Car running awful - any idea?

[ash_s3]

Hi

Last week i bought myself a 172 Cup and today its started giving me problems

Took it out this morning, was a little hesitant at first and a bit jerky but was ok after a mile or so, drove around quite a bit, then home.

Went to take it out this afternoon and the acceleration is very rough and jerky, it sounds almost as if its misfiring, it idles and just under 1,000rpm just fine though, its not until you press the accelerator you hear and feel the roughness.
Took it few hundred yards and engine management light started to flash, so i pulled over and turned off.
Then re-stared but it kept happening, EML will flash for a bit then stay on solid for a while then flash again etc etc...

Checked the usual, oil levels fine, oil looks clean, water level fine, no pressure in header tank. Check connection of HT leads on coilpack.

Where are the sparkplugs? does the inlet need to come off to access them?

Any help would be massively appreciated!

Thanks
Ash

 

[Greeny.]

Yeah the spark plugs are under the plenum (part with Renault Sport on), its really easy to remove though, there is a guide on here if needed.

 

[Bloooor]

Make sure all your earths are fine, this was making mine jerky from time to time.

Also: Coilpack, TDC sensor and lambda sensor all helped to smooth out my idle and the way mine runs even from cold.

 

[ash_s3]

Thanks, it idles fine, its not until you rev it you feel the 'missing' kind of feeling, hard to describe but it runs like a bag of s**t!

Its been fine previously though

 

[AKFM1]

think they all run like poo when first started and cold?

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

cold start jerky'ness normal, engine lights flashing clearly not normal :S best get it checked before it turns into a bigger problem i'd say

 

[Chili Red]

New coilpack needed?

 

[Russ_16v]

Possible throttle body?

 

[nufctoon]

New coilpack needed?

+1

 

[ash_s3]

Right something else to add to the mixture..

I did clean the engine bay saturday which involved a light spraying with the hose. it ran fine after though and saturday night.

Coilpack sounds likely, how muchos are these?

 

[Sparko]

Cost me about 50 squiddles from Renault themselves - just try not to laugh out loud when they ask if you'd like them to fit it for you at 1/2 hour labour (about 35 quid!)

 

[mark_182_54]

only 4 leads isnt it ?? ten min job !!

 

[caister]

Right something else to add to the mixture..

I did clean the engine bay saturday which involved a light spraying with the hose. it ran fine after though and saturday night.

Coilpack sounds likely, how muchos are these?

I did this when I first got the car and I will never ever do it again. I bet you have got water down one of the spark plug holes. You will need to take the upper inlet off and investigate/dry everything.

 

[ash_s3]

Just had a code reader on it and it came up with cylinder misfire so im going for a coil pack and just hope that sorts it. Will be checking plugs and lead first though.

What make coil pack would you go for? EuroCarParts have a Valeo one for £49 delivered, would this be the same make as the OE one? It looks identical.

Would a renault one be anymore reliable?

 

[jaysjetski]

Just had a code reader on it and it came up with cylinder misfire so im going for a coil pack and just hope that sorts it. Will be checking plugs and lead first though.

What make coil pack would you go for? EuroCarParts have a Valeo one for £49 delivered, would this be the same make as the OE one? It looks identical.

Would a renault one be anymore reliable?

buy renault everytime when it comes to the 172. as someone said above it was about £50 for it from renault so whats the point in getting a copy coil pack!!!!!!

plus it should look identical. thats why its a copy part.

 

[ash_s3]

Renault one is £65

Valeo make some OE parts for Renault, just wondered if they make the original ones fitted to the 172?

Renault dont make everything themselves!

 

[dr_sybourg]

I have a renault one, £20 posted mate

 

[caister]

Your be getting a cylinder misfire as one of the plugs/leads is wet.

 

[ash_s3]

After nearly a week? Id have thought it would have dried out by now, especially with the hot weather earlier in the week.

I tried taking one HT lead off the coil pack, one at a time and see if the engine ran worse or the same (to find which one it would be) but they all made it run worse!

 

[caister]

It would take ages to dry out even with the engine running as the ht leads will seal the water in. The only way to do it is to remove the whole of the upper inlet

 

[stueydee]

this is exactly what happened to mine when i bought it last saturday, i changed the spark plugs an its now goin lovely. ebay, bosch set of four £13 inc p&p

 

[hollandcup]

I currently have the EXACT same problem, my engine bay was given a good clean on Saturday and it started running like s**t yesterday think I also have water in or around the spark plugs. I have bought some new plugs ( the correct ones) and will be investigating tomorrow!

 

[ash_s3]

Any luck mate?

Replaced coilpack today, drove down the road and the misfire came back

Was alright at first just ticking over on my drive

 

[Jamesstone]

i changed the spark plugs an its now goin lovely. ebay, bosch set of four £13 inc p&p

AVOID :dead:


NGK PFR6E10 are the ones you need

 

[ash_s3]

AVOID :dead:


NGK PFR6E10 are the ones you need

Ordered

 

[hollandcup]

As said avoid the cheap plugs will only cause you problems lol!

Fitted the plugs today and is running fine now only time will tell as it was fairly wet around the leads and plugs!

Keep it up mate, bet its the plugs atleast once the plugs are changed you can then narrow it down to the leads if you have changed the coilpack!

 

[d3rnc]

i was driving my clio 172 today and a light come on on the dash a square wiv zig zag lines in it and it wouldnt rev at all but it sat at 2000 revs wot could this be and where do i get the part from at a good price :/ first time on forum plz help me :S

 

[ash_s3]

try and get it plugged into a fault reader

 

[ash_s3]

Also ordered the PerformanceLeads HT leads so i can change the lot in one hit rather than taking it to bits to change the plugs then doing the same again if it doesnt solve the problem.

If its not plugs or leads im going to go nuts!

 

[ash_s3]

Plugs and leads arrived today, just fitted them now and all seems okay, been for a drive and its all good so far!

Old plugs looked nackered tbh.

Wasnt too impressed with the new leads though, lengths dont seem as spot-on as the OE ones and the fitting onto the spark plug didnt seem as posetive.
Also the ribbed rubber bits on the top barely went into the spark plug holes and the plenum was awquad to get back on with the leads being thicker and standing taller.

But they do work so all is good. Will be making enquiries with PerformanceLeads on the issues though.

 

[saltyhair81]

AVOID :dead:


NGK PFR6E10 are the ones you need

yar - super4s are doom - unless you fancy threadlessness stay clear