clio 172 cup wouldnt start

[scottyclio172]

recently with the cold weather have found my car a bit sluggish to start and today it didnt start i had to jump start it. Tends to be in the mornings and late evenings when temperature is at its coldest.

anti freeze?

when i had a service last yr my mechanic noticed some oil next to my spark plugs and cleared it but still seems to be some there....what could have caused that problem??? and said i could get mis fires but didnt happen until this week and not all occasions.

my knowledge is minimal on cars.

Any help would be greatfully appreicated.​

 

[Matt Cup]

Dodgy battery?

Anti-freeze shouldn't really affect it.

 

[scottyclio172]

its a varta battery but i think is probably original battery 53 plate so could maybe be that, how can u test battery strength???

 

[leeds_182]

Go to national or frauds and they do free battery checks.

 

[Jimbo_M]

As said check the battery, i had this problem last year and thats what it turned out to be

 

[scottyclio172]

had my battery changed wednesday due to problem above and again had the same issue with not starting but did on thrid occasion.

inquired about this problem to a freind and he said it could be injector? also what fuel i use i use normal unleaded he said to put the stronger unleaded in to help

any ideas what could be the problem before i shed out money on something it could not be, thanks

 

[Matt Cup]

Does it just turn over and not fire? If so the crank position sensor on top of the gearbox might need cleaning / replacing.

 

[scottyclio172]

yeah turns over just doesnt fire up

how much roughly will that cost?

 

[Matt Cup]

£50 for the parts roughly. Cleaning it is free though

I've only ever changed them on the 1.6, so I'm assuming its the same process for the 172.

 

[scottyclio172]

lets hope thats the case just a clean if not that then could it be the key?

so was never the battery really that was the problem

Can i clean it or is a pain? and where is it located?

 

[Matt Cup]

Should be top of the gear box close to the block, will have to remove airbox first for access. If I think on tomorrow I'll have a look at mine and get some pics.

 

[scottyclio172]

ok thanks very much for your help i have a service and mot next week so will inform them of the problem

 

[Matt Cup]

Thats the crank position sensor.

 

[fraz101]

This is a very common fault, Renault have produced a modified wiring connector and sensor roughly£30 for connector and £30 for sensor,you can clean it all you like,it will still happen intermittantly....

 

[Matt Cup]

This is a very common fault, Renault have produced a modified wiring connector and sensor roughly£30 for connector and £30 for sensor,you can clean it all you like,it will still happen intermittantly....

Aye, for a temp fix it'll do, but long term should be changed.

 

[fraz101]

I've spent the last few months wiggling the tdc sensor wires everytime its damp and the car won't start......grrrrr bit the bullet and got myself the modified wiring and sensor...all good now!

 

[scottyclio172]

would a mechanic be able to tell if it needs cleaning or it will need replacing?

sorry to sound bit stupid just have no idea of mechanics etc...

 

[Dan1587]

Try cleaning it, if it works straight away you know that's the problem!
Is there a camshaft sensor on Clios?

Had it a couple of times on HGVs where it will turn over 3-4 times then fire, because it can't pick a signal on the crank so it has to rely on the cam to tell the position of engine!

Is there a check you can do on these sensors? Resistance or anything?

 

[fraz101]

Like i said, cleaning won't fix it,it's the connection thats the problem not cleaning the target. Thats why renault produced a modified connector.

 

[Ollie82.]

One way to tell if its the battery, which I think it probably is, is to keep an eye on all fuel gauge on start up. If it drops whilst cranking then the dash is losing power meaning the battery is kaput.
The trip counter will also reset.

 

[Silent_Scone]

It's battery, mines doing this.

 

[Matt Cup]

He's had his battery changed according to his posts. That why the CPS has been mentioned.

 

[fraz101]

Yep if he's replaced the battery it's most likely the TDC sensor connection.