Engine Management

[Hadleyiam]

Morning everyone,

New here and looking for some advice, I own a 2005 1lt Aygo with 99500 miles, owned for about 2 and half years, been a great first car, had to spend some money to get her sorted (clutch, front disks, front pads etc)

But the other day the engine management light has come on, I've read about it possibly being a sensor or worse the CAT, now I don't know a lot about mechanics, I'm in the bodywork trade myself but the car is producing a smell that smells like it's a problem with the CAT, there also seems to be a loss of power through second gear for a split second, not sure if this is related.

I know I need to get a ball joint done before the next MOT but I dont want to go spending money if it's going to fail on something that is going to be uneconomical to fix (cost to much).

Any advise would be great.

 

Luke

[Mike169]

Luke, have you got an OBD2 reader at all, if you don't know what that is just ask.

Mike.

[Hadleyiam]

Update: 

Just drove to work, engine management light started flashing, car started to shake/judder through 1st 2nd and 3rd and isn't pulling as it should.

Unfortunately I dont have a reader but we are good friends with the mechanics at my local dealer so could always ask them

[Hadleyiam]

Well I took the car down to Toyota, they told me it needed a new cat, spark plugs and coil pack, totalling £750 (friends and family) ended up ordering new plugs and 1 coil pack, fitted those and the loss of power seems to be sorted, going to fit a second hand cat today and see what happens 

[Mike169]

Hi Luke.

Toyota's can be wonderful cars but the price of some of their spares is beyond expensive!

Mike.

[Brian1888]

Hello. I have had recent similar problem to you. I have posted about it a few days ago. 

I do have a reader and code P0420 came up which might be similar to you. Basically it means you need to replace the lambda/oxygen sensor 1st..the first 1 to try is located right at top of the cat when you open engine bonnet it looks like the top of a spark plug. I have ordered a new Bosch pre cat sensor. 

What i also have done and this has, after a few days kept the EML off is added Wynns Cat and Lambda sensor cleaner to a full tank of petrol. This product cleans carbon deoosits on sensor. 

It might be worth trying before forking out for replacement Cat etc. 

Good luck.