My check engine light came on yesterday when I left work. I am not sure I cranked down the gas cap on the last fill up; could that be it? I refilled it this morning but light has not gone off.
Engine Light Came On
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It could be the gas cap, but you'll have to drive it a for a while before the light will go off, if that's the problem. If it's something more serious, you could do more damage by driving it. If you know someone with a Scangauge, you could pull the code and see what it is, otherwise it means a trip to the dealer to determine the cause. Make sure you check the usual stuff before doing too much driving, especially engine coolant, oil level, etc.
Mine came on last night as well. I filled up yesterday morning on the way to work, after work I was on the way home when it started running on 2 cylinders, the engine light came on. I was in the middle of nowhere, so I kept on till I got home. I have a scan gauge, NO CODES FOUND. It was a little scary getting up inclines, I managed to get up my driveway, checked scan gauge again, still nothing, it started smoothing out. I shut it off, restarted, it was running normal, engine light off. I'll see what happens when I head to town this afternoon. I'm right at 15000 miles. I did check gas cap it was tight.
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don't forget a lot of the automotive parts stores and muffler and transmission shops will run a scan for codes for free or small charge. Of course they do this in hope it will point out you needing to spend money with them but I have heard and seen that most around here in PA are honest and it only takes 2 minutes to get a code and do the look-up and even print a diagnosis.
Scangauge II is still a great investment if you like to play for under $150.
Scangauge II is still a great investment if you like to play for under $150.
I was real happy with Advance Auto - and I'll direct my business their way when appropriate - because they have no issue checking your codes for you, no charge.
schtdygirl - It's one of two things: 1) if you have an '08 you might have a P0410 code which is a real simple sensor changeout at your Smart Center, or 2) something else.
wildman - the "limp home" mode is when the center triangle illuminates and your response is poor, perhaps making you think it's two cylinders. Check your coolant! We've seen three engines fry because either the coolant reservoir isn't behaving (leak, missing cap) or there's a bad hose. These have resulted in the check engine light and limp home mode, I believe.
schtdygirl - It's one of two things: 1) if you have an '08 you might have a P0410 code which is a real simple sensor changeout at your Smart Center, or 2) something else.
wildman - the "limp home" mode is when the center triangle illuminates and your response is poor, perhaps making you think it's two cylinders. Check your coolant! We've seen three engines fry because either the coolant reservoir isn't behaving (leak, missing cap) or there's a bad hose. These have resulted in the check engine light and limp home mode, I believe.
Dealer checked codes: "Code P0497 (purge flow of the evaporative emission control system is too low) current and code P0455 (a gross leak in the evaporative emission control system was detected) stored. Followed guided test for Code PO497. Performed actuation of Y58 (fuel tank ventilation valve), spec: valve is heard and felt to operate cyclically. Act: Valve does not operate. Checked internal resistance of Y58, Spec: 20-30 OHMS, Act: 55 OHMS, excessive resistance in fuel tank ventilation valve. Replaced valve."
The good news is that they got me in and out of the dealership in 90' with a clean car, under warranty. Wasn't gas cap.
The good news is that they got me in and out of the dealership in 90' with a clean car, under warranty. Wasn't gas cap.
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OK, I had that code P0497 last week and was going to have the valve changed. I was out of warranty by 2 months/4500 miles so wasn't in much of a hurry, esp after what BBB had said (in another thread) about driving it. So I drove it, a bit harder than I usually did, and (lo and behold!), after two days (and 150 miles) of dusting the roads, the CEL went off. I used the Scangauge to look for the code; it's still there, but no more CEL. Wohoo!
I will ask them to check the valve, anyway, when I go in for my 30K...
I will ask them to check the valve, anyway, when I go in for my 30K...
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I had a CEL come on the next day after I had filled up the ol' gas tank. I filled 'er up at the gas station left and had no CEL at all but next day driving around CEL came on. I called the dealer and they said it probably was the evaporative something mabogger (forgot exact thing they said) and it would go away on it's own probably. The light did go away on it's own and next time I had car at dealer for other item they got the stored code off car from the alert and cleared it in the computer.
Wildman same thing happen to mine yesterday too. live 75 miles from dealer so called them (Dalles, Tx.) I was tolded that it might be that the gas I got may have to mush ethanal in it. that when thay witch from winter to summer gas that the mix is higher some times in ethanal and the smart dont like to run on it that well. He said go to a chevron staion and get the gas addtive with techon in it and put it in the tank, run that tank out and see if that clears it up. if not then bring it in. Let us know what you came up with?
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Did you talk to Joe at SCI ??? :wink:
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