Renault 5 - starting issues

[Guysim]

Hi -

I have a Renault 5 1.1 campus , it is refusing to fire.

I have rebuilt the fuel pump and carb - there is fuel getting to the filter and carb

I have just rebuilt the distributor, new points , condenser and cap - now has good spark

There is power to the coil , the ignition module has been bypassed.

I am stuck as to what I am missing!

It has spark and fuel and air , it has backfired once trying to start.

Any suggestions welcome

Thanks
Guy

 

[malcolm]

Backfiring when trying to start will often be ignition timing way off or ignition leads in the wrong order.

I don't recall what the ignition system is on the R5 Campus. Worth double checking the timing.

 

[André4Renaults]

A few thoughts:

1/ Is it possible you've set the ignition 180 degrees out? Many French cars (and others!) have cylinders numbered in a different way to those in England (or Wales...)

2/ New parts aren't always as good as old ones. If you've not thrown the old ones away, try refitting them and seeing if things improve.

3/ Are the H.T. leads correctly connected to the correct plugs (in other words, is the firing order and rotation of the distributor correct)?

4/ All these symptoms suggest something wrong in the timing/ignition/coil.

 

[Guysim]

I agree - I’m just unsure what

 

[Guysim]

A few thoughts:

1/ Is it possible you've set the ignition 180 degrees out? Many French cars (and others!) have cylinders numbered in a different way to those in England (or Wales...)

2/ New parts aren't always as good as old ones. If you've not thrown the old ones away, try refitting them and seeing if things improve.

3/ Are the H.T. leads correctly connected to the correct plugs (in other words, is the firing order and rotation of the distributor correct)?

4/ All these symptoms suggest something wrong in the timing/ignition/coil.

When you say set the ignition out by 180 degrees what do you mean?

 

[André4Renaults]

When you wrote that you'd "rebuilt the distributor" I was wondering if you were certain you had replaced it in the block correctly. It is possible, in some circumstances, to replace it one half of a cycle "out". It's unlikely, but it might be worth checking it.

What made me think of this was your reference to a "backfire", as the sparking plug would be sparking at the wrong time, when the exhaust valve would be open, thus causing an explosion of fuel to shoot down the exhaust pipe.

 

[Guysim]

I didn’t remove the distributor, so guess that rules it out. I have wired leads as if no. 1 cylinder is far right as you look at the engine , this is the info I found. Unless it’s 4 not 1?

 

[André4Renaults]

If memory serves (and it was a long time ago when last I opened the bonnet of a Renault 5....) the H.T. leads are 4 different lengths, so it is onto which plug they go (longest furthest from the distributor, shortest nearest & the other two as per) However, their positions on the distributor cap might be problematic, if you've removed them and not noted their positions first. In any case, with the timing points on the pulley and the engine block lined up, cylinder number 1 should be at the top of the firing stroke, so remove the distributor cap and note to which lobe the rotor arm is pointing: this is cylinder number 1, and this lead should connect to cylinder 1. Next, operate the starter and note which way the rotor arm moves. The next plug the rotor arm reaches should be 3, then 4, and finally 2.

Best of luck...... More help is needed!

 

[Guysim]

If memory serves (and it was a long time ago when last I opened the bonnet of a Renault 5....) the H.T. leads are 4 different lengths, so it is onto which plug they go (longest furthest from the distributor, shortest nearest & the other two as per) However, their positions on the distributor cap might be problematic, if you've removed them and not noted their positions first. In any case, with the timing points on the pulley and the engine block lined up, cylinder number 1 should be at the top of the firing stroke, so remove the distributor cap and note to which lobe the rotor arm is pointing: this is cylinder number 1, and this lead should connect to cylinder 1. Next, operate the starter and note which way the rotor arm moves. The next plug the rotor arm reaches should be 3, then 4, and finally 2.

Best of luck...... More help is needed!

Thank you - put a new coil on today and the spark looks a lot stronger, it stuttered but didn’t fire. Need to charge the battery up - also think was a little flooded as I was playing around with lead positions and rotor arm etc

So let’s hope tomorrow it will start!!

 

[Guysim]

The only other trail of thought is there is a condenser wired to the coil - if this wasn’t working could this stop the firing?

 

[André4Renaults]

Yes, it would. Although I understood the condenser to be new. Mind you, "new" doesn't always mean "good"! There's a way of testing condensers, using a multi-meter, should you need to know it.

 

[Guysim]

The only other trail of thought is there is a condenser wired to the coil - if this wasn’t working could this stop the firing?

Yes, it would. Although I understood the condenser to be new. Mind you, "new" doesn't always mean "good"! There's a way of testing condensers, using a multi-meter, should you need to know it.

Not the condenser in the distributor- there is a little blue box with Facon on it wired to the coil , upon research this looks to be a condenser

 

[André4Renaults]

The condenser in the picture doesn't look in the best of health. In particular, the connection at the top looks worn. I'd replace it anyway. It should have a value of 2.7 micro-farads somewhere on it.