Check Engine light went on

[Batman1980]

Fun, just when I finished paying off the bill to repair the starter, will be taking it in Monday, hope it's not too serious.

[supersix4]

Watch it be something dumb like catalytic converter which serves no purpose other then emissions cleaning

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Watch it be something dumb like catalytic converter which serves no purpose other then emissions cleaning

The car still runs like it has the whole time I owned it so I'm guessing it's nothing serious but better safe than sorry.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

The car still runs like it has the whole time I owned it so I'm guessing it's nothing serious but better safe than sorry.

Yeah it'll come on if the catalytic converter is acting up its a real **** to get fixed even if it just needs cleaning.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Yeah it'll come on if the catalytic converter is acting up its a real **** to get fixed even if it just needs cleaning.

Going to look into cleaning it myself, if that's all it is, I don't want to pay the exorbitant fee for a diagnostic. Worth the $8 gamble, I think.

[Steel Panther]

Do a more basic simple test. Tighten your Gas Cap =P

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Steel Panther

Do a more basic simple test. Tighten your Gas Cap =P

LOL I'll just run it by Auto Zone, apparently they will check it for free and there's one one mile from here.

[Steel Panther]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

LOL I'll just run it by Auto Zone, apparently they will check it for free and there's one one mile from here.

I wish I was kidding =).... A loose cap can trigger it to come on

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Steel Panther

I wish I was kidding =).... A loose cap can trigger it to come on

Really wasn't loose, still tightened it ever so slightly, so I doubt that was it. Hoping it's that catalytic converter cleaning thing, $8 is a lot better than $400+.

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

The car still runs like it has the whole time I owned it so I'm guessing it's nothing serious but better safe than sorry.

No degradation in performance that you noticed pre- or post-CEL? Not sure what make and model your vehicle is, and it may not be the catalytic converter, but perhaps another part nearby, like an oxygen sensor (something I've replaced twice).

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by PrivatePixel

like an oxygen sensor (something I've replaced twice).

This is always my first thought when someone says their Check-Engine-Light has come on....

It's like the built-in-egg-timer for your car, that brings you back to the dealership for your 50k mile snow-job.

[Blu-Benny]

i go by the rule of "if the light isn't blinking, ignore it".

i always get a kick out of dealerships when it comes to the check engine light. the light came on in my wife's sebring and each dealership i called wanted $60 just to plug it in and check what error the car was throwing.

i called a private guy who has a small shop 1 town over, he said he'd plug it in for free b/c i was already taking it there for an oil change.

i told him u might as well fix it right away then.

[sfmarine]

Ya..if it blinks then you are in trouble haha. Stormcrow or w/e name you go by now..I can't keep track...take it to autozone. They will take care of you and if it's nothing major tell them to shut it off so you don't have to stare at it anymore. The CEL has been on in my Accord for 3 years. :

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

Ya..if it blinks then you are in trouble haha. Stormcrow or w/e name you go by now..I can't keep track...take it to autozone. They will take care of you and if it's nothing major tell them to shut it off so you don't have to stare at it anymore. The CEL has been on in my Accord for 3 years. :

my buddy works for a dealership in our area, he always said, if it's not blinking, it's not important.

[sfmarine]

haha yup and you'll notice a huge difference in performance. I had it blink in my Neon in '07 I was going up a hill and she just became a whole difference car. I was only running on two cylinders. haha Keep up on those tune-up's guys.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by sfmarine

haha yup and you'll notice a huge difference in performance. I had it blink in my Neon in '07 I was going up a hill and she just became a whole difference car. I was only running on two cylinders. haha Keep up on those tune-up's guys.

i had an s-10 for a while, the check engine light came on and would go off on it's own.

and then when i would be driving in the early morning in winter, the temp gage would keep rising until it got into the red, the dash would light up, and then the temp went back down to normal.

i freaked the 1st time it happened but after 3 mornings in a row, i learned to ignore it.

[bageleaterkkjji]

just buy a your own code reader then everytime it goes off you know what it is
i'm guessing it's a defective check engine light light
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LAUNC...item3a614d2cde

there's one, hurry and buy for someone else does you should be able to get one for the price of 1 or 2 blu dizzles

[MrFattBill]

The problem with leaving it on is that if you live in an area where they do emissions tests or some type of inspection yearly like that you won't pass so you won't get your new registration

Bill

[LeAnn]

me general rule of thumb is always to check the gas cap, unhook the battery, wait, reconnect and see what happens...

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

i had an s-10 for a while, the check engine light came on and would go off on it's own.

and then when i would be driving in the early morning in winter, the temp gage would keep rising until it got into the red, the dash would light up, and then the temp went back down to normal.

i freaked the 1st time it happened but after 3 mornings in a row, i learned to ignore it.

Apparently it was a lack of engine coolant/antifreeze so I feel dumb now and am going into hiding for awhile.