Serious problem with my car??? :(

N3WLIFE

Ok so I was driving back from work on the A3, in heavy traffic-and just getting off the A3 the engine management warning light along with another exclamation mark warning light come on!

Within a minute the car seriously starts to struggle, I give it alot of gas but it sounds like its not even really revving!
Luckily I make it to a side road and park up and wait for a bit. I turn it on again and the exclamation light is off but the engine light stays on.

In vain I top up the water tank a little even though its got enough water, So I was thinking it might be the oil as it hadnt had an oil change recently.

I actually make it all the way home thank God. So I decide to take it to the garage next day. I start the engine and the exclamation light comes on again and it takes quite a few seconds for it to start up. Manage to drive to the garage (kwikfit)

By the time we get there, the warning light are off. They look at the car, check the oil and said that was fine, then they check the water and say its empty!. I topped it up two days ago, but when they checked it at the garage it was BONE DRY!

They cant see any leaks anywhere and say they cant use the computer to determine whats wrong with it because the warning lights are off!

I just got in the car today to check it and it starts fine, no hesitation.

However when I turn the ignition once, the engine management, battery and oil warning lights come on and dont go foff!

They said the oil was fine, do you think I need to change the battery? Also what about the water tank? they cant see a leak anywhere...............

Any ideas?????? Thanks

red_eye

Cant get better then a kwik !!!! shitter,

Sometimes a sensor for some resion or other decides to have a day off.

Every time the management light comes on the ecu stores the fault as a code so you can put it on the computer any time. Have you checked the water your self? water can leak while the cooling systems pressurised.

Empty_pockets

Oh jesus.

Sell the car and buy a bus pass.

rodenal

OK forget pretty much everything that has popped into your head so far. You're going to have to find a garage who can read your codes and diagnose the problem, if there even still is a problem. The code should be stored in the cars fault bank so (car dependent) most places should be able to scan these for you and say what caused the problem. It sounds like it could be crank/cm sensor related but at the moment that's sheer speculation.

Maybe looknonline for reviews of local places then call up and check what thcharge to diagnose the fault, they should be using the codes as a guide then following this up with some actual diagnosis of the indicated part. Don't go near Kwik fit, national etc and if at all avoidable don't go to a dealer

Foxy-Stoat_3

You dont say what car, year or mileage your car is.

System

If it is true that there was no water in the cooling system after you had topped it up two days ago, then there is a serious loss of coolant which cannot have fixed itself as if by magic.

If true, then this needs immediate attention to find and resolve the cause.

Or was it a mistake by KwikFit and in fact the coolant level was Okay ?

As others have already mentioned, the car's computer (ECU) will have stored the fault codes, many garages have the correct equipment to allow them to interogate the ECU to diagnose any faults, ask for a quote to check the ECU codes.
Note, if in doubt, the main dealer will definately be able to do the checks - but may be more expensive.

andygb

BAA1 wrote: »

If it is true that there was no water in the cooling system after you had topped it up two days ago, then there is a serious loss of coolant which cannot have fixed itself as if by magic.

This is quite basic stuff really, something which everyone who owns a car ought to do. It takes less than five minutes each week, to open the bonnet and check all the fluid levels (oil, coolant, windscreen washer, brake fluid, power steering), have a look at the oil filler cap for creamy gunk, shut the bonnet and check the tyre pressures.
It sounds as if the car has overheated, and the EMS has put it into "limp home" mode.

Foxy-Stoat_3

What....open the bonnet....how do I do that?

HAHAHAHHAHAHA

N3WLIFE

Hi guys its a 2000 ford focus, I checked the water tank myself while I was at kwik fit and it was definitely bone dry............
oil is fine, tyres fine

I was thinking the engine over heated because there could be a leak in the water tank? But then the engine wasnt over heated when I checked it!
sigh

Foxy-Stoat_3

You could of killed the head gasket by driving it with no water. Whats the mileage of the car?

I would have a garage look at it, do a sniffer test and compression test on the engine and go from there.

Possible problems:
Thermostate brokened
Radiator blocked
Radiator fans no cutting in
Headgasket gone

Have all these checked.

scheming_gypsy

you did top right right water up didn't you? and not topping up the washer fluid bottle and Kwik Fit topped up the water?

although if you leave the engine running for a while once the water is topped up, if there are any leaks you'll have a puddle under the car