Engine Management Light

[TAWARO]

Hi all, I recently took my car to the garage after the engine management light had been off and on for a bit. It would come on every time i put petrol in and then go off a few days later. I had the code checked and it came up as camshaft positioning sensor. Took it to garage, they did an oil and filter change and put in a new timing chain. A few days down the line and my bank £350 lighter the light is back on, am baffled, was wondering if anybody has had anything similar? Car runs fine.

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Not a problem I have had or even heard about, though perhaps others may have experienced it ?

Assume the light is now coming on at the same point when you fill up with fuel or is it different this time?

You could go back to that garage , but sounds like you do not have too much confidence in them ?

Also a bit surprised, or perhaps they had good reason, to change the timing chain, before the actual sensor ?

When you say it was the "camshaft positioning sensor." did they give an actual code number like P0340 or P0341 , that is whats actually read out of the car.

Think first you need to see what the error code is stored now.

Most garages, including places like Halfords will read off the code for you and suggest a remedy, for free or a small charge while you wait.

[TAWARO]

Hi Old Codger,

Thanks for your response, so my light has gone off again for now, i have contacted the garage and they said they would be happy for me to bring my car in for them to put it onto the computer. I said i will wait and see if it comes back on because i'm sure they will charge me for doing so. They said it wouldn't necessarily be the same fault or that the sensor may be faulty and may need to be changed, and i can't afford another big bill right now, i expected them to check the code so that would tell them what the problem was so they could fix it accordingly. The thing is, i don't even know if they put it on the computer when i first took it in! I did expect them to but there is no mention of it on my invoice. I was the one that told them the error code and about the sensor. I have my own fault code reader. First they said they thought it just needed the oil and filter change then they came back and said they suspected it may be the timing chain. I didn't dispute this because i had started to hear some noises which sounded like something rotating, and i could only liken it to the sound of an old vw beetle engine, i had read that the chain should last the life of the car but this obviously isn't so. Since it has been changed i haven't heard the noise again and i have recently put fuel in and as yet the light hasn't come so i'm keeping everything crossed for now.

[oldcodger]

How many miles on the Clock, petrol or diesel , cc ?

Have heard the same about timing chains but like anything it depends on how the engine is used and looked after ..?

If the check light has come back on since their work and you have a reader , then what is the error code ?

Even when the light goes off, its stores that and several previous error codes.

Probably best if you read them all out, then clear the fault code memory which can usually be done via the reader or simply disconnecting the cars Battery or relvant fuse for a few minutes.

That means you will know any new code that happens is post timing chain ..