Am I down on power.....I hope not!

[KitsonRis]

Think I could be down on power and not sure why. I only think this as I came off a roundabout in a flamboyant manner the other day (2nd gear all the way up to the red line into 3rd before 5th as it was in a 70mph limit and stayed at 70) and the diesel Mondeo ST in front (56 plate it was) just pulled away, or are they actually that quick? Also similar with a Ph2 182 although I wasn't giving it the beans as the road was bumpy and a shocking surface.

I know I am due an oil change (been about 8-9k miles since the last one), will this help? Also ran two tanks with injector cleaner last month and also a tank of super unleaded. Also the person at the MOT station who moved the car out of the garage mentioned my throttle was a bit stiff, actually not the first person to mention this. Might need to re-route the cable as I have been told it is an awful route as it catches on the fire wall. Also the car is near 149k miles on the clock, this probably doesn't help does it? Although it has been looked after all its life. Car has no engine mods, just a Pipercross panel filter and some aftermarket exhaust, cat included, but I don't know what.

Apart from an oil change, any other things I could do to help out. Or could be an "excuse" I need to fit a pair of lairy cams and throttle bodies maybe.....

 

[LiamR172]

Sounds like an odd comparison(the st).

Put it into a specialist for a health check and/or rolling road is all I can think of.

 

[Rob669]

Take it to Charlie at Surrey Rolling Road and for £40 you will get the answer! Use 165 hp as a benchmark. In the past I had one in the same situation, 140k plus and it made 159. Further investigations showed two of the valves were leaking and it was down on compression in cylinder 1. If it's not much good just buy another engine and there's lots out there.

 

[KitsonRis]

Sounds like an odd comparison(the st).

I was going with a little more power he had but I am carrying a lot less weight so thought it could have been an even match, but again he did continue past the 70mph mark and not sure how hard he was trying, my exit of the roundabout was effortless and sure I could have pushed harder if I wanted to go above 70. And it was the most recent car that tried to race me off the mark.

Take it to Charlie at Surrey Rolling Road and for £40 you will get the answer! Use 165 hp as a benchmark. In the past I had one in the same situation, 140k plus and it made 159. Further investigations showed two of the valves were leaking and it was down on compression in cylinder 1. If it's not much good just buy another engine and there's lots out there.

hmm may give this a go actually, seems reasonable for £40. And 165bhp does sound like a good figure but 159 may be more realistic.

The engine still pulls very well and doesn't miss a beat so would be reluctant to change it plus had the belts done back in January!

 

[182Trophy]

His was almost certainly fettled with as a standard one wouldn't keep up. Pointless in worrying and comparing to other peoples cars as you never know what they have under the bonnet. If it is like it should be is all you should be concerned with. As someone else said. Health check.

 

[KitsonRis]

His was almost certainly fettled with as a standard one wouldn't keep up. Pointless in worrying and comparing to other peoples cars as you never know what they have under the bonnet. If it is like it should be is all you should be concerned with. As someone else said. Health check.

Yeah I wouldn't normally be worried about other people's cars but this time I just got concerned about the health of mine, don't often get something I can use as a benchmark to see how mine is performing, I just want it running crisp and smooth as running too much power will be a handful for a daily commute!

 

[Addicted]

Take it to a specialist, a quick test drive from them should be able to tell you if it's down on power or not tbh.

Also, used Super all the time would help - at least on the Ph2's it's "recommended" on the fuel filler cap, and I found it to run much better. Also - look into the RSTuner map if not done already, gives you more driveability in the lower revs (once you know it's ok power-wise).

 

[KitsonRis]

Take it to a specialist, a quick test drive from them should be able to tell you if it's down on power or not tbh.

Also, used Super all the time would help - at least on the Ph2's it's "recommended" on the fuel filler cap, and I found it to run much better. Also - look into the RSTuner map if not done already, gives you more driveability in the lower revs (once you know it's ok power-wise).

Does say "98ron recommended" on mine too. Wasn't sure if the extra cost of the fuel is balanced by the improved economy to continue running it. Although it did have a sharper throttle response but again not sure if that was like a placebo effect. Oh yeah, its shocking at low revs!! Pulling away from 50/60 in 5th does take a while! But if you go from first through the gears to the red line it is super fast!

 

[LiamR172]

98 Ron fuel isn't going to make THAT much difference in performance but every little helps I suppose

 

[Gaverick]

Check to make sure your brakes aren't sticking either, the rears have a habit of doing this.

 

[Chrisgti6]

Was the road flat or was it on a slight incline. The TDCI ST might only have 150ish bhp but they have nearly 300 lb-ft of torque (briefly, on overboost) so a slight hill would kill your weight advantage and the extra torque of the ST would easily allow him to pull away.

I proved this a couple of years ago, a friend of mine had a proven 180bhp Honda CRX, however I managed to push him along in a standard Peugeot 307 HDI with only 136 bhp purely because we were going up a hill.

Don't under estimate torque!

Or it could have been remapped, 200bhp and 325lb-ft would be more than a match for a 172!

 

[warwickstingray]

Just find a quiet flat bit of road. Do 30-70 using 2nd to 3rd with a normal not silly gearchange and then just 3rd in two directions. Then average the results for the 2nd/3rd gear time and the 3rd gear pull.

In between 6 and 7 is what you should expect for through the 2 gears and between 8 and 9 for the 3rd gear pull. The two directions will cancel out any minor incline and any wind.

Cheap and simple. It's always unwise to compare to other cars. So many variables. With cars as close as two Clio sports a swifter gear change or just being a bit quicker back on the throttle can make the difference. Some people just don't like revving too high.

Bear in mind 30-70 is a diesels forte. Re-mapped you can see Times that will upset sports just using 3rd.

 

[reedy107]

diesel torque will be the winner anyday over a petrol


just look at the 535 d

twin turbo with 300+bhp and 580nm !!!!


and will still do 45mpg and more on the motorway

 

[Matt W]

But if you go from first through the gears to the red line it is super fast!

I take it you haven't been in an actual fast car then.

 

[warwickstingray]

Unnecessary put down there. A Clio is not by any means fast by todays standards but it's hardly a snail. Dual carriageway duels aren't what it was designed for.

I still laugh that people compare a TURBO diesel engine with an N/A petrol. A direct injection twin turbo petrol of the same size is hardly lacking in torque or power. Granted the fuel consumption issue is always there but diesels have their disadvantages too.

 

[KitsonRis]

I take it you haven't been in an actual fast car then.

Yes, drove my step dad's kit car on track which was an animal. And my brother's old 106 which was pushing 180bhp (did have it rolling road'd to prove this) and that was rapid.

Yes, I understand the diesel has a lot more torque, you can't really beat a 535d!! (if only I could afford one!)

it was more of I was flat out into the roundabout and kept my speed through and out of it, where I know most cars would have to back off, I just wasn't expecting there to be that much of a difference really and it made me think if there is something wrong. Around a power circuit, like Combe, the Clio isn't the best, but after driving around Llandow it makes perfect sense!

 

[182Trophy]

diesel torque will be the winner anyday over a petrol


just look at the 535 d

twin turbo with 300+bhp and 580nm !!!!


and will still do 45mpg and more on the motorway

Weighs a lot though. My mates 335d is a quick car and i love it, but it isn't as quick as your a average BMW owner thinks.

 

[reedy107]

Id still love one

 

[warwickstingray]

Clio's can hold their own around combe you just have to really push them to show up people's bottle limits in faster cars. After all a car is only as fast as it's driver. Get a good run around camp and don't panic about Avon rise and they go pretty well. I want to find that extra speed that's Sat waiting in my standard cup this year. I'm tempted to get one of the instructors to run it round and see what is actually there for the taking.

 

[KitsonRis]

Clio's can hold their own around combe you just have to really push them to show up people's bottle limits in faster cars. After all a car is only as fast as it's driver. Get a good run around camp and don't panic about Avon rise and they go pretty well. I want to find that extra speed that's Sat waiting in my standard cup this year. I'm tempted to get one of the instructors to run it round and see what is actually there for the taking.

Bit scared of Camp after I spun it onto the infield (no damage as I didn't hit anything) and I always back off before Quarry just in case, but was very surprised how quick the Clio is around there; but previous cars I have driven around are a Triumph 2000 with a BMW engine in, aka a boat, and it did not like Quary, and a 2ltr zetec'd Mk1 Fiesta which was a bit of a handfull. My step dad went past an S4 in the Clio around Combe once, the Audi driver's face was an absolute picture apparently!

But got a tank of 98ron fuel in it at the moment, it does seem to have improved it a little, might use it again for a while to try and flush the system out

 

[warwickstingray]

I don't care what anyone says they run properly on the fuel that's recommended for them.

I've been infield at camp and quarry and fishtailed at various places. That's just combe for you. Especially in the wet.

You need to get camp sussed. It's the false apex you get lured into that does it. If you wait for the actual apex there is so much track on the way out. You just roll off the lock as you feed in the power and off you go. Hit the limiter in 4th just before Avon rise. I brake a bit and then power over Avon rise as I don't like coasting over it and I'm not good enough to try clever stuff. Stick on a bit of power before quarry as the Clio's brakes are pretty good and then get the car safely through quarry which in a front wheel drive car is mostly about patience and not planting the throttle too early so you end up having to lift off. My twitchy MK2 XR2 sent me infield because I was inexperienced and didn't catch my lift off oversteer. I find the way into quarry pretty grippy so you can play a little into the Apex.

Clio must seem well planted compared to those other beasts.

300bhp RWD cossie is the biggest handful I've had at combe.