SUDDEN TOTAL POWER LOSS - HELP

[adamRS]

Please can someone shed some light.

Driving home tonight on an unlit 60mph single carrageway with no hard shoulder when I came into patches of dense fog. In one of these patches my car suddenly looses ALL engine power... Fook.....Now know Ill soon have a car come up behind me and I'm loosing speed rapidly, not good. Knocked it from 5th to 4th still nothing, then 3rd still nothing, dipped the clutch to try and coast as far as possible, tried booting it with the clutch down and it barks back to life depositing a load of glowing embers on the road which I've just shot out the exhaust.

Any ideas?

Had 1/4 tank of petrol left, got some more just to check the gauge wasn't faulty and took about the right amount if 1/4 full already.

Has had a brand new Bosch Silver battery only 3 months ago and plugs changed 6 months ago.

At a quess I think it may of had a blockage in the fuelling somewhere as it was like it was running out of petrol.:S

Could it of been the fog? Patches of it was -5c, seems unlikely but hey.

Could it of been loss of electrical power, had to defrost it before setting of so heaters going 10 nowt along with heated screen and CD. Was only doing 50 in fifth at the time. Maybe?

Any help greatly appreciated guys
Don't you just love Renaults, they're never dull LOL!

 

[riz]

lambda sensor, ~£85 from renault i think, in 172 i think there are two, upstream and downstream and there slightly different,
p.s i dont know jack all about mechanics!!

or possible dirty TDc sensor


but im sure some1 will help alot more than i have

 

[adamRS]

lambda sensor, ~£85 from renault i think, in 172 i think there are two, upstream and downstream and there slightly different,
p.s i dont know jack all about mechanics!!

or possible dirty TDc sensor


but im sure some1 will help alot more than i have

Cheers Riz

Mmmm, could be Lambda. Has had 1 replaced already so other may of gone south, didn't knock the emissions light on tho:S .

TDC Sensor? That top dead centre? And what does it do.

 

[Da]

Can't really help apart from;

TDC

In a piston engine, top dead centre (TDC) is used to determine the position of a piston in which it is further from the crankshaft. This is used to determine when to generate a spark. Many Renault models appear to experience problems with the TDC sensor, but it is a simple and inexpensive part to replace

 

[adamRS]

Can't really help apart from;

TDC

In a piston engine, top dead centre (TDC) is used to determine the position of a piston in which it is further from the crankshaft. This is used to determine when to generate a spark. Many Renault models appear to experience problems with the TDC sensor, but it is a simple and inexpensive part to replace

Cheers Da.

Going in for a service soon so may change it to be safe, already got a fuel filter ready and waiting

 

[myleS16]

Colapsed catalitic converter?

 

[adamRS]

Colapsed catalitic converter?

Hope not KTec sports cat only put on 12 months ago which was silly expensive

 

[GarethM]

hope you get it sorted ad,

im having trouble with mine atm, fooking hate my car lately,

needs new track rods/or steering rack, battery, service lol

 

[GordonD]

The glowing embers indicate its not most of the things suggested.

 

[Rich_16v]

Did any lights come on the dash?

Check basics aswell such as loose battery terminal

 

[adamRS]

Cheers Garf - They do try your patience P/X for a derv anyone!!!

Gordon D - Think that was burnt soot/ unburnt fuel out the exhaust / cat

Rich 16v - Nar, no lights which is unusual for mine as the sports cat quite often knocks the emissions light on, got a code reader to knock it off

 

[adamRS]

********* UPDATE *********​

Clip diagnostic showed four intermittent faults ALL at the same time, so one fault obviously had a knock on effect, but the garage doesn't know which 'cos true to form when it went in it was running fine .

Clip results:
* Throttle Potentiometer circuit - Intermittent
* Ignition Coil 2-3 Circuit - Intermittent
* Downstream oxygen sensor - Intermittent
* Upstream oxygen sensor - Intermittent

Think the Lamda sensors can be ruled out as a running problem will cause unusual readings.

Since the clip its played up twice, once losing about 70% power, then again total power loss on the motorway, so its booked back in for Thursday but yet again since doing it again its been running fine:S .

Anyone?:S

 

[ginna]

lookin at that the throttle potentiometer could be the loss of power as it won't no where the throttle angle or thottle pedal angle is.

had this problem on the lexus 400 hybrid's they loose power all of a sudden thro the light on as its 1 trip logic. then it all comes back and your away !! changed the throttle housing as the potentiometer is built on and hey presto all ok and not faulting anymore !!!

ign coil 2-3 circuit prob signs of a missfire as the are usually wired together and 1-4 is..

and oxy sensor prob picked up the missfire as unburnt fuel would be detected...

i would prob go for the throttle potentiometer first and see if that cures it

 

[bmh.01]

I'd ignore the Lambda faults as a normal obdii reader won't erase the faults logged in the ecu, you need clip for that. So i'd go with either the throttle position sensor or the coil pack.

Both should be reasonably cheap to get hold of and change.

 

[adamRS]

Many Thanks ginna & bmh.01 think I will try that, hopefully will get it sorted.

To be continued................................................

 

[matt_182]

glowing embers out the exhaust id say was the cat. what else could actually pass through the tiny cells in the cat?

throttle position sensor sounds a good bet as well though

 

[adamRS]

Running a data logger for a few days to see if that records anything but so far its been good as gold Grrrr .

Local Stealers tried to tell me they don't sell the throttle postion sensor separatley only the full throttle body thing @£240. £240 yeh right, I don't think so.......c*cks!

 

[ginna]

get a 2nd hand one to see if it changes it !! but its always the same they no when its going into a garage so they behave !!!