300 miles from home - engine management light has come on

[Johnners733]

Hi all,

On a long weekend away in Dorset, having travelled down from Yorkshire on Thursday.

Engine Management Light has just come on but no other lights and no obvious issues with the car. Seems to be running as well as ever, no missing, oil temp seems ok.

My question is, what's the risk in driving it home tomorrow. Should be a straightforward drive, up the m5, m42, m1 etc. and I'll look at options when home.

Only thing I can think may have relevance is that I have given it a tank of 95 unleaded as it was all I could find at Malmesbury...usually run a minimum of 97/98. Could this have upset a sensor?

Thanks in advance


John

[geordie jay]

Is it a yellow management sign?if so probably summit to do with secondary air system its a known fault sometimes on these..have you got a induction kit on.? If so thats what will be causing it.mine does the same sometimes and a remap will sort it out..mine usually stays on for a week or so then goes off..i been told not really a issue so doesnt bother me..i just need the time to get it done..

[sutts]

The only time that's happened to me it turned out to be a hose within the secondary air intake system starting to split. The car was still running fine and some insulation tape around the affected area was enough to get the light off until I obtained a new hose from the dealers.

[audi_do_dat_den]

It could be any number of things.... a scan will show them.
In the meantime, if its not misfiring, running rough at idle or rattling, it should be fine to carry on home. Just try not to cane it.

Having said that, ive had a recurring lean fuel mixture error on bank 1 & 2 intermittently recently..... it was down to a vacuum leak and actually, the light would go out on its own.

[Johnners733]

Thanks all - standard car, no induction kit. It's just a steady yellow illumination - no flashing.

Slight confession - checked the oil level and it was on MIN so now safely topped up. Could this be relevant (don't have my handbook with me so don't know if it has a separate oil light)? Anyway, still on after top up.

I've now run down the 95 unleaded in the tank (strangely, doesn't take long!) so I will try to find the best fuel I can tomorrow to see if I can cheer it up that way.

If it's a vac leak - how do I spot it (Sutts?)

Thanks

John

[Johnners733]

Well, the old girl made it back from Dorset just fine. Two tankfuls of Shell V Plus Nitro and it's amazing how different the car feels (and is more raucous, somehow?!).

Came through some of the filthiest rain I've wet driven in on the M6 toll but marvelled at the sure footedness. Done 752 miles since leaving home on Thursday and loved every one of 'em.

Light still on. Will be to dealers next week to investigate.

[MikeFish]

Thanks all - standard car, no induction kit. It's just a steady yellow illumination - no flashing.

Slight confession - checked the oil level and it was on MIN so now safely topped up. Could this be relevant (don't have my handbook with me so don't know if it has a separate oil light)? Anyway, still on after top up.

I've now run down the 95 unleaded in the tank (strangely, doesn't take long!) so I will try to find the best fuel I can tomorrow to see if I can cheer it up that way.

If it's a vac leak - how do I spot it (Sutts?)

Thanks

John

Low oil has a separate warning so won't be that.

[fredjudd]

What did it turn out to be in the end?

[Johnners733]

So, now done 400 miles on 2 tanks of Shell Nitro (ie 99 octane) and today... The light went out of its own accord.

I may be leading myself on, but EML light appeared about 100 miles after I filled up with 95 (almost a whole tank) and seems cured by two of the good stuff.

Note to self...

[daveb77]

So, now done 400 miles on 2 tanks of Shell Nitro (ie 99 octane) and today... The light went out of its own accord.

I may be leading myself on, but EML light appeared about 100 miles after I filled up with 95 (almost a whole tank) and seems cured by two of the good stuff.

Note to self...

Sorry to dig up old'ish post but ive just been through 4 tanks of the cheap stuff (shell and Esso) and my EML has come on. Co-incident? Been nursing the car recently due to increased mileage for work as well (27mpg on occasion). No signs of distress as yet, valves open OK on exhaust, 5.5ish 'kick' etc all in tact... Maybe i need to stop being cheap? Also had low oil light randomly which 1l of oil sorted... Will plug into code reader as soon as i can but light still on after a few start cycles.
D

[PetrolDave]

[quote="daveb77"Maybe i need to stop being cheap?[/quote]
Using 95 instead of 98/99 isn't being cheap as the mpg is about 10% lower on 95 due to the extra cat purge cycles needed to clean out the higher sulphur content of standard unleaded compared to super unleaded.

So if 98/99 costs less than 10% more than 95 then it's actually CHEAPER per mile, and as the difference locally (to me at least) is about 6-7p then 98/99 (I use Shell V-Power) works out cheaper per mile.

So switch to decent fuel AND save money.