Hello I am a newbie to your excellent forum.

We bought a 86,000 mile 52 plate 1.4 16v Fabia comfort back in August for my good lady from a local garage, what a great solid old banger she is.

The garage did a full MOT on it, replaced the cam belt and water pump as part of the deal, however less than a week into ownership the car stalled and would not restart.

Back to the garage the lights that illuminated where the EPC Engine management and traction control.

They say they put a new MAF on it, however 3 weeks later same problem, back to the garage, they sent it to a diagnostics place around the corner, they cleaned out the EGR.

Fine for 2 weeks same again they replaced the fuel vaporizer thingie.

Last night 2 weeks on same again, only now it doesn't lack any power or stall just get the EPC Engine management and traction control lights, turn off the ignition and back on again and it leaves the engine management on permanent, left over night and the engine management is still on this morning, obviously an issue, I wonder about the EGR needing replacement?

Before I take it yet again to the garage, (its now out of 3 month warranty, however they are honouring it as an ongoing unresolved issue).

Does any one have any ideas, or info I can arm myself with?

Many thanks P

You really need to know what fault codes are causing the various fault lights to be on. These need reading from the engine ECU, and will help narrow down what might be the root cause.

Maybe the garage or diagnostics place can tell you the fault code numbers that they've seen, and that have lead them to do the work done so far.

 

Your engine doesn't have a MAF, so I assume you or they meant MAP sensor.

EGR's themselves on these petrol engines rarely need cleaning as they run so hot the soot burns off again.  Some garages get confused though, and refer to the throttle body as the EGR valve, as on diesel engines the two are usually adjacent. See if you can clarify which bit they cleaned. (EGR is on the side/front of the engine head, throttle body at the back).

 

Fuel vaporiser thingy? Maybe purge valve, or charcoal canister?

 

Check whether the brake lights work as expected; that can be a reason for EPC light, if the brake light switch is failing/failed.

 

Many thanks Wino, I am not looking forward to yet another trip to the garage. However it needs sorting , I will try and get some more info out of them about the diagnostic codes.

Many thanks for your response.

 

 

When you said that you switched off and then back on the ignition and the engine management light stayed on - did you mean that it stays on after the ignition has been switched back on, or it stays on after the engine has been restarted.  I'm mentioning this as it is just too easy to start noticing that the engine management light stays on after you switch the ignition on, but not started the car - which is what it should do, only after you have started to have issues with that car.

 

Really really do check the operation of the brake lights by pressing the brake pedal with the ignition on - as said above.

Ignition doesn't even need to be on to check brake lights.

Once the EPC Traction control & Engine Management lit up whilst driving I turned Off the engine completely, once restarted the engine management light stayed on whilst engine on & moving, Car rested overnight and continued to be on again this morning!

When she arrives home later I will check the brake light situation.

Could be a possible electrical fault.

Need to get these codes re read.

 

Cheers Guys

If you have misfires then the injector will shut down on the affected cylinder and the engine will stall, this would suggest coil-pack failure which would put the EPC light on, generally with a misfire the EPC light will flicker and you'll feel the engine struggle while you're driving, often bad coil packs will only start to fail once the engine gets warm.

Hey Guys so all the lights on the dash have gone out now!

I found the Nearside brake light was out, and one of the number plate bulbs, also the bottom of the door light drivers side and lights left on buzzer not working!

Replaced the rear brake and number plate bulb, however bottom of the door light drivers side and lights left on buzzer appears to be a dodgy micro switch!

Surely though these problems wouldn't cause the Engine management lights.

Cheers.

 

No they wouldn't.

Hey Guys, I still have an unresolved intermitent issue that's on my better halfs car....... 52 plate 1.4 16v Fabia comfort!

 

Twice in the last two days complete engine stall, Dash lights up the EPC light, engine management and traction control lights.

Try to re start it doesn't turn over, Leave it for 5 mins then it restarts and the engine management light stays on!

Leave it over night and the engine management light goes out!

Its driving my missus crazy as its happened in heavy traffic 4 times recently and also on a motorway slip road the other day!

 

Any ideas, some one said possible brake light switch or throttle switch.

Ill try and get a diagnostic run on it to get some codes.

Just wondering if anyones got any ideas?

 

Cheers P

 

For the last time, it's the brake pedal switch 

If you its as simple as a brake pedal switch I'll get a replacement switch and see what happens!

Sure its not the throttle switch?

 

Cheers for the help P

4 minutes ago, mak-71 said:

Sure its not the throttle switch?

 

 

Don't annoy him any more

I think ill give the brake pedal switch a go 1st eh!

 

There isn't a throttle switch.

I don't know of anything that could prevent the engine turning over other than a breaking/broken starter solenoid wire, or a dodgy ignition switch.

Cheers for clearing that up Wino.

My Missus loves the car but thinks this one was built on a Friday afternoon!

Nothing worse than niggly intermittent electrical faults!

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, mak-71 said:

I think ill give the brake pedal switch a go 1st eh!

 

 

Sounds like a plan

Usually anything that throws up a traction control light can only be generated by the 03 ABS module.....& its usually the plastic plunger switch for the brake pedal position ..which is a nice bayonet fitting..& cheap to replace...

So having changed the break light sensor and driving it around for two days I thought I had possibly sorted the problem as advised!

Unfortunately this hasn't resolved the issue!!

 

Today the  EPC Light - engine management light and traction control light came on the dash,  followed by a complete and embarrassing stall at a roundabout.

Hazards on! Engine refuses to start, after several try's turning the engine over no joy!! 

I then left the car ignition off for 5 minutes then tried again and off she goes driving fine with the engine management and EPC lights on the dashboard.

Stopped for 30 mins car starts and drives fine with the engine management light on for the rest of the journey (20miles).

 

I have just borrowed a very basic OBD11 reader and its showing 3 fault codes!

2x P0106 Which according to the book is MAP / BARO CKT Range / Performance

1X P0170 Fuel Trim Malfunction (Bank 1)

 

Any ideas anyone??

My better half is now refusing to drive the car! 

Thanks in advance P