Honda CR-V engine management light

Could be one of a number of things. If you let the oil run low, that brings the light on as the VTEC system shuts down. You can also bugger the VTEC actuator on the camshaft doing that too.

If you use Shell fuel, it can bugger the Lambda sensor, or even damage the valves.

Before you get too embarrassed check the oil level.

Andy Hewitt wrote on Fri, 17 Jun 2005 19:00:22 +0100:

Er?

'Er?'?

What's wrong with Shell fuel? And if what you say is correct, why hasn't someone sued them?

cheap petrol puts the light on with astras for instance, but I haven't heard shell problems.

mrcheerful

We've done this before, not too long ago.

It's an observation, and something we've noted as we see the faults occurring. Certainly Lambda sensors are not as much a failure item on Hondas as with other brands, and those that do are usually coated in a black sticky deposit.

It may not just be Shell fuel, others are also putting additives in their fuels now too - notably BP.

Do you know the difference between cheap fuel and expensive fuel? a few pence per litre!

All fuel in a region is sourced at a single supplier - Hertfordshire is all Total (go and check the Buncefield depot at Hemel Hempstead).

The various suppliers simply add their own additives in the tanker. Cheap fuel is actually plain and simple petrol.

It won't embarrass me, it's not my car. I doubt the oil level is low as she's not had it all that long and it's just been serviced and MOT'd. The dealer she bought it from couldn't fix it at the time, and the local Honda bods are doing the work under warranty. We're just curious as to what the cause might be, as they probably won't tell her anything sensible.

In message , Peter Twydell writes

Probably totally unrelated, because the engine management light is just a "some bad shit happened" indicator, but when the light on my Civic came on it was a failing injector. IIRC, Andy's seen that happen before and suspects Optimax.

If that were the problem, it wouldn't be running right, though.

Yes, although not on a CR-V, and normal Shell seems to cause problems too.

True, bad things, like burnt valves, usually cause a misfire.