(Not) Lambda Sensor Failure

[guitarman001]

Hello once more. I still have my Skoda (you might remember I posted it is great despite being bumpy and hurting my back... and also I still slightly experience the "boom").  

Deeply unfortunately, my wife also finally passed away with cancer. So times are tough. 

 

In any case. My extended warranty runs out in March. I've had the car in the garage 4 times now due to the engine management light turning on. 

Each time it has been lambda sensor failure (apparently!). The sensor has been replaced twice, and isn't cheap. The second time, they contacted Skoda UK who couldn't solve the issue and just said "put a new sensor in."

 

My car is booked into their garage in a few weeks as this will be the fifth time, and they admit it must be something other than the lambda sensor. 

 

Has anybody experienced this? 

Can anybody offer any advice? 

 

If this light keeps going off by next March, then I think that will be the last time I drive this car. I'm not saying that as a "dig" - it's just too much hassle on top of everything else.

 

Thanks for your help!

[LightRain]

If at first you don't succeed, try and try and try until the customer never returns to you....

 

More detail on the actual fault code(s) would be needed along with any patterns leading up to your light coming on (if there are any), also more details about your specific vehicle, particularly engine code. Do you have access to VCDS or a scan tool?

 

I'd initially suspect wiring (I usually do), testing the operation of the sensor (with VCDS or generic scan tool) would be a wise move. Depending on the condition of the engine, its sensors and ancillaries the problem could be down to many things, ranging from leaks, to electrical issues to sensor problems unrelated to the O2 sensor. Codes and live data are necessary in order to really know what the problem is and not just make a guess based on gut or "common problems". Another thing that is important to remember, codes are an indication of a symptom not a cause.

 

Normally I'd not ask and assume you went to a good garage but clearly this needs asking, did they use an OEM sensor?

Edited 18 November, 2017 by LightRain

[guitarman001]

My friend has one of those tools. 

I don't have that info, unfortunately...

I believe this will likely happen again and it will result in me getting rid of the car next year. 

I use an official SKODA garage and I don't know if they used said sensor...

 

I think it's going to be a new car next year. Probably back to Ford!

[LightRain]

14 minutes ago, guitarman001 said:

My friend has one of those tools. 

I don't have that info, unfortunately...

I believe this will likely happen again and it will result in me getting rid of the car next year. 

I use an official SKODA garage and I don't know if they used said sensor...

 

I think it's going to be a new car next year. Probably back to Ford!

I don't care if you went to Czech and got the factory to do the work for you, they're not doing their job if they replace two sensors and don't get a fix. I have seen a new one faulty out of the box, it's very rare but **** happens. However 2 dead from new, nah. They're not doing their "due diligence" and making sure they know what the fault is. I'm sorry you had to deal with that bull****.

 

I don't blame you wanting to get rid and move on, you don't need the hassle at this time in your life.

 

If you want to do some work yourself with your friend's assistance let us know and we'll see what we can do. If not, don't worry about it and I wish you all the best.

[guitarman001]

I agree - I would take it to the garage I often use but I'd have to pay. This thing is on extended warranty. 

Pretty poor :(

[LightRain]

Ahh, if it is under warranty then sod doing your own work.

I'm not sure how warranty stuff works in the UK, but can you take it to another dealer? I think there is a subforum here that discusses dealers and garages, maybe you can find a better one there.

[Miz]

13 hours ago, guitarman001 said:

My friend has one of those tools. 

I don't have that info, unfortunately...

I believe this will likely happen again and it will result in me getting rid of the car next year. 

I use an official SKODA garage and I don't know if they used said sensor...

 

I think it's going to be a new car next year. Probably back to Ford!

Just get rid now, why bother waiting until next year.

[guitarman001]

I've been looking at what else there is. 

The bummer is that the car looks great, performs very well, gets near 50mpg out of a petrol and is packed full of features. On one hand, the best car I've had. 

On the other hand, the worst car in terms of the number of times it's been to the garage, the bumpy ride (lack of seat padding and poor suspension?) and the acoustic boom. 

 

I never went wrong with Ford before so I'll consider them or Toyota (or any other recommendation?). I've just got so much on right now with sorting out my wife's estate and returning to work soon. 

[SWBoy]

On 11/18/2017 at 10:37, guitarman001 said:

I've had the car in the garage 4 times now due to the engine management light turning on. 

Each time it has been lambda sensor failure (apparently!). The sensor has been replaced twice, and isn't cheap. The second time, they contacted Skoda UK who couldn't solve the issue and just said "put a new sensor in."

 

My car is booked into their garage in a few weeks as this will be the fifth time, and they admit it must be something other than the lambda sensor. 

 

Has anybody experienced this? 

Can anybody offer any advice?

Every couple of months or so the engine management light turns on on my 2015 1.4TSI - every time when I check with VCDS it's a probably false lambda sensor failure - why do I say false because the fault code ends with the expected value and the actual value which are identical! So as the engine runs normally I just clear the fault and wait for it to happen again. This happens on UK 95RON petrol, French 95RON petrol, French 98RON petrol and French E10 (10% Ethanol) petrol, so it's not fuel dependent. The other strange thing is that the date/time of the fault code is often the day before the engine management light comes on?

 

When I asked about this problem on the Ross-Tech (VCDS developers) forum I got feedback that there was an engine ECU software update that should be applied to my car from version 7861 to version 9170, as well as replacing the wideband lambda sensor. So I'll be downloading the details from the Skoda section of the erWin website and asking that the engine ECU software is updated at the next service by my local dealer in Barnstaple - I just need to leave the engine management light on when I take it to them!

[guitarman001]

Tricky timing that one!

I'll mention ECU software updates, thanks...

[LightRain]

21 hours ago, SWBoy said:

When I asked about this problem on the Ross-Tech (VCDS developers) forum I got feedback that there was an engine ECU software update that should be applied to my car from version 7861 to version 9170, as well as replacing the wideband lambda sensor.

The problem with that is, if you do both things, you have no idea what the actual fix was. Was it the software update or was it the sensor?

 

Maybe the sensor is damaged by the older software, the only way I can see for that to happen is if it commands the ECU to give the wrong kind of heater control to the sensor.

[SWBoy]

1 hour ago, LightRain said:

The problem with that is, if you do both things, you have no idea what the actual fix was. Was it the software update or was it the sensor?

I don't care what the actual fix would be, all I'd want is it fixed

[LightRain]

7 minutes ago, SWBoy said:

I don't care what the actual fix would be, all I'd want is it fixed

Fair enough if it is under warranty. If it isn't though, you're paying for two things when one may be all that's needed.

[SWBoy]

5 hours ago, LightRain said:

Fair enough if it is under warranty.

Less than 3 years old, still under warranty.