Hello All - Need some advice!

I've had this Fabia for a few weeks and I was just coming round to the idea that its not a bad little motor, when the engine light came on.

I drove for ten miles this morning (damp,wet & foggy) with no problem, then after stopping and restarting, the light has stayed on.

The car appears to run normally although the tickover was a bit wavery this morning.

Looking thro' the forums it looks like this light comes on at the drop of a hat and there's no way of knowing wether its a passing glitch or a serious problem without access to a code reader - does this light ever reset itself?

Do these lights appear as often as it appears they do and is it worth buying one of the reader/reset tools just in case?

I hate going to dealers (sorry to the good ones out there) and would rather buy the kit if its worth it.

Regards

Andy

havve you checked your oil and water?

All levels seem ok

Andy

I think the most likely thing for it to be is a lambda sensor but that light shows for so many different things. When it was showing on my car it was generating various codes and they ended up looking at the ECU, the brake switch, the ABS control unit and pump and even the wiring loom.

I always found the engine light came on with the EPC light but that the EPC would go off after a restart followed by the engine light a day or so later (so before I could get to a garage). Fortunately the system does store fault codes until it is cleared by a vag-com system. You just have to hope the code makes sense to whoever reads it as the first one it showed on mine made the dealer ask if it was an automatic!

so is it not unusual for this light to come on?

the car appears to be running as normal - will it be ok to use it for a while until I can get it tested?

cheers

Andy

Could be quite a few things on the 1.4 16v, my bet will be either an EGR fault or MAP sensor. Both caused by the same fault with the engine.

Whats the oil consumption like?

Thanks Lummox, I'm new to engine electronics so what's an EGR fault and map sensor?

I haven't had the car long so I can't say what the oil consumption is like, although it was on the bottom when I bought it.

I did change the oil recently(being careful not to over fill it).

What do you recon to these plug in fault code finders?

cheers

Andy

Happened on my 1.4 16v, and the car drove normally, turned out to be the lambda sensor.

where is the lambda sensor - is it usually on the ex. downpipe / manifold somewhere?

Andy

Pop the engine cover off and have a look in the throttle body, is it clean?

Hi Lummox,

its' not exactly clean - theres's some brown staining on the throttle body and a little soft brown deposit on the back of the throttle valve.

I've felt up inside the airbox and there's some greasy deposit (but not lots of oil)in there as well.

Andy

Doesnt sound to bad then. If its not injesting alot of oill id say as mentioned it could well be the lambda probe. But its all guess work until the codes are read off.

Thanks - I'll try not to panic until I get it tested.

Was you thinking of blowby / high crankcase pressure leading to clogged up emissions kit?

Andy

blowby is a known issue on them yes. It clogs up the inlet manifold and associated sensors with oil.

Hello Lummox,

I've bought one of those e-bay code readers - here's what came off:

(4497) - 17559 - Bank 1 mixture region 1 below lean limit

(4192) - 16786 - EGR flow excessive

(0214) - 00532 - Supply voltage (I think this one was off the airbag or ABS tho')

I dont know what to make of the first one , What about the egr valve?

The unit has removed the codes and the light's gone off - for now.

Do all of the codes stored bring on the engine light?

Cheers

Andy

Andy,

I have had code 16786 repeatedly and also 17559 which do trigger the engine light. I have deleted the codes but they come back after a couple of days. Have you managed to solve this?

Thanks

Andy.

only by getting rid of the car!

i believe the 16v 1.4 has quite an apetite for oil - mine was no exception although within limits in handbook

the oil gets burnt, which in turn clogs up the egr valve.

andy

Can you remember what the engine code (model type) was as I'm getting a bit concerned!

mine was the 1.4 AUB 100bhp I think.

As far as i remember the handbook said something like up to 1 litre in 1000kms for oil consumption was acceptable - which is a hell of a lot of oil to be burning. mine wasn't as bad as that but bad enough.

i'm working on memory here as I sold the car over a year ago.

Andy

I'm no mechanic but my fabia 1.4 8v has the same prob, was told by garage it can come on for the slitest thing damp in exhaust being one. ECR light come on then never showed again as does engine light then may not come on for monthsso God knows!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine does it and then it goes out again never seems to cause any problems driving wise tho. 1.4 8v 2001 model classic ie no toys whatsoever