Technical Engine management light on steady

[RexCar]

Hi guys,

I know there's a thousand and one threads like this already but I've only had this punto just over a week and I'm out at the moment in it and I'm kinda freaking out about this so bear with me.

So as I was driving tonight I noticed the orange engine management light came on - I had just been on the motorway at 60-70 for maybe 10 minutes then down to 30 in town. There's been no loss of power so far, but maybe it's just placebo after reading all the other threads, but the car does seem to be idling a little rougher than usual.

But I've just opened my window now and there's a weird noise coming from the engine - it sounds like a cricket. It speeds up when I rev so I'm assuming it's a belt of some kind. I haven't noticed this sound before?

I've turned the engine off and let it cool down but the EM light stays on - it's solid, not flashing.

The car is getting serviced this weekend but I'm worried this EM light is something big (and expensive!) - kwik fit done an overall inspection of the underside last Monday, they said it all looked fine, but they said I had an oil leak caused by the crank shaft seal - however, after looking underneath, and finding not a spot of oil on the ground when the car has been parked for 12+ hours, I'm not sure if I agree...

Will any OBD computer plug in to any car? My dad used one for his 1995 range rover and 1994 BMW so I'm wondering if I can just use that one??

Sorry for all the questions/worrying but you have to understand two things; one is that the last car that had an engine management light come on was my Corsa, which turned out to be the air intake not functioning correctly and two is that the last Punto I had, the steering column fell off when I went round a corner - obviously a write off - so I'm ever so slightly weary of bad things happening!

Thanks in advance for any information, suggestions, tips or anything like that, I love this car to bits, I don't want there to be any huge issues!

EDIT: I forgot to mention... I don't know if this is relevant, but before the light came on, one of my headlights blew (I've only had them a week!) - emergency trip to tesco for an emergency replacement kit, fitted it in the headlight that blew and it worked fine - so replaced the other side (my old ones were blue, these are obviously 'normal') - but have noticed that my headlights are not alligned properly now, one is higher than the other, and so is letting out more light on the road than the other, which appears to be more dipped. Both light housings are fitted correctly and using the headlight movers doesn't work.

I also sat with the engine idling for about half an hour prior to driving off, and the EM light coming on.

Sorry for such a long post, just trying to give as much info as possible!

 

[homeward]

First off, I'd take a trip to either your local garage or MOT station to get your headlights sorted. Not only can you be stopped by the police, it can be dangerous -- either for you, not lighting up the road correctly; or for oncoming drivers, who you may be dazzling.... :nono:

Now, the helpful bit...!

You may need an OBD reader later than that for mid-1990s cars (they could be OBD1 versus OBD2, I think, for Puntos: the socket is sort of SCART-shaped; and is down by your right knee, behind the flip-down panel...) -- but it may still produce a code, depending on functionality and compatability. Your garage should be able to read it without any problems, though, I would hope....

Until you have the code, it's anybody's guess as to what is wrong... -- it could just be a temporary blip (e.g. a lambda sensor reading out of range), or something more serious. If you can read the code, you may also be able to clear it... -- but note it down, first, and then report back: that way, we can hopefully point you in the right direction, avoiding you spending money on your or your garage's guesses, and swapping parts over willy-nilly....

My best guess is that it will be a lambda error, from your description... -- but that's only so I can look clever/stupid after the event....

Feel free to ask more, if any of this isn't clear. There aren't any stupid questions, only stupid answers...!

PS: Forgot about the noise. Have you tried -- without getting any important bits of you trapped in any moving engine parts... -- to work out where it's coming from? I wonder if one of your belts is on the way out; or the alternator...? (Depending on where it's coming from -- combined with whatever code you get -- could make it risky to drive....) Is your car an 8v or 16v Punto...?

 

[oldhammer]

You need to get punto checked asap if this is 16v.

Chirp noise couid be Cambelt tensioner,

if its running lump'y then eml might be on because it sees' a missfire.

 

[Brendan W]

have noticed that my headlights are not alligned properly now, one is higher than the other, and so is letting out more light on the road than the other, which appears to be more dipped.

The No 1 cause of crossed lights after bulb replacement is the new bulb not sitting flat in the holder either because it's upside down or the retaining clip is not hooked on to both the hooks.
As for the levelling motor afaik it shares a fuse F13 with the LH dip headlamp so it's not a fuse. All I could suggest is to check the wiring and connectors at the motor and see if supply is arriving etc.

 

[Ziggy122]

Punto uses 1relay flr lightd which is then fused seperatly for each light


Ziggy

 

[RexCar]

Right, having read some more posts on here and having driven the car for about an hour this morning, I'm a bit more relaxed now in that I don't think it's something overly serious or engine-threatening.

Also having spoken to my dad (who knows pretty much anything and everything there is to know about cars, but unfortunately also has a very busy work schedule... ) he doesn't seem to think it's anything serious either, considering there's no 'limp home' mode, no loss of power, no stuttering or revving up on it's own, no issues with steering or brakes or zipping off into the distance...

Local garage, after talking over me, telling me I was wrong, sighing, saying it was a simple problem I can do myself and eventually giving me a price, want to charge £37 for the diagnostics - I don't know which one to avoid them more on, their attitude or the price!

Kwik Fit want £35 but I begrudge giving Kwik Fit money, so, in light of it not appearing to be a serious situation and saving myself a bit of money, I've decided to (as the local garage said) do it myself.

I'd like to use the MES software, and I've looked at the list of supported vehicles - but I'll be damned if I can figure out which cable I need.

As far as I can see (read: make out from the technical info) I need an ELM327 interface, but looking at the table and other posts on here, it looks like there's a number of different KINDS of connecting cables, and I don't want to risk getting the wrong one, so... After once again rambling on... :bang: ... My question is...

Which cables should I get for my car? If it helps (although I think I've already mentioned this) it's a 2003 8V Fiat Punto Active Sporting.

Thank you!

 

[fingers99]

If you have an old tester lying about, it may simply work: if it fits the socket, it should be fine.

 

[oldhammer]

2003 8V Fiat Punto Active Sporting.



never seen sporting,

 

[RexCar]

Sorry... I meant Sport, not Sporting...

 

[oldhammer]

Sorry... I meant Sport, not Sporting...

ah rite,

dont forget when ordering parts, you has sport not sport-ting or you will recieve's 16v items,

 

[RexCar]

ah rite,

dont forget when ordering parts, you has sport not sport-ting or you will recieve's 16v items,

Thanks - I've always had an interest in cars and know perhaps just slightly more than 'average joe' does, but I love this car to bits and want to learn more about fixing it, finding problems, etc, so this forum is great for me and your advice is invaluable

Which goes for everyone who's replied, by the way!

I've just ordered two of the ELM327 things - a USB one, and a bluetooth one - I'd like to use the bluetooth one, but bought a USB one as well just in case.

Thanks to Amazon Prime I should get the bluetooth one in the post tomorrow, so, if it works, I will post an update

 

[oldhammer]

Dont bother with blue tooth, cable plug in is the way,


Amazon prime, did you know they will take 50 odd notes out of your bank account, be warned!

Theyve stung loads of people already incl my son, luckily igot him his moneys back, (have alook on google)

edit, amazon prime fee, 49.00 sov's. cancel quick,

 

[RexCar]

Dont bother with blue tooth, cable plug in is the way,


Amazon prime, did you know they will take 50 odd notes out of your bank account, be warned!

Theyve stung loads of people already incl my son, luckily igot him his moneys back, (have alook on google)

edit, amazon prime fee, 49.00 sov's. cancel quick,

No no it's fine, we're signed up to Prime as a whole household so all 4 of us in the family (despite living in different houses) get prime for £49.00 it works out far better for us all because we order a LOT of things from Amazon and it means we get them next day usually as well.

 

[homeward]

Dont bother with blue tooth, cable plug in is the way,

Just out of interest, what makes you say that...?

I have one of these permanently plugged in: and it gives me live data feeds (which is how I knew my lambdas were dying); as well as reading and clearing engine codes, etc.. It works extremely well; and the developer is very responsive.... I've certainly not used my handheld scanner since....

I still dig out MES, and my full complement of cables, when needed; but a good Bluetooth dongle is hard to beat for convenience. (Admittedly, if you don't have a dedicated app, like mine does, then you don't get as much of the MES functionality, I believe, with a dongle, as you do with cables. But who wants to drive with a laptop on their knees...?)

 

[RexCar]

Light has now gone out... haha. Will see if it comes back on!

All I done was check the vitals - antifreeze, oil, power steering fluid (or is it brake fluid?? Not sure!) And checked the oil cap for any white stuff (which there was none), got in the car and no engine light! Maybe he just wanted me to look under the bonnet in general...

 

[oldhammer]

Just out of interest, what makes you say that...?

because they can become unstable so ive heard,
this is why id avoid,

cable is one way... bluetooth can be accessed by mobile phone,
iwouidnt trust this method