[jamesyboy5593]

Thought i'd start this new thread as there were quite a few Vel Satis owners chating on the "Vel Satis Problems" thread, but its title seems a bit negative.

Perhaps if all problems, questions or general chat relating to the Vel were posted here, then it would give us all a focal point of info which is specific to our model (as to be fair, most problems experienced, seem to be bespoke to the Vel.)

Perhaps this thread may become a valuble resource.

Anyway, after all the hick-ups with mine, I can now say that even after all repairs and including the purchase of the car, I still only spent £6000 on this top of the line, and totally individual motor, so i'm well happy!

Even today when I was trying to get filters, people were still saying... "A renault What??"

Love it.

 

[twoscarecrows]

A Renault what?

I've decided to take the Vel Satis logo off the back and replace it with the word "what?", it'll make life much simpler.

I also go camping and I tow a folding camper - a folding what? I hear you say. This is becoming a habit :crazy:

 

[Eternal Optimist]

A 'What' logo - nice one!

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Yeah thats a good one, in the local motor cash n' carry they sell the complete alphabet in little 3d chrome self adheasive letters. This could be done for fun.

Question, is there anyone else here with the 2.2DCi? If so is only 19mpg around town right? The official figure for extra urban if supposed to be 29mpg.

What exactly is extra urban anyway?

 

[VelSatisfied]

Very low figures to me - but check these out first

Hi mate, is this your first diesel? If it is, at what point are you changing gear (when going up through the gearbox)?

My 3.0DCi (auto) gets 32mpg on town work alone/44mpg on the motorway. 19mpg in the town if very close to 3.5litre (petrol) territory....

I would try to revise the driving style and ensure that any excess weight is not carried, the tyre pressures are all fair & square, and that nothing (such as a brake binding) is the cause.

Remember to 'zero' the computer at every fill-up (this is done by holding down the small stalk sticking out from the instrument cluster (do this for every display except distance to service) and the figure should hopefully improve.

'extra-urban' is part of the govt fuel efficiency test cycle (all done in a laboratory on a rolling road) it is meant to indicate a mix of faster urban roads & dual carriageways/motorways.

Paul

 

[brighty]

Thought i'd start this new thread as there were quite a few Vel Satis owners chating on the "Vel Satis Problems" thread, but its title seems a bit negative.

Perhaps if all problems, questions or general chat relating to the Vel were posted here, then it would give us all a focal point of info which is specific to our model (as to be fair, most problems experienced, seem to be bespoke to the Vel.)

Perhaps this thread may become a valuble resource.

Anyway, after all the hick-ups with mine, I can now say that even after all repairs and including the purchase of the car, I still only spent £6000 on this top of the line, and totally individual motor, so i'm well happy!

Even today when I was trying to get filters, people were still saying... "A renault What??"

Love it.

Well done for starting this thread, It didn't seem right to continue the thread with the icon.
I too have everyone baffled with the name of the car, I now tell them if a Grand Espace mated with a Laguna you make a Vel Satis!

The other issue that raises eyebrows is the colour, When you say to someone it's Hessian, They immeadiately think of a sack! I had a slight scratch on the bumper and when I called out 'Chipsaway' he told me it has White,Black ,silver and Blue in the paint! ( hows that for useless information for a friday morning)

 

[VelSatisfied]

when I called out 'Chipsaway' he told me it has White,Black ,silver and Blue in the paint! ( hows that for useless information for a friday morning)

Just a thought - is the scratch on the glossy part of the paint or the more matt (satin) part? (you'll know what I mean), the reason I ask, is that these paints aren't interchangeable due to the different finish. Just bear that in mind if he gives you any left over.

I make up my own touch-up paints, and most colours have at least 3 pigments, and as many as 10 (plus additives). Even white is usually made up of white (no surprises there), black and yellow.

Its amazing the technology behind all this.

Paul

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Paul

Thanks for info, it may well be that i'm not operating the computer correctly. I have been pressing and holding the stalk in at fill-ups but are you saying that this just resets the oddometer and that I need to do this for each individual screen? I thought it was meant to clear all date since the last push on all screens.

If this is the case then it maywell be why th reading is so low as it would be averageing many miles before I even got the car.

As for changing gear, I havent noticed at what revs I do this, I just do it when it feels right. This is my forst diesel though and I know they rev lower than petrols. Therefore I probably let it rev a bit more that I would normally. My Fiat Coupe for example can change gear at 2000 rpm dropping to about 1200 and is still silky smooth. The Vel however shudders abit I find if changed too early.

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Oh yes, wihile i'm thinking of it, does anyone know how to reset the stereo so you have to put the code back in? The book says just after this you can choose your country for the radio frequency range, and also the "curve" of which there are 6, which is meant to tell the stereo what model of car its in??!! What i'm trying to do is get a bit more bass out of the speakers is I feel it sounds so tinny.

 

[VelSatisfied]

Paul

Thanks for info, it may well be that i'm not operating the computer correctly. I have been pressing and holding the stalk in at fill-ups but are you saying that this just resets the oddometer and that I need to do this for each individual screen? I thought it was meant to clear all date since the last push on all screens. Hi, you are best to clear each field in turn.

If this is the case then it maywell be why th reading is so low as it would be averageing many miles before I even got the car.

As for changing gear, I havent noticed at what revs I do this, I just do it when it feels right. This is my forst diesel though and I know they rev lower than petrols. Therefore I probably let it rev a bit more that I would normally. My Fiat Coupe for example can change gear at 2000 rpm dropping to about 1200 and is still silky smooth. The Vel however shudders abit I find if changed too early.

Your peak torque figure is 1750rpm, your peak power is 4000rpm, your normal driving style should be to change up at a rev point whereby the engine resumes at 1750rpm - that way you avoid any flat spots when the turbo isn't spinning, or waste fuel by revving too high.

Hope that helps,

Paul

 

[grobster]

I've got a 2.2DCi, sport tourer on a a 53 plate.

I get about 26 to 30 mpg around town.

36 to 38 on a good run, normal driving
42 to 44 on a run if I absolutely try to drive like a tru Yorkshireman!! LOL


Ourt of interes what is yours like for oomph? Mine is really disappointing, and way too relaxed with minimal pull!!

 

[Eternal Optimist]

Mine's a 2.2. I reset the computer with each tank and get between 34 and 37 to the gallon. It's a reasonable mix of fast, slow, and stationary motorway M4 at peak times) and rural. And I tend not to be too easy on the right foot.

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Yes I can now see that you have to reset each field. next time I fill up I will also do a manual calculation upto the next fill up and compare to se how acurate it is.

As for oomph, well it doesnt blow me away, but then I reckon as as fast is my 1.8 Astra Convertible (but so is a Fiat Panda) however my Fiat Coupe does 0-60 in just over 6seconds so I was never expecting lots of performance.

Having said all that, it is more nippy that I thought it was going to be given its only 2.2 and weight quite alot.

Another question regarding foot pedals...
Is it me or is accelorator pedal quite low down compared to the other two. I find I have to lift my whole leg up just to swivel my foot left to hit the brake. Also does anyone else have their clutch pedal sometimes bottom out and stay on the floor, you have to hook it back upward with your foor and its back in its normal position again.. weird.

 

[brighty]

Sorry James, I can't answer your question as I have the lazy option which is a skinny pedal for forwards and backwards and a fat pedal for stop!

This will make all you diesel drivers feel better at present I'm at 19.8mpg....although I have hit the dizzy heights of 30.0 mpg, but that was after a 2 hour slog up the M6!

 

[twoscarecrows]

Sorry James, I can't answer your question as I have the lazy option which is a skinny pedal for forwards and backwards and a fat pedal for stop!

This will make all you diesel drivers feel better at present I'm at 19.8mpg....although I have hit the dizzy heights of 30.0 mpg, but that was after a 2 hour slog up the M6!

Brighty

Ode to the Vel Satis 3.5v6.

Oh woe is me,
Travelling round town in a Vel Satis,
15.6mpg is all it be,
Picking up me chipatti's.

"Put your foot down!"
They all scream and shout,
I said "Shut up, you clown"
"It costs in this to get about".

But lo, brighter days here,
After wise man said "Convert thy beast",
LPG is nary dear,
North, South, West or East.

So down t'garage did I drive,
Heart in throat and knocking knees,
"Cowboy shop!" said the wife,
I said, "Don't be daft, just a bit of grease".

Three days later I got the call,
"Come t'garage, it's ready."
So down I went nervous as all,
And there it was, rock steady.

"Tha's lost a bit a booit space"
Said cowboy picking nose,
"Gas is still cheap nowadays"
"OK, let's see how it goes".

So off I went to hit the road,
Very gently and taking it slow,
Listening carefully and ¤¤¤¤ting my load,
In case the whole thing should blow.

Two weeks later and I'm whizzing around,
15.6mpg the order of the day,
3 and a half litre is a great sound,
If you can afford to let it play.

6000rpm have I seen,
With cheshire cat grin on face,
40.9p per litre and to boot it's green,
And at such a stonking pace!

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Yes can already see an improved mpg figure, althought until i do a manual calculation, i wont trust the computors readout. Also I bought an accelorator pedal plate from halfords and made a spacer so now all 3 pedals are the same level. Perf!!

 

[tonycanderson]

Three's a crowd

When I last drove to Cambridge I saw three different Val Satis's in one day! So anyone wishing to practice their waving at fellow Val Satis drivers should visit Cambridge. Not that I detected any response from any of the drivers, possibly because they were all lady drivers.
PS Thanks Spyderman for the roof bars and tyre, I'm pleased you think that they have gone to a 'good home'.

 

[jamesyboy5593]

Is the clutch pedal one of these self adjusting ones? When I got the car the pedal was in line with the brake pedal, although most of its movement had no actual effect on the operation of the clutch. Every now and then when I start the car, the pedal is down alot more than the brake pedal and literally only moves as much as it needs to to operate the clutch.

Is it supposed to be doing this??

If you hook your foot under the pedal and pull it back up, it will stay there and work like I mentioned before.

Weird, My old R19 had a kind of ratchet mechanism on to take up slack as the clutch wore out but it would always stay in one position.

What do you guys think.

 

[VelSatisfied]

I would reckon its a self-adjuster (mine's an autobox), it may be the signs of the cable stretching (your car's done a fair few miles). It would be time well spent having a look at the pedal box with some grease in case of anything causing the mechanism to stick.

Paul

 

[Eternal Optimist]

Your problem with the clutch pedal sticking down is a master cylinder problem. There's a recall notice on them - mine had a new cylinder fitted.