After having alternator fitted my engine malfunction light stays on and my ABS light also. Another problem is that of my traction control. When i start the car up and put it into drive (it's automatic vauxhall vectra 2.0 cdx 16v) It clunks into gear and remains in traction control. Usually it would start like this first thing in the morning after lying up for the night but then after pressing on and off once or twice on the T.C. button it goes without a problem. I have just had my alternator reconditioned and refitted but now the mechanic says that because there was a fault with electrics the thingy is still reading it as a fault and needs resetting. HOW DO I RESET THE THINGY ? WHATEVER THE THINGY IS. He said it was to do with the electrics.... I am clueless with cars as u can tell. Please help. The radio is also dead and the sport mode wil not work,sport mode and traction control light wont even come on any more and it's driving like a tank...... help help help,,arrgghh

ROCKY, August 2005

If your abs light and your tcs light are both on then there is good news. You see the two systems are linked by one component. since the both systems are decting a problem then the problem it most likely the component they both share. remember in secondary school those problems you had with intersections, inclusions and exclusions, well its applied here.
Your abs works by differentating the wheel speeds via the wheel speed sensors. Your tcs checks for discrepancies in wheel speed (skid) by checking reference signals from, you guessed it, wheel speed sensors. With that being said, if you have your car checked with a diagnostics scanner, more than likely you will find a wheel speed sensor has failed. Since the tcs only uses signals from the front wheels (your car is front wheel drive) I would guess that one of your front wheel sensors has failed. Have it scanned and good luck!

Trevor Haynes, January 2009

try the fuse in the back of radio just done my alternator radio stopped two days later(nearly put the car up for sale cause of no radio) ah naughty little 5 amp fuse hiding now i have sounds

rich, March 2006

try switching your ignition on and off 30 times sounds tedious but i know this does reset some engine systems.

kevywevy, February 2006