Another Diagnosis Thread!

comanche

Have a 99 renault megane (~120k miles on the clock) that has start to run very roughly all of a sudden yesterday.

Its not idling properly - keeps @ ~750rpm for a few seconds and then chugs as if gasping for air or petrol and revs drop to 500rpm.

When starting this morning it didn't seem to use the 'choke'. It usally idles ~1000rpm until warmed up. This morning it went straight to 750rpm.

The problem with the engine chugging occurs at higher revs as well. If driving in 1st, the car seems to bunny hop. When driving along normally if I accellerate around the 2000rpm mark the car shudders and chugs (e.g. in 5th at around 80kmph - I have to drop to 3rd to get the car to move.)

The car also seems quiet sluggish when it is moving but doesn't seem to be drinking petrol - fuel consumption seems to around normal.

Have tried driving the ****e out of it thinking that it could be dirty fuel or something, but this hasn't solved anything. Other thoughts is that perhaps a coil has packed it in.

How would I check if a coil has packed it in? Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem may be?

Thanks.

Oh and none of the french cars are rubbish buy a jap car instead rubbish please - start your own thread if you want to talk about that!

crosstownk

Remove the electrical connections to the coil packs - if one is gone the engine will run exactly the same with the dodgy one disconnected. You should probably turn off the engine and remove the key while you are disconnecting and reconnecting - otherwise the engine management light may come on. Don't run the car for prolonged periods with a coil pack disconnected or faulty - you may damage the catalytic converter with unburnt petrol.

PaddyFagan

crosstownk wrote:

Remove the electrical connections to the coil packs - if one is gone the engine will run exactly the same with the dodgy one disconnected. You should probably turn off the engine and remove the key while you are disconnecting and reconnecting - otherwise the engine management light may come on. Don't run the car for prolonged periods with a coil pack disconnected or faulty - you may damage the catalytic converter with unburnt petrol.

My money is on crosstownk being right - my megane coupe had exactly the symptoms you describe and it was a blown coil. No idea as to what the cost would be to replace as renualt replaced it under warentee.

ZENER

Common problem with Meganes that I know of.

3 people I know with these cars suffered the same thing. Under warrantee Renault will only replace the faulty, this happened is all 3 cases that I'm aware of then the other coil packs all failed one after another within 4 or 5 months each time requiring a visit to the garage.

Might be worth getting them all done if they haven't already been done previously.

ZEN

layke

Any noises coming from your clutch like it might be slipping?

had a similar problem with the release bearing and it sometimes used to screw with the RPM.

comanche

layke wrote:

Any noises coming from your clutch like it might be slipping?

had a similar problem with the release bearing and it sometimes used to screw with the RPM.

don't think its the clutch as it happens in neutral as well.

the only other weird noise that I get is that when I get it I hear fluids sloshing around on the passengers side

Going to start her up and take off the leads to spark plugs to see which coil it might be.

Kimbot

Yup sounds like coils mate!!!

comanche

hmmm seems to run smoother with the electrical connections to coils disconnected (apart from one which when disconnected would stall the engine!)

It sounded different with coils disconnected - could hear the 'flat' spot where one cylinder was not firing. Not getting that with everything connected.

crosstownk

ZENER wrote:

Might be worth getting them all done if they haven't already been done previously.

ZEN

Good advice if your prepared for the extra expense - its a common Renault fault - Lagunas suffer from this also.

crosstownk

comanche wrote:

hmmm seems to run smoother with the electrical connections to coils disconnected (apart from one which when disconnected would stall the engine!)

It sounded different with coils disconnected - could hear the 'flat' spot where one cylinder was not firing. Not getting that with everything connected.

Hmmmm - doesn't sound like a coil from what you say. However, I have seen some coils idle perfectly and then begin to miss when the engine is under load. I think this is because when the coil pack is faulty the spark is pretty weak and can't rapidly fire as the engine speed increases. At this stage it might be an idea to have the car looked at by someone who is familiar with Renaults.

mloc123

Its a MAP sensor problem. VERY common on the older meganes. The pipe running from the inlet manifold to the map sensor will probably be split, renault charge €19 for a new pipe or you'll get one in a scrappy for nothing. 2 minute job to fix.

Blue850

one of the lads I work with had a similar problem in his 98 1.6 megane last week, got so bad ,car started cutting out, first diagnosed as fuel pump,then coil pack, turns out he needed a new ECU, luckily one from a scrapper fixed the problem

tred

comanche wrote:

Have a 99 renault megane (~120k miles on the clock) that has start to run very roughly all of a sudden yesterday.

Its not idling properly - keeps @ ~750rpm for a few seconds and then chugs as if gasping for air or petrol and revs drop to 500rpm.

When starting this morning it didn't seem to use the 'choke'. It usally idles ~1000rpm until warmed up. This morning it went straight to 750rpm.

The problem with the engine chugging occurs at higher revs as well. If driving in 1st, the car seems to bunny hop. When driving along normally if I accellerate around the 2000rpm mark the car shudders and chugs (e.g. in 5th at around 80kmph - I have to drop to 3rd to get the car to move.)

The car also seems quiet sluggish when it is moving but doesn't seem to be drinking petrol - fuel consumption seems to around normal.

Have tried driving the ****e out of it thinking that it could be dirty fuel or something, but this hasn't solved anything. Other thoughts is that perhaps a coil has packed it in.

How would I check if a coil has packed it in? Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem may be?

Thanks.

Oh and none of the french cars are rubbish buy a jap car instead rubbish please - start your own thread if you want to talk about that!

did u sort out the problem, was it the coils? i hear they are about 60 euro a pop?

mloc123

the problem is the MAP sensor or MAP sensor pipe, if its not I will eat my left testicle

Anan1

mloc123 wrote:

the problem is the MAP sensor or MAP sensor pipe, if its not I will eat my left testicle

LOL!!

OP, keep us all posted.

mloc123

raw of course

tred

mloc123 wrote:

the problem is the MAP sensor or MAP sensor pipe, if its not I will eat my left testicle

But you know that the Renault Engine coils are noted for failure..

mloc123

Never had a coil fail on any Renault I owned, easy to test anyway.

Most common problem with the megane 1.6 Energy engine is related to the map sensor pipe, it was poorly designed. On most other renaults of the same era the map sensor is mounted on the engine but on the megane its mounted on the bulk head. The movement of the engine stretches the pipe over time and it perishes.

Have you a megane with the same problem?

tred

mloc123 wrote:

Never had a coil fail on any Renault I owned, easy to test anyway.

Most common problem with the megane 1.6 Energy engine is related to the map sensor pipe, it was poorly designed. On most other renaults of the same era the map sensor is mounted on the engine but on the megane its mounted on the bulk head. The movement of the engine stretches the pipe over time and it perishes.

Have you a megane with the same problem?

Aye but the 16valve that came in phase 2 megane 99 with the 1.4 engine is noted..check the web....first it was a faulty supplier and then a faulty design. id be interested to see how the poster got on. maybe its what u said as well. I had the same thing happen to my megane back in 00 we changed the 4 coils..under warranty and she was grand afterwards...brother has my car now and its happening again he said...90K miles later.

mloc123

ah okay, the newer 16v engines are another story. Is the problem there the whole time or is it worse when the engine is cold? Its probably the coils if they went before, you should get a cheap enough coil pack on GSF for them.

MercMad

Just because its a 16V doesn't mean you are off the hook !

Twice the valves = twice the testes !!

comanche

mloc123 wrote:

the problem is the MAP sensor or MAP sensor pipe, if its not I will eat my left testicle

if you are talkint about my car I think you may get the gravey ready. was a coil alright. was hard to find out which one without changing plugs.

crosstownk

Maybe a sweet chilli dip for that testicle..........................

mloc123

mmmm tasty. Did you change the coilpack and it sorted it out?

tred

comanche wrote:

if you are talkint about my car I think you may get the gravey ready. was a coil alright. was hard to find out which one without changing plugs.

We got 4 ingition coils on ebay for 40 euro. So well put the 4 of them in. also, should we change the plugs while we are at it..

comanche

yeah was 65e for the coil... car is running sweet as a dream again. On 115k miles and getting 43.7mpg.

Was driving a 95 1.4 astra for a while there and am so glad to have my own car back!

comanche

tred wrote:

We got 4 ingition coils on ebay for 40 euro. So well put the 4 of them in. also, should we change the plugs while we are at it..

well how may miles have you done on the plugs? How are they looking? Never does any harm.

tred

comanche wrote:

well how may miles have you done on the plugs? How are they looking? Never does any harm.

id say there could be 70k on the plugs!!:!! well change them as we have them , they were onl 2 euro a pop. The coils were fierce expensive...and there still liable to go in the future apparently..

mloc123

comanche, is it a ph1/ph2 megane 1.4/1.6?...for future refernce

comanche

mloc123 wrote:

comanche, is it a ph1/ph2 megane 1.4/1.6?...for future refernce

its phase two of the old type megane (i.e. no bum) - 1.4 16v engine. Have heard of the problem where this type of car runs rough until warmed up, but I don't notice it.

tred

comanche wrote:

its phase two of the old type megane (i.e. no bum) - 1.4 16v engine. Have heard of the problem where this type of car runs rough until warmed up, but I don't notice it.

thats the one we have as well.. Any other jobs worth doing...have u ever drained the coolant and re filled?
what about power steering levels , do they need to be monitored?

mloc123

Coolant should be drained and refilled with every oil change, they have an alloy head which rusts easily if the coolant isn't changed. The problem with the engine running rough until it heats is usually caused by the CTS whihc regulates the petrol based on how cold the engine is...a modern version of a choke.

tred

mloc123 wrote:

Coolant should be drained and refilled with every oil change, they have an alloy head which rusts easily if the coolant isn't changed. The problem with the engine running rough until it heats is usually caused by the CTS whihc regulates the petrol based on how cold the engine is...a modern version of a choke.

didnt know that. What about the Powersteering ,do u leave that be. I often wondered should that need an oil change.

mloc123

Power steering fluid will be fine once it doesn't get damp which it shouldn't. Check the level every now and then but its not that important