Engine Light On but can't afford Garage until end of month...

Sleepy

Engine light has come on in the car, owners manual says it's bring to a garage "as soon as possible" while it's on constantly, "immediately" if it's blinking and, for now, it's constant. Just noticed this morning that there's a noise that sounds like sloshing water from the engine on startup but it appears to be running fine aside from that.

I'm about 2,000 miles overdue a service due to various bills recently and can't afford to bring it in until after payday (Friday fortnight).

Going to check the oil and coolant levels before driving home from work but is there anything else I can do in the meantime. I could scrape together maybe €200 before payday but afraid of dropping the car into a garage and not being able to pay for the repair. I'm living in Clontarf, working in Blanchardstown but don't know a garage in either area that I'd be able to ask for credit!

Any ideas/recommendations?

Kenny Logins

Check the coolant.

tossy

What kind of car? Make and model.

toastedpickles

Sleepy wrote: »

Engine light has come on in the car, owners manual says it's bring to a garage "as soon as possible" while it's on constantly, "immediately" if it's blinking and, for now, it's constant. Just noticed this morning that there's a noise that sounds like sloshing water from the engine on startup but it appears to be running fine aside from that.

I'm about 2,000 miles overdue a service due to various bills recently and can't afford to bring it in until after payday (Friday fortnight).

Going to check the oil and coolant levels before driving home from work but is there anything else I can do in the meantime. I could scrape together maybe €200 before payday but afraid of dropping the car into a garage and not being able to pay for the repair. I'm living in Clontarf, working in Blanchardstown but don't know a garage in either area that I'd be able to ask for credit!

Any ideas/recommendations?

Heard on this before that that is a sign of impending headgasket failure, Correct me if I'm wrong though

pred racer

Do any of your mates have an obd scan tool, even a simple one (I use my phone and a bluetooth dongle) get the error code and there will be someone here that can advise you as to whether it can wait or not.

byronbay2

Do you not have a credit card?

tossy

byronbay2 wrote: »

Do you not have a credit card?

Helpful post of the day

Sleepy

Sorry, should have stated it's a 2003 Ford Mondeo 1.8 Duratec. Planning to check coolant after work, if it's low, should I just top-up with water or am I better to drive it circa 10 miles to the motor factors?

And no, byronbay2, I got married end of Feb and the wife ended up winning our honeymoon on a radio station - brilliant but we hadn't budgeted for it until summer so the credit card got maxed for our spending money!

byronbay2

tossy wrote: »

Helpful post of the day

It was a reasonable question - a credit card is how most people pay for something that they need now but can't afford to pay for until later!

tossy

byronbay2 wrote: »

It was a reasonable question - a credit card is how most people pay for something that they need now but can't afford to pay for until later!

For people in a tight spot financially a credit card what you used to pay for stuff you needed last week/month and can't see yourself being able to afford paying it ever

Pulsating Star

pred racer wrote: »

Do any of your mates have an obd scan tool, even a simple one (I use my phone and a bluetooth dongle) get the error code and there will be someone here that can advise you as to whether it can wait or not.

This, the EMLight is on in mine at the moment, got an OBD 11 reader second hand off the net and the code which cam up was thankfully not a big issue. (faulty sensor). Car is running just fine, just lucky is all. In the same boat OP, money is a bit tight but can't have the car off the road for the moment. I am too far away to try reading yours I'm afraid.

Sleepy

Thanks anyway Pulsating Star. Trying to find out if any of the lads have an OBD scanner but no joy so far!

Checked coolant level and the overflow shows as being at an okay level (mid-way between min and max).

The noise on turning the key sounds like water being pumped from one place to another, could it be the coolant overflow dropping the coolant into the system or something along those lines?

Really hoping it's not something major, NCT's due at the end of the month and I know the discs are scheduled to be replacied in it's next service already...

Toyotafanboi

i'm in wicklow, but if you fancy a spin, i have a scan tool.

richardsheil

I am in Clontarf and have a obd reader

P.M me your phone no and I'll make some arrangement to read it -say at esso beside yacht club

Sleepy

Brilliant!

Sleepy

Thanks to Richard, it's been identified as an error 0400 Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Malfunction, so hopefully won't cost a packet to get sorted.

Can't thank you enough Richard, it's things like this that make me love boards.ie!

Toyotafanboi

that was fast! fair play richard

richardsheil

Go here to find it.

http://www.talkford.com/topic/200184-egr-valve-locationplease/

It was the thing I thought it might be. Take it out and clean it with a toothbrush and wd40- cheap repair.

Sleepy

I'll add another pint onto your tab so Richard!

68 lost souls

richardsheil wrote: »

I am in Clontarf and have a obd reader

P.M me your phone no and I'll make some arrangement to read it -say at esso beside yacht club

Fair play to you. Love seeing this kind of thing on boards

Sleepy

richardsheil wrote: »

Go here to find it.

http://www.talkford.com/topic/200184-egr-valve-locationplease/

It was the thing I thought it might be. Take it out and clean it with a toothbrush and wd40- cheap repair.

Would doing this require draining and replacing the coolant?

I'm presuming it's probably not a bad idea given the car's age anyway.

This crowd are around the corner from my work and given the NCT is booked for the end of the month, I'm thinking their full service for €175 might be a good idea, I'm sure I can handle oil and filter changes myself (done them on my last car, a Corolla) but a little nervous doing spark plugs as I've never done them before and since a mechanic threaded some on the Corolla requiring a re-thread of the slots, it seems an easy thing to make a mess of. A full once-over by a proper mechanic seems a good idea too...

http://www.discounttyres.ie/carservicing.html

richardsheil

They will only do oil and filter for that price. Spark plugs etc would be extra

EGR has nothing to do with coolant.

Go and talk to them and see where to go from there

Sleepy

To be fair it's a bit more than just oil & filter:

INCLUDES:
• OE SPECIFICATION OIL FILL (UPTO 5 LITRES)
• OEM OIL FILTER
• OEM AIR FILTER
• OEM STANDARD SPARK PLUGS X4
• OEM STANDARD FUEL FILTER (DIESEL MODELS)
• FLUID LEVELS CHECKED AND REPLENISHED
• RESET SERVICE INDICATOR
• SERVICE RECORDED & BOOK STAMPED
• 50 POINT VEHICLE CHECK
• ECU/ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT
• NCT HEADLIGHT FOCUS CHECK
• 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT CHECK
• TEST DRIVE (BEFORE / AFTER)
• FREE LOCAL COLLECTION AVAILABLE

Site lists €175 as the price for a 1.8

tred

richardsheil wrote: »

Go here to find it.

http://www.talkford.com/topic/200184-egr-valve-locationplease/

It was the thing I thought it might be. Take it out and clean it with a toothbrush and wd40- cheap repair.

fair play to ya....

biko

How to clean it
http://www.talkford.com/topic/153176-can-the-egr-valve-cause-many-issues/
Acc to those instructions you will lose some coolant during the process. Replace lost coolant with plain water for now unless you can find purified water/coolant. Recycle old coolant at local recycle station.