Daughters 2011 petrol Fiesta now has solid engine warning light on. 50k overall miles but annual mileage is low to very low these days - apart from very occasional longer runs it's more or less just used for 20 miles a day to work.
It recently passed it's MOT but en route to it (when they also serviced it with oil change) the warning light came on yellow solid, and remains on now. It seems to be running OK, not down on power or misfiring.
The garage noted it but said not to worry about it - they are generally a fairly trustworthy indie. I'm not sure whether the actually read the code or not before coming to that conclusion.
I have an ODB II reader which I can't connect - power light comes on but I can't see it in Bluetooth, whatever position the ignition is in.
So I did the trick of pressing the reset button which outs the codes up in the display and saw a number of different things - rE8, Er0150, E 01, dt5t6F and dt0808. I think only the last two are true errors and they apparently could both point at a battery fault but could be old (as she had a new battery a couple of years back) and I have no method to reset.
I read it could be the battery so I connected mine to it and no change.
Also spark plugs were mentioned but they are in so tight I am reluctant to try too hard to get them out.
I think a local mate has an ODB reader which I will try to borrow, and I will book it in next week for the garage to look at, but in the meantime does anyone have any thoughts on possible cause or things to try please?
Last edited by: smokie on Sat 7 Nov 26 at 12:52
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... and just for completeness this was one of the answers I got from AI
Sensible next steps
Ask the garage for the exact OBD-II code(s) and whether they were current or stored/historical.
If they cannot provide that, have a mobile mechanic or another garage scan it before driving much farther.
Have the battery terminals, earth connections, and charging voltage checked—ideally about 13.8–14.4 V with the engine running, though exact expectations vary.
If the light begins flashing, or you notice misfiring, loss of power, fuel smell, overheating, or an oil-pressure light, stop using the car and seek urgent diagnosis. A flashing engine light can indicate an active misfire that can damage the catalytic converter.
Ford’s own guidance says a solid engine light after starting means the onboard diagnostics detected a fault and the vehicle should be inspected; it does not necessarily mean an immediate breakdown, but it should be diagnosed rather than merely reset.
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Any reasonable obd code reader will give basic information. Don’t forget trouble codes are often the result of an issue, not necessarily the cause .
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Thanks, yes, you've reminded me that many years ago finding that the codes don't necessarily give you the real cause, you need to know how to interpret them. As she's pretty penniless I'm hoping that it will point me directly at something simple and cheap :-)
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Took it in today and the diags said it needs a new coil pack and spark plugs - £190 + VAT - and the fan is always running so they recommended replace the sensor (which the coil pack is in the way of) at £21 with no additional fitting cost.
Booked in for Friday.
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To be perfectly honest, I really can’t see it being a problem with either of those items . I would get a second opinion. If it’s not misfiring , then the coil pack is probably ok . There’s no sensor for the cooling fan , so not sure what the issue is.
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>> To be perfectly honest, I really can’t see it being a problem with either of
>> those items . I would get a second opinion. If it’s not misfiring , then
>> the coil pack is probably ok . There’s no sensor for the cooling fan ,
>> so not sure what the issue is.
>>
Be interested to hear how you've come to that conclusion, seems a perfectly reasonable diagnosis to me, worn plugs won't on there own cause a fault code but the coilpack working hard to maintain a spark will, I'm guessing but the plugs are probably the originals hence why there so tight.
The cooling fan running continuously is a classic sign of a failed sensor, how do think a electric fan "knows" when it's required?
Smokie, keep us informed...
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Which model is it? I thought they stopped production after the MK7. It looks like they're charging 100% mark up for a five minute fitting job!
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This will be a 1.25 Zetec engine. Very good motor based on a Yamaha design. The op says the car passed the mot . If it’s had a misfire, then it would have failed the emission test . That’s why I’m not convinced the coil pack is faulty. The cts sends a signal to the engine ecu and temperature gauge . The ecu controls the cooling fan relay .
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Not getting into a argument, just find things like this interesting tbh, Smokie never mentioned a misfire (i dont think !?) Cts = coolant temperature sensor, it's mounted on the block, let's wait and see what the outcome is Friday.
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Certainly no argument intended. Just stating facts . Sounds to me like the garage is doing a “ blanket job” . Just change the parts without any tests .
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If it's a coil pack, i used to disconnect them one by one and see, if any, which one it was. If it is, you'll hear it struggling to start.
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Ford Fiesta - 11 1.1 Fiesta engine warning light on solid - smokie