Spanner and traction lights at startup

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BikNorton

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I'm coming up to the first service and this is going on the warranty investigation list, but I thought I'd ask here beforehand...

I start the car by moving to ignition 2 then waiting for the dash to finish twiddling its thumbs before going to ignition. Normally it's fine but over the last two or three weeks, the starter's started to feel a bit like it's struggling and the spanner and traction control lights come back on.

Once it's running, they go out again within a second. It doesn't happen every time, more like every other or every second. The exhaust seems to stink of petrol particularly badly on these occasions, though it normally reeks on a cold start anyway.

My commute is 4.5 miles - could this be as simple as the battery not recouping its charge properly and so struggling a bit (especially in the cold weather)? Or the oil being crap now it's two years old and taking a while to reach the sensor(s)? With it not being every time and them not staying on I'd say not a coil pack or plug or anything serious, but you never know.

Anyway, figured I'd ask in case it's something known. Any input appreciated!
 
2 Year old oil? Perhaps give it a good service, check all connections (lights etc could easily be a slightly loose earth). Warm it up then take it for an Italian service perhaps once you're satisfied it's mechanically healthy
 
Yep, 2 years old - still 4k away from 12.5k, it's run out of time instead. It's not even needed topping up. I think Renault might be stretching it a bit with that interval, but I'm sure they know best. Right? Right?!

If I'm understanding "Italian service", whenever I try a loud noise starts up from the passenger seat and I have to back off. :D
 
Sometimes the ABS light comes on too, and sometimes the engine light stays on longer than usual. Oil is still at the top of the allowable range and is black but doesn't really seem overly nasty.

Oh well, booked in for service on Wednesday with loads of warranty investigation including this (and fixing the alignment they knackered when they swapped the driveshaft the other month) - they want it Tuesday evening so it's nice and cold for them in the morning.
 
BikNorton":3or2p8rb said:
Sometimes the ABS light comes on too, and sometimes the engine light stays on longer than usual. Oil is still at the top of the allowable range and is black but doesn't really seem overly nasty.

Oh well, booked in for service on Wednesday with loads of warranty investigation including this (and fixing the alignment they knackered when they swapped the driveshaft the other month) - they want it Tuesday evening so it's nice and cold for them in the morning.
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Does the abs light stay on all the time?

And also I have noticed that Renaukts in general take a second longer for the engine management light to extinguish than other marques, but worth a quick scan to be on the safe side, the light won't always illuminte of there are pending or old codes stored in the PCM.
 
No, none of the lights stay on - once it's started, the dash lights return to normal. It implies an electrical problem to me, too much current draw to ignition to power everything else or something. We'll see what the garage says, I assume they'll have a computer plugged in while they start it or something.
 
Hopefully then if theory is correct there shouldn't be anything to worry about at least engine and management wise as the lights are designed to stay on for a period of time then turn off, depending on how Renault have programmed them, either just with the ignition in or when the car is actually started and running. I'll check the warning light check board at work tomorrow see what it says as to how long they are supposed to stay illuminated for and let you know.
 
According to the chart the abs light should illuminate for 2 seconds then extinguish
 
Thanks for looking it up.

It does that as part of the normal sequence when put to ignition position 2 (loads of lights, reducing to parking brake, steering and engine), but then sometimes comes back on when I start the engine - sometimes just spanner and traction, sometimes with abs.

These new lights on starting the car are a new behaviour nearly 2 years after buying the car, and not every time. It's in the garage for service, alignment and investigation now anyway.

It's an embarrassingly long list of symptoms (for Renault), and I forgot to put on "long/soft clutch biting point, with 'bounce' when changing up (but clutch not slipping)". I'll have to ring it in tomorrow. To be honest I think it'll come down to burnt oil and a broken engine/gearbox mount or two, but we'll see what they say.
 
Thats not problem.

Ahh I see thats interesting, hope youbget it sorted anyhow. Let usbknownwhat they say would be interesting to know.
 
Ha! They're adding a second set of foam pads to stop the rear-right passenger seat rattling (again). One day Renault will fix that properly I'm sure.

The dash lights and running issues I reported will apparently be fixed by a firmware update. I wonder if they've found the cold-running update that definitely didn't exist last time, or if there's a new one. Maybe I'll get the missing 5-10mpg back too! That'd be nice, with the 3p/l that fuel's gone up by over the last week round here.

Anyway, I get the car back whenever I want, then I have to book it in again when the pads and software update (surely a download?!) arrive. That'll give me time to see if new oil changed anything.

Hmm, thinking about it, the desk girl didn't mention the alignment. I assume they've fixed it.
 
New oil and/or warmer weather and/or ECU reset and/or new fuel seems to have fixed the dash lights. Too many variables to tell what it was but 5 starts in a row have been fine. Combination of sludgy oil and near-zero temperatures I reckon. It was hunting a bit the first time, but that's settled down.

They're getting new foam pads to put in a different place to "fix" the rattly seat.

The firmware update is going to fix everything including the whine from 2.5k rpm up apparently. Yeah right.

The alignment wasn't fixed because "it's within 1mm on the spline" and adjusting it could just as easily make it worse or some such garbage. Needless to say, that didn't wash and they have been told to fix it when it's in for the firmware and foam pads.

I can see me having to ring RUK soon.
 
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