W-reg 1.2 Clio MTV - starts but cuts out - HELP!

[virgosix]

Hi I'm hoping someone can help...

Yesterday my alternator belt snapped, and although I managed to drive the car to work it was running very rough and had poor throttle response (foot flat on pedel to maintain 35-45 mph speed).

I managed to replace the alternator belt and it was still running very rough and loud, with very little throttle response.

I then replaced the ignition coil, and the throttle response is even worse - I have to put the gas pedel to the floor just to start it and keep it at around idle, or it just cuts out.

So far I've checked:
It makes no difference if i use the old or new coil.
New plugs and leads
Prob shouldn't affect it, but aux and alternator belt are fine

I'm really stuck without my car - please could someone suggest what I could do?

 

[virgosix]

I checked the car out this afternoon. Theres a sensor on the inlet manifold, and when i pull the whole thing out of the hole (on the manifold) the car starts but runs really poor and erratic (but doesn't cut-out completely).

When i give it a bit of gas its starts to splutter and cut-out.

Has anyone got an idea what could be the fault?

 

[MikeB]

was there a tensioner there?

 

[virgosix]

a tensioner on the throttle body?

 

[Beef-Mc]

At a very guess here, could you have buggered something like pistons with the belt snapping?

 

[virgosix]

could that be likely? When the alternator belt snapped it started running sluggish and with very poor throttle response, and it hasn't really recovered since putting a new belt in.

But i'm confused why a alternator belt snapping should affect the timing belt or pistons?


Is there something lower down where the belt is that would affect the throttle?

 

[virgosix]

i'm getting worried now...would alternator or aux belt snapping affect pistons or timing?

 

[virgosix]

i know you guys are trying to help - but when someone is stressing about whats wrong with their car you suggest "tensioner" someplace "there" and "buggered pistons" wildly without offering the logic behind the theory...??

 

[ditz]

so this fault is directly linked to the aux belt snapping?
where did the remains of the belt end up (or didnt you find them)
are the cam belt covers(plastic covers behind the belt ok.

you may have slipped the cam timing if a bit of the auxilery belt did find its way in there.. that would give you that sort of fault..

any lights on the dash

 

[virgosix]

ok i understand, that makes sense...will get my torch n check now...and update in while...

 

[RichRSi]

so this fault is directly linked to the aux belt snapping?
where did the remains of the belt end up (or didnt you find them)
are the cam belt covers(plastic covers behind the belt ok.

you may have slipped the cam timing if a bit of the auxilery belt did find its way in there.. that would give you that sort of fault..

any lights on the dash

That's what I was thinking, that maybe the timings been knocked out perhaps if the cambelt got caught briefly as it got flung around, in some cases the cambelt can chew up whats left of the aux belt, if you've avoided loosing the cambelt your lucky.

I supose the easiest way of telling is to take the car to a garage and have them check the engine timing and explain what has happened. If the timing is out by a few degrees they can probably adjust it without too much hassle to compensate.

 

[virgosix]

but would that make the car stall and cut-out like this? it starts and runs (although v rubbish) when i take a sensor out of the inlet manifold.

Also this is a 1.2 8 valve if that makes any difference?

 

[RichRSi]

The cambelt timing will be a factor that effects most of those symptoms.
The cambelt is the timing belt, the timing denotes how the engine fires, the timing of the firing of the cylinders is what dictates the performance and smooth running of the engine.... A lousey bit of rubber is entrusted with this highly important task on ohc engined cars like the clio, thank god I've gone back to running an ohv engined car, that's all I can say.

They can test your timing with one of those timing guns that strobes, perhaps things are a bit more advanced these days, but it is a simple job for a garage to just check the timing, it's sorting out things afterwards that may be more problematic if advancing / retarding the timing isnt enough to solve the problem ie having to take cambelt off.

 

[ditz]

They can test your timing with one of those timing guns that strobes, perhaps things are a bit more advanced these days, but it is a simple job for a garage to just check the timing, it's sorting out things afterwards that may be more problematic if advancing / retarding the timing isnt enough to solve the problem ie having to take cambelt off.

you are thinking of igntion timing. strobe light flashes when spark on number 1 occurs you then match that up to however many degress before top dead centre its supposed to be..

all ecu controlled on modern cars now

cam timing can only be checked by physically stripping it down and checking the timing marks line up..


pulling that sensor off all you are doing is giving it more air hence why you can get it running
never seen a 1.2 8v go like that because of an aux belt but theres a first for everything..

good news is if it still runs its unlikely to have bent valves..

another bit of good news is if it has bent valves its pretty much the easiest head off job you could wish for..

did one saturday came in morning on a tow truck went out at 5 with 6 new valves and running like a dream

 

[virgosix]

Guys, thank you so much for your help with this. You were sooo RIGHT...!

I have an UPDATE - Firstly I am shocked to find out what actually happened to make my car go wrong..!! It looks like the alternator belt snapped and the remains of it ended up in the timing belt, which in turn made it slip and chewed up as well.

If anything I'm shocked that some dopey SOB at Renault designed this without considering protecting the timing belt. When my mechanic toook it apart I saw a gap around the casing for the timing belt, enough to let problems like this occur.

I had no idea until the timing belt cover was removed and I saw how the alternator belt had been ingested into it.