Engine Management Light - On/Off: Problem?

Greenr

Hi all

I hope someone can offer some advice...

I have a Citroen C3 1.4sxi - last Wednesday my engine management light came on when I started my car up after work. I decided to take it straight to the local Citroen dealer (even though it was driving absolutely fine) to find out what the problem was. They told me that I needed a new throttle pedal so I booked it to go in a week later (this Friday 19th).

The engine management light stayed on all day Friday but when I started my car up on Saturday the light didn't turn on. Does this mean that my car is now fine and I don't need to fork out £80+? Could the light have originally turned on by mistake?

Also, if I don't take it to be fixed, as they are ordering the part in, will I still have to pay for the part?!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I really don't want to take my car to be fixed if there isn't a problem with it!

andygb

Greenr wrote: »

Hi all

I hope someone can offer some advice...

I have a Citroen C3 1.4sxi - last Wednesday my engine management light came on when I started my car up after work. I decided to take it straight to the local Citroen dealer (even though it was driving absolutely fine) to find out what the problem was. They told me that I needed a new throttle pedal so I booked it to go in a week later (this Friday 19th).

The engine management light stayed on all day Friday but when I started my car up on Saturday the light didn't turn on. Does this mean that my car is now fine and I don't need to fork out £80+? Could the light have originally turned on by mistake?

Also, if I don't take it to be fixed, as they are ordering the part in, will I still have to pay for the part?!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I really don't want to take my car to be fixed if there isn't a problem with it!

Hi Greenr, we had an Audi A2 a few years ago, and a similar thing happened to me. Driving along a dual carriageway, engine management light came on, car running on reduced power. I took it to a nearby Audi dealer, and they said it was a common problem with the sensor, and there was NOTHING wrong with the car. They did however charge me -


wait for it -



£80 plus VAT

for the time which it took them to check it.

So, the more complex cars become, the more likely this is to happen, and call me cynical, but is this an easy way for the main dealers to make money?

anewman

All they do is plug it into a computer. If you're a DIY mechanic you can get things like Vag-com (VCDS) for Volkswagen Audi Group cars (I am sure equivalents exist for other MFR's), that you can use with a laptop (a netbook will often work well enough). Costs about £250, so you make your money back if you would otherwise have gone to the dealers 5 times. There's currently a group buy on some VAG forums (including Briskoda) to buy it for around £200. It lets you read fault codes, bleed the ABS, align the throttle body, and a whole variety of other things. If you're a cheapskate (like me) and have an older car that does not need can-bus there's ebay cables for about £10 and a free limited shareware version (need to go on the net and search about to find what fault codes mean, and you can't clear the codes - unlimited version is approx £70 but outdated.)

I see a money making opportunity by buying the diagnostic cable and software, then sitting outside the dealers and charging a tenner for each person. This is of course assuming the dealers don't make plugging into the computer for £80 mandatory whatever repair you have done, or the customer goes elsewhere to get the work done.

Green.Lander

i have just had the same problem on my car the dealer wanted to charge me 1.5 labour to investigate in the end a mechanic found a small spilt in a hose and taped it up - result no more light. he said these days anything can set this of but if the car is driving fine i would look for the problem the old fashion way i.e without a computer

Greenr

Thanks for your advice. As the part was being ordered in for me, will I still have to pay for it if I decide to cancel the booking this Friday??

andygb

Greenr wrote: »

Thanks for your advice. As the part was being ordered in for me, will I still have to pay for it if I decide to cancel the booking this Friday??

I would not go there, unless of course you owned a Toyota and not a Citroen, because I thought only the Prius wanted a new throttle pedal, or maybe a Corolla, or Auris or Yaris, who knows, maybe all cars need them, thus providing "Main stealers", with an ongoing trade.:(

CovKev

Hi all,

Bought a used A2 today for my girlfriend, 52 plate SE. Within 45 mins of leaving the trader's showroom the engine management light was on (amoung others) and the car lost power...which has now happened twice since!

HELP????!!!