Matiz Malfunction light on
I wondered if someone might be able to help me with my 2003 Katiewoo
When I start up my car in the morning, the engine light flashes and then permanently stays on. If I get back in the car after a while it seems to correct itself and go out. However, the past 4/5 days it has been remaining permanently on and my car has been very sluggish when I am accelerating (especially up hills). It felt to me like it has a misfire but I am no expert. However, I took it into the local place where I was and was told straight off that it sounded like the coil needed replacing.
In the process they said they cleaned some parts (I was charged nothing which I thought was awesome). Anyhows, the light has now gone off and my lovely Matiz is running smoothly again since this 'clean up' and I have not had the engine light come on once.
A similar thing happened last winter when I was told that it was due to water getting into the engine but the fault cured itself (that time I had taken it to the local Chevrolet dealer and was also charged nothing).
I have the car booked in to get a coil pack fitted on Monday at a cost of £96. I have seen you can get the part for about £25 so is this expensive? Is it likely to need doing or shall I cancel it now that the light is not coming on?
I have also noticed the engine coolant is at the low part...should I just pour some more in? The car was only serviced beginning of June and I dont know that he put some in (it then failed its MOT due to a rear bearing which I had replaced at nearly £100 too).
Any views would be welcome. I do love my car and really want to see that she is ok
Many thanks
Kate
if the light is off, maybe the clean up sorted it.
if it comes on again, then maybe go for the coil pack.
£96 aint all that bad considering if that includes fitting.
as for the coolant, get it topped up as soon as-being low ain't doing katiewoo no favours.
Thanks, that is very kind of you to reply. I kindof thought the same about 'if it aint broke, dont fix it'.
Can you just pour the coolant in straight from the bottle? I seem to remember it goes on about mixing it before tipping it in?
Coolant is suppose to be mixed they all have different mixtures if topping up I would be looking at 50/50 mix & then make sure that expansion tank lid is nice n tight as they like toi leak fluid from them, especially if they have been over filled at some point
Thanks very much Bodie....I always get confused with this. I shall buy some and make sure it is ok.
Katiewoo has driven 300 miles now without the engine light coming back on so I am keeping my fingers crossed that she is fixed X=
Thanks for all advice.
Just wanted to let you all know that Katiewoo is still doing well (touchwood) and still doesnt have the light come back on. She is a bit rough first thing when she gets going but is doing wonders.
So I am still a very pleased owner, she suits me down to the ground
Hi I am from Cluj Napoca Romania, I have a Matiz from 2006 ( this year the production of the Daewoo Romanian factory stopped ). I had the same problem with the engine light - it went on for some time after i start the car. If I stop and start again after 3-4 km, te light stopped. I asked by telephone about this the dealer and the person said to me to simply change the gas supplier. I did this thing - I buy now from other gas station(also other brand) and the problem dissapeared! I don't know if this was helpful for you but it is my experience concerning the engine light. All the best !
katebear12 Wrote:Matiz Malfunction light on
I wondered if someone might be able to help me with my 2003 Katiewoo
When I start up my car in the morning, the engine light flashes and then permanently stays on. If I get back in the car after a while it seems to correct itself and go out. However, the past 4/5 days it has been remaining permanently on and my car has been very sluggish when I am accelerating (especially up hills). It felt to me like it has a misfire but I am no expert. However, I took it into the local place where I was and was told straight off that it sounded like the coil needed replacing.
In the process they said they cleaned some parts (I was charged nothing which I thought was awesome). Anyhows, the light has now gone off and my lovely Matiz is running smoothly again since this 'clean up' and I have not had the engine light come on once.
A similar thing happened last winter when I was told that it was due to water getting into the engine but the fault cured itself (that time I had taken it to the local Chevrolet dealer and was also charged nothing).
I have the car booked in to get a coil pack fitted on Monday at a cost of £96. I have seen you can get the part for about £25 so is this expensive? Is it likely to need doing or shall I cancel it now that the light is not coming on?
I have also noticed the engine coolant is at the low part...should I just pour some more in? The car was only serviced beginning of June and I dont know that he put some in (it then failed its MOT due to a rear bearing which I had replaced at nearly £100 too).
Any views would be welcome. I do love my car and really want to see that she is ok
Many thanks
Kate
Its back!
But different
Katiewoo is really struggling. Last Thursday her engine light started flashing and then came on permanently again. But now it just continually flashes.
She is going to have her coil done on Thursday now.
I still havent topped the coolant up as I am worried that I will do it wrong....could this be causing the flashing light? It is now below minimum and thought I would ask them to do it on Thursday too.
I guess I will get to see on Thursday if having the coil fixes her.
Re last post, what is 'changing the gas supplier' that you are on about? Do you mean just fill up at a different petrol station??? I last filled up at BP and thought they were good.
Many thanks
(19-08-2008 08:20 PM)katebear12 Wrote: [ -> ]Its back!
But different
Katiewoo is really struggling. Last Thursday her engine light started flashing and then came on permanently again. But now it just continually flashes. She also really 'chugs' when she is stationary..like she is choking herself 
She is going to have her coil done on Thursday now.
I still havent topped the coolant up as I am worried that I will do it wrong....could this be causing the flashing light? It is now below minimum and thought I would ask them to do it on Thursday too.
I guess I will get to see on Thursday if having the coil fixes her.
Re last post, what is 'changing the gas supplier' that you are on about? Do you mean just fill up at a different petrol station??? I last filled up at BP and thought they were good.
Many thanks
(19-08-2008 08:20 PM)katebear12 Wrote: [ -> ]Its back!
But different
Katiewoo is really struggling. Last Thursday her engine light started flashing and then came on permanently again. But now it just continually flashes. She also really 'chugs' when she is stationary..like she is choking herself
She is going to have her coil done on Thursday now.
I still havent topped the coolant up as I am worried that I will do it wrong....could this be causing the flashing light? It is now below minimum and thought I would ask them to do it on Thursday too.
Regardless of the cause of the flashing MIL light, you need to top up the coolant to at least the minimum level (when cold). If you don't and the coolant level drops enough, your engine will overheat, possibly warping the head and wrecking the gasket.
As for the flashing light, you need to find out what this means (a solidly lit light isn't usually as serious as a flashing light); but using the engine in this condition may cause further damage, especially to the catastrophic converter. Your car is new enough that you simply plug in an OBD-2 code reader which will display any errors the engine management system has detected. Argos sell these (RAC branded) for around £50 for a basic model, though as OBD-2 is a standard, you may know others who either have one themselves or have access.
I bought mine about 2 years ago and it helped my dad diagnose the same fault on his Matiz. In his case, the error was "mulitple cylinder misfire", and after some diagnostics of our own, we concluded it was the fuel injector on #1 cylinder at fault. Usually you would replace a faulty injector but we dropped into an ultra-sonic cleaning bath filled with injector cleaner and ran it through about 10 cycles. Since then the fault hasn't appeared again. Of course, this is only in my dad's case - your Matiz may well have a different fault, but without a code reader or OBD-2 scan, you won't know where to start looking.
Darren
Thanks Darren, I did actually do the coolant (anti freeze) today. I went into Halfords and...WAHOO...there was a ready mixed lot so I did that
I was hoping the flashing light might go off but wasnt to be.
Katiewoo goes in for a coil tomorrow so will see what comes of that.
I am not a techie at all...can do water, oil checks, coolant and change a tyre (yes, I can and do!) and that is my limit.
Thanks for the advice. Will let you know how I go.
