Vauxhall astra engine management light

[david.win]

I have had my car for only two days when i noticed that the engine management light does not come on when i start the engine, i took it to a garage and they told me basically no fault s were found using a computer and not to worry - but i am worried because if something did fail on the car i wouldn't know. about it. I have tried looking for the light bulb to try and change it but couldn't find it (think it might be a built in one), no fuses have blown and every time i try looking for questions on the web it tell me all about the engine management light staying on. Please can any one shed some light on the subjrct because this is really puzzling my brain, thx in advance

[tonyav]

sounds like someone has removed the bulb from it,s holder in the dash or could be that the bulb has blown.

[david.win]

thanks tonyav for trying to help but there is no light bulb for that display area only for the milage, petrol gauge, temp etc none for warning lights, we have just tried changing the whole dash, with all milage bits on and clocks but the light still wouldn't come on, i now think it may be a sensor....

[bigboots]

the light should come on when the ignition is turned on ad go out when the engine starts, i it is not on when the ign on then the bulb has blown ,

[david.win]

That was my first though the bulb had blown but we ruled this out - any other clues what it might be

[heretohelp]

you don't say how old or what car it is but if it is quite old,even as recent as about 10yrs it may not have an on board diagnostic sustem & there for no EML,if you have taken it to a garage they may have mentioned it to you.some car's like old rovers didn't have an EML but still had an on board diag system-which you had to plug in if you had running problem's,another thing you could do is find a car same make-model-year & compare it.

[heretohelp]

sorry you do say what car it is ,my mistake.if it's a diesel astra as i say aprox 10yrs or more old not all of them have an EML.

[david.win]

hi, sorry its a vauxhall astra estate yr 2000, i took it to the garage and they plugged it in to read the ecu (is thats what its called) they found no fault with anything - but still there's no light... The garage told me not to worry about it but we do as when this is perminately lit it tell you theres a problem with the car and shut the engine down. So to me it's good for it to be working

[david.win]

the light that is suppose to be lit is a car with a spanner going down the middle.

[heretohelp]

it should have an eml light but it's probably an LED not a bulb.if you change it & then it still doesn't work it may need a new cluster or programming at a dealer if it has been changed before.could also be a possible wiring fault. ide compare it as i said above so you know where it is,but they are not all the same on diiferent spec model's.

[heretohelp]

some car's of that age only had an EML & not a spanner or emission's light so your car may not have 1 in which case no need to worry.most car's now have both by law

[david.win]

hi thanks for the info i also have a light that looks like an engine, - is that the EML there is no problem with that light, only the car with the spanner light, it was working before we bought it and then we took the car home we noticed that it wasn't... So we do have both lights. Do we need both lights working... As i said before both light were working at one point... Thx again..

[david.win]

Sorry whats a cluster???

[heretohelp]

you should have both light's working if they are fitted 1 is an engine managment light & the other 1 your on about is a spanner/emmision's light.different sensor's bring one or the other on-i.e a lambda sensor will bring an emmision's light on.
the cluster is the instument panell with the speedo warining lights etc in