car question?

Question

i have a 1996 renault clio and its just passed it's mot with flying colours. it starts first time and is a great little runner. i have noticed though when i am at a stand still or in nutueral say at traffic lights the engine sounds like it's gonna cut out. it doesnt constantly run like it should it dies down untill it's about to stall then picks up and again and does this untill i drive off again. no funny comments about having a crap car please. anyone in the know how that can help tell me what the problem is and what needs done so i dont get ripped off at the garage. thanks for your time.

Answer 1

Clean your injectors ( I don't know if this car has carbs) is my first piece of advice.

Second is that your idle needs to be adjusted. Again not familiar with the car so I can't say if it's electronically controlled or not. Let the mechanic do this. If you screw it up, good luck getting it right after that.

Third - Do some research about your car from Chilton or Haynes. They make manuals for every car on the road ( that is, if one has made it's way to the US).

Fourth do a THOROUGH tune up on the car. Plugs, wires, oil, all filters and replace all the easy to get to sensors on the car. Cap and rotor if it applies. Don't forget the air-filter. Look into having the transmission fluid flushed and changed if it's an automatic. You would be surprised how much of an effect that will have.

Answer 2

I'm, I'm not familiar with this car but some engines act this way when the idle solenoid / mechanical mechanism get stuck due to carbon build up. Spray it with carb cleaner then some sort of thin lubricant. Change the PVC valve. Check the EGR valve, they get stuck a lot. My ranger behaves like your car but I think there’s water in the gas after sitting 2 years after I screwed it up so bad. I put alcohol in the gas but I haven’t run the 2 yo gas out so I'm not going to worry about it now. After market spark plug wires suck. If yours are OK don't change them. If you do buy new wires, ask for the good wires. Chances are they will have to order them. They only stock the ones that suck and will only last about a year. Open the hood after dark and look for sparks. With the engine running use an insulated tool and pull one plug wire at a time and see if the RPM changes. If the RPM changes when you remove the plug wire swap the wire then do the same thing again. Normally it’s easier to remove the plug wires at the distributor. If the engine is port injected you can do the same type test by disconnecting one injector at a time. Usually the engine will miss while driving down the road if the plug wires are bad. Ohhhhhhh. Check your voltage at Idle. Some computers won’t operate properly without the right voltage (not likely but possible). Then there is fuel injector cleaners that also treat for water in the tank. The cleaner doesn’t cost much so pouring a can in the gas tank is worth the investment. Don’t make a habit of this because it can foul the plugs and too much can damage the fuel injector. Read the computer codes but don’t rely solely on the results because they steer you in the wrong direction about 60% of the time. Then there are vacuum leaks to consider. A vacuum leak will definitely cause your engine to act this way. Spray a little carburetor cleaner around your vacuum lines, intake manifold etc. and listen for the RPM to increase. Just do a small area at a time. Disconnect the vacuum line that penetrates the fire wall. Put your finger over the line and listen for a smooth idle. If all this fails consider finding a good honest mechanic. This rambling isn’t in any logical order.

Answer 3

When was it last serviced? If you paid for this at MOT they should have checked spark plugs, changed oil and oil and air filters - this can all hamper performance especially in older cars. Renaults (and I am on my second) do not have the most reliable history with their electrical system either so if the problem is still ongoing after a basic service then see if you can get a diagnostic run (shop around for a good deal first). Ask to see anything taken out for replacement too - it always foxes them. Good luck

Answer 4

Avnaleek has the answer to this is suspect. Step up the base idle speed to prevent the engine speed dropping to low. The reason the engine picks up on its own is the auto choke operating, this will cost you more on fuel and cause the engine to choke up with deposits. Simply step up the idle and it should make a difference. If not it could mean the mixture needs a small adjustment. Either running to rich or to weak and the ecu is compensating to make the car idle

Answer 5

My ex-girlfriend had a problem similar to this on her 96 Clio. I had allsorts of bits off the intakes, checked all the engine sensors and buggered about with a coil pack from a scrapyard too!

What fixed it? New spark plugs and leads! If you're still using the original spark plug leads they are probably knackered by now. Fit good quality plugs too. The friendly chaps at Halfords will be able to help.

Hope this sorts you out :-)

Answer 6

I'm just surprised nobody has specifically mentioned the fuel filter/pump or fuel injection system, make sure to replace the filter, check the pump while your at it, and have your injection system checked out (if the car has one). If it's not getting the right amount of fuel, your car would have trouble staying running in idle, may not die but would sputter and all. But once you gas it, it would seem fine but it would be a lot less powerful then it should be.

Answer 7

Just get your engine idler adjusted and get the rpm a little up. it should fix it....and about the car....i personally think its one of the best economical cars around....

hope this helps

Answer 8

the first thing is ....to connect the codes reader.
that will pin point the sensor in trouble

Answer 9

you may have some bad fuel,or water in you fuel tank. try a fuel cleaner in your fuel tank.