My first "Check Engine" light!

[TonyS]

Wife had the car yesterday for work as I was waiting for a new alternator for her old 4X4 (I work from home). When she returned home I got into the car to nip to the supermarket and was greeted with "Check Engine - drive to workshop"!

Panic []. Drove to the shops anyway and the car seemed fine, so I thought I would wait until this morning to see if the CEL came on again.

It did - the wife had to get to work so she took it (only 7 miles) and I rang Nottingham OPC and explained and requested that they came and collected it. They were reluctant and called out Porsche Assistance on my behalf (RAC) who went to my wife's place of work at lunch time and plugged in the diagnostic device. P0050 - Oxygen Sensor heating ahead of TWC, bank 2; according to Richard's PDF of Pcodes. The RAC guy reset the diag and the pair of them drove it for 5 miles and no light came on.

On her way home tonight it came on again - no change to the way the car drives, but is the fuel/air mixture on one side going to be all over the place? What is TWC (I can only think it is the Catalytic converter?).

I need the car this weekend for a 200 mile trip, should I get it booked in and get a courtesy car, or wait until next week? I have extended warranty, so I don't expect any cost, just inconvenience. Is this the beginning of the end []

Tony

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

TWC = Three Way Catalyst - Yes, the catalytic converter. If that's the only code the RAC man read then it will be the oxygen sensor that has failed. As long as the CEL isn't flashing you are OK to drive the car, but I would get it sorted sooner rater than later.

 

[TonyS]

Thanks Richard.

I'll ring the OPC tomorrow and get it picked up before the weekend, hopefully.

When you look at all of those fault codes in the list it is amasing how many sensors are on the engine/car - I suppose getting one on oncein a while is inevitable []

Cheers,

Tony

 

[TonyS]

latest update, believe it or not! - NottinghaM OPC now have it - it is the oxygen sensor. It's taken ages to get it booked in such that I could have a car to use whilst it was away. Also problems with a hole in an aircon pipe (I asked them to check as it kept misting up) it's already had two new aircon condensors, I wonder if it will ever be how it should be..

Apparently they have to lower the engine to fit the pipe (OH GOD) so I won't be seeing it before the weekend.

[]

The Mercedes they lent me is a bit different - the new economy model - there is an indicator that tells you to change up barely before the engine has stopped labouring in the previous gear; horrid! 1800cc and one little turbo...44 mpg - we'll see []

Tony