What dash warning lights mean

[tonigmr2]

http://www.turbomr2.co.uk/imocstuff/warn/

Kindly posted by Goto10.

T

Edited by Toxo: Fixed link is available further in the thread but here it is technical/faq/warninglights/warninglights.htm

[jonb-]

Someone should say thanks, so thanks.

[brad927]

Hi

thanks for info on the warning lights. Just a quicky when i've been driving and stop and turn the ignition off the abs light comes on. Is this normal?
probally dumb question!!!

[craig]

Top site, the author is the guy from fast and furious?

[Si_Crewe]

Does anybody have a picture of ALL the lights and their locations in the dash?

I could really do with a picture of the dashboard with all the symbols and their locations marked on.
Trouble with all these back-lit symbols is you don't actually know they're there until the light actually illuminates.

Specifically, I want to know if there are supposed to be separate telltales for the front and rear fog lights. I think they should have separate symbols yet, if I switch on either front OR rear fogs I still get the same telltale lit on the dash and it's the one which usually goes with "driving lights". I was wondering if another "fog lights" telltale is supposed to come on when I turn on my rear fogs.

Beyond that, I was just wondering how many other lights there are in those two clusters. The owner guide doesn't identify them separately. It just has the clusters labelled as "warning lights".

[Harry]

Hi

thanks for info on the warning lights. Just a quicky when i've been driving and stop and turn the ignition off the abs light comes on. Is this normal?
probally dumb question!!!

no not dumb at all:)
might be that say when guys worked on suspension,changing wheels
the sensor has been knocked out of place,maybe the abs sensor in the hub unit is broken,maybe its just come loose and needs putting back.
or electrical connector fault.

ing back when my one did that,does youre brake pedal kick back
at low pressure foot,this annoyed me till seen to and bry sent me
images where in youre engine one can disconnect the abs unit to stop this whilst on way to mechanics.

but do not do a thing as im not qualified in mechanics ,and braking is a serious saftey issue,and just my opinion.
see a specialist.

hth.

[turbo-al]

hey,
if any1 can help with this would be much appreciated.
On startup Im getting the abs light coming on then about 5 secs later the traction control light coming on and they stay on. If i drive a bit then turn the engine off then restart they stay out (most of the time). Getting this about 60% of the time when starting the car ???
I had a few probs with the rear caliper sticking awhile ago, but thought id rectified it, could this be linked ?

As i said any help greatfully recieved.


mk2 rev 3 turbo.

[Blokey]

Largely guesswork but I would expect the ABS and the TRC to use the same wheel speed sensors. The ABS will use the wheel speed sensors to work out if one of the wheels is locking under braking (the ABS ECU will see fewer - or none - pulses from the wheels that's locking) and if it is then it releases brake fluid pressure to that brake (or those brakes if it's the rear).

The TRC (traction control) uses the undriven front wheels as speed references for the rear wheels. If the TRC ECU 'sees' more speed pulses from the rear wheel(s) than from the front wheels then it assumes the rears are spinning up and will reduce the throttle.

If both ABS and TRC lights are coming on at roughly similar times then I'd expect the problem to be related to the wheel speed sensors themselves and nothing else.

Another assumption is that these are coming on when the car is stationary which makes me think the problem isn't with the slotted disks on the hub but is actually the sensor itself.

Lastly and more guesswork is that this doesn't happen all the time so I'm guessing it's intermittent - certainly if the ABS/TRC ECUs see anything they don't like they always complain about it.

I would double check the electrical connectors on each of the wheel speed sensors to make sure they have sound clean connections.

Also Ms T likes error codes and all of her ECU's produce and log error codes. The Engine ECU codes are well known but the ABS and TRC (and even power steering and cruise control ECU's) also produce and store error codes - read from their appropriate light on the dash.

Sadly I can't remember how to read the error codes for the ABS and TRC ECU's but I'm sure someone out there will know.

If you can find out and read the codes then there's a good chance you'll find both ABS and TRC are complaining about the same thing and I'd expect it to be a wheel speed sensor intermittent electrical problem.

ABS Sensor connections live inside the bonnet space and inside the engine compartment....

B.

[turbo-al]

thanks for taking the time to try and help blokey, very much appreciated, ill have a go with that and see if that rectifies it.

[dellams]

Cheers for all the info guys!

Any idea what the light to the right of the battery one is? Its not on the page posted up. It looks like a square with a pipe each end and steam lines coming off the top? Maybe the rad or something?

I cant work it out, my car was fine and then yesterday the battery, the rad? and the engine bay fan lights all came on! Could it be the alternator maybe?

The rad fan at the front still works since I can hear it and when left idling it does not overheat. Ill check the engine bay fan tonight.

Cheers.

[BenF]

I think that's the Catalytic converter overheating warning sensor.

I'd check that one out - it is possible to melt the cat and block the exhuast. What can also happen (to a standard car with cat) is that the cat comes loose and rests on the sensor, eventually causing it to go short circuit and cause the light to come on.

Either way, I'd check it out, and decat if your car is a Pre July 95 model.

[dellams]

Oh dear, how do you melt it, excessive driving?!

So if it blocks the exhaust they could damage the engine right? Oh dear, but Im guessing it doesnt compltley block it or your notice that. There are still gasses coming out both of my twin exhausts.
Although I noticed a slight spluteering at low revs just started occuring, like part of the exhaust is coming loose?

My old N/A had a similar problem with the manifold to downpipe join being lose but that was all the time.

What do you mean by decat? Just take it off since not required for MOT if its a pre july 95 model?


Thanks for the info mate, but it still doesnt explain why the other 2 lights come on too?

Cheers.

[dellams]

Was driving home last night and the ABS warning light came on, I have a feeling all of the warning lights are related to the alternator failing and the lack of power is confusing the sensors, sound about right?

Got home, turned the engine off and then tried to turn it back on but all I get was what sounded like a machine gun noice! Basically the battery was too low to start her up again.

I tied up the mudguards but I am still getting that clicking noice so it cant be them, any ideas?

Cheers.

[jonb-]

The clicking noise is the starter not having enough current to turn.

All the dash lights to mean your alternator is dead.

[dellams]

Yeah I agree the lights look like the alternator, does that explain the other lights on top of the battery one though?

The machine-gun noice I got last night I know is because the starter motor does not have enough current to turn. But what about the odd clicks I get when I turn or go over bumps, sometimes seem comppletley random, cant figure them out and its sending me nuts!!!

I assume its best to get a new alternator rather than a 2nd hand one since wont know when that one is going to go either?! Any idea where I can get one from at a good price?

Also, any idea how much to fit approx?

Cheers.

[jonb-]

Give peter from sbits a call, he does recon alternators at a good price.

Fitting should be at least a few hours, if they've never done it before you might get lucky and a quote of an hour. An mr2 alternator is a PITA to remove!

As for the other random clicking, who knows. Get the car on a jack and wiggle everything.

[dellams]

Yeah thats what I was afraid off!

How reliable are the re-con ones? Just wondering what the difference in price is? Especially if it costs so much to fit dont want it to go again after a month!

Is there any chance it could be a lose connection or is it more likely to be the alternator? By chance is it located on the left hand side of the engine bay if you are standing at the back? I had a little crash a few months back, it may have been that thats upset the alternator? But its been fine for months, guess it took time for the bruise to come to the surface!

Cheers.

[jonb-]

The recon ones are as good as new, pete covers them for 2 years unlimited miles i think.

The alternator is below the oil filler. They normally die after an oil change spills oil on them.

[dellams]

Ok cheers, any idea what sort of prices he charges?

One more question... errr, where is the oil filter? I am about to get an oil change dont on Monday so I guess its a good thing to get that done 1st and then the alternator!

Do you think the shock of the crash may have upset it? Or its just one of those things where it would have died anyway?

Cheers.

[dellams]

How do I get hold of Pete then?

Cheers.