Dead Engine Management Computer
02-01-2006, 04:05 PM
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Dead Engine Management Computer
Well I got to check out Mazda's idea of a "limp home" setting on the engine management computer this week. Drove down the hill from my place, the traction control warning light and engine management warning light both came on, and the car immediately switched to limp home mode. Limp home limited the car to 2000 rpm and insufficient power to climb even the slightest incline. I quickly realised there was no way I would ever get it back home. In fact I was lucky just to get it parked in a safe spot on the side of the road, suffering a torrent of abuse from other drivers who obviously couldn't understand why an RX8 would be driving at walking pace on a main road with hazards lights on.
When I tried to start the car the next morning, the engine management light remained on, but the traction light stayed off, and the limp home mode must have deactivated itself. Drove it to the dealer, who couldn't find anything wrong, but removed the error codes from the computer. Car worked fine for a day, then reverted to "limp home" mode again. One tow truck and three days later I have a new engine management computer ( under warranty of course) and all seems fine.
Couldn't help wondering what would happen if you were stuck in the bush somewhere and suffered the same problem! We are all hostages to the electronics in our cars these days!
As an interesting aside, I don't know how much "learning" of driver styles the engine computer is supposed to do, but when I drove home last night with my "fresh" computer the car seemed pretty lethargic compared to normal. By the time I got to work today it was back on song again....
When I tried to start the car the next morning, the engine management light remained on, but the traction light stayed off, and the limp home mode must have deactivated itself. Drove it to the dealer, who couldn't find anything wrong, but removed the error codes from the computer. Car worked fine for a day, then reverted to "limp home" mode again. One tow truck and three days later I have a new engine management computer ( under warranty of course) and all seems fine.
Couldn't help wondering what would happen if you were stuck in the bush somewhere and suffered the same problem! We are all hostages to the electronics in our cars these days!
As an interesting aside, I don't know how much "learning" of driver styles the engine computer is supposed to do, but when I drove home last night with my "fresh" computer the car seemed pretty lethargic compared to normal. By the time I got to work today it was back on song again....
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