Renault Magane Not Starting In Cold Weather. Renault Can't Help Please Can You?

dizzy_lizzie

Can anyone help. We have a Renault Megane 1.9 Diesel. Had problems since we bought it. When it's warm it starts fine but when it's cold it's a nightmare. Had a diagnostic check, by an independant garage and they said they were sure it was a fault with the ignition. Said the part had to come fromm Germany. So had a new ignition fitted and no luck there.! Had a diagnostic check at a garage that specialises in diesels and taken it to the renault garage, they couldn't find a fault either but said it could be the 'relay' Hubby bought a new one and fitted it but it wasn't that either! Had the glow plugs changed but this hasn't helped at all. They still come on when driving. Fed up spending money on it now, has gone into a few hundred...and problem not solved :mad:
It takes at least 10 starts and a wait inbetween each one. Then after lots of 'swearing' and threatening it with the scrap yard, it'll start. Can then leave for a few hours and the problem happens again. Dreading this winter again, don't think I can go through it all like last winter. Can't get rid of it because we took out a loan and still have a couple of years to go!!! We've even left it at the garages overnight on the forecourt so they can see what happens but guess what, it's never happened for them :mad: I'm convinced it's doing it on purpose!!
Please, does anyone have any suggestions as to what it may be or has anyone suffered anything similar and what did you do to solve it.
Much appreciate any help with this. x

harveybobbles

Next time it fails to start, open the bonet and pour hot water around the glow plug/injector area. See if it starts ok...

harveybobbles

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Can't get rid of it because we took out a loan and still have a couple of years to go!!!

Was it a loan or HP agreement?
If its HP, then no you can't. but if it's a personal loan then you can wave bye bye to the pesky thing!

But I'd try hot water first...

dizzy_lizzie

Thanks harveybobbles for your quick reply,will tell hubby to try that in the morning. It's a loan with the bank. May have to get rid and just get a bigger loan, trouble is I'd feel awful if a garage sold it to someone else when it's doing this. Mind you we got sold it!! x

harveybobbles

Thats what we do in the winter when we need to move our old part exchanges to auction and the damm things won start lol

dizzy_lizzie

Oh tricks of the trade. I hope it works but as you say if it can't be sorted I think it'll have to go, but don't want to take out a bigger loan. :sad: x

The_Economist

Had the glow plugs changed but this hasn't helped at all. They still come on when driving.

What actually do you mean by this?

harveybobbles

Other thing to try; when you turn the ignition on in the mornong, leave it for the light to go out, then turn the ignition off, then back on again, then have a go at starting... xx

dizzy_lizzie

Thanks but tried that and makes no difference. Have tried different time lengths too x

harveybobbles

How old is the car in question? Does the glow plug light go out, then start to flash...?!

dizzy_lizzie

The_Economist wrote: »

Had the glow plugs changed but this hasn't helped at all. They still come on when driving.

What actually do you mean by this?

The glow plugs were lighting up when driving so thought that may be the fault so bought new ones but it wasn't this. The garage checked them and they were fine. Probably bought new ones for no reason! But these are still coming on when driving and go off intermittently. x