Generic engine warning symbol

[dope]

The orange 'Engine management' symbol came on last night and has stayed on for two or three trips now. Can't tell of any difference when driving the car and all sounds normal under the bonnet to my untrained ear.

Got the car from an independant last week but they're miles away (near heathrow and I'm in gloucestershire). It has 3 months warranty.

My local main dealer wants £99+vat just to run a diag.

Should the inde pay for this?

Is there some way I can get more info on the fault myself??

 

[Siena]

Possibly a lambda fault - as they don't operate between mid and full-throttle, the car will still appear responsive, it'll run rich at idle / part throttle though.

I wouldn't pay the price for a diag. I'm sure there are ASN members close to your neck of the woods with VAGCOM, who would be only too happy to help out a fellow enthusiast.

 

[dope]

Thanks for the reply.

Excuse my ignorance - what's lambda?

A thought I just had - looking at the manual I should be putting super plus or premium unleaded at 98 or 95 RON. I didn't know this so it's done a week on super cheap stuff. Could this trigger the warning light?

 

[Siena]

Standard 1,8T 190?

The lower octane fuel won't trigger a CEL, it'll just make the knock sensors work harder when the engine's hot, and under load.

You're not very likely to come accross fuel in the UK rated lower than 95 RON, though it'll run on 91 on the Continent with only a slight reduction in output, as the timing will automatically ****** to compensate.

Lambda is the oxygen sensor, also referred to an 02 sensor, there are 2 on your car - up and downstream of the catalyst.

 

[dope]

Yeah - 1.8T 190

The independant thinks it could be a coil pack, though it's not missing a beat from what I can tell at moment.

Or he suggested damp has crept in somewhere from then they valeted it??!


Good thing is though they're not questioning getting it sorted somehow. Just means a trip that I didn't want to make at some point.