[macsbram]

My car is a R Clio Dynamique 1390cc 1st reg 1/4/07. Still under warranty.
I have an intermittent problem when i first start the car, that the garage say they cannot find. When i first start the engine everything is OK, when I rev up to 3000 revs its okay but once i engage gear and reach about 2000 revs it suddenly dies. I have to change up and down gear to try and keep the car moving. After a few minute it warms up and then works OK. There are NO warning lights. This has gone on for some time and I now notice that when the revs die if i put my foot down on the accelerator to try and 'push it' either nothing happens or it will suddenly surge up then die back down. Problem only in the first few minutes of starting when the engine is cold. Looking on the web i thought it could be something to do with an ECU failing to tell the choke to increase fuel when its first needed, i am no mechanic so thats just a guess.
First time in garage they did a diagnostic and said there was a recognised Clio problem and replaced the accelerator cable that was fouled up, BUT ITS JUST THE SAME.
I always thought it seems to be very lacking in power when driving, not what I would call nippy which i expected from a small 1.4 car but it seems to be worse than ever, quite flat. The garage also increased the idling speed and I swear the MPG has dropped to 35MPG.

[smudger]

Welcome to the site macsbram, afraid I cant help you with your problem, but I also have a Renault, its a Modus Dynamique and my MPG has also dropped down to 35 MPG, and it used to be around 44?

The dealers say there is nothing wrong with it, and don't want to know:confused:

Hope you get a reply soon, as they are normally spot on in here;)

[Hometune]

As it appears to be temperature related, the garage should be checking the coolant temperature sensor circuit. This is in effect the 'choke'.
If they only check the sensor after you have driven it to the garage, then they won't find the fault. They need to connect their diagnostic machine - Can Clip - first thing in the morning when the engine is stone cold. Then they should start the car and watch the sensor in the live data readings along with the injector opening times and oxygen sensors. They need to keep watching the sensor as it warms up, even a moment's distraction and you can miss a possible fault.
They should also be watching the other sensors as this will tell them that the computer is processing the signal. If the injector open time comes down steadily in line with the engine warming up then this would suggest it is okay. Likewise, the oxygen sensor readings will show a rich or lean mixture.
If this is okay then they need to access the engine ECU (computer), locate the terminal which receives the sensor signal and check the ECU is actually getting it. This will eliminate a broken wire for example.
If all this fails, ask them to load the latest software version for your car as this may eliminate any glitches in the previous software.
You should be aware that dealers do not like doing warranty work as they get a much lower labour rate compared to retail customers so you may have to be forceful.

[macsbram]

Thanks hometune. I knew someone out there would have an idea as to what was going on and you seem to know what you're talking about. You will have guessed I didn't but could see where the problem was likely to lie. I gathered the garage was just trying to avoid the doing the work under warranty.