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Help! My EPC (Emissions) or CEL (Check Engine Lamp) is on.


cjb

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Help! My EPC (Emissions) or CEL (Check Engine Lamp) is on.

There's a very simple thing to check first: your brakelights. If they don't work, check the brake pedal switch. It's a common fault. Also have a look for anything obvious like a loose or failed HT lead, or an audible air leak if that's appropriate for your car.

Other than that, you really need to get your car scanned by someone with VAG-COM (VCDS), a VAS computer (the one dealers have), or a OBD-II scanner.

Of these, the VAS or VCDS/VAG-COM is your best bet as it can read and decode more faults from the car.

You have several ways of getting the car scanned:

* You can pay a Skoda (or other VAG) dealer. Typically this will cost at least £40.

* You can pay an independent garage. This will be a bit cheaper, but unless the garage specialises in VAG cars, it will probably only have a generic scanner.

* You can ask here in the VAG-COM and diagnostics forum. Look at the member map. If there's someone near you, send them a PM, and negotiate a price- which may just be a pint or two.

* You could obtain VAG-COM/VCDS or a code reader yourself. This can cost as little as £20ish for an ebay cable and a limited downloadable version of VAG-COM, but a fully licenced version (with full capability and support from Ross-Tech) costs more.

For later cars (Octavia II and Superb II), you need a CAN-capable scanner or a version of VAG-COM and appropriate genuine Ross-Tech cable that supports CAN-only cars.

A scan really is the only way to try to diagnose a CEL/EPC light, and often odd running problems as well. If you post the logs from the scanner on this site, someone will have a chance of solving your problem. Otherwise, it's just wild guesswork and you could be checking and changing things for ever.

Edited by cjb
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  • 5 months later...

Whilst driving to work this morning stuck in traffic, the EPC light came on. I tried restarting the engine to see if it was a glich, but it remained on. The car didn't appear to be driving any differently than normal. Left the car for the day, expecting the light to be on and needing to phone the garage when I got home, but to my surprise it didn't come on at all on my journey back home. Was it just a glich?

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Gutted mine has come on Today! The only thing I noticed before it did was that my temp gauge did not move up steadily, but just shot straight up to 90. After that I saw the light come on and thought 'Oh dear' (you know what /i really mean!). Reffered to the manual, but I had no 'EMISSIONS WORKSHOP' message on my display! Lets hope its just a faulty sensor, are they cheap? GULP!!!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 months later...

chech your engine coolant temp sensor if u did plug in VCDS or a 1552 machine the fault code would be G250

I had the same problem and continued for about two months with the EPC light coming on intermittantly. After a while i took it to the Skoda garage where they replaced the engine coolant temp sensor.

The car is still under warranty at £12K miles and not two years yet !!

Back windscreen wipe also failed and was fixed.

I never get a light to come on and tell me i have no washer fluid left, only know when none comes out..... :-(

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  • 2 weeks later...

EPC light comes on after driving for a couple of minutes. Car (Fabia 1.4) always starts first time.

When the light comes on it takes all the guts out of the engine and you crawl along. Depressing the accelerator makes little or no difference.

Re starting sometimes makes the light go out and you continue as normal for another couple of minutes.

Sometimes the light will just go out on its own and the engine returns to full power.

Here's the crunch - the car has been to a Skoda dealer for a diagnostic check and has been given a clear bill of health.

I'm reluctant to give the dealer a blank check to have the problem fixed.

Any ideas? - I'm thinking of starting cheep (temp sensor) and progressing from there.

Car is a 2002 Skodia Fabia 1.4 petrol.

Thanks

[email protected]

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  • 5 months later...

hi guys

drove about 50+ miles today and noticed the CEL on

the only thing ive done to the car was to put a new panel filter in it on wednesday

the car still drives normally with the power etc but when coming to a stand still/crawl ive noticed the front passenger brakes are squeaking/grinding

anyone got any advice before a take it skoda for a large bill to tell me whats wrong?

cheers

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

My EPC light would very occasionally come on during slow manoevres like reversing and the engine would often stall at these times. Light would clear if I turned ignition off and then on.

Then recently the EPC light came on all the time. Was getting poor tickover, hunting and stalling. Car felt down on power at higher speeds.

Fixed it by replacing the MAP sensor. Feels like a different car now. The old MAP sensor was dirty. Might have been able to clean it, but since I'd already bought a new one I fitted that.

Edit -

I should add that I did a scan with my cheapo code reader, £12 off eBay. It said MAP sensor was at fault. Was also able to remove the fault code (and warning light) afterwards with this.

All is still fine a month after the fix. Car is now so much better to drive.

(2004 Fabia 1.4 16v, petrol, BBZ engine).

Edited by bettysan
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  • 4 weeks later...

have a fabia 1.4 8v and EPC light on dash. car was scanned and had a fault in coolant circuit range/performance. changed temp sender with no effect. have now changed thermostat as well as also faulty. EPC and DTC fault codes erased but after 10 mins EPC light back on but scan now shows no fault codes. has anyone any suggestions

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Im have a simular problem with my VRS, my light comes on at 66mph and go off sometimes when i fill it with diesel :S. Im thinking a loose connection as I drove down a reasonable bumpy road this morning ad it went off. Any ideas what might be loose?

Cheers guys

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EPC light comes on after driving for a couple of minutes. Car (Fabia 1.4) always starts first time.

When the light comes on it takes all the guts out of the engine and you crawl along. Depressing the accelerator makes little or no difference.

Re starting sometimes makes the light go out and you continue as normal for another couple of minutes.

Sometimes the light will just go out on its own and the engine returns to full power.

Here's the crunch - the car has been to a Skoda dealer for a diagnostic check and has been given a clear bill of health.

I'm reluctant to give the dealer a blank check to have the problem fixed.

Any ideas? - I'm thinking of starting cheep (temp sensor) and progressing from there.

Car is a 2002 Skodia Fabia 1.4 petrol.

Thanks

[email protected]

  • Like 1
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  • 4 weeks later...

The check engine light is doing my head and costing me lots of money! My Fabia 1.2 was a lovely car but in the past two months the engine light keeps coming on and the engine then runs on reduced power.

1. The garage changed the ignition coil and it went away

2. Two days later the light was back on but car running ok. Garage advised the code was for low coolant level but level was fine. Code reset and light went off.

3. Today, after another two days light went on again and car on reduced power :(

Can anyone help suggest something I can do?

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The check engine light is doing my head and costing me lots of money! My Fabia 1.2 was a lovely car but in the past two months the engine light keeps coming on and the engine then runs on reduced power.

1. The garage changed the ignition coil and it went away

2. Two days later the light was back on but car running ok. Garage advised the code was for low coolant level but level was fine. Code reset and light went off.

3. Today, after another two days light went on again and car on reduced power :(

Can anyone help suggest something I can do?

What is the current fault code?

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What is the current fault code?

Code is for coolant temp sensor and another ignition coil has gone. I was told this is normal, if one goes then the others tend to fail. If I get the parts does anybody know if these are easy to change? I have a pretty basic tool kit but up for trying one / both of the jobs if it will save me the £300 quoted to do the jobs!

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Code is for coolant temp sensor and another ignition coil has gone. I was told this is normal, if one goes then the others tend to fail. If I get the parts does anybody know if these are easy to change? I have a pretty basic tool kit but up for trying one / both of the jobs if it will save me the £300 quoted to do the jobs!

As an update to this, I went for it today!

Changed the ignition coil, car now runs fine B)

Changed the coolant temp sensor (after a nice warm gush of coolant, forget to let it cool down first!). This was the code that came up when the garage scanned it last.

Now the car runs fine, temp gauge is dead in the middle (It was anyway). So I am hoping I have cracked it! But engine light remains on - do I need to plug in a VAG COM to get it extinguished or is there another way? I am happy to purchase one off ebay if required, especially as I have so far saved my self a couple of hundred pounds in garage fees

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

My light has just come on during my drive home from work, and resulted in a fairly large feeling power loss with the engine feeling smooth, but as if it didn't want to go anywhere. Its the second time its done this in a week. Turning it off and on again seems to cure the power loss, but the light stays on. Turned itself off after a day or two last time. Am I anywhere near in guessing its a sensor that it simply tripping when it shouldn't be, before clearing itself?

2000 plate 1.4 16v by the way. Thanks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Evening people, I picked up my new car on Thursday evening and has given me 200+ miles trouble free driving until today. The CEL came on whilst going up the M6, I carried on at a reduced speed and parked up where I was going. We then travelled around the country lanes in the areas at a steady speed and the light went out but the minute I jumped back onto the motorway to come home the light returned back on. The car suffered no power loss during the time that the light was on.

The car is an 06 plate Fabia vRS covered only 34k from new, any ideas as to what the problem could be or how I could go about sorting it?I tried the brake lights thing and they are working fine.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Hi,

My light has just come on during my drive home from work, and resulted in a fairly large feeling power loss with the engine feeling smooth, but as if it didn't want to go anywhere. Its the second time its done this in a week. Turning it off and on again seems to cure the power loss, but the light stays on. Turned itself off after a day or two last time. Am I anywhere near in guessing its a sensor that it simply tripping when it shouldn't be, before clearing itself?

2000 plate 1.4 16v by the way. Thanks.

I have that same problem, I have it scanned (not sure how well tho) and the Crank shaft sensor showed low voltage.. I had it replaced, but the problem did not go away. As time has gone on, the problem has got worse, and the engine cuts out and the EPC light comes on from time to time too, This is becoming more frequent as well!

I'd love to know if anyone has actually had a dealer sort this problem out, as all i have heard is that dealers have failed to sort the problem!

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  • 3 weeks later...

just had epc light come on and the abs light on my wifes 1.2 fabia silverline

also the brakelights are not working any ideas anybody

Reading the first post on this thread, the lack of brake lights may well be the issue for the light on, check bulbs and then switch. Just got myself an 02 comfort estate and the CEL came on within 20 miles, garage good as gold plugged in the scanner and showed EGR valve so thats being sorted as we speak

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