Engine light on? Get the code read first.
A steady amber engine light means the car has logged a fault and is still safe to drive for now. A flashing one means stop. Either way the light tells you almost nothing on its own. The stored code is what does. We come to you and read the codes from every module, then tell you plainly what they point at and what to do next. Finding the exact cause and fixing it is workshop work, at JF Automotive.
- Every module read, on your driveway
- A plain answer on what it points at
- Fully insured
Steady, flashing, or one of the others
Three lamps share the dashboard, and the engine lamp has two states. On its own it covers hundreds of possible faults, while the other two each point at one system.
Engine management, steady
A fault has been logged. The car is usually safe to drive for now, may have reduced power, and will fail an MOT while the lamp is on. Get the code read rather than guessing.
“Engine fault: reduced power”Engine management, flashing
A misfire severe enough to damage the catalyst, or another fault the ECU considers urgent. Stop when it is safe, do not keep driving on it, and call.
“Drivetrain malfunction: drive moderately”The DPF lamp
A box with dots in it. The particulate filter is loaded or regeneration has failed. A different system and a different page.
“Diesel particulate filter: see owner's manual”The AdBlue lamp
A canister, a tank or words, often with a mileage countdown. The SCR system has logged a fault. A different system and a different page.
“Add AdBlue: no engine start in 600 mi”What an engine light turns out to be, most weeks
The lamp is the same for all of these. The code is what tells you which system to look at, and which page to read next.
- AdBlue and SCR faults - P20EE, P203F, P204F, P229F. Usually a sensor, a heater, a pump or an injector. Deleted in software on the driveway, or repaired at JF Automotive.
- DPF loading and regeneration - P2002, P2452, P2463. Deleted in software on the driveway, or the cause found and the filter regenerated at JF Automotive. DPF page.
- EGR valve - P0401, P0402, P0404. A sticking or clogged valve. Deleted in software on the driveway, or cleaned or replaced at JF Automotive. EGR page.
- Glow plugs - P0670 to P0680. A cold-start fault that also stops a DPF regenerating. Often the cheapest fix on this list, at the workshop.
- Boost and turbo - P0299, P0234. Underboost or overboost, which can be a split hose, a sticking actuator, a wastegate, or the turbo itself.
- Sensors - MAF, MAP, lambda, coolant and cam or crank sensors. A single sensor can light the lamp and take the car into limp mode.
- Misfires - P0300 to P0312. Coils, plugs or injectors. This is the one that flashes the lamp.
- Software and stale codes - a fault that was fixed and never cleared, or a known software issue with an update available. These show up in a code read, and they are the easiest to miss.
From the lamp to knowing what it is
Tell us what the car is doing
Send us the registration, which lamps are on, whether it has lost power, and any code you already have.
We tell you what we can do, usually the same day
A code read is a visit to read every module and explain what the codes point at. It is not a full diagnosis, and we say so up front. If it turns out you want a delete, that is priced from the registration.
We send you a booking link
Choose a date and a time that suits you, at home or at work.
Read and explained
We read every stored code, tell you which system it points at and how urgent it is, and clear anything that is stale. If it needs finding properly and fixing, the car goes to JF Automotive in Maidstone with the codes already read. If it is an AdBlue, DPF or EGR delete you want, we can do that on the same visit.
Get my price
Give us the registration, which lamps are on, and where you are. We come back the same day, usually, with what we can do and a booking link if you want to go ahead. Deletes are priced from the registration; a repair is JF Automotive.
- From £245, quoted on the car
- Fully insured, at your home or work
- No workshop visit, no courtesy car needed
Engine lights, the questions we get asked
Can I keep driving with the engine light on?
With a steady lamp, usually yes for now, though the car may have reduced power and it will fail an MOT while the lamp is on. With a flashing lamp, no. Stop when it is safe to. If there is also an AdBlue countdown, you are on a clock as well.
A garage cleared the code and it came back. Why?
Because clearing a code does not fix a fault. The code is the symptom. Finding the cause takes live data under load on a ramp, which is a workshop job, and if nobody did that, the code comes back.
Will the MOT fail with the light on?
Yes. An illuminated engine management or emissions lamp has been a failure in its own right since May 2018, whatever the fault behind it.
I have a cheap OBD reader. Is that enough?
It is a good start. It gives you the generic code, which is worth sending us with the enquiry. What it will not read is the manufacturer codes or the other modules, which is what our read adds. Neither of us is finding the cause at that point; that is the workshop.
Backed by JF Automotive
Remaps UK is the mobile arm of JF Automotive, a Maidstone workshop that has been tuning cars for thirty years. The files, the calibration work and the rolling road behind your job are theirs. If a job turns out to need a ramp or a dyno session rather than a driveway, it goes to them, and you are not passed to a stranger.
About JF Automotive →Where the light usually leads
AdBlue delete or fix
A warning that will not clear, a countdown to no-start, or limp mode. Switched off in software on the driveway, or repaired at JF Automotive.
Read more → The filterDPF delete or fix
A blocked particulate filter, or a regeneration that never completes. Switched off in software on the driveway, or the cause found and the filter regenerated at JF Automotive.
Read more → The two amber lampsDPF or AdBlue fault?
They sit on the same dashboard and mean different jobs. How to tell which one you have, and what to do about each.
Read more →