Renault 0.9 / 1.0 / 1.3 TCe (H-series)
The badge shows the lowest confidence tier on this page and the date the oldest fact was checked — the weakest link, not the best.
Timing drive
Timing chain
No scheduled replacement — but that is not the same as nothing to watch for. See the known issues below.
Chain driven, with no replacement in Renault's schedule — the opposite answer to the K9K diesel sold alongside it, which is a belt engine. Second-sourced against parts catalogues keyed to the engine codes rather than to the model: chain kits are listed for H4B, H5F and H4D (0.9, 1.0 and 1.2 TCe) and separately for H5H (1.3 TCe), which between them cover every code on this record.
The TCe petrols are the reason a Clio or a Sandero cannot be answered for as a model. Renault has sold these chain-driven turbo petrols alongside the belt-driven 1.5 dCi in the same cars for over a decade, so two identical-looking Capturs can have entirely different answers — one with a replacement interval to plan for, one with none at all. Nothing is scheduled on the chain; parts suppliers and independents commonly point at around 150,000 km as a sensible point to look, which is worth treating as trade opinion rather than a Renault requirement.
Timing drive
Chain — drives the camshafts
Chain — no scheduled replacementReported
Chain driven, with no replacement in Renault's schedule — the opposite answer to the K9K diesel sold alongside it, which is a belt engine. Second-sourced against parts catalogues keyed to the engine codes rather than to the model: chain kits are listed for H4B, H5F and H4D (0.9, 1.0 and 1.2 TCe) and separately for H5H (1.3 TCe), which between them cover every code on this record.
Replaced at the same time
- Chain tensioner and guides
What the trade does: 93,000 miles. Around 150,000 km is the figure commonly quoted by parts catalogues and independents as a sensible inspection or replacement point. It is trade practice, not a Renault schedule item.
Attributed to Parts suppliers and independent Renault specialists. This is industry practice, not a manufacturer specification.
Renault sells belt and chain engines side by side: the 1.5 dCi diesel runs a belt with a replacement interval, these petrols run a chain with none. A Clio owner's answer depends entirely on which engine is fitted.
Scheduled servicing
- Regime:
- fixed
- Interval:
- Not established
- Oil specification:
- Renault RN17 (SAE 5W-30)
Known issues
- Belt and chain engines are sold side by side in the same models, so identifying the engine rather than the car is the only way to get the right answer on a Renault or Dacia.
Cars this engine is fitted to
Questions people ask
Does the Renault 0.9 / 1.0 / 1.3 TCe (H-series) have a cambelt or a chain?
A chain, with no scheduled replacement. That does not make it maintenance-free — chain wear is diagnosed on condition rather than pre-empted at a mileage, so a complete service history says nothing about it.
Is the Renault 0.9 / 1.0 / 1.3 TCe (H-series) an interference engine?
We haven't confirmed this. Treat it as if it were an interference design until a dealer confirms otherwise.
How often does the Renault 0.9 / 1.0 / 1.3 TCe (H-series) need servicing?
We haven't established a published schedule for this engine. Ask a franchised dealer to quote it against your VIN.
Outstanding recalls
We don’t hold recall data and won’t pretend to — it comes from the SMMT via DVSA, and a per-vehicle check needs a VIN rather than a registration. The official checker is free: check vehicle recalls on GOV.UK. You’ll need the make and the VIN, which is on the V5C and usually visible through the base of the windscreen.
Worth doing on any used car: a recall is free to have done regardless of age or how many owners the car has had, and an outstanding one often survives a change of keeper simply because nobody forwarded the letter.
Sources
Related engines
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