MIL light - Please help
Discussion
Hi
I haddnt used my S2 for a week and had to jump start it last night. The first odd thing was that the engine was kind of pulseing on idle (I dont know the correct technical tearm for it) it was fluctuateing between 1500 and 2000 revs continuously. I decided it was something that would probably go away so took it out for a drive and it did seem to go away for a while but when it did it was idleing at 1500 Revs (it normaly idles at around 1000). Anyway when I was on the way home the MIL light came on. Luckily I was very close to home so drove it there and left it for the night. I read somewhere that if you leave the car for a while and try again that sometimes it goes away but when i tried this morning it was still on (the ideling revs where however back to normal).
Dose anyone know what it could be and how much it'll cost to fix it?
I haddnt used my S2 for a week and had to jump start it last night. The first odd thing was that the engine was kind of pulseing on idle (I dont know the correct technical tearm for it) it was fluctuateing between 1500 and 2000 revs continuously. I decided it was something that would probably go away so took it out for a drive and it did seem to go away for a while but when it did it was idleing at 1500 Revs (it normaly idles at around 1000). Anyway when I was on the way home the MIL light came on. Luckily I was very close to home so drove it there and left it for the night. I read somewhere that if you leave the car for a while and try again that sometimes it goes away but when i tried this morning it was still on (the ideling revs where however back to normal).
Dose anyone know what it could be and how much it'll cost to fix it?
Beechy
Had a very similar experience after Donnington a couple of weeks agao. Had it on track for the day, followed by a drive back to York. Slowing into a roundabout it gave a very funny cough on the down change from 3rd to 2nd. As I accelerated away the MIL light came on. There seemed to be no difference to the performance and all was running fine, I thought that a day at full chat followed by a motorway run might have warmed things up a little too much.
The following morning I jumped in to see if it had cleared, but the light was still glowing bright. Sinclaires had fitted both the sports exhaust and a sports cat replacement and had warned me there may be a problem. They could fit a new sensor that by-passed the MIL. Anyhoo, I then took it for another quick spin and sure enough after about 10 mins no more light. It still has not re-appeared........
Give it a couple of runs and see if anything changes, if not give Sinclaires a ring and they may well be able to give you a far more technical explanation!!!
Had a very similar experience after Donnington a couple of weeks agao. Had it on track for the day, followed by a drive back to York. Slowing into a roundabout it gave a very funny cough on the down change from 3rd to 2nd. As I accelerated away the MIL light came on. There seemed to be no difference to the performance and all was running fine, I thought that a day at full chat followed by a motorway run might have warmed things up a little too much.
The following morning I jumped in to see if it had cleared, but the light was still glowing bright. Sinclaires had fitted both the sports exhaust and a sports cat replacement and had warned me there may be a problem. They could fit a new sensor that by-passed the MIL. Anyhoo, I then took it for another quick spin and sure enough after about 10 mins no more light. It still has not re-appeared........
Give it a couple of runs and see if anything changes, if not give Sinclaires a ring and they may well be able to give you a far more technical explanation!!!
:waitstobeshotdowninflames:
As I understand it, and it worried me when a light that wasn't on came on, all it is telling you is that your emissions are not what they should be. If after a couple of runs it is still on then there is a problem. Is the performance/sound still the same when it is on? It may have just been running a little lean after you jump started it and the light is warning you that there wasw too much fuel in the exhaust gasses afterwards....
:stillwaiting:
As I understand it, and it worried me when a light that wasn't on came on, all it is telling you is that your emissions are not what they should be. If after a couple of runs it is still on then there is a problem. Is the performance/sound still the same when it is on? It may have just been running a little lean after you jump started it and the light is warning you that there wasw too much fuel in the exhaust gasses afterwards....
:stillwaiting:
Ok cool I was just petrified of knackering my baby. But I'll give it a bit of a run tonight and see if it goes away, it doesnt sound like I'll do it any damage.
It sounded fine this morning when I started it up so fingers crossed it'll be ok after a little drive.
Cheers for your help. I'll let you know how I get on.
>> Edited by beechy on Thursday 16th October 10:14
>> Edited by beechy on Thursday 16th October 10:29
It sounded fine this morning when I started it up so fingers crossed it'll be ok after a little drive.
Cheers for your help. I'll let you know how I get on.
>> Edited by beechy on Thursday 16th October 10:14
>> Edited by beechy on Thursday 16th October 10:29
Beechy -
I had a very similar experience in June. It's posted on here in the archives probably.
I called Lotus Assistance (my car is still under warranty) and they said that if the MIL was steady (not flashing) it was OK to drive it.
After driving around my idle did not return to normal, and in fact got worse. Ultimately it wouldn't hold an idle at all. I had to have a breakdown recovery truck take it to the dealer. The throttle position sensor had gone out. A simple enough fix, but a real hassle.
lama
I had a very similar experience in June. It's posted on here in the archives probably.
I called Lotus Assistance (my car is still under warranty) and they said that if the MIL was steady (not flashing) it was OK to drive it.
After driving around my idle did not return to normal, and in fact got worse. Ultimately it wouldn't hold an idle at all. I had to have a breakdown recovery truck take it to the dealer. The throttle position sensor had gone out. A simple enough fix, but a real hassle.
lama
Hello
I went for a little drive last night and the light went off so I'm over the moon about that but now have a slightly different problem. The idle is now below 1000 revs (normaly just above) and forinstance if I'm in Nutral and rev the engine at all (not that I sit there reving away for the fun of it but just an example) and then take my foot off the gass the revs dip whey down and it stalls the engine. This makes traffic jams realy tuff as every time I take my foot off the accelerator and aply the clutch and brake it stalls.
Lama
Is this the same kind of thing that you had? If so how much did it cost to fix?
I went for a little drive last night and the light went off so I'm over the moon about that but now have a slightly different problem. The idle is now below 1000 revs (normaly just above) and forinstance if I'm in Nutral and rev the engine at all (not that I sit there reving away for the fun of it but just an example) and then take my foot off the gass the revs dip whey down and it stalls the engine. This makes traffic jams realy tuff as every time I take my foot off the accelerator and aply the clutch and brake it stalls.
Lama
Is this the same kind of thing that you had? If so how much did it cost to fix?
Complete uneducated speculation here but if the throttle position sensors lost its data it may be worth this trick which is used for the non VVC S1 - I recently had to do this proceedure when I fitted a new metal throttle body (yes I know the engine and ECU are different on the S2)!
Ignition on - without starting engine, fully depress and release gas pedal five times. This allows the S1 ECU to memorise the throttle openings.
Maybe a longshot but must be worth a try?
Good luck,
John S.
>> Edited by cinqster on Saturday 18th October 02:07
Ignition on - without starting engine, fully depress and release gas pedal five times. This allows the S1 ECU to memorise the throttle openings.
Maybe a longshot but must be worth a try?
Good luck,
John S.
>> Edited by cinqster on Saturday 18th October 02:07
Cheers guys I'll give the pedal thing a go and then take it out for a long run.
Dose anyone know how many Revs an S2 should idle at? Also do you know what temperature the engine should be before you open it up a bit? The Manual says something along the lines of enure that the temp gage shows a suitable temperature before driving fast.
Dose anyone know how many Revs an S2 should idle at? Also do you know what temperature the engine should be before you open it up a bit? The Manual says something along the lines of enure that the temp gage shows a suitable temperature before driving fast.
I wait until the water temp has hit 89 or so, although its really oil temp that matters not water. Until then though, I stick under 3k revs and never use full throttle.
89 is pretty much normal running temp on mine.
As to idle, it depends if its warm or not. Cold its about 1200 I think, and warm its just under 1000. Its not the smoothest idle in the world though.
beechy said:
Hello
I went for a little drive last night and the light went off so I'm over the moon about that but now have a slightly different problem. The idle is now below 1000 revs (normaly just above) and forinstance if I'm in Nutral and rev the engine at all (not that I sit there reving away for the fun of it but just an example) and then take my foot off the gass the revs dip whey down and it stalls the engine. This makes traffic jams realy tuff as every time I take my foot off the accelerator and aply the clutch and brake it stalls.
Lama
Is this the same kind of thing that you had? If so how much did it cost to fix?
Beechy -
This sounds just like what happened to me. My car was still under warranty, so I don't know how much it would cost to fix. But it didn't take long to fix, so there won't be much of a labour charge involved. Good luck!
lama
beechy said:
The idle is now below 1000 revs (normaly just above) and forinstance if I'm in Nutral and rev the engine at all (not that I sit there reving away for the fun of it but just an example) and then take my foot off the gass the revs dip whey down and it stalls the engine. This makes traffic jams realy tuff as every time I take my foot off the accelerator and aply the clutch and brake it stalls.
I had exactly the same symptoms recently. I took it to the dealer who merely adjusted the idle speed and charged me half an hour's labour
Thanks for the help guys I dont know what I'd do without this place. If it persists I'll drop it into a dealer.
I always hear people on hear saying that Sinclares is the best place to go. Could anyone let me know where it is? I live just outside Hemel Hempstead. Any idea how long it would take?
I always hear people on hear saying that Sinclares is the best place to go. Could anyone let me know where it is? I live just outside Hemel Hempstead. Any idea how long it would take?
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