Regarding my stuttering Vel Satis (Issue 323), the car went to the dealer for a diagnostic check, as planned. There was an error code registered for a faulty EGR valve. The garage would prefer to fix this first, but with no guarantee that it will necessarily fix the current problem, and then look again to see what the symptoms are afterwards, I am not holding my breath, because I had the error code before the intermittent fault started. The price for a replacement EGR unit from Renault is £418.96 + VAT + labour = £600 plus! So I am definitely not going that way. I was going to source it from a Saab dealer, as they apparently price things much better, but even at half that price, it would be near to £300. There is one on eBay off a Saab 9-5 for £100. I think I’ll risk it. It beats me why Renault keep the prices so high for a car that they no longer sell. It just drives the cars to be scrapped, leaving the remaining stock parts on the shelf and worthless. It would make more economic sense to price parts to keep the cars going, so keeping a market. By the way, my wife reversed through a gate and scraped the trim off the driver’s door. How? Using the door mirrors, one can watch it happening. Aarrgghh! Watch this space.
Andrew Smith

Good luck Andrew, and please keep us posted!
Doc

P.S. From Andrew:

I went and bought the eBay unit for £100. It is the same engine and an EGR valve is not the sort of thing that one would change for a different valve. I’ve not fitted it yet, and am waiting for an opportune time. But Sod’s law applies: I drove down to Rochdale from Kendal to pick it up, and the engine behaved itself. The following day, I drove across the Lakes and same again, no problems. Today a minor hiccup once or twice, but otherwise OK. Don’t you love them?
Andrew