Renault Clio ignition problems

This is best done at night. First, remove the fuse for the injection system / fuel pump to prevent pure petrol getting pumped down your exhaust. Then, starting from cylinder 1 (left) remove the high tension lead from the spark plug and rest against a metal part of the engine bay. Get an assistant to try start the engine. You should hear several 'cracks' and a blue light should jump from the plug end to the body of the car. Repeat on all cylinders until you find duff coil.

It's easier to do it without shocking youself if you use a sparkplug in the end of the lead.

And reduces significantly the risk of frying the ECU by the HT deciding to use that as it's route to earth!

Tony

And reduces significantly the risk of frying the ECU by the HT deciding to use that as it's route to earth!

Tony

If you leave the enging ticking over and disconnect each fuel injector one at a time when you remove the one that the coil is faulty then the engine tone will not change whereas the others will cause a further missfire.

Thanks for the advice. Could you please tell me which fuse under the bonnet is for the injection system.

Thanks

Paul

And how does it have any effect what so ever? The spark still jumps to earth, and the plug still needs to rest against the metal because the ground the plug supplied is normally only available when screwed into the head.

Never have I heard of an ECU being killed by an HT pulse by this method either.

Not sure it will be under the bonnet. Open the passenger door and look at the side of the dash that faces the door when shut. There should be a little flap for the majority of fuses. There will also be a diagram on the flap that should give an indication. Look for an icon that resembles a heart trace monitor or a carrot shooting water :)

As far as the ignitions concerned the injecter wiring & sensor wiring is earth. The sparkplug lets you choose where it decides to earth & has a small gap so you don't get belted as you lift the lead back & discover it's not as insulated as it once was.

Well yes - obviously! You put a plug on the lead and rest it on a metal part of the car. That then makes a much smaller effective gap for the spark plug than just having the lead vaguely near a bit of metal.

Trust me. It happens.

Tony