Forum:
The light came on whilst I was returning home. The engine seems to be running normally with no noticable changes. I did travel reluctantly
the final 15 miles home with the light on and at a slower speed.
Can anybody help as it is urgent and could I damage the engine if I continue to use it??
HELP
ECU Light
The light that has come on is an indication that the Engine Computer has picked up a fault. Most modern computers in cars will be connected to sensors that in turn will tell it how the engine is performing. If the car had a severe issue then the ECU (Cars Computer) would set the car into something called limp home mode, which will limit the cars power and only allow a top speed of 40 MPH. The computer is there as a safe guard to prevent further damage ot the cars engine.
As to why the light has come on? That can only be determinedby plugging in a device that will produce back any fault codes which then will tell you the fault and hopefully help with diagnosis.
How to get the codes? A code reader bought off the internet or taking it to your local dealership and having them plug in a device to read the codes to determine the fault are your best ways to find the fault.
hope this helps?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
It's not uncommon on the
It's not uncommon on the Rally II/IV. Some seem to suffer from it.
Mine did it from belive it or not, just day two of it being brand new.
It drove me mad.
And two Daihiatu dealers examined the car, but could never find the cause to stop it happening.
There seems no running issue or change in power/economy.
Just unplug ECU connector (pull down glove box lid) and plug it back in again to reset (easier than disconnecting battery).
And it should be fine for a while again.
Running super unleaded seemed to help keep the light off. So I think the ECU may be sensitive to detecting partial misfires.
If its working fine, Do not worry at all. I did 36,000 miles with the light often being on!
Once the light is triggered, It seems to stays on until the ECU is reset.
45-50mpg average.
It was the main reason I had to get rid of mine, As it was proving to be difficult on driving tests with examiners questioning the check engine light.
I think it is related to the rally camshaft, and the ECU mapping which they did not touch.
Isn't an ECU light an MOT failure these days?
I thought any Lights staying on the dashboard such as Air Bag and ECU whilst driving or not showing on a pre-startup check are considered an MOT issue these days?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
Yes, From 1st april, both a
Yes, From 1st april, both a fail now.
But a simple ECU reset before a MOT and you would be very unlucky for check engine light to come back on during the MOT.
Airbag fault more annoying, luckily does not seem to be a common Daihatsu problem.
Thank you for your comments
Thank you for your comments where about in the glove box do I find the ECU connector top or bottom glove box so I can try that and see if it works, any pointers that you can give would be most helpful. How long do we need to unplug it for
open glovebox and empty
Bottom main glovebox. open it and empty anything you have in there, then you squeeze the sides so it can be opened past the normal stops and hang fully down.
ECU is above glovebox, you can't miss it. Unplug the connectors (only one has the constant power supply) but I can't remember which one.
You don't have to wait any time at all. just unplug, and plug in again 2 seconds later and it is reset.
On my car, in the end I cut the main constant power wire to the ECU, and fitted a switch onto that wire. So I could easily reset ECU without having to remove glovebox and the ECU connectors! Worked a treat.