Electrical fault light code, advice needed

[gaz90]

I have had problems with my 55 plate clio 1.2l 16v since buying it pretty much, with the engine management light and the electronic fault light constantly being lit up and I've had enough.(great little car too apart from the endless faults!)

I had a mess around with it for a couple of hours yesterday and seem to have got rid of the engine management light, went a drive last night for an hour or 2 and no lights atall, until today when I had to go out and the stupid little electronic fault light appeared yet again. (I cleaned the throttle body yesterday along with some other things, reprogrammed it?, left it to warm up and it drove perfectly for the full time I was driving it)

When the light was still on tonight (before I cleared it with engine restart) I plugged my code reader in and the code was PO638 - throttle actuator control range/performance bank 1 (I've had this fault code before but it was when the engine management light was on, not the electronic fault light) and someone said it was a throttle body issue then? BUT, I have noticed that the light seems to appear mostly/more often when slowing down e.g. removing foot from the throttle to use the brake pedal, using clutch to change gear (sometimes), putting the foot down (sometimes) if I go over any big bumps and when my petrol tank reaches 1 bar/gallon it seems to do it alot more, my temp. doesn't seem right. Are these just coincidence?

What I'd like advice with is:

1. Is it worth just saving up and buying this new throttle body from ECP http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/R...08902e84675629a39a3859838c49382dd88d0d&000329 (I have read somewhere of people buying a new one after getting this code then the code re-appears)

2. Should I try and get a second hand one if the seller can be trusted and it definately works?

3. Should I just put up with it until I'm working again (risking death on motorways and dual carriageways) then buy a better car and send the little french fault box to the scrappy/break it/ torch it?

4. Is there anything I can try in order to fix it? I have a full day of doing nothing tomorrow so I could mess around with it if I feel like it.

5. Can limp home mode be disabled somehow? I'd be happy enough if that was possible tbh

Sorry for all the reading! I wanted to give as much info I could think of incase it helps

If someone could give me any advice/help/maybe a throttle body to test out and confirm mines is faulty it will be appreciated, I love my wee car but I've had enough now and its going to drive me mental soon.

 

[Daniel]

Throttle pedals play up on them, don't rule that out.

It's a 1.2 clio at the end of the day, nothing is expensive (relatively speaking) to fix on it.

Have you not got a specialist near you thatcan diagnose it for you?

 

[gaz90]

Throttle pedals play up on them, don't rule that out.

It's a 1.2 clio at the end of the day, nothing is expensive (relatively speaking) to fix on it.

Have you not got a specialist near you thatcan diagnose it for you?

The throttle pedals been replaced in 2011 (about 10,000 miles ago, if that) so I hope its nothing to do with that, as well as the coil pack, spark plugs, battery, a couple of unknown sensors and more which I can't remember right now. It seems to just accept that one fault is fixed and feels the need to create a new fault just to piss me off tbh its really irritating as it would be a great little car if it didn't constantly have faults popping up!

I don't know if they would be considered as being specialists on here as most people on here seem to have people such as btm, etc. to maintain their cars/ tune them/repair them but I have a renault dealer about 15 minutes from me?

Has anyone ever done anything about this limp home mode and countless faults like sending letters to renault or anything? I genuinely nearly died once when I was doing about 70 overtaking someone in the fast lane on the motorway with a white van up my arse (about a metre away from me) and the car decided f*ck it I'm not doing more than 30mph, he had to swerve into the next lane behind the car I was overtaking at the time just to avoid hitting me. The cars just a death trap in my opinion I'm genuinely scared when I drive it all the time, it truely is dangerous.

 

[gaz90]

I should have asked in the last post Daniel, didn't think till after I posted it. Would the fault code I'm getting point towards a few things like throttle body, throttle pedal, sensors, etc. or are they usually pretty specific?

 

[Daniel]

Those generic fault codes tend to just point you in the general direction, they aren't very specific.

 

[gaz90]

The last times the lights were on and I put it in my local garage it came out the first time with a new coil pack, the second with new spark plugs and some sort of sensor, the third with a new throttle pedal and a couple of other things plus it got new spark plugs again on last service. Every time anything got fixed it would be good for a week, 3 weeks at most then on come the lights again.

If I take it to my local Renault dealer will they be able to tell me exactly what the problem is? As in what part needs replaced, so I could replace it myself instead of paying them to do it.
If so does anyone have any idea how much they charge?

 

[gaz90]

Double post

 

[gaz90]

Does anyone know if Renault can tell me exactly whats wrong using CLIP? And how much they will charge me?
Meant to phone them today but I was busy job hunting.
Cheers

 

[Skinnny]

Hi there. Did you ever find out what the problem was with the electoral light comming on. I've got the exact same problem as you and the same symptoms with going over speed bumps and slowing down ect... I saw you've had your pedal replaced which I have had done.


Would really appreciate any help/advice you have!


Thanks, Jack

 

[Skinnny]

Sorry I haven't* had the pedal replaced