Tc Warning light and burning smell

AdamFreelander · Apr 25, 2015

Hi guys

I wonder if anyone can help, a few weeks ago I had my breaks and bullrings changed. Two days ago the TC warning light and hill decent light is on. Thinking nothing of this I carried on driving, I also drive a petrol Suzuki and a van so I the power and revs are different on all. I thought to myself "am I losing power or is it just I haven't driven this much?" well I was losing power when coming off on a motorway or over taking and the revs were really high, an electrical burning smell started to fill the car but I thought it was outside. It wasn't until I stopped that I could smell it was the car, someone said "it smells like the breaks". I have fiddled with the yellow button and ring on gear stick but it doesn't do anything - the lights are still on. I open up the bonet today to see my coolant is throffy and after reading other posts it suggests that a head gasket has gone, but wouldn't I of heard this? Or something else? Is it not strange that the breaks have just been redone and this problem starts? Please please help as this is costing me a lot of money at the moment

Longbolt · Apr 25, 2015

Hi Adam,

I presume yours is a petrol 1.8.

A frothy/bubbling expansion tank can be a sign of head gasket failure. Check also for mayonnaise under the oil filler cap..but that strangely may not be seen.

You really need to get it pressure tested at a good garage to confirm its HGF. But it isn't looking good.

The amber lights may have been thrown up by the O2 sensor unable to cope with the sudden drastic increase in water/coolant thrown out of the cylinder/s into the exhaust.

As to the smell..it is possible to smell a head gasket fail. It usually happens when the gasket fire rings are burned/damaged, then combustion nibbles at other part of the gasket. You don't actually hear anything though in 99% of cases, unless there has been a severe hydraulic/water lock in the affected cylinder/s.

Have took into account the brakes possibly binding, but you would have noticed power loss/smells before now.

Have had x4 HGF's in different FL's throughout the years. And the above is what i, personally, have experienced.

Hippo · Apr 25, 2015

Welcome to the forum.

When the head gasket goes you loose coolant from the reservoir, or see the coolant mix with oil in the reservoir. you won't hear a "bang".

The yellow button is hill decent control or HDC.

Are yer brakes catching?

edit: He's quicker typing than me.

lenny1234 · Apr 26, 2015

AdamFreelander said:
Hi guys

I wonder if anyone can help, a few weeks ago I had my breaks and bullrings changed. Two days ago the TC warning light and hill decent light is on. Thinking nothing of this I carried on driving, I also drive a petrol Suzuki and a van so I the power and revs are different on all. I thought to myself "am I losing power or is it just I haven't driven this much?" well I was losing power when coming off on a motorway or over taking and the revs were really high, an electrical burning smell started to fill the car but I thought it was outside. It wasn't until I stopped that I could smell it was the car, someone said "it smells like the breaks". I have fiddled with the yellow button and ring on gear stick but it doesn't do anything - the lights are still on. I open up the bonet today to see my coolant is throffy and after reading other posts it suggests that a head gasket has gone, but wouldn't I of heard this? Or something else? Is it not strange that the breaks have just been redone and this problem starts? Please please help as this is costing me a lot of money at the moment

I think you may have three separate problems.

The two lights look like the problem I had. http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/two-amigos-brake-lights-dont-work-but-i-think-switch-ok-281460.html Fscked brake switch. Check brake lights are actually working at all!

The hot smell may be no more than what happened to me years ago. 'Yessir I've put in new pads and changed a burned out disk' (but I didn't bother to change the seized calliper that burned out the disc).

200 miles later, disc and pads gone both, and needed a new calliper as well,. Needless to say never used that garage again.

Driving with seized brakes may WELL overheat an engine that has some kind of cooling problem already. Leading to a failed head gasket.

If the gasket is gone, you should consider a new timing belt and camshaft seals as well.

GrumpyGel · Apr 26, 2015

I can't for the life of me think why the TC or HDC lights could be thrown by any condition caused by the engine - eg HGF is not going to raise them. I'd put a code reader on it to find out the problem. If it comes back as something like a brake switch - then that's in no way connected to your other problems. If it comes back as a solenoid - it will tell you which wheel and I'd have a good look at the brakes on that wheel - maybe the brake is binding and generated enough heat in the hub to damage the sensor. If it is just 1 brake though I'd have thought your car would be pulling to 1 side.

Does your ABS light come on when you turn the ignition on and then go out? If so it probably won't be a sensor - but a lot of ABS bulbs have been 'removed'.

Alibro · Apr 26, 2015

Brakes just repaired and suddenly all these issues.
Sounds to me like brakes binding. Might be HGF as well but probably just the engine overheating trying to fight the brakes.
Did you check to see if the wheel hubs are hot? If so get it back to the idiot that worked on it pronto.

Edit: BTW what are bullrings?

Longbolt · Apr 27, 2015

GrumpyGel said:
I can't for the life of me think why the TC or HDC lights could be thrown by any condition caused by the engine - eg HGF is not going to raise them. I'd put a code reader on it to find out the problem. If it comes back as something like a brake switch - then that's in no way connected to your other problems. If it comes back as a solenoid - it will tell you which wheel and I'd have a good look at the brakes on that wheel - maybe the brake is binding and generated enough heat in the hub to damage the sensor. If it is just 1 brake though I'd have thought your car would be pulling to 1 side.

Does your ABS light come on when you turn the ignition on and then go out? If so it probably won't be a sensor - but a lot of ABS bulbs have been 'removed'.

Doesn't look as though we are going to get anymore feedback from the Op on this either way.

Seemed funny it took a few weeks after the brakes being done for a problem to show up. It must have been a hell of a problem brake wise as well to overheat the motor.

Just a point. HGF on a 1.8 (especially the early ones as no MIL light) can throw TC and HDC ambers due to O2 problems and other things totally unrelated to the ABS & TC System. As mentioned, it has happened to me on more than one occasion with more than one vehicle.

GrumpyGel · Apr 27, 2015

Yeh, I suppose we have seen plenty of threads on here where electrical faults light up, turn on or turn off completely unrelated equipment!

Having had brake work done, it would point in that direction, but as the poor old VCU is the root cause of all problems Freelander related ( :wink: ) I wonder if the OP has a flattish tyre and the transmission is binding up - could also cause loss of power & engine over heating - maybe the smell is just a very hot engine.

There's also other stuff in the OPs post that doesn't add up. Its obviously a manual - so why would the revs go "really high" - maybe its actually the clutch that's gone - that'd create an awful stench as well.

Longbolt · Apr 27, 2015

GrumpyGel said:
Yeh, I suppose we have seen plenty of threads on here where electrical faults light up, turn on or turn off completely unrelated equipment!

Having had brake work done, it would point in that direction, but as the poor old VCU is the root cause of all problems Freelander related ( :wink: ) I wonder if the OP has a flattish tyre and the transmission is binding up - could also cause loss of power & engine over heating - maybe the smell is just a very hot engine.

There's also other stuff in the OPs post that doesn't add up. Its obviously a manual - so why would the revs go "really high" - maybe its actually the clutch that's gone - that'd create an awful stench as well.

That's a good point, maybe clutch or transmission!.

Looks like it may be another of these flash in the pan jobs we never hear the outcome of anyway.

Tc Warning light and burning smell

AdamFreelander

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Longbolt

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Hippo

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lenny1234

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GrumpyGel

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Alibro

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Longbolt

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GrumpyGel

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Longbolt

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