Engine stuttering problem

[mjolnir]

My Clio 1.2 has a stuttering problem. Happens most of the time when cold-started. Feels like you don't have enough revs for the particular gear, but acts like a speed limiter - this happens on and off, through gears 1-4 (upshift), for 2-3 seconds at a time, then clears up. Not really a problem when the engines settled.

Need to sell the car in 2 months and this will certainly crop up when anyone decides to test drive it. Any suggestions on what might be the cause?

[thebear]

Originally Posted by mjolnir

My Clio 1.2 has a stuttering problem. Happens most of the time when cold-started. Feels like you don't have enough revs for the particular gear, but acts like a speed limiter - this happens on and off, through gears 1-4 (upshift), for 2-3 seconds at a time, then clears up. Not really a problem when the engines settled.

Need to sell the car in 2 months and this will certainly crop up when anyone decides to test drive it. Any suggestions on what might be the cause?

Sounds like a bad Oxygen sensor or something that will make the emission control system think that the engine needs `modulation'.

[Dave Brand]

I agree with the bear - could be a defective lambda probe. The only way you'll sort a problem like that is to get a diagnostic check done; don't waste time & money replacing parts at random in the hope of finding the fault.

[BertMk2]

My girlfriends Clio is somewhat troublesome at the moment as well, the engine just dies (normally at junctions - seems to be related to low revs) - it doesn't stall, it just cuts out. Sometimes it restarts on the first turn other times it'll take a couple of attempts to get it back up and running. Odd and very annoying, it's also a bit random so there's no point in taking it to a garage (it'll be fine for days and then do it).

Anybody got any ideas?

[thebear]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Anybody got any ideas?

Looks like the same thing (Oxygen Sensor/Lambda PROBE).

[graham bahr]

it WONT be the oxygen sensor, the management system will ignore it until the engine is upto working temp, the purpose of the sensor is to fine tune the mixture and get t chemically correct which you can only do on a hot engine, infact the sensor will also contain a heating element to bring it up to working temp quicker, but even then until you've been driving for about 15mins, the engine ecu will be working in open loop (ignoring the sensor) only switching to closed loop (using the sensor) when the coolant is fully upto temperature.

anyone ever wondered why it takes so long to do an MOT emiision test on a cat equiped car?

[graham bahr]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

My girlfriends Clio is somewhat troublesome at the moment as well, the engine just dies (normally at junctions - seems to be related to low revs) - it doesn't stall, it just cuts out. Sometimes it restarts on the first turn other times it'll take a couple of attempts to get it back up and running. Odd and very annoying, it's also a bit random so there's no point in taking it to a garage (it'll be fine for days and then do it).

Anybody got any ideas?

most likely the throttle and or idle control valve need cleaning with some carb cleaner

[graham bahr]

Originally Posted by mjolnir

Need to sell the car in 2 months and this will certainly crop up when anyone decides to test drive it. Any suggestions on what might be the cause?

want a real simple fix?

make sure its already warm before the test drive, it dont get any cheaper

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by graham bahr

most likely the throttle and or idle control valve need cleaning with some carb cleaner

Now that sounds like the sort of fix I like! Simple and cheap I'll give that a bash - it's got to be better than taking it to a garage to find out what's wrong.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by graham bahr

it WONT be the oxygen sensor, the management system will ignore it until the engine is upto working temp, the purpose of the sensor is to fine tune the mixture and get t chemically correct which you can only do on a hot engine, infact the sensor will also contain a heating element to bring it up to working temp quicker, but even then until you've been driving for about 15mins, the engine ecu will be working in open loop (ignoring the sensor) only switching to closed loop (using the sensor) when the coolant is fully upto temperature.

Maybe Alfas are different! The symptoms of a failed lambda probe on mine were that it would lose power & be reluctant to rev above about 2,500 after approximately a quarter of a mile's driving from a cold start, but would run OK again when the temperature gauge was up to about 80 degrees (normal running temperature is 90 degrees).

[SpawnyWhippet]

I had a similar problem on a Formula Renault 2 litre with a Laguna engine - the lambda sensor had failed.

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

My girlfriends Clio is somewhat troublesome at the moment as well, the engine just dies (normally at junctions - seems to be related to low revs) - it doesn't stall, it just cuts out. Sometimes it restarts on the first turn other times it'll take a couple of attempts to get it back up and running. Odd and very annoying, it's also a bit random so there's no point in taking it to a garage (it'll be fine for days and then do it).

Anybody got any ideas?

Mhh. Perhaps it is a bit too late to post but I had the exact same problem. Stuttering (hey I didn't know that word before I posted ) and the engine would die when coming to a stop. After replacing the fuel filter as well as checking fuel lines among other things I took it to the dealer where they hooked up the ECU to a computer and the culprit was found: The oxygen sensor. replaced it and haven't had a problem since.