult task to overcome.

My brake still works for now (68k) but who knows how long it will last!

 

[Builder Dave]

Any further developments with this please...?
I have chance to buy a Scenic 2 with that problem.
Dave D