Trafic
handbooks and manuals
Mechanics often say, 'When all else fails, consult
the manual'! Although there is no 'Haynes' workshop manual for
the Trafic, there are some other sources of help at hand.
1) The Renault Trafic owners' handbook which would have come with
the base vehicle when originally purchased. These give a surprising
amount of detail about how things in the van work, and also about
everyday maintenance tasks. If you have an owners manual, many
questions can be answered simply by looking in there first (before
all else fails!). If you don't have such a manual, copies can
sometimes be purchased second hand, or from club members who have
'upgraded' or scrapped a van.
2) Peter Russek 'Pocket
Mechanic' Manuals. The Russek manuals are not quite as well
illustrated as a 'Haynes' manual, but provide a good starting
point. They are excellent on technical info (torque wrench settings,
timing values etc.) and for many repairs.
There is A Russek manual for most Trafics - search for 'Russek'
on the internet, or use
the link above. (People who join the RTMR club get discounts on
Russek manuals).
3) The Complete Motor Caravan Manual from Porter manuals. Although
not specific to the Trafic, this gives a lot of good advice about
the internals of your motorhome - fridge, heating, batteries etc.
and how to care for them. Unfortunately, these manuals are now
out of print but new and second hand ones can still be obtained
from places like Amazon
. Don't pay silly prices for a second hand book that cost
fifteen pounds when new.
4) Manuals for other Renault vehicles that share the same engine
/ gearbox as your Trafic. There are some other Renault models
(notably the 18, 21 and fuego and perhaps some others) that shared
the same engine as the early Mk1 Trafic. The 2068cc diesel engine
continued for a long time in the Renault Espace. Also, some Volvos
around the 340 and 440 model used the same 1397, 1647 and 1721cc
engines as the Trafic. Haynes manuals for these models are available,
so if you have substantial work to do on an engine or gearbox,
the manual from one of these vehicles may help you.
5) Other Club members! The point of the RTMR club is to help each
other, so if you need some advice about your vehicle you can contact
others who have the same van as you and they may have an easy
solution for you.
Chris
RTMR Technical Officer
