Vauxhall Fault codes not stored? Is that correct?

[restoman]

This sounds a little farcical to me . . . but:

A friend with an N reg Corsa has been told by a garage that the Vauxhall ECU doesn't store fault codes and that they can only be read whilst the engine management light is on - Once the light goes out the fault code disappears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments?

[SonicShadow]

That's what, a 1995 Corsa B? ECU's were a lot more basic back then, so I wouldn't be surprised.

[daemon]

restoman said:

This sounds a little farcical to me . . . but:

A friend with an N reg Corsa has been told by a garage that the Vauxhall ECU doesn't store fault codes and that they can only be read whilst the engine management light is on - Once the light goes out the fault code disappears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments?

Were the codes cleared by anyone?

Sounds a little odd that the light was on and has went out of its own accord.

[restoman]

daemon said:

Were the codes cleared by anyone?

Sounds a little odd that the light was on and has went out of its own accord.

The light came on when the car overheated - went out when the car cooled down

[NotReallyBored]

The codes on old Vauxhalls and probably most other cars of that vintage, clear after a predetermined number of drive cycles without a recurrence of the fault. A drive cycle being as little as keying on and off.

Hope to have been of help.

Edit: Just seen last post. Sure it wasn't the coolant temp light? I know some had an amber one once in the red.

[dmiller]

I had a corsa of that vintage and you could only read live codes, there was no stored codes. It wasnt obdii I had to use something called vauxcom (or similar). It also had to relearn all its settings if it went into limp home mode. If its geneally being rubbish at idle and stalling in use check the idle control valve, mine used to go through one a year.

Edit - just seen your post there - the engine light in mine came on when it overheated and would go off when it cooled down. Mine was a gls so didnt have a huge amount of lights on the dash so I always guessed the engine light served several jobs, it was the thermostat in the end on mine.

David.

Edited by dmiller on Monday 20th October 20:05

[Easternlight]

restoman said:

The light came on when the car overheated - went out when the car cooled down

If it was just the coolant temp warning light I don't think it would log a "fault" because it's not, just a warning.

[restoman]

OK guys - thanks for your answers.