Emission control system warning light

[Jammy78]

Hi,

driving to work this morning a warning light appeared on the dash & it's the emission control system! In the owners handbook it says i need to go & have the engine checked? What is usually the cause of this & do I really need to stop driving it?

Also I purchased the car from a seat dealer less than a year ago, would this be covered in their used car warranty (the car is out of the 3 year warranty)?

Cheers

 

[Sparkopolo]

Hi Jammy


I had this same light come up on mine about 1 week after I picked it up from the dealer, on mine it went on and off for about 2 weeks so it took the Seat dealer a while to find the issue but in the end it was the oxygen sensor which they did replace under warranty for me.

If I remember correctly though looking at the original invoice it wasn't really expensive, and I didn't notice any difference in the driving with the light on or off.

 

[GrahamFR]

is it the lambda sensor, if so ignore it, will go off and on when it feels like it but costs about £100 to fix

 

[Jammy78]

In the handbook it says it could be the lambda sensor? So it's still ok to drive then, I'm not gonna blow up the engine or turbo?

I would take it to seat but the car is going in to have the wheels refurbished on Monday & it's gonna take a few days! So the car will last until a week or so?

 

[GrahamFR]

yeah that'll be it then, and dont worry my PD had the light come on in like two months of owning it, got really concerned i was going to stop working or something, took it back and get it fixed on warranty, but it came on again after id done more than 60k so out of warranty, drove on it for 2 weeks (i was going to get it sorted just didnt have time) then the light went off, wierdly it came on when it was very hot (weather wise like recently) and then went off when the weather was a bit cooler, never worried about it again. But SEAT made me replace it when my car went into limp mode and need a forced regen, fed me some line about how they couldnt do the regen with it not working, but when i took it in the light wasnt on the dash so i knew it was a load of fubar and it cost me about 100 quid.

Do a search on here, loads of ppl have had it come on but its nothing to worry about

 

[GainfulShrimp]

If the lambda sensor is faulty, the only problem (apart from the annoying warning light) will be that the car won't be running quite as efficiently as it could be and emissions will potentially be worse.
If my understanding is correct, the lambda sensor measures oxygen levels in the exhaust and without it the ECU doesn't have a good handle on whether the fuel/air mix is too rich/lean. In this state, the ECU might put too much fuel in (resulting in unburnt fuel causing bad emissions) or too much air in (resulting in more oxides of nitrogen, also causing bad emissions), because it'll be applying guesswork and the map alone, rather than the 'closed loop system' that the lambda sensor enables.

 

[Jammy78]

Thanks for the replies....... it's stopped me worrying!

I'll get it looked at in a couple of weeks!

Cheers

 

[GainfulShrimp]

Nice one. It's certainly worth having it looked at eventually - I think you can potentially damage your catalytic converter if the fuel system runs 'open loop' for too long... that's a long term problem though.

 

[Jammy78]

I've called Seat regarding the warranty on buying approved car! Yes you get 12 months but you need to take back to the dealer you purchased it from.... which is a pain!

Anyway, the question I have is - is this lambda sensor a "wear & tear" part? My motor is a 07 plate?

 

[Sparkopolo]

Mine was repaired under the 12 month Approved Used car warrenty so you should be ok, which Dealer was it I noticed you were fairly local to me

 

[Jammy78]

Mine was repaired under the 12 month Approved Used car warrenty so you should be ok, which Dealer was it I noticed you were fairly local to me

I got mine from West London Seat in Brentford...... please say you got yours from there as well!

 

[Sparkopolo]

I got mine from West London Seat in Brentford...... please say you got yours from there as well!

Sorry no, mine was purchased from Hatfield Seat, it was no drama for me though, they didn't grumble about it or even try and get me to pay for it, so I would have thought you should be ok, they even washed it and hoovered it out when they were finished.

 

[Jammy78]

Well, I've just spoke to the service dept & it's booked in for next Friday. I quote "if it's something I've done, it won't be covered under the warranty"!?

 

[GrahamFR]

dont let them try and fob you off with that, there is no way you can control whether the lambda sensor has a fault or not and it happens to loads of leons, if they do fob you off speak to SEAT Uk and see what they have to say about it. Also, you dont have the ITG fitted do you? they might say its modified and then not cough up so go in looking as standard as possible.

 

[Jammy78]

dont let them try and fob you off with that, there is no way you can control whether the lambda sensor has a fault or not and it happens to loads of leons, if they do fob you off speak to SEAT Uk and see what they have to say about it. Also, you dont have the ITG fitted do you? they might say its modified and then not cough up so go in looking as standard as possible.

luckily I haven't fitted the ITG yet!!!! Cheers - I'll kick off if they don't sort it, especially when it's only £100 or so to replace!?

I am slightly annoyed that the 12 month warranty on aprroved seat cars is only from the supplying dealer - I'm sure the salesman told me I can take it to any seat dealer..... actually they would say anything to make a sale!!!!

 

[Jammy78]

I don't think it's the lambda sensor - this is what vcds says:

001089 - EVAP Emission Control Sys: Incorrect Flow
P0441 -- 002 -- Lower Limit Exceeded - MIL ON
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 11100010
Fault Priority: 0
Fault Frequency: 2
Mileage: 50087 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2000.00.00
Time: 08:08:47

A quick search says I need a new N80 and charcoal cannister as it could be broken due to filling the fuel tank to the brink!?

 

[yazmidani]

Hi there, I had the exact same error code in you not long into my ownership. . .
The valve in question is located at the front of the engine and costs about £20 for Dave at Seremotors on this forum, but obviously if your still under warranty then you'll be fine

On a side note though, you could check the connections of the plastic pipes going to your charcoal canister as all it may be is one of these are loose or cracked. . . Worth a look as one of mine had come loose. .

I did end up changing the valve at the same time time though as I hadn't looked properly first time

Anyways nothing too much to worry about

 

[Jammy78]

Car was meant to be going to visit the Dealer this Thursday but the warning light has gone off....... I suppose there's no point taking in in now!?

 

[vincent5525]

There will be a stored fault in the ECU, so even if the light has gone out its still possible to see what the fault was.

 

[Jammy78]

There will be a stored fault in the ECU, so even if the light has gone out its still possible to see what the fault was.

So still worth taking it to dealer?