I have a pretty highly modded cooper s and have found that the emmisions light on the dash comes on now and again.(the one with the symbol of the engine) It hasnt happened for a while but did last nigt and the trouble is it costs me £20 to get a garage to switch it off with there software engine diognostic computor.Is there anyway i can change my settings so that my engine emmisions sensor isnt so sensative .

 

What is causing the light to come on? If its the mixture causing the O2 sensors to kick on the light, then you can get O2 simulators that will prevent this.

 

Im not sure how i could tell if its my 02 sensor but it says its the emmisions warning light inthe manual.Ive been talking with other mini owners who have modded engines and they all seem to have the same problems and some just leave the light on ,but i wonderd if you could change the sensativity of the settings .as the emissions only have to go outside the fine factory set peramiters for a second to trigger the sensitive sesor and trigger the light.

 

Just go buy a scanner, pretty cheap these days, and read the code. Better yet, take off the mods that are causing the problem, there IS a reason why messing with emission control devices is illegal.

 

I live in the UK so the emmision difference is not a problem.And the light can go on just after a milisecond of the emisions going above or below the set guide lines which i understand are very narrow.Alot of the guys over here in the UK with heavily modded cars have the same problem and just live with the light on ,but i find it annoying and just wanted to know if i could change the settings ,with high performance exhuasts ,racing cats and freeflow headers it helps to cause the light to sometimes come on.

 

just mod it further and to hell with global warming tree huggers and their future grand kids.

 

So the UK has no emission testing? They dont care about the envirnoment? If thats so, take the cat off and get more power.

In fact, what he said. Mod the hell out of it and put some black tape over the light

 

I'm betting you're boosting too much for the computer, out dcoing the MAP sensor, just tape it as long as you KNOW nothing is wrong, and have fun.

 

You can get some good diagnostic software from auterraweb.com which will let you monitor many of the cars sensor readings as well as clear any codes that might pop up. It works on either a PDA or laptop, so it is a great program.

 

Thanks guys,We do actualy have emmisions tests on our cars every year but ,mine was about 2% outside the perameter,which is nothing.And due to the mods on my car the general garage that did my yearly vehical test (m.o.t) as we call it in the UK he didnt want to toutch anything he didnt understand.But he did say it would probably clear if i took it for a good blast .But all our cars post 1991 have to have cats.Mines a GTT racing header and cat ,but as i said after speaking with the likes of GTT here in the UK they have said that bmw set the sensors to a very fine perameter and with a modded car its easy for the vehical to have a split second outside the sensor guide line and thus setting the light off on the dash.The guys from GTT have had there lights on for ages but dont worry as they know there motors are ok,but i was only wondering if there were a way to broaden the sensitivity.
Not kill the planet!!

 

First thing you need to know is which sensor is throwing the code. Only way to do this is with a scanner. The trouble code will tell you which sensor is responsible. Then work on either correcting the problem, or finding someone who can fine-tune your ECU to open up the parameter a little bit.

 

Hi thanks thats what i wanted to do but over here in the UK even the tuner guys just say leave it as it wont effect the running which it doesnt ,but its just when the light comes on every now and again and i have to pay to get the car hooked up and have the sensor reset its just a pain more than anything else.Ive got mth software so could the guys remap my system to open the perimeter slightly?

 

When this emission light does on does it dial back performance at all?

 

You have two basic courses of action:

1) Read the stored codes to identify the problem and work, probably with the help of your vendor(s), to correct the running condition that's causing the alert. (I doubt if you'll be able to raise the alert threshhold.)

2) Live with it - possibly with the help of a strategically placed piece of black electric tape like the one over the SRS light on my track car. ;-)

Neil
05 MCS - bog standard
96 M3 - not so much...

 

The 3 times its happend its never caused loss of power or performance and the code has just sudjusted that the sensor perameter has been breached slightly for a breif moment.Apparently I was told by the tuning companies over here that this can happen just by the weather being colder and with the combination of that and hard driving .But as its so infrequent i'll just get it switched off and try and buy a resetting module to save me spending $30 at a tuners/dealer workshop.