Clearing fault codes

[Gooner]

This morning as I was driving to work, my centre console started playing up and I lost the the settings button. In addition, CarPlay disconnected and the car though my phone was still connected despite putting my phone on airplane mode……

At pretty much the same time the EML came on (no loss of power accompanied the light and the car drove normally). Switching the car off and locking it didn’t sort the centre console issue or the engine light.

Got to work, left the car for an hour and the centre console issue had resolved itself but the EML remained.

Connected my OBD reader and saw the error code was P0627. Now it’s not unusual for any Lotus have a wobbly and throw a code for seemingly no reason, so I decided to clear it and see if it came back.

40 miles later and it’s not reappeared.

Now my question is, if you clear a code would it come straight back on if the issue was still present i.e. my issue was just a short term gremlin, or could the issue still be there?

 

[crestima]

Got this from the internet which may help to explain how the car's ECU works in triggering codes for faults. Point 4 below may address your question. Hopefully, you'll find this helpful:

"If you delete OBD2 codes and the underlying issue that caused the codes is still present, the check engine light (CEL) is likely to reappear. The vehicle’s onboard diagnostics system continuously monitors various sensors and systems, and if it detects that a problem still exists, it will trigger the CEL again.

Here are a few points to consider:

1. Pending Codes: Some issues may generate "pending" codes before they trigger a CEL. If the problem is not resolved, the pending code can turn into an active code, causing the CEL to illuminate.
2. Drive Cycle: Some vehicles require a specific drive cycle to reset and monitor systems fully. If you haven't completed this cycle after clearing the codes, the CEL may not appear immediately.
3. Type of Code: Certain codes may not cause an immediate CEL but can lead to one if the issue persists over time.
4. Time Delay: There can be a short delay before the CEL comes back on, depending on the vehicle's monitoring system and how quickly it detects the issue again.

If you continue to drive the vehicle, monitor it for any signs of the CEL reappearing. If it does, you should investigate the underlying problem to prevent further issues."

 

[Gooner]

Spot on, thanks for this.