Engine management light.

[the daddy]

Evening all.

Just been away for a week and upon my return I've developed some sort of problem.
Noticed after about 10mins of driving that my engine management light had come on (it may have been on since start up I didn't notice). Anyhow I'm booked into the garage to find out what it is on Monday, but in the meantime the drivers manual recommends that I don't drive it. This is far from Ideal.

Does anybody know of some simple checks which I can do to prove its nothing major so I can keep driving - or any common causes?

I've disconnected most of the sensors systematically and returned each, there is not a missfire, and no dodgy noises.

Also - does anybody know if you can get online circuit diagrams?

Car is Mitsi Galant V6 Sport.

rgds

Ash

[Mikey G]

Probably a dodgy sensor or wire to it somewhere.
What year is the car?

Something to try is disconnect the battery for a bit and then see if that puts the light out. What it should do is reset the ECU.

[the daddy]

Car is 2001 - If I disconnect that battery and reset the ECU will the fault light come back on if the fault still exists?

[Deltafox]

Erm dont wanna rain on your bonfire here but if youve removed sensors and had no change in the light, youll have put a load of other "faults", intermittants into the ecu memory which *may* mask the original one.....

Sooory.....

[the daddy]

Right then - reset ECU (disconnected battery) and been out for a drive for 30mins and no sign of the light coming back on - Hurray?

Had a thought that while I was driving in traffic on way home from week away I caught the kickdown switch underneath the accelerator, without touching the gas - could this be linked?

[leorest]

You'd only know if you read the fault.
I'd forget about it now. unless it happens again. If it does be ready to "read" the fault this time! Some cars can be read by placing a link somewhere and watching for a sequence of flashing lights. You'll have to do some research to find out if this is possible or buy a code reader.

[Mikey G]

If its 2001 it should be OBD2 in which case there may be a few people around who can diagnose the fault without going to a dealer. I dont think there is a 'cross wire trick' on the OBD system unlike on some of the older cars.

[annodomini2]

Mikey G said:

If its 2001 it should be OBD2 in which case there may be a few people around who can diagnose the fault without going to a dealer. I dont think there is a 'cross wire trick' on the OBD system unlike on some of the older cars.

All post 1999 cars have to be.