[thefastelephant]

Having the same issue with my 2013 Duster 1.5 dCi 110 PS

There is absolutely evident delay in acceleration until 1.5K RPM especially in 2nd gear. Sometimes in ghats with slow moving traffic, when I downshift to 2nd gear and my revs are ar 1K RPM, at 100% throttle inputs there is no movement. I have to shift to 1st and then there is decent acceleration.

Recently did my 1.9L service ( part at Renault and part at a local trusted garage)

A) at Renault A.S.S.
- Timing Belt & Tensioner Kit
- Water Pump
- Accessory Belt & Tensioner Kit
- Diesel Filter
- Air Filter
- Engine Oil & Oil Filter
- new Battery (old one was going low often & needed jumps)
- Brake Pads
- Brake Shoe
- Clutch Master Cylinder
- Flywheel
- Clutch & Slave Cylinder
- Brake Fluid Bleed
- Used Vacuum Solenoid ( mine was showing a burn mark, wanted to be sure if it was Kaput, seems it was, new one to be delivered at Renault )
- Coolant Flush, Bleed & Replaced
- Steering Fluid Top Up
- Brake Fluid Replaced
- Engine Mounts All ( A B C )
- AC Compressor ( went bad 3 days after service )
- AC Condensor
- Exhaust Gas Pressure Upstream Tube ( busted suddenly on the next day after service )
- Parking Sensor Buzzer
- 40A Relays ( yellow ) in the Engine bay had burnt but were working, AC Blower and Radiator Fan relays
- Body Weather Strips

B) at Local Garage ( cos' Renault won't do all that detailed cleanup )
- Engine Oil Flush (9L oil used in all, fresh oil used with flush and then fresh oil added before final drain at Renault )
- Fuel Injector Service ( ultrasonic clean + new seat copper washers )
- EGR Valve Cleaning ( solenoid )
- EGR Exchanger, Duct, Hose ( ultrasonic cleaned ) as they were very heavily caked in Carbon and had no room for EGR movement
- Front Supension Overhaul ( Mounting Kit, Struts, Lower Arms, Stabilizer Links, Bushes, Tie Rods & Rack End joints )
- Rear Supension Overhaul ( Struts, Mounting Kit, Dead Axle Bushes, Coil Mounts upper & lower )
- MAF Sensor Cleaning
- Boost Pressure Sensor Cleaning
- PCV Hose Replaced
- Boost Pressure Sensor Pipe Replaced
- Vaccum lines crimped short due to cracks at joints
- Brake Disc Rotors Resurfaced
- New Tyres ( 4)
- Wheel Alignment

There is some stuff I am a little confused about that raises suspicion about a Turbo Plumbing leak. Here is why:

- The turbo hose that goes from the Intercooler outlet to the butterfly valve has a small port for a hose that goes into the boost pressure sensor, this has some seeping around the outlet and I have seen a bubble or two blowing at idle
- the airbox has a pin hole size hole on the underside that I've just taped for now
- The intercooler is bent from the bottom but am not sure if its a leaky unit, will replace it in December or at the 2L kms service
- The local garage had lost the O-Ring at the Turbo hose that feeds Pressured air into the Intercooler and had to source a high temperature viton O ring from a O Ring specialist here in Pune. Learned this as the pipe made a loud rushing noise under boost and thanks to the boodmo parts catalog. Renault prices that O ring for 1.8K and I got mine for 100 rupees.

Just outta curiosity I was checking the glow plugs and saw that the Cylinder 1 plug is dead and have ordered for new plugs, a Turbo Hose O-Ring and a Vacuum Controller Solenoid.

Reading this thread am now scared if my MAF Sensor ( Rs.11K) or the EGR Valve (Rs.18K) is gone kaput.

Hoping its either one. Not sure how to Diagnose.

(Cosmetic works like Seat Covers, Floor mats, parcel shelf etc. I've not mentioned)

[thefastelephant]

Originally Posted by CountryDriver

I do a lot of late night highway trips and need to find a solution ASAP. Please help.

Any update on your issues? I wonder what it was.

[thefastelephant]

Here's something interesting:

I disconnected the MAF Sensor on the Air Filter Housing, the electrical / fueling system fault light came on ( glowplug light ) and the car was running like new. Eagerly accelerating on throttle inputs, no hitch. However, on plugging her MAF Sensor back in, the engine very calmly accelerates to 1.5K and picks up boost from there.

Its really annoying now. Is it really the MAF or some other underlying fault the MAF Sensor is masking.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by thefastelephant

Here's something interesting:

I disconnected the MAF Sensor on the Air Filter Housing, the electrical / fueling system fault light came on ( glowplug light ) and the car was running like new. Eagerly accelerating on throttle inputs, no hitch. However, on plugging her MAF Sensor back in, the engine very calmly accelerates to 1.5K and picks up boost from there.

Its really annoying now. Is it really the MAF or some other underlying fault the MAF Sensor is masking.

Disconnecting the MAF is one trick for old turbo diesel engines to generate some good low end torque. MAF enables compensation for atmospheric air during combustion. So, if you live up the hills the difference would be huge, and it keeps on reducing as you come down in altitude.

[thefastelephant]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Disconnecting the MAF is one trick for old turbo diesel engines to generate some good low end torque. MAF enables compensation for atmospheric air during combustion. So, if you live up the hills the difference would be huge, and it keeps on reducing as you come down in altitude.

I spoked to a Renault Technician and he says he's done some 4 or 5 110 Nissan Terrano's and Dusters where MAF replacement solved the low down acceleration issue.

Am in Pune and by no means on a Hill-Station level elevation. Based on my research and work here of asking around, I've been told its a fault MAF most likely. Just ordered it from boodmo as company was asking 1K extra and would take 8 days where as boodmo delivers in 4 or 5.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by thefastelephant

- the airbox has a pin hole size hole on the underside that I've just taped for now

If this pin sized hole is before the air filter on the inlet side, then that hole is intentional. It is to allow any moisture, water accumulated in the airbox to drain out.

[thefastelephant]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

If this pin sized hole is before the air filter on the inlet side, then that hole is intentional. It is to allow any moisture, water accumulated in the airbox to drain out.

It's after the Air filter, before the MAF and looks like some damage from the underside when handling the Air Filter Box a.k.a Engine Cover in the 110 units. There is a relief valve in between the Air Intake Duct and the Air Filter which seems to be there for water or moisture.

[thefastelephant]

Quick update:

1. MAF replaced. Issue existed still but its made acceleration linear but still slow. Noticed pitting on the metal filaments on my old MAF.

2. Read Renault's Workshop Service Manual. MAF disconnection cases the ECU to shut down EGR and some other functions and refer to a base/ideal inputs fuel and ignition table causing better acceleration.

3. I kind of took an educated guess and did the following based on the Dianostics procedure and other info on the user manual:
- Glowplugs check : Turns out Cylinder 1 plug was dead, replaced all 4
- Injector Adaptives : Had serviced injectors, coded them back but they kept knocking at idle despite a healthy service report. Reset the adaptives and idle knock is 90% eliminated.
- EGR cleanup : took apart the EGR solenoid. Cleaned the Valve and more importantly the stem. In open position soaked the valve stem in some WD40 for 30 mins and cleaned it up. Used contact cleaner to clean the position sensor on the EGR solenoid ( its on the black plastic cover spring loaded )
- EGR adaptives : Apparently when the EGR valve is taken off for cleanup or its replaced an EGR adaptive is necessary to offset the position sensor in closed position ( engine off ignition on )

Its resolved my issue 95%. Rest 5% could or could not be an issue since my EGR Valve exhibits two behaviours which am still not sure it should or shouldn't. First one is that it doesn't return to closed position when the valve is pushed open. Two, the valve in order to be opened or closed required immense pressure or force with the thumbs. I suspect my EGR Solenoid motor is too jammed or malfunctioning.

Will eventually replace it later as its done 11 years or 1.9L kms of duty.

The engine is more responsive, pulls better and has smoothened out since the above works done. Powerloss is fixed for sure. Acceleration is still an issue.