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Renault Laguna, Y reg. But why, Reg?


scaryoldcortina

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I got in mine the other day. It centrally-unlocked off the keycard OK but when i sat down and tried to start it all the electrics were completely dead! In the absence of a better idea I parped the horn and suddenly the red light in the door jamb came back on. I took the card out and put it back in and it started straight up. 8)

This is great! 😂😂

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FTP!!!

 

Picks its moments this one. Picture the scene - it's friday at 5.00 and the end of a slog of a week and a very cold rainy day. I locked up and got into the car, card in, press button and...

 

crankcrankcrankcrankcrank <stops>

 

Try again. Same. Swear at car.

 

Remove card, reinsert and try again. Same.

 

Beep horn. No different.

 

Waggle gearstick so violently the top comes off. Swear some more.

 

I reluctantly opened the garage up again, and fetched a tin of easystart, the OBD reader and a couple of likely looking sockets and a ratchet. Back out onto the lane where it's blowing a bloody gale, but I'm not moving 4 vehicles and pushing the car in on my own.

 

First - eliminate fuel as a problem (the light is on, but it only came on this morning - should be fine...) Card in, press button. While car is cranking run around to the front and spray easystart into the inlet. No change. Not a fuel problem then.

 

Next - OBD reader. Ideal time to try out SIC's Ohnorenault tool again - It connects now, and I used it to help condemn a 1.5DCi clio earlier in the week but it won't talk to the Lag. Something about it not being implemented yet then it disconnects the reader and won't reconnect. Used Torque instead... this showed me that there is no RPM signal when the engine is cranked. Other sensors all reporting fine, just no revs.

 

Finally - under the bonnet, gale blowing freezing rain up my back. Remove crank sensor, test with meter, verify reading with autodata. While it was out I also wiped the tip even though it looked ok and then put it back. Car starts first turn.... New crank sensor needed.

 

It started fine at asda, and again at home when I got back. If it won't go in the morning I'll use the focus instead.

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FTP!!!

 

Picks its moments this one. Picture the scene - it's friday at 5.00 and the end of a slog of a week and a very cold rainy day. I locked up and got into the car, card in, press button and...

 

crankcrankcrankcrankcrank <stops>

 

<snip>

New crank sensor needed.

Funny enough my Grandad phoned me about his Laguna II the other night with the exact same starting problems. The local "Renault Expert" came out and said it was the dephaser. However its the same engine as yours and afaik the dephasers in these just clatter, not cause a FTP like the 1.6 does. When his does it, it doesn't start, he then goes back in for a cup of tea and then tries again later. Once its running apparently, its no problem at all. As its low mileage (2002MY that is on ~25k odd) and used for short journeys, I did suspect it as a starter motor issue.

 

When I did a quick Google and looked on AutoData, it suggested that this starting problem is a symptom of a crank sensor on the Lags. Certainly not the first time that a crank sensor has caused FTP issues on a Renault... (Well on a lot of cars to be honest too)

 

Is the Crank Sensor easy to get to these on top, without having to move a whole load of junk?

 

Next - OBD reader. Ideal time to try out SIC's Ohnorenault tool again - It connects now, and I used it to help condemn a 1.5DCi clio earlier in the week but it won't talk to the Lag. Something about it not being implemented yet then it disconnects the reader and won't reconnect.

Ah. Your ECU is one of the awkward petrol one! It's a similar ECU that they put in the Clio II 1.4 & 1.6 petrols too. All the other Renault ECUs give error codes (albeit proprietary Renault ones). These buggers however have a byte array with individual bits giving the failure reason. I have one of these exact ECUs sitting on my desk waiting to be figured out - once I get the next (big) release with a whole load of Live Sensor readings up.

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Yeah, there is a reason I went straight for the crank sensor!

 

It's on the top of the gearbox, but you have to move the wiring loom and fiddle around under the water housing on the end of the block. Doable in 10 mins if you are motivated by the weather, and you only need a 10mm socket and wrench.

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Ah sorry, re-read above that it didn't register a RPM reading when cranking...

 

There actually is a code for the Crank sensor, but it can only be triggered if the starter has been running for more than 10 seconds or when the engine has been running for 2 minutes (?!).

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Bought a new crank sensor - £12. Not fitted yet because I want to scope the old one to see if there is a difference. It's in the glovebox for now along with the socket needed to change it, just in case.

 

I also saw the previous owner today, he seemed surprised at the amount of stuff that has gone wrong. I don't think he actually was, but he pretended it had never been any trouble ever like I didn't remember that he abandoned it in a huff and bought a different car.

 

Anyway, the reason for the chat was that his new primera (not new.... 02 plate) has a load of amusing electrical faults and uses a pint of oil a week, and he'd like it looked at!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Exciting* update time again!

 

I noticed it was clonking from the front again this morning, so I put it on the ramp reasonably confident that it was going to be the shitty quality droplinks again.

 

20160315_130016.jpg

 

Or it could have randomly snapped a spring while parked, or something. FFS. At least it didn't cost me a tyre, and it took less than a minute to locate this

 

20160315_130107.jpg

 

the other one of the pair of struts that was in the boot when I got the car.

 

20160315_134333.jpg

 

here it is half an hour later.

 

While I was faffing around with it, I had a look for the horn which has joined the list of stuff that doesn't work. It did work 11 days ago, but not today. Autodata says it lives under the bumper below the nearside headlamp, but I couldn't see it.

 

20160315_134449.jpg

 

I did spot this moody brake pipe on the ABS pump though. I've added it to the mental list of stuff to keep an eye on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It sort of works, but I also have a list of things to fix before MoT....

 

Current faults include*

 

  • Horn doesn't work
  • Brake pedal has become loose on its pivot (sideways movement)
  • Hazard warning switch won't switch on, and if it does it won't switch off. Switch removed but not replaced.
  • Something at the back of the car is going clonk
  • Something at the front of the car is STILL going clonk
  • Indicator stalk won't self cancel
  • Sometimes you have to waggle the gearstick or it won't start.
  • Engine has started tapping at idle when warm (GAH!)
  • Sometimes the SERV light comes on but there are no codes readable outside of a main dealers, 15 years ago.
  • Both front outer CV joints click like mad on full lock

 

But in the main it's just working. Mostly. I have no plans to change my username to something that shares its initials with the phrase "Shit Out of Luck".

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