EDC7 issues
Hey!
I have a problem with my 2019 Scenic 4 1.3 TCe 140 (car bought at around 40,000 km from Renault). It was very minor at first but has been getting worse and worse. The gearbox slips in a completely random way, which makes me think it’s a management issue. Sometimes the car starts perfectly, even uphill, and other times it slips as if the clutch had 200,000 km of city driving on it… even downhill while barely releasing the brakes.
We took it to Renault a few weeks after buying it, and they told us it was the traction control… probably! At the beginning, the problem mostly happened in one place: the entrance to the driveway where the car is parked. To get in, you have to turn the wheel fully and go slowly because it’s tight. Then it started happening elsewhere, but almost always while turning. Now it also happens in a straight line…
The only way to (almost) make sure the gearbox doesn’t slip is to use the accelerator like a clutch pedal. You have to keep very precise pressure to stay between slipping and a starting brutally —like finding a slipping point 😂. The strangest thing is how inconsistent the issue is. Not only is it random, but it also almost completely disappears at times (e.g., perfect throughout February, then comes back in March, but usually for shorter periods, like a week or so).
Another issue at around 80,000 km: engine speed fluctuating by 100–200 rpm in 5th and 7th gears. Perfect in 6th though. We went back to Renault, and they told us the gearbox oil hadn’t been changed after 4 years (or 90,000 km) as recommended—the previous maintenance was done at a multi-brand garage…
Result: double oil change with driving in between, €700, and the issue was fixed. According to them, nothing suspicious (no metal particles).
At the same time as the oil change, Renault reprogrammed the gearbox and the injectors. The problem seemed to improve for a while, but it came back (placebo effect?). Also, the engine became noisier (injector noise, especially when cold), and the gearbox now tends to run at low revs (sometimes down to 1100 rpm while driving), but it also downshifts more easily uphill (sometimes going over 3000 rpm even when unnecessary). Recently, 3rd gear has also become noisier—not a strange noise, the same as other gears, but louder.
Finally, since the beginning, the accelerator pedal has felt quite strange. I don’t know if it’s related to the gearbox, but still. The pedal lacks responsiveness and precision. For example: at the bottom of a hill, I accelerate to avoid slowing down, and nothing (or almost nothing) happens for at least a second, then suddenly the car takes off as if my foot was flat on the floor. Turbo lag could explain the sudden acceleration, but not the initial delay.
Overall, the car is very unpleasant to drive when these issues occur, and I’m quite disappointed with it. The next one will have a good old manual gearbox, and that’ll be just fine!