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2003 Clio Immobiliser problems

17K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  tw176 
#1 ·
Hello all,

Having major problems with my 03 clio 1.4 16v dynamique. Have recently had the Body Control Module replaced due to water damage but only one key coded to the new BCM.

A few weeks later I went to start the car with the old key accidentally and the immobiliser wouldnt work. after about 20 minutes of turning on and off using the correct key the immobiliser turned off and the car started.

A few weeks go by, my girlfriend and I go down to pick up my new car and she has inherited my Clio as it was working and cheaper than buying a new C1! I have spent approx £2k keeping it on the road for its various issues over the last few years so i want to persist with it instead of flogging it for a grand or so.

After the journey she goes to move the Clio just after parking it and turning it off. The immobiliser wont turn off again, all kinds of warning lights are flashing on the dash like a christmas tree and none of the electrics work.

The engine wont turn over and only after pressing the internal door lock button over and over will it actually lock. the key doesnt lock or unlock the car electronically anymore and none of the electrics work.

It will cost me £70 just to get it to my local renault specialist before he even looks at it!

Any thoughts anyone?
 
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#3 ·
Hi, thanks for replying. My local renault specialist said it might be the battery or a bad earth. I have charged the battery but it only got to 75% and wouldnt charge any more so the battery might still be a bit dodgy.

I have also checked and cleaned the battery earth. Where would i find the engine to chassis earth lead?
 
#4 ·
Take the battery out of the car - go to a reputable battery supplier or decent auto-spark (I wouldn't recommend the fast-fit outlets) and get the battery load tested. Trying to measure charge or volts is not a good way of testing a battery - it needs to be tested with equipment that can measure amp/hours of CCA (cold cranking amps). Many decent outlets do this test for free.

The engine earth strap is usually around the gearbox bell housing but if you connect a jump lead from a metal part of the engine to the negative terminal of the battery this will serve as temporary earth for test purposes.
 
#5 ·
Finally fixed the problem!

Checked all my earth leads that I could see with no results, checked the earth from negative terminal to a good earth on the chassis using a multimeter and it showed resistance so i thought there was an broken/dirty earth lead that I couldnt see so gave up.

Called the AA out and told a few porkies saying that the problem had just happened and if you have homestart they will come round and try to fix it.

He checked the battery and it only showed 7.5v and no amps, as soon as he connected his starter pack onto the battery the central locking started working, but the immobiliser wouldn't turn off as it wasn't synced.

The AA guys have a tablet in their vans that show common problems with each car, the tip to sync the immobiliser again was to have the key in the ignition and turned all the way on, hold down the internal locking button until it beeps (5-15 seconds), take the key out, lock and unlock the car using the button on the key, put the key back in and start the car!

apparently you should change your battery every 4 years, but this one was 9.5 years old and had only just failed.

So all I need is a new battery and problem solved!

Thanks all for the help.
 
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