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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Any car enthusiasts here that can help?

22 replies

Minicheddars123 · 03/11/2021 22:44

Posting for traffic - I will obviously get the car to the garage as soon as I can but for now I was hoping someone could help?

I've had my 2012 Audi A3 for the last 3 years and I've been going to the same mechanic for the last 8 years, so no reason to doubt him.
Around 4 months ago, two warning lights came up on the dashboard which were the vehicle stability light and EPC light. My mechanic looked at it and said the car was fine and had nothing wrong with it. Since then the lights have come on occasionally, but are very intermittent. Some weeks it will come on every day and others it won't come on at all. I've just ignored them as the car seems OK and is driving fine. Tonight when I was driving home both lights came on with a third light. I've looked it up and it's called a malfunction indicator lamp.

Luckily I now have a company car that I drive for work so my car can sit there until I can get it to the garage, but should I be concerned? I've looked it up and all I could see was information about the engine so I'm a bit worried now and hope this isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg to have fixed Blush

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you Smile

OP posts:
Seasonschange · 03/11/2021 22:46

Warning lights are so fustrating. They can mean anything from something serious to absolutely nothing. Sorry that’s not much help op

thenightsky · 03/11/2021 22:47

I'd take it to an Audi specialist place, preferable an indie rather than main dealership. They'll have the software to read the codes and diagnose it from there.

TotallySuper · 03/11/2021 22:50

@thenightsky

I'd take it to an Audi specialist place, preferable an indie rather than main dealership. They'll have the software to read the codes and diagnose it from there.
This ! Until its plugged in you won't know exactly what is wrong.
JudgeJ · 03/11/2021 22:54

@thenightsky

I'd take it to an Audi specialist place, preferable an indie rather than main dealership. They'll have the software to read the codes and diagnose it from there.
I would also look on the Audi forums and see if anyone else has had a similar problem. We have a VW and the ESP light came on, to do with traction, the local garage we use put it on the diagnostic rig and it came up with a fault code, it was going to cost about £400 to fix. I went on the VW forum and found it was a known fault and if it was this code, VW were fixing it for free! Always worth a try.
Original poster
Minicheddars123 · 03/11/2021 22:57

It's a bloody nightmare isn't it @Seasonschange. If there's something wrong with it I'd rather know now so I can get it fixed ASAP . My friend had a similar issue with her Renault Clio. For 3 years the engine light flashed everyday but the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with it and said it was fine. Bizarre Grin

@thenightsky @TotallySuper - does it have to be an Audi specialist? I thought my mechanic had all the same equipment. I'm sure he used some type of diagnostic system on it when the spark plugs needed changing last year...

OP posts:
Original poster
Minicheddars123 · 03/11/2021 23:00

Pic attached

Any car enthusiasts here that can help?
OP posts:
KilledByWitches · 03/11/2021 23:01

If you're reasonably tech minded you can pick up an obd reader for under £20, it's a little device which you plug in to your cars obd port (a quick Google will show you where that is, but it's usually covered by a bit of removable trim)
The reader will display codes which you then search online. This will then tell you exactly what's throwing the errors.

Aldi had them in not long back. Great pieces of kit and you also have the ability to clear the fault codes. You can buy a Bluetooth version whi h displays on your phone as well. I have that in one of my cars, useful as I could monitor it in real time and when my turbo hose blew I could see the drop in power in the readings and identified the problem.

KilledByWitches · 03/11/2021 23:04

Video here will show you how they work

Original poster
Minicheddars123 · 03/11/2021 23:08

Ohhh thank you very much @KilledByWitches, that's really good to know! I had no idea that you could just buy them from a shop...

OP posts:
KilledByWitches · 03/11/2021 23:17

@Minicheddars123

Ohhh thank you very much *@KilledByWitches*, that's really good to know! I had no idea that you could just buy them from a shop...
They were a bit more of a specialist tool years ago, but much more of a basic mechanics thing now. Actually only £11.50 in Aldi

www.aldi.co.uk/auto-xs-car-fault-code-reader/p/707370407397200

Once you have the code pop it into Google and you'll most likely pull results from Audi forums discussing it. They are useful, and not tricky to use. The hardest part is usually finding where they hid the bloody port 😂
Good luck!

traka · 03/11/2021 23:20

@KilledByWitches

If you're reasonably tech minded you can pick up an obd reader for under £20, it's a little device which you plug in to your cars obd port (a quick Google will show you where that is, but it's usually covered by a bit of removable trim) The reader will display codes which you then search online. This will then tell you exactly what's throwing the errors.

Aldi had them in not long back. Great pieces of kit and you also have the ability to clear the fault codes. You can buy a Bluetooth version whi h displays on your phone as well. I have that in one of my cars, useful as I could monitor it in real time and when my turbo hose blew I could see the drop in power in the readings and identified the problem.

Simply clearing a fault code doesn't fix the fault though does it

It's still there and at some point will come back

OP, if you drive your car it could well go into limp mode

You need to see a professional not use something from aldi

I work for a German car manufacturer and I used to be a service advisor. If you have EML's on you don't drive the car, that was always what we told customers. Drive it at your own risk

Original poster
Minicheddars123 · 03/11/2021 23:26

@traka

I'm planning on taking the car to the garage but won't be able to now until next Monday/Tuesday due to work. Luckily I have a company car that I can use over the weekend if needs be, so the only time I'll drive the car is when I take it to the garage next week. The malfunction light only came on this evening. The other two lights have been on and off for the last 4 months but I've only been driving the car since because my mechanic said the car was fine Blush

OP posts:
Poshjock · 03/11/2021 23:32

I've owned Audi's for many moons (Got an old S3 at the moment) and I'd put money on the table it's a sensor on the Stability side. Every Audi I've ever owned had some electronic gremlin. Ask your favoured mechanic for a recommendation for a decent Auto Electrician, particularly a VAG experienced one.

My A6 had a speed sensor fault, which a new speed sensor failed to fix. Audi suggested a new wiring loom (£800 part) but felt it might be the computerised dash assembly (more than the car was worth). My local mechanic directed me to an auto electrician, who traced a wiring fault down into the loom and replaced the errant wire. At a cost of £0 for the replacement wire and £78 for his time. I have many similar stories - I have driven many older Audis.

KilledByWitches · 03/11/2021 23:37

Simply clearing a fault code doesn't fix the fault though does it

I don't think I said it would did I?
I said it gave you the ability to clear them. I also said it would identify the fault code.

I mean OP can happily go to Audi but they will be using the same bit of kit to diagnose the code, only you'll be paying ten times the cost of a reader for the privilege.
I've been working on cars for 30 years from the days well before the need for code readers. They are a useful home diagnostic tool that can give you an idea of the issue without spending money on professional diagnostics, and whilst that £12 Aldi one won't give you the bells and whistlea of a dealership one it will give you the code you need.

JaceLancs · 04/11/2021 00:28

I’m a VW driver and DP sorts all my car issues along with those belonging to DS, DD, DM and a friend (all various VW models) a few years ago we invested in a pro version diagnostic device for VW - most of the fault codes have been down to faulty sensors rather than faulty actual components eg my car recently failed an MOT on air bag warning light - there was no fault with the air bags but a dry joint showed a fault - DP replaced the component (£5 from breakers) and reset the OBD

etulosba · 04/11/2021 00:38

You may be lucky but those cheap code readers often can’t read all the fault codes. Usually just some of the engine related ones.

Shade17 · 04/11/2021 05:50

I mean OP can happily go to Audi but they will be using the same bit of kit to diagnose the code, only you'll be paying ten times the cost of a reader for the privilege.

I can assure you that the kit Audi will be using is a lot more advanced than a cheapo code reader. I have BMW dealer level diagnostics and a code reader, they’re chalk and cheese!

If the EML is new it could be unrelated to the other two warnings, only diagnostics will tell. The one thing I would suggest is a battery test, low voltage or a failing battery can cause all sorts of gremlins, I’ve seen it a number of times. Just because it can start the car doesn’t mean it will pass the test.

MargaretThursday · 04/11/2021 06:18

You may be able to get the warning codes without a gadget.
Mine, you turn the key one click, pressing the break and accelerator at the same time and the codes come where milage normally is.
It's very useful, because you then Google the code and can see if it's safe to drive.
My engine warning light is on about half the time, but as long as it's the same warning code then I know it's fine. It goes off after a long journey normally.

KilledByWitches · 04/11/2021 07:41

@Shade17

I mean OP can happily go to Audi but they will be using the same bit of kit to diagnose the code, only you'll be paying ten times the cost of a reader for the privilege.

I can assure you that the kit Audi will be using is a lot more advanced than a cheapo code reader. I have BMW dealer level diagnostics and a code reader, they’re chalk and cheese!

If the EML is new it could be unrelated to the other two warnings, only diagnostics will tell. The one thing I would suggest is a battery test, low voltage or a failing battery can cause all sorts of gremlins, I’ve seen it a number of times. Just because it can start the car doesn’t mean it will pass the test.

And both will give OP the fault code, won't they?
Seasonschange · 04/11/2021 07:55

@Minicheddars123

It's a bloody nightmare isn't it *@Seasonschange*. If there's something wrong with it I'd rather know now so I can get it fixed ASAP . My friend had a similar issue with her Renault Clio. For 3 years the engine light flashed everyday but the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with it and said it was fine. Bizarre Grin

@thenightsky @TotallySuper - does it have to be an Audi specialist? I thought my mechanic had all the same equipment. I'm sure he used some type of diagnostic system on it when the spark plugs needed changing last year...

Similarly I had a polo with an intermittent fault light for two years that no one could diagnose (the engine management one) and then at the end of the two years it died catastrophically. My friend has an old car that’s the same light for about 5 years and is pootling along fine!
Shade17 · 04/11/2021 09:00

And both will give OP the fault code, won't they?

There’s a lot more to diagnostics than just getting a fault code!

etulosba · 04/11/2021 11:42

And both will give OP the fault code, won't they?

No, not necessarily. The more advanced diagnostic tools dig deeper and scan more systems.

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