Traction Control and Service Warning Lights

[Jimboss]

Hi

In the last couple of days when i've been driving hard the traction control and service warning lights flick on. When i press the traction control button it makes no difference - the warning light stays on!

When i have had chance to stop i turn the engine off and back on - and both warning lights have gone.......any ideas??

the car had a full service just 1K ago. Shes got 12.5K on the clock

 

[Streetfighter]

The traction control light will flick on when traction control is active, i.e sometimes when driving hard or in slippery (dangerous?) conditions. If you press the traction control button it turns off the traction control and illuminates the indicator on the dash to remind/display the fact it's turned off.

As for the service light ??????????

 

[tonto]

Is you ABS light coming on at the same time??

If so I had the same issue. Took it to renault and they diagnosed that my ECU software thought my brake pads were low (which they weren't). Re-calibrated the system and all now well.

Worth getting an engine diagnostic done to find out where the fault signal is coming from, I'd think!!

 

[Jimboss]

No ABS light comes on...so i hope it isn't the brakes.

The traction control doesn't just flicker on/off ....it stays on, regardless of pressing the TS switch , until you restart the car...........i think i better roll it in to the garage before the warranty runs out!

 

[Cue]

could be your fluid level in the brakes- if the level is low it'll come on and looks as though it's the traction control light.

It's neigh on impossible to check the brake fluid level as reno in their infinite wisdom put the bottle right at the back of the engine bay and the level indicator is always covered in crud.

Do you notice it more on hills or round bends etc? this will make a difference.

If you've never had the brake level checked i'd get it looked at, the car's over 2 years old so the fluid should be replaced by now - every two years preferably as it's soooo corrosive to the fluid lines.

 

[Guest]

Hi James,

Sorry to hear it's behaving weirdly - it's not a problem I've come across in my time with the car, just to clarify. Hope Renault sort it for you ASAP!

 

[Luke335]

Anyone know any more on this? I had my ESP/Traction control light and service light come on over christmas and the car wouldn't start. No other lights. The AA couldn't get it to start but the next day it went on it's own. When I got to the garage the lights had gone out and there were no fault codes stored.

I just went out to fit my ITG Maxogen and the lights came on again. The car started and my fault code reader says there are no faults stored! Brake pedal switch and brake fluid level seem fine. Lights went out again later but I don't want to fit the ITG until I figure out what it is.

The last time the garage metioned that it could be the TDC Sensor? Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Cue]

faults are only stored if the lights stay on for more than 10 seconds, if you can replicate it try plugging the reader in then turning on the engine (with the fault lights showing).

sounds strange whatever the fault is, i would presume it to be a sensor failure or maybe just damp getting into tthe electronics.... gremlins?

 

[hoolio]

Luke that sounds like a similar problem i had with mine very early on, but i can't remember which lights came on. Was taken to the garage and though they could find no problem they reflashed the ecu and absolutely no trouble since then.

Mmm just checked not the same lights i'm afraid.

 

[Luke335]

Thanks guys.
I guess it would't hurt to reflash the ECU.

Cue, the lights were showing for about half an hour while the fault reader was plugged in but it didn't read any faults. I think they went out when I switched it off and on again though. I hope It wasn't a waste of money, but it gives readings from water and air temperature, manifold pressure etc so I'm assuming it would read the fault codes if there were any. It's a scandisk.

Looks like I'll need to speak to the dealer again.

Cheers.

 

[trophy315]

I had a similar problem, the cruise control didn't work either when the TC and service lights came on. I eventually managed to drive to dealer with the lights still on so they saw i!. It was something to do with the brake pedal switch, which they replaced. I'm sure ive read that this is a common fault. Was never linked to hard driving for me though.

 

[Luke335]

Thanks. It's nothing to do with hard driving with mine either. I can't see anything wrong with the connections, so I'll talk to the garage.

I guess it would have to disable the cruise control otherwise it wouldn't switch off when you press the brake pedal. I'll try it if it happens again.

 

[Cue]

i've heard of this brake pedal problem before, i believe there's a sensor or switch that can be damaged, when this is damaged it can cause some of the symptoms you're referring to but it wouldn't show the engine emissions light.

 

[Jimboss]

since i posted my fault - took it down the dealship - no faults found although the warning lights were not on at the time. warning lights have come once since then. again simply turned the car off and back on and lights went away. im not going to tear my hair out over it just yet. If it becomes an issue i'll look into it further.

on another note......should the car be ticking over around the 970ish rpm mark when idle??? the cars sound/revs i think are a little erractic when engine is warm and idling! as far as im aware i have no uprated cams.

 

[reboot]

Thought the idle was a gallic nod to carb engined cars of the past with a dialled in lumpy idle! My previous two RS Clios and 106 Rallyes did this too.

On the Service warning light, I find this comes on (flashing on and off) if engine left idling for more than about 3/4 mins. If I turn engine off and on again the light goes out. Only happened twice as I don't make a habit of leaving engine running at idle for long periods and so far haven't worried about it and there seems not other problem with the car. (Very similar thing happened on my VW V6 too, though the light stayed on permanently)

Never had a problem with the traction control light, though.

 

[Luke335]

Emissions light doesn't come on Cue.

The first time this happened the car wouldn't start. I'm just a bit concerned about getting stranded again. It does sound like it's the brake switch though.

Jimboss, I think they all idle roughly.

 

[Cue]

the brake switch wouldn't stop the car form starting though..... o2 sensor maybe?

 

[tholman]

How bizzare

I have had this exact same problem this morning, while tootling along at 50mph SERV and ESP (Traction Control) lights coming on, and switch does nothing. Stopped engine and restarted when in traffic queue and lights went off.
Checked ESP while pulling away and it still worked after this (normal flashing light).

So I'm puzzled too after reading all this?

 

[Jimboss]

that is exactly the same problem as i have experienced. doent seem to have any detrimental impact on the car in any way...................could it be down to electrical gremlins?? as the dealer had no idea

 

[Luke335]

My car is going in to the dealer tomorrow. Not too confident though! I'll post an update afterwards.