|
On my 2013 M3, on different starts, I get different numbers of warnings on the dashboard - sometimes several warning lights, sometimes two, sometimes 1 and sometimes none. The one that always seems to be there is the SES light. The car then posts the message "Increased emissions!" With an exclamation mark, no less - like you bad, bad boy, you're screwing up mother earth.
In any case, this got me to thinking. What does "increased emissions" mean? To me it means there exists some kind of fixed emissions baseline in the car somewhere. In addition, something is constantly calculating the emissions generated by my car and going out the exhaust.
Then, the two are constantly compared somewhere in the car. That is, my generated emissions are compared to the baseline emission and if, for example, a ratio exceeds a certain amount, the SES light goes on.
Could it be that if that emissions ratio exceeds another predetermined value the car will be thrown into limp mode?
What I'm thinking is that perhaps there is nothing really wrong with the parts in your car. And the car could go on indefinitely. Except that someone has determined you are exceeding what they believe is the acceptable amount of emissions going out your back end. Therefore you and your car are assigned the limp mode.
In other words, you're not necessarily going into the limp mode because of a parts malfunction. But, for sure, you're going into the limp mode because you are exceeding an emissions standard programmed in the car.
I'm suggesting that when you begin to diagnose a limp mode, you start by assuming the computer (ECU?) in your car gave you the limp mode because of some emissions related problem it senses. Then look at the codes, especially look for the SES warning light.
|