Please help as no garage can find what's wrong.

[mrcactus]

So, I'll begin to explain all the issues I seem to be having that 4 garages I've been to can't tell me what's wrong.

Either I'm being paranoid as hell or the garages just aren't interested in helping me.

1) when starting the car on a cold morning or warm morning, the revs shoot up higher than normal then idles at a little over 1k. When the engine warms up, the revs drop to just below 1k. If I give it a quick rev then let the revs fall, it almost sounds/feels like it's about to cut out. Never did this 6 months or so ago.
If I try and drive it before I've given it chance to warm up, it kind of jolts/kangaroos a bit. And if I put the clutch down, the revs stay where they are.

2) power seems to be a problem still (I've posted about this before). If I put my foot down, there is a slight lag before the power kicks in again. When going about 50mph+, the car vibrates a little and it seems quite noisy.

3) when sat still or driving, it sounds like there is a hole in the exhaust almost directly under the drivers side... Despite the garage telling me the exhaust is OK.

4) I also smelled burning the other day when going uphill but put that down to me being in 5th gear trying to go up a steep gradient.

5) temperature gauge fluctuating from quarter to half way. If I hammer it, it goes up noticeably but if I cruise at sensible speed, it goes down a bit. If its at a quarter and I'm sat in traffic then it goes to half way rather quickly. Even when we had the hot weather here in the UK, it never went past half way so not sure if the temp gauge is something to be concerned abiut?

-Garage has plugged their computer thing into the car and no codes or errors reported.

-Coolant is where it should be

-oil is at perfect level and still relatively clear.

-the other fluid reservoir with the black circle on the cap is at the correct level.

-no smoke coming out of the exhaust and no

I really don't know whats wrong with this car and it's really getting to me now. I'm at a point where I don't even want to drive it due to fear of something else going wrong or if there is something wrong, I don't want to make it worse.

I know it's an 09 plate but all this has started in the past 6 months or so. I barely do 100 miles in it a month!

 

[RSRowe]

So, I'll begin to explain all the issues I seem to be having that 4 garages I've been to can't tell me what's wrong.

Either I'm being paranoid as hell or the garages just aren't interested in helping me.

1) when starting the car on a cold morning or warm morning, the revs shoot up higher than normal then idles at a little over 1k. When the engine warms up, the revs drop to just below 1k. If I give it a quick rev then let the revs fall, it almost sounds/feels like it's about to cut out. Never did this 6 months or so ago.
If I try and drive it before I've given it chance to warm up, it kind of jolts/kangaroos a bit. And if I put the clutch down, the revs stay where they are.

My old one did this... I have no explanation as to why.
The kangarooing/jolting is normal though - they all do it to some extent, some worse than others. A remap can help with that.

2) power seems to be a problem still (I've posted about this before). If I put my foot down, there is a slight lag before the power kicks in again. When going about 50mph+, the car vibrates a little and it seems quite noisy.

Sounds like it could be misfiring from that description. Replacing the front lambda would be my suggestion.

3) when sat still or driving, it sounds like there is a hole in the exhaust almost directly under the drivers side... Despite the garage telling me the exhaust is OK.

I can't help with this, but it is very common for the flexi's in the manifold to fail. If the garage say there's no leaks, then there's not really much else to suggest other than looking yourself.

4) I also smelled burning the other day when going uphill but put that down to me being in 5th gear trying to go up a steep gradient.

The car shouldn't smell at all.

5) temperature gauge fluctuating from quarter to half way. If I hammer it, it goes up noticeably but if I cruise at sensible speed, it goes down a bit. If its at a quarter and I'm sat in traffic then it goes to half way rather quickly. Even when we had the hot weather here in the UK, it never went past half way so not sure if the temp gauge is something to be concerned abiut?

The temp should reach half way and stay there, regardless of your driving. Thermostats are very common to fail, but are easily replaced and cheap. A car which is being overcooled can also cause poor running.

I really don't know whats wrong with this car and it's really getting to me now. I'm at a point where I don't even want to drive it due to fear of something else going wrong or if there is something wrong, I don't want to make it worse.

Sounds like it needs taking to a garage which works on these cars day in day out, and know all the slight nuances.

 

[matt9566]

I echo all of the advice from above but most importantly the last point of just taking it to a garage that works on these day in and day out. You could spend fortunes trying to guess what it would be and taking parts to a generic garage for them to fit.

3) I'd definitely suspect manifold, this wouldn't necessarily be checked at a generic garage they'd just look as your actual exhaust system I would have thought

5) Thermostat would definitely be my first point of call - Can cause more issues than you think with a faulty one

If you can let us know your rough location then there's plenty of people on here that will be able to recommend a trusted garage throughout the UK.

 

[mrcactus]

My old one did this... I have no explanation as to why.
The kangarooing/jolting is normal though - they all do it to some extent, some worse than others. A remap can help with that.


Sounds like it could be misfiring from that description. Replacing the front lambda would be my suggestion.


I can't help with this, but it is very common for the flexi's in the manifold to fail. If the garage say there's no leaks, then there's not really much else to suggest other than looking yourself.


The car shouldn't smell at all.


The temp should reach half way and stay there, regardless of your driving. Thermostats are very common to fail, but are easily replaced and cheap. A car which is being overcooled can also cause poor running.


Sounds like it needs taking to a garage which works on these cars day in day out, and know all the slight nuances.

Thank you for your informative response! I'll start with your suggestions and go from there. Hopefully it won't be too expensive!

 

[mrcactus]

I echo all of the advice from above but most importantly the last point of just taking it to a garage that works on these day in and day out. You could spend fortunes trying to guess what it would be and taking parts to a generic garage for them to fit.

3) I'd definitely suspect manifold, this wouldn't necessarily be checked at a generic garage they'd just look as your actual exhaust system I would have thought

5) Thermostat would definitely be my first point of call - Can cause more issues than you think with a faulty one

If you can let us know your rough location then there's plenty of people on here that will be able to recommend a trusted garage throughout the UK.

Thanks for your reply!
I'm located in South Wales UK, near Cardiff city.

 

[EthanMenace]

I think supreme motorsport is somewhere near there, not used them myself but they used to do a lot of clios

 

[Beany]

Aye speak to Matt at Supreme, he’s done afew clios and sorted mine out

 

[Frank Perry]

In this order;

Replace the thermostat ASAP - as mentioned above, if the car is constantly adjusting the map (likely running rich) to try and get it up to temp, it'll cause performance issues. I had a busted thermostat and replaced it within 20 minutes, noticeable difference immediately. Get genuine as they are rated at a different temperature to others - don't question it, just trust us! Genuine thermostat part number 8200772994 or can be found HERE.

Cold starts can be rough, especially when the temperature has dropped lately and combining that with the above issue with the thermostat, it is likely going to be much worse. A remap will fix this but I would strongly advise against it until you have resolved the following;
- Check ignition coils. Look INSIDE the coils for corrosion - if you have even the slightest inkling there's a bad coil, get it replaced.
- Check spark plugs - Fresh (genuine) plugs would be ideal if you haven't replaced them in the last ~2 years. If you don't have the correct plugs (PFR7Z-TG - or genuine Renault p/n 8200492426) then get them replaced.
- Check your exhaust - especially the manifold/flexi's. These are known to fail and as you have already stated - "it sounds like there is a hole in the exhaust almost directly under the drivers side"... I'm 90% confident without even looking, that your exhaust is blowing it's tits off. If it is the manifold flexi's, I'd get the Toyo Sports or Gravity manifold as a replacement. Toyo one can be found HERE.
- When you do the manifold, it's ideal to replace the engine mounts for new or go for the Powerflex inserts, this will stiffen up the engine within the chassis and cause additional vibrations however, stops the manifold from potentially knocking on subframe and/or causing unnecessary wear to the exhaust flexi. You can find the upper, lower and gearbox mount inserts HERE.

Once you have completed the above - get it remapped. You have a number of options to choose from, I went down the remote remap from fastchip.nl - using the RSTuner box and live data logging, you will send some data logs of your vehicle to a chap named Henk who will analyse the data and produce a custom calibration/map suited to your vehicle. Check this link HERE for more details - the kit comes with the box & a remote remap included. These can do so much more than just a map, particularly useful if you need to read error codes and troubleshoot etc.
Alternative mapping options include driving to the likes of K-Tec or another reputable Renault mapper (I'm sure the lads here can help when you get to this stage) and have it done whilst you wait.

I hope this helps and keep us updated along the way.

PS - now that you have seen the benefits of this forum, please do consider becoming a member

 

[mrcactus]

In this order;

Replace the thermostat ASAP - as mentioned above, if the car is constantly adjusting the map (likely running rich) to try and get it up to temp, it'll cause performance issues. I had a busted thermostat and replaced it within 20 minutes, noticeable difference immediately. Get genuine as they are rated at a different temperature to others - don't question it, just trust us! Genuine thermostat part number 8200772994 or can be found HERE.

Cold starts can be rough, especially when the temperature has dropped lately and combining that with the above issue with the thermostat, it is likely going to be much worse. A remap will fix this but I would strongly advise against it until you have resolved the following;
- Check ignition coils. Look INSIDE the coils for corrosion - if you have even the slightest inkling there's a bad coil, get it replaced.
- Check spark plugs - Fresh (genuine) plugs would be ideal if you haven't replaced them in the last ~2 years. If you don't have the correct plugs (PFR7Z-TG - or genuine Renault p/n 8200492426) then get them replaced.
- Check your exhaust - especially the manifold/flexi's. These are known to fail and as you have already stated - "it sounds like there is a hole in the exhaust almost directly under the drivers side"... I'm 90% confident without even looking, that your exhaust is blowing it's tits off. If it is the manifold flexi's, I'd get the Toyo Sports or Gravity manifold as a replacement. Toyo one can be found HERE.
- When you do the manifold, it's ideal to replace the engine mounts for new or go for the Powerflex inserts, this will stiffen up the engine within the chassis and cause additional vibrations however, stops the manifold from potentially knocking on subframe and/or causing unnecessary wear to the exhaust flexi. You can find the upper, lower and gearbox mount inserts HERE.

Once you have completed the above - get it remapped. You have a number of options to choose from, I went down the remote remap from fastchip.nl - using the RSTuner box and live data logging, you will send some data logs of your vehicle to a chap named Henk who will analyse the data and produce a custom calibration/map suited to your vehicle. Check this link HERE for more details - the kit comes with the box & a remote remap included. These can do so much more than just a map, particularly useful if you need to read error codes and troubleshoot etc.
Alternative mapping options include driving to the likes of K-Tec or another reputable Renault mapper (I'm sure the lads here can help when you get to this stage) and have it done whilst you wait.

I hope this helps and keep us updated along the way.

PS - now that you have seen the benefits of this forum, please do consider becoming a member

Thanks Frank. Just ordered the thermostat from the link you provided. Will have to watch a YouTube video to see how to fit it, I'm not confident with cars at all

 

[Frank Perry]

Thanks Frank. Just ordered the thermostat from the link you provided. Will have to watch a YouTube video to see how to fit it, I'm not confident with cars at all

No worries. It's very straight forward. I think there is a guide on here how to do it but you may need to be a paid member to access that section of the forum.

 

[Frank Perry]

Or use this;

It's in French but if you're happy to follow visually, you'll be fine.

 

[mrcactus]

I swear things are getting worse. On the way back from work and going uphill at 60mph, tried to overtake in 6th gear. Put my foot down and there was a small boost, followed by lack of power, then boost again then the car started to judder a bit and had a smell of egg in the car.
What is wrong with my god dam car. Is this the clutch, thermostat issue or what?

 

[RSRowe]

Replacing the front lambda would be my suggestion.



Sounds like it needs taking to a garage which works on these cars day in day out, and know all the slight nuances.

^^ still those things

 

[mrcactus]

^^ still those things

Does the lambda sensor need to be an original renault part or?

I'm worried when buying parts for a car as in the past I've bought what I think are the right parts and been completely wrong.

 

[RSRowe]

Nope, but a good quality one from Bosch is what I would suggest.

 

[S24nrc]

If unsure buy from a site such as Renault Parts Direct or KAM Racing. They will have the correct part listed for your car.

 

[matt9566]

I swear things are getting worse. On the way back from work and going uphill at 60mph, tried to overtake in 6th gear. Put my foot down and there was a small boost, followed by lack of power, then boost again then the car started to judder a bit and had a smell of egg in the car.
What is wrong with my god dam car. Is this the clutch, thermostat issue or what?

I mean this in the nicest way possible - Going up hill, trying to overtake and in 6th gear just sounds wrong to me - I haven't driven a Clio in a few years but it's a ~190bhp Naturally Aspirated car, there isn't a 'boost' to kick in and I'd have definitely been in a lower gear.

The boost sensation could be the clutch slipping and the revs building and dropping (but no speed increase) partly to do with being in a too high gear which is highlighting it more, this is what it was like when my R26 clutch was slipping it only did it in higher gears.

We could be here all week guessing though, I'd just take it to a well known specialist and let them do what they're paid to do, an hours diagnostics labour is better than throwing parts at it

 

[mrcactus]

I mean this in the nicest way possible - Going up hill, trying to overtake and in 6th gear just sounds wrong to me - I haven't driven a Clio in a few years but it's a ~190bhp Naturally Aspirated car, there isn't a 'boost' to kick in and I'd have definitely been in a lower gear.

The boost sensation could be the clutch slipping and the revs building and dropping (but no speed increase) partly to do with being in a too high gear which is highlighting it more, this is what it was like when my R26 clutch was slipping it only did it in higher gears.

We could be here all week guessing though, I'd just take it to a well known specialist and let them do what they're paid to do, an hours diagnostics labour is better than throwing parts at it

You probably are right, I shouldn't have been in 6th gear trying to overtake uphill.

Thing is with this car, I'm still unsure where the healthy area should be for the revs, but then again I'm not used to a car like this. Previous cars I've had have always been slower, less sporty.

Boost was the only way I could describe the way the car acts... Almost feels like it lags before it has a boost of power.

 

[ToTheBrapMobile]

Comments on what you’ve put above:

- exhaust blow from below you could be midbox. Mine sounds really rattly/ crunchy both times it blew there. I’ve bitten the bullet and got a second hand Milltek to go on now but check there. Have the car running and squirt some water round the joints. If there’s bubbles, there’s a blow.

- like it has been mention before these cars aren’t good with cold starts. Let it warm up properly before driving. Thermostat change will 100% help this.

- the ‘boost’ sounds like the clutch has gone. These cars have pretty easy power delivery. When my R50 has an oil leak it got the clutch wet and it would do something similar to what you described. Slipping and gripping again.

I’m new to these cars too. So also getting used to it. Forums and Facebook groups are okay. Fortunately they have always been handy and have helped me solve issues. That being said I’m taking my 200 to RenTech in a couple weeks to fit the new exhaust, sort a couple issues and do an RS Clio specific health check to let me know what to look out for. An expert getting hands on with your car is the best thing you can do. For an hour of labour they will tell you more then hours trawling on the internet.

 

[Helpimonfire]

I had running issues with my 06 197 recently, struggling to idle, running on 2 cylinders and being hesitant on throttle. I put a new front/upstream lambda in and it's cured it. Bosch part number 0258006046, £42 from Autodoc if you're not in a rush. (Check the plug is correct though as there are 2 types depending on the year but I don't know when it changed). My lambda also worked itself loose and it sounded like an exhaust blow. Even if there's no engine management light, it may still throw an error code so always worth getting it plugged in to check.