My car doesn't like to start :(

[Adam D]

Hello, you may remember my last thread about this, similar but its been so long since it did it, im confused.

Turn the key, normal sounds, like fuel pump getting ready. Turn key again and it starts up, runs fine, could do this many times no problem.

This week its started pretty much with the odd one now and again. Turn the key, normal sounds, like fuel pump priming, turn key again and it starts turning over but not firing then cuts out. Turn key again and it does the same thing. Try again and it may turn over once. Try again and it may not turn over at all.

Wait a few minutes, it may do the same thing, it may start and eventually it will start and run fine, no problems at all. I can turn it off, it may start back up more often than not but then again it may not.

Here is a video, i know i am turning the key a little fast from second to third position but..



It did it again after i finished work today, sat there a while, tried again and nothing, pushed the car 1m, tried to start it and it started up. However, i have also tried to bump start it down a hill the other day(may not have been a good hill though as i didn't get much momentum going) and it wouldn't start up after either although did after a few attempts and waiting.

Its going in for the belts doing with Mick @ Diamond motors a week on monday, although i can't think it has anything at all to do with the belts.

Any advice.

Thanks.

 

[Lou]

Possibly the TDC sensor. Seems like the same as what happened on my old 182!

 

[Adam D]

Could possibly be, would have to buy a new one to see if that's it though as I only cleaned it up just over a month ago when I serviced it. Hmmm

 

[Adam D]

Right, a little update to this one as its getting even worse!

It seems its not the TDC sensor at all, although its nice and clean after cleaning it up a few times. Its more electrical side.

When turning the ignition on, i get the usual sounds but the red light on the dash stays solid red. I do not hear the fuel pump prime up either and further turning results in not starting the car up. I literally have to sit there and keep trying the key to see if the light goes out, takes a few minutes / attempts. When i turn and hear the fuel pump prime i can tell the light is going to go out and boom it does and i can turn again to start the car up and it fires no problem.

I don't understand as with searching around on here when people have similar problems its a perminent one and they can't get the car started at all, mine seems intermittent as this morning it started up, started up fine when i had my belts done earlier today with the many times of the engine being turned on and off, i get back home tonight, come to get back in the car and i have to sit through all that.

I have ruled out it is the key as i believe there would be flashing on from the light not a solid one. Tomorrow i shall check the wiring underneath the relays and clean up the relays. However i still cant think it would be a wire problem if it starts after a while or sometimes straight away.

Also, not too sure yet, but the twice it has done it today i was parked on a hill, maybe linked?

(btw, had the belts changed at Diamond Motors today, drives so much better and doesn't sound like a diesel!)

 

[stevenb]

my 172 was doing just this. I had no idea when it wasnt going to start. Mine was one of the small relays under the bonnet the red ones not the bigger black ones. Apparently it is the injector lock relay or something along those lines. I found a spare under the passenger foot well to swap them out with to try before i bought two more from ebay, as i wasnt sure what the one under the foot well was controlling (i only ever found fog lights to not work)

 

[Adam D]

Thanks for the reply, it also leads to me that it could be a relay.
I took each one out earlier on, contact cleaned them and wd40 the terminals. So far so good and it's started up every time(touch wood!)

Only one looked a little dodgy with green stuff, that one I tried starting the car without it in and it just fired the starter motor constantly without turning over which makes me think that it's not the relay that was causing a problem but another one that looked fine.

Ah well fingers crossed its sorted it

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Replace all the relays anyway.

They're only about £5 from Renault / RS-Online.

 

[Adam D]

Yeah I think I will do just incase, I just heard they were £12+ each from Renault. Never thought of trying RS/Farnel.

Cheers.

 

[Adam D]

Turns out its not the relays, well i think not. I changed all three of the 30 or 40 amp (can't remember) and swapped the three 20amp ones with three from the passenger footwell. Same thing is still happening although i am more certain it is something to do with parking on a hill? It only seems to happen when i'm facing downwards, if i am on a flat i have yet to experience it happening?

any one any ideas, its driving (or not in my case!) me mad! 5 to 10 minutes i have to sit there sometimes and keep trying to get it to work, i can tell straight away when it will work as the fuel pump will prime.

 

[beavis]

I can't offer much help, but I have a very similar problem on my 172 cup. It'll be fine for months, then go through being a pain for a week, then back to normal. I was beginning to wonder if it only happened when I was low on petrol, but I've not managed to find any logic or pattern to it at all

 

[Adam D]

Well I thought I'd see if it could be that after all I was putting in £10 a time when the light came on. Gave it a full tank and nope, still the same.
It seems to have got worse! Obviously not because of that I wouldn't think. Really annoying now as its most times I have to get in the car and sit there for a couple of minutes and try a few times until I hear the fuel pump prime, then I know it's going to start.

I was told it wouldn't be an earthing problem seen as my car starts up but I have to wait sometimes yet at the minute the rear fog light on the dash is lit up constantly not like it was before when it occasionally came on under breaking and reversing.

I fixed the rear light cluster last time as it as covered in rust, the light went out all together when breaking I didn't see it for a week then it came back. However I tried taking the rusted cluster out and turning the car on power yet the rear fog was lit up still.

Any ideas before I end up booking it in at Diamond Motors, really can't afford it this close to CSS.

 

[beavis]

Did you get anywhere with this?

Mines started doing it again this week after a good few months of no issues. I've still not spotted any kind of pattern to when/why
My dash rear fog light also comes on under braking at times, although I've not spotted it happening recently.