75ZT Community

As some of you know, I've had a persistent and frustrating problem with my EGM light consistently coming on despite 6 re-sets. YES all on - on T'4's, where the error messages are

1) MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor) 2) Low Pressure fuel etc.

Today a replacement Fuel Filter Housing was fitted with a New fuel filter. The ECU (Engine Control Unit) was of course re-set by the T4 (Testbook version 4.Computer Diagnostic System), only to come back on yet again after 60 odd miles. and has remained so shining malevolently at me from it's portal of evil all the way home.

Being totally jacked off with it now I had the best part of 140 miles to reach I hope a balanced decision.

Of course it's a matter of ambivalence, on one hand, as many of you know I love the car, and have lavished care and cash upon it, alternatively it's no longer a pleasure to use.

After so much anguish, I think it's time to at least stop digging the hole the cars got itself into.

I've therefore decided to SORN and garage it at the end of this month when it's road tax expires. No doubt Direct line will develop some sordid means of trying to make any renewal in the future hellishly expensive!

Therefore perhaps my ownerships longer term fate will prevail upon common financial sense, rather than expectations from the 'Magic Circle'.

As Aristotle said 500BC ...

' A likely impossibility is always preferential to an unconvincing probability'.

Many thanks to you all who have shown such care, kindness and help to me over the past 3 years.

Sincerely,


Martin

Martin

It is an engine management light....the car is running fine regardless of what that little light says? Then put it down to one of the less endearing 'quirks' of our machines and ignore it..... You should see the little light displays the V8s offer from time to time as Ford 'talks' to BMW as it 'talks' to MGRover or somesuch...

My driver's side door lock hasn't worked for two years on the V6....but in the great scheme of things it only irritates me now and again....

Hope you keep her on the road..

Hello Zeb,

Thanks for the response, it made me laugh and cheered me up, I can tell you. I also feel that it's just a silly light, but the trouble is the ever interfering governement now won't pass it for MOT with the light on. Having said that and thinking aloud I could I suppose, re-set it myself the day before, with my 'Woolworths' OBD (On Board Diagnostics) bit of kit and as long as the tester's run is lees than 60 miles it would stay off!

It's certainly not worth investing any more time or money in chasing the problem down, as after all they are now almost becoming 'repro antiques' I suppose?

I also had an oil and filter change today, and the drive home was an absolute pleasure, I don't think it's ever run better. Maybe like the cruise control ( not fitted) IPK (Instrument pack (IPK from the German)) tell tale that went the same route, a lttle cut with a razor blade on the back of the circuit board may again be called for?

I'm sure the little lighty constantly catching your eye will induce a nagging fear at the back of your mind that the car could fail at any time. It would make me feel very uncomfortable. I think the razor blade solution would be the appropriate course of action. Or perhaps take a drive up to visit Zeb, he has a fine collection of hammers.

Yes Mick, Ive heard about Zeb's tuning tools from various sources, Lates were quite in awe of them apparently.

I suppose the only real fear I have is that I could spring an oil leak and not know about it ss the Engine lights pre-occupied with its phantom MAF waltz!

Isn't it funny that until about a decade ago, all the cars I owned never had all these bells and whistles anyway.

If your oil was down the 'pressure guage' showed it, or in my first car (A35) a red light came on (a frequent occurrence) until a 'pint of SAE30 (£0.01/3d) shut it up for another 3 gallons worth.

If the fan belt was slipping the ignition light came on, and if the rad leaked, (which it did continuously), as yet another egg went down the water hole! the only warning you got was a huge steam up - happy simple days.

I do think modern cars are madly over equipped with electrics cluttering up their manuals and such tome's resembling leaflet from the 'elf and safety act', or the manifesto of the 'Green Party'.

cont page 96 ...

I am, allegedly, quite good with diesels.... I will endeavour to think laterally (without hammers)as to your problem Martin and try and offer some further possible solutions...

The important light that must work properly for a MOT is the ABS (Antilock Braking System) which must come on when turning on ignition and go off after the test cycle which is generally only a few seconds but must work.
Sorry to hear about the gremlins and hope that a solution can be found for you, without resorting to Zebs lump hammer!

Sorry to hear of this, Martin.

For information, the engine light isn't the one to warn you about oil. There's only the red one that shows you the pressure is low.

I am sure we can sort out your pesky little light Martin, would be a shame to lose you from the Community and you your beloved 75.

Mike

Hi Martin,

Sorry to read your post. When I am next back in the UK, if you've not got it sorted, Carl and I live relatively close to one another so you could have two, maybe three (if Dad's about) minds on it!

Alan who is running our previous 190, stll gets the EML on every now and then, it runs fine yet still the light comes on every now and then.

I'd consider getting a new highline IPK programmed in as I do believe you may have an IPK problem.

Zeb wrote:I am, allegedly, quite good with diesels.... I will endeavour to think laterally (without hammers)as to your problem Martin and try and offer some further possible solutions...

Thanks Zeb, I'd really appreciate your views. As a background, I have both an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve) bypass fitted and a Synergy2.

Some have thought quote "the EGR bypass may be the cause, by blanking the flow sensor and it therefore not seeing the gasses (the sensor on the intercooler pipe)".

Or the "fuelling pre pressure is being upset by the synergy settings thus throwing the EML light on".

I can certainly see that, although it did run for 43,000 miles, without the Light coming on?

Martin

Rover418275 wrote:I am sure we can sort out your pesky little light Martin, would be a shame to lose you from the Community and you your beloved 75.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

It's just one of those really unusual symptoms I suppose. So problematic to elimiate because the T4 always reveals the same 2 faults, and to date the attempted rectifications don't resolve the problem. Also it then takes between 60 - 100 miles of road test to start over again. No ones fault just a little failure somewhere along the system.

The MOT's not until December so hopefully one way or another I hope we get there?
I've made too many friends on here to leave, and your right, I can't imagine ever parting with the car, it would only ever pass into prolonged inactivity, a bit like it's owner really?

Martin

The more I hear about this fault the more I think it will be a wiring fault Martin. Time consuming and tedious to trace but ultimately cheap to fix. I'm thinking about it, amongst a lot of other things at the moment but I suspect it will require a practical session with the car (and somebody who knows where the wiring actually goes )

JakeWilson wrote:Hi Martin,

Sorry to read your post. When I am next back in the UK, if you've not got it sorted, Carl and I live relatively close to one another so you could have two, maybe three (if Dad's about) minds on it!

Alan who is running our previous 190, stll gets the EML on every now and then, it runs fine yet still the light comes on every now and then.

I'd consider getting a new highline IPK programmed in as I do believe you may have an IPK problem.

Hello Jake,

Hope your doing well in the land of the beer hall & 'Mittelstand'- and great to hear from you. I did have a real problem with the cruise control light staying on a year or so ago, (I don't have cruise incidentally). Eventually it was blanked off with a razor blade incision, but I've often wondered about the IPK?

I have just sourced a really nice derv tourer for a neighbour (late Mk1). Driving this version, I was impressed with the dials, much nicer presentation than my Phoenix conjured Facelift lash up, so maybe a swap would help. One thing, parts are relatively cheap and seemingly plentiful at present as well.

What a wonderful reason to enjoy Lincolnshire again?

Regards and contact me when your home anyway ...

Martin

Duncan wrote:Sorry to hear of this, Martin.

For information, the engine light isn't the one to warn you about oil. There's only the red one that shows you the pressure is low.

Thanks Duncan,

For pointing this out, I always change the oil every 6,000 miles anyway, but having lost a sumpful many, many years ago I always have it on the back of my mind somehow?

raistlin wrote:The more I hear about this fault the more I think it will be a wiring fault Martin. Time consuming and tedious to trace but ultimately cheap to fix. I'm thinking about it, amongst a lot of other things at the moment but I suspect it will require a practical session with the car (and somebody who knows where the wiring actually goes )

Thanks Paul,

Could it be as simple as a poor conection behind the IPK? As you know various additions have caused the facia's disturbance over the past few years.

The car runs absolutely perfectly incidentally. I refer in a post above to helping a neighbour find a diesel 75 recently, as he's been so impressed with mine. After I'd sourced a tourer, on the way back from the test drive, he asked outright if I'd sell up, as he was finding it difficult to match others against it. I should also add I've just traded my father's ex Smartcar in for a newer 1 litre version, with 'Power Steering' - so I think he'd thought I'd tired of the 75. - "Imitation is the highest form of flattery"?

Of course I will have to cure it inevitably as the M.O.T.'s looming once again?

I did wonder about the IPK, because of the crusie lamp incident. But accessing the fault memory of the Engine ECU always clears the lamp, so it must be the engine ECU switching on the lamp.

The sensor on the intercooler pipe is air temperature. The older cars don't have that and only measure the air temperature at the MAF. After that it's heated in the turbo, and cooled in the intercooler, and then the temperature measured with this extra sensor on your (and my) car. This is before the EGR so won't be affected (Unless the engine is running backwards).

The faults reported are fuel pressure, and airflow problems. So far we have assumed faulty sensors, because they are most common. However it could be wiring, or an actual problem. For example fuel pressure may be the sensor or connector (the most common I believe) but could also be a lazy pump or pumps, or a wiring fault. With the MAF, it could be the setting on the sysnergy, your replacement MAF being now out of spec, wiring, or indeed an actual airflow fault. For example the intercooler O rings may cause an implausible signal because they are leaking measured air that's not making it into the engine.

It's always hard because it 'could be this and that' and the diagnostics only give a bit of guidance. It will be fixable, I mean it used to be fine didn't it.

Duncan wrote:I did wonder about the IPK, because of the crusie lamp incident. But accessing the fault memory of the Engine ECU always clears the lamp, so it must be the engine ECU switching on the lamp.

The sensor on the intercooler pipe is air temperature. The older cars don't have that and only measure the air temperature at the MAF. After that it's heated in the turbo, and cooled in the intercooler, and then the temperature measured with this extra sensor on your (and my) car. This is before the EGR so won't be affected (Unless the engine is running backwards).

The faults reported are fuel pressure, and airflow problems. So far we have assumed faulty sensors, because they are most common. However it could be wiring, or an actual problem. For example fuel pressure may be the sensor or connector (the most common I believe) but could also be a lazy pump or pumps, or a wiring fault. With the MAF, it could be the setting on the sysnergy, your replacement MAF being now out of spec, wiring, or indeed an actual airflow fault. For example the intercooler O rings may cause an implausible signal because they are leaking measured air that's not making it into the engine.

It's always hard because it 'could be this and that' and the diagnostics only give a bit of guidance. It will be fixable, I mean it used to be fine didn't it.

Thanks Duncan,

I had an oil change recently, and it was pointed out that there was a slight weeping from just behind and below the area where the injectors are (sorry I can't be more technically specific). I understand there's a gasket that may be the cause, which you have to remove the injectors to replace. It was enough to cause a small deposit on the under engine tray cover, but was barely visible viewing from the top. I'd hoped that fitting a replacement Fuel Filter Housing would cure the fault, as I know Paul had problems here, that were cured by this remedy. The Fuel Filter fitted on the 60k service turned out to be a 'Fram' not the OE, and was so securely screwed on to the filter housing that it could not be separated in a Vice using wide angle grips to try and turn the filter!

Perhaps I should change the Synergy setting, and see what transpires? I thinks it's on 4 presently, but its a bit difficult for me to make out and change physically, but I'll get some help, it's only a simple task to achieve.

Funnily enough back in March we had ambient temperatures here as high as 25c. The light went out for a week, but came on again, when the temp went down to 11c. It may have nothing to do with it of course? I did also think replacing the 'O' rings could help as well, with 66,000 just passed. I have not replaced the Pierburgh Maf yet, it's still in it's box.

The last two Pierburg MAFs I had both failed between 50,000 & 58,000 miles. Have now gone back to genuine Bosch and no problems since.
I think Paul is happier with his Bosch MAF rather than copy or Pierburg.

JohnDotCom wrote:The last two Pierburg MAFs I had both failed between 50,000 & 58,000 miles. Have now gone back to genuine Bosch and no problems since.
I think Paul is happier with his Bosch MAF rather than copy or Pierburg.

Yes John I'd heard that too, so I have a new replacement Pierburgh ready to fit. The present one has covered 46,000 but apparently is still OK? I didn't change it originally for the cash saving (£52 v's £180+) but was led to believe the Synergy 2 would perform better with the Pierburgh.

Perhaps the presently fitted MAF has an intermittent fault. It has shown no errors on the T4 readings, following the re-set, but as with all these enigmatic typed problems very difficult to tie down. I blame myself for not insisting the MAF be changed recently, instead of letting it sit in a cardboard box in the boot, after all it would eliminate one more alternative?