Renault Clio - Mystery Button? - Still Knackered!!

[Cheggers]

Under the bonnet of darling daughter's Clio (2000 1.4 8v) there's a red, rubber-covered button next to the positive battery terminal. It seems to be a simple non-latching press button, I suspect to reset something in typical French car workaround style.

 

Does anyone know what it does?? - sometimes the car just spins over without firing, which is "fixed" by disconnecting the battery, I wonder if the magic button is related??

 

All ideas gratefully received

[Rocket88]

Fuel cut off re-set switch?

[25v6turbo]

Yep its the fuel cut offf switch,don,t touch it!

[25v6turbo]

Also the spinning over without starting is likely to be the tdc sensor.

[Cheggers]

Excellent, thanks chaps!!

[DSdriver]

Sorted, and no one asked if she calls you Papa. Oh...

[Cheggers]

Oh flaps

 

Removed & cleaned the tdc sensor and now it won't start at all. I suspect the act of removing & cleaning has tipped the sensor over the edge

[Cheggers]

Update: Removed the sensor again & cleaned up the connectors, and the car now starts

 

It looks like a replacement sensor from Renault comes with a modified connector as the old ones are less than reliable, I'll get one ordered & swap it over during the Christmas break.

[Morgan84]

I guess its better in a way it breaks down on your driveway,than if the car conks out miles away from home. Try your local motor factors first,as they might stock a quality OE replacement at a more favorable cost. Brands like Lucas,Bosch and Sagem usually make those components,and can be readily available without going down the main dealer route

[25v6turbo]

See i know my Renaults!!!

The loom and sensor will be about £65,the loom is almost as much as the sensor,make sure you wire the loom the right way round.

[Station]

Think this switch cuts fuel off in a bump. If it has made a mistake, then you just press the top and it resets and starts fuelling again.

[Cheggers]

See i know my Renaults!!!

The loom and sensor will be about £65,the loom is almost as much as the sensor,make sure you wire the loom the right way round.

 

You sure do, thanks for your help with this

[Albert Ross]

It also cuts if the immobiliser/alarm system is activated during a break in. (Or if the key fucks up constantly, whichever is sooner) A mate had one "attempted stolen" and it was at the end of his street. The Police towed it 9 miles away and charged him storage, with excess time fees if he didn't collect it before 6pm on a Bank Holiday Friday. He walked there, and I nipped after work, to the 'pound, and got him going again at 17:57. Police yard mechanic was stunned. "We've been pushing that heap around for an hour trying to get it started.... I thought it was the battery...." Twats. My mate lobbed me a score and I fitted a replacement window for him, and it's been faultless since that day. Yeah, I know, a Renault too.

[tooSavvy]

TDC sensor seems quite robust in service - not failing inside - but connectors are $hite. If you take it out to clean it then that is the danger point... Proton Savvy owners [same D4F Clio motor] have been soldering the wires and that gets an original, as in factory original fitment, working reliably.

Mine is 5yr old, never missed a beat & never cleaned... TDC that is

 

tooSavvy

[stuboy]

self destruct button

[Cheggers]

New sensor & wiring fitted and car has started OK since, but you know what these intermittent faults are like...we will wait & see.

[Cheggers]

Flaps!!

 

Just went out to start the Clio and it would only fire after disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. No MIL, no fault codes but no spark either. As soon as the battery was off & on again it started straight away. Bloody thing.

 

Any ideas??

[blackburied]

Try www.cliosport.net Someone will have a fairly definitive answer for you

[Morgan84]

Immobiliser fault maybe ?