URGENT! Help please. Car running super rough. Lambda/coil pack?

[Danith]

Hi. Currently stuck in mates garage as just when I was about to leave the car is REALLY lumpy/jumpy on idle and feels like it's running on 3 cylinders!

We've not touched anything except for a sensor on the inlet manifold which we plugged back in.

Car's exhaust fumes are really rich and if you rev then let it drop it will cut out. Even looks like a bit of black sh1t coming out of the exhaust when revving! Not heavy though.

I'm not getting the eggy smell of the lambda.

Anyone able to help? pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease

 

[Danith]

Actually, it does smell a bit sulphurous. Like a burnt out sparkler?!

Noticed a bit of oil around the bottom of the inlet manifold?! only a little but doesn't seem right?!

 

[Nemesis16v]

You need to get a diagnostic done on it. Pull the codes - anything else is just guesswork. Could be coils - plugs - Lambda - an air leak on the intake - fuelling issues - Yada Yada.

Is the EML on? If so a code will be stored.

 

[Danith]

No light on the dash isn't on. I've just checked the plugs and it's got the wrong ones in for a start! Could be just plugs? Anyone around Lancs able to lend me a code reader tomorrow pretty please?!

 

[Nemesis16v]

It could be just plugs mate. These plugs look very blackened which is a sign of overfuelling. Plugs might also be weak with an inadequate spark causing this which adds up if they are the wrong grade. Also check your air intake is not restricted. At any rate they will need to be changed and that is where you should start IMO. I have even seen what appear on the surface to be perfect plugs causing rough running and its a simple place to start as you will need new ones anyway even if the problem is not immediately resolved by changing them.

 

[Danith]

Cheers. Gonna try hunt down a set of Ngk plugs tomorrow. God help me! Why would it be overfuelling mate?

 

[Danith]

Actually, thinking about it, I have noticed that the car doesn't seem to rev as smoothly as it should do when I've been running the car from cold when driving.
It seems to hold back through acceleration sometimes but when warmed up it's fine.
You can always tell when your car isn't quite right when driving too and it did seem to feel a little less 'snappy' performance wise over the last fortnight or so.
However, the car was ok when I drove it into the garage and all we did was disconnect the battery to fit a new steering wheel (std one) and fit a new tailgate to it!

 

[Danith]

Think the gods are smiling on me today. Think I've managed to source some plugs so gonna try them today and fuel filter if I can get hold of one. BALLACHE!

 

[Danith]

Right. New plugs and new coil pack and leads and it's still running like sh1t.

Would Green flag carry a diagnostic tool or would they just recover?

HELP!

 

[Danith]

Exhaust is popping aswell if that makes any diff? Can't get hold of a lambda (but there's no engine management light so can it be this!?), can I clean mine?

 

[BIGASH]

Have you got the leads on the right order? From my very small amount of experience sounds like ignition isn't sync'ing correctly

Doubt its this but have you knocked the TDC sensor?

As above get it on a clip machine and see whats really going on

 

[Danith]

Haven't got access to a clip at the mo mate otherwise I'd be all over it! Everywhere's shut and I managed to get hold of some new plugs and a coilpack and leads today and they've made zero difference.
Car absolutely WREEKS of petrol when it's running but its very lumpy and loads of condensation coming out the exhaust and its popping.

Which is the TDC sensor? The one that is on the number 1 inlet? The plugs are all in the right place I'm sure.

1 is nearest battery 4 nearest the drivers wheel and 1 and 4 are the side nearest the battery on the coilpack.

 

[Dan1587]

Injector?

Just get it plugged in and see what the fault is rather than changing loads of unnecessary parts, you're wasting your money.

 

[Danith]

Found TDC sensor. Gonna give that a clean. Get a working lambda tomorrow (does it matter if it's off a 1 or 2 barrel CAT?).

If not I'll have to find somewhere/someone with a diagnostic tool and drive the FORD PROBE for a week!!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of god, please can someone lend me a CLIP tool or RS Tuner or whatever so I don't have to drive the Probe!

 

[Ricardos]

Found TDC sensor. Gonna give that a clean. Get a working lambda tomorrow (does it matter if it's off a 1 or 2 barrel CAT?).

If not I'll have to find somewhere/someone with a diagnostic tool and drive the FORD PROBE for a week!!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of god, please can someone lend me a CLIP tool or RS Tuner or whatever so I don't have to drive the Probe!

Im in the same boat, it seems the 182s suffer this problem the most. For me personally I won't drive it anywhere like it so it's probably asking if someone local to me has a RS tuner to hook up to the OBD. My mate works for Renault and has CLIP but he's away on holiday.

 

[matt_132]

You can get cheapy code readers from Argos, thats what I did and it diagnosed my fault as a shot injector, but they aren't the best of tools. However mine threw up an engine light and your saying yours hasn't. But a reader is a good way to start otherwise, as stated, you are just guessing.

 

[Ricardos]

Mine's off the road anyway so while it's sitting there I've been swapping known working parts and buying genuine Renault items. Unless there's documented history showing parts have been fitted (spark plugs) then its worth buying them for your own peace of mind knowing its done. I've not actually dedicated some real time to look into it......

 

[Stuey 172]

I bought a diagnostic reader from ktec seems really good

 

[Danith]

Right, I've borrowed a 'MAC Tools' OBD plug in thingy. It's giving me NO ERROR CODES!!!!

What the hell is going on?!?!

 

[Ricardos]

Another genuine Renault part I've bought is a coolant temp sensor, I believe this has been mentioned as a potential problem. It doesn't throw a fault code from what I've read in some threads.... Someone might be along soon to correct me

 

[not normal dan]

Right, I've borrowed a 'MAC Tools' OBD plug in thingy. It's giving me NO ERROR CODES!!!!

What the hell is going on?!?!

I've had it in past with my old motor, no faults shown. See if your code reader will let you monitor parameters (i.e lamba sensor oparation etc) if it is only the basic mac tools reader it won't allow you

 

[Danith]

Cheers for all the replies guys. I've got my mate under the car attempting to switch over some lambdas I've borrowed off a helpful member.

Losing the will at the moment. SH!TTEST BANK HOLIDAY EVER!!

 

[not normal dan]

these clio's love ruining weekends lmao, good luck dude

 

[Ricardos]

What would happen if you were to just unplug the pre cat lambda? A general question

 

[SBV116]

Why did you have a sensor unplugged to start with?

 

[guysy]

Have you done the test where you undo each plug put the plug in each coil one at a time and hold it to an earth point to test to see each plug and coil is sparking correctly? (double check a guide on google or something i might not have the testing order correct)

Even though you havent the undesired brand of plugs in the engine I doubt it would have done from running fine to being f**ked?

You say you only touched a sensor, was you working on the car before it started to run bad? i.e. taking something off for a job?

Definitely a diagnostics test needed, could be a number of things.

 

[Danith]

Why did you have a sensor unplugged to start with?

I didn't mate. We knocked one (the grey plastic O2?? sensor that plugs into the inlet manifold - right hand side branch/arm) when taking the battery out to fit a new clamp. Didn't knock it out as such but we unplugged and replugged it to make sure it was sitting in there ok.

Basically, from driving into my mates garage, we've fitted a new tailgate, new steering wheel (for which we had to disconnect the battery for the airbag) and now it's running like this and STINKS of petrol/sulphur. Rough idle, eventual stalling, exhaust popping.

 

[Ricardos]

Why did you have a sensor unplugged to start with?

Who..me? I was wondering if you could just unplug the lambda sensor to see how it would run... I didn't know if you could try this or not.

 

[Danith]

Have you done the test where you undo each plug put the plug in each coil one at a time and hold it to an earth point to test to see each plug and coil is sparking correctly? (double check a guide on google or something i might not have the testing order correct)

Even though you havent the undesired brand of plugs in the engine I doubt it would have done from running fine to being f**ked?

You say you only touched a sensor, was you working on the car before it started to run bad? i.e. taking something off for a job?

Definitely a diagnostics test needed, could be a number of things.

Looks like we're gonna try doing the lambda sensors and if that doesn't work I'm gonna have to leave it til we can get a proper diagnostics tool.

I NEED A F**KIN BEER!!!! Bet my mate does more though!

 

[Danith]

Right, on the on screen dash I know there's a thing you can do to hold the On board computer button in to check the dials/petrol volume etc with the ignition on.

It's giving me a lower case 't' shape indicator if that means anything to anyone?

 

[Danith]

Changed lambdas and............................Nothing. F**k this.

 

[Ricardos]

So you're down to 2 options, HT lead breaking down or an injector.

 

[guysy]

Bank hol tomorrow but there must be a garage open ?

Edit just seen this

Stored faults
t mean an injection fault has been detected for a minimum of 4 seconds
J means a fault has been noted on the fuel gauge. It must have disconnected for longer than 100 seconds. The resistance from the fuel tank sensor needs to be between 5 and 350 Ohms.
d means an injection signal fault has been detected
h means an oil level sensor fault has been detected. Resistance from the sensor should be between 6 and 20 Ohms. Any reading over 20Ohms is an open cicuit anything under 3 is a short circuit.

Injector fault it seems then?

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?109201-The-Clio-Mk2-fault-finding-dashboard-trick

 

[Ricardos]

Unplug an injector connector 1 by 1 to find out which 1 is faulty? If it drops down another cylinder its ok, if it stays the same that's the faulty injector... Yet again I'm sure I read this on another misfire thread.

 

[Danith]

you absolute HERO.

Well we just tried the injector check that DannyR ince suggested and it made little difference - we had the car runningt and disconnected each injector one at a time and it made little difference. But the 't' does suggest injectors doesn't it?

I've seen videos of some guy in a 182 having misfire issues and my car sounds exactly the same as his and his was injector 1.

Am I able to buy a whole set/rail of these off someone?

Bank hol tomorrow but there must be a garage open ?

Edit just seen this

Stored faults
t mean an injection fault has been detected for a minimum of 4 seconds
J means a fault has been noted on the fuel gauge. It must have disconnected for longer than 100 seconds. The resistance from the fuel tank sensor needs to be between 5 and 350 Ohms.
d means an injection signal fault has been detected
h means an oil level sensor fault has been detected. Resistance from the sensor should be between 6 and 20 Ohms. Any reading over 20Ohms is an open cicuit anything under 3 is a short circuit.

Injector fault it seems then?

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?109201-The-Clio-Mk2-fault-finding-dashboard-trick

 

[Danith]

Yep, this is the one I saw with the video on it. HAS to be this. I've given up for today and my mate is getting angry and I can see him getting 'hammer rage' soon. Think it's beer o'clock and I'm in the probe this week - unless I can get injectors!!

Unplug an injector connector 1 by 1 to find out which 1 is faulty? If it drops down another cylinder its ok, if it stays the same that's the faulty injector... Yet again I'm sure I read this on another misfire thread.

 

[Ricardos]

You can buy them individually

 

[guysy]

Ive just done the press button and turn battery on test on mine and I had t--h... which means at some point ive also had an injector fault and an oil level sensor fault, but I'm not having any problems so I've cleared those and ill see if any re appear.

What im saying in that is hopefully it is an injector so you've found your fault, but that could be an old fault stored, although seeing as your having problems it might be the injector.

Hope you find the fault mate.

 

[Danith]

cheers mate. we're pulling out hair out at the moment. think that it for today. i cant look at it anymore - im getting hammer rage!!

Ive just done the press button and turn battery on test on mine and I had t--h... which means at some point ive also had an injector fault and an oil level sensor fault, but I'm not having any problems so I've cleared those and ill see if any re appear.

What im saying in that is hopefully it is an injector so you've found your fault, but that could be an old fault stored, although seeing as your having problems it might be the injector.

Hope you find the fault mate.

 

[Danith]

Only thing we can do today is double treble quadruple check the plugs. Anyone got a link to the sequence?