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Technical Panda misbehaving again - EML light and loss of power

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Technical Panda misbehaving again - EML light and loss of power

J

JD82

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Some of you may remember I had problems with my Panda last weekend with it loosing power and the EML light coming on. I never did get to the bottom of as it is as nobody was able to get a fault code. I gave it an Italian tune up and the problem seemed to go away. Had it serviced included new plugs and the car has run like a dream all summer. Now the rain has come back and the temperature is falling and my car is back to how it was in the winter.

We had a lot of rain in the night, my first journey to the petrol station (I still had plenty left, but I had a long day with lots of jobs so wanted to get it out of the way) which was 1 mile the EML light came on three times, and the car lost all power at these three times. I then had a 3 mile journey, it happened once again. Then for the rest of the day (20 miles) the car has run very well.

Torque pro is finding no faults stored just like last time.

Because the car ran so well over the summer I am thinking the fault is wiring related and damp is getting in some where, does this sound feasible?

I don't want to play roulette by getting garages to swap parts which is what seems to happen a lot on here. The car is 5 years old next summer and I am thinking if it doesn't get any worse I may have to PX it next year unless I can find out what this fault is once for for all.
 
Sorry 2010 1.1 Eco. The problem 99.9% od the time it rubs perfectly. The cold andbwet seems to be the initial trigger though. It has always past the emissions with flying colours etc.
 
Sorry 2010 1.1 Eco. The problem 99.9% od the time it rubs perfectly. The cold andbwet seems to be the initial trigger though. It has always past the emissions with flying colours etc.
 
Sounds to me like rain water is getting in somewhere or collecting somewhere and annoying something electrical. I'd be looking for dampness under the bonnet and blockages which could cause water to gather rather than drain away.
 
Sorry again last weekend = last winter. I had a good lool for obvious things last winter without sucess.
 
JD82 said:
Sorry 2010 1.1 Eco. The problem 99.9% od the time it rubs perfectly. The cold andbwet seems to be the initial trigger though. It has always past the emissions with flying colours etc.
Click to expand...

Hi,
if the EML is on then it SHOULD store a code,
MES will retrieve it, (y)

always worth considering battery trouble at 5 years old,

a new BOSCH is @£43 delivered,;)

charlie - Oxford
 
varesecrazy said:
Hi,
if the EML is on then it SHOULD store a code,
MES will retrieve it, (y)

always worth considering battery trouble at 5 years old,

a new BOSCH is @£43 delivered,;)

charlie - Oxford
Click to expand...

Thanks will the free version do? Thought the battery but when I have tested it the voltages are very good so don't think it is an issue yet.
 
Last edited:
Should add as soon as the power comes back the EML lamp goes out.
 
Is the originally battery but according to the multimeter it is healthy, also I was away in Spain a few weeks ago and the car had not been driven for two weeks. It started instantly so I would be very surprised if the battery was the issue.

As I said the problem existed last winter too and fixed itself when I did the italian tune up.
 
I totally missed the discussion above about the battery like a total prat! Ooops. I would echo the above comments about replacing it to be safe.

As above, possibly a dodgy sensor that isn't liking being damp and a good hard drive got it hot enough to dry it out.

Would I be right in thinking that even if the EML went out a code should still be logged?
 
zanes said:
Would I be right in thinking that even if the EML went out a code should still be logged?
Click to expand...

YES.. - ordinarily..:rolleyes:

My suspicion is it's losing the signal form the Lambda probe/ oxygen sensor in the Exhaust.. the wiring there has the toughest of jobs,
worth pulling the multi-plugs apart, and spraying them before reassembly

no OS signal is common for bringing in "limp-home",
once it's restored you experience "normal power"

Charlie
 
Been behaving fine since last week then today it did it again twice, within the first mile of use. The sensation is very odd, rather than loose power it feels like the car surges foward, as if I had put the foot on the throttle, again the EML light comes on for the couple of seconds it does this then goes out.

It is the same fault, it is only now I have realised that it feels like a loss of control rather than a loss of power as such. I connected up my laptop via MES and again it says no faults detected. The battery voltage is 13.7v with the engine running which seems fine.

I guess if this is a faulty wiring to the lamdba sensor the car could easily surge forward too, as the engine will make up an incorrect air/fuel mixture.

I feel stuck and frustrated now, as most the time is running perfectly and I am scared a garage will just want to play a very expensive game of part swapping roulette.
 
I may be able to help here, but can you answer this......

Am I correct is saying it is a momentary loss of power accompanied by the EML illuminating briefly and then immediately going off when the power comes back?
 
Thanks for the reply, the EML lights up exactly as the fault happens, then goes out the second the car returns to normal. I would say the engine suddenly jerks, the EML comes on, then it feels like I have taken the foot of the throttle, then a few seconds later all back to normal. I have never actually lost power when I have needed it e.g heavy acceleration it always seems to happen when doing a steady speed.
 
The data from the multiscan software suggests there has been no history of miss fires. Only work that has ever been done to the engine apart from oil changes is a new flexible manifold (under warranty) and new plugs. I am not sure if it is actually gaining power, I think that was just a sensation I think what happens it is suddenly jerks then the light comes on for a few seconds and goes out. It all happens so fast and so unexpectedly that is hard to know exactly what happens.

One thing I did notice yesterday is that the engine seemed to vibrate a bit when I turned the engine off.
 
JD82 said:
Thanks for the reply, the EML lights up exactly as the fault happens, then goes out the second the car returns to normal. I would say the engine suddenly jerks, the EML comes on, then it feels like I have taken the foot of the throttle, then a few seconds later all back to normal. I have never actually lost power when I have needed it e.g heavy acceleration it always seems to happen when doing a steady speed.
Click to expand...
Ok, that's the description I expected. I have just fixed this exact fault and it is a faulty connection at one of the pins in the two plugs at the ecu.

Simple test as follows will confirm......with the engine running take a hold of the plugs (there are two) and try to move from side to side, take a good hold of the wiring too. You will probably find that you can stall the engine on demand!!!

Remove the ecu plugs, check for bent or damaged or dirty or rusty pins.... and spray both the ecu pins and the plugs with electrical contact cleaner and let it all evaporate (very important). Once bone dry, plug them both in, make sure they are secure with the locking mechanisms, and go for a drive.

You may have to open the plugs and tighten the female connectors so they have a better grip on the pins if the problem comes back.

The problem isn't helped by short cabling making the wiring taut, so engine movement etc loosens the connection.

Please let me know how you get on.
 
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