Car cranks but won't start

[Albert540]

Out of the blue (I've just done several hundred kms in the last 2 days) my Clio won't start anymore.
At the first attempt it almost started but then it died immediately.
Things I noticed: the whirring sound you hear when you turn the key (even without actually cranking the engine) has changed and is now a lot higher (in pitch) than it used to be.
Also, the throttle body is emitting a lot of strange electrical noises...
I disconnected the air inlet hose in order to see the actual throttle valve and I see that it responds strangely to changes in the throttle pedal: it stays fixed in its rest position until I press the pedal almost fully, then it opens completely (this is also reflected in the value reported via the OBD). Not sure if this is normal behavior when the car is off...

No error codes whatsoever reported by the ECU.

Any ideas? Throttle body? Fuel pump maybe?

 

[R20BTG]

There is a push fit fuel connector under the left hand side of the inlet manifold as you’re standing facing the car. Pop that off and put it in a container and crank the car over. If fuel flows out you can rule out the fuel pump. If you have fuel, my bet would be the TDC/crank sensor. Same thing happened on mine. It’s an easy swap.

 

[R20BTG]

Car stalled and now won’t start

Earlier I started the car and drove it out of the garage. I left it idling for about 5 minutes and then it slowly came to a stall and died. Now it won’t start. Key notes: Battery was flat before I started it, I had to charge it up for a bit before it would crank. Key turn switches on...

clio197.net

 

[Albert540]

This one?

 

[R20BTG]

No to the left down near the yellow oil cap

 

[R20BTG]

 

[Albert540]

Thanks, I'll try asap

 

[VeiRoNv2]

can you see the RPM value trough diagnostic? if so then the crank sensor is good,mine did it once with no error codes,it was wet from coolant and it wouldnt start.

 

[Albert540]

Actually, with just the ignition on and no cranking the RPM were reported to some 200 RPM...not sure if it could mean something or if it's just a glitch of the OBD reader

 

[Albert540]

No fuel from the line when cranking the car...other than the voltage on the pump itself, is there anything else I can check?

 

[RSRowe]

Actually, with just the ignition on and no cranking the RPM were reported to some 200 RPM...not sure if it could mean something or if it's just a glitch of the OBD reader

That would suggest an issue with either the crank or cam sensor.

 

[WheelerDave]

We’ve had a very similar problem with our X85 Cup Car and also my sons RS200 and it was crank sensor in both cases

Bought replacements in AutoDoc for about £10 and only takes about 20 mins to replace (do it front under the car once the plastic cover is replaced)

Good luck!

 

[Albert540]

Thanks for all the inputs...I wish I were that lucky and 20 minutes could solve the issue

I think I identified the culprit as the fuel pump:
- no fuel coming from the line when cranking the engine
- no fuel coming from the line when powering the pump directly through the connector in the engine bay (as per page 13A-36 of the manual)
- correct voltage present on the pump connector
- strange noise coming from the pump itself (the much higher than usual pitch I described at the beginning)

Is it worth trying anything else before dropping the tank?

 

[WheelerDave]

Sorry to bleat on, but have you changed the crank position sensor recently? They are a known weak spot on these cars, don’t show up on the scanner and only cost £10 to change. Worth doing before dropping the tank for sure.

We also checked the fuel pump on my son’s RS200 as we thought it was that. It did make a loud noise when priming, then went quieter. It turned out to all be fine.

Your symptoms do sound very similar to his car. It would run (looking back a bit rough), then as the revs dropped after after 30 mins of driving (say pulling up to a junction) the engine would die. It would then take a while the restart. Nothing came up on the scanner.

Hope this helps a bit….

 

[Albert540]

Thanks WheelerDave, however the fact I see no fuel coming from the line seems quite a strong indicator for the fuel pump...
Anyway, I could order both and try first with the new sensor, then in case proceed with the tank drop

 

[WheelerDave]

Good luck!

 

[VeiRoNv2]

I would never drop the tank,cut an access hole trough the rear bench,Pure Motorpsort sell a nice aluminium cover,infact it's a job I need to do in case I need to get to the pump.

 

[Albert540]

Tank dropped, pump replaced, and the Clio is alive again!
It's not such a terrible job as you'd expect, once you have disconnected the exhaust to have more space the tank comes out pretty easily (of course you have to first empty it).

I have just one small concern...I can hear a fairly strong noise of fuel flowing, like a constant gurgling, from the pump area. I'm not sure if it's just normal and I've never noticed it before due to the old pump being noisy in other ways (let me say, it doesn't surprise me that it finally failed), or if something is not as it should...
Anyway, I have already done about 100 km and the car is pulling strongly as ever.