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Emergency
KNOWN FAULTS · Renault

Renault Fluence common problems.

2009–2016 · Petrol / Diesel / Electric

Sources are not verified in real time and no entry confirms that your car is affected.

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6 known faults with sources

Engines: 1.6 16V (K4M / H4M) (Petrol)

Applies if: The Fluence is the saloon derived from the Mégane III, with the same platform and the same 1.6 16V (K4M); the sheet covers the Mégane III.

Engines, EGR and campaigns on the Mégane IIIKnown weak points
Engine / equipment
Renault Mégane III (petrol and diesel)
Period mentioned
2008–2016
Symptoms
Camshaft phaser on the 1.6 (K4M), stretched chain on the 1.4 TCe (H4J) and 1.2 TCe with a risk of serious failure, oil consumption, 1.9 dCi turbo, clogged EGR, juddering clutch; at the roadworthiness test, springs, shock absorbers, joints, lights and brakes.
Possible cause described
The guide recommends replacing the K4M phaser with the belt. Recalls: brake-pedal plate (10/6–15/7/2009), power-steering wiring (1/10/2009–12/3/2010) and the CC parcel shelf (up to 31/7/2013).
Check for the garage
Listen to the chain when cold (TCe), measure oil consumption, clean the EGR; check the campaigns by VIN.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; ask the garage for a quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines: 1.5 dCi (K9K) (Diesel)

1.5 dCi timing belt or pulley failureValve timing
Engine / equipment
1.5 dCi (K9K)
Period mentioned
2009–2011
Symptoms
Noise or squeal around the belts; if the timing belt breaks, the engine stops suddenly and can be badly damaged.
Possible cause described
On 2009–2011 engines, pulleys and timing or auxiliary belts were reported to break.
Check for the garage
Keep to the timing-belt interval and always replace the full kit (belt, rollers and pulleys); check the auxiliary belt and its pulley.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; ask the garage for a timing-kit quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines: 1.5 dCi (K9K) (Diesel)

Clogged particulate filter on the 1.5 dCiExhaust and emissions
Engine / equipment
1.5 dCi (K9K) with particulate filter
Period mentioned
2010 onwards
Symptoms
Particulate-filter or emissions warning, limp mode with loss of power and frequent regenerations.
Possible cause described
The filter clogs, especially on cars that mostly make short town trips and never complete a regeneration.
Check for the garage
Read the soot load with a diagnostic tool, run a forced regeneration at the garage and check the differential-pressure sensors and EGR. Make long road trips now and then.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; from a regeneration to replacing the filter.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines: 1.5 dCi (K9K) (Diesel)

EGR valve sticking with deposits on the 1.5 dCiExhaust and emissions
Engine / equipment
1.5 dCi (K9K) with an electric EGR valve
Period mentioned
No specific period published
Symptoms
Uneven idle, jerks when accelerating, lack of power or the engine going into limp mode, sometimes with the engine warning light on.
Possible cause described
Soot and oil deposits leave the EGR valve stiff, stuck closed or not closing fully. According to Pierburg it is rarely a fault of the valve itself: the oil comes through the crankcase breather, a turbo with worn bearings or a blocked oil return, late oil changes or too high a level, and many short trips, above all in winter.
Check for the garage
At the workshop: read the codes with diagnostic equipment (EOBD P0400 to P0404 or P0172; Renault DF077, DF084 or DF241), test the valve electrically and its opening with the engine warm, and find where the oil comes from (breather, turbo, level). Pierburg advises against cleaning it, as it can be damaged: it is replaced if faulty, and an engine ECU update sometimes solves it.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; ask the workshop for a quote for the EGR valve.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines: 1.5 dCi (K9K) (Diesel)

Applies if: Only if the injection pump is a Delphi (it says so on the pump): depending on the version, the 1.5 dCi has Delphi or Siemens/Continental.

Delphi injection on the 1.5 dCi: air in the fuel, metal swarf, regulator or injectorsInyección
Engine / equipment
1.5 dCi (K9K) with Delphi common-rail injection
Period mentioned
No specific period published
Symptoms
Hard to start or will not start, stalls, loses power or jerks; sometimes air bubbles show in the clear fuel pipe.
Possible cause described
The usual faults of the K9K's Delphi system are air getting into the low-pressure circuit, metal swarf from the pump contaminating the whole system, the pump's inlet metering valve (IMV), injectors with too much return flow and the rail pressure sensor.
Check for the garage
At the workshop, in this order: look for air and leaks in the low-pressure circuit and prime it; check the fuel filter bowl for metal swarf (if there is any, the whole injection system is replaced); measure the rail pressure, the IMV regulator's resistance (4.8–5.8 Ω) and each injector's return flow (25 ml at most in the test). A new injector's code must be written into the ECU.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; it varies widely, from a filter or the regulator to the whole injection system.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines: Fluence Z.E. (Electric)

Brake vacuum pump and charging lead on the Fluence Z.E.High-voltage battery
Engine / equipment
Electric Renault Fluence Z.E. (and Kangoo Z.E. with the same lead)
Period mentioned
2012–2016
Symptoms
Loss of brake assistance (hard pedal) due to the electric vacuum pump control unit; a Type 2 plug on the charging lead that gets warm when charging at 3.6 kW.
Possible cause described
Renault asked dealers (2013) to check and replace the vacuum-pump control unit if it did not match the corrected part number, and issued a technical bulletin to check or replace charging leads that get warm.
Check for the garage
Ask Renault whether the vacuum-pump control unit was replaced; touch the lead’s plug while charging: it must not get warm.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; ask the garage for a quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

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Engines for this model