My "check engine" light is on. Damnit!!

[Critters2]

If it's not one thing, it's another. Now I've got to get this looked at.

Hope you're having a good day, at least. :hi:

[derby378]

1. What make and model car are you driving?

That might help...

[Critters2]

20. 2002 Ford Focus

80,000 miles

[bullwinkle428]

2. Do you have an Auto Zone store nearby? They'll check the code for free...

...you'll at least know the nature of the problem that caused it, which will let you know if it's serious or not.

[flvegan]

19. ^^^yep^^^

Read that one.

[Critters2]

21. I didn't know this

There is one nearby. I'll go tomorrow! Thanks!

[Breeze54]

3. I had a Ford Escort and that light was on for two years!!

:rofl:

Car drove awesome! I didn't have any problems until it was totaled! :P

Maybe you're just low on oil or water. Pop the hood!

[RebelOne]

28. I had a Ford Taurus and the light was also on for 2 years.

I think it was just the sensor. But eventually, I traded it in.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. Is it still under warranty?

[likesmountains 52]

5. That happened to me..I went to Auto Zone and they checked it on the computer scanner..all that was

wrong was that my gas cap was not screwed on tight..

[trof]

29. Yep, check gas cap/door. Same with Dodge Caravan.

[Orrex]

6. That's easily fixed in two steps

Step One: Go to a mechanic that you trust

Step Two: Prepare to--


Sorry--"Mechanic that you trust!" That's hysterical! Pardon me while I regain my composure!
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:


*Ahem*

Step Two: Prepare to write a check for between $450 and $1100.

[Blue-Jay]

7. Replace the O2 sensor(s).

You have 1 or 2 depending on your engine, and they're cheap and easy to replace. You can do it yourself.

If that doesn't fix the problem, see a mechanic.

[Roon]

8. Oh, I hate that

In Denver you can't license your car if that light is on.

[Critters2]

22. Seriesly?! That seems a little "Big Brother". nt

[Roon]

26. yes, we have strong emission laws here in Denver eom

[supernova]

9. Mine does that frequently

It's usually my gas cap and right after I fill up the tank. Somehow I don't screw it on properly and it loses its suction. So I unscrew the cap and rescrew it back down again, tighter.

I have a Honda, btw.

[Kali]

10. You should probably have it checked, but I have benn driving

a ford van with the check engine light on for 3 or 4 years. I even looked into it at one time nothing serious according to all I could find - I think even the chilton manual was blase about it.

Watch the oil (including changing it and the filter regularly), coolant, and battery terminals and you are pretty safe in terms of vehicle maintenance.

edit to add watch the tires too. (proper inflation and abnormal/excessive wear)

[JVS]

11. BFD, that happens all the time. That light is the little boy who cried wolf

[Wapsie B]

15. Yeah, they don't call 'em idiot lights for nothing.

[Eagle_Eye]

27. The light means the engine computer has detected excessive exhaust emissions

If it is a problem in the fuel control feed back loop (read: your oxygen sensor) the engine defaults to maximum fuel input and your gas mileage goes to crap.

I once bought a car from a used car dealer. There was a piece of black tape on the instrument panel covering up the light. I did not notice it until I was riding in the passenger seat one night and saw this yellow light on the dash. I was more than a little angry (and out of the 30 day warranty period.)

[JVS]

31. My car is 18 years old the light always goes on. I get 39 mpg highway.

Eventually the check engine light will come on and there's nothing reasonable to do to fix it.

[GoneOffShore]

12. My mechanic - really honest guy - honestly told me about those lights

"If performance isn't suffering, your gas mileage hasn't decreased drastically, and the car isn't stalling, it's probably a loose gas cap or loose sensor."
If you're really worried get someone to "pull the codes". It usually has to do with the evaporative system, so it's worth checking, but not "engine life threatening". I rode around with the one on my Saab going on and off for six months. Finally got it fixed.

[Contrary1]

13. Mine did that a few months back...

I searched around online, and one suggestion was to disconnect the battery for
2-3 minutes. It worked. Give that a shot.

[lligrd]

17. Thanks For The Tip

I had a car with the light on for years and no one could find a thing wrong with it. This was when they first came out and Toyota wanted an arm and a leg just to diagnose it. It was such a pain when it came to getting it registered because I had to pay extra to find a mechanic willing to short it (or whatever they did) to get it to pass.

[Wapsie B]

14. My Hyundai has done that if the gas cap wasn't on tight.

Went to Advance Auto and they plugged in their code reader or whatever it's called and read the trouble code from the engine's computer. They reset it and that was that. All of a couple minutes.

[Lars39]

16. Ours has been on so long we put black electrical tape over it.

After we had everything checked out on it first, though. :hi:

[Swede]

18. Mines been on for 6 months.

:shrug:

[Kutjara]

23. In my 2006 Accord...

...the engine will refuse to start and all kinds of dire warning lights will come on if the gas cap isn't screwed on all the way. If even a little fuel vapor reaches the sensor, the car's computer seems to think it's in danger of exploding and dumps the car into a coma. I learned that one the hard way.

Check your gas cap.

[billyskank]

24. My old car would "cry wolf"

The engine light would come on for no fucking reason.

[mainegreen]

30. My engine light is a thermometer. I comes on when the temperature is below 60F.

Weird.

[skyblue]

25. I hate that shit it's that 1 additional unnecessary stressor. marketing tool.

[Throd]

32. That is what electrical tape is for.

[Shell Beau]

33. Sometimes it is just the O2 sensor!

Scary that I know that! :)

[texas1928]

34. Check your radio fluid...

That maybe all it is.

[Critters2]

37. The radio has fluid?

God, machines are complicated!

[MissMillie]

35. check to see if the cover to your gas tank is screwed on all the way

sometimes it's something that simple.

[Mugu]

36. The light means that the car is polluting more than necessary.

Anybody that continues driving with the light on clearly has no respect for the environment. Anybody that lacks respect for the environment should be required to forfeit the offending vehicle.

My comments are not aimed at you mycritters2, but at some of the disturbing replies on this thread.

The suggestion upthread to visit your local Auto Zone is very good advice. In just a few minutes they can tell you what the problem is and if you ask, point at the part that needs to be replaced. Most people can probably replace the part themselves. You'll need to disconnect the negative battery cable for a couple of minutes to reset the computer. You will lose your radio presets and need to reset the clock, and some cars may run a little uneven for a few miles.

Regards, Mugu

[rainbow4321]

38. Been there, done that

A few times.
Once it was the gas cap being left off (whoops, my bad)
Another time it was just the 02 sensor.
This last time (last week) it was the O2 hose that had to be replaced..they said it looked like it had been cut (?).

Oh, yeah, yet another time it was some contaminated gas I had gotten down in Galveston while on vacation. Once I got a new tankful of gas and the dirty stuff went thru/out of the system, the light went off.

[coffeenap]

39. If it is the gas cap or something else simple, some cars have to

be started 3,4,even 5 times before the light goes off! (I have NO idea why.)

[uppityperson]

40. my old subaru does that all the time. Pain in the butt but it's just finicky.

Hope the fix is fast and cheap.

[Fran Kubelik]

41. I blame Chicago

:P

[Critters2]

42. And the DLC! nt

[Fran Kubelik]

45. and pittbulls on steriods

[JVS]

43. I parked my car in Chicago for a couple months and nothing happened

I even forgot to lock the door a couple times and nothing happened when I came back the next day.

[Fran Kubelik]

44. That's because Chicago knows you don't hate it

It only picks on mycritters because she hates it. If she would only embrace that toddling town, Chicago would in fact embraced her in return. :bounce:

[JVS]

46. Actually Chicago sucked ass and I'm glad to be out of that hellhole

But at least nobody fucked with my car

[Critters2]

48. HE said it! Not me!! Flame him!

And I know where he lives....in a general "not in Chicago" kind of way.

[Fran Kubelik]

50. ha!

:rofl:

[JVS]

51. Maybe fun on the North Side, but when you're living outside of the Hyde Park Green zone down South

and busting your hump all day, life isn't so sweet.

Sleep, wake up, work, eat, work, sleep, wake up, work,...

[Critters2]

52. I hope you have flame-resistant jammies. nt

[JVS]

53. They can kiss my flame retardant ass! They couldn't have fucking dealt with the job!

[Critters2]

54. It's not healthy for you to suppress your feelings like this.

Some day....:nuke: Mark my word.

[Fran Kubelik]

49. ,,,

[Critters2]

47. Actually, not locking the door was the wise thing to do

I learned this after the 4th time. If it's unlocked, they don't need to break the window.