Very Strange Engine Problem... Help!

[terence]

Hi all, been a fan of clio's for a while now, so last week I thought I'd invest in a nice little 2002 3dr DCi for work...

There was a slight issue with the alternator which I thought was sorted, the cars been running ok until recently the electrics / heater plugs light came on the dash... didnt think too much of it, was going to get it sorted later this week until.... :S

... on my way to work this morning, the dash board started lighting up like the instrument panel of a flippin' plane lol!!! Engine light, stop light, then they went off, then power steering light, then ABS light, then seat belt lights etc etc lol!! Power to the windscreen wipers seemed totally drained, the power to the dash lights seemed dim, then the indicators stopped working lol!!

Needless to say I pulled in safely, turned the car off, and now its as dead as a do doo lol!!!!!

Anyone have any ideas what could of gone so wrong? I also noticed, when I went above certain RPM the engine management light came on, until I dropped back off again!

Sorry for the uber long first post people, just wondered if anyone else had seen or heard of anything similar??!

Im hoping its just the alternator has died thus everything else packing in at the back of it? Or am I waaay off track :dead:

Thanks all and hi!!

 

[terence]

Or maybe the ECU has gone dodgy?

 

[Noodle999]

LOL, where to start...

Sounds to me like the alternator is indeed dead, and the battery has discharged, making the computer go mental hence all the warning lights. Was the alternator warning light on, prior to this happening? (Battery symbol).

Under normal circumstances the meaning of the STOP light is dictated by the lights it comes on in combination with, there's a list somewhere, I quite often get STOP + handbrake because the brake fluid level sensing doesn't take into account the lateral G you can pull

How was the alternator problem supposedly rectified before, was it replaced? It's possible the alternator itself wasn't the cause of the initial problem, or something else was broken as well, hence replacing it not solving the problem. It'd be very silly of them not to have checked, but you could for example have a knackered battery!

 

[terence]

Hi Noodle999, thanks for the advice mate!

I believe a pulley was replaced on the alternator, not the unit itself! So I'm hoping it's just that... but what a combo of things to fail mid journey, I've had calmer mornings

Thats the strange thing, the battery light has never come on yet! not even amoungst all the mayhem this morning :s

Could I have caused any further damage do you think?

 

[walshy172]

Hi,

Sounds to me like a shagged battery. The car can do all sorts of funny things. I had a Fiesta Zetecs a while ago and it started fine one minute and then the next all the dials went full i.e clock went to 140mph at low speed and rev counter at 7k RPM full tank of fuel and max temp. then the power sterring and everything else power related when tits up. The cells inside the battery had collaped and were shorting out. new battery sorted. It was a brown trouser moment as it gives simptoms of a massive electrical fault :dapprove: but all was sorted.

 

[Noodle999]

Hi Noodle999, thanks for the advice mate!

I believe a pulley was replaced on the alternator, not the unit itself! So I'm hoping it's just that... but what a combo of things to fail mid journey, I've had calmer mornings

Thats the strange thing, the battery light has never come on yet! not even amoungst all the mayhem this morning :s

Could I have caused any further damage do you think?

It's strange that the battery light has never come on, the principle by which it works electrically should ensure it would always come on in this type of situation, but then it probably doesn't work like they did in the good old days and now works by some stupid computer-controlled system! :nono:

Like Walshy says it sounds like the battery... If they replaced an alternator pulley before, it could be the alternator itself, or the battery, or both. If a garage have supposedly fixed it for you, you should be well within your rights to take it to them and ask if they can sort it out?

As for further damage, if the alternator is knackered and the battery has been over-discharged, it could result in reduced capacity in future, or it may be totally shagged, but there shouldn't be any other worries.

 

[mr angry]

This happened on mine when the alternator was on its way out they are a weak spot on Clios.

 

[Noodle999]

This happened on mine when the alternator was on its way out they are a weak spot on Clios.

Renaults in general, I'm told... My Uncle who's a mechanic by trade had a 19 with a battery/alternator problem for months, nobody could find it, I don't even remember what it was in the end but it wasn't the battery or alternator, just kept wrecking batteries for the reasons I said earlier.

 

[terence]

thanks all for the hel / advice... mucho appreciated

well, I got the AA to come 'assist' me hehe... in the end, it was the connector / wire that clips onto the alternator, it was a bit dodgy, and had stopped it working / charging the battery, therefore leading to the sequence of dodgy events

he sorted tat and I was on my way!

but im left with another strange issue now lol!!! i bet you lot luv me ha!!

when im driving and i put my foot down, like to the floor in any gear, as soon as the engine picks up / ive had my foot down 3/4/5 secs the engine management light + STOP sign starts flashing at me eak! so I take my foot off and as the engine winds down, after a sec or so the lights go off again lol!!!!!

bloomin' car anyone have any ideas what that one could be???

 

[terence]

wella it did it on the way to work this morning, theres nothing wrong with the engine, its just when you make it work a little the lights come on... :dapprove:

 

[MATT BLACK]

CHECK the UCH control unit ( n/s up behind the dash near the bonnet release handle )