Mr Orange

On monday driving home from work my car struggled to start then ran really bad with very irratic idle, loss of power compaired to normal and different tone from exhaust.
Struggled to start yesterday morning and when i reversed out my drive it cut out, started again but ran really badly with loss of power and lack of any urge below 3k revs, slightly cleared its throat above that but still ran poorly. Rac came out last night to have a look at the problem, started the car up then, took lead off cylinder 1 and the car cut out, restarted and did the same with cylinder 2, it ran on despite the lead being off. cylinder 3 did the exact same but cylinder 4 was the same as 1 ie cut out when lead removed.
Guy didnt have the proper tool for a compression test, but guess'ed that it is the head gasket.

car is now in a garage that will look at it tomorrow and report back.

but going by the above symptoms and running issues, would the gasket be blown and if so then how?
the cars regualarly serviced, was about to get the 60k service done at the weekend. temp guage has never went about normal operating levels.

anyone have any ideas???

as355f1

sounds like a fooked coil pack to me

l0ubie

yep def sounds like coil to me too!
what car is it on mate?

a fairly recent car or an older one?

xr4x4rs

iTrader: (5)

dodgy lead, or plug mate

poss coilpack,dizzy

Charlie Chalk

iTrader: (1)

I'd say coil/lead/plug too...

what car?

Mr Orange

Car is a renault clio. its 7 1/2 years old. 1.2 8v engine. its done 57k but needed servicing as it was 12k since last one.

Is it poss for 2 leads to pack in at the same time? Rac changed the 2 plugs on 2nd and 3rd cylinders. no change to previous problems.
When running with the rac, alot of petrol was coming out the exhaust and there was drops of liquid on the gravel below and just behind it.

as355f1

then i would say 100% coil pack, if i remember the 1.2 clio is fitted with 2 coil packs 1 runs cylinder 1 and 2 and the other runs 3 and 4 sounds like one is fooked

Chip

iTrader: (3)

How would a coilpack fault cause a head gasket failure, especially on something like a low power 1.2 8v engine?

Why would the gasket care there wasnt a spark?

Souds like a load of nonsense to me TBH!

tabetha

Can't see why any would run cylinders as above(as355fi), coilpacks run 1+4, 2+3, as said I don't think it is the HG, as it is so unlikely to blow two places at once(1+4).
There WILL be petrol coming out as it is NOT being consumed(burnt) by the engine when misfiring, it will make no difference to the HG if misfiring.
tabetha

as355f1

i never said the head gasket had gone, the RAC did because it had a misfire and by the sound of it and the description he has given i would have said that the head gasket is perfectly OK and one of the coil packs is fooked which is a very common problem on clio's
Just my opinion, any decent garage should diagnose it in 20 seconds and if i am right total job should be about £100 in my past experience most AA and RAC diagnosis of problem is shite but i have never seen the car may be wrong, but there was no mention of overheating/waterloss/pressure build up in the header tank. just trying to be helpful.

steves24V's

iTrader: (7)

Tenner sayes its the coil pack let us know if we were right

Bubs

Sounds like coil to me. Renaults are notorious for coils.

as355f1

I will have a tenner on it also

big_wig_074

sounds like the flux capacitor has had it,only running 0.9 jiggawatts?

C4llyT

Sounds like ignition amplifier, or a coincidence 2 have gone down at same time.
Although unfamiliar with the cars ignition system.

as355f1

wont have one

Turbosystems

iTrader: (5)

the problem will deffo be .........the fact it is a renault