Have you checked the coil pack and ht leads? Years ago my 1998 clio had similar symptoms and it was the coil pack that needed replacement. It was always intermittent but when replaced everything was perfect.

 

To be honest it sounds similar to my car when I first got it. The battery had enough power in it to start the car each morning and it ran fine even in freezing conditions, but would do the random limp mode too.
Changing the battery for a new and better output one completely cured it, this can be said for many owners cars on this forum with the same symptoms. Renault and indeed many other modern cars are very power hungry. If their ecu’s (or computers) don’t see the amount of voltage they expect to, they will throw a light up on the dashboard and go into limp mode.
Many owners baulk at buying a battery because their car starts each day, modern cars use so much power nowadays that replacement is far more commonly necessary.

 

Its been said and I have read many comments over the years that Renault sell more part looms in a week that we have sunday lunches..I'm guessing that given the age of the car the loom can't cope with the power it has to take so causing this problem..you found the obvious one [chaffing ] but there are many other related symptoms that can also cause limp mode..
Wiring and wiring connections being the biggest cause of it..

 

Hi Alianco and welcome,
You could have a failing crank position sensor.
Any chance of getting the codes read. Torque app is free and a link can be got online for a tenner.

 

Just an afterthought, as you said it sometimes struggles to start. When it does this take a look at the immobilizer light, mine would every so often fail to start but each time it did this the light remained on steady red, the starter would always kick in but it would go no further. As above it was the crank sensor needed replacing.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I'll start going through the suggestions and get back if I need more advice.
Brendan W, can you expand on your reply? What is the 'link' and where can I buy it? I am in France, but still buy from UK ebay and others where it is cheaper than here.
Thanks

 

A gizmo that plugs into your diagnostic port and reads out on android phone..

Torque Pro ELM 327 Android OBD Bluetooth Fault Scanner / Diagnostic Code Reader: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Buy Torque Pro ELM 327 Android OBD Bluetooth Fault Scanner / Diagnostic Code Reader at Amazon UK. Free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

Thanks Phil48, I've ordered one that should come the middle of next week.

 

Do I need Torque pro or will torque lite do just for error codes?

 

Not sure what the difference is tbh. I'm running Pro. Might have to check a few stores to get it free.
The ELMs can be got in wifi or bluetooth. Make sure your device can do whichever you choose.
I'm using bluetooth on an ancient Sony Xperia J.

 

Hi, a bit more info in case it ring any bells with anyone. I just did an OBD test and there was a stored fault code, P0220. This is a Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit Malfunction. This ties in with my experience of driving the car. I have paid more attention to when the the light comes on and it goes into limp mode. It seems to happen mostly at slow speeds when I take my foot off the throttle at roundabouts and turnings. The car goes into limp mode before I have a chance to accelerate. So a throttle circuit fault of some sort is looking the most likely. Why it takes half an hour of motoring to show up and then happen relatively frequently may or may not be a red herring.
My questions are:
Is a garage diagnostic test likely to pinpoint the exact problem or in this sort of case will their equipment just find the same error code?
In the throttle train, which part tends to fail the most?
I am tempted to start with the cheapest and easiest first step of checking and cleaning the throttle body. I understand this has solved the problem for some people. After that it starts to cost money. A new loom (or section of loom, how do know which part to buy?) and/or a pedal position sensor.
Any advice gratefully received as always.

 

Another thought. The car starts and idles perfectly other than needing a bit of gas when hot. If the throttle body was dirty wouldn't that make the idle erratic? Looking at the faff involved in getting to the throttle body I'm starting to think it's not the easiest first job to try if it is as unlikely as I now think that it is the problem.

 

If its a faff then you have the D4f 712 engine and yes its a right faff to get to..722 engine is simples..have a look at the
Accelerator/potentiometer pedal..unplug it and spray some contact cleaner on the contacts to clean off any signs of corrosion..if the throttle body ICV is dirty then you will have to bite the bullet ..

 

Phil48, thanks for the reply. Yes, mine's the difficult engine. I've worked on cars and a huge number on old British bikes back when I had hair and a leather jacket, but I'm older and lazier now and getting to the throttle body fills me with dread. I know assumption is the mother of all f**kups, but I think it's a throttle problem. The car runs really well until limp mode and then restarts and runs well again. I've checked all the electrical plugs I can find including the throttle pedal one, WD40d them and put them back. I think I'm going to replace the throttle pedal and hope that fixes the problem.

 

I might be wrong here but if my memory serves me right there was an issue with a loom rubbing through on this engine.

Check either to the left or right of the coolant expansion tank, I think it was the ecu cover that was the issue.

As said I might be wrong completely but I remember having to do this repair before on my clio that went into limp mode and then eventually died.

 

Yes well known fault..remove the ecu metal safety box and dump it..only applies to D4F712 engine iirc..

 

Yes, that was the first thing I checked after advice from various forums. On mine the black box had been removed and though I found one cable where the outer was worn through in one small spot there was no damage to the copper so I cleaned it and taped it up.
To add to the list of possible problems I read that the white multiple connector under the fuses in the engine bay can get dirty and the pins corroded. I checked mine and the outer was dirty, but looked ok inside. I gave the pins a light clean with a fine emery board and WD40d the plug and socket. The next time I drove it was much worse, going into limp mode a dozen times in 2km and without the half hour warm up period like before (today it drove fine with only one limp mode episode!). Hopefully that has narrowed it down to a loose connection on one of the leads into the connector that I must have disturbed. My next step will be to run the engine and fiddle with the connector cables to see if I can induce it into limp mode, something it has never done on idle. If I can I can then experiment with wriggling one cable at a time until I find the culprit. Here's hoping.
After all the stories about people spending a fortune on one replacement after another and still having the problem I'm trying to apply logic to narrow down more specifically the bit that needs replacing. I am relatively lucky that so far the car is still safe to ride while I try to figure it out.
I'll keep this thread going either way in case someone else comes across it looking for answers.