Dashboard check engine warning - automatic mot fail?

paulfoel

Happened when I tried to jumpstart the car. Apparently it happens sometimes with this car (Merc A160 - 2001).

Bought fault reader from ebay and thought I'd sorted it. It seemed to cleared. First time I used the car after it came back.

Any idea if these cheap readers are any good? Or do I need it cleared properly?

MOT next week and I'd heard warning light = fail.

paulfoel

Hmm. It seems check engine light is not an mot fail. Good news.

Joe_Horner

Check engine light isn't tested. ABS and SRS lights are but, as long as it can drive into the test bay, run long enough to complete the test, and the emissions are ok, the engine can have any faults as you like

Quentin

It's come back on because you haven't cured the fault! (Nothing to do with the cheap reader)

mcjordi

nope deffo not a fail had my mot last week and just mentioned to me it was on ( no avisory or fail on it) same said again today on reset..

you need to sort problem out thats why its come back.. what code did the reader give you?

paulfoel

mcjordi wrote: »

nope deffo not a fail had my mot last week and just mentioned to me it was on ( no avisory or fail on it) same said again today on reset..

you need to sort problem out thats why its come back.. what code did the reader give you?

I'll have to check again tonight. Mercs have habit of check engine light coming on just because it notices a blip in battery voltage (i,e. jumpstart)

DigForVictory

If Dashboard check engine warning = automatic mot fail, my Mondeo would be illegal several days a quarter. Instead, its vintage electrics have sporadic dicky fits, which I wag the cheap what-the-devil? meter at (to identify that it has temportarily lost a seatbelt or something equally engine critical) and we carry on.

I wouldn't stress the MOT but I would post the meter read code so we can all chip in!

arcon5

So what did you do to the car before clearing the error code? As said, it will come back on irrespective of the reader if the error is still there.

In the same way that knocking noise will still be there when you turn the radio back down.

Joe_Horner

arcon5 wrote: »

In the same way that knocking noise will still be there when you turn the radio back down.

Not always.

Before christmas my wife's car was knocking a bit so she turned the radio up. About 5 miles later a rod came through the side of the block. She then turned the radio down again (after coasting to a stop) and the knocking had completely disappeared

mcjordi

the srs/airbag light on is a mot fail though..

paulfoel

arcon5 wrote: »

So what did you do to the car before clearing the error code? As said, it will come back on irrespective of the reader if the error is still there.

In the same way that knocking noise will still be there when you turn the radio back down.

Battery was flat. Jump started it. If you dont switch lights on before doing it tends to cause a fault code (common with merc A class).

Its not this though it seems.