new car.. dying :(

[S1MON]

Went got the 182 tonight driving faultlessly for over 200 miles.
Then going down the motorway the abs and esp lights come on.. dodgy sensor I think after.a.while it goes off and is fine..little later my stereo.turns off along with a stop light on the dash and the red center light flashing.. it goes away then happens again but this time I notice everything's going dim.. next I've got no lights and.engines.struggling to.run. cuts out roll to the hard shoulder. To wait for highways. They recover me up road.. but try to start the car and it starts again.. before solenoid would just click thought flat battery dead alternator. Drive 3 miles happens again. Greeblight s**t come out alternator not charging he also reckons the battery fitted is too big.
So on way home now 140 miles and left car there.. thru want nearly 500 quid to recover going to try sort it out myself.

Alternator? or s**t electrics strange how it starts again after a while. Sorry about spelling etc bumpy roads.

 

[richd]

thats some poor luck, nothing worse than having to leave a car. from the sounds of it my first thoughs would be the alternator like you say.

 

[busterkins]

my brother has just had this same problem... car wont start occasionally and lights are almost so dim you cant see them. we then found out the battery was too big

 

[Dan@SJM]

Sounds like the alternator, check the feed cable on the back as I have known them to break but not bring on a light.

 

[S1MON]

Strange thing is.. the lights all die.. dash lights come on etc.. Then the car won't start leave it a while and it fires back up and is completely normal... The battery isn't going flat 100% its f**king weird as hell. First thoughts alternator aswell..

The battery fitted is a Bosch S4 075. What is meant to be in the Clio?

Also strange thing is the car had a alternator from RENPARTS last year 11/04/12.


Any ideas.. just trying to work out a way to get the car 133 miles home for less than £400

 

[S1MON]

Forgot to add I was loosing my speedo too...

It was normally ABS / TC light come on... they'd go off.. Radio would turn off... lose my speedo... STOP light and handbrake light come on, airbag light too then car would die..

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

f**k off green flag and get on a better breakdown company. ie AA/RAC

iirrcc you've got a dodge connection somewhere, which is getting hot, and then cooling when engine isnt running. which means you can start it again

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

063 is the battery for the clio.

 

[S1MON]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/show...ring-driving&highlight=lights+dim+dash+lights

Similar to that.. but the guy fitted a new battery.. the battery in this car is less than 5 months old.

 

[Bluebeard]

Where is the car now and where does it need to go.

I have something that may be of use to you...

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

What's he going to do with that old purple thing Dan ?

 

[Bluebeard]

Use it for commuting?

 

[S1MON]

I'll PM you Dan.

 

[Coops Mk1]

I had same issue, the main spade connector on the alternator had rusted through, it looked fine but I literally touched it and it fell apart and the wire fell off.

stripped the wire back, wrapped it round the pin and did the bolt up and then coated the lot in tiger seal and its been fine ever since

 

[S1MON]

I had same issue, the main spade connector on the alternator had rusted through, it looked fine but I literally touched it and it fell apart and the wire fell off.

stripped the wire back, wrapped it round the pin and did the bolt up and then coated the lot in tiger seal and its been fine ever since

It could be something as simple as that.. but at 10pm at night in the rain and pitch black only so much you can see and do. I don't want to be driving 133 miles to try and fix it if I can't, would rather just get it trailered home safely then can sort it.

 

[Dan@SJM]

If your local I can always have a look.

 

[S1MON]

I'm down in Plymouth, cars 133 miles away.
I've got access to ramps at work and a few mechanic friends, if we can't find any obvious wiring faults, go for new battery and alternator... Just proving to be a pain in the ass to get the car home at moment without paying an arm and a leg, thanks for your offer though.

 

[S1MON]

Cars being picked up tomorrow £180.

Just checked my mates 182, its the same as mine, the greenlight man was saying the wire on the alternator was too small and was getting hot.. but its the same as my mates 182. Will drop test the battery at work. And go from there, and get it up on the ramp check the wiring etc

 

[McGherkin]

That's terrible luck :dapprove:

 

[S1MON]

063 is the battery for the clio.

So i'm guessing the 075 is too big for it?

 

[S1MON]

Typing in my reg on Euro Car Parts shows that it should be a 075 battery? eyyy

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

As long as it's a 12V battery, it'll work. You could have one from a Transit van if it's 12V .. it's whether it fits that is the issue... a loose battery is dangerous for so many reasons. If it's secure, I'd not worry about it. If it was a battery for a 0.5l Matiz it might not have enough punch to start a Clio in teh cold, but that should be your only issue.

It sounds like you've got a stupid little electrical gremlin like a missing/dodgy earth somewhere.. (welcome to French cars!!)

There's nothing to say however that your alternator isn't goosed, as it was second hand from Renparts.

Good luck

 

[Bluebeard]

075's are recommended but 063's fit the hole much better.

Neither will affect the running of the car.

 

[S1MON]

Thanks guys.. the quote below made me think this.. But if the battery is too big and the alternator can't get enough power out to it to keep it topped up? or it'd just be a shagged alt?

So i defiantly need to buy an 110amp alt. I'l get it taken off and tested i think.

my brother has just had this same problem... car wont start occasionally and lights are almost so dim you cant see them. we then found out the battery was too big

 

[Bluebeard]

I'm betting its the alternator/wiring.

If its been replaced recently then there's been an issue there in the past.

Although let's be honest, it's all speculation until you get the car back and look at it.

 

[S1MON]

I'm betting its the alternator/wiring.

If its been replaced recently then there's been an issue there in the past.

Although let's be honest, it's all speculation until you get the car back and look at it.

Yeah it could be something simple like a loose wire.. hopefully! Need to have a good look around the alternator and check everything. will take the battery off when car gets here to take it to work tomorrow to test it and charge it. Then try get home in the daylight and have a good look at the wiring.

The greenlight man was 'interesting' he was saying look at that cable its too small for it, then told me and my friend the Clios were CANBUS.. and the seller just put a bigger battery in it to get me home.

Sellers offered to give me my £50 deposit back. lol

 

[Poopensharten]

What ashame! First RS Clio aswell!

I hope you get it sorted quickly mate they really are good when going lol.

What i would also say to check (if the alternator wiring) which tbh it does sound like, also check;

Earth strap (gearbox to chassis) It's under the passenger side wheel arch liner, they tend to get choked up with s**t etc, worth checking.
Electrical relays under the bonnet (right hand side under the plastic tray to the right of the battery)

Best of luck!

 

[S1MON]

I was loving the first 200 miles of driving it.. as it was round abouts and straights for a long while so was enjoying the car! Then once hit the motoway the disco lights came on. I still love my experience so far just hope it can be fixed easily and for not too much £££

 

[Poopensharten]

I'm certain it'll be relativley easily sorted from what you've said!

Fair play to the seller!

 

[S1MON]

Can anyone just confirm what type of Alternator I need?
Only had 11 volts coming out of her. Do i need the £300 110 amp or do the lower 95 amp ones do?

 

[Bluebeard]

There's a few different types. Ideally you'll want the part number off your current one. Or ring renault and give them your reg and they'll get it for you.

I managed to swap some internal bits of a ph1 alternator into a Cup alternator to get it going again so there are ways around it, but if you want to buy a complete new unit, i'd get the part number off it first to avoid wasting time and money.

 

[S1MON]

Are the Lucas ones any good? Can get good prices on them, or even my current one re-done if its worth it.

 

[Bluebeard]

My local guy refurbs them. I got my truck one done for under £100 and my track car one done for something stupid like £60.

 

[S1MON]

Well.. charged battery up at work today.. got the jump leads multimeter etc... stuck live on battery to standard live wiring, then the earth to the engine mount... still only charging around 12.7... So had removed earth lead cleaned it all up. Then tried to take the live off the alternator nut was very rusty and just spun.. so broke the plastic casing hold the other nut.. take it off rusty as s**t, then i notice the thread is still loose, so break some more plastic off.. tighten up the thin locking nut to the alternator and bit of sand paper to the nut and washers etc.. lock them all back together nice and tight.. and its now charging at 14.5 give or take .1

So going to take it for a drive in a minute.. as it still could be a loose wire or dodgy earth? Its too cold and dark out now and ive just put the car back together so i f**king hope so..

Also going to google it in a minute but my teas ready.. entering the Radio code.. I know you use numbers 1-4 to cycle through the digits.. but how to you enter it into the CD player? Every button I push doesn't do f**k all..

 

[Mark_P]

Typing in my reg on Euro Car Parts shows that it should be a 075 battery? eyyy

182s and Euro Car Parts are a poor mix. The guys in my local branch told me that 182s dont actually figure on their system at all, hence things like bringing up the wrong size of battery.

You'll do better searching this site than Euro's