[rch_vijayant]

I am in possession of 2012 model Etios GD. It has clocked 62000 kms. The car is in mint condition other than the clutch pedal which are little hard to press. But it never slips. I use this car only for highway driving and rest of the time it is parked in an enclosed garage. In last three months I encountered strange problem of random power drop. Firstly I ignored thinking of my wrong illusion of problem which doesn't exist. Recently I drove it to Raurkela and returned Ranchi in same day covering 495 kms. The road condition is so- so (Two Lane, Hilly terrain with some pot holes). While going to Raurkela car was in fifth gear and I removed foot from accelerator pedal to get speed reduced for crossing the rough patch of road. This was done for few seconds only and I again pushed the pedal in same gear. But the engine didn't responded and I felt loss of power. It may be mentioned the speed of car was plus 80 kmph and there was no need of bringing it in lower gear. For half an hour it continued and I encountered the problem frequently. Switching to low gear gave the remedy otherwise the car jerked. After half an Hour the problem vanished. It ran smoothly for next one hour till I reached Raurkela and parked the car. In return journey the same happened for half an hour and the problem vanished. It gave me tension as what I have heard Toyota for their mechanical reliability and sturdiness. But this incident shakes my confidence. I am in habit of long solo drive and if the problem is not diagnosed and rectified then it might be a problematic affair for me. My other cars are 2006 model Maruti Zen Lxi with 25000 kms of odometer reading and 2003 Mahindra 540 DP with 85000 kms. Both are in stock condition with no engine or clutch overhauling. I am very particular of timely servicing and that too in self presence. I use to clean air filter after every long driver with a handy blower with high pressure. For the Etios I would like to underline the followings.
• I am the second owner of the car. Previous owner was a doctor who used it only in city limit of Jamshedpur and generally it was chauffer driven.
• Car was purchased with odometer reading 0f 52000 kms and service record showed oil was changed on 49000 kms. So I got the oil changed on 59000 kms with oil filter and Cabin AC filter.
• Here I must admit that these works were carried in neighborhood garage as I thought changing oil is not a very skilled job.
• I used Servo Premium CF -4 (15 W -40) oil, purchased from a reputed petrol pump. The Oil filter I got online whose brand name I don’t recall.
• I use to purchase Diesel from a reputed fuel pumps. This time I had full the tank from a dealer opposite DPS School on Ranchi by pass. BHPians from Ranchi may endorse pump reputation. Generally every time there are lots of customers. The Pump has facility of free Nitrogen, air and of course free music in air. But seven years back the pump was sealed for six months for selling contaminated fuel.
• Whenever the problem occurred the AC was on and it was hot outside. (Plus 35 Degree Centigrade ).
• Only one person was sitting with me with no weight in car.
• As Etios dashboard gives no numerical display of engine RPM, Temperature, Oil Pressure it is difficult to comment on these figure during and post problem.
• I peeped into engine bay and found every pipeline intact with no sign of leakage of any fluid, gas etc.
• Google suggested me for dirty MAF sensor which I found super clean.
• Google also indicated fault in catalyst converter. It suggested hammering it from outside and if there is some rattle sound then it has to be changed. But I am unable to check it.
I am hopeful for getting solution/suggestion from fellow BHpian. Toyota dealer in Ranchi service reputation is not up to the mark. Today in Facebook one of fellow 4x4 member has shown his disappointment with the dealer for not giving solution for brand new Toyota Crysta.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by rch_vijayant

•Whenever the problem occurred the AC was on and it was hot outside. (Plus 35 Degree Centigrade ).

Is the car engine temperature fine or the engine cooling fan working fine? I hope the engine is not getting over heated. Though in that case a warning light will come up in the dashboard. If the engine is not getting over heated, get your AC compressor checked by a good AC mechanic. If the AC components are working fine then the next steps can be the following-

Connect a OBD scanner and check out for the error codes.
If it shows no error, you can check the following-
Throttle body cleaning
Change the diesel filter
Condition of the glow plugs
If there is any clogging in the fuel line
Reset the ECU once
Clean the EGR valves
Check out for any leak in the turbo hose
Check whether the turbo is in the verge of a failure or not. As you are the second owner, you never know how the first owner treated the car.For example whether he used the idling practice or not.
And lastly check the clutch plate

[rch_vijayant]

Originally Posted by Samba

Is the car engine temperature fine or the engine cooling fan working fine? I hope the engine is not getting over heated. Though in that case a warning light will come up in the dashboard. If the engine is not getting over heated, get your AC compressor checked by a good AC mechanic. If the AC components are working fine then the next steps can be the following-

Samba your suggestions seems near to the solution. Major of the suggestions require involvement of mechanic/service center which I should adhere to. I was knowing that only Petrol engine with Multi Point Fuel Injection has throttle body. Please correct me if I am wrong. Secondly glow plugs only function in heating the combustion of air and fuel during firing of engine. Rest of time they are idle.Waiting for your valuable comments.

[Samba]

First of all let me say, i agree to both of your points.

Originally Posted by rch_vijayant

I was knowing that only Petrol engine with Multi Point Fuel Injection has throttle body. Please correct me if I am wrong.

You are correct, i am wrong. I just goofed up with a petrol. Many diesels have throttle valve which are generally referred as air management valve. In modern diesel engines, its electronically controlled.

Originally Posted by rch_vijayant

Secondly glow plugs only function in heating the combustion of air and fuel during firing of engine. Rest of time they are idle.Waiting for your valuable comments.

True. I mentioned the glow plugs primarily as a check up. In case of a faulty glow plug the vehicle should miss fire, that can lead to a loss of power. In most modern diesel engines if the ecu sense a failure it can lead to loss of power or even take the car to limp mode. So still i would insist if the other aspects are found to be okay, do have a check at the glow plugs once.
For example in the new generation Ford Figo/Aspire even if the air filter is chocked the car goes to limp mode and do not rev beyond 2,500 rpm with the check engine light on.

[dudevarkey]

Originally Posted by dudevarkey

My Mahindra Quanto (70000 km) has similar problem.

I was driving on highway and after 70 Kms I noticed dip in power and it was difficult to overtake and on fly-overs the car was just not moving without shifting gear. Still it was able to do 90 - 100 kmph on straight roads.

Checked the EGR, it was clogged with soot. Blocked it and the car was ok for one week, and when I went for a long drive with 5 people on board, the check engine lit again. Meanwhile a person called after seeing the ad in OLX. He came to inspect the vehicle and was pretty ok with it. I informed him about the complaint and he was ready to buy the Quanto after checking the service history. Went to a trustworthy and equipped workshop with the prospective buyer, they checked the air filter and MAF sensor. The filter was clean and sensor had oil particles on it, cleaned and put it back. The mechanic said the Turbo is fine and there is no issues with the vehicle. The buyer was ready to take risk and I offered the vehicle at a much lower price considering the issue. The Quanto affair came to an end on 19th September 2016. Now I am left with no vehicle hoping the Vitara Brezza ZDI booked on 5th September will reach me by November end.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Here is a situation my brother and I got into:

We had to travel to Narayangaon from Pune on last Saturday for some work in his almost 10 year old, 1.5+ lakh kilometres run Ertiga Diesel.

Chakan as usual had chock-a-block traffic and we somehow managed to clear it in about 20 mins.

Post that the things got better and we could do some decent speeds (sub 90 kmph).

I was at the wheel and had to downshift for a quick overtake. The moment I went from 5th the 4th gear, suddenly it felt like the engine was lifeless. The RPM needle won't go past 2k rpm and the speeds dropped down to sub 50 kmph. I quit the over taking manoeuvre.

Gradually, the rpm started to climb in 3rd gear and once past 2k, I could again drive normally until I had to downshift. This routine went on till we reached our destination.

I checked for any loose hose pipes, any indication of coolant / oil leaks and thier respective levels. All checked out fine.

We completed our work in about a couple of hours and the car had cooled down sufficiently well by then.

We started our return journey, with me at the wheel again. The first 10 odd kilometres, the car behaved normally. Again with the first down shift, the car went in kind of a limp mode.
We safely parked the car on a open ground and looked at the things in more detail.

I could conclude the following :

1. A bad or chocked MAF sensor. (There was no CEL on the instrument cluster)
2. An end of life turbo.
3. A chocked/problematic injector.

Turbo and injector were ruled out as there no black smoke, engine missing or knocking noticed.
That left us with a chocked or bad MAF sensor. We disconnected it and could drive back without issues for over 40kms.
To be sure that it was a bad MAF sensor, we connected it back again and to our utter surprise, the issue was not noticed again. Also, I expected to see a check engine light after disconnecting MAF. However, even that did not happen.

For now, we are trying to replicate the issue again.

On later analysis, I could think of two other reasons for this lack of power:

1. Low fuel (we had just about 200km range remaining as per MID)
2. A fuel pump which might be on it last leg.
3. A chocked or problematic EGR, as it has never been serviced since the purchase of car.

I have requested my brother to always maintain atleast half tank worth of fuel.

Any other thoughts / suggestions which I could have checked? The engine temperature never went beyond half mark, the clutch and related components were changed as recently as last month along with the general servicing.

[iamblue]

Hi car enthusiasts,

I've been enjoying my Duster 85 PS since November 2013, covering an impressive 151,000+ kilometers without any major issues. However, recently during a long drive, I encountered an error indication on the speedometer. Initially, to my surprise just by stopping, shutting off the engine, and restarting, ( typical Microsoft windows problem Ha ha ha) but the problem reappeared after another hour of driving.

I visited the official Renault service center Pune, where a complete engine scan was performed, but no specific Fault codes were detected. The Renault advisors are uncertain about the problem and its solution. I've attached an image for your suggestions. Possible solutions suggested by the service center include replacement of the “Fuel injector solenoid valve” or a recommendation to replace an engine oil pipe due to leakage.

In city driving, the car behaves normally without any warnings, but I have noticed a decrease in initial pickup power. Has anyone faced a similar issue? I would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice you might have.

Thank you!

[Bsilver]

Originally Posted by iamblue

In city driving, the car behaves normally without any warnings, but I have noticed a decrease in initial pickup power. Has anyone faced a similar issue? I would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice you might have.

This is the glow plug warning light. Glow plugs are the components which heat the fuel in a diesel engine so that their is proper combustion. They are also responsible for proper combustion. This is a sign that they are bad.
Usually some ECUs will lit up the glow plug even if there is any problem with the entire combustion process as well. So this can not only be caused by glow plug, but also by something else say like the boost controller. So the entire combustion process is not happening in a correct way and you are able to notice the same due to lack of power in the early revs.
Pinpointing what is bad is hard without a scan and error code, but look for the glow plugs, the boost controller, the manifold, the intercooler, and check for any blown pipes. You should not be driving with this warning and can cause damage to the engine. You may also have problems like low fuel efficiency or problems with starting the vehicle.
Since you have driven 1L+ there can be carbon build on the glow plugs as well, so inspect them and if required replace them.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by iamblue

However, recently during a long drive, I encountered an error indication on the speedometer. Initially, to my surprise just by stopping, shutting off the engine, and restarting, ( typical Microsoft windows problem Ha ha ha) but the problem reappeared after another hour of driving.

As mentioned that looks like the warning light of a glow plug. Your owners manual will confirm.

If it is the glow plug:

Glow plugs are only activated during starting cycle. They are especially relevant when it gets colder. So they don’t affect your cars overal performance at all.

On most older diesel engines you would have a separate glow plug position on the ignition. Older members will remember. These days all electronically controlled.

When it’s cold, below 5oC, you might see some effect on the starting performance. Which in most cases means you need to crank longer.

On some engines the glow plugs also have some role to play in cleaning the PDF.

On most diesel engine glow plugs are replaced at a certain mileage. Although they don’t do anything for the normal operation of the car, they are still subjected to everything going on in the combustion chamber. High pressure, high temperature, exhaust gas etc.

So they do tend to wear out and are often replaced at say 60 or 100k. But not on all engines. Your owner manual might have an overview of all preventative maintenance.

Small word of caution. Because they usually last quite long, they are often a total and utter PITA to remove! Ask me how I know! Might require special tool to pull them out without damaging the cilinder head.


Good luck

Jeroen

[iamblue]

Originally Posted by Bsilver

This is the glow plug warning light. Glow plugs are the components which heat the fuel in a diesel engine so that their is proper combustion. They are also responsible for proper combustion. This is a sign that they are bad.
Usually some ECUs will lit up the glow plug even if there is any problem with the entire combustion process as well. So this can not only be caused by glow plug, but also by something else say like the boost controller. So the entire combustion process is not happening in a correct way and you are able to notice the same due to lack of power in the early revs.
Pinpointing what is bad is hard without a scan and error code, but look for the glow plugs, the boost controller, the manifold, the intercooler, and check for any blown pipes. You should not be driving with this warning and can cause damage to the engine. You may also have problems like low fuel efficiency or problems with starting the vehicle.
Since you have driven 1L+ there can be carbon build on the glow plugs as well, so inspect them and if required replace them.

Hey thanks Bsilver, for the information, will check with the glow plugs.

However, this issue occurred while I was driving. After turning off and restarting the engine, the warning does not appear initially but reappears after another hour of driving. Diagnostic scans have not revealed any error codes yet. I will begin by checking the glow plugs.