1.8 16V Clio F7P issue

[Myles Weaver]

Since I bought my 1.8 16V Grand Prix No. 55, I have this issue going on and I didnt find out how to fix it.

Every time I turn the engine on (either cold or warm) after a few seconds it stalls. When on the road as well. Ignition is all alright. THEN after a few minutes of driving, problem disappears, engine is running great. Appears after a minute of the engine running, then disappears after next 2-4 minutes.

It seems like the problem is somewhere around the fuel delivery, but where? Fuel filter is brand new.

Also it could be the TPS, coolant temp sensor...

Im about to check the fuel pressure when this happens, then it could be the fuel pump stuck. The car hasn't been running for a year before I bought it.

However I'm not sure about anything and thought if you guys have any ideas.


Video preview of the issue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA53loJymLE

(Please do not look too close or you may see the air filter is not really a TOP ZUSTAND, It's as clean as possible though)

 

[C1JF7P]

Hi Myles, I couldn't get the video to play, but I'd suggest the fuel pump may be the issue. If the Clio is the same as the 19, the pump will be inside the tank; if any water has got into the tank while the car was left standing, this will corrode the pump's internals, and it may take a while to reach full pressure. I'd drop the tank, steam-clean the inside if possible, and replace the pump as a matter of course if you find significant debris.

Also worth checking are the coolant temp sensor, the air temp sensor, and throttle position sensor. I have some values for these that you can check with a multimeter, which I'll post as soon as I dig them out.

Probably not related to your problem, but well worth doing: clean you throttle-body and idle control valve.

The crankshaft position sensor can become intermittent, best tested by substituting a known good one.

Hope this helps!

 

[Myles Weaver]

Thank you friend, helps a lot!
and yes, everything makes sense.

throttle body and idle control valve are clean, crankshaft position sensor is also in a good shape. Not sure about the TPS and coolant temp sensor (already ordered one as its a few pounds item). I dont really know how the TPS is supposed to be set correctly. Also the TPS is mounted with screws made of brass or something that soft and those are drawn. Which is just uncomfortable to work with, no way to drill them out without removing the whole throttle body, that makes me unable to check it these days as I'm lack of proper tools.

However, Clios should be the same as 19, at least the fuel delivery and the stuff around. I suppose so.

I bought this piece for 400 GBP, it has its imperfections that I should take an eye on, It has over 230 xxx km on it, but previous owner claimed the engine has been rebuilt a few thousands ago (less than 10k), and the acceleration is more than a proof. There is a little oil consumption when flooring it, nothing over the limit I guess. Especially considering the mileage of the whole car.

Thank you again, fuel pump is the suspect, we'll see!

 

[C1JF7P]

The proper way to test the TPS is with an XR25, or a PC-based emulator (see Chet T16's thread). Failing that, the voltage between pins 9 & 17 of the ECU can be measured:

Throttle closed = 0.2v approx
Throttle fully open = 4.7v approx

Open the throttle slowly and smoothly, and the voltage should rise accordingly, any sudden swings or drop-outs will indicate a faulty TPS.

If looked-after, these engines can rack-up some pretty high mileages: the F7P in my 19 has done over 380k kms.

 

[Myles Weaver]

Very helpful, sir.

 

[LH16v]

A quick test to see if the TPS is actually doing anything -with the engine running, move the TPS arm without moving the throttle body. When you do this, the engine should die or at least almost stall. If the nothing happens then it probably means that the TPS isnt doing anything and its time to get a new one.