Hi,
Would some kind soul please help me with my annoying car? It's the original model Clio - 1993 - and has a few problems, but just the major two for now would be great to get right...
Steering has always been stiff. Changed upper strut bearings but no difference. Low speeds are worse and three-point turns are giving me arms like Popeye. Steering wheel does not centralise itself properly. Don't know if this helps, but if I jack the entire front of the car up so wheels off the ground, the steering wheel will fly from lock to lock using my little finger, so does that rule out seized UJ at end of steering column, and pinion or balljoint trouble? Tyres are at correct pressure and new ones, but car was same with old tyres.
The gears have slowly been getting worse and now 1st and 2nd are becoming very difficult to engage, I have to keep smacking the stick forward trying to get them in. 2nd is worst and wouldn't go in at all the other day so had to go back to 1st and try again. No grinding or crunching noise when having this trouble, it's silent but simply like you're pushing the gearstick into a brick wall repeatedly.
Well, there you have it. I'll happily supply additional info as requested. Just please help me find the cause of these problems, especially the steering as I am out of ideas!
Many thanks indeed, James