Engine management light - Is it MOT failure?

Engine management light - Is it MOT failure?

Author
Discussion

SAAB93AERO

Original Poster:

101 posts

142 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
I am looking at purchasing a cheap estate car as i'm gutting the inside of my house and going to have to do multiple trips to the dump. I've found a very cheap car with a few months MOT but the engine management light is permanently on. Will this need to be fixed to pass another MOT? The seller tells me its been like that for years and never had a problem. The car is cheap and drives well with no other noticeable faults.

AndrewW-G

11,968 posts

216 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
When I had a S2 Elise MOT'd last month, having the EML on, was just an advisory note.

SAAB93AERO

Original Poster:

101 posts

142 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
AndrewW-G said:
When I had a S2 Elise MOT'd last month, having the EML on, was just an advisory note.
Thanks, That's good to know as I like the car so seems a bit of a bargain.

dowahdiddyman

965 posts

210 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Had the eml light on on my Hyundai Coupe for quite a while, turned out it was only a sensor but a local grease monkey told me a trick to get it through it`s mot no problem.
Disconnect the negative lead on the battery and then press the brake pedal for a few seconds, this will drain any last current out of the ecu. Reconnect and start engine and the ecu will have reset itself. Not certain it will work on yours but it cleared it on mine for a while.

specialboy

20 posts

141 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
You can buy an engine management light reader off ebay for £10-£50, plug it into your car and you can reset the light.

sturobturbo

5,746 posts

145 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Or you can take the bulb out for free smile lol.

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Not an MOT tested item

specialboy

20 posts

141 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Andyjc86 said:
Not an MOT tested item
The rules changed on 1st April, if a light is on its now a fail. (unless they have done a u-turn since then)

sturobturbo

5,746 posts

145 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
specialboy said:
The rules changed on 1st April, if a light is on its now a fail. (unless they have done a u-turn since then)
Well if that stands, then refer to my previous post smile lol

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
specialboy said:
The rules changed on 1st April, if a light is on its now a fail. (unless they have done a u-turn since then)
It wast effected by the changes on 1st of April, most of those proposed changes never actually happened.

Leicesterdave

2,282 posts

179 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Taking a bulb out solves nothing. Any decent tester will be looking for a sequence- ie ABS, EML light coming on for a couple of seconds and then off.
If said EML bulb is permanently off it will clearly be noticed.

sturobturbo

5,746 posts

145 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Leicesterdave said:
Taking a bulb out solves nothing. Any decent tester will be looking for a sequence- ie ABS, EML light coming on for a couple of seconds and then off.
If said EML bulb is permanently off it will clearly be noticed.
I wouldn't say clearly noticed...

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
I was advised by my MOT tester that while the changes came in on 1/4/12, they have been told to mark it as an advisory until September when it will be a fail.

Taking the bulb out won't work as the bulb has to come on and go out, they're not as think as you stupid they are.

Bear in mind that any light will need fixing at some point and unless you can put it out, the car is largely unsaleable and worthless until you do.

jjones

4,422 posts

192 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
passed with EML last weekend, not a problem

EML is not covered, only lights for air bag, traction control etc are covered.

SS2.

14,455 posts

237 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
A summary of 'new' testable items can be found in VOSA's SN 9/2011 (70kB PDF).

These include:

Headlamp levelling and cleaning devices when fitted for HID or LED headlamps
Main beam ‘tell-tale’
Battery (including batteries for electric or hybrid vehicles)
Electrical wiring and connectors
Trailer electrical socket security and damage
Operation of 13-pin trailer electrical sockets using an approved trailer socket tester
Operation of the steering lock (where fitted) including that malfunction warning is not displayed for an electronic steering lock
Electronic power steering malfunction warning indicating a fault
Electronic parking brake control and malfunction indicator lamp
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) components, including the switch (if fitted) and malfunction warning
Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
SRS components including airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners, seat belt load limiters and SRS malfunction warning lamp
Engine mountings
Speedometer
Indirect vision devices (where they replace obligatory mirrors)

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Airbags are not currently an MOT failure as there is a problem with modern citroëns or something like that (I don't personally test I just have about 5 cars a week tested for my customers- this is what my MOT tester told me)

sturobturbo

5,746 posts

145 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
SS2. said:
A summary of 'new' testable items can be found in VOSA's SN 9/2011 (70kB PDF).

These include:

Headlamp levelling and cleaning devices when fitted for HID or LED headlamps
Main beam ‘tell-tale’
Battery (including batteries for electric or hybrid vehicles)
Electrical wiring and connectors
Trailer electrical socket security and damage
Operation of 13-pin trailer electrical sockets using an approved trailer socket tester
Operation of the steering lock (where fitted) including that malfunction warning is not displayed for an electronic steering lock
Electronic power steering malfunction warning indicating a fault
Electronic parking brake control and malfunction indicator lamp
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) components, including the switch (if fitted) and malfunction warning
Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
SRS components including airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners, seat belt load limiters and SRS malfunction warning lamp
Engine mountings
Speedometer
Indirect vision devices (where they replace obligatory mirrors)
Good post that.

E30M3SE

8,465 posts

195 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Think the answer is, depends why the EML light is on.......

McSam

6,753 posts

174 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Andyjc86 said:
Airbags are not currently an MOT failure as there is a problem with modern citroëns or something like that (I don't personally test I just have about 5 cars a week tested for my customers- this is what my MOT tester told me)
I can confirm they're not a failure, as the E46 I just bought had the light on and it's simply listed as an advisory.

In all its tests for the past three years, actually hehe

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
McSam said:
I can confirm they're not a failure, as the E46 I just bought had the light on and it's simply listed as an advisory.

In all its tests for the past three years, actually hehe
My Mustang had the airbag light on for 5 years and so I finally fixed it with a new £200 seatbelt assembly. My MOT tester said it would have been an advisory this year but a fail next year so I'd get onto it.