Check engine light on

[Monkey39]

So the check engine light came on solid today when the wife fired it up after work... she drove it home and said it drove as normal. I checked the gas cap and its tight... battery connections tight etc.. So I disconected the battery and im going to go hook it back . My question is assuming it stays on is it ok to drive still ( assuming its a sensor or something) is there a way to pull codes without a tool ( i.e with dodges you can cycle the ignition 3 times ). Also read something that says if the engine light is flashing its something that needs attention right away ?

[normsadler]

I'm not sure if you can get the codes without a code reader. I paid $110 once for a garage to read codes ... never again. Buy a code reader, it is worth the money and peace of mind knowing why the light is on.



If the light is flashing, I believe it means the engine is missfiring. This can cause damage, get it looked at right away.



As long as the light is on solid and the vehicle is running ok, don't panic. There is just something not quiet right, somewhere, and once you read the code it will point you in the right direction to getting it fixed.



Let me see if I can list all the reasons my light has come on in the last three years...



Gas cap ... replaced it

Oxygen sensor bad ... replaced it

Catalytic converters plugged ... replaced them around 175,000km (wow, lot more power now)

Air filter plugged ... returning from the first Quebec Hummer Rally Off-Road.

Gas tank purge value and filter plugged with mud ... twice, replaced it once and just cleaned it the second time, really need to move that up higher to keep it out of the mud.

Anti-knock sensors ... replaced sensors and wires, removed foam and create a silicone dam to prevent future problems.

... and if you have made major modifications (K&N, High flow exhaust, large tires, changed gearing, etc), then a professional tune will make it run much better.





Oh, and when you removed the battery the vehicle will take a bit to get running smoothly again. Don't panic, it isn't broke and your battery isn't dead. Turn the key on and wait a minute. Try starting the vehicle a few times, it will likely stall a few times and won't idle. Turn it off, back on, and start it again. Repeat this until you can get it to run. Now drive it for a bit ... expect it to stall at the first few corners. After about 15-30 minutes it should be back to normal. The computer needs to re-learn how to run.



Hope that helps.

[Monkey39]

[quote name='Tanky' timestamp='1325258363' post='33950']

I'm not sure if you can get the codes without a code reader. I paid $110 once for a garage to read codes ... never again. Buy a code reader, it is worth the money and peace of mind knowing why the light is on.



If the light is flashing, I believe it means the engine is missfiring. This can cause damage, get it looked at right away.



As long as the light is on solid and the vehicle is running ok, don't panic. There is just something not quiet right, somewhere, and once you read the code it will point you in the right direction to getting it fixed.



Let me see if I can list all the reasons my light has come on in the last three years...



Gas cap ... replaced it

Oxygen sensor bad ... replaced it

Catalytic converters plugged ... replaced them around 175,000km (wow, lot more power now)

Air filter plugged ... returning from the first Quebec Hummer Rally Off-Road.

Gas tank purge value and filter plugged with mud ... twice, replaced it once and just cleaned it the second time, really need to move that up higher to keep it out of the mud.

Anti-knock sensors ... replaced sensors and wires, removed foam and create a silicone dam to prevent future problems.

... and if you have made major modifications (K&N, High flow exhaust, large tires, changed gearing, etc), then a professional tune will make it run much better.





Oh, and when you removed the battery the vehicle will take a bit to get running smoothly again. Don't panic, it isn't broke and your battery isn't dead. Turn the key on and wait a minute. Try starting the vehicle a few times, it will likely stall a few times and won't idle. Turn it off, back on, and start it again. Repeat this until you can get it to run. Now drive it for a bit ... expect it to stall at the first few corners. After about 15-30 minutes it should be back to normal. The computer needs to re-learn how to run.



Hope that helps.

[/quote]





It drove fine right away. and the engine light hasnt came back on... Hopefully the old lady just didnt tighten the gas cap enough.... guess we'll see

[dwaxman1]

great list Norm.. mine is almost exactly the same.. wow...except I did relocate the fuel tank purge valve and filter..after the third time..

[Gadgets]

[quote name='dwaxman1' timestamp='1325432548' post='33981']

great list Norm.. mine is almost exactly the same.. wow...except I did relocate the fuel tank purge valve and filter..after the third time..

[/quote]



I had to clean out my valve, boy was it full of mud. I tried to get the filter out, but the damn thing just wouldn't let go of the bracket. I could move it all over the place, but it just wouldn't move enough so I could get the hoses off. Is there a trick to getting that thing out?

[normsadler]

[quote name='Gadgets' timestamp='1325907881' post='34249']

I had to clean out my valve, boy was it full of mud. I tried to get the filter out, but the damn thing just wouldn't let go of the bracket. I could move it all over the place, but it just wouldn't move enough so I could get the hoses off. Is there a trick to getting that thing out?

[/quote]



I removed the one bolt holding the bracket, removed the hoses and then removed the top of the filter.