Any idea what could cause my car problem?

aliasojo

Driving on dual carriageway today, I slowed down to leave via sliproad and the car (Renault Clio) started feeling 'stuttery'. It didn't seem to have much power when I accelerated again.

It's continued like this ever since. It's worse in the lower gears and not as bad in 4th/5th gear. I also heard a grating sound whilt reversing around a corner, don't know if that's linked or completely irrelevant.

There are no warning dashboard lights on.

Just called local garage and they said that in cases where power is an issue, they automatically send the car elsewhere to get put on the diagnostics computer as they don't have one.

I'm not sure whether to save time and go straight to a Renault garage. The car is nearly 8 years old with 50k on the clock in case it's relevant.

I've just been told the person who was responsible for getting the last service done.....didn't. I wondered if a blocked filter or fuel line might be an option? If so then any garage could sort that?

Just need some guidance please?

hartcjhart

could be a number of things so diagnostics is the way,BUT phone a few other garages to see if they have the equipment,I would imagine renault will charge at least £80 just to put it on the computer

aliasojo

Just spoke to another localish garage who said I could pop down and they'd quickly have a look. They suspected a coil problem when I described what was going on over the phone and when the chap heard the car he said he could hear it misfiring. What he didn't understand though was that no warning lights were on and nothing showed up on the handheld diagnostic thing he plugged in. He expected a misfiring message but there was nothing at all.

His best guess(es) at this point were coil problem, electrics problem or fuel injection problem. If it's one of the latter two he advised me to go to Renault.

What's worrying is that the rear windscreen washer no longer works either, you can spray the front window but when you twist the control to spray the rear window...it's the front one that gets sprayed again. That suggested I have some sort of electrical issue. I've left the car with him to let him have a better look but I'm not hopeful this is going to get sorted out either cheaply or quickly.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

tough one without a diagnostic, you may not have a engine management light on but the ECU's module would of saved the information relating to anything that has a problem with electronics,ignition etc it may have been that a ignition coil failed to spark ECU registered this as a cylinder mis-fire but then the coil operated fine again but as the fault was self rectified the engine management light did not illumanate, but the ecu thinks it has a problem and is in limp home mode. a diagnostic will help.

harveybobbles

It's a Renault, it'll be coil packs...

aliasojo

Turned out it is a coil prob, 3rd coil wasn't working properly. Car's now fixed and has only cost me £50 odd quid thankfully. Could have been a lot worse.

pizzahutdave

what about the grinding noise when reversing??? this rings alarm bells to me that the car shouldn't be driven till resolved

Wow

pizzahutdave wrote: »

what about the grinding noise when reversing??? this rings alarm bells to me that the car shouldn't be driven till resolved

Hmmmmmmmm does it just make a grinding noise when the OP is driving I wonder?

tomstickland

The ECU can only diagnose problems that it can sense.

bryanb

Clutch bearing or fingers?

aliasojo

Wow wrote: »

Hmmmmmmmm does it just make a grinding noise when the OP is driving I wonder?

Explain that comment please.