Practically Classics Forum

Have you got one of those cheapo code readers from ebay?

My initial thought would be they have not reconnected the MAF sensor after changing the air filter but that should throw up a fault light on the dash.

havent got a reader terry.. chaps having a look today..

rich. wrote:chaps having a look today..

Quite right - if it happened as a result of a service that someone else did, then it's entirely their responsibility, so I wouldn't even think of fiddling with it, as it would only give them an excuse for not fixing it.

Hope it's something simple!

Cheers

chap has been, it seems the decompression valve thing on the front of the motor was damaged where the pipe connects to it.. he had a spare vw engine at home a replaced it.. car goes as it should

It would have been better if he hadn't broken it but at least it is fixed.

You should really invest in an OBDII reader, you can get a cheapo Bluetooth one to use with a laptop for phone for a fiver!

You can, but the very cheap clones are rubbish and it's better to look for something slightly less likely to freeze and cause absolute chaos when it does. Best software I've found, and the only package that works without any problems for both STAR (Mercedes' own interface) and the VAG vehicles, as well as everything else we've had on with it, is Torque, by Ian Hawkins who wrote it as he was running a Smart 0.8 CDi at the time and found that none of the proprietary software was able to communicate with its STAR interface.
It also provides the user with an extra instrument panel and can display directly on the in dash screen on most cars with internal BT connections for phones and audio devices.

Download from Play or, better still as it keeps Google out, directly from Ian's own site HERE.

Or just buy a really cheap one as they work fine and use torque which is a free android app to read your codes. There are various model specific applications you can download to turn functionality of the car on and off eg I have edited the auto-relocking time on my focus from 30 seconds to 60 so it doesn't lock me out while I am checking fluids. (using a slightly modified £5 ebay special)

Torque is Ian Hawkins' software , the free version is fine for the job, the subscription version is a once only expense and it can give you extra gizmos that are great fun such as overlays for pretty much every track in Europe that's open to the public (apart from Knockhill, which still has to be learnt the hard way), more PIDs for even more makes & models and other stuff that I'll never need but which I'm sure is brilliant too.

And very good it is too! I've used it on the Mondeo, however, it wouldn't turn off the EML which still glows even though it says the ECU has no fault codes stored.

I'm using it with one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331206015268

and it just works. I've even tried it using the software included, but it gives me the same results as Torque, just more awkward to use.

Damn! Those things haven't half come down in price. That's exactly the same as the one that stays in the Glof's dashboard - which cost me £17 only three years ago. Bugger!
That's how I thought Terry was talking about one of the nasty cloned versions.