Starting issue

[Patrick Bateman]

Noticed this a bit more recently, it's only needed a second attempt to start the once so far but not sure how long that will last.
Seems to only be when the car is cold that there's a notable delay from turning the key to the engine firing. It turns over fine but just takes that second or two longer to catch compared to when it's been running.

The spark plugs were only done last year and I believe, according to the previous owner, that the battery is fairly new too. I will add that it is a second car so it does tend to sit for a week before being driven again.

 

[Jack!]

Is Patrick Bateman your actual name?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Yes, why?

 

[Jack!]

You lucky boy.

Never watched American Psycho?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I may have been fibbing there...

 

[Fletcher]

Try giving the crank sensor a clean.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Could that be temperature related/intermittent? It doesn't just work or fail completely does it?

 

[da rok]

my cars beendoing the same thing of late, only in cold weather, anything above 10 degrees and it fires first kick, anything lower and it either splutters to life or stalls on the first attempt, however given a second attempt itll fire up no problem... I've given all the relays and fuses, tdc sensor, coil packs, pressure sensors a clean, which hasn't changed a thing... live in south Africa so cold days are few and far between... any tricks to firing her up on a cold morning?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Anyone?

 

[da rok]

well on some other threads they guys mention the lambda sensors... in cold weather they sometimes don't heat up enough and cause the mixture to be out, however, plugged in a reader and the voltages and frequency look spot on right from a shuddering cold start... other comments have been the carbon canister... which I will fiddle with tomorrow and see if its any better

 

[da rok]

right had a fiddle with the carbon canister, cleaned and unplugged it, started perfectly.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Hadn't fired the car up for a week and it started without any hesitation today in the heat. At least I know it's definitely temperature related.

Any idea why the carbon cannister would affect starting in cold weather only?

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I was maybe premature in thinking it was temperature related. It's been in the garage I use all the time for my M5 and they can't find anything wrong with it, started fine for them although they aren't Renault specialists.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Here are a couple of videos from the past week or so showing it slightly hesitant to start if that helps-

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Reviving this with any luck.

Hadn't really noticed much of an issue for a good while now but in the last couple of months there's been a handful of occasions where the car has failed to start first time. When attempting to start a second time it's instant with no hint of hesitation.

Could it be worth cleaning the crank sensor as previously mentioned? Or does the fact it instantly starts on the second attempt hint to something else?

 

[da rok]

had same problems again previously, one time it was bad connections on the spark plugs to the coils, the mushroom heads were all melted from the arcing, the second time, it was a combination of a slowly failing tdc sensor, and a bad earth, particularly the earth by the brake fluid reservoir. after that its been working perfectly for many months

 

[shanks]

Is your trip computer resetting itself when the car fails to start?
If it does it's the battery

 

[Patrick Bateman]

had same problems again previously, one time it was bad connections on the spark plugs to the coils, the mushroom heads were all melted from the arcing, the second time, it was a combination of a slowly failing tdc sensor, and a bad earth, particularly the earth by the brake fluid reservoir. after that its been working perfectly for many months

Was this just a case of trial and error to find these?

Is your trip computer resetting itself when the car fails to start?
If it does it's the battery

No.

I thought the fact it starts so immediately the second attempt might hint towards a particular issue.

 

[da rok]

yep, trial and error for the win