Technical 2000 model JTD - engine light intermittently on when cruising

[macspite]

Hi, I picked up my Multipla today, an eBay buy and drove it back from Norfolk to Hampshire.

Seemed willing enough on the country lanes, stopped for fuel then joined the A10 - dual carriageway. Engine light came on and dash displayed "engine ctrl fault - contact garage" which I assumed was linked to the EGR as the car has been used for short school runs in the past. After a while the light disappeared.

Further stop for a coffee and comfort break and the car started fine, rejoined the road with plenty of acceleration - used 4000 revs before changing gear and went several more miles before light came on again. Oil and water are fine and "limp home" gives 80mph anyway so no dramas. Warning tones and light intermittently all the way home - is that ECU clearing itself and re-finding fault or is it just that the warning is "polite" and doesn't distract all the time?

First area I am going to look at is the EGR in the hope that it is clogged and needs a clean. I will probably replace air filter, fuel and oil filter and oil itself as a matter of course.

Is there anything else I should look at while I have the bonnet open?

Is there an OBD socket on the 2000 model year?

Is there a manual available for the car?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your comments

 

[BikeDoc]

2000 JTD - engine light...

Engine Light...

 

[macspite]

Thanks for the reply.

What I have done so far is to accelerate hard from junctions and up slip roads where possible and lobbed a bottle of Redex diesel clean into the fuel tank and added a couple of gallons of diesel. A couple of short runs at motorway speeds followed by more fuel then a fast run of 50 miles and back seems to have cleaed the fault - at least no engine light has re-appeared.

Performance seems fine so I think it was just clogged due to being used as a school run hack. but it is always worrying when getting into a new car and then finding a potentially expensive fault on the way home.

Anyone know if there is an ODB2 socket on the car?

 

[QinteQ]

Anyone know if there is an ODB2 socket on the car?

- between the drivers legs under the steering wheel from 2000 I think !