Error Plug In?

[tomoz4white]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a Error code plug in (that reports and has the option to clear any error codes?).

My engine warning light come on a few months back, and the local garage cleared it for me, as I rarely drive the car and have been guilty of just starting up her up and letting it idle for 20 mins, mainly just to keep the battery topped up. As it happens, I did change the battery just before Xmas, as it was really old one to be honest.

Anyway, I did the same yesterday (on the new battery) and then decided to give it a 50 mile run today. The light came back on this morning, before I went out and I think when the local garage cleared the error for me, it indicated that the engine was running 'rich'. It only has 34,500 on the clock, so the engine is fine but want to get a cheap error coder and clearer.

Any suggestions?

 

[BumpyZ4]

Creator 110 or 310 if you want one that does a little more.

 

[colb]

As BumpyZ4 has advised either of the Creator OBD2 code readers should do what you want and then you can see what codes have been set. No good just clearing codes, you must investigate what the cause is and fix it before clearing the code(s). At a rough guess I would think if its running rich it will have been fuel trim codes that set the EML on the dash. When fuel trims reach the maximum they can be corrected they will give up and set the EML. Usual cause for rich running and high fuel trims are air leaks in the engines vaccum system. Cause is usually splits or holes in any of the rubber or plastic pipes and hoses that let unmetered air into the engine, air getting in on the engine side of the Maf is unmetered air. The extra air in the exhaust has not passed through the Maf so has not been measured by it. As the extra air is picked up in the exhaust by the Lambda sensors O2 sensors it will make the engine management system think it is running lean and demand more fuel at the injectors to richen it up. Failed Maf could also be a cause of the EML but I would check the hoses and pipes for splits and holes before condemming the Maf. A smoke test would find any leaks if you can't find them visually. Prime suspect would be the inlet bellows after the Maf, the small ribbed offshoot that connects to the idle control valve by the throttle body is a regular fail item.

 

[Haro]

As BumpyZ4 has advised either of the Creator OBD2 code readers should do what you want and then you can see what codes have been set. No good just clearing codes, you must investigate what the cause is and fix it before clearing the code(s). At a rough guess I would think if its running rich it will have been fuel trim codes that set the EML on the dash. When fuel trims reach the maximum they can be corrected they will give up and set the EML. Usual cause for rich running and high fuel trims are air leaks in the engines vaccum system. Cause is usually splits or holes in any of the rubber or plastic pipes and hoses that let unmetered air into the engine, air getting in on the engine side of the Maf is unmetered air. The extra air in the exhaust has not passed through the Maf so has not been measured by it. As the extra air is picked up in the exhaust by the Lambda sensors O2 sensors it will make the engine management system think it is running lean and demand more fuel at the injectors to richen it up. Failed Maf could also be a cause of the EML but I would check the hoses and pipes for splits and holes before condemming the Maf. A smoke test would find any leaks if you can't find them visually. Prime suspect would be the inlet bellows after the Maf, the small ribbed offshoot that connects to the idle control valve by the throttle body is a regular fail item.

Rubbish, air leaks weaken the mixture, that's why it is called Unmetered air. The maf over reading would be the first port of call if it's coding rich on both banks, but you need the specific codes.

 

[enuff_zed]

As BumpyZ4 has advised either of the Creator OBD2 code readers should do what you want and then you can see what codes have been set. No good just clearing codes, you must investigate what the cause is and fix it before clearing the code(s). At a rough guess I would think if its running rich it will have been fuel trim codes that set the EML on the dash. When fuel trims reach the maximum they can be corrected they will give up and set the EML. Usual cause for rich running and high fuel trims are air leaks in the engines vaccum system. Cause is usually splits or holes in any of the rubber or plastic pipes and hoses that let unmetered air into the engine, air getting in on the engine side of the Maf is unmetered air. The extra air in the exhaust has not passed through the Maf so has not been measured by it. As the extra air is picked up in the exhaust by the Lambda sensors O2 sensors it will make the engine management system think it is running lean and demand more fuel at the injectors to richen it up. Failed Maf could also be a cause of the EML but I would check the hoses and pipes for splits and holes before condemming the Maf. A smoke test would find any leaks if you can't find them visually. Prime suspect would be the inlet bellows after the Maf, the small ribbed offshoot that connects to the idle control valve by the throttle body is a regular fail item.

Rubbish, air leaks weaken the mixture, that's why it is called Unmetered air. The maf over reading would be the first port of call if it's coding rich on both banks, but you need the specific codes.

It is always good to get as many inputs as possible and discuss the merits or otherwise of various diagnoses. That is what the forum is here for.
However, to start your reply in such a dismissive tone, especially to someone lke [ref]colb[/ref], who so obviously does a lot of his own car maintenance and has supplied a raft of valuable information to the forum, is rude and disrespectful.
Fine: your opinion differs, but you could still employ some manners!

 

[enuff_zed]

OP, for what it's worth, I got an Autophix 5900 from Amazon and it has proved invaluable on a few occasions already.

 

[Haro]

As BumpyZ4 has advised either of the Creator OBD2 code readers should do what you want and then you can see what codes have been set. No good just clearing codes, you must investigate what the cause is and fix it before clearing the code(s). At a rough guess I would think if its running rich it will have been fuel trim codes that set the EML on the dash. When fuel trims reach the maximum they can be corrected they will give up and set the EML. Usual cause for rich running and high fuel trims are air leaks in the engines vaccum system. Cause is usually splits or holes in any of the rubber or plastic pipes and hoses that let unmetered air into the engine, air getting in on the engine side of the Maf is unmetered air. The extra air in the exhaust has not passed through the Maf so has not been measured by it. As the extra air is picked up in the exhaust by the Lambda sensors O2 sensors it will make the engine management system think it is running lean and demand more fuel at the injectors to richen it up. Failed Maf could also be a cause of the EML but I would check the hoses and pipes for splits and holes before condemming the Maf. A smoke test would find any leaks if you can't find them visually. Prime suspect would be the inlet bellows after the Maf, the small ribbed offshoot that connects to the idle control valve by the throttle body is a regular fail item.

Rubbish, air leaks weaken the mixture, that's why it is called Unmetered air. The maf over reading would be the first port of call if it's coding rich on both banks, but you need the specific codes.

It is always good to get as many inputs as possible and discuss the merits or otherwise of various diagnoses. That is what the forum is here for.
However, to start your reply in such a dismissive tone, especially to someone lke [ref]colb[/ref], who so obviously does a lot of his own car maintenance and has supplied a raft of valuable information to the forum, is rude and disrespectful.
Fine: your opinion differs, but you could still employ some manners!

The statement was rubbish, the op would have been chasing an air leak that didn’t exist, spending time and possibly even spending money, how is that good for the forum? This isn’t about opinions, he needs the problem fixed. I have spent many years on many forums at times reading perpetuated rubbish and for people in need of help it causes more problems. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, have read or watched something that doesn’t quite make sense then don’t post about it or people that do know will say rubbish, if you’re lucky.

One of the problems is people watch that Schrodinger fuel trim video or read part paragraphs about fuel trims online, now what he explains is true and very well put but basic in terms of what really goes on and some people think lambda, fuel trim, up, down and that’s it. The maf takes precedent, the lambdas react that’s why unmetered air causes a lean mixture. The ECU/DME doesn’t just take into account what the lambdas report and then takes a “fixall” approach otherwise you could throw all the other sensors in the bin and life would be a breeze, until the lambdas packed in. Now if the op has a rich mixture on both banks, the maf is the logical first step. The chinese mafs over read continually, in effect mimicking an unplugged one without triggering a code for instance, but with the mileage it’s unlikely an aftermarket maf, that’s why it is important to get codes, ideally with data logging, find out when it triggers and under what conditions before telling him to look for an air leak. Everyone wants to be helpful but it's not a race to the answer, you need as much information as you can get first and remember, someone reading this with the same symptoms would possibly have just started ripping out vaccum, intake, ccv hoses, disa, etc, etc.....

 

[enuff_zed]

Rubbish, air leaks weaken the mixture, that's why it is called Unmetered air. The maf over reading would be the first port of call if it's coding rich on both banks, but you need the specific codes.

It is always good to get as many inputs as possible and discuss the merits or otherwise of various diagnoses. That is what the forum is here for.
However, to start your reply in such a dismissive tone, especially to someone lke [ref]colb[/ref], who so obviously does a lot of his own car maintenance and has supplied a raft of valuable information to the forum, is rude and disrespectful.
Fine: your opinion differs, but you could still employ some manners!

The statement was rubbish, the op would have been chasing an air leak that didn’t exist, spending time and possibly even spending money, how is that good for the forum? This isn’t about opinions, he needs the problem fixed. I have spent many years on many forums at times reading perpetuated rubbish and for people in need of help it causes more problems. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, have read or watched something that doesn’t quite make sense then don’t post about it or people that do know will say rubbish, if you’re lucky.

One of the problems is people watch that Schrodinger fuel trim video or read part paragraphs about fuel trims online, now what he explains is true and very well put but basic in terms of what really goes on and some people think lambda, fuel trim, up, down and that’s it. The maf takes precedent, the lambdas react that’s why unmetered air causes a lean mixture. The ECU/DME doesn’t just take into account what the lambdas report and then takes a “fixall” approach otherwise you could throw all the other sensors in the bin and life would be a breeze, until the lambdas packed in. Now if the op has a rich mixture on both banks, the maf is the logical first step. The chinese mafs over read continually, in effect mimicking an unplugged one without triggering a code for instance, but with the mileage it’s unlikely an aftermarket maf, that’s why it is important to get codes, ideally with data logging, find out when it triggers and under what conditions before telling him to look for an air leak. Everyone wants to be helpful but it's not a race to the answer, you need as much information as you can get first and remember, someone reading this with the same symptoms would possibly have just started ripping out vaccum, intake, ccv hoses, disa, etc, etc.....

Fine, you carry on being rude.
Obviously not getting through to you that my comment was based on your use of the English language, not the content.
Remember Kingsman............."Manners Maketh Man". :wink: