What does this light really mean? (Pic)

[Munday]

Hi,

Was overtaking a car earlier and and after pulling back in I looked down at the clocks and saw this light on my dash (orangey colour):

I immediately pulled over and had a look under the car and engine etc and everything seemed fine. The exhaust area did smell of bad eggs (but I think thats because I had been driving it quite hard). I looked in the manual and it says this:

Exhaust gas monitor warning light
For vehicles equipped with this option, the light comes on when the ignition is switched on then goes out.

• If it lights up continuously contact your RENAULT Dealer as soon as possible.
• If it flashes, reduce the engine speed until the light stops flashing. Consult your RENAULT Dealer as soon as possible.

Refer to "Advice on anti-polution, how to economise on fuel and driving".



The car seems to drive ok, if anything it seems to rev more freely than before (this could be psychological though). I have checked oil and coolant levels and they seem to be fine. Asked my uncle who knows a fair bit about cars and he reckons it might the be the CAT.

Any ideas people?

 

[Mike-bham]

Mine came on when my injectors went i think, but the car wouldnt hardly drive then.

 

[msa197]

Mine come on for about 5 seconds when I was parked up and then went off again.

Not happened again.

 

[Dooby]

normally means there's a problem with the cat.. saying that i dont have a cat and it hasnt lit up yet ???

 

[Munday]

Will it damage the car if I continue to drive it?
In the manual it also says something like 'it may cause mechanical damage'.

 

[fmp_]

doesnt it mean if it smells of eggs that your cat is fucked or something?

pop it to renault!

 

[tidyclio]

i thought that was an engine management light but i could be wrong.the eggy smell is sulphur sounds like unburnt petrol hitting the cat or their could be a problem with the car itself.
if it's unburnt petrol could be a number of reasons(coil pack,spark plugs,injectors,lamda sensor anything that would effect the mixture burning correctly).
if the light stays on best bet is to get it plugged in at renault or somewhere who can do it.
mine has been on for bout 2k but my cat is knackered anyway,if your cats in good condition get it booked in asap as unburnt petrol will ruin your cat

 

[clio valver]

yea it the engine light somethink wrong with it get it looked at.

 

[AliasOmega]

would turn the engine off and back on. Then if its still there ring Renault AA Assistance.

Then if it breaks after then...not up too you.

 

[Nightfire]

Mine does it all the time and renault can't find a problem. Sometimes it flashes on and off for 10 secs - 15 mins, sometimes it's constantly on

 

[Munday]

I have restarted the car a couple of times since it happened and had to drive about 15 miles home. It drives fine but I am not going to risk using it too much.
Just called Renault Garage and the service desk is closed until 8.30am tomorrow.

Thanks for you're help so far people, its appreciated

 

[lee_cup]

if it drives fine, then its more than likely to be something like a dodgy lamda sensor.

Hope ya get it sorted mate

 

[thedoc]

my light's been on for months now, I do have a decat on though - not had any running problems..

 

[M.C..]

when mine came on about 6 months ago i took it into renault and the cat was fooked so they fitted a new one, then a few weeks later it came on again and this time it was one of the lamda sensors.
renault said it was fine to drive unless the car had lost power, so just ring them up tomorrow and tell them and if they can't get you in for a week and it's fine to drive don't worry about it.

 

[dannyboy172]

Had that light come on, on my old 16v dynam, turned out to be the spark plugs in the end. :S It also threw the car into safe mode, i.e can't go over 2krpm.

Cos the lights on, doesn't it mean that the ecu has registered a fault and the only way to clear is to take it to a garage and diagnostics done?? Correct me if i'm wrong

 

[Matty Baby]

that symbol is engine management. take it to renault propably just electrical problem. egg smell from cat is just if you razz it starts to smell, gets worse or happenin more frequently give it a knock if it rattles cats knackered.

Yeh if that lights on needs diagnostics, only way for it to go away

 

[Munday]

Took it Renault (25miles away) and they sorted the light and said it was a loose connection on the oxygen sensor. Great I thought so drove all the way home, then when to go out this afternoon and the light was back on. I rang them and was not happy because I had to take a half day and drive a 50 mile round trip!
They are having the car on Friday to fit a new sensor and they said it wouldn't be a 5min job because they have to let the car fully cool down. So now I have to take a days holiday because of my crappy car!

 

[thedoc]

tbh, if its not causing you a problem, just leave the light on until the next service is due? Saves you having to take holidays.. up to you...

 

[Matty Baby]

that light being on cause car to go into safe mode wont let u go over certain rpm or summink!

 

[rmccardal]

lol panic merchants !!!

Mine came on the first day of ownership when I was giving it a pasting.
Should reset after 3 cold starts.

If the car is driving like s**t THEN you have an issue. Otherwise its just a sensor having a bit of a paddy.

 

[MISS T15GHE]

Any ideas people?[/quote]


This means your a proud owner of a renault!!!

My last clio was like blackpool illuminations!! But there was apparently nothing wrong with it ! LOL

 

[Weeman]

Yozzas car looks like a fruitmachine

 

[Burnibus_172]

i had that light on for about a week... renault said it was an emmissions problem due to something to do with my mid section... they wanted about £220 to fix it....

so i told them to bugger off n went and bought myself a nice cat back stainless steel system

 

[Ro$$i86]

I've had the problem, if its driving jerky and losing power and that light flashing like mine did...its a faulty coil...covered under warranty, the AA can come out and fix it in 5min. I've had two coils go and i think another is about to!

 

[Mattieuk]

Flying down the M1 one late night, the same light appeared on my 172. The car went on the clip at Rena which said it was a fault with the brake light switch under the pedal.

Funny thing is Reno then turned round and said "You also have a problem with your cruise control" which would be very difficult as the car doesn't have it:S

 

[Thomss]

Mine came on a few months ago it was a fault with the sensor beside the cat or something.
They replaced it with a new one and it was sorted.

 

[-Make-]

my light show up on yestersday. i dont know why. new exhaust including new cat has been under the car about month. can biopetrol cause this?
otherwise car is fine and runs perfect.

im going to travel with my car end of this week, 8 days trip. should i be worried? or just forgot this nice light?

 

[thedoc]

forget about the light..

 

[Frasers Cup]

I think it might be something like the lambda sensor as said b4. Should be covered under warranty.

 

[l2 cup]

hi i have a simillar porblem with my 172 cup. the stop light and the handbrake waning light occasionaly flicker for a few secs. anyone have any ideas

 

[jules190]

that light being on cause car to go into safe mode wont let u go over certain rpm or summink!

Usually it wont let you go over 200rpm. It happened to my car, because someone had fitted the wrong spark plugs and the car was misfiring, I fink its something to do with petrol getting through without being burnt.

 

[Mr Melon]

hi i have a simillar porblem with my 172 cup. the stop light and the handbrake waning light occasionaly flicker for a few secs. anyone have any ideas

Make sure your brake fluid is topped up and the cap is on correctly.

 

[Craig]

that light came on on mine for a few days so i booked it in to renault but it went off on its own

 

[Jays172]

I have (as loads probably do) the airbag light on, comes on for a few mins then dissapears, that crappy cabling under the passager seat, but strangely the service light joins it, they both come on and go off at their leisure, i'd just leave it, had these problems in my old pug and citroen, crappy french cars

 

[wide]

mine came on & off for a while, took it for an mot & the bloke told me my cat was cracked lol, either its your cat or lambda sensors m8!