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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 17:36:54

Title: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 17:36:54
The engine light stayed on all the way back from Swanage to home, approx. 200 miles. Not a lot of opportunity to drive it hard with the M3 average speed restriction of 50 mph, and then queues from J12 to J28 of the M25 - for NO apparent reason!

Off to Halfords this afternoon and bought some Cataclean and added it right away as the tank was down 68 .litres from full, so a good concentration of Cataclean. Then the Italian tune-up to the nearest Shell garage (17 miles away) for some V-Power. The engine light was still on all the way, but after filling up and swithching back on - the light was out!
Well done Cataclean, and thanks gents for all your help.  :y 8)

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 26 February 2017, 17:58:44
It will come back on though.  ;)
only permanent solution is to move the lamdas.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: BazaJT on 26 February 2017, 18:13:47
Is this a 2.6/3.2 issue only?Or does it afflict others in the range?
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 18:16:00
Thanks, Mig. How, and from where to where? Am I likely to be able to do it myself?

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: powerslinky on 26 February 2017, 18:39:48
Thanks, Mig. How, and from where to where? Am I likely to be able to do it myself?

Ron.

Have a look at the guide in maintenance section Ron. It is the  V6 petrol engine  section listed as "moving lamdas" I think . Unlikely you could do this yourself  . . Sereks your man  would say.
  Try a tank of premium unleaded with a good thrash  first , that often works  . . if only for a while.  ;) ;)
 3.2's seem more prone to this O2 sensor problem than the 2.6's IMO . . . but it obviously does occur with the 2.6 as well  ::)
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 18:43:04
Hi Al. Yes, after the Cataclean I filled up with Shell V-Power. Fair enough, I would certainly entrust the work to Serek, but do you have any idea what would happen if I did nothing? Apart from a frown from the MOT man, I mean!

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: powerslinky on 26 February 2017, 18:46:22
Hi Al. Yes, after the Cataclean I filled up with Shell V-Power. Fair enough, I would certainly entrust the work to Serek, but do you have any idea what would happen if I did nothing? Apart from a frown from the MOT man, I mean!

Ron.

as far as I know  . . .it won't affect the day to day running  . . .as you say just emmisions at MOT time i would think . But saying that my black 3.2 passed 2 MOTs with that problem . I just took the light off prior to the test with my cheapy code reader. It would return after around 7/800 miles though :'(
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 February 2017, 18:47:09
It impacts the 2.6 and 3.2 that spend too much time being driven like Miss Daisy.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: powerslinky on 26 February 2017, 18:50:16
It impacts the 2.6 and 3.2 that spend too much time being driven like Miss Daisy.

Ah right TB . . .that sums up my driving style perfectly ;D ;D ;D

Thought the 3.2's were more prone to this than the 2.6's though  :-\ :-\
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 18:51:51
Ah yes - around town when I'm at home I AM Miss daisy, but the light came on after a good (swift) early morning run to Swanage and a few days of driving around Dorset.
Even when being a wuss at home, I do let it stretch its legs at least once a week on a run.....

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 February 2017, 19:09:46
It impacts the 2.6 and 3.2 that spend too much time being driven like Miss Daisy.

Ah right TB . . .that sums up my driving style perfectly ;D ;D ;D

Thought the 3.2's were more prone to this than the 2.6's though  :-\ :-\
Obviously, at a Miss Daisy speed, the 3.2 is less pushed than a 2.6.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 February 2017, 19:10:35
I do let it stretch its legs at least once a week on a run.....
Define, how much time does it spend above 4500rpm?
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: EMD on 26 February 2017, 19:17:17
Hi Al. Yes, after the Cataclean I filled up with Shell V-Power. Fair enough, I would certainly entrust the work to Serek, but do you have any idea what would happen if I did nothing? Apart from a frown from the MOT man, I mean!

Ron.

Wont affect mot as long as emissions are within range . Mine has the eml on and it goes out by itself when it wants to  ::)
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: pauls on 26 February 2017, 19:23:50
Just get the lambas moved Serek does it in about 20mins job jobbed :y
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: EMD on 26 February 2017, 19:26:47
Just get the lambas moved Serek does it in about 20mins job jobbed :y

Yes i was there when he moved some with markdtm , dont take long but im not going to bother ... ill just put a sticker over the light  ;D
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 19:28:44
Um, to be honest, Rumpel, not often up to 4,500 rpm, although after adding the Cataclean I drove the 17 miles to the Shell garage in Sport Mode to give the juice a chance to work - and it did! My non-elastic pension won't allow me to floor it very often.....
EMD, I'm glad to hear that it isn't an MOT issue: I do give it Cataclean before the test and a good 20-odd mile warm-up before taking it to the MOT centre. I usually have the first appointment of the day, so it is still warm for the test and I've never had any emissions comments so far.
Once again, I am grateful for the help on here, especially having my mind put at rest for the journey home from Swanage - I ignored the light!

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: EMD on 26 February 2017, 19:32:59
Um, to be honest, Rumpel, not often up to 4,500 rpm, although after adding the Cataclean I drove the 17 miles to the Shell garage in Sport Mode to give the juice a chance to work - and it did! My non-elastic pension won't allow me to floor it very often.....
EMD, I'm glad to hear that it isn't an MOT issue: I do give it Cataclean before the test and a good 20-odd mile warm-up before taking it to the MOT centre. I usually have the first appointment of the day, so it is still warm for the test and I've never had any emissions comments so far.
Once again, I am grateful for the help on here, especially having my mind put at rest for the journey home from Swanage - I ignored the light!

Ron.

That stuff has got a lot of cars through the emissions ron including my old vectra sri . The mot place could not get the emissions low enough so popped a can of cataclean in and took it for a blast ... came back and passed emissions with ease  8)
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 February 2017, 19:38:45
Um, to be honest, Rumpel, not often up to 4,500 rpm
Thus you are not "stretching its legs".

Hence, the recommendation is to move the lamdas rather than bugger around with chemical crap.  I'd highly recommend Serek for this, given your location and his desire to do a good job.


Although I have the new bits welded into my exhaust, I haven't had to move mine yet...  ...and my existing lamdas are seized in solid...
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 19:51:19
Rumpel, Serek is about 65 miles from me, so well worth the journey as his work is excellent and that rarity - an HONEST garage man!
I don't want to tempt fate by saying this, but my cat-back exhaust is over 3 years old now and the cats are somewhat older than that - may even be original, for all I know - so if the light returns I will ignore it until such time as any exhaust work is needed.
Oh, and a few more Italian tune-ups?

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 26 February 2017, 19:59:49
As far as I know, the fact that the light is on will now be an MOT failure, but I could be wrong.
If so, and you don't solve the problem before your MOT. Give me a shout and I can turn the light out with a code reader, which will probably keep it of for at least a few days.  :y
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: YZ250 on 26 February 2017, 20:06:00
I can honestly say that in the fourteen years that I have owned my 3.2 I've only seen the eml on twice.  :-\
The first time was when I filled up with contaminated fuel and the second time was when the coil pack went and it was misfiring like an arse. Over the past few years my 3.2 has been run on Asda's finest.   ::)

Have I just been lucky so far?  :-\
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 20:11:25
Thanks, mig, much appreciated - simpler than taking the bulb out.
"Misfiring like an arse" Oh my aching ribs.....   ;D ;D ;D

Ron.

Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 26 February 2017, 20:15:25
I can honestly say that in the fourteen years that I have owned my 3.2 I've only seen the eml on twice.  :-\
The first time was when I filled up with contaminated fuel and the second time was when the coil pack went and it was misfiring like an arse. Over the past few years my 3.2 has been run on Asda's finest.   ::)

Have I just been lucky so far?  :-\

Yes.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 February 2017, 20:23:39
I can honestly say that in the fourteen years that I have owned my 3.2 I've only seen the eml on twice.  :-\
The first time was when I filled up with contaminated fuel and the second time was when the coil pack went and it was misfiring like an arse. Over the past few years my 3.2 has been run on Asda's finest.   ::)

Have I just been lucky so far?  :-\
Given the way you drive (before you were a reformed character following your latest speed awareness course), no, its not lucky.  You drive it properly :y
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Bigron on 26 February 2017, 20:30:58
Yes, they looked after MY licence for me for 6 months a few years back, plus £180 fine + costs. Ahem, 107 mph, M3 near Basingstoke in an unmarked plod car. It was about 3AM on an empty, dry motorway, so surely a bollocking would have sufficed? 
That's another reason why I drive like Miss Daisy.:'(

Ron.
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: YZ250 on 26 February 2017, 20:41:03
I can honestly say that in the fourteen years that I have owned my 3.2 I've only seen the eml on twice.  :-\
The first time was when I filled up with contaminated fuel and the second time was when the coil pack went and it was misfiring like an arse. Over the past few years my 3.2 has been run on Asda's finest.   ::)

Have I just been lucky so far?  :-\

Given the way you drive, no, its not lucky.  You drive it properly :y

 ;D

Not sure what you mean   ;)  so I'll take that as a back handed compliment.  ;D :y

Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: henryd on 26 February 2017, 21:12:59
As far as I know, the fact that the light is on will now be an MOT failure, but I could be wrong.
If so, and you don't solve the problem before your MOT. Give me a shout and I can turn the light out with a code reader, which will probably keep it of for at least a few days.  :y

EML on at mot time isn't a fail unless it causes emissions issue,
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 26 February 2017, 21:56:07
I didn't know that. Thought it changed to warning lamps causing a fail. When I replace my EML bulb for next MOT, I wont bother removing it again then. :y
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: the alarming man on 27 February 2017, 01:04:18
It impacts the 2.6 and 3.2 that spend too much time being driven like Miss Daisy.

Ah right TB . . .that sums up my driving style perfectly ;D ;D ;D

Thought the 3.2's were more prone to this than the 2.6's though  :-\ :-\


Really???......I might disagree on that one Al  : ;D :y
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 27 February 2017, 05:46:37
You can drive it hard within the speed limit... ::)

Just change gear manually ;)
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: henryd on 27 February 2017, 08:07:29
I didn't know that. Thought it changed to warning lamps causing a fail. When I replace my EML bulb for next MOT, I wont bother removing it again then. :y

It's safety related warnings that fail,SRS,ABS,ESP etc
Title: Re: Update on "The engine light came on".....
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 27 February 2017, 13:06:53
Makes sense.  :y