Engine Management Light On

[Stewart J]

5kms after leaving Camping Monfrague in Extramadura the management light came on with a resultant drop in power and poor acceleration. It was a handful coming over the hills Northwards, down to second gear on some of the long climbs with hazards on like the slow lorries. Acceleration is woeful, 100/110 kmh on the flat so managed to make it 230 kms to Camping El Astral, Tordisellas. Have breakdown cover through Comfort (DAS) they were very helpful and arranged for their local Spanish agent to contact me which they have twice over the last 4 hours. They want me to drive to the nearest commercial Fiat garage at Valladolid 40 kms away. They haven’t confirmed when they are in contact with the garage, hopefully it will be in the morning. It’s on our route North to Haro, La Rioja where we hope to spend our last 3 nights before travelling to Bilbao for the ferry on Saturday. It’s all very worrying at this late stage in our trip. It’s very hilly leaving Haro Northward which is a concern with the engine in limp mode if we can’t get it fixed. There is also the spectre looming over the 90 day rule, Saturday will be day 79. (It’s a 2017 150 Ducato)

 

[Riverbankannie]

Keep all documentation to prove that you had a strong reason to overstay - should that happen - see last paragraph.

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[Stewart J]

Keep all documentation to prove that you had a strong reason to overstay - should that happen - see last paragraph.

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Thank you for that

 

[Lenny HB]

Hope it just a sensor or sometbing simple best of luck hope they can sort it quickly

 

[Stewart J]

Hope it just a sensor or sometbing simple best of luck hope they can sort it quickly

So do I mate believe me

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[Stewart J]

And Lenny mine is a manual I think anyone with an auto having this happen will have big issues depending on the terrain.

 

[Sasbo]

Had the same thing happen in France when we had our 2016 Ducato based Pilote A class. Pulled in and stopped and had a cup of coffee while looking through the manual and internet for help. Started up and the fault cleared itself and engine management light went off and we continued our tour for a further 2 months without the problem reoccurring again.

Had the fault codes checked when we got back to the UK and nothing was recorded.

Hope yours is as simple. Safe journey home.

 

[Taran_Las]

Fingers crossed it's a simple quick fix for you. Just what you don't want at the end of your holiday.

 

[Bessy765]

Some faults will result in the EML coming on but if the fault does not re occur after 6 starts the light will go out. We had a 2008 Fiat 3 litre and the light would come on at odd interval, all it was after much searching was the plug for the second cooling fan had a poor connection an when the van got hot it would come on?

 

[Stewart J]

Email at 21.00hrs last evening from Spanish agents handling my breakdown cover, instructed to go to a commercial garage at Medina del Campo 25 kms to South between 09.00-14.00hrs and ask for Roberto. We arrived at 09.45 and were immediately dealt with by the owner and a mechanic. Full diagnostic carried out, showed turbo boost air pressure low, Pipes were inspected no leaks (not easy on an a class) Turbo actuator linkages checked and if I understood them correctly were found loose, adjusted and tightened and fault light cleared. The owner then took it for a test drive of 20 kms on various roads and hills, had me squirming in my seat doing 85-90mph on the motorway section. The cost for 90 minutes work including the full diagnostic 72.60 euro which I was very surprised at. It is (touch wood) driving beautifully, better than before the fault indicating linkage problem has been happening over time. 265kms to Camping Haro, no changing down gears on gentle long inclines and fuel economy is good. So both pleased and greatly relieved. Really hot here at 32 degrees and it’s nearly beer o clock yay.

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[RedFrame]

Get yourself to a local auto shop and buy an OBD2, reader that will allow you to clear the code. This way if it happens again on the way home you can just clear the code and continue.

Cheers
Red.

 

[Phill D]

Good to read it was a simple fix for you.
That would have cost quite a bit more in the UK.
Safe journey

 

[tonka]

After having past issues with a DPF sensor I now always carry a cheap OBD reader.
There are several free / paid apps available. It may not clear a lot of things but at least gives an indication of what the problems might be.

Glad your sorted and at a reasonable cost..

 

[BikerGraham]

Good to read it was a simple fix for you.
That would have cost quite a bit more in the UK.
Safe journey

taking my car into the garage tomorrow to diagnose a fault. £174 to plug it in to their diagnostic thingy, as that is their hourly rate.

I'm in Newcastle for gods sake, not London .......

 

[Stewart J]

Get yourself to a local auto shop and buy an OBD2, reader that will allow you to clear the code. This way if it happens again on the way home you can just clear the code and continue.

Cheers
Red.

I have one but in this instance was wary of trying it, rather stressed and a bit drained after the awful drive on arrival at campsite. In view of the fault I doubt I could have diagnosed it.

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[Phill D]

I have one but in this instance was wary of trying it, rather stressed and a bit drained after the awful drive on arrival at campsite. In view of the fault I doubt I could have diagnosed it.

In fact reading it was a turbo problem may have made you fear that you could do some damage.
That is unless the obd2 reader you have is a decent one.
I must admit I carry a copy of Multiecuscan which is Fiat derivative specif.

 

[WESTY66]

taking my car into the garage tomorrow to diagnose a fault. £174 to plug it in to their diagnostic thingy, as that is their hourly rate.

I'm in Newcastle for gods sake, not London .......

That’s the price you pay for riding around in a Ferrari I’m afraid

 

[BikerGraham]

That’s the price you pay for riding around in a Ferrari I’m afraid

 

[sciac2001]

I’d like a Reader for my 2018 Sprinter but there are so many on the market that confuse me and I wouldn’t know a good one from a dud.
Customer feedbacks on websites further demoralise me.

Any funsters with a similar year Sprinter able to share their experience svp?

Thks.

 

[RedFrame]

If you just want to read codes and reset/clear them then this basic tool will do the job, its simple to use and I have used it to reset limp mode codes while on the move to get me home.

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There are much more complicated ones out there for analysis work, for this I use MultiECUScan, but that won't work on a merc.

Cheers
Red.

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[Stewart J]

Insurance, something we all have to bite the bullet and pay for. In most cases we never know how good it is till it’s needed. I have been with Comfort for many years also when it was in its previous guise. I have always added breakdown cover, never ever needed to test it till on this occasion. Comfort use DAS and on a scale of 1 to 10 they get 11, they have been everything you could ask for with several reassuring phone calls and emails from their Spanish agents and directing me to a garage which were superb leaving other vehicles they were working on to concentrate on mine. There are cheaper insurers and others offering breakdown cover in the market place but the professional way my issue was handled deserves praise. You pays your money and takes your chances. Well done Comfort and especially DAS.

 

[dunnah01]

And so the circle closes - I use DAS Xentry diagnostics on my (Mercedes) Smart and on a Mates Sprinter. Does everything the dealers does although never tried on anything newer than 2017 when they changed the multiplexer design

 

[sandiesdad]

5kms after leaving Camping Monfrague in Extramadura the management light came on with a resultant drop in power and poor acceleration. It was a handful coming over the hills Northwards, down to second gear on some of the long climbs with hazards on like the slow lorries. Acceleration is woeful, 100/110 kmh on the flat so managed to make it 230 kms to Camping El Astral, Tordisellas. Have breakdown cover through Comfort (DAS) they were very helpful and arranged for their local Spanish agent to contact me which they have twice over the last 4 hours. They want me to drive to the nearest commercial Fiat garage at Valladolid 40 kms away. They haven’t confirmed when they are in contact with the garage, hopefully it will be in the morning. It’s on our route North to Haro, La Rioja where we hope to spend our last 3 nights before travelling to Bilbao for the ferry on Saturday. It’s all very worrying at this late stage in our trip. It’s very hilly leaving Haro Northward which is a concern with the engine in limp mode if we can’t get it fixed. There is also the spectre looming over the 90 day rule, Saturday will be day 79. (It’s a 2017 150 Ducato)

Hi my FIAT has a problem with fault codes taken it to my dealership twice now no fault record emailed FIAT in Rome who want to send someone to see if they can find out wha the problem is, the garage manager said bye a fault reader showed me how to use it and have just cleared the faults, not ideal but touring in Portugal at the moment will get it sorted when back home the diagnosis tool cost me £46 from Halfords works perfectly

 

[the1andonly]

I must admit I carry a copy of Multiecuscan which is Fiat derivative specif.

So do I on holiday when I carry my laptop. At other times I have a vgate bt dongle permanently attached and alfaobd installed on my phone. I also have a 2nd phone with Torque Pro used as a readable speedo.