1998 Esprit GT3 MOT: Advisory - Amber engine management light - is there an OBD?

[esprit gt3 nickbassett]

Hi,

1998 Esprit GT3 has just received an Advisory on its MOT:

• Engine management light on

According to the MOTing garage, this is amber.  However, in 14 years of ownership I have never ever had the engine management light illuminate.  Garage has asked if the car is fitted with an OBD socket for them to plug in to.  Can anyone offer advice and assistance, please?  If it does not have an OBD socket, what would you do?  There is a Hendy Lotus in Southampton that advertises being able to "fix almost any fault on your Lotus".  I bet they've not dealt with anything pre-Elise, though.  Does it need a proper Lotus specialist?

Any help and assistance is appreciated.  TIA.

Nick.

[Bibs]

We've a whole section dedicated to this mate

https://forums.thelotusforums.com/forum/85-ecufreescanespritmon/

[esprit gt3 nickbassett]

Thanks Bibs, I've had a look around but there's no quick fix for the garage for tomorrow.  Still left wondering: does the car have any OBD socket at all?

[Sparky]

No, no standard OBD socket.  You need a specific cable and Freescan or EspritMon software.  10 minute job to diagnose (generally) if so, and many of us do.  Probably an owner near you, wherever you are?

[Bazza 907]

Southsea, Hampshire?

[eeyoreish]

I'm only down the road in Chichester but my Esprit is a strictly analogue carb N/A.

[esprit gt3 nickbassett]

Thanks Neil.

Hi Barrie, re Southsea; are you saying that you are in Southsea, or that you remember or know that I am?  Anyway, yes I'm in PO5 just behind Albert Road, near the Kings Theatre.  Are you Southsea too?

[Bazza 907]

Hi Nick

Sorry it was in response to Sparky asking where you were located - I saw your location and was flagging that to him

 

[Bibs]

You can contact @internets and he's the ALDL cable man. Once you've got that, you can run Espritmon or Freescan and diagnose the fault. The other less sophisticated option is to use a paperclip in the ALDL socket and count the flashes of the CEL to find out the code.