'K' light and ECU reading

Post by **docchevron** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:55 am

This is not a major issue at the moment since the car seems to be performing very well but the engine management light has never worked since I've had the car. I've done the usual (checked bulb, wiring etc) but still it dont work. More irritating is that the ecu cant be read by any ecu reader (including cit's own ELIT and PROXIA). I've tried another wiring loom and ecu with no joy.
I think I remember being told that not all 16v's had 'K' lights.
The lamp on mine is present though. Maybe I'm being really dumb but I'd like it to work!
Any ideas?

Cheers
Chris G

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:58 am

My BX 19 handbook which was supplied with a 16 valve and is dated July 89 does not show a K light at all - nor does the one on Bob Smith's site. Both show a choke warning light which is stated never to be used - and the 4 wheel drive light which replaces it.

Later ones may - but if you have it isn't it like the brake pad warning light and only come on when something's wrong, rather than the coolant warning light which self tests when the car is started.

http://www.rwbsmith.plus.com/citroen2/D ... rsbook.pdf

Post by **docchevron** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:58 am

jeremy wrote:Later ones may - but if you have it isn't it like the brake pad warning light and only come on when something's wrong, rather than the coolant warning light which self tests when the car is started.

You could be right! But all the 8valves I've had and the phase 1 16v all had a 'K' light and they all lit when the ignition was turned on and extinguished when the car was started........

just like the ABS light....
Surely I should still be able to read the ECU on the ELIT or PROXIA though?
Perhaps it'l be easiest to ignore it till the car wont start!
Thanks dude
Cheers
Chris G

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:22 pm

docchevron1472 wrote:
But all the 8valves I've had and the phase 1 16v all had a 'K' light and they all lit when the ignition was turned on and extinguished when the car was started........
just like the ABS light....

Cheers
Chris G

Yes, this is the normal behaviour. Maybe there is a bad connection on the wiring from the ecu to the 'K' light?

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:50 am

Way2go wrote: Yes, this is the normal behaviour. Maybe there is a bad connection on the wiring from the ecu to the 'K' light?

I'll attack it with the test meter once I've finished dads car!

and the ex-missus car....

and my mates bx......

Cheers
Chris G

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:00 am

docchevron1472 wrote:
I'll attack it with the test meter once I've finished dads car!

and the ex-missus car....

and my mates bx......

Cheers
Chris G

That's the spirit ........and after you succeed, you can take a rest!

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:07 am

docchevron1472 wrote: Surely I should still be able to read the ECU on the ELIT or PROXIA though?

Since both the PROXIA and ELIT are rather more modern than the car, there's no guarantee that they would work, the SAURIAU was designed specifically to work with the Motronic and Jetronic systems, but they are rather hard to find these days!

Maybe try a Gunson cheap and nasty device, not big or clever but i never had a problem reading ecu codes from the 16v with them (just takes a while to work out the codes!).

As for your light, on most of the 16v's (certainly the Motronic) the bulb for the 'k'light has its own screw on holder with two wires out the back of it that go directly to the ECU, it's possible there is a connector half way some where that has become undone? That would certainly cause some issues!

You might want to lift the drivers seat squab and have a look at your ECU, access if it has two or three rows of pins, the ECU number and if its motronic 3series or 4 series, then you can figure out the pin out for the 'k'light!

Will any ECU reader give you a result if there isn't a fault? Never thought about it before but if the ECU desn't think there is a fault than maybe thats why the PROXIA wont speak to you?

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:39 pm

I've got a draper and a gunson reader, neither of which will display codes. If there are no fault codes present it should still blink 'start test' , 'end test' and 'no faults'. The ecu is listed on both proxia and elit and I've read other valvers on them. the proxia is capable of giving real time information (even on old motronics).
Vanny, you could be right, I'll check the loom from the bulb down to the ecu, I guess it's possible that the replacement main loom I put in for the ECU has the same issues the original had????
Maybe I'm being too anal but I remember my mates valver that would put the 'K' light on when it was booted very hard, since the lights there I'd like it to work and have some forewarning of impending doom!
Cheers
Chris G

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:41 pm

Way2go wrote: That's the spirit ........and after you succeed, you can take a rest!

I wish mate! Then I've got my ambulance and coach to sort out! And the 30 odd other old buses I'm responsible for in an engineering sense......
Cloning.... It's the way ahead!

Cheers
Chris G

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:24 pm

got any front engined buses?

Post by **docchevron** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:06 pm

Vanny wrote:got any front engined buses?

Only some minibuses (but we dont mention them!

)

We do have some "REAL" front engined half cab buses dating back to the 40's but only 3 of them are on the road, the rest are long term ground up restorations... we are all volounteers and all cash spent is pocket money so it takes years to finish them!
I don't do much hands on stuff these days but I sign off all the running defects and logs so if anything ever went wrong on the road it'd be me up before the judge so I'm very careful about standards etc hence it's a slow process.......
Cheers
Chris G

tom · Post by **tom** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:15 pm

Always fancied one of those Bristol buses that were built for the city. Were they the VE series? Half length and with the biggest engine, I was told that they could manage 100 on the motorway and average 30 MPG.

Cornishbx16v · Post by **Cornishbx16v** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:37 pm

the k light topic has come up many times on the 16v forum (.com version!) and iirc it was said that not all the 16v's have them! only the later p2's??
mine doesnt have one thats for sure! (well if it does its not ever lit up in the years i have owned it!! )
youcan still search the old forum for information even though its locked so you may be able to get some views on the light from there!

Post by **docchevron** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:24 am

Cornishbx16v wrote:the k light topic has come up many times on the 16v forum (.com version!) and iirc it was said that not all the 16v's have them! only the later p2's??
mine doesnt have one thats for sure! (well if it does its not ever lit up in the years i have owned it!! )
youcan still search the old forum for information even though its locked so you may be able to get some views on the light from there!

Thanks timmo, I'll check it out
Cheers
Chris G

Post by **docchevron** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 1:34 am

tom wrote:Always fancied one of those Bristol buses that were built for the city. Were they the VE series? Half length and with the biggest engine, I was told that they could manage 100 on the motorway and average 30 MPG.

There was never a Bristol VE. The main models were:
'L' Type, half cab, crash box, very old

MW, full cab but otherwise similar to 'L'

'K' type, half cab, double deck, 35mph flat!

Lodekka LD, half cab rear entrance, double deck

Lodekka FLF, half cab, front entrance, double deck

RE (the most famous), rear engine, full cab, from 28ft to 40ft, bus and coach versions, choice of engines, manual, semi-auto or fully auto. The coach spec versions were indeed capable of well over 100mph (mines got a GARDNER engine so maxes out at 85mph).

VR, full cab, double deck, coach and bus versions, much the same specs as the RE. (the VRL coachs were beasts, there are less than 10 left in the world, we have 1 in the group. One had a major crash on the new M1 and they lost popularity from that point on, which is a shame, cos they are better than anything built today!).

There are more Bristol buses but since they aint french I'll shut up now!
Sorry for non cit related ramblings.... normal service resumes now..

Cheers
Chris G