Transit 2012 exclamation and gear light on dash

[Tyrhone]

Hi all, we are half way through converting our 2012 T350 100 RWD Ford Transit

yesterday driving home a new issue popped up. ! exclamation with a gear around it lit up on the dashboard, then driving home we had low power and had to pull over, after about 30 minutes started her up and the light on the dash was gone and she drove fine. Reading the book it says it could be a transmission issue, but we have recently had an alarm system added to the car and more recently had a diesel heater connected to the battery, I was wondering if these could have messed with the electrical system and this could be causing the fault, or if it is more likely a transmission issue I need to go get checked?

All the mechanics seem booked out for the next 2 weeks and we need to move our build a 3 hour drive away, not sure we will make it now!

Thanks for any ideas you might have.

Cheers
Tyrhone

[Cider Andy]

It's not a transmission warning lamp, it's the powertrain warning lamp. The system has two warning lamps, this one and another with an engine symbol. When one or other of the various ECUs detects a fault it may (or may not!) light an indicator and it may or may not reduce engine power. As your van went back to normal it's likely it's an intermittent fault, although it will have been stored. Get the codes read as a starting point.

[Tyrhone]

It's not a transmission warning lamp, it's the powertrain warning lamp. The system has two warning lamps, this one and another with an engine symbol. When one or other of the various ECUs detects a fault it may (or may not!) light an indicator and it may or may not reduce engine power. As your van went back to normal it's likely it's an intermittent fault, although it will have been stored. Get the codes read as a starting point.

Thanks Cider Andy, drove it around a bit today and no more faults coming up, going to try and get to a mechanic tomorrow to get the codes read and hope for the best. Now to research how much a drive train failure could cost us!

[knobby1]

Thanks Cider Andy, drove it around a bit today and no more faults coming up, going to try and get to a mechanic tomorrow to get the codes read and hope for the best. Now to research how much a drive train failure could cost us!

It'll possibly be the EGR playing up....reasonably common....that's my guess FWIW.

Trouble with going to a mechanic or a dealer to get codes read is that they will most certainly bend you over to do it...

Lord Knobrot

[Tyrhone]

Thanks Cider Andy, drove it around a bit today and no more faults coming up, going to try and get to a mechanic tomorrow to get the codes read and hope for the best. Now to research how much a drive train failure could cost us!

It'll possibly be the EGR playing up....reasonably common....that's my guess FWIW.

Trouble with going to a mechanic or a dealer to get codes read is that they will most certainly bend you over to do it...

Lord Knobrot

Went to two different mechanics today to get the codes read (fortunately in Romania labour is cheap so charged about 10 bucks each), both said they couldn't find a fault, just a glow plug fault we already knew about. One guy said maybe there is a communication error with the sensor to the board or something like that, the other guy said he has no idea if there is no error code. We did get told to change the glow plugs though or it could affect the particle filter, so booked in to do that on wednesday for about 110 euro.

We will keep watch on the powertrain light and see what happens, hopefully it was just a once off engine fart, a man can hope right...