23
votes
Accepted
What possible causes for the "check engine" light can I check for myself?
You've come to the right place. There's a lot that you can do on your own. Even if all you end up doing is gathering more information for the mechanic who ends up working on the car, they never mind ...
- 24.3k
16
votes
Accepted
Sharp cornering is turning my Service light on for a second
It could be that you are cornering so hard that you're pushing the oil in the sump to one side, away from the pickup pipe. This temporarily means you're oil pump is sucking up air and you are ...
- 23.5k
14
votes
What CAN'T the check engine light tell you?
A Set of Standards for Error Codes
I'm sure that someone is going to come up with a much more exhaustive answer, but for a good start, you need to understand that there are MANY different standards ...
- 2,567
10
votes
why the check engine light on 75 mph speed?
A P2757 DTC is a torque converter clutch solenoid valve issue
The valve engages a torque converter at higher speeds to lock your transmission and engine at a 1:1 ratio. This engagement, obviously, ...
- 33k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I pull error codes from my Kawasaki motorcycle?
How do I pull error codes from my Kawasaki motorcycle?
Here are the instructions to pull error codes from your 2001 or later Kawasaki street motorcycle.
Step 1
Pull off your seat and near the battery ...
- 33k
7
votes
My BMW 325xi smells like gas
The fact that you can smell fuel in the exhaust is a strong indication that the engine is running rich.
This means that there is more fuel than required by the engine. There are many things which ...
- 39.1k
7
votes
What possible causes for the "check engine" light can I check for myself?
I think you may have mistaken a service interval indicator for a check engine light. Modern cars will ask to be serviced at regular intervals, even if no fault exists. There indicators can usually be ...
- 23.5k
7
votes
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Meaning of dashboard "Check Engine Light" on motorbike
That's the check engine light, or CEL - if it lights up, you have a problem with the engine and should stop and investigate it.
If it's blinking, count the number of flashes, as this will indicate a ...
- 28.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Does waiting until the gas cap become faulty cause any damage?
I was able to find the exact verbiage on Amazon for a Toyota gas cap. It implies that you will get a CEL (check engine light) and you could, which could cost you money to get it checked out.
Here is ...
- 1,154
6
votes
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Why does the check engine light have a pulley on top?
Maybe its a stylised 1950's era air-filter pancake on a carburettor throat?
source
Icons tend to be retained long after the thing they were based on has changed substantially
- 925
5
votes
Accepted
Why does the Check Engine code for emissions failure disable traction control and cruise?
Because it's dangerous with erroneous data
This is actually very smart on Subaru's part. I have to give them credit.
If you have sensors that are faulting you could be giving an ECE false or ...
- 33k
5
votes
Accepted
OBD-II reader has power but shows nothing
Turns out this particular issue wasn't due to me running the car out of battery (I believe) but actually to a blown fuse. I guess I had previously left the OBD II plugged in for awhile and apparently ...
- 827
5
votes
2001 Ford Explorer High Idle
The P1506 code is an idle air control overspeed error.
From autocodes.com:
The P1506 code means that the engine idle is out of factory specification. Sometimes the Idle Air Control (IAC) may have ...
- 5,245
5
votes
Is the vehicle code gone or does a mechanic have to clear it?
If you're worried about the car passing emissions testing, seeing the check engine light go off is a good sign. Where I live, you can't be failed because the light used to be on.
The status of the ...
- 24.3k
4
votes
99 honda civic motor issues
It sounds to me like you mechanic friends are correct. From your description, the car was driven too long on low oil and is now suffering the effects. If you have topped the oil off and are still ...
- 153k
4
votes
Read error codes without scanner on Pontiac G6
As this article points out, the ability to blink codes was available with older OBD-I vehicles. Once the OBD-II standard hit, the ability to "blink" out codes was lost. This changeover to ODB-II ...
- 13.3k
4
votes
Does the checkengine light clear itself on it's own or require manual clearning?
If the condition that caused it to come on is a minor fault, and stops occurring, then yes, it will clear itself. If the condition indicates a larger problem, then it will stay on until cleared ...
- 183
4
votes
What CAN'T the check engine light tell you?
The check engine light comes on for issues that the ECU can detect from its many sensors. The ECU controls fuel and spark. This means the ECU will not come on for mechanical issues that cannot be ...
- 8,443
4
votes
Accepted
revving sounds and the engine cut
Those symptoms could well be caused by an air leak allowing unmetered air into the engine. This would cause a weak mixture when driving which could explain the lack of power and the cutting out. It ...
- 24.9k
4
votes
No Acceleration, loss of power, backfiring, CEL, stalling
There are scanners that will talk to OBD1 computers, but most shops (I would guess) don't have the equipment anymore. I got rid of my OBD1 equipment last year. I've seen ≤ 2 cars that required me to ...
- 10.7k
4
votes
Can mixing octanes cause the check engine light to come on?
Using a higher octane fuel should not have caused the SES light to turn on.
The only fill-up-related thing I can think of which would cause the SES to turn on is if there is a bad batch of fuel (...
- 39.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Hyundai Tucson dash lights
The engine oil stayed on because it indicates low oil pressure, theres no oil pressure until the engine is running.
The battery light stayed on because it indicates the alternator isn't charging. It ...
- 2,781
4
votes
Accepted
P2646 after Head Gasket Replacement....WRONG or NO OIL?
A straight answer to
Did they use the wrong oil causing this to happen???
No. The wrong oil wouldn't, at leas not 10W30 instead of 5W20 would make no noticeable difference in 30 minutes. Maybe ...
- 3,284
4
votes
Accepted
Mysterious Check Engine Light but no codes
The CEL can be triggered for a number of reasons, depending on what the manufacturer wanted. Only some of those reasons are emissions-related. Everything in the OBDII code list is, in some way, ...
- 3,149
3
votes
Accepted
Does a full fuel tank speed up the CEL turning off after changing the fuel cap?
There is know way to know how the software was programmed for any given car, from that I know most systems will not do a fuel tank integrity vacuum check when the tank is either past 3/4 or below 1/4, ...
- 8,010
3
votes
My BMW 325xi smells like gas
Sounds like a possible evaporative system issue involving the purge valves that vent fuel vapor from the gas tank. If the OBDII -on board diagnostic code that triggers the check engine light is P0440 ...
- 3,917
3
votes
Does waiting until the gas cap become faulty cause any damage?
I've never seen replacing the fuel cap as any part of the maufacture recommend maintenance. Some vehicles now don't even have one, the seal is made internally or by the fuel hatch door.
Once on an ...
- 128
3
votes
Intermittent CEL, several codes
P0171 - System Too Lean (Bank 1) (Immature)
P0507 - Idle Air Control System RPM Higher Than Expected (History) (Immature)
Potential vacuum leak: I can hear a steady hissing sound near the intake ...
- 39.1k
3
votes
How to fix P1167 in a 2001 Honda Accord, with a F23A4 engine
This is assuming you don't have access to a scantool that can communicate with a Honda ECM and without bidirectional controls.
Key On Engine Running (this may work Key On Engine off) disconnect the ...
- 10.7k
3
votes
Accepted
Does P0420 on a Vibe result from a pre- or a post- O2 sensor?
Dealing with mechanics
If you're going to take it to a mechanic anyway, you are probably better off letting that same mechanic do the diagnosis and obtaining the correct part(s). Bringing parts and a ...
- 2,847
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible