Hi all, it's been quite a while since I was last on here so forgive me but I have a problem with an engine warning light.

Driving to work this morning as normal and the amber engine warning light came on but nothing wrong with the performance or running or anything like that. The light was still on when I came home too, again nothing wrong with the car.

I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced this or if anyone knows what's caused it.

any help or advice would be greatly received before I have to book a dealer visit !!!

You say " the amber engine warning light came on" but the handbook I have only mentions (a) "Engine Oil Pressure" and (b) "Engine Oil Level" warning lights. If you mean (a) then do not start the engine again until the problem is sorted. I know it could be a false warning but if it is a correct warning then you could damage the engine which will cost you big money to fix. If you mean (b) then top up with oil of the correct specification. Is any text displayed along with the light? A few more details will help people to help you. Good luck.

Take it you mean the "check engine" light that looks like an engine.

 

Unless your car is still in (extended Skoda) warranty, buy a cheap OBD reader and read the fault codes, Skoda will charge you a minimum of £75 to do the same and then not tell you what the codes are but tell you how much they will charge to fix it. 

 

For around £15 you can buy something like this

 

https://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/p/-/-/-/-/?553997350&0&t5_399

 

Or 

 

https://caristaapp.com/

 

And you after discussing further, you can then go in armed in full knowledge of the codes and likely fault and argue whether Skoda should fix it under goodwill.

So how many miles on the car and when was it serviced.

Are the Spark Plugs due to be replaced or overdue and not done.  40,000 miles or sooner.

 

The car needs the fault codes read anyway, but 'misfires might have the 'Exhaust Control Light' on as you have but not logged.

Or it can be various things.

Hi all, thanks for the replies.

The car has done just under 16000 miles and I've had it since new from June 2015.

it is the Amber warning light that looks like an engine but there's no misfires or anything, it's still driving smooth and sweet.

The next service is due in 34 days time according the car setup screen which I knew about but it just appeared this morning whilst driving to work with no warning or misfires.

A mate from work is bringing his OBD reader tomorrow, if he remembers, but I just wanted to know if anyone else knew about this fault before I take the next course of action.

I was also thinking of getting the AA out for them to check it over just in case but I'll try the code reader tomorrow first.

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Gazbull17

There are dozens of codes that it might be.

@Gazbull17

Has the car had Fixed Servicing so Oil & Filter changed in 2016,2017 & 2018 ?  

 

Why a service in 34 days if first registered in June 2015?

 

A Misfire can be almost undetectable but still cause the Exhaust Emissions System light (engine light) to come on and stay on and need resetting.

Always save Fault Codes if any shown.

 

A car sitting ticking over for a long time might have a TSI throw the Engine Light.

Or poor fuel at some point, old petrol in the tank etc.

 

Winter fuel still until the end of March.

 

16,000 miles in 3 years is a low mileage, that service really is needed annually.

Brake Fluid change @ 3 years and i would want a Fuel Filter Change.

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

Hi Skoffski

The car is on variable servicing and to be honest, over the better months I cycle to work and back so that's how there's not a great deal of mileage on it.

I'll check the fault codes tomorrow and see what it throws up but it's never missed a beat that's why I was surprised when the engine light lit up, no beeps or nothing.

Supplying Skoda dealer had it set on variable servicing from delivery so that's why the car was saying 34 days left until service but I was expecting it around about April anyway.

The car might have been PDI'd in April 2015.

So it will be 4 years since built.

 

Variable servicing with such a low mileage is not good for the Oil.

Probably quite a high water content.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes 

 

Maybe worth putting on Fixed Servicing at this next service.  Even asking them to use VW502 00, so 5w 40 Full Synthetic rather than VW504 /507 5w 30 FS Long Life oil.

(Long life oil, short life TSI's IMO.)

I thought with variable servicing on low mileage it would call for a service at 2 years?

 

@bigjohn

Correct. 

April 2015- April 2017.

April 2017 -April 2019.    4 years and a 2nd Major Service, New Spark Plugs, Air Filter, even Fuel Filter.

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

I'll see what the dealer says when it goes in whether that be for the service or fault, hopefully I'll get to the bottom of it tomorrow then take it from there.

 

I did question the fixed/variable servicing when it was last serviced and they said it was fine and as my knees get worse with age the cycling is getting less and the car driving more so the mileage will start to creep up more now anyway.

 

Thanks for all the replies, I knew I'd get a response from when I was active on here a while ago but the fact I've had no bother or issues until now meant I hadn't been on for so long.

 

I'll post an update as soon as I have on. 

Don't listen to Ski this time around, his advice is ok for certain engines, twincharger, camchain, EA888 gen1/2, all of which have major design flaws. But your EA211 engine will be fine on variable doing 8k/2 years.

I would not be paying them £279 this time unless everything is being done.

So replaced, Spark Plugs, Air Filter, Oil & Filter, Pollen Filter & Fuel Filter for £279

& Brake Fluid an extra £54 or less.

 

I would not use them actually, because everything is not 'Fine;.  

 

After this service it could be on Fixed for the next service and that would be £99 under the current offer. 9,400 miles / 372 days or sooner.

Oil & Filter and Inspection and report.

 

@xman

It is a TSI Euro 6 & 4 years old, and we will find out in the next year or 2 just how fine Variable Servicing is 

& Long Life oil.

 

Easy for others to say 'All is fine',  as long as their car IMO.   But a bum steer too often IME.

http://volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/regimes#

Keepers are different from Fleet / Lease or cars people keep as long as a Manufacturers Warranty runs. 

 

5 years to have to pass to know how a VW engine or gearbox behaves generally after 5 years, because VW never do that much R&D as they drop one engine 

and introduce another.

The 1.2 TSI we are talking about here that replaced the previous one is now discontinued.... Not a long production run.

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

EA211 cambelt engines are proving so far to be the most reliable petrol engines that VAG have manufactured in the last 10 years. EA111 camchain problems, EA888 gen1/2 Oil burners/camchain problems, Twinchargers should perhaps have been strangled at birth.

 

IMO variable regime is a killer mainly due to the extended mileage rather than extended time. OP is doing 4k/year, not using it in his better, cycling months so presumably not doing 1 mile cold start shopping trips constantly, in which case, fixed would be better.

 

Don't get me started on the economics of these servicing regimes, dealer servicing is a rip off, full stop.

 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by xman

It really needs the codes reading - could be something left field - E.g. When I first bought my Superb the engine management light came on in Germany (no I wasn't doing warp speed) which when I called into a great German Skoda dealer to have it checked - turned out to be my fault. I had overfilled with petrol being a little too "Yorkshire" when topping up with cheap fuel in Luxembourg. Was told "Von Klick - Halte!!!!". Wasn't charged either.

 

 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by bigjohn

@xman, 

nothing to do with Twincharger engines, 1.4, 1.8, 2.0 Euro 5's.

 

We will see just in the next few years how VW got the Service Schedules and guidelines on Euro 6 TSIs.

The Spark Plugs and also the Engine Hardware longevity.

 

As to low mileage in the UK it is about location location location and winter and climate and fuel sitting and full or half empty fuel tanks, 

same with oil and burning off H20.

But this have been a mild winter, and maybe a lot of condensation.

 

Also condensation in Filling Station Fuel tanks.   Time will tell.  

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

Agree with the water in oil (and unburnt fuel from cold starts in oil too).

 

I fail to see the connection of fuel contaminants in the tank with the oil change regime however.

 

Let's just say your advice is conservative, and safe.

 

I have an issue with dealers milking the consumer, hate to see them doubling the running costs of low mileage users.

Connection is about being hygroscopic. 

Both oil and fuel, & brake fluid . (gearbox oil as well.) all have breathers. So maybe sealed for life, not sealed and a vacuum.

Winter fuel less hygroscopic than spring / summer, but still hygroscopic.

Cars sitting and engines even not doing short journeys get condensation internally and can corrode.

Oil with moisture / H20 is obviously not 'Simply Clever'.

Either is Fuel with H20 in it.  Or Brake Fluid.

 

You have a lot of engine issues or failures and issues according to posts. & issues with your dealership, luckily you seem to get the warranty to fix things.  

So lets leave it there. 

 

Yes my advice is about safety from land big bills,  easy enough if you want to keep a car to just doing sensible servicing and maintenance.

 

 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

I've seen what happens to engines when you don't change the oil and also when you do - having restored many cars in the past so I'm one for regular engine oil changes.

 

Likewise I stick to regular service schedules as I've seen many horrors in the past eg milky, dark or rusty brake fluid, corroded/silted engine blocks/ eaten head gaskets from poor coolant, black oil from gearbox, seized brake calipers etc, snapped cambelts etc.........

 

Likewise I obviously need regular oil changes as I have the EA111 engine which is supposed to be made of putty. 

 

Actually - one thing I've noticed is in my direct injection tsi engine the oil turns darker (and always has) than my old port injection Octavia still going strong under my sons ownership.

 

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by bigjohn

12 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

 

You have a lot of engine issues or failures and issues according to posts. & issues with your dealership, luckily you seem to get the warranty to fix things.  

So lets leave it there. 

 

 

Just to point out ALL engine issues/failures on our fleet are down to KNOWN design defects. None have been due to engine oil servicing etc. One car having been on full variable regime as well.

 

Suspension/steering/gearbox/brake problems have all been down to poor manufacturing quality.

 

More regular servicing would have not made a jot of difference.

 

Known engine issues become known once enough people report them. Then they are acknowledged.

 

You know how a car is after 5 years when they get to 5 years, and you might get hints before then.

Vorsprung Durch Technik. 

25 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

Known engine issues become known once enough people report them. Then they are acknowledged.

 

 

I knew about camchain issues on EA111 long before it was widespread public knowledge using just my ears and 45 years experience messing with cars, stripping, rebuilding engines etc. It was impossible to get my Skoda dealer to accept it, though looking back in hindsight at what was actually said on the several occasions it was raised and why things weren't done, I am sure they knew all along about the problem but didn't want to get involved as Skoda UK would refuse to pay for warranty because the problem would return, i.e. Skoda had not fixed the design flaw.

 

And this is an engine under 2 yrs old and still in warranty (not much use). In the end, I had to pay them to change it before it was too late. Some Skoda dealers today will still deny camchain issues almost 10 years after EA111 was launched.

 

For instance, what about the VRS poster today, saying the dealer in doncaster IIRC , had never heard of any issues with VRS engines burning oil. Ha, bloody ha!

 

So in Skoda land, its wrong to say the problems are acknowledged. Look at the 1.5tsi fiasco.....

 

 

 

 

Fingers crossed then on Euro 6 1.2 TSI's, all good so far apart from those that have issues, failings and replacement engines or cars.

@Estate Man  As an example.   Just a one off obviously.

 

 

As to Skoda and known issues, here is one just tonight.   But then that is the bad old days.  

Edited 5 March, 20197 yr by Skoffski

Hi all

 

Just checked the OBD2 reader and the fault code is P0140/141 which is the O2 sensor or lambda sensor I believe.

 

Now, I just need to know if this is easily replaced or a workshop job and likely cost.