Seriously, someone fix my car. no one knows whats wrong with it!

[Phoenix]

about 8 months ago i was stuck in traffic on motorway with low petrol, and if you ever ran out of petrol you knwo how the car starts to stall n engine cutting out, and how the car jolts.

well my car started doing that. i thought i was running out of petrol but when i got moving again the petrol went bk up a lil off the red light . i filled up. and since that day my car has been doing the same jolting and slowing down. i been to several garages and no one knows what the hells wrong with it without replacing half the engine componants tryin to work out which bit it is.

can someone who knows what they're talkin about mehcanicly please test drive n try work out what it is. i really cant afford to travel that far though. this problem is pi$$ing me off way too much now. i just want the car to run smooth like it used to. the exhaust is knocking and im not fixing that problem till this one is fixed. keeps me annoyed enough with the car to get it fixed.

 

[Jay_clio]

Fuel Pump ? im sure there something on the pump you clean maybe the filter,

 

[Phoenix]

oh and the rotor arm has been replace about 2 weeks before this. someone suggested i didnt fit it correctly but garage rulled that out.

also 1 rac man told me i need a new altenator but hasnt played up since i got the tensioner bracket fixed back on with a new belt.

also suggested it could be gear box or clutch?

 

[Phoenix]

Fuel Pump ? im sure there something on the pump you clean maybe the filter,

fuel pump/filter was the first thing to be changed but i recon it cuold still be that and also a smell of petrol everytime cars turnned off with no leek in sight

 

[Mark One]

very probably the lambda sensor mate. Is you tickover bad?

 

[Phoenix]

now that you mention it yeah....1700rpm at idle BUT rad fan is broken and i noticed the hotter the engine gets the higher the idle.
but when engine cold idle is about 1300 rpm....seem to remember the idle being about 1100rpm when i first got it
(rad fan is being replaced next week)

 

[MATT BLACK]

Potentiometer on the throttle body ?

 

[NIN-172]

If you ran to the bottom of the tank you might have got some crap off the bottom of the tank in the injectors. Or as said above the fuel filter could have got blocked with crap. You could try some injector cleaner or redex for a cheap fix. I'd say it's worth a fiver for the try Although it does depend on how bad the problem is if it is fixable like that (if that's even what is wrong with it).

Does the fuel pump make any noticeable noise?

Also a bad spark plug could have a similar effect with the jerking/jolting thing.

 

[Phoenix]

Potentiometer on the throttle body ?

potentiometer? whats that?

If you ran to the bottom of the tank you might have got some crap off the bottom of the tank in the injectors. Or as said above the fuel filter could have got blocked with crap. You could try some injector cleaner or redex for a cheap fix. I'd say it's worth a fiver for the try Although it does depend on how bad the problem is if it is fixable like that (if that's even what is wrong with it).

Does the fuel pump make any noticeable noise?

Also a bad spark plug could have a similar effect with the jerking/jolting thing.

fuel pump doesnt make any noticable noise from what i can hear inside the car(not that i would be able to hear it over the exhaust anyway)
and the fuel pump and filter got changed first.
i think they also put some injector cleaner in when they did that as well but ill put some more in to.

spark plugs were all changed quite recently to.

i have just had a look round the engine and notice the air filter pipe to throttle body is split open and also slightly off the actual throttle body.
im guessing thats let a load of crap into the engine. god knows how long thats been like that. i changed it once before because of the same thing.

 

[NIN-172]

i have just had a look round the engine and notice the air filter pipe to throttle body is split open and also slightly off the actual throttle body.
im guessing thats let a load of crap into the engine. god knows how long thats been like that. i changed it once before because of the same thing.

If this broken pipe to the throttle body is from the vacuum advance then that will be making is run like crap. Block off the throttle body side with a bit of rubber pipe with a blank end (i.e. a screw or something similar) then see how it runs. If it was this then it would probably idle really badly.

 

[NIN-172]

*deleted*

multiposted

 

[MATT BLACK]

A potentiometer is a variable tapped resistor that can be used as a voltage divider - it is situated on the side of the throttle body. Its basically Renaults term for a throttle position sensor. Its held on with one single screw and has a plug connector running from it to the loom.

Another problem with these engines are the air pressure sensors malfunctioning - these are situated on the bulk head and have a little rubber hose running from then to the inlet manifold.

Possibly the air temp sensor may need replacing if the above are ok ( situated on the air inlet hose near the throttle body )

 

[Phoenix]

i have just had a look round the engine and notice the air filter pipe to throttle body is split open and also slightly off the actual throttle body.
im guessing thats let a load of crap into the engine. god knows how long thats been like that. i changed it once before because of the same thing.

If this broken pipe to the throttle body is from the vacuum advance then that will be making is run like crap. Block off the throttle body side with a bit of rubber pipe with a blank end (i.e. a screw or something similar) then see how it runs. If it was this then it would probably idle really badly.

im gonna put some heat tape over the filter pipe tomorrow and fix it back on the throttle body as well as get the garage to put some injector cleaner in

A potentiometer is a variable tapped resistor that can be used as a voltage divider - it is situated on the side of the throttle body. Its basically Renaults term for a throttle position sensor. Its held on with one single screw and has a plug connector running from it to the loom.

Another problem with these engines are the air pressure sensors malfunctioning - these are situated on the bulk head and have a little rubber hose running from then to the inlet manifold.

Possibly the air temp sensor may need replacing if the above are ok ( situated on the air inlet hose near the throttle body )

while im in the engine will check the potentiometer. as for the air pressure sensor, im not quite sure where abouts it is, unless your refering to the one thats in the pipe that connects to the air filter?
will ask the garage to see if they have a lambada sensor or whatever it is.

 

[Ross M]

is the light of the square box with the squiggly line through it on ?

 

[R1XPH]

Wouln'dt be something simple like the idle controll valve?

 

[Ross M]

^ was going to suggest that or the accelerator cable ?

 

[Phoenix]

is the light of the square box with the squiggly line through it on ?

immobiliser? no its not

Wouln'dt be something simple like the idle controll valve?

and i have no idea, how much they cost and ill get garage to change it when they do the rad fan

^ was going to suggest that or the accelerator cable ?

and why would it be accelerater cable?

 

[john.med]

Get the air leak sorted ASAP, that's the most obvious fault.

 

[Phoenix]

Get the air leak sorted ASAP, that's the most obvious fault.

that and the rad fan being seized up lol....
but as i said im sorting the ait leek tomorrow....not really a leek more of a massive input of dirty air

 

[diamond geezer]

id check the idle control valve first, as they are only available from renault, and over a 100 quid.

 

[Phoenix]

I removed the throttle body and gave it a good clean(damn that thing was so dirty) temporarily fixed air filter pip with duct tape seems to be perfect and got rid of a horrible hissing sound i never noticed before.
got rid of the leaves in the appolo induction filter and re-oiled that.

im now currently replacing the radiator motor but i stuck on that. i dont know how to get the old one off as its held on with some wierd type of bolt which has a round end on it? any ideas on getting them off? or do i have to snap em in half or something and replace em?

as for idle control valve. i have no idea where that is to check it, any one tell me?(i dont have a haynes before u ask)

 

[Sean6545]

Check the map sensor pipe, what mat black said, the sensor is on the bulkheak and has a little black vacume pipe running from it. Check that for splits. When the engine moves on its mounts it allows air in through the split and casue jolts and loss of power like you said.

 

[Phoenix]

Check the map sensor pipe, what mat black said, the sensor is on the bulkheak and has a little black vacume pipe running from it. Check that for splits. When the engine moves on its mounts it allows air in through the split and casue jolts and loss of power like you said.

will have a check for that but when i was cleaning out the throttle body yesterday i did notice a split in one of the forks on the distributor cap as well. according to my friend mechinaly minded dad, that could be the cause of the jolting as well, so i'm going to get a new cap for that(and original one as the new design is rubbish) and will check the mamp sensor pipe to.

 

[skunner2k4]

it aint the immobiliser def. i change my map sensor (squiggy think you were refering to) and didnt make a difference (i have the same problem) it seems that this happens only with people who have fitted the mushroom filter. am i right, it could be the filter it'self.

 

[Phoenix]

i fitted an apollo induction kit at the same time i replaced the distibutor cap and rotor arm so could be the filter... ill change it bk tomorrow n see...gonna be well pissed if its that cause its an expencive kit!

*edit* argh....it could be letting in too much air for what it can handle........grrrrr that seriously will annoy me

 

[skunner2k4]

in the mean time i change throttle body, map sensor, ecu, on the way doing the fuel filter (but i dont know how to get it off), i was told by a friend with similar experience and renault changed his coil pack, so a refurbished coil pack is on the way, my ht leads looks fine. hopefully it does work, all this was an attempt from a person called mechanic and he isnt doing a really good job.

 

[ollyclio]

my coil pack was on its way out and it did similar things

 

[BRUN]

if you have anything at all wrong with your dizzi cap, replace it

 

[skunner2k4]

i got good news everybody, after the problem which everybody has with the clio mk1, i have hopefully found a round, it is as i said before to do with the mushroom air filter, because it's open and ontop of the engine, it draws in too much hot air, i have now replaced it with the old box but with a k&n panel filter and it works wonderful, it idles correctly, it doesnt cut out, nor does it stay on high revs and also it starts first time, i hope this help, i am now happy as this problem took alot of money and time all because of a induction kit,

 

[Phoenix]

i got good news everybody, after the problem which everybody has with the clio mk1, i have hopefully found a round, it is as i said before to do with the mushroom air filter, because it's open and ontop of the engine, it draws in too much hot air, i have now replaced it with the old box but with a k&n panel filter and it works wonderful, it idles correctly, it doesnt cut out, nor does it stay on high revs and also it starts first time, i hope this help, i am now happy as this problem took alot of money and time all because of a induction kit,

lucky you, but thats not my problem as i dont have the mushroom filter.
today i swapped to original induction kit it had before the problems started and guess what, didnt solve it.
the dizzy cap has been changed
the car also still idles high now at 1600 revs(idle control valve gasket replaced) so still on the look out for a new idle control valve.

how much is a new coil pack? and is it easy to do yourself(my level of experties stops at removing throttle body) also bear in mind its been doing this jolting buisness for a good 10 months or more now.

in the last months i been having trouble selecting reverse now. it snot gear box oil either as thats been checked. garage thinks its the clutch.
which is also what someone else suggested is the problem for the jolting while i gently accelerate

 

[skunner2k4]

ok m8, well try getting yout hands on this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Renault-Clio-...ryZ10410QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i did bid on it but i retracted since i solve the fault with my car, it's new 98 model, and 1 part no. fits all so will fit urs. ok

 

[fuel_slut]

Sounds like a fueling problem.

As other people have said, if you ran your tank low then you could have sucked some crap into the filter or pipes.

Try some Redex and give it an Italian service.

 

[BoomOne]

defo a fueling problem i recon. i had the same thing a while back. i replaced my fuel filter cuz i thought it was clogged up with crap, but that didnt fix it. then took it to my service place, they ran a diagnostics and found that the lambda sensor was faulty, so they replaced that and it was slightly better, but still pretty bad. it ended up being that the map or maf sensor which was really dirty and they replaced that and everything worked fine. its on the top of the engine on the opp side to the throttle body. black sensor thing... hope this helps

 

[Phoenix]

cheers for all your help people
seems like im going to be replacing almost every damn sensonr in the engine the way its going.

and that coil pack is for a 1.4
mines a 1.8(completely different engine)
i dont think it will fit?

 

[pinky]

The o2 sensor before the cat on my was naff..mad it run very lumpy and nearly cut out..also made it run rich in petrol too.

 

[Phoenix]

currently trying to find a scrap yard near me to hunt down the bits

 

[fuel_slut]

Just logicaly work your way through each sensor. Clean them up and the contacts, and replace if nessisary.

Make sure you neg terminal on the battery has a good earth connection to.

 

[skunner2k4]

well if yours is a completely different engine, then explain to me why this listing offers ones for a 2litr but the same part no. of the coil pack look http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RENAULT-COIL-...ryZ10410QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[skunner2k4]

my friend has the mk3 clio and it had starting and idleing problem a professwional garage (not backstreet or dodgy) replaced his coil pack and it is fixed straight away, they also tipped not to use the audio system when the car engine is not turned on as this ruins the coil pack. this is information i am getting from an experience, so i dont know it could well make a difference to some people.

 

[Phoenix]

that ebay one does look like mine(not i know what the coil pack is lol....
thing is im out of money now for the rest of the month buying other parts to find the problem so it will have to wait till new month.

and i can now select revers with one hand again
after adjusting the exhaust to stop it banging it has obviously moved it out of the way of the gear stick connection. so no need to replace gear box in the near future.