Post HG change probs

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

Hi guys,
about 2 months ago the HG went on my mk1 clio RT, and got it replaced by some1 as a weekend cash in hand job. Back to running well now, bu the only problem is that since it was done, im gettinga few warning light probs. Basically it happens after the car has fully warmed up and been running a bit (bout 10 minutes, so i'm thinking it's when the oil has warmed rather than just coolant). If i then pull up at traffic lights etc so it's idling, the battery light, oil level gauge, etc flicker, as if it's about to stall. The idle is ever so slightly lumpy, but if i just leave it idling the lights still flash, but it doesnt actually stall, doesnt dip below about 850 or so.
IT also does it when you are changing gear after it's warmed up, i.e. lights flicker when you're moving across the box as the revs drop.

I wouldn't normally be bothered, except i'm going to be selling it soon!
do you reckon it's likely to just be a dodgy connection somewhere, or is it summat mroe serious?
cheers in advance for your help.
Si

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

dodgy connection it may even be a trapped wire, its quite common after a gasket or a clutch change. Wires get trapped between the head and block or engine and box and you get all sorts of problems like you describe.
A lumpy idle or when you dip the clutch causes th eengien to move which can tug on trapped/tight wires and cause these sorts of problems. Have a look for wires first then we'll go from there.

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

okeydoke, any ideas whereabouts i should be looking? i'm not the most technical of people!
the idle isn't really that lumpy, and it only seems to do it when it's warm.
i shall head outside with the torch...
cheers,
Si

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

all around the head, fell about it for broken/trapped wires. They shoudl all be clipped back in place properly etc as well.

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

okay, i've had a good look and can't see owt trapped. Havent taken the air filter off though, guessing this might be a good idea.

Is it worth an ECU reset or is that utter CR@p?!

please excuse my noviceness!

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

if the wires etc are fine then its a mechanical problem, did the guy who done the job replace the exhaust and inlet manifold gaskets? Thsi can cause the revs to dip low, although 850rpm shouldn't be low enough to cause the lights to come on.

Is it any more tappy than before? Is there oil etc in it?

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

was the cam belt replaced properly?

On one of my older phase 1 r19 16V, i got a garage to change out the cambelt as i did not have the time to do it myself, they got the exhaust cam out by one notch and the inlet cam out by a notch the other way.
So on start up it was ok because of the richer fuel mixture but when she was warmed up the idle was very lumpy and stalled on me when i stopped at junctions.

Once i had corrected it, she ran sweet as a nut again.

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

Sorry, been away for a while. cheers for your help so far.
The guy kept the exhaust and inlet gaskets, as i still have the remains of the kit he used!

Cam belt was replaces about 30k miles ago, but not since then.

Plenty of oil, just as tappy as it ever was! It had about 3 changes!

everything is properly clipped back in, and as far as i can see all the plugs are properly connected.

as said before, it only happens when it is warmed up. Could it be possible that as it was driven for a few miles after the HG had gone, the resulting water and oil chuffing out of the exhaust could have knackered the lambda sensor?

The thing is, thwat even though the lights are flickering, the car doesnt actually feel like it wants to stall.

cheers,
Si

Site Subscriber Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 2317

You reused a 30k old cambelt? Shocked

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

more like 20k. I personally didnt, but the guy who changed it did, is that so bad? surely if it was properly tensioned up and set it shouldn't cause a problem? i thought thee change frequency on them was supposed to be about 60k?

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

for the sake of 18 quid or so i always put a new belt on

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

Yeah, i can see that, basically it was done over new year and i couldnt only find one person to do it, a drastic 'get me home' thing as i was Â£160 miles away and very difficult to find parts on the New Year bank hol!! That's not likely ot be the source of my probs is it? Shocked

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

if the timings out then yes it could cause problems.

I still say its an electrical problem somewhere

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

yeah, cheers, im still thinking it's electrical as well, as i don't seem to actually be getting any running problems, just the flickering lights. It has never stalled when the lights are flickering, and it's not affected at all by turning electrical dpendant things (amps, rear window heaters, lights, etc) on and off. I'm not personally bothered by it at all, it's just i'm going to sell the car in a month, and if they give the car a chance to warm up i get the feeling that they might be put off!

Lmbda worth a try then? if so, where is it? and is it easy to get to(as i have no axle stands or trolley jack)

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

not a lambda problem, lambda would make the idle go up and down, not make it dip so low the lights come on.

Newbie Joined: 31 Dec 2004 Posts: 14

cool, cheers, that eliminates that then!