Renault K4M / K7M
inline-4 · naturally aspirated · petrol · 1995–present
Also known as: k4m, k7m, 1.6 16v, 1.6 8v, k-type petrol, 1.4 16v k4j, k4m-rs
The petrol members of Renault's K-family — the 1.4 and 1.6 litre engines of the Clio, Mégane, Scénic, Logan, Duster and Sandero, and among the most numerous engines in Eastern Europe, North Africa and South America.
Simple, belt-driven and port-injected, with the 8-valve K7M being about as uncomplicated as a modern engine gets. The diagnostic profile is old-fashioned in a useful way: ignition coils, the crankshaft position sensor, the idle control and vacuum leaks account for most running complaints, and physical testing beats scan data because the codes are few and general.
The timing belt is the item that ends these engines, and on the interference designs a snapped belt is terminal. In the markets where these cars are most common the cars are old, records are thin, and an unknown belt history should be treated as a job due rather than an unknown — that single piece of advice prevents more destroyed K-family engines than any diagnostic technique.
Cars fitted with this engine
20 generations, across 3 makes. From the authored catalogue — an absent car means the catalogue has not reached it, not that the engine was never fitted.
Dacia
Renault
- Kangoo First generation 1997–2007
- Megane II 2002–2009
- Scenic II 2003–2009
- Logan L90 2004–2012
- Clio III 2005–2012
- Twingo II 2007–2014
- Kangoo Second generation 2007–2021
- Megane III 2008–2016
- Symbol Second generation 2008–2013
- Scenic III 2009–2016
- Duster First generation 2010–2017
- Logan 2nd gen 2012–2020
- Clio IV 2012–2019
- Symbol Third generation 2012–present
- Duster Second generation 2017–present
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
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