flashing coil shaped icon

[matt hartas]

an icon has just started flashing today. its a coil like icon thats yellow, have looked in the user manual and in the book its a different icon (epc)?? help please. thanks

 

[davezx]

Could it be the traction control light?

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[cupra-barn]

What car do you have?

 

[alias]

Coil shaped lights are often glow plugs. If yours is a derv, have a poke around those.

 

[matt hartas]

i wouldnt have thought it was traction control light.... but im no expert. its a leon fr mk1

 

[matt hartas]

im not very mechanicaly minded unfortunately so im not too sure what 'derv' or glow plugs are...??

 

[alias]

Sorry mate, derv = diesel.

Glow plugs are kind of the diesel equivalent to spark plugs. They warm up on cold starts to make the first ignition easier. Is yours diesel?

 

[matt hartas]

Sorry mate, derv = diesel.

Glow plugs are kind of the diesel equivalent to spark plugs. They warm up on cold starts to make the first ignition easier. Is yours diesel?

yes its a diesel. ah right ok, it wasnt when i started the car up it was about 10 minuits into the drive to work this morning it started flashing none stop. the start up seemed fine same as usual...

 

[alias]

It may be just one glow plug that's bringing up a fault (if it is the plugs) so it probably would start fairly normally.

Have you got access VAG COM? It's a diagnostic reader that could highlight your problem if a DTC has been logged.

 

[matt hartas]

It may be just one glow plug that's bringing up a fault (if it is the plugs) so it probably would start fairly normally.

Have you got access VAG COM? It's a diagnostic reader that could highlight your problem if a DTC has been logged.

possibly, would have to ask the lads at work and try it. il try get it into a garage this weekend. thankyou very much for your help its much appreciated. i will post on here the outcome for future reference

 

[LEE69]

Check the brake lights, if they don't work the switch is on the brake pedal

 

[Muttley]

The "coil" light in the same position on the dash panel as the EPC light on petrol engines is for the glowplug system on a diesel. The plugs are used to heat up the combustion chamber of a cold engine to make cold starts easier. Common reasons for it to light up included a failing glowplug, poor contact between the harness and the plug, relay or fuse problems. A scan of the car for fault codes would be the first thing I'd do.

The glowplugs look like spark plugs from the outside, but are very different at the lower end, where they are a simple rod that heats up fast when voltage is applied. They have similar connectors to spark plugs because they need to pass a lot of current to heat up fast, so a large connection area is needed. One quick thing to try is to check and clean the connections both on the plugs and inside the connection hoods. It is a long shot but easy to do.

I believe that the brake light switch can also cause the glow plug light to come on if it fails.

 

[hyphon12]

As said by the above 2 posts, check your brake lights. A flashing glow plug light is normally a faulty brake light switch (located at the brake pedal) on the Leon.

 

[matt hartas]

thanks for the input. since im coverd i got the AA out to have a look, they had a poke around and used the diagnostic reader but couldnt sus it. all they sugested was its ok to drive for now until i get to a garage

 

[matt hartas]

In the end a code reader picked up it was the brake light switch.... the code was cleared and hasnt come back on yet although its only been 24hours. The light kept going off for a day or so then it would re-appear, so fingers crossed. Thanks again for everyones input... some insightfull stuff