182 Trip Computer/Fuel Gauge Problem

[bc_seventy_six]

Had my 182 for just under a month and its a shame my first post is to ask for some help rather than to say how good the car is

The past couple of days i had noticed my range reading (e.g. miles left in the tank) showing around 48 miles. I know for a fact that the car has more fuel in it than that, and the analogue fuel gauge was showing over a quarter of a tank. I usually fill up on a Friday after work, so i know about a quarter of a tank is the usual for a Thurs and reckon the fuel gauge is showing fairly accurate fuel levels.

This morning on the way to work my analogue fuel gauge is still showing about a quarter of a tank but.... my fuel light is on and the range computer is just showing dashes. Everything else on the computer is working fine, its just this one miles to go reading thats away with the budgies.

Any help would be much appreciated, i was wondering if there is there a way of doing a master reset on the computer? I really dont want to have to take the car in to Renault, hopefully you guys can help....

 

[182_blue]

you got to take the car back to renault!!, good luck, oh the joys of renault ownership

 

[bc_seventy_six]

Thatll be my last resort - ill be trying everything i can before that!

 

[mitch]

have you tried reseting the dash panel ?

hold the button in on the stalk and switch the ignition on - the dash will then go into like a self test mode. Let it run a couple of times and then switch off...

see if that makes it any better


[Edited by mitch on 11 August 2005 at 9:32am]

 

[rcp]

Usually when you get to about 25-30 miles left in the tank, it will change to dashes - thats normal.

 

[fizzy_drink]

Welcome to Cliosport.

Yes...

As soon as the fuel light is on, the range disapppears and dashes appear...

Totally normal, although youd think that its more important to have a range at that point.....

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=experiment74http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=experiment74





[Edited by omar on 11 August 2005 at 10:20am]

 

[MarkCup]

From what youve said it sounds to me as though your fuel guage needle is busted...for it to still read 1/4 tank when the computer (correctly) shows dashes and a warning light isnt right at all.

 

[Ian_182]

Go and put more fuel in it to see if it goes back up

ian

 

[bc_seventy_six]

Cheers guys, i will try the reset later and see if it works.

rcp, omar and mark - cheers for the input but i think the problem lies with the computer, not the fuel gauge. i know how much fuel i use each week for the work run, and as i said a quarter tank left is about the norm for a thursday. I reckon i have enough for about 80ish miles in the tank - I havent been driving any differently this week.

I have read on here that the fuel gauges arent that accurate, but in this case im trusting over the computer. since the rest of the computer is working fine i was thinking it might be a problem in the engine bay at the point where the computer takes its feed to calcualte the range? Anyone any idea where or what it takes its feed from?

 

[raf182]

Try running the car til its empty, take a spare can of fuel with you and that way you will at least find out just what is knackered!

 

[bc_seventy_six]

Nipped out at lunchtime and tried the reset by holding in the stalk. Still the same - seems more like a test for the gauges (which are all working fine including the fuel gauge) as it didnt actually reset the data held by the trip computer.

If anyone has any info on what and where to look for the feed for the computer under the bonnet that would be much appreciated.

Will also try filling it up later or tomorrw and see what happens.

Cheers

 

[clio__chris]

yeah holding in the stalk is a dial test sort of thing

have you actually tried resetting it? ie. whilst on any of the screens (mpg, miles to go etc etc - not total/trip mileage ones) just press the black stalk (next to the speedo iirc) so that they all go back to zero - then drive it a bit and u should see the estimate changing for how many miles u have left in the tank......

if it isnt changing then back to renault u should go

 

[bc_seventy_six]

Left work tonight and decided id stick £20 in it and if it was still the same id go straight to my local Renault dealer.

I reckoned if the gauge was faulty (i.e. showing about a 1/4 tank when it was actually empty) and the computer was accurate (i.e. telling me there was hee-haw in the tank) then with £20 in it the needle should sit about the half tank - maybe just over.And if the fuel gauge was accurate i should have over the half tank easily.

Stuck £20 in, did the stalk reset thing, crossed my fingers and hey presto - fuel light off, range computer working fine! And the analogue fuel gauge showing 3/4 of a tank - so it seems like the analogue gauge was right all along and the range computer had temorarily lost the plot. I am just glad it didnt have to go to Renault.

Guess its a clio thing.

Cheers for everyones posts - im off now to post about whats right with my car, not whats wrong with it! Thanks again.