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Car Still F*cked



Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
So.

Finally had my Aux Belt replaced yesterday. I picked the car up, drove it home (about 3 miles). All was well, it drove fine.

I get in it this morning, and something isn't right. The Engine Management Light is flashing steadily, and the engine sounds really rough, the idle is really lumpy. The only way I can describe the noise is like an American V8, without the "good" part.

However, when I took the car to 70mph as a test, after driving with the issue for about 10 miles at around 40mph, the light stopped flashing, and the car sounds fine again? Initially I thought it might have been an exhaust problem (I need to replace a rear hanger) but it sounds okay now? I am at work so have no idea what it's going to be like when I finish. As I pulled into the car park, the battery light on the dash lit up again, which made me panic that the belt had slipped off, but when I restarted the engine it had turned off again, and a quick look under the bonnet shows the belt still on the pulleys.

What is wrong with it? Or is it something I need to solve by driving into a wall at 30mph?
 
  RB 182 FF
When mine ran like a V8 and engine warning flashing it was my spark plug no.3 had bitten the dust... I had smelly smokey exhaust symptoms with that as well.. Sounds similar to your issue, as above get in plugged in(diag plug under ash tray) and get the fault codes, I'd bet you've got a misfire on a cylinder, could be coil pack, HT leads, plugs or injector...
 

leeds_182

North Yorkshire & Humber
ClioSport Area Rep
My engine light was flashing and I had an intermittent misfire. Swapped the coil pack and plugs but still didn't help. It turned out to be the injector on cylinder three so swapped that and now running sweet.
 

charltjr

ClioSport Club Member
I had that, terrible idle, flashing emissions light, cleared itself up under load. It was an injector on mine too. Best get the codes read and see if it points you at a specific cylinder.
 
  182, SQ7, Trafic
Just pull the fuel rail off and get someone to crank it, you'll soon see which injector is failing.

Preferably do this with a cold engine.
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
Or you can don't he normal injector test of disconnecting one at a time to find which one doesn't make a difference when you unplug it.
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
You're all speaking a vaguely familiar language to me. I'll see if I can find someone to have a look :(
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
Is it running ok now?

I've been at work so not had a chance to start it. By the time I got to work it seemed to have cleared though.

Should it be an injector, what's the damage to replace one of those?
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
I've been at work so not had a chance to start it. By the time I got to work it seemed to have cleared though.

Should it be an injector, what's the damage to replace one of those?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-Clio-Sport-172-182-2-0-16v-Genuine-New-Petrol-Fuel-Injector-IWP-042-/301034629621?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model:Clio|Cars Type:2.0 16V Sport&hash=item46170fe9f5 - £32

About 30mins or less to fit it yourself provided you have more skills than a monkey..!
 

Bluebeard

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
I've been at work so not had a chance to start it. By the time I got to work it seemed to have cleared though.

Should it be an injector, what's the damage to replace one of those?
You can buy a second hand rail with injectors for under £30. Piece of piss to fit.

Also, do you have an engine cover? I've had it before where I've leant on the coil pack whilst working in the engine bay and disturbed a plug lead. If you've got an engine cover, this theory is void!
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
You can buy a second hand rail with injectors for under £30. Piece of piss to fit.

Also, do you have an engine cover? I've had it before where I've leant on the coil pack whilst working in the engine bay and disturbed a plug lead. If you've got an engine cover, this theory is void!
whilst thats very true, I think your better off just buy a new injector to replace the one thats gone though, as the second hand rail could have one that going to go again in 100miles (unless the seller can advise how old they are).
 

Bluebeard

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
whilst thats very true, I think your better off just buy a new injector to replace the one thats gone though, as the second hand rail could have one that going to go again in 100miles (unless the seller can advise how old they are).

But he can buy a second hand rail and injectors and try them. If it cures the fault, bosh!
If it's still the same, he's only wasted £30 or so but has a spare set.

In saying that, I've got 4 spare injectors you can try @MarcJP If they work happy days just give me a drink, if they don't just post them back.

Let me know.
 
  182, SQ7, Trafic
Or you can don't he normal injector test of disconnecting one at a time to find which one doesn't make a difference when you unplug it.

That's all well and good if you know it's an injector and not a plug, lead or coil pack.

You could pull one injector plug off and it stays the same but it's actually the lead that's knackered.
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
That's all well and good if you know it's an injector and not a plug, lead or coil pack.

You could pull one injector plug off and it stays the same but it's actually the lead that's knackered.
thats when stage 2 of the test takes place which I havent put on this thread (yet) although I have written it in a lot of other threads.

When you find the injector that makes no difference, remove the fuel rail and swap said injector with the one next to it, then redo the test. If the same injector makes no difference to how the engine is running when unplugged, then its the injector. Else its something else.

For example, say unplugging the injector on cylinder 3 makes no difference to how the engine is running, then I know the fault is currently on cylinder 3. I then swap the injector from cylinder 3 with cylinder 4 and redo the test. If I get the same (lack of) effect from unplugging the injector on cylinder 4 this time (which is now holding the same injector I unplugged before), then I know its the injector.

simple really.
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
But he can buy a second hand rail and injectors and try them. If it cures the fault, bosh!
If it's still the same, he's only wasted £30 or so but has a spare set.

In saying that, I've got 4 spare injectors you can try @MarcJP If they work happy days just give me a drink, if they don't just post them back.

Let me know.

I'm not gonna say no to that offer mate.

Saying that, my old man popped in to my work to have a nose, and it's fine now. A bit lumpy when I first start it, but otherwise fine. The EML is still on, but I'm going to re-fit my decat anyway so I'm not bothered about that.

Could it just have been a dirty injector from when they were fitting the aux belt?
 

Bluebeard

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
They shouldn't have gone near the injectors!
Just coincidence probably.
PM me your address and i'll send them over on monday/tuesday.
 
  182, SQ7, Trafic
thats when stage 2 of the test takes place which I havent put on this thread (yet) although I have written it in a lot of other threads.

When you find the injector that makes no difference, remove the fuel rail and swap said injector with the one next to it, then redo the test. If the same injector makes no difference to how the engine is running when unplugged, then its the injector. Else its something else.

For example, say unplugging the injector on cylinder 3 makes no difference to how the engine is running, then I know the fault is currently on cylinder 3. I then swap the injector from cylinder 3 with cylinder 4 and redo the test. If I get the same (lack of) effect from unplugging the injector on cylinder 4 this time (which is now holding the same injector I unplugged before), then I know its the injector.

simple really.

Too much effort, cranking while rail is out will show you exact injector straight away, and the rail is off ready to replace!
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
Too much effort, cranking while rail is out will show you exact injector straight away, and the rail is off ready to replace!
yes you can also do that if the injector has fully failed :) However that wont work if its just a sticky injector that's happy to work at low speeds.
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
They shouldn't have gone near the injectors!
Just coincidence probably.
PM me your address and i'll send them over on monday/tuesday.

Will do mate. I'm off work next week so no rush.

Put your Paypal address in there and I'll send you back some beer tokens x
 
  182, SQ7, Trafic
yes you can also do that if the injector has fully failed :) However that wont work if its just a sticky injector that's happy to work at low speeds.

The OP said it does it on idle but goes up the Rev range. Mine did the same at one point, you would of thought the other way would of made more sense
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
So, used my car for the first time since Saturday. And it's gone, properly. All the issues before, but even thrashing it doesn't cure the problem. It seems to be a little down on power too, I may be imagining that though.

f**k, I am so sick of this car!
 
  AB182, Audi A5 3.0
So, used my car for the first time since Saturday. And it's gone, properly. All the issues before, but even thrashing it doesn't cure the problem. It seems to be a little down on power too, I may be imagining that though.

f**k, I am so sick of this car!
you mean its gone as in symptoms are gone or gone as in fucked? your post is confusing.
 
  182, SQ7, Trafic
I imagine misfiring all the time.

At least all the advice we've given to diagnose the fault has been done.....
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
Sorry, it's not broken down. Just seems to be the same issue as Saturday, but without it disappearing.

As for "not following the advice," that's only the case because I haven't had a chance, not the typical CS ignoring advice thing, that you're clearly getting at :) I will be plugging it in as soon as I can. I've also PM'd Daniel about the spare injector set he had. Just FYI.
 

Gus

ClioSport Moderator
  182Turbo,DCi90
Hi mate, I could help you out with this if you want - im in Oxford too and have spare injectors, spark plugs, ht leads etc. Any chance you can pop by tomorrow im located near the cutteslowe round about near summertown.
 

Marc.

ClioSport Club Member
Hi mate, I could help you out with this if you want - im in Oxford too and have spare injectors, spark plugs, ht leads etc. Any chance you can pop by tomorrow im located near the cutteslowe round about near summertown.
Awesome offer mate, the only problem is that I'm at a work meeting all day tomorrow :(
 

Gus

ClioSport Moderator
  182Turbo,DCi90
No worries Pm'd you my number so perhaps over the weekend might be better?
 


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