Intermittent limp mode is sending me insane!

[DaveDreads]

I've had an intermittent limp mode for a few years now after the engine was last out for belts.

It can happen while driving, when stationary, or even when you turn the ignition on after being parked up, it can be weeks or even months between limp modes, so it's never done it around a clip so we can't get the bottom of it.

So far we've swapped the throttle pedal, the injectors and the inlet temp sensor, those three cured a few issues that showed up on the clip, but a week later it went into limp mode again.

Worth mentioning that the last time the engine was out Lambda 1 was still connected and ripped the pins out the male cable (the one connected to the loom) but that was repaired and there were no problems for weeks after belt change.

Ignore the A/C one, that got ripped out years ago.

 

[Krarl]

Does it flash any lights up on the dash when it does it?

 

[Bluebeard]

I hate to say it, but I had EXACTLY the same issue on a 182 years ago.

eventually we traced it to a damaged loom. The bit where it goes through the bulkhead. Every now and again a chafed wire would either earth out on the bulkhead or spike on one of the other damaged wires.
It had been to BTM and Birchdown (plus a main dealer and a local independent) but nobody could get to the bottom of it. I gave it to my auto electrician who spent a week on it in-between jobs and eventually traced it to that. He nearly gave up it was that hard.

symptoms (and how sporadic yours is) sound exactly the same.

 

[DaveDreads]

Does it flash any lights up on the dash when it does it?

The electrical one in the middle, not the other one. (pic is not my car)

I hate to say it, but I had EXACTLY the same issue on a 182 years ago.

eventually we traced it to a damaged loom. The bit where it goes through the bulkhead. Every now and again a chafed wire would either earth out on the bulkhead or spike on one of the other damaged wires.
It had been to BTM and Birchdown (plus a main dealer and a local independent) but nobody could get to the bottom of it. I gave it to my auto electrician who spent a week on it in-between jobs and eventually traced it to that. He nearly gave up it was that hard.

symptoms (and how sporadic yours is) sound exactly the same.

Joy, I bet it's the Lambda 1 wire that got pins ripped when it was left connected last time the engine was out.

When it happens the engine starts struggling like it's missing and running out of fuel then dies, if you drive it like that it dumps loads of fuel in the oil because the injectors have no idea what's going on.

 

[Krarl]

Only time I've seen that one come up is when a coil pack has dropped dead but you'd get misfire codes. It could be what Dan said but usually 172's rub where the ECU wiring comes out of the ECU case

Have you cleaned the white plug under the fusebox where the engine loom meets the body loom?

 

[DaveDreads]

Everything been pulled out cleaned, contact sprayed, the lot.

I'll go throught it all again, the ecu box is missing it's cover, f*ck knows where it went.

Also forgot to mention the fault went away after i'd turned the ignition on and off a few times, so it drove home fine, that doesn't always work though.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

Take it to Mick, he's an electrical wizard aint he?

 

[DaveDreads]

I've got a Ryan, he's a trained auto sparkie.

I just need the Clio to behave long enough to get rid of the BMW and by a Golf, i'd buy a Golf now but I don't have the space.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

I've got a Ryan, he's a trained auto sparkie.

I just need the Clio to behave long enough to get rid of the BMW and by a Golf, i'd buy a Golf now but I don't have the space.

Ah yeah forgot about Ryan. Hopefully you sort it soon 👍

 

[Bluebeard]

I've got a Ryan, he's a trained auto sparkie.

I just need the Clio to behave long enough to get rid of the BMW and by a Golf, i'd buy a Golf now but I don't have the space.

I’ve got a 2.8 V6 4motion coming in part exchange on Monday!

 

[DaveDreads]

I’ve got a 2.8 V6 4motion coming in part exchange on Monday!

Don't mate, that is on my list of cars to own, slow as f*ck, drink like a fish, but sound immense with a Milltek, f*cking love Mk4's!

 

[Rob]

Don't mate, that is on my list of cars to own, slow as f*ck, drink like a fish, but sound immense with a Milltek, f*cking love Mk4's!

Just punt this with the issue and buy the golf. Then realise driving the mk4 platform fast sucks dick, and buy another 172.

 

[DaveDreads]

I'm getting a 4 door PD130, tuning it to 200bhp and it'll still get more than 40mpg, it's going to be the new dog kennel once the back seats are gone, Erik struggles to jump into the BMW these days so he's getting his own door and I get to be a DUB scene wh*re again.

 

[Eddie555]

This was happening to me. Mine ended up being the throttle body.

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

 

[DaveDreads]

This was happening to me. Mine ended up being the throttle body.

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

Don't think i've swapped that yet.

 

[Eddie555]

Don't think i've swapped that yet.

Mine had been doing it quite a while but then was ok. But luckily it happened while it was at Efi having a remap and Chris said it was the Throttle body immediately as it was plugged in and on the rollers when it happened. I swapped the body and its been fine ever since.

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

 

[DaveDreads]

I'll get it swapped and see how it goes, cheers mate.

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Don't think i've swapped that yet.

We did change that then it threw a hissy fit and wouldn’t start at all with the solid red light came on....

Wondering if the loom above gearbox has a half broken wire in it. Those lambda wires seemed to be ok, got resistance checked to and from ecu plug , and load tested wiring to the plug. Something else is shorting I think

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

Then again throttle body was off the 182 that’s been sat for yonks.

 

[DaveDreads]

If Kyles got one he can lend us then we'll try again.

 

[Oggy997]

Have you tried turning it off and back on again?

 

[botfch]

Had this problem on two Clio’s as Dan’s said it’s the wiring loom shorting out somewhere.

First one it was the wires going to the temperature sensor.
Second one was where the aftermarket alarm is fitted into the wiring loom near the ecu.

 

[DaveDreads]

Drove perfect today, no problems at all.

For all your advice and similar issues, it looks more and more likely that it's an intermittent short.

 

[DaveDreads]

It f*cked up and cut out about 10 times in a row today, went to the park and back fine, went across the other end of the city no problem, but when I tried to go home it wouldn't even stay running for 10 seconds.

I had the electric and check engine light on, no amount of code clearing would fix it, every time I blipped the throttle the dash lit up and it cut out instantly.

Then as quickly as it went mental, it went away and drove home perfect.

Starting to think it's a dodgy throttle body rather than a short, it could be the throttle pedal but that got swapped, is the TPS is part of the throttle pedal or separate?

 

[Krarl]

That throttle body is on the way, probably get delivered tomorrow with any luck. I cleaned the butterfly before sending it because I knew you wouldn't 😂

It'll be the throttle body by the sounds of things so hopefully, that one I sent you isn't fucked. If it is blame @Porl 😂

 

[DaveDreads]

Cheers mate

 

[Clio_fool]

That throttle body is on the way, probably get delivered tomorrow with any luck. I cleaned the butterfly before sending it because I knew you wouldn't 😂

It'll be the throttle body by the sounds of things so hopefully, that one I sent you isn't fucked. If it is blame @Porl 😂

You didn't even test it first?
"Yeah Dave it'll be the throttle body, this'll fix it unless it doesn't then it might not be the throttle body or it might still be as nobody knows if the one I've sent you to fix it works or not 🤷‍♂️." 👌

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

You didn't even test it first?
"Yeah Dave it'll be the throttle body, this'll fix it unless it doesn't then it might not be the throttle body or it might still be as nobody knows if the one I've sent you to fix it works or not 🤷‍♂️." 👌

He'd make a great politician

 

[Krarl]

If it fixes it I'll look like a hero though

 

[Clio_fool]

If it fixes it I'll look like a hero though

But he'll say it didn't fix it and send you back his broken one in true ebay c**t stylee🤣.

 

[DaveDreads]

Trottle body turned up today, swapped it over and the car fired up no worries, which is an improvement on the last TB we tried, now it's just a waiting game to see if it f*cks up again.

Nice one Kyle. @Romanian Tyre Fitter

 

[Krarl]

I've crossed my toes and vagina lips for you mate

 

[DaveDreads]

I know it's only day one and the Clio can go weeks without limp modes, but it definitely feels better and the really lumpy idle it had has smoothed right out

Hopefully this might be problem solved.

 

[DaveDreads]

F*cking did it again, cut out on a D/C this time which scared the sh*t out of me, looks like I might have more than one problem, this time both the electric and engine light came on, but after turning it off and on again i'm only left with the engine lght.

Plus it only has one fault code this time, looks like the TB solved the other two.

Pretty sure voltage regulator is alternator? It was a refurbed unit from about 6-8 years ago.

 

[clio tyres]

F*cking did it again, cut out on a D/C this time which scared the sh*t out of me, looks like I might have more than one problem, this time both the electric and engine light came on, but after turning it off and on again i'm only left with the engine lght.

Plus it only has one fault code this time, looks like the TB solved the other two.

Pretty sure voltage regulator is alternator? It was a refurbed unit from about 6-8 years ago.

View attachment 1543633

translating rs tuner fault codes

i have two fault codes my rs tuner is flagging up and im struggling to find out what they are.DF0129 inconsistency between track 1-2 pedal, DF0258 first sensor reference voltage. could any one shed some lght on this please? what might cause this fault? thanks in advance

cliosport.net

 

[Suspect]

@DaveDreads dis you manage to fix this ? If yess what was the culprit?

 

[DaveDreads]

Nope, it's still sat on the drive, haven't driven it in months as I can't trust it not to cut out at speed.

 

[DaveDreads]

I've decided to buy a new alternator as i'm sick of the car being a permanent lawn ornament.

Autodoc seem to have the cheapest Valeo unit for sale I can find for £131.39, although I don't know if 'Remanufactured Classic' means it's a recon unit or not.

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/valeo/7005620

There's also a Bosch one on there. £135.08

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bosch/1158749

Kam Racing also have Valeo's for £181.60

Renault OE Alternator - Renault Clio Mk2 RS 172 Cup

This Renault OE Alternator (7701499959) is a direct replacement for the factory standard Renault part. This Alternator will fit the Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup models VALEO VERSION. A11VI88. 75 AMP

www.kamracing.co.uk

I don't want to recon mine as it's already been done once and it's probably the cause of the car's problems, anyone know of anywhere cheaper, or non Valeo alternatives that are decent?

 

[DomP182]

I've decided to buy a new alternator as i'm sick of the car being a permanent lawn ornament.

Autodoc seem to have the cheapest Valeo unit for sale I can find for £131.39, although I don't know if 'Remanufactured Classic' means it's a recon unit or not.

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/valeo/7005620

There's also a Bosch one on there. £135.08

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bosch/1158749

Kam Racing also have Valeo's for £181.60

Renault OE Alternator - Renault Clio Mk2 RS 172 Cup

This Renault OE Alternator (7701499959) is a direct replacement for the factory standard Renault part. This Alternator will fit the Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup models VALEO VERSION. A11VI88. 75 AMP

www.kamracing.co.uk

I don't want to recon mine as it's already been done once and it's probably the cause of the car's problems, anyone know of anywhere cheaper, or non Valeo alternatives that are decent?

I ended up getting mine from RPD when they were £182, ironic as it was for my 172😄

 

[DaveDreads]

Looks like i'm spending the best part of £200 whatever I do, on checkout Autodoc comes to £195.99 posted, knew it was too good to be true, KAM Racing or RPD it is then.