EPC - We need a solution!

[ZRZ]

This seems to be quite a common fault in our lovely little Leons.

I've noticed over the past week a few people have been trying to find a solution to this issue but quite a lot of answers which don't always seem to relate.

My question is, what are all the possible reason for an EPC light to illuminate and the car throwing itself into limp or restricted mode when this happens?

Personally, my throws the light up randomly whenever it feels like it, some journeys are worse then others and the only solution is to restart the engine and hope that it doesn't return. When this happens, the car won't go much above 3k revs and takes a very long time to get there. Very restricted power.

As far as I believe EPC stands for Electronic Pedal Control, please correct if wrong.

Now... As said, what components can cause this? Sensors, switches, air flow, the pedal itself?

Or... Could this be a Seat Stealer trip?

Thanks guys and gals.




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[RichyH]

Just about to post this question myself. May be a coincidence but i've only had issues since installing the forge dv, cleaned the TB, replaced boost and dv solenoids, smoke tested. Stutters under high boost then the light comes on, can only do 80mph without it struggling, judging from a few posts on here the coils and spark plugs are next on my list. A solution would be nice, sick of throwing money at the car over something nobody knows how to fix, unfortunately it just seems like a trial and error fix problem.

 

[DannyJigg]

EPC actually stands for "Electronic Power Control" and is generally used to indicate that the ECU (engine management system) has detected a problem. The best thing to do is either buy/borrow a code reader (about £20 last time I checked) and find out what the fault code is.

Regarding what you need to do to fix it, it's entirely dependant on the code that's caused it.

It's worth remembering that these cars are potentially 15 years old and have a lot of rubber pipes which can perish over time while sensors can also break with time.

Once you've scanned it, post the codes here and we can give you more advice. Alternatively, you can look up the meaning of the code yourself on the rosstech website.

I'd offer to pop over to scan it for you but you're both a bit far away.

 

[ZRZ]

Thanks for the reply Danny.

A friend of mine has a fault code reader so in going to read the codes and see what it throws up.

I'll post here later on with the results and hopefully get this sorted.

I thought it stood for Pedal Control but Power Control does also make sense.

My issue would appear to be related to a sensor because when it wasn't too frequent the EPC light would only ever come up when I hit a pothole or the car gets a shunt from the road which would indicate a sensor being knocked around.


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[RichyH]

Sorry to hijack your post ZRZ, but i'm doing the same thing so il post up my code too, see if anyone can point me in the right direction

 

[DannyJigg]

I'd suggest separate threads for each person's issue to avoid confusion. Could well be a dodgy sensor or loose connection. I'll keep an eye on this thread when I can to see if I can help.

 

[Fmxvxx]

Based In Hertfordshire myself if you Run into any issues give us a shout.

 

[ZRZ]

All codes are as follows:

P0030
P0135
(These are due to Decat is presume)
P2138
P1296


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[DannyJigg]

The first 2 are the O2 sensors complaining (probably due to decat) have you put a lambda spacer on the one after where the cat should be?

Amusingly (after the pedal control comment) the third p2138 IS a throttle position sensor error, haven't come across that before but google shows a few threads on it.

The last code is usually due to the coolant temperature sensor failing. Does the car appear to take forever to warm up? From memory the part is around £20, and replacing it can be done by anyone who knows how to dress themselves in the morning.

Hope this helps and keep us updated.

 

[ZRZ]

The first 2 are the O2 sensors complaining (probably due to decat) have you put a lambda spacer on the one after where the cat should be?

Amusingly (after the pedal control comment) the third p2138 IS a throttle position sensor error, haven't come across that before but google shows a few threads on it.

The last code is usually due to the coolant temperature sensor failing. Does the car appear to take forever to warm up? From memory the part is around £20, and replacing it can be done by anyone who knows how to dress themselves in the morning.

Hope this helps and keep us updated.

Hi Danny,

I was looking into the spacer to get rid of that code! Am I correct in saying they are the little right angled component you can grab off of eBay for about £20?

Ahh the second one is a strange one considering I mentioned the pedal. I shall have a read of some other thread and see what a solution could be. A throttle position sensor is an integrated part of the pedal isn't it? Would it just be the sensor that would need replacing or would other adjustments be required?

Sometimes the car takes longer then it should and the temperature gauge seems quite random. When it warms up it usually jumps straight up to 90 degrees and when driving decides to drop to about 75 degrees then back up again. It should be staying at 90 degrees once it first gets there shouldn't it?

 

[wilfster]

Hi Danny,

Sometimes the car takes longer then it should and the temperature gauge seems quite random. When it warms up it usually jumps straight up to 90 degrees and when driving decides to drop to about 75 degrees then back up again. It should be staying at 90 degrees once it first gets there shouldn't it?

These temperature gauges are not very accurate. They are designed to sit at 90 degrees when the engine is in the normal operating range to indicate that everything is OK, even though the actual temperature may be a fair bit either side. If the needle goes up to 90 and then creeps back down, especially on a steady motorway run, this is a classic sign of a faulty thermostat.

 

[ibizacupra]

All codes are as follows:

P0030
P0135
(These are due to Decat is presume)
P2138
P1296


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do yourself a big favour.
use those faultcodes and look them up on www.ross-tech.com
there are very usefull suggestions as to cause on there.

you can clearly use a forum and post things, go one step further in helping yourself and look the codes up yourself there and it will help you diagnose things

 

[ZRZ]

Taken from Ross Tech:

18039/P1631 - Accelerator Position Sensor (G79): Signal too High

Possible Symptoms
- Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) ON
- Reduced Engine Output
Possible Causes
- Wiring and/or connections faulty
- Faulty ECM
- Faulty Accelerator Pedal
Possible Solutions
- Check Measuring Block Readings for - Accelerator Pedal
- Check Voltage Signals from ECM to - Throttle Pedal (see factory repair manual)
- Check Wiring and Connectors from ECM to Accelerator Pedal
Special Notes
- There are 2 sensors in the accelerator pedal, both measure the same except that they are working in opposite directions. This means one counts from 0 to 100, while the other one counts from 100 to 0.
- Accelerator Position Sensor faults can be caused by issues with the Oxygen Sensor(s) and it's wiring. Please verify this BEFORE replacing the ECM or Accelerator Pedal. Accelerator Pedal failure is very rare.

Anybody break this down a bit more simply for me?

The issue is still happening sporadically, but seems to happen less when the weather is warm or dry. Which is making me think that something, somewhere, could be or has gotten wet?

I'm not greatly mechanically minded so where to look for these bits would be of great help.

Thanks


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