Dacia sandero many warning lights on dash?

[cartyre]

Hello all

I have a Dacia Sandero essential.

2 years ago I turned my car on and I got a load of warning lights coming on one after the other so I waited before driving anywhere and then the power totally went.

• CHECK BREAKING SYSTEM

• CHECK POWER STREERING

• CHECK FRONT RADAR

• CHECK HILL START ASSIST

• CHECK PTE

• CHECK ESC

And there was a exclamation mark in a horse show symbol in orange.

Plus another symbol which i have attached.



The same thing has happened again when I turned it on apart from the power hasn't gone. It's still in the driveway as didnt want to drive it in case I was half way up the road and the power shut off like the last tine. So wondering what I should do or what advice anyone can give? Should I call my emergency motor breakdown? Thanks all

[Nickp82]

I don’t know much about Dacias but first thing I’d investigate is the battery condition. Had the car not been used for a while?

[LuS1fer]

Check for a broken earth strap between body and engine.

[essayer]

Leave any lights on, doors open etc? Does seem like a flat battery.

If you have a multimeter, check the battery voltage before and after you start the engine.

Otherwise not much you can do - AA etc will be able to to test the battery and fit a new one if failing

[Catnip64]

How did you fix it when it happened two years ago?

[Baldchap]

Nickp82 said:

I don’t know much about Dacias but first thing I’d investigate is the battery condition. Had the car not been used for a while?

This would be my first step.

[cartyre]

Thanks. 2 years ago I called my insurance breakdown cover and they took it to my local Dacia garage and they fixed whatever was wrong with it. They didn't tell me what was wrong. I think they vaguely said something about a manufacturing electric defect. Or maybe the alternator.

If I call my insurance breakdown cover will they come out or only if it won't start?

[Olivergt]

I would agree with others here.

If there are loads of lights coming on, it does sound like a battery issue.

Have you checked the manual to see what the other symbol means? It looks like it could just be a bulb out warning.

[MajorMantra]

Get the codes scanned by a garage if you don't have the means to do it yourself. Anything else is just guesswork. FWIW, that combination of lights might be caused by something as simple as a failed wheel speed sensor, since a number of systems in modern cars rely on these to function.

[Mikebentley]

I would imagine it’s the battery. Do you not use the car very much?

[Fast and Spurious]

cartyre said:

Hello all

I have a Dacia Sandero essential.

2 years ago I turned my car on and I got a load of warning lights coming on one after the other so I waited before driving anywhere and then the power totally went.

• CHECK BREAKING SYSTEM

• CHECK POWER STREERING

• CHECK FRONT RADAR

• CHECK HILL START ASSIST

• CHECK PTE

• CHECK ESC

And there was a exclamation mark in a horse show symbol in orange.

Plus another symbol which i have attached.



The same thing has happened again when I turned it on apart from the power hasn't gone. It's still in the driveway as didnt want to drive it in case I was half way up the road and the power shut off like the last tine. So wondering what I should do or what advice anyone can give? Should I call my emergency motor breakdown? Thanks all

You have to drive to the next horse show that you can, or avoid horse shows?

[cartyre]

Same issue as last year. The alternator power fluctuates between 11- 15 and triggers irrelevant warning messages.
Same issue as last year and garage said they fixed issue but clearly not. Should the alternator be replaced or can it be repaired?

[98elise]

Nickp82 said:

I don’t know much about Dacias but first thing I’d investigate is the battery condition. Had the car not been used for a while?

This. When my mazda alternator was falling the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Unless everything has broken at once its way more likely to be a basic issue like that.

[cartyre]

Thanks so should the alternator be replaced or can it be repaired?

[cartyre]

Alternator failed 12 month's ago and they replaced it and its failed again. But why?

[cartyre]

They said it needs a new 12v and that was causing the alternator to fluctuate and loose power. Does that sound right?

For the air conditioning should I top it up after every 2 years even if it is fine and cool enough?

[cartyre]

Just got my car back from the Dacia garage. However the same lights are back on a few hours later after collecting it.



I asked the RAC to send me over the details of their report but I have two questions if anyone can help?



1) where is the part that mentions the alternator voltage going between 11-15 and being it being faulty?



2) Any other things on this report anyone thinks should be addressed by the garage?

[cartyre]

[cartyre]

So above there's 3 links altogether of the RAC report
But where's the bit about the alternator and also any other issues

[carinaman]

cartyre said:

They said it needs a new 12v and that was causing the alternator to fluctuate and loose power. Does that sound right?

For the air conditioning should I top it up after every 2 years even if it is fine and cool enough?

If you research for yourself on YouTube channels you'll see videos where people explain that a failed battery can throw multiple error codes.

I suggest checking out UK Salvage Rebuilds particularly their BMW 330Ci CS video it's a blue one.

Weak or failed batteries cause error codes.

Others have already suggested in the thread that it's the battery causing spurious error codes.


If the alternator has gone that may have led to the battery failing.

Borrow or buy a cheap (£10) multimeter that has a dc volt function. With the car ignition off place the leads of the meter with the turn knob on the front in the dc volts range of 20V and measure the voltage of the battery. See what voltage the battery has.

Then start the car up and take the reading again. It should increase noticeably as the alternator output should be charging the battery.

A friend has had similar issues with a diesel Toyota. The trusted garage said injectors so they paid to have all of the inhectors replaced. The car was still reluctant to start and refusing to start. Turns out it was the alternator. The Recovery man got the car going and was going to follow the friend back to the garage. Friend gets in car and it wouldn't start. The Recovery man said 'You're joking'. Sure enough it wouldn't start. The Recovery man then put his hand on the alternator and it was hot. My friend spent £1K plus on four injectors because that's what the diagnostics told the garage and the garage was sure it was the injectors when it was actually the alternator. I guess the injectors and alternator could've failed at the same time? Four injectors all failing at once, or a case of 'replace off of the injectors as they'll fail soon anyway'.