MIL light - what does it mean?

[ajcj]

Here's a question - when the MIL light goes on, what is it actually telling you? It came on and then went out again a few weeks ago, and when I referred to the manual it says "stop immediately, don't move the car, don't breathe suddenly or make loud noises, get to a dealer straight away", or words to that effect. A quick and slightly desperate search on here revealed that it can sometimes come on in heavy rain, and when mine briefly came on the weather would have had Noah reaching for his lifejacket, so I relaxed.....

This week I have swapped the Cerb for the family wagon to take the kiddies away. Phone call from wife tonight reveals that MIL light has been on since i left, and that she's completed about 140 miles in the meantime. Power seems ok, oil pressure normal, temperatures normal, no smoke, nasty noises, things leaping out of the bonnet, grinding, vibration, nothing.

So what is the spectrum of possibility here? Dodgy light at one end, I suppose (not unheard of in a TVR ), but what else might it be?

A

[johnbear]

It's either a loose wire on the oil pressure sensor, faulty oil sensor or the air temperature sensor.

[nawarne]

MIL stands for 'Malfunction Indicator Lamp/Light'

Right - thats the trivia question over then!
Nick

[CiderwithCerbie]

if it comes on & stays on plus misfire or smoke from tail end it mean...............................................................................................................................mucho dinero!!!

[scooterscot]

The MIL light tells you that you have a fueling problem. Drive the car as little as possible and only at low revs with no high loads on the engine,the cats are at risk which is a very expensive repair. The cats can start to glow and risk setting your car on fire.

[ajcj]

Just to round this one out (long after the fact) - apparently it was the lambda sensors. Whatever they are.

[Marki]

Mother In Law

[smithyl23]

I had a lambda sensor go a while back and no warning came up i just noticed the black soot on the exhaust and the jet black smoke when the car was pushed. Fine once replaced