The dreaded Engine block warning light preceded by the EPC warning light has occurred in my daughters 2011 Seat Leon. Car loses power, cuts out, and won’t start until some arbitrary time later.
In my experience when this happens diagnostic tests usually point to O2 sensor faults, but O2 Sensor replacements rarely solve anything. All that follows are more diagnostic tests, part replacements and successive failure before something eventually solves the dilemma.
Now this sounds like a grumble (which of course it is) but can anybody throw light on what sort of things can cause these warning lights with attendant power loss and engine cut out?
Brake pedal sensor can bring Engine management lights up so good suggestion.
I believe that the sequence of failure is the EPC & Traction Control warning lights together, a feeling of instability followed by the Engine Management light and a gradual loss of power and speed.
Tailgating idiot behind and concern for child in the back seat do not help either.
Trouble is a 1000 things could bring warning lights up with loss of power, so I suppose my real beef is that diagnostics seem to be of limited help since they never seem to pin point any problem.
Certainly worth interrogating the onboard diagnostics with a reader to glean any codes.
Granted some codes are generic and difficult to precisely determine what is wrong but there are many specific and even the generic ones usually point you in the right direction.
Of course if it is a coil issue you may not get any codes.
I had a similar issue with a VW Polo - engine light on and limp home mode.
Expected the worst but took it to a vehicle servicing and diagnostic place here in Chesterfield and they diagnosed and replaced a faulty sensor - £25 all in! NEVER had the problem again.
No idea - just left it to the expert and quickly and thankfully paid the VERY small bill!
Can’t imagine it even covered his time to hook up the diagnostics, let alone obtain the part, remove and replace the faulty one, write - yes handwritten - the bill and call me to say it was ready!
I just counted myself exceedingly lucky, particularly given the sharp intake of breath when I first tried the authorised VW Service Agent.
My own experience of diagnostics, through Authorised dealerships or otherwise, has never been good and always expensive after many attempts to nail the problem.
Hopefully my daughter will be as fortunate as you.
My own experience of diagnostics, through Authorised dealerships or otherwise, has never been good and always expensive after many attempts to nail the problem.
Hopefully my daughter will be as fortunate as you.