W204 C320cdi Engine check light?

[Colin_b]

The yellow engine check light on my W204 c230cdi has come on. No other warning lights,alerts or any effect on driving the car.

I've checked the handbook, there is plenty of fuel.

Is is safe to continue driving the car? I won't have a chance to get it to a garage for a couple of weeks at least, but I won't be using it much, maybe 100 miles.

Are there any basics checks I can do, in case it is something obvious?

 

[Andrew1068]

Take it down the motorway for an hour or so, you got a particle filter? engine needs to be warm and if you have a filter fitted it needs to get hot to clean itself,when u get home there should be a funny smell from the back of the car then you know its worked!light should go out then,happened to mine a few times,it doesnt happen now i know it needs a " good run out " every now and then.

 

[Colin_b]

Take it down the motorway for an hour or so, you got a particle filter? engine needs to be warm and if you have a filter fitted it needs to get hot to clean itself,when u get home there should be a funny smell from the back of the car then you know its worked!light should go out then,happened to mine a few times,it doesnt happen now i know it needs a " good run out " every now and then.

Thanks for that, its a 2007, so just before particle filters. Seems to be running fine.

 

[Andrew1068]

seems strange because ive got a very late model w203(2007) with filters and the v6 engine ( or is it beacause i live in germany ??? ) anyway I hope you find the answer to your problems but one last thing....... an orange light is not seen as an emergency and my light went out on its own after i´d started the car about 5 or 6 times ( seems like it was that many,you can always pop down to your local dealer and ask one of the mechanics) Hope you get it sorted!!!!!!!! Andrew.

 

[Andrew1068]

If its not on " limp" mode ( doesnt drive very fast maybe 40 mph) then you should be ok, take a look on here maybe in the section " electronics " youre bound to find an answer there!

 

[Colin_b]

seems strange because ive got a very late model w203(2007) with filters and the v6 engine ( or is it beacause i live in germany ??? ) anyway I hope you find the answer to your problems but one last thing....... an orange light is not seen as an emergency and my light went out on its own after i´d started the car about 5 or 6 times ( seems like it was that many,you can always pop down to your local dealer and ask one of the mechanics) Hope you get it sorted!!!!!!!! Andrew.

I believe the DPF was an option in the UK until 2008 model year, when it became standard.

My nearest dealer is a 100 mile round trip, so I'll wait until I'm doing that trip anyway.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Tebs]

I had a similiar problem last year which turned out to be a glow plug issue. I don't know if its worth investing in a cheap bluetooth obd adapter that you can use with a suitable smart phone. The app should throw up any error codes on the car. I got on for £20 and the app was about £2.95.

 

[Colin_b]

Thanks, Tebs, I've just bought a cheap error code reader. When I get a chance I'll see what errors it shows.

 

[Tebs]

That should do the job. Hope its nothing serious. Let us know what you find. I`ll be interested to hear.

 

[Colin_b]

Ah ha! The preheater/glowplug light has started coming on randomly.

New glow plug time?

 

[jaymanek]

No point guessing, get the codes.

 

[Tebs]

Sounds like the same problem I had. It came on randomly initially before becoming permanent about a week or so later. Like jaymanek says you need to find out the error code.

 

[Colin_b]

I've bought myself a cheap Fault code reader. Works perfectly well on the SLK which is error free. Irritatingly, it doesn't on the C which has the code!

Hah.

 

[Richak]

I have an early model W204 (a 320 CDi). When one of the glow plugs fail the engine management light comes on as well as the glow plug warning light which comes on at start up but then goes off after a few minutes driving. However, the engine management light stays on.

 

[Colin_b]

Finally sorted No.2 glow plug failed, along with glow plug relay unit.

Happy and smiling again.