Limp mode on Roomster3?

[Morgana]

Hi,

Just been to a garage for a winter service and got talking to the engineer. He said this car would have 'limp mode' but I thought it didn't.  Can anyone confirm whether there is a limp mode or not. I actually think this can be unsafe at times.

[Rooted]

Welcome.

Your car can go into limp mode to protect the engine if there was cause for it to, is that what you mean.

 

?

So is your car OK after the Winter Service has been done, and was it OK before? 

 Was this some Technician or Mechanical Engineer you were talking to & why does having Limp Mode worry you, 

it would allow you to continue a journey at a slower speed until you could have repairs or a diagnosis and repairs if there was some possible issues.

[Morgana]

Hi and thanks for your reply!  

 

Yes, that's exactly what I was asking...

My car is ok, Winter service and a new back spring, so an expensive job!  It was running just fine before as well. MOT due first week of January next.

 

I worry about the car going into limp mode when I'm on a motorway towing my caravan - or even on its own if I'm on a busy road. How would you avoid being rear ended, doing less than 30mph on the motorway? 

 

I came across someone driving in limp mode on a busy 60mph road. It was scary, they risked being slammed into from the rear, the last thing you expect on a fast road is someone going very slowly. 

 

It doesn't say anything about this in my owners manual, so I was kind of hoping it didn't have it.

[Rooted]

Without limp mode where will you be in the outside carriageway of a dual carriageway or just on a single lane if you car just conks out. 

No engine running, no ignition on just dead?

Limp Mode allows an engine to reduce power, shut down the turbo even, shut down 2 cylinders, maybe restrict you to 3 gears to get to a place of safety or continue slowly to your destination or a repairer.

 

Some people with Run Flat tyres get punctures, get a TPMS and have to slow and be in control and then maybe continue to a place of safety, 

it is not like vehicles going slow for some reason is something modern.

Hazard warning lights are a lovely addition to vehicles, nothing new there.

Edited 7 December, 2017 by AwaoffSki

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

As well as George's reminder that you have Hazard Warning Lights, with mine the switch is high up in the centre of the dashboard and not easy to hit in a hurry, whereas if you've got your dipped headlights on, with mine, I can pull the lights knob out easily and quickly with my right hand, to activate the bright red rear fog light, which is a useful thing to practice, as with that suddenly coming on, following traffic may be alerted of some hazard, ease off etc, AND you can still indicate if you're having to pull across to a slower lane for whatever reason.  

 

Those actions minimise movements of hands away from the steering wheel, which I think is a good thing to aim for.

I think that's what I'd do if my car went into limp mode.

 

Presumably your winter service covered operation of the engine's electric cooling fan, something that's possibly going to activate itself with the extra engine loading of towing a caravan?? Does your fan come on at all, being a petrol engine?  Mine, on a diesel, without any towing, has never come on, as far as I can recall.

 

If towing, and engine requires the extra airflow through the radiator that the electric fan can provide, if the fan's thermo-switch didn't do its job, that's when I can imagine the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) might put the engine into limp-mode.  Also, is your auto-box a DSG or trad torque-converter type?  Don't know whether either type comes with an external oil-cooler??? Towing likely to work the gearbox harder, heat the oil up more than would solo running.  

 

Winter conditions, less likelihood of engine or gearbox overheating whilst towing; tends to happen in high ambient temps, or climbing a long steep hill/pass especially if car is heavily-laden.

 

Those are my thoughts in this matter, make of them what you will!   Many years' experience.......!

 

Hope that helps

Richard

[Morgana]

Thanks for your reply, Richard. My caravan is only a baby, at 650kg fully laden, my Roomster tows it like a dream, and I have never had problems with towing, although a temperature gauge would have been useful - just to keep an eye on it! Even on a very hot day, with the air con on full blast, it towed perfectly. Can't tell you whether the fan comes on or not, it doesn't seem to - but I maybe haven't noticed. And the oil temp light has never come on either.

 

Sorry, I can't remember what the auto box is, but I'm pretty sure it's not a DSG.

 

Thank you for your advice, much appreciated.

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

Yes, I too miss having an engine coolant temperature gauge, my first Skoda, a 1.4tdi Mk 1 Fabia, did have one; it's an easy way to tell if the thermostat which manages the engine's vital liquid coolant circuit, is functioning properly. There's probably a way to fit an after-market gauge, don't know if anyone on here has done so????  

 

On a Mk 4 TD Golf, I got a boost gauge fitted, so I could see what the turbocharger was up to;    that car also came with a factory-fit temperature gauge.  

 

In winter, it's pretty easy to tell if the thermostat has failed (at least, on a diesel), as the heater output is feeble to minimal with a failed-open stat.

 

So we have to be more aware of, and reliant upon, our dash warning lights, perhaps I should go out and peruse my owner's manual, to get to know which lights mean what!

 

Happy towing, it's not something I currently do, though the present car came with towgear, as did a Rover 25 hatchback 2.0TDi some years ago.

My parents did tow a lot, we hired, and then bought, a huge Sprite Major caravan when I was at school.  The folks did a number of years as site wardens for the Caravan Club, long after I left home, their first full wardenship was at Grin Low, Buxton, not far from you, and Mum now lives in a south- Cheshire nursing home, with severe dementia, I drive over to visit her fortnightly.

 

650kg sounds to me quite a hefty weight to drag around; I think my diesel Roomster weighs about 1250 kg.

Guess that's well within the 85% of kerb weight rule-of-thumb for max braked trailer weight.

 

Richard

Edited 15 December, 2017 by RichardatWakefield
Accuracy.

[Morgana]

Hi again, Richard!

 

I did consider fitting an after-market gauge, but as I'm just a girlie who can't do electrics, I wondered how much it would cost my garage chap to fit one. Anyway, I have towed my diddy caravan in hot weather for over an hour, up and down hills to North Wales, 3 hours to Carlisle, and no warning lights, so I'm learning to trust it a bit more without one. 650kg is pretty light for a caravan! More a trailer in size. Yes, well within the kerb weight rules (at 1000kg or more) but the towbar/noseweight is restricted to 50kg, rather than the more standard 75kg, so that gave me a few problems at first - I had to take a lot of stuff out of the front locker on my caravan to get the noseweight down a bit. But towing is a doddle, I sometimes forget it's there!

 

There are so many different dash warning lights, I don't know how you are supposed to remember them all. I just carry the owners manual around with me. I would know if the oil light came on though!

 

Ah, Grin Low! I've 'visited' people camping there for the day, but never gone camping there myself, it's too near to home! (And uphill all the way from where I live, near Congleton!)

 

My sympathy regarding your Mother, Richard. My elderly parents both have milder dementia, both in their late '80s. They are hard work and refuse to go into a home. My Sis and me do the best we can for them.

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Morgana,

I think the thing is green and blue for advisory/information, stuff like indicators/high beam, then there's a yellow on mine for rear fog light.

 

Orange are generally a warning, but likely OK to continue to a garage, perhaps at reduced speed. Maybe loss of power assistance to the steering, or servo assistance to the brakes.

 

And red are usually stop immediately, like a total loss of coolant, or engine oil, or brake fluid, or gearbox oil, or perhaps a major fuel leak.

 

Am sometimes getting red "door open" warning light with mine, have to slam hatchback firmly to latch properly, if the warning light is on, it also means the bootlight will be on, something that's easily spotted in these dark days when shutting the boot, but I'll need to get the catch adjusted, would be easy to drain the battery if left on overnight;  the poor latching has happened before.

 

But there's no substitute for reading the handbook!

 

Going to do an out-and-back visit to Mum next Tuesday, hoping for clear run M62/M60/M62/M6 in both directions.

 

Richard

Edited 15 December, 2017 by RichardatWakefield
Extra information.

[Morgana]

I hope you had a good run to your Mum's. Richard.

 

Yes, just pay attention to the colour of the warning lights!!

 

Have a good Christmas and New Year!

[Morgana]

Happy New Year!

GROAN WARNING!

I have just found out my car does have a 'safe mode', as it wouldn't start this morning. Obviously thought it was the battery, so did the engineer!

My car is now at the garage. Engineer came out, jump started it and zoomed off, told me to follow him down to the garage for some checks in approx 10mins. So I left the car running, and then started off down the road, and it wouldn't do more than 10mph. No way I was driving it three miles to the garage down a busy main road at 10mph... I assume 'Safe Mode' had kicked in. And the radio said 'Safe' on it when it wouldn't start this morning. No way would I drive a car at that speed on a main road for three miles, I'm terrified of being rear-ended! (having been rendered disabled from a previous and very nasty rear-end shunt).  So I called him to come back and drive there himself, and he did, bless him. He says it's not the battery, but something electrical, so he is keeping it overnight and having a look at it tomorrow. So I'm properly fed up now, and expecting a bill at the end of this one! And the electric windows won't work either, so I'm hoping he can fix that at the same time. Ah me.

Edited 5 January, 2018 by Morgana
added a bit

[Morgana]

Update. £85 to reset the car from 'Safe' mode. That included a call out and jump start, and a spell in the garage. Horrendous trying to drive in safe mode, the steering wasn't very responsive, the brakes were heavy and I don't think the powered steering was working either!

 

And it has to go back to have the windows (hopefully) fixed next week so that they will open, so more £!!

[Rooted]

Can i ask what prompted you to ask the original question on Limp mode, which is not a common issue, 

and now you have limp mode.

 

What fault codes were found with the £85 diagnostics plug in, and what has the Technician advised you do?

 

Has your car had spark plugs replaced that you know of?

Maybe a ignition coil is on its why out,  these are basic Service and maintenance things. 

Misfires can cause the car to go in limp mode.

 

Is the Battery in your car good?

Edited 11 January, 2018 by AwaoffSki

[KenONeill]

Well, on my Octy, "limp mode" selected 1_200 rpm (fixed) which gave me enough power for 30mph in 4th gear. Not something I'd want to try on dual cabbageway , but good enough to get you to a garage on single carriageway.

 

The ICE being in "safe" mode makes me think that something interrupted the permanent live feed(s) on @Morgana car.

Edited 12 January, 2018 by KenONeill

[Morgana]

Awaofski, no idea what was wrong with it, but I had a full winter service done late last year by the same engineer. Previously no problems until this happened. It passed its MOT with flying colours on the 8th Jan, but I'm still having trouble with the windows not opening or closing. The MOT chap seemed to think it was either damp in the ECU unit, or a broken wire. The garage chap has tested the fuses, the gaitor wires and there is power going to the windows. I suspect the motor in the driver's door. This was replaced with a second hand approved used part last November, and is under guarantee, so it won't cost that much to change it for another one. Battery tested and ok as well.

 

Ken, my car is auto, and selected 1st gear and 10mph!  I wonder if it is actually damp in the ECU, as suggested by various internet sources? Will get the engineer to check!

It has to go back in later on this week to see if they can now sort out the windows!