Engine warning light.......any ideas ??

[Bonefish Blues]

Et voila.

View attachment 658371

I didn't know you were a mechanic. Top job there

 

[fossyant]

Will need clearing for MOT. Unfortunately, the Engine Management Light can mean many many things, so reading the code will tell you what - sometimes detecting poor emissions (lack of use) other times it could be a broken sensor or misfire.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I have a 65 plate Astra, petrol auto. Very low mileage (less than 10K).
It gets a regular service as required.
Today a warning light came on. Its a sort of oblong and the colour is orange.
Mr Google seems to indicate it could be emissions/catalytic convertor.
I feel a trip to my local garage coming on but just wonder if this is familiar to anyone ?
If so, does it sound expensive

Being serious for once...

Has it got wavy heat lines coming out of the top of it? If so catalyser warning, so definitely an issue there.

If it's like a wee engine with no wavy lines, then it's an engine management warning light, so code reading will help - but short local journeys can be an issue, so let your local garage know your journey profile.

 

[Dave7]

Being serious for once...

Has it got wavy heat lines coming out of the top of it? If so catalyser warning, so definitely an issue there.

If it's like a wee engine with no wavy lines, then it's an engine management warning light, so code reading will help - but short local journeys can be an issue, so let your local garage know your journey profile.

No wavy lines.
I am tempted to give it a blast but frightened it could pack in on the mototorway.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

No wavy lines.
I am tempted to give it a blast but frightened it could pack in on the mototorway.

Nah, take it to your local garage and ask them to stick their code reader on and advise from there Dave.

Make sure you've got clean undies on because your pants might get pulled down

 

[alicat]

The engine warning light came on during a long journey on a very hot day when I was on the way to an important appointment then going house sitting in France. I was convinced it was a radiator warning light. A helpful garage set me right and said that I could wait to get it checked if the car was running okay.

About a week later, I noticed that the light had disappeared. Saved me a trip to my own friendly mechanic.

 

[fossyant]

No wavy lines.
I am tempted to give it a blast but frightened it could pack in on the mototorway.

Just go tearing round the estate in first gear.

 

[Jody]

No wavy lines.
I am tempted to give it a blast but frightened it could pack in on the mototorway.

Doubtful it would pack in. Make sure your oil is topped up and it has coolant.

Dash EML are mostly mundane sensor issues rather than anything major. It could even be something as simple as a coil pack or spark plug breaking down.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Doubtful it would pack in. Make sure your oil is topped up and it has coolant.

Dash EML are mostly mundane sensor issues rather than anything major. It could even be something as simple as a coil pack or spark plug breaking down.

Same issue and was a coil pack on our previous car - VW.

Didn't cost much to have fixed.

 

[fossyant]

Same issue and was a coil pack on our previous car - VW.

Didn't cost much to have fixed.

Coil pack and crankshaft sensor on mine. Different times. Code reader told me which coil pack was dodgy, so swapped cylinders and could definately tell. Crankshaft sensor fail made the car run like a bag of spanners. But even a small fault will trigger the light.

 

[Jody]

Same issue and was a coil pack on our previous car - VW.

Didn't cost much to have fixed.

I keep spares in the boot for when failure strikes. They are almost consumables for VAG platform.

On holiday in Norfolk last week when the car started mis firing. Got my other half to read the codes on my phone before we found somewhere to stop. One bike multi tool and 5 minutes later the duff coil was binned and the mis fire was gone.

 

[fossyant]

I keep spares in the boot for when failure strikes. They are almost consumables for VAG platform.

On holiday in Norfolk last week when the car started mis firing. Got my other half to read the codes on my phone before we found somewhere to stop. One bike multi tool and 5 minutes later the duff coil was binned and the mis fire was gone.

Yup, my son ended up stranded in Belgium with a wiring fault to one coil pack ! VW !

I have Nissans, don't keep any spares as it's so rare you get failures. 140k miles and 20 years for a coil pack to fail. Cost £30-£40 to buy - didn't fail completely, but started throwing codes - cleaned it, kept going until new part arrived. Code readers are a must.

 

[Jody]

Code readers are a must.

Definitely. Given that torque pro and a reader is about a tenner.

 

[fossyant]

Definitely. Given that torque pro and a reader is about a tenner.

Great bits of kit. My son has a more expensive VAG compatible one that does loads more 'stuff'. I'm happy with the reader !

You don't always need the reader - Nissan's have a secret system of reading the 'flashes' on various lights. I have issues with the drivers seat air bag connector - throw's the air bag light once in a blue moon. A quick 'secret' ignition sequence throws a code, you check it to the on-line manual. Mine is the contacts are grubby - very sensitive. Clean up, re-connect, re-run the sequence, systen checks again, then clears the code.

The code won't clear if there is a permanent fault though.

 

[biggs682]

@Dave7 remove the big bore exhaust that you borrowed from @tyred s friend with the corsa and it will be fine again