Newb question re: coil packs

[19megane77]

Hi

The "Service" and "Engine Management" lights have come up, and has stayed on, on my dash (sorry, 2005cc 1.6vvt dynamique) and i have been reading the many many posts here about the "Toxic Fumes" problem that seems to be the cause of this.

There are plenty of people stating that the coil packs are the likely cause of this and I am totally unaware of what a coil pack is, how much they cost, where to get them from and how easy they would be for me to replace (bearing in mind i have no idea about what goes on under the bonnet of my car!).

Is anyone able to assist me by giving me an idea of what this error message actually suggests is wrong? The car runs fine, so there is no obvious sign that something needs fixing, and with this in mind i'm intrigued to know what the problem is??

Also, would it need to go to a renault garage to get fixed or could i take it to my local garage? If theres any way i could have a quick check of the coil packs myself that be good also, so i can go armed with some useful information! i preseume that i'll get charged a fortune at a renault garage just for them to diagnose the problem?

And finally, is it an expensive to get done, assuming it is the coil pack(s) - whatever they are!!!!

Thanks in advance to anyone that can assist!

[markren2004]

see thew common issues sticky viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8855

coils don't usually throw warning light until one fails and the engine runs rough enough that you notice anyway , so sounds like cam sensor to me rather than coils.
coils from motor factor approx £20 each, cam sensor part from main dealer £35 - both easy DIY jobs.

[19megane77]

see thew common issues sticky viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8855

coils don't usually throw warning light until one fails and the engine runs rough enough that you notice anyway , so sounds like cam sensor to me rather than coils.
coils from motor factor approx £20 each, cam sensor part from main dealer £35 - both easy DIY jobs.

hi mate, cheers for the reply. i followed the advice of a few people on another thread and phoned the AA. chap came out and told me that it was indeed the cam sensor (error code was something like p3040...not sure exactly). He reset the lights on the dash and told me that it'd probably come on again eventually. But he had a problem getting the codes to reset and clear the warning lights as he said he needed the car to have the ignition on but the engine not running which he couldn't figure out with the key card. just sticking the card in woudlnt allow him to reset it and having the engine running prevented him from reseting the codes. bless him, he spent about 15-20 minutes trying to do it and eventually it cleared - by luck apparently.

he said if i had money for the part he'd have gone and got the part and fitted it if it was a weekday and a local stockist had one in. apparently for an extra fiver a month on my AA premium i couldve added something onto my breakdown cover that would entitle me to have the problem fixed for just a £20 exess.

[markren2004]

To get the electrics on without starting the car you put the card in the slot and press the "start button" (without pressing clutch or brake).

when you get a new sensor you will need the rubber washer from the old sensor and fit it to the new one (the new one doesn't come with it !!!)
it is easy to fit..heres my post from last year...
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7573&p=50936#p50936

[AlexB]

Electrics, but not the ignition. In order to read OBD codes one needs to keep the Start button pressed for 5 seconds without, as you said, pressing clutch or brake.

To get the electrics on without starting the car you put the card in the slot and press the "start button" (without pressing clutch or brake).

when you get a new sensor you will need the rubber washer from the old sensor and fit it to the new one (the new one doesn't come with it !!!)
it is easy to fit..heres my post from last year...
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7573&p=50936#p50936