No Power

[Revels]

Pull away in 1st, into 2nd and there's no power. Even with my foot flat to the floor there's no acceleration at all. Almost like I've put it into 4th by mistake (I haven't) but it doesn't do it every time. Although seems to be more frequent now and driving home tonight was f**king awful. Once it's done it and as soon as I reach a junction and dip the clutch as I stop, it cuts out.

Any ideas before I set it on fire?

 

[Chip-mk1]

172 I asume?

Any noises or any other symptoms?

Could potentially be fuel filter clogged up, just stopping the pump supplying enough fuel for anything more than light accleration.

Is the management light on?

 

[Revels]

Sorry, should have said that. Ph1 172.

It sounds 'deeper' if that makes sense but nothing else. No management light.

 

[Chip-mk1]

By deeper you dont mean a badly blowing exhaust or anything dramatic like that? (not that I would expect it to lose as much power as you are describing even if you drove it with the manifold missing, lol)

 

[-J-]

Not sure on the lack of power but, but I had the cutting out on an old car I had when coming to a stop and it was the ICV

 

[Revels]

Just went for a few a quick little drive with my Step-Dad.

He doesn't think it's gearbox or clutch as it's engaging gear and it's not slipping. But it's running awful.

Rolling in second, foot flat and it moves fine, slow back down and floor it again, no power.

Chip, it's like a switch. Basically someone gives me power, then turns it off, then back on. Lol.

 

[mr.pink87]

Faulty MAP-sensor!?

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

Collapsed cat maybe?

 

[mr.pink87]

Would be running shitty all the time then.

 

[Revels]

So if it's likely to be engine management related, the best thing I can do is get it booked into Renault for a diagnostics test then isn't it really?

 

[mr.pink87]

Yup.

 

[Tony Hunter]

No Power ?

 

[Dan519]

sounds to me like it'll be either coil or lambda related.

 

[stotter34]

Over fuelling I would say, it sound like its bogging down... By when you say deeper.

Thanks harry

 

[Gally]

sounds to me like it'll be either coil or lambda related.

Sounded Lambda to me. Getting bogged upon acce. Thought it might kangaroo more though.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Phase 1 ecu is a lot more reluctant to put the management light on than a phase 2 so definitely worth getting the codes looked at as often with a phase 1 there will be several codes stored and still no light.

 

[Silent_Scone]

I'd put money on lambda too

 

[VXR killer]

clogged air filter?

 

[Chip-mk1]

If it is lambda you expect at 6k and full throttle (ie well outside the closed loop zone) for it to still pull well.
Does it go ok at the top end like that revels?

Still first port of call should be reading the codes not guessing though IMHO no point having data there and ignoring it.

 

[Chip-mk1]

clogged air filter?

Sounds like it has happened too suddenly for that, much more likely to be a sensor or one side of the coil pack or plugs oily on the outside from a leaking cam cover.

Check the plugs before taking it to have the codes read in fact as that's a ten min job you can do at home.

 

[Revels]

If it is lambda you expect at 6k and full throttle (ie well outside the closed loop zone) for it to still pull well.
Does it go ok at the top end like that revels?

Still first port of call should be reading the codes not guessing though IMHO no point having data there and ignoring it.

It had one (I think there's two?) lambda sensor about a year ago.

As for over 6k, not sure as my commute is only 30/40limits past schools etc so I didn't really get a chance to floor it.

It did it again this morning. Started up, pulled away in first. Fine. Into second. No power. Drove for another mile, exactly the same. Then I stopped at a junction and it cut out. Started back up and drove fine the rest of the way.

Booked into Renault for Weds. Soonest they can fit me in.

Am I going to be doing massive damage by still driving it?

 

[Silent_Scone]

If you have no alternative than the Clio not like you have a choice. I'd imagine it'd be ok as long as you poodle along dude. It sounds sensor related (I reckon anyway).

Out of interest after it cuts out do you have to cut the ignition completely in order for it to fire up? i.e crank over and not start?

 

[Chip-mk1]

Without knowing the fault its hard to say that you wont damage it for certain, but given most of the possibilities its likely to be I would say you'll be fine for just short journeys not thrashing it.

 

[Revels]

I don't do mega miles so it'll do a max of 20 miles before it goes to Renault.

 

[Gally]

Cutting out at low revs is very "ICV" ish in the description. Renault might be able to tell you. Depends on how competent the guy is.

 

[chriscummins7]

The same thing happened to my 1.4, it was a coilpack. I know they are totally different engines but the problem sounds literally identical.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Cutting out at low revs is very "ICV" ish in the description. Renault might be able to tell you. Depends on how competent the guy is.

When ascociated with the lack of power though, it makes it less likely to be the ICV and more likely to be something that is effecting the core running of the engine, ie injectors or spark.
If the mixture wanders due to a lambda fault for example, the ICV wont react correctly to still keep the car running.

Often it will be more than one thing though, and its the cumulative effect that you are noticing, ie if the ICV isnt reacting quite as well as it should the car still copes but then if you get a lamda issue as well, it no longer can.

 

[Gally]

Agreed, chip. Did you say it doesn't sound like coilpack? I'm not that up to speed on engines.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Agreed, chip. Did you say it doesn't sound like coilpack? I'm not that up to speed on engines.

No I didnt say that, it could quite possibly be that, at small throttle openings the pressure in the cylinder is smaller so the spark doesnt have to work so hard, and then at higher throttle angles when it does if the spark is weaker then it can fail.
This is also the case when the cam cover leaks oil onto the plugs and provides an alternative path for the spark to go down as well.

 

[Russ_16v]

When you have a lack of power, does it misfire/run lumpy/kangaroo or does it just feel like it has 30 bhp instead of 170 odd?

IMO it sounds electrical related, a sensor is going down somewhere, hence the ok one minute not ok the next sinario.

If it doesn't misfire and just feels like a super lack of power id lean towards Lambda, but it could be a number of things if it's booked in at Renault we will find out

 

[benevs]

This happens on my car as well, I've got a 182.

It only happens when its cold though, so when I start it in the morning, once I've driven down the road and its warm its fine then.....

 

[Rob]

I'm going with possible o2 sesnor and crank sensor related for the cutting out.

 

[Revels]

When you have a lack of power, does it misfire/run lumpy/kangaroo or does it just feel like it has 30 bhp instead of 170 odd?

IMO it sounds electrical related, a sensor is going down somewhere, hence the ok one minute not ok the next sinario.

If it doesn't misfire and just feels like a super lack of power id lean towards Lambda, but it could be a number of things if it's booked in at Renault we will find out

That bit.

Weds is the earliest Renault can look at it. I'd have to wait until 6th July if I wanted a courtesy car. Lol.

Hopefully it's not too expensive.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Rob could be right on the crank sensor especially if it's ok occasionally on restart. I know my cars not exactly a great example but when I had the Omex Zetec crank sensor the car would misfire at mid / high RPM and if you sat long enough in traffic it would cut out, start up again and be fine.


Still pissing in the wind though, sure it'll be a cheap fix

 

[Chip-mk1]

Crank sensor will normally cause starting problems as well, has it got harder to start revels?

 

[Revels]

Yeah. It does struggle to start sometimes.

It was fine on Saturday. Then did it again yesterday but then it cut out, after that it was fine.

I just know when Renault get hold of it and take it for a test drive it will be absolutely fine.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Intermittant faults are by far the hardest to diagnose

 

[Silent_Scone]

Could be crank sensor then. Fingers crossed!

 

[Dan519]

Lambda is still my favoured option, they cause so many issues

 

[Revels]

I presume lambda issues will be obvious when they plug it in, regardless of if it's currently doing it?