Check Engine Light. No Fault Codes Stored

Hi all,

This sub forum is rapidly becoming my own personal gripe area /thankyou

I got the check engine light on my dashboard yesterday, I did the flashy dash routine which flagged up a few ABS codes but the engine light did not flash at all.

Is there a bit of logic built in where certain ABS codes drive the engine fault light? If it matters I was doing a decent speed on the M11 when it happened. Maybe it just doesn't like Essex.

Over the weekend I will disconnect the battery to clear the codes to see if it recurs.

Best fix the known faults and go from there.
Cars can do strange things at times.
I had a faulty oil pressure switch bringing on an airbag light recently .
Not a vr4 mind

Did the engine light not flash at all? Or just a steady blinking to confirm no codes?

The engine light did not flash whatsoever, stayed on constantly during flashy dash. ABS was the only light that did anything other than stay on constantly.

I have done a resistance check of the four ABS wheel speed detection circuits via the main harness connector, they are all within the 1.0-1.5kohm range so appear to be okay statically. Once I have an opportunity to lift the car up I will check the drive voltage as per the workshop manual and do a 'wiggle' test of the ABS harnesses at the wheels.

The other lights should flash too, although a V6 has less than the VR-4, e.g. no AYC. Can't remember what other lights should flash regardless of stored codes - EML, ABS, TCL and skiddy car lights (if lights present), gearbox N if auto, perhaps.

What year is your car? Although VR-4s weren't, the later UKDM (and poss EUDM) cars actually are OBD-II-compliant. If yours fits this description, a cheapo scanner may do the trick. However, I would have thought the flashy dash technique would still work, although it might not - never had it confirmed. Alternatively, the OBD-II-compliant cars may behave like yours when using flashy dash, i.e. only flash when codes present, otherwise put other lights on solidly?

Mines is a 2001 V6 Sport facelift manual, I’ll borrow a OBDII from a friend to see if it’ll recognise any codes.

My 2001 sport worked fine on a cheapo scanner, even a dirt cheap clone elm device.

I’m surprised that it appears the car could be OBDII compliant but the ABS ECU still responds to the flashy dash interrogation.

Incidentally, when I did the battery disconnect the faults didn’t clear from the ABS ECU. Does it need a good 15 minutes disconnected to clear them or is there a different way? Perhaps the OBDII will do it. As mentioned earlier, when stationary the wheel speed detection circuits had the correct resistance so I don’t think the ABS ECU is picking up a fault straight away after the battery disconnect.

If the UK spec car is odbii compliant and it should be. Any European car on or after 2001 by law the engine and gearbox ECU have to be readable by any basic odbii scan tool but the ABS ECU does not have to be readable. You might need a more dedicated scan tool to read that ECU.
The odbii engine and gear box ECU had to be readable by law in USA from 1996 on.
Engine and gear box error code have to be resetable by the scan tool if they have to be odbii compliant.

I think safety related faults don't clear with a battery disconnect.
So airbag and abs need a proper dongle to clear.

I have heard in the past that some late UK models are obd2 compliant but I have never seen that first hand.

Thank you for the insights everyone, I’ll report back with what the OBDII picks up, if anything.

For reference, the ABS codes picked up were:

1-3
1-4
2-1
2-2

Eureka moment - These codes may have been logged while I had the front end lifted to do the oil and filter change. I started the engine briefly to ensure there was no oil leaks from the filter or sump plug before lowering it. The front wheels did turn of their own accord in neutral so it’s maybe not liked that the wheels didn’t all move simultaneously. The fact the fault codes are different for front and rear would suggest that is the case.

Yes, having the car in the air with ignition on and the moving the wheels will make the eco think the car has been skidding madly.
Also, check the physical ABS rings on each drive shaft, as a missing tooth will cause an error code, but a harness and voltage check will appear all good.
As Dave said, mitsubishi cars after 2001 should work with general ABD11 readers/
:)

Just a quick update, a few days ago the CEL reappeared. The OBDII codes were ‘P0156’ and ‘P0156 P’ relating to no 2 oxygen sensor on bank 2.

Is this sensor close to the exhaust manifold or is it further back? The image in the manual only shows 1 sensor fore and aft of the cat and isn’t split by cylinder bank.

I’ve found the sensor in question, need to jack it up to get a better look.