As a Renault owner, seeing the “Engine Failure Hazard” warning message on your instrument panel can be an unpleasant and concerning experience.
While it may seem like an alarming indication of impending doom, there are many reasons why this warning message will appear on your Renault Dashboard.
In this article, I will explain what “engine failure hazard” means, why this warning message appears, and provide some tips on how to fix it. Let’s get to it.
What is the Meaning of the “Engine Failure Hazard” Warning on a Renault
Before we get to the possible causes of the problem, it is important to understand what this fault message means.
In short, when an engine failure hazard fault comes on your Renault dashboard, it means it means that the engine control unit (ECU) has detected a potential malfunction or overheating in the engine.
This can be caused by a small thing such as bad 02 sensors or a bigger problem like a damaged damaged thermostat.
What Causes an Engine Failure Hazard Fault on a Renault?
After doing a ton of research and using my experience as an Auto mechanic, I have found that this warning comes on your Renault dashboard if one of the following things is happening:
1. Bad Oxygen Sensors
This is one of the most common causes of an Engine failure hazard fault on a Renault. It’s also one of the easiest to fix (relatively).
O2 sensors are responsible for monitoring the amount of unburned oxygen in your engine’s exhaust.
If the O2 sensors detect that there is too much or too little, then they send a signal to the powertrain control module (PCM), which adjusts the fuel/air mixture accordingly.
This helps keep your Renault running properly and efficiently by ensuring that it burns all of its fuel. These sensors do fail more often than not.
If you have bad 02 sensors, it means that your engine isn’t getting enough air, and it will misfire or run poorly (especially when hot), and an “Engine failure hazard” message will come up.
2. Radiator Not Getting Enough Coolant Due to Leaks:
Another common cause of this issue on a Renault is a leak in the radiator.
The radiator is responsible for cooling your engine, so if it isn’t getting enough coolant, then your Renault’s engine will overheat.
Some of the common signs of this issue include:
- High temperatures when driving.
- White smoke comes from your exhaust pipe when you start up.
- Coolant leaks from your car’s vents or underneath it
Once your Renault runs hotter than normal, it will send a signal to your car’s computer, and the computer will display the engine failure hazard message to make you aware that there is a problem
3. Thermostat Stuck
The thermostat is one of the most crucial parts of your Renaul’ts cooling system because it regulates the temperature of your engine.
It does this by opening and closing a valve inside the coolant system to let air into the radiator and out again, which helps keep things running at an even temperature.
If your Renault’s thermostat is stuck open, then it won’t be able to regulate the temperature in your engine. This can cause it to overheat and cause the “Engine failure hazard”.
I suggest that you keep a close eye on the coolant temperature gauge when you get this fault message if it’s too high chances are the issue is caused by low coolant on the radiator/leaking radiator or a bad thermostat.
4. Low Engine Oil
As a mechanic, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having the required engine oil level.
The oil in Renault is what cools, lubricates, and keeps all of the moving parts inside running smoothly, and if there’s not enough then things could start to seize up.
If you haven’t done any oil changes or checked the level in a while then I recommend that you check it.
Low engine oil can cause the engine failure hazard fault message to come on, and if it does then you need to check the engine oil level and top up if too low.
5. Bad Spark Plugs
Bad spark plugs can cause the engine failure hazard message to come on.
Spark plugs are what provide the spark to ignite the fuel in the engine cylinder, and if they’re worn out then they won’t be able to ignite as much fuel.
This can lead to less power being generated by the engine and it could cause it to run rough or stall when you put your foot down.
6. Clogged DPF
If your Renault has a Diesel motor then the engine failure hazard message could be caused by a clogged DPF.
The Diesel Particulate Filter is designed to trap harmful soot particles from entering the environment, but if it gets clogged then less fuel can be burned efficiently.
This can cause a build-up of pressure inside the engine and cause all sorts of issues.
7. Failing Fuel Injectors
The final common cause of an “engine failure hazard” warning light in a Renault is failing fuel injectors.
As the name suggests fuel injectors are tiny devices that spray fuel into the engine.
They are designed to deliver a precise amount of fuel at exactly the right time, but if they start to fail then this can cause issues with misfires leading to the rough running of the engine.
How to Fix and Reset Renault’s “Engine Failure Hazard” Light
Since this fault message is a generic one it doesn’t tell you exactly what the problem is. A diagnostics scan using an OBD 2 scanner is required.
I personally recommend taking your Renault to the nearest Dealer or Renault specialist and having them diagnose the problem.
This will ensure that you get a precise answer to what is wrong with your vehicle, how much it will cost to fix, and what components need changing.
The above possible causes are some of the most common causes for this warning light to appear based on my experience and the information I got after doing a ton of research.
Additional Sources
https://gb.e-guide.renault.com/eng/Kadjar/TRIP-COMPUTER-AND-WARNING-SYSTEM-warning-message
https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/symptoms-of-a-bad-or-failing-oxygen-sensor
https://www.outilsobdfacile.com/vehicle-list-compatible-obd2/renault
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Thank you very much for this article. I have Renault Clio 2016 and I have this message all the time. The mechanics fixes one problem and then it pops again. In general I have so many problems with this car. Will check the causes you mentioned. Thanks.
Noa
Hi, If the message appears due to low engine oil, Once topped up can I ignore the error for the time being? My oil was very low, I re-filled it but the warning is still visible. I’m 99% sure it was due to almost zero oil in the engine. I have a 3hr trip in a couple of days but can’t get it in a garage. Whats your advice please?
Thanks
Ben
I have diagnosed umy renault capture for this hazard message and it shows fault at the pressure pump. The vehicle tuns normally. But will this damage the engine if i dont get the pump replaced. Its been 500 km since the engine hazard had come and vehicle is running fine
How can I retify my renault car that is showing engine hazard failure please