Hello, I have just joined and have 07 panda with a problem. My engine warning light does not go out and I am losing compression on accelerating when the engine is cold, I believe this is down to exhaust issues, is there any easy remedy

Sue70 said:

Hello, I have just joined and have 07 panda with a problem. My engine warning light does not go out and I am losing compression on accelerating when the engine is cold, I believe this is down to exhaust issues, is there any easy remedy

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Hi and welcome to FF

Which engine do you have?

Which light..the yellow one??

Realistically.. the light is probably just telling you it is running poorly.. and needs attention

Best..easiest course of action:

1. Check the oil and antifreeze levels

2. Get the engine fault codes read

Oil and coolant : antifreeze.. will give a good indication of genral engine system health

Fault codes.. should log all major things that sensors think are not normal


The plug for the reader is next the the fusebox.. uk drivers right knee.. under a panel held in by 2 screws.
The readers start at £8.. so no need to pay a garage £50 for this basic test

Charlie

Download www.multiecuscan.net. The software runs on windows PCs. You will also need an OBD connecting cable best got from MES themselves as the ones on eBay often don't work.

MES free version will probably do all you need, but the £50 registered version covers everything on the car.

You first need to do the basic checks on the car. If it has not been serviced then do a full service. including oil, all filters and new coolant. Ideally flush the brake fluid though and check the brakes while on the case.

Miss-firing can be anything from blown head gasket to worn out plugs to coil faults. The car uses two coils to fire the spark plugs in two pairs.

Thanks for the information, I have a multijet diesel model with a 1248 c.c. engine. Sadly my husband who would normally maintain the car and fix anything fixable died in May. From what you are saying I think perhaps it will have to go to the garage and if it's going to be costly I may have to dispose of the car, which is a shame.

We all assumed petrol.

What do you mean by low compression? Poor starting can be just the glow plugs which are cheap to replace. Blown head gasket is expensive.

Poor running can be caused by carbon build up in the inlet manifold. Diesels run very gently do not properly clear the dirty gasses recirculated from the exhaust. There is also a throttle valve that stops the engine when switched off. This can clog up.

We need more information about the car and the symptoms. You really need to get it checked properly.

Sue70 said:

Thanks for the information, I have a multijet diesel model with a 1248 c.c. engine. Sadly my husband who would normally maintain the car and fix anything fixable died in May. From what you are saying I think perhaps it will have to go to the garage and if it's going to be costly I may have to dispose of the car, which is a shame.

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Hi Sue.

The diesels are VERY common.
9 manufacturers use that engine.. so most places will have the kit to work on them

If you dont have a local garage you trust.. give us a clue to the pandas location.. we may well know of somewhere to assost.

Charlie

DaveMcT said:

We all assumed petrol.

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Well..apart from those who asked..

The MJ isnt mega common in the early panda.. but there are plenty on here who have that 1248 motor.. incuding me.. in a punto

Removing the battery lead for an hour while somebody checks the oil and water will be a very cost effective 1st port of call

Charlie

Also, (when re-read a few times) the symptoms could be caused by a damp air filter.
If so, this is an easy fix, but sometimes can be missed by mechanics who haven't seen it before.

Water can drip off the middle screw of the plastic scuttle cover onto the air filter box. If the cover is slightly deformed, or was not put back properly, it can dampen the air filter. This can cause a feeling of low power until it warms up and dries out a bit.

Fix is to re-fit the air filter cover properly, and put some sealant on that middle screw.

I am getting a lack of compression when I try to accelerate ,to pull away quickly and when climbing a hill. It feels as though it needs a good blast to clear something, I have never driven a diesel before so am not sure whether this is normal

Could be quite a few things.
As above, check (or get someone to check) a) the air filter

b) loose or split turbo pipe(s)
Normally get a whistle or whoosh noise, but not always.

c) the turbo actuator
Try the forum search for how to check/fix

d) the recorded fault code(s)

The first 3 should be free if you do them yourself, or very nearly if you have a friendly mechanic.

If none of them are the problem, then you really need to get the codes read to see what to look at next.

They are usually a pretty easy engine to diagnose this kind of problem, as long as they are done methodically.