Maverick Preheating Lamp Issue

Whoa, that sounds familiar! I had something similar happen with my Maverick too (though not the same year). Preheating lamp staying on can be a pain. Check engine light coming on means the computer is sensing something is off, which is pretty broad. Seeing smoke when accelerating is never good, dude. Could be unburnt fuel, meaning your pre-heaters aren't doing their job properly. Have you looked at the cable and plug connection of the preheating control unit like you mentioned?

Yeah, I gave the cable and plug a quick look, but didn't see anything obviously wrong. I wiggled them a bit, but no change. Is there anything specific I should be looking for with the cable or plug? Like, how would I know if it's actually defective? And could that really cause all those symptoms?

Well, a 'quick look' might not be enough, haha. You'd have to check for corrosion or loose pins inside the plug itself. If the connection is bad, the control unit might not be getting the right signal, causing it to keep the preheating lamp on and mess with the engine's combustion. Those new engines are super sensitive, man. Honestly, I chased a similar gremlin for days before figuring out it was a corroded connection. Ended up just taking it to a workshop after all, since I wasn't sure which part was the bad one. They figured it out pretty quick. Sometimes it's just worth the money, you know? An electrical fault can be tricky

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll take it to a shop and have them check those connections more thoroughly. Turns out you were right! The workshop confirmed a bad connection on the preheating control unit. They cleaned it up and replaced a short cable and it cost me 95€. All the symptoms are gone now. Appreciate the help!