Earatic Starting Issues

[pete0723red]

Hi

I have a 2003 1.4 16v Megane 3 dr Dynamique. Just lately a very intermittant fault has arisen. The car has done approx 43k miles and I have owned since April. The car is great apart from this, if any one can help......
When first starting, quite often the car will just stall, unless you use the throttle to keep the revs up for a few seconds. Then after a few minutes then engine seems to rev a little higher (1500 - 2000 rpm), then it will cut out completely. This leaves a smell of petrol and one flooded engine I guess.
I have noticed that right before it does this, the temp guage will just drop to cold as though the engine hasn't even been on.
Also, it seems to do this more when the weather is raining or damp.
I have to leave the engine for 5 mins before starting again, which it does, then all is ok. As long as the engine is warm!
It tends to do this twice before the engine seems to have warmed enough to keep the guage where it is happy!!!!
I have read various forums etc, so I want to try some DIY efforts before heading to the garage. I have changed the plugs and put some injector cleaner through. Which I thought had worked as for the last 3 weeks every thing had been fine!!! Then today's heavy rain seems to put that theory out to hang!!!!
If any one can help, I'd appreciate it!
I have read the TDC sensor and or Coolant Temp sensor could be changed, is this relatively straight forward? Or a garage job???? I am reasonbly ok under the bonnet and am happy to tinker, with the right guidance!!

[keeforelli]

hi...

if you read my posts on this subject i think my cure came from having the throttle housing cleaned- yours is about the right mileage for this to have clogged up- it is part of the control for fuel air mixture., and has a big impact on engine performance- it sounds like there is a problem with the mixture on your motor- i also had coolant sensor, TDC sensor. coils, and plugs replaced, and switched to shell v max fuel in the quest for solving this.

it is a common fault on the 1.4s, but everyones experience on how they fixed it has been quiet different- if you go down the trial and error route for fixing could be quite expensive- if you know a good mechanic locally maybe get him to spend a day with it to try and resolve- might be cheaper in the long run.

it was the throttle body that had the most impact on mine...and most people on here have reported better running after having this cleaned.

[pete0723red]

Hi

Thanks for the quick reply. I will take it to a local non dealer renault only specialist, and see how much they can find out and suggest. It' s very weird how for 3 weeks after the initial issue, there were no problems at all, then as soon as a bit of rain, of it goes again!
I will post a reply how I get on!
Again, many thanks

[pete0723red]

Hi

Just to let you know how I got on. Well, I bought the coolant temp sensor and a haynes manual. Total £36. Once I worked out where the sensor was on the engine (I had the renault dealer show me on the pc when I bought the sensor), it took me less than 10mins to change it.
So far so good, the problem has not resurfaced, despite me doing all the things that seemed to prompt it before!!!

I guess I have been fortunate I suppose that my logical process of working out the issue seems to have worked (the first time I might add!!!). The Haynes manual was very helpful, as usual.

There you go, one erractic issue sorted out without an expensive trip to the garage

Thanks for all your help in pointing me in the right direction

Pete