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Vauxhall "Service soon" yellow warning light with spanner
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General_query
Posts: 429 Forumite


in Motoring
Hello,
Hope someone can help us please?
Bought a 2011 plate Vauxhall Meriva a few weeks ago, and the other day the "yellow car with a spanner" symbol appeared on our way home after we pulled into a supermarket for a shop. It disappeared again when we set off.

Having googled it, it seems this is an inbuilt Vauxhall twerk to inform you a service is due (due soon), yet this car was fully serviced before we picked it up.
Garage said to drop it off Monday morning to try and reset it (even though I'll be well late for work!), but also said it's either a simple job, or could be more complicated depending on what codes their code reader picks up.
Has anyone else had this symbol please? is it an easy fix and is it just a "service soon" warning or the possibility of something more serious?
We tried to clear it using the manual (that's not for our specific model!) and ended up resetting the mileage trip meter and now have the "1 Unit Set" code message showing. Wish we hadn't have played with it now
Lot's of videos on Youtube how to get fault codes from a Vauxhall by pressing both brake and accelerator then inserting key into ignition - but these codes would mean nothing to us!
I would try an reset the symbol myself - even though it disappeared when we drove off - but what if it hints at something more serious?
Seems daft having a light to remind you to service your car soon.
Do you think it's pure coincidence this light came on 2 weeks after we bought the car as the mileage has now triggered the warning light (nearly 36k), or have we been sold a duff motor?
Thanks in advance.
Hope someone can help us please?
Bought a 2011 plate Vauxhall Meriva a few weeks ago, and the other day the "yellow car with a spanner" symbol appeared on our way home after we pulled into a supermarket for a shop. It disappeared again when we set off.

Having googled it, it seems this is an inbuilt Vauxhall twerk to inform you a service is due (due soon), yet this car was fully serviced before we picked it up.
Garage said to drop it off Monday morning to try and reset it (even though I'll be well late for work!), but also said it's either a simple job, or could be more complicated depending on what codes their code reader picks up.
Has anyone else had this symbol please? is it an easy fix and is it just a "service soon" warning or the possibility of something more serious?
We tried to clear it using the manual (that's not for our specific model!) and ended up resetting the mileage trip meter and now have the "1 Unit Set" code message showing. Wish we hadn't have played with it now

Lot's of videos on Youtube how to get fault codes from a Vauxhall by pressing both brake and accelerator then inserting key into ignition - but these codes would mean nothing to us!
I would try an reset the symbol myself - even though it disappeared when we drove off - but what if it hints at something more serious?
Seems daft having a light to remind you to service your car soon.
Do you think it's pure coincidence this light came on 2 weeks after we bought the car as the mileage has now triggered the warning light (nearly 36k), or have we been sold a duff motor?
Thanks in advance.
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Comments
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You are not giving us enough info to help you properly.
Did you buy this car from a Vauxhall dealer.
If not exactly who serviced it 2 weeks ago?
Was it due a service 2 weeks ago or was this service just to make the car more appealing or to clinch the sale?
How do you know that it actually had a full service?
Have you got a service book all up to date?
Why haven't you got the correct manual?
A light to tell you when the car needs servicing is far from 'daft' as many cars these days need servicing according to usage rather than time and/or miles.
Edit:
That warning light - yellow car with a spanner - does NOT mean that a service is due soon.
It means that there is a possible fault with the engine electronic management system.
http://www.diagnostic-world.com/pages/meriva_a_dash_lights_203035.cfm
The car needs to have the fault codes read via the OBD socket.0 -
Pretty certain the service vehicle soon message on Vauxhall is a fault rather than a service.0
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Sorry, it is a 2011 plate Vauxhall Meriva "B" apparantly...
The car was not from a Vauxhall dealer but a long established independent car dealership (est. 1977).
It was fully serviced and MOT'd a day before I picked it up.
There was no service stamp in the book, but previous service history stamps are there.
The Vauxhall Meriva drivers handbook (manual) that came with it has (c) 2012 on it.
Any use to you?0 -
http://www.diagnostic-world.com/pages/meriva_b_dashboard_warning_lights_222046.cfm
Doesn't mention the "yellow car with spanner" symbol0 -
Does it mean it's about to catch fire?Je suis sabot...0
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General_query wrote: »Sorry, it is a 2011 plate Vauxhall Meriva "B" apparantly...
The car was not from a Vauxhall dealer but a long established independent car dealership (est. 1977).
It was fully serviced and MOT'd a day before I picked it up.
There was no service stamp in the book, but previous service history stamps are there.
The Vauxhall Meriva drivers handbook (manual) that came with it has (c) 2012 on it.
Any use to you?
It doesn't matter that it was not a Vauxhall dealership - get them to stamp the service book.
The yellow warning light means that the car's engine management system needs attention.
Diagnosing exactly what it could be needs a technician with access to the Vauxhall/Opel fault codes interpretations.
Could be one or several of a hundred things.
Sorry I can't help more.0 -
Ive got an astra j 2011 1.7cdti
had the same light come on, its not a service light but a fault light but not as bad as the engine managment light as such
i plugged mine into the computer and it said glow plugs needed changing, got new plugs reset the light job done“People are caught up in an egotistic artificial rat race to display a false image to society. We want the biggest house, fanciest car, and we don't mind paying the sky high mortgage to put up that show. We sacrifice our biggest assets our health and time, We feel happy when we see people look up to us and see how successful we are”
Rat Race0 -
Cannot be the service light, this can only be turned off manually.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
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General_query wrote: »
Just reset it then.0
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