Clio 200 Mega Flatspot

[clc0608]

Ok, I've had the car car completely de-catted. First had a standard de-cat pipe, then the pre-cat fell apart so was removed. The car has never been mapped or tuned.

Get into the car on Sunday, 5 minutes in I pull on to a roundabout, put my foot down and nothing. A few pops and bangs but it's like I've hit a wall. I judder, put the clutch in, build up revs and dump it. I manage to get going again and then "check emissions" pops up and the engine light is on.

It's worse when cold but will even do it when warm. Best way to describe it, there's a massive flat spot, or more of a "hill" at 2500-4000 rpm. If I build the revs through the gears it will start slowing at around 2500rpm, if I floor it the revs will build to 4000 and it sounds like I'm red lining it. Lots of noise, bangs and pops but it's like I'm holding it at 7500! Once it gets over 4000 it seems fine.

I've had the original cat put back on today, and the codes read and wiped but it's made no difference.

Any ideas?

 

[NorthloopCup]

These cars are famous for flat spots without the cats removed tbh mate, but it sounds like yours is having a bit of a hissy fit.

Have you had the codes read again? If so what's it throwing up now? It could be all manner of things that is causing your woes.

 

[clc0608]

These cars are famous for flat spots without the cats removed tbh mate, but it sounds like yours is having a bit of a hissy fit.

Have you had the codes read again? If so what's it throwing up now? It could be all manner of things that is causing your woes.

I've got it booked in for Monday, earliest available space. The guy who read the codes said they were all emission sensor codes, and that they'd most likely go away after refitting the cat. I suspect there's more, maybe the sensor needs replacing.

 

[welshname]

On my 197 I had just a non resonated exhaust and at that point of flat spot the car would misfire. Turns out if your timing isn't spot on it makes the flat spot even more exaggerated.

My advice is get it mapped. I took mine to RS Tuning and it was incredible afterwards.

 

[leeds_182]

Decatted my 197 and it ruined it due to the flat spot.

 

[mossyv6]

These cars can be very sensitive to exhaust cat mods, they're not the best to start with

But as already said a re-map will help no end but may not totally cure it.

 

[clc0608]

Thanks guys, I've been planning a remap for a while and thought it may help so I'll get her booked in. Any recommendations in the Portsmouth area, I'd like to avoid driving across the country if possible :smile:

These cars can be very sensitive to exhaust cat mods, they're not the best to start with 😧

But as already said a re-map will help no end but may not totally cure it.

I did a lot of reading before the de-cat and heard they can be fussy, the strange thing is that I've had the de-cat pipe for a year and had the pre-cat drilled out a month ago or so and the car was fine, no issues what so ever.

Makes me think there could be something else. How long does it normally take the car to rejig itself in terms of emissions, I've heard of people having to drive their cars around for the ECU to readjust?

 

[General Dave]

Thanks guys, I've been planning a remap for a while and thought it may help so I'll get her booked in. Any recommendations in the Portsmouth area, I'd like to avoid driving across the country if possible :smile:

Speak to @Mike@Rentech he may be able to point you in the direction of someone. There's a place really local to Mike's called JKM, i know he maps VW's but he may be able to help?

Dave

edit - just had a quick nosy at his website

http://www.jkm.org.uk/performance/bluefin-renault.htm

 

[Pacman.]

Happened to me. It had a small flat spot after it was decatted. Then Had the centre silencer removed after it started to rattle and then I had a huge flat spot.

So took it to the best In the business at RS Tuning. Here is a pic of the dyno pre mapping.

The red lines are pre map.
Green is post map.

You can see where the flat spot is on the red line.

Now I have fitted a manifold without the pre cat it has started to get a flat spot again.

Booked in to get that removed by tweaking the original map done by RS Tuning.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Goodj]

wow, that's.......

[words]

 

[clc0608]

Bit of an update, had a garage look at it yesterday. They think it's dirty spark plugs or broken spark plugs, they suggested it could be the injectors or a spark plug coil pack. I'm thinking injectors personally, the car had been running rich, I did put that down to the de-cat but it could be more.

The error code was for the lambda sensor, so I'm going to need one of those, but that shouldn't be causing what I'm seeing.

On a side note, I run the car 99.99% of the time on Tesco Momentum 99. Last week I had to fill up at Sainsbury's, I used premium, but that was the fuel I was running on when I first had this issue. I've heard people mention before that some store fuels can cause issues. The garage seemed to agree, and added it to why they think it's dirty spark plugs and possibly injectors.

I'm thinking it's down to a few things, I have an injector fault that wasn't that bad, just making me run a little rich. I then put "lesser" fuel in, injectors and sparks get a little dirty, makes the issue ten times worse and produces what I'm seeing. I'm going to have the injectors and plugs out for a clean at the weekend. I'm booked into Rentech on Monday so between my cleaning and Mikes tinkering, I hopeful it's an easyish fix.

 

[Stay Puft]

What garage did you use out of interest?

Ive also heard good things about JKM, but they specialise on german cars.

 

[clc0608]

What garage did you use out of interest?

Ive also heard good things about JKM, but they specialise on german cars.

Welch automotive in Fleet, bit of a trek for me, but they came recommended and Mike at Rentech wasn't free till Monday. Welch used to race Formula Renault and Clios.

 

[clc0608]

On a side note, does anyone know if these are the right plugs? Euro have a black Friday sale http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/R...9a604a9dbf628e89d28e3f6d2c8d7d98258d7a&000301


Edit: Answered my own question, yes they are the right ones http://www.ngkpartfinder.co.uk/car_commercial_extra.php?id=14360 bargin £30 for 4!

 

[bloke]

am sure rpd do the plugs cheaper? or if you get them from euro i've had them for £24 inc vat for set of 4.

 

[Stay Puft]

@clc0608 £20 here mate.

http://www.renaultpartsdirect.co.uk/product/renault-clio-megane-twingo-spark-plug-set/

 

[Stay Puft]

am sure rpd do the plugs cheaper? or if you get them from euro i've had them for £24 inc vat for set of 4.

Jynx, padlock, throw away the key.

 

[clc0608]

Haha, thanks guys, I went with the Euro ones. There's a depo at the end of the road from my work, already picked them up and should have them fitted tonight.

 

[clc0608]

Thought I'd update, plugs helped a little and were a light dirty. It turned out to be the lambda sensor only, I found a very similar post about a 182, seriously surprised it could cause such a bad fault. Had it swapped and the code reset, good as new

 

[Bear Head]

Happened to me. It had a small flat spot after it was decatted. Then Had the centre silencer removed after it started to rattle and then I had a huge flat spot.

So took it to the best In the business at RS Tuning. Here is a pic of the dyno pre mapping.

The red lines are pre map.
Green is post map.

You can see where the flat spot is on the red line.

Now I have fitted a manifold without the pre cat it has started to get a flat spot again.

Booked in to get that removed by tweaking the original map done by RS Tuning.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is that all the power it made to the crank?

 

[mossyv6]

Thought I'd update, plugs helped a little and were a light dirty. It turned out to be the lambda sensor only, I found a very similar post about a 182, seriously surprised it could cause such a bad fault. Had it swapped and the code reset, good as new

Great update and thanks for sharing how you resolved the problem.

 

[mrlee03]

On my 197 I had just a non resonated exhaust and at that point of flat spot the car would misfire. Turns out if your timing isn't spot on it makes the flat spot even more exaggerated.

My advice is get it mapped. I took mine to RS Tuning and it was incredible afterwards.

if you dont mind me asking, what was the cost?

 

[Pacman.]

Is that all the power it made to the crank?

No that's at the wheels.
These cars don't make too much power.
For those who think these cars make 197 or 200bhp at the wheels are sadly mistaken.

 

[Bear Head]

No that's at the wheels.
These cars don't make too much power.
For those who think these cars make 197 or 200bhp at the wheels are sadly mistaken.

Ah I've got you. No, I know mate, just normally people quote the flywheel power haha, as that usually is pretty close to the 197 after Paul has finished mapping it