Engine Check Light

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tim leech

Engine Check Light

Post by tim leech »

Im currently babysitting a K plate 16v which is one of those nasty catalyst equipped cars, its started to play up today with the engine check lamp coming on (below the tacho opposite side to the ABS lamp) and then runs lumpy and is very hesitant until you give it a boot full. Its not on all the time and when it goes off again it sounds like a relay clicks and then it pulls fine again, but is noticably slower than my own car.

Also Ive found the car gets very hot very quickly, getting up to normal temperature in less than 5 mins and if you sit in traffic for a minute of so gets rally warm!

Any ideas!
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

Have a look at the appropriate part of the http://www.tramontana.co.hu/citroen/index.php
site - I thought the error codes and how to get at them was on there but couldn't find it - but there is a full description of many faults there.

Does the temperature keep rising or just get to 90 or so and stay there?
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Im no mechanic jeremy and have no way to read the fault codes, it keeps rising all the way until it hits the red.
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Im no mechanic jeremy and have no way to read the fault codes, it keeps rising all the way until it hits the red.
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

If the temperature goes on rising when its being driven at a moderate speed (ie over about 25) then the thing isn't cooling properly - which means that the radiator is blocked. If it only does it at standstill then the first question is are the fans working.

Tim - its worth following the link - under fuel injection many of the various faults are explained. I think the ECU will give a small number of faults - which may be some help -- but I couldn't see the details there.
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

hhmm, if the fans ARE working, and it's going into the red then indeed it aint cooling, assuming the gauge is anywhere near accurate.

If it was getting THAT hot I would expect it to boil over, and cook the head gasket..

Valvers do warm up very quickley, mine goes from cold to stat open in about 7 mins on a hot day.

The only sure fire way to tell what the K light issue is about is to read the ECU, theres no other way round it unless you start a long game of changing a part at a time and see if it makes a difference.

A cat equiped car will be slower than yours, it's being strangled by emissions controlling rubbish.
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Post by Kitch »

DFW's are slower than D6C's anyway. Couldn't tell you about the lamp as mine doesn't have any of that crap on :P

But Halfords do a diagnostic reader which fits all two pin PSA cars for about £20 or so IIRC. Might be worth a pop.
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