Renault Megane Problems

It's not just Maserati. Renault Sport cars - the Megane 265 among them - take their names from the engine's rated metric horsepower.

The Megane is pretty good - but best as a Renault Sport performance model. I'm more inclined to the smaller Clio, if you don't need something the size of the Megane.

 Repainting your car would effectively return it to new condition, not to the condition of an eight-year-old car, which is why Renault is paying for the half the cost. If you want to pursue it contact an independent specialist in the area, like Graeme Cuthbert (0422 444 335) and arrange for an independent assessment of the car and take Renault to court. By far the easiest and most stress-free path to take is to accept the offer and get rid of the car.

Now that it's out of warranty I would suggest you seek out a Renault service specialist and talk to them about it. It sounds as though it could be going lean when you give it a sudden burst of throttle. I would be cleaning the throttle body.

Your description of the problem suggests it's not an ignition problem, so changing plugs etc was probably a waste of time and money. I'd be investigating the fuel side of the equation, looking for things that might be making it lean at low throttle openings as you would be when cruising. Is there an air leak that's affecting the mixture strength, or something like that. Having said that, it could be a sticking valve as the mechanic has diagnosed, but I would expect to be able to see that on a compression test. If it is a sticking valve the only to know for sure is to take the head off and physically check it.

As everyone is in furious agreement that the diff is noisy it would seem you would have a good case to claim against Renault for a new diff and I would pursue that course.

Has it been that way since you bought it, or has it developed over time? Test drive another Megane, without telling the dealer what you are up to, and see if that is the same. See if it is as Renault says, normal for the Megane. If it isn't, talk to the dealer and get another opinion. It does sound as if the brakes are coming on too strong.