Car troubles can anyone help??

I have a V Reg Renault Laguna 2LTR 16V and I have issues with it.

About 6 months ago, Jo was out driving in it when it lost all power. She coasted to a halt. All the electrics worked just the car wouldn't start. She left it for a few minutes and tried again. The engine fired up no problems and she carried on her way.

She did not get very far before it happened again. This kept on happening until it was happening more and more frequently. Eventually she phoned the AA and waited for recovery. When the AA man arrived he started the car no problem, let if run for a few minutes with no problems. He took it round the block and said it was fine. My wife jumped back in and the AA man followed her. She had not got more than a mile when the the car lost power again. The AA man had a look but decided that he would not be able to do a roadside repair and recovered the car to my home.

I took the car to a local garage and told them exactly what the problem had been. I had no problems with the car for the journey to the garage. They contacted me at the end of the day to say that they could find nothing wrong.

I had not had a problem with it since then until about three weeks ago. On the way home I started to lose power, just briefly and then it picked up again.

Today, the recurrence of the original problem was back with a vengeance.

Now it really "seems" to me like a fuel starvation sort of issue. I put injection cleaner into the petrol tank hoping that would solve the problem, but obviously it hasn't. I am guessing that because of the time gap between the incidents that the fuel is not the issue.

I just know that if I take it to the garage again, they will say the exact same thing as last time.

So, that's my dilemma. What the hell is wrong with my car? What do I need to do? I'm stumped. Anyone got any idea's??

[TSM]

Fuel pump is a possability. My citroen had this and did the same thing, it would not cut out completley but the engine would die down slowly untill it stopped.

[Gazza77]

I had a Clio a few years ago that did this. Was an engine management problem, dealer plugged it in to the diganostics, reset it, problem solved!

I had almost exactly the same problem on my Clio a few months ago. Called the RAC out twice and both times (after me trying to start it myself for about an hour), it started as soon as the guy tried it. The second time it happened, he mentioned there is a common problem with the camshaft sensor, it needs disconnecting & cleaning with some WD40 every now & then. I don't know how alike the laguna / clio engines are, but being the same age it could be worth looking at (mine's a V reg too).

I'm having the same problem with my TDM. Local mechanic suggested using the choke (not possible in your case) when it happens to if the bike starts up again. It does. Which indicates a carburretor problem. So yours deffinitely sounds fuel related. Have you checked and cleaned all sensors around the fuel system?

[pegasus]

hope this helps ape...

i had a P reg laguna 2ltr kept losing power for no reason while driving sometimes woudnt even start....after many months of various garages not being able to find the problem a routine check of the alarm system turned out to be a fault with the immobiliser

worth a try

If it happens worse when the fuel level is high, then my bet is it is the tank vent blocked.

Things like sensors do sometimes get back on line when (for example) they cool down, but they are then already on the brink of failure - and they don't do it time and again.

Since yours is a repeatable fault, check the venting which may be a little pipe somewhere, or in the cap itself.

[glade]

COIL PACK(s)!!!!

I have a V reg clio. had EXACTLY the same symptoms as yours.

Turned out to be the coil pack.

however there are other common faults with renaults that cause the same symptoms. TDC sensor, (located on the side of the block where it meets the gearbox), coolant sensor (though car normally goes into "limp home" mode, and the revs climb at neutral), engine relays. i forget the rest but http://www.cliosport.net has lots of information - clios fall apart all the time!!!!

here is my long a tedious story...

started as a loss of power, or a mis-fire while driving. became more frequent and eventually car would die, then coast to a halt. usually starting straight away. then it would take 5 mins to start then finally 40 mins. I was going to change the coil pack myself but then the thing died on the way home from work

called RAC man out, he fiddled with things and the car started, drove to renault with him following, car broke down again. when renault plugged the computer in it registered several faults caused by RAC man's fiddle. so they reset the ECU, charged me £50 and sent me on my way. "if it breaks down again bring it back, we can't isolate the fault - butit is mis-firing"... thanks for nothing renault stealer!

so car kept cutting out untill one day it was deadddddd... RAC man came again and towed me to renault (i wouldn't let him touch the engine). got a mechanic to look at it there and then - wouldnt start, first turn but started after flicking ignition on and off. he checked the engine relays and they had corrosion on them... £120 to replace relays and contacts. car still breaks down. eventually coil fault shows up on the computer and they replace coil pack £140. car fixed.

£310 instead of £30 to replace the coil just because i was putting off getting the part!!

[Stingo]

Just in case it's none of the above more sensible answers - have you checked the fuel filter? Mate of mine often used to experience intermittent power loss in his car - after weeks of worry he stumbled upon the fuel filter which cost about a quid or something - dunno what motor he had tho'...no. it wasn't a moggy minor!! Anyway...HTH!!

[glade]

Originally Posted by Stingo

Just in case it's none of the above more sensible answers - have you checked the fuel filter? Mate of mine often used to experience intermittent power loss in his car - after weeks of worry he stumbled upon the fuel filter which cost about a quid or something - dunno what motor he had tho'...no. it wasn't a moggy minor!! Anyway...HTH!!

some renault fuel filters are in with the fuel level sender and are in the fuel tank. hope its not that pain in the ****... supposed to last 72,000 miles.