Engine Management Light

[Guest justonemorething]

Took car to a specialist auto electrical garage (non-citroen) after a steady engine management light came on my dashboard last week.

 

I was informed that no faults could be found and I immediately queried the garage's diagnostic equipment. Car is running fine (though it feels a little bit like I am driving along an uneven road all the time but I think it's just me!).

 

Is this scenario possible? Garage did CAT test for nothing; charged me a cut-price for the MOT; and charged nothing for the diagnostic test. Surely the garage wasn't covering up error codes because they couldn't decipher them?

 

In the last 18 months, I have had an ignition coil and spark plugs replaced; both coil springs and a shock absorber. I am tentatively ruling out an ignition and an emissions problem. I have checked my fuel economy - seems fine, so reducing the possibility of the throttle sensor or oxygen sensor.

 

Any opinions? I am on holiday on Monday but wondered if I should begrudgingly go to a Cutroen garage on my return and get stung £70 for a diagnostic check before they do anything else?

[Johndouglas]

 

 

I was informed that no faults could be found and I immediately queried the garage's diagnostic equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

That doesn't surprise me. A couple of years ago I was troubled with difficult cold starting on my C5. I went to a Bosch Centre and their diagnostics could find no reason for the hard starting. Eventually I bit the bullet and went to a Cit dealer. Within minutes their Lexia discovered that the cranking RPM of the starter motor was just too low to fire.

[Dave444]

Took car to a specialist auto electrical garage (non-citroen) after a steady engine management light came on my dashboard last week.

 

I was informed that no faults could be found and I immediately queried the garage's diagnostic equipment. Car is running fine (though it feels a little bit like I am driving along an uneven road all the time but I think it's just me!).

 

Is this scenario possible? Garage did CAT test for nothing; charged me a cut-price for the MOT; and charged nothing for the diagnostic test. Surely the garage wasn't covering up error codes because they couldn't decipher them?

 

In the last 18 months, I have had an ignition coil and spark plugs replaced; both coil springs and a shock absorber. I am tentatively ruling out an ignition and an emissions problem. I have checked my fuel economy - seems fine, so reducing the possibility of the throttle sensor or oxygen sensor.

 

Any opinions? I am on holiday on Monday but wondered if I should begrudgingly go to a Cutroen garage on my return and get stung £70 for a diagnostic check before they do anything else?

 

Many Citroen dealers will not charge for a diagnostic check in my experience. Encourages customers to get the repair done at their garage.

I have also had difficulty with interpreting diagnostic results but if you have a permanent fault and the engine management warning light is on there should be some diagnostic code comeing up on the computer check.

I have had two intermittent faults and the warning went off too soon to make the check. If the light goes out don't bother going for a check up.

 

Ask around to see if you can find a Citroen dealer who doesn't charge for the computer test, the test takes only a few minutes. I have found Citroen very helpful. Probably because we can see all the faults more easily nowadays with engine management and they may be worried more about their reputation.