£900 bill on an 05 plate Citroen C3

soolin

liam8282 wrote: »

If you can get it to a garage with a fault code reader, or if you are a member of the AA they might possibly be able to arrange to do it for you, get the fault codes read yourself and see what the problem with your car is.

You will need to do a search for fault code readers near you, but I know in Leeds you can get a fault code read for about £20.

Sorry, I went to Kwik fit as I passed them on my way back ..

Having been told by Citoren that the fault should mean that the car wouldn't rev, but they can't explain why the symptoms didn't really match the error code I popped into Kwik Fit on my home. They ran a diagnostic using a machine and said that as well as the faults I had been told about it might also be a problem with damp in the something or other causing the light to go on in error. (He didn;t say in error, but something else where the light doesn't mean what it is supposed to mean)

They cancelled the light and told me to drive the car around and see if i could get the light to come on again, and if so that would give a better clue as to what was actually wrong. The car is driving like a dream, it revs even from cold and I cannot get the light to come back on again.

The only thing I haven't done is to wash my windscreen, as that was what I did just before I got the warning light last time.

Kwik Fit did not charge me a penny and I cannot praise them enough for just listening to me and not dismissing me as a silly woman who wouldn't know one end of an engine from another.

Tucker

Fair play to Kwik Fit for once, but I really wouldn't trust them with my car.

If the light has stayed off, all well and good as it would return quite quickly if the fault persists.

Can't see it being anything to do with the washer wipe, unless it's some how spraying somewhere that it shouldn't do.

Press it and at least rule that out. Sounds a coincidence that you had just pressed it to me.

soolin

Tucker wrote: »

Fair play to Kwik Fit for once, but I really wouldn't trust them with my car.

If the light has stayed off, all well and good as it would return quite quickly if the fault persists.

Can't see it being anything to do with the washer wipe, unless it's some how spraying somewhere that it shouldn't do.

Press it and at least rule that out. Sounds a coincidence that you had just pressed it to me.

There's other reports online of the fault occuring immediately after the washer was used, something to do with water seeping into a coil or something...

liam8282

soolin wrote: »

There's other reports online of the fault occuring immediately after the washer was used, something to do with water seeping into a coil or something...

Yes there are plenty of topics online about that fault, when I did a quick search earlier I actually read about that fault too.

Do a search for that fault again and see what other people have done to solve the problem, it might be something very easy and not very expensive. Probably some new seals on the washer jets and a new coil or spark plug, or whatever the water has dripped on. BTW I haven't searched again, so do not know if this is an actual solution!

Tucker

There is only one way to find out if this is your fault!!

If it is, it cannot possible be a £900 problem. More like some replacement hose!

soolin

liam8282 wrote: »

Yes there are plenty of topics online about that fault, when I did a quick search earlier I actually read about that fault too.

Do a search for that fault again and see what other people have done to solve the problem, it might be something very easy and not very expensive. Probably some new seals on the washer jets and a new coil or spark plug, or whatever the water has dripped on. BTW I haven't searched again, so do not know if this is an actual solution!

I did print out reams of stuff which made more sense to my OH than to me. He seems to think if it is something to do with water then he knows how to fix it, but of course if of course the light does come on if I wash my windows and OH sorts out the seepage I'll still have to persuade a garage to reset the light again.

Still, better that than a £900 bill !

Fingers crossed for me that the light stays off....

Tucker

Not necessarily.

It's not always a case that it has to be reset. The light will go off if the fault no longer exists.

It appears to have stayed off because the coil pack or plug heads have dried out, so if they are dried off and sorted the light should turn out once the ECU is happy all is well.

harveybobbles

Tucker wrote: »

Not necessarily.

It's not always a case that it has to be reset. The light will go off if the fault no longer exists.

It appears to have stayed off because the coil pack or plug heads have dried out, so if they are dried off and sorted the light should turn out once the ECU is happy all is well.

normally lights stay on once the ECU has decteced a fault.

Best thing with warning lights is just to have them cleared and then carry on driving until it comes back on, cos it could be storing faukts from years ago that have been fixed.

soolin

harveybobbles wrote: »

normally lights stay on once the ECU has decteced a fault.

Best thing with warning lights is just to have them cleared and then carry on driving until it comes back on, cos it could be storing faukts from years ago that have been fixed.

Just an update. I have driven the car some distance on a motorway and also down twisting country roads. I have bene a little untidy with the gears so that the engine rev'd more than I would normally like, and it is still absolutely fine, no light on and nothing obviously not working correctly.

liam8282

This thread goes into a bit of detail about it:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Cars/Question492652.html

If I were you were I would make sure to get the seals sorted on the window washer jets asap!