Scenic 1.6 - Fuel range suddenly lost accuracy!

Juno · Unread post by **Juno** » 31 May 2008, 14:08

Hi all,

I have searched many forums to see if anyone else had this problem and found nothing - the other day, right before going on a long road trip, we re-set our tripometer and turns out this also automatically re-sets the fuel range counter that tells you how soon you need to fill up! Since the counter was re-set, it spent the next 5-10 mins trying to determine how much petrol was in the tank and it was constantly shooting up and down the range until it finally settled on around 500ish miles (which I know can't be true because we never get more than 400 miles from a full tank!)

Ever since then it's not been accurate. We actually ran out of petrol (stupidly, I know) because we were so used to it telling you when you're on your last 40 miles - and the car just died when the range was showing 56 miles.

We have filled up since then and the range has never been accurate again... It now says I've got 236 miles even though the tank is full to the top and should have 400 miles.

I spoke to Renault, who said we'd have to bring it in for diagnostics (£88 before anything is even done to it) and then spoke to our other local garage who said there's no guarantee the diagnostics would even find the fault and that if something was seriously wrong it would come up on the engine management system.

On a separate note, our stereo has started doing something strange since the car broke down from lack of petrol, and keeps saying "ERR CD" when you listen to music, and then disabling the stereo control (volume etc) from the steering wheel. However this only does it on on CD and not radio!

Anyway - sorry for rambling I was advised by our garage to ask around forums because they never heard of the problem before (reasurring isn't it!)

I'd be grateful for any advice at all

Thanks!

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 31 May 2008, 15:29

1) be sure you have any codes needed for radio and keys - and the correct procedure to tip it in.

2) disconnect battery over night (put a charger on it while you are messing with it anyway)

3) while batery disconneted, connect the battery clamps together to assure any stray capacititors are discharged.

This will reset most electronic systems in any car, possibly ridding out the annoying failures you have.
It will be necessary in most cases to re-enter radio codes etc. to get back functionality.

Juno · Unread post by **Juno** » 31 May 2008, 17:14

AndersDK, thanks for the reply and advice.

One thing though, after we broke down from lack of petrol, my husband went to get some petrol from the station and after putting it in the car the car still wouldn't start.. So we had to end up waiting for the RAC rescue to come and help us start it. He had to end up using a pure petrol spray in the engine to get it to start and it started every time since. But while we were sat waiting for the RAC, the battery eventually went flat so would that not have re-set any electronic systems anyway because the battery went flat?

Thanks!

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 31 May 2008, 18:34

Hmmm you cvertainly got a point there.

But running flat by slowly loosing the voltage on the battery while ignition is on, is not exactly the same as removing the battery while ignition is off.

At least seen from the electronics point of view.
I.e. not a "clean" reset.