Clio Misfiring on take-off

madpanfan

My 2002 1.2 16V Clio splutters when it is started, and is very noticeable when taking off on a hill.
I changed the plugs and it did not improve.
It sounds so bad at times, I reckon it might be only firing on two cylinders.


It has 82,000 miles on it. Air filter clean, good petrol, HT leads look good & clean,

Please help.
madpanfan

junkyard

It sounds like plug leads, they might look o.k. but that doesn't mean they are. Also check the gaps on the plugs. Did the miss just come into it or did it start and get worse? You might have dirty petrol or the fuel filter might need to be replaced.

madpanfan

The new plugs were gapped correctly. I will try and check the resistance of the leads.
The miss is there a while, and is getting worse lately.
The car idles ok, it is really only on acceleration that it misses, especially when starting off on an incline. It can happen under load/too high a gear etc..

It has a bit of 'mayonnaise' under the oil filler cap. It is due an oil change any day now.

Cheers.

junkyard

It could be your ECU too, it is a Renault remember, I'm sorry to say.:(

BrianD3

I'd suspect one or more bad plug coils. Common enough problem on modern petrol engines.

Are there any warning lights on on the dash?

Guy:Incognito

junkyard wrote:

It could be your ECU too, it is a Renault remember, I'm sorry to say.:(

Yawn. you just cant resist can you?

You were actually being helpfull there for a bit.

junkyard

Stekelly wrote:

Yawn. you just cant resist can you?

You were actually being helpfull there for a bit.

Well I did try, have you any suggestions or are you in denial of the fact that anything goes wrong with Renaults. But then again, it could be anything really when you consider everything goes wrong with Renault's.:)

Guy:Incognito

junkyard wrote:

Well I did try, have you any suggestions or are you in denial of the fact that anything goes wrong with Renaults. But then again, it could be anything really when you consider everything goes wrong with Renault's.:)

Nope, but then again, my comment was as helpfull as yours.


As for everything breaking, as said before, nothing on mine did.

junkyard

Well I did list out a few of the regular problems, if I didn't care I wouldn't have even replied to the OP. Renaults aren't the only heaps out there Stekelly, there's Opel, Alfa, Fiat, VW and Mercedes to name but a few, you don't have to take it personally you know.;)

Guy:Incognito

junkyard wrote:

Well I did list out a few of the regular problems, if I didn't care I wouldn't have even replied to the OP. Renaults aren't the only heaps out there Stekelly, there's Opel, Alfa, Fiat, VW and Mercedes to name but a few, you don't have to take it personally you know.;)

Yes but theres a difference in the thread types. If the op was posting saying "I want to buy a Renault/Opel/Fiat/VW(Skoda, Seat etc) or Merc" then, however many times you might have repeated it (you actually sound like Nutzzy re:gards at this stage) it would have some relevance. But this thread was about an issue with the car he already owns so telling the guy his car is **** is just not relevant or warranted, and is purely aimed at haveing a dig.

junkyard

Whatever.:rolleyes:

madpanfan

Lol @ you guys...
Anyway its not my car, its my sisters, so its ok ...dont know why i said "my car"... anyway its still misfiring, and im trying to get a coil pack to see will that do any good....
I don't think any lights come on while its misfiring, I haven't driven it - just my sister.
(i wouldn't be seen driving a car lol)

galwaytt

quite apart from Junkyards fixation on sniping on Renaults, whilst only admitting, when checked, that the rest of the car industry, bar Japanese and Korean, are no better............allow me.

If the car starts nicely, ticks over on idle, but hesitates on acceleration from a stop, or sudden acceleration from a given speed (say, to overtake), you might want to add MAF to the list or 02 sensor on exhaust system.

I can categorically state that the following brands all sufer from those, from personal experience:

Opel, Audi/Volkswagen/Seat/Skoda, BMW 3-series, Fiat (o2 sensor in my case), Mercedes, Renault.

Such is the volume VAG sell, that they now do a service-exchange on them....

The only I've known that doesn't, or hasn't yet, is my 1990 Mazda.

Mr.Diagnostic

Hi,
Get it in somewhere asap to be looked at. If the misfire is due to a secondary problem (likely) then it could cause a problem with the ECU. This would be very expensive.

madpanfan

galwaytt wrote:

If the car starts nicely, ticks over on idle, but hesitates on acceleration from a stop, or sudden acceleration from a given speed (say, to overtake), you might want to add MAF to the list or 02 sensor on exhaust system.

That sounds like this car... I'll give them a try tomorrow hopefully,
Thanks,
madpanfan.

craichoe

galwaytt wrote:

quite apart from Junkyards fixation on sniping on Renaults, whilst only admitting, when checked, that the rest of the car industry, bar Japanese and Korean, are no better............allow me.

If the car starts nicely, ticks over on idle, but hesitates on acceleration from a stop, or sudden acceleration from a given speed (say, to overtake), you might want to add MAF to the list or 02 sensor on exhaust system.

I can categorically state that the following brands all sufer from those, from personal experience:

Opel, Audi/Volkswagen/Seat/Skoda, BMW 3-series, Fiat (o2 sensor in my case), Mercedes, Renault.

Such is the volume VAG sell, that they now do a service-exchange on them....

The only I've known that doesn't, or hasn't yet, is my 1990 Mazda.

You would not get an engine misfire from a faulty MAF, You'd have a noticable loss of power at the higher end of your rev range, as the injection ratio won't be correct.

Never seen a engine firing problem from a faulty MAF.

And MAFS go in the first place because people don't change their air filter !! .. What do you expect, crap and grime getting all over the sensor, its wear and tear. you can clean it if you like with an alcohol based solution

madpanfan

craichoe wrote:

And MAFS go in the first place because people don't change their air filter !! .. What do you expect, crap and grime getting all over the sensor, its wear and tear. you can clean it if you like with an alcohol based solution

The air filter is clean, so pehaps its the O2 sensor then?

SouperComputer

is the check engine/service light on?

madpanfan

No, the engine light does not come on.

Ratchet

i would first check

1)ht leads
2)coil pack


bad coilpack can burn the ECU(renault feature :eek: )


also check all the hoses for air leaks