(no subject)

[razorjak]

I'll be the first to admit I know jackshit about cars. I know how to drive. I know how to change the oil and keep the fluids topped off, etc etc etc.

But to actually know what's wrong with a car? Nope, not a chance.

Sooo, I'm driving home from the grocery store and I notice the "Check Engine" light starts to flicker and then go solid. There's no weird noises. No whines or wurrs or whathaveyou. I just had the oil changed.

Seriously? What good is the "check engine" light if you really don't have the money to take it into a shoppe to have it looked at?

Comments

[montieth.livejournal.com]

You might be able to borrow a diagnostic box from an Autozone or similar shop. Get a chiltons and factory service manual for it as well. Some vehicles have a diagnostic mode that'll let you bridge two pins, hit some electronic control inside (turn signals, starter key, etc) and actually get X number of flashes out of a light to work through an odd sort of diagnostic tree to determine problems. It'll take time, but you'll be able to sort out a problem on the cheap.

Also, the emissions control bits will sometimes trigger an error like this if there is something as simple as a loose gas cap on the fuel tank. Check the manual for that error code (could be that or a separate service engine error light).

[mspaintchuk.livejournal.com]

Thats exactly what I came in to say.

[littlecrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Autozone suggestion is a good one, if they can do it for your model of car. If you can get the error codes, you can always look up more info on them online. I've had to do that before.

[serpent-sky.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, and I know this from experience, it could be something easy, like your gas cap isn't on quite right or something stupid like that. At least check that first -- that was causing me a check engine light for a while, actually, on my old car.

[gwyrah.livejournal.com]

I could be as simple as your gas cap is not tightened properly or that you need to change your air filter. Usually if you have a solid check engine light it means something is wrong with the emissions system or a sensor has gone bad. If the check engine light is flashing that's when the 4 horsemen of the...err your about to blow your engine up real good.

[the-fury.livejournal.com]

You should check the oil cap and drain plug as well as the gas cap. Yeah, the oil pressure light would probably come on first, but since you mentioned just getting your oil changed it's a good things to check.

[mspaintchuk.livejournal.com]

What make/model/year?

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

1997 Buick LeSabre

[prgrmr.livejournal.com]

How many miles on it?

[ladycelest.livejournal.com]

I can tell you that!! Over 100,000.

[prgrmr.livejournal.com]

Ouch!

You wouldn't also happen to know if the catalytic converter or any of the oxygen senors have been replaced?

[ladycelest.livejournal.com]

No idea.

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

voice of experience speaks, eh?

[prgrmr.livejournal.com]

Yes. All too recent, all too expensive experience.

[edwards.livejournal.com]

JUST over 100,000? Some cars (Subaru, probably GM) will put the check engine light on around 100K just to prompt you to take it in to a garage and have the cat checked out.

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

106,000 miles

[edwards.livejournal.com]

Look up the reset procedure for your car (can either be "short these pins" or "press gas 20 times with ignition on" - stuff like that) and see if it comes back on.

If it is just the 100K "take me to a dealer", you probably won't be bothered by it again.

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

106,000

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

checked all your fluids?
i'm betting on gas cap or O2 sensor. i can't remember what your car is though, which shames me.

my hearse used to have the check enine light come on like that because the wiring for it was tangled around the steering column and it kept shorting out, mind...

[razorjak.livejournal.com]

1997 Buick LeSabre

Checked the gas cap after I got prompted to do so. Nope it was on tight.

[siani-hedgehog.livejournal.com]

i'm going for O2 sensor in that case. is the car running fine? do you do lots of short trips (under 20 miles)?
get yerself a manual for the car - you've got a logical mind. you can almost certainly google to find out a way of reading fault codes from light flashes. edwardscissors managed with my '98 ford scorpio. pick his brains, for he is a car fault-finding god.

[midnightd.livejournal.com]

Ha 132000 miles a buick 3800 in an olds and no check engine light


the seat belt light however never goes off.