engine diagnostic light

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flat6buster

Active Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
600
Location
Spain
Car
W222 S350, 911sc
E430 Yr 2000

Wonder if anyone has advice for me please? My Engine Diagnostic Light came on yesterday and I'm not sure where to take the car to be inspected. I'm in North Cornwall and the only specialists I've heard of are in Exeter and Newton Abbot, the nearest being over an hour away. It strikes me as risky emabarking on that sort of a journey with a potentially poorly car. Locally I have found no garage that I trust fully so what would you do? Would a garage need a specialist Merc diagnostic tool or would a generic one be able to trace the fault. If I did go to a specialist then at least I could get the tranny fluid changed at the same time (local garage said needed a special tool to drain). Comments appreciated, thank you.
 
You could buy a compatible code reader (someone will be along soon) and see what has triggered the warning. That will tell you whether it's safe to drive to the garage.
 
I think someone mentioned on one of my threads that it should tell you in the advertisement for whatever code reader you look at whether it will work with mb etc.

Apart from that i would definitely think about taking it the 1 hour drive to the specialist and get it hooked up to star.
 
Thanks for your replies. I was just afraid of doing anything that might damage the car. I think I'll book it in & keep fingers crossed it's nothing too nasty...! Oh, and drive tentatively for a change.
 
Solved

Thanks for your help. If anyone else reads this thread later I can say that I got an OBD2 reader thingy and the adapter for my car with its round socket rather than a rectangular one. Problem was unacceptable emissions from Bank 1 (whatever that is). Just pressed a button and hey presto the light has gone out and the fault code is cleared. So far it has not reappeared either. Result ! At least if it reappears I can see what the problem is and get it checked out properly, although I have been told that so often once the fault code is cleared it doesn't reappear.

Wonder what a garage would have taken me for?
 
Thanks for the feedback. What would a garage have taken you for -I would guess at least £65 - £70 for a Star hook up but a lot of peace of mind would have come with that. Looks like you have a "win" this time. Unless some of our learned types know better.
 
Not putting off the Star hookup indefinitely, just think that now I can wait until a convenient time (next service due in 5,000 miles when I'll have the tranny oil changed, too). I spent about £60 on the bits but I'll be able to use them on any car in the future so I figure the sums really add up.
 
As long as you know that it was just slightly high emissions readings that activated the light you are ok. If the emissions were high because of a dogdy cat converter or something to do with the engine then it might be an idea to actually get it checked out as clearing the error will obviously get rid of the light but it doesnt mean that any potential problem has been fixed.
 
I bought the U581 reader/scanner for my W203 which had the later socket above the drivers feet, used it to clear faults caused by oil ingress from the cam sensor. Very good indie in Paignton, used him a couple of times when I lived in Torquay. Four X Garage Kemmings close 01803666690 about half MB charges.
 

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