Over-revving and check engine light

Over-revving and check engine light

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Discussion

thenortherner

Original Poster:

1,502 posts

178 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Earlier today I accidently changed into third instead of fifth causing the car to understandably over-rev and jolt slightly as you'd expect. I hadn't fully released the clutch when I mis-shifted and immediately dipped it again, so it was never fully released.

A couple of seconds later the 'check engine' warning light came on.

I drove it another ten miles or so home and all still feels and sounds well, so hoping I've gotten away with it!

I'm hoping any damage would have been immediately obvious and there's been no lasting damage! And I'm still planning to use the car meanwhile on this basis...

Other than taking it to a dealer to get what I hope is just a fault code read and removed (assuming it just recorded there'd been a significant over-rev) what do you reckon?

The car's a 2018 595 Abarth 180 Competition.

Poshbury

749 posts

134 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
You might find that after a couple of engine cycles the fault lamp will go out. Good luck.

thenortherner

Original Poster:

1,502 posts

178 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Thanks. Fingers crossed then. I'd hoped that any damage would've been immediately obviously. Very glad I didn't fully release the clutch.

I'll probably take it to an indepdent garage and get the fault removed. Don't fancy chancing it at a main dealer or them using it as wriggle room in the future.

Edited by thenortherner on Tuesday 31st December 15:47

Saleen836

11,919 posts

224 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!

PositronicRay

28,071 posts

198 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
Take a moment to think about this.

Benrad

651 posts

164 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
Rev limiter only works if it's the accelerator pedal causing the engine to over speed. In this case the momentum of the vehicle combined with the overall grade ratio made the engine go over speed. It probably wasn't fuelling at all, so nothing the ECU could have done

thenortherner

Original Poster:

1,502 posts

178 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
It was pretty much at max revs in 4th so of couse going back to 3rd would cause it to over-rev and the limiter in this sort of scenario would be useless.

Anyhow, been in touch with a local garage who'll read the fault on Thursday and clear it. I'm guessing without stripping the engine and checking valves etc there's no way of knowing the damage.

I've had a few quotes from the usual crowd of dealers who'll buy your car from you. I've had the car a couple of months and they're offering £1.3K less than I'd paid. Tempted to chop it in after this incident!

832ark

1,244 posts

171 months

Tuesday 31st December 2019
quotequote all
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
One of the most stupid things I’ve ever read.

Plate spinner

18,075 posts

215 months

Wednesday 1st January 2020
quotequote all
PositronicRay said:
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
Take a moment to think about this.
Hmmmm it shouldn’t even take a moments thought...

thenortherner

Original Poster:

1,502 posts

178 months

Wednesday 1st January 2020
quotequote all
Poshbury said:
You might find that after a couple of engine cycles the fault lamp will go out. Good luck.
You're right. After three or four cold starts since the 'incident' the warning light no longer comes up! And the car drives and sounds no different. Fingers crossed I got away with it.

PaulKemp

979 posts

160 months

Friday 3rd January 2020
quotequote all
thenortherner said:
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
It was pretty much at max revs in 4th so of couse going back to 3rd would cause it to over-rev and the limiter in this sort of scenario would be useless.

Anyhow, been in touch with a local garage who'll read the fault on Thursday and clear it. I'm guessing without stripping the engine and checking valves etc there's no way of knowing the damage.

I've had a few quotes from the usual crowd of dealers who'll buy your car from you. I've had the car a couple of months and they're offering £1.3K less than I'd paid. Tempted to chop it in after this incident!
I think your ok and don’t need to chop it in, if you were going to do this a compression test would be worth doing before chopping in as that would show any internal issues, if comp ratio is on the car is probably just fine

selym

9,564 posts

186 months

Friday 3rd January 2020
quotequote all
832ark said:
Saleen836 said:
I thought all cars from the past 20-30 years had a rev limiter?
Surely accidently changing gear from 4-3 instead of 4-5 would just have the engine bounce of the limiter!
One of the most stupid things I’ve ever read.
You need to read more.....