So this little light comes on: "Service Engine Soon". Yikes! What does it mean? I call my mechanic who tells me "You'd better bring it in, it could be anything."
So I bring it in. They work on it all day, trying to diagnose the problem. The verdict: The gas cap wasn't screwed on tightly enough. The remedy: They screwed it on tighter. Cost to me: A cool C-note.
Good Golly! Now I have a little light on the dashboard of my car that can come on periodically when there is not a thing wrong with the car, except that it feels sorry for the poor mechanic, and wants to slip him $100.
Can the mechanics activate these little lights by remote-control radio frequency? To whom does my car owe its loyalty -- to me who feeds and shelters it and takes it out for exercise and to parking lots to meet other cars; or to the mechanic who gets under its hood and lubes it up real good?
I am disgusted with my whore of a car! I asked how much it would cost just to remove that little light bulb, so the car won't play this trick on me again. No surprise -- the mechanic was unwilling to do it. One wonders why.
I'm looking into getting a horse and cart. Or maybe a dogsled.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Just don't, whatever you do, ignore that light for months on end. [edit: actually, it was a different dash light, but the point remains]
That can get really expensive.
How do I know? Uh . . . no reason.
*whistles innocently*
Posted by screechowl (Member # 2651) on :
What kind of car?
This sounds like a job for the Tappit Brothers!!
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
I had a similar problem. My "low coolant" light came on one day, and I panicked, being pretty far from home and my nice, trusty mechanic. I thought about getting the coolant leevl checked at Canadian Tire service centre, and they wanted $67! To unscrew the cap and say "yep, it's low."
On the advice of my mechanic, who is a dear and gave me his cell number, I ignored it since my engine was not overheating, and continued on to my destination.
Next day, I take it up to get checked, and he looks, says, yep, let me top that up for you, does so, and I go on my way.
Worth his weight in gold, is rich (and his brother Vic). I can't imagine not having someone I trust.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by screechowl: What kind of car?
2003 Chevy Venture
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
They now make a little device for about $150-$200 that enables you to read your own car's computer. I've been tempted to buy it.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
But you still need to have the little light professionally extinguished, or else the car won't pass state inspection (at least that's the law in New Jersey).
Posted by screechowl (Member # 2651) on :
Different states. Kansas has no vehicle inspection laws. Most Kansans west of highway 81 just take a hammer to the light and that takes care of the problem. Pick-up drivers anyway.
If you know Click and Clack on NPR, you know what they would say about that little light.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I get a low coolant light periodically. Just watch the temperature gauge carefully, and fill it up with water as soon as possible.
My mechanic wouldn't have pulled that stunt with me. I'd find another one, Tante.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
My check engine light has been on since I bought my van. The alternator went out a couple of months before I bought it, and the lady replaced it with a part that didn't come directly from Ford. Apparently, the new alternator is slightly off in the energy department, and the little light WILL NOT shut off until/unless I replace the alternator with a factor Ford part.
I wouldn't mind the little light, if it only came on when the engine really did need service. (I had it checked over by 3 different mechanics before I bought it, and they all said the new alternator is fine, the check engine thing is just sensitive, and to have the van serviced regularly and ignore it.)
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
I wish I could ignore my truck's Check Engine light, but I can't pass state inspections with it on.
It used to turn off when the gas was about 3/4 full and come back on at 1/4. I had a half a tank of nag-free driving. Now it just stays on.
The dealer I bought the truck from footed the bill to have the light taken care of. So the light stayed off for a few days and then came on again. And I didn't feel like going back to the dealer's mechanic, because I hate how slimy mechanics deal with chronic car problems.
You CAN have your codes checked for free at Autozone. However, I have also been tempted to get a reader. It's one of those must-haves for the wannabe DIY mechanic.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
You can go to Auto Zone and they will turn it off for you AND wipe the memory, to pass inspection.
I know from experience. Posted by Lucky4 (Member # 1420) on :
Tante, Posted by Parsimony (Member # 8140) on :
My check engine light recently cost me about 500 dollars. The light is evil.
One way to reset it, however, is to unhook the positive cable from your battery for several hours. Then hook it back up and drive it. This will reset the computer in most cars, and its a good way to test whether your check engine light is something serious or small.
--ApostleRadio
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
More and more I feel very appreciative about having a mechanic for a father.
And he's an honest mechanic.
Tante, why couldn't you top off your own coolant? It's pretty easy to find and fix. Instructions are even in your owner's manual.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
My owners manual for my Nissan truck actually very emphatically states that if the "check engine" light comes on, the very FIRST thing you should check is your gas cap. Loosen and re-tighten it.
Ever single time I've had the light come on, that has always been the problem. I'm glad Nissan states that up front, so I haven't had to spend any money for a mechanic to tell me something so obvious.
FG
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Yeah. If the check engine light comes on, pop the hood and check all your fluid levels before going to a mechanic.
Posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion (Member # 6473) on :
My ucle is a mechanic, but he's an ass. Won't give free service to even his own daughter who needs the car to work and support his own granddaughter. He says he will, but leaves the car unattended for long periods of time while my couisin hitches rides from friends and stuff.
Posted by Promethius (Member # 2468) on :
I also have an excellent mechanic. Just a few days ago my cars front left tire was making a squeeking sound whenever the wheel turned to the left, I took it to him immediately(I was already on my way into town) When I got there I told him the problem and he immediately backed another car out of the garage and put my car up on the lift. He pulled off both front tires and yanked a piece of gravel out from between the break pad and its contact point. The whole thing took about 15 minutes and he didnt charge me for it. I know alot of places that charge a flat fee just to look under the hood. This guy has won himself a customer for as long as I live in this area which is far more lucrative for him than the 65 bucks he would have gotten for charging to look under the hood.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote:So this little light comes on: "Service Engine Soon". Yikes! What does it mean? I call my mechanic who tells me "You'd better bring it in, it could be anything."
Which just goes to show...
... always ask Hatrack first!
Posted by WhtTigress (Member # 8123) on :
I had my check engine light come on once. The car acted like it had bad gas, which is one of the things the manual says it could be. The light went off a couple of days later, and everything seemed fine. The car is under waranty though, so when I took my car in for an oil change I told them about it and it turns out there was a blown gasket in the engine. They fixed it for free, but I'm sure glad I mentioned it when I went in.
Rhiannon
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl:
... always ask Hatrack first!
O! Great Hatrack! So wise, so compassionate, so all-knowing! Your poor and humble servant has learned her lesson.
<submissively bows low, and backs out of the room> <ow! bumped my butt on the way out the door>
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Tante- Check out your other thread.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Hey! My car is doing that and my mechanic told me the same this about the gas cap and not over filling it. I had it in for other stuff so he didn’t charge for the gas cap and filling advice, but now it comes on all the time. I’ve noticed that where the cap fits in seems loose so I’m wondering if this could be the deal and it’s not getting a good vacuum or something. Wonder if I could get a new gas cap or if I’m going to need the whole length of the thing. Grand AM by the way before someone asks.
Posted by Great Hatrack (Member # 8233) on :
Yes, Tante! You must bow down to me!
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Great Hatrack: Yes, Tante! You must bow down to me!
(I'm the newbie and you have a post count of ONE. Presumptuous!)
Posted by Great Hatrack (Member # 8233) on :
You are correct, my divine form only has one post. But total, I have more than enough to rule the universe! *bwhahahahahahahaha*
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Sheesh! Posing as a Pillar with one Post!
Posted by Great Hatrack (Member # 8233) on :
Luck is in your favor, for I am only kidding. If I was serious I would have fried someone's hair. Now, I will return to the abyss until Hatrack needs my power.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Tante, you realize that was me, right?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Tante,
A lot of times you can reset the computer by simply disconnecting the negative battery terminal for awhile. I, uh, did that to pass my emissions test.
To note, the CEL was on because I'm having a problem with my torque converter. However, it doesn't seem to be effecting engine power (except when doing hard accelleration on the freeway) nor is it effecting my gas mileage. Therefore, I can only assume that it's not bad for the environment (beyond what a gasoline engine normally does). So, bite me, CEL. I'll worry about the torque converter later. I'd rather not crack open my transmission right now, thanks.
Of course, newer cars have no access to the battery because the manufacturers think that you'll eff it up by reversing the terminals or putting jumper cables on backwards. It can kill all of the one-way switches in the electrical system- effectively destroying yoru car, but I'd rather be given the benefit of the doubt. It's not like some retarded mechanic wouldn't do the same thing.
As to the gas cap thing. It is important. Your fuel system needs to remain pressurized in order to work properly. A loose gas cap or a gas cap with a crappy gasket will prevent the tank from pressurizing (you should hear a hiss when you loosen your gas cap). So, yeah and stuff.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Yeah, in a lot of cars the check engine light is triggered by the O2 sensor, which indicated either you ran it on bad gas, or your gas cap is loose.
My last two vehicles (GMC Jimmy, Honda Accord) there was some combination of turning the key for a certain length of time and some other stuff simultaneously that would reset the light.
Moral of the story - check the owners manual before you go to a mechanic.
With one exception The overheating light.
Do. Not. Play. With. This.
If you overheating light comes on, pull over ASAP (less than a minute) and let your car cool and have someone who knows look at it. Otherwise you may be buying a new head gasket/new engine.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
" Yeah, in a lot of cars the check engine light is triggered by the O2 sensor, which indicated either you ran it on bad gas, or your gas cap is loose."
Or you have a vacuum leak in the intake system, or you have a fuel injector stuck open, or your ignition system isn't quite doing its job, or you have low compression in a cylinder from bad rings or a stuck valve, or your mass airflow sensor is bad, or you have a bad O2 sensor, or you have a leak in your exhaust, or you have a bad temperature sensor or themostat that's keeping your engine from running at the right temperature.
I could go on. Actually, in some cars the check engine light also just comes on after a certain number of miles, like 60,000 in the old Mazda B2000, so you have to bring it in to a Mazda dealer to have the O2 sensor checked, because so many people just ignore service intervals and drive the car with a bad O2 sensor and thus put out way more pollution that they would be if they bothered to have their car serviced the way they ought to.
But by all means, read the owners manual, and it may well tell you how to reset the Check Engine light in case it's a transient problem like a loose gas cap. Then, if the light comes back on in a week, take it the dealer and get it fixed.
Posted by Lady Eruve (Member # 6883) on :
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Just don't, whatever you do, ignore that light for months on end.
Especially when that light is joined by ALL the little lights on the dashboard, and a strange clunking/jerking sound from under the hood...
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by Primal Curve: (you should hear a hiss when you loosen your gas cap).
PC,
I live in New Jersey, where it is illegal to pump your own gas. Really, and no kidding, Full Service is the Law of the Land. So I don't loosen my own gas cap. I mean, I guess I could, if I was in my own driveway and not at a gas station.
Sometimes I cross state lines and need a fill up, and I am forced to pump. Oh! The horror! They don't even supply packages of Wash'n'Dri to wipe the shmutz off your hands!
It makes me realize what a spoiled princess I am. And I am grateful for that, because there are few better roles in life than being a spoiled princess.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by SteveRogers: Tante, you realize that was me, right?
I suspected, but wasn't sure. You are adorable! Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
It's hard to imagine having someone else pump my gas for me. I think I've only been to one full service station in my entire driving life.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Well, next time you come to the Great Garden State, we will expect you to do teshuvah, and not only have the attendant fill your tank, but also check your oil and wash your windshield.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
Oregon doesn't allow self serve either, but when I lived there, I owned a volkswagen with a modified fuel 21 gallon fuel tank. Nobody but me could figure out how to get the pump nozzle to flow continuously; the auto shutoff feature kept clicking it off. So, eventually the stations I went to most often just let me fill it myself. (especially the one where the guy laid the nozzle half out of the filler neck and pumped gas all over the ground)
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
The true conspiracy:
My little "Check Engine" light came on. I took it to the dealer.
"Oh dear, the Oxygen sensor is bad. $300 please."
@$#@$@#. I pay for that and some brake work. Apparently they read break work. I get into the car to leave the service center after the work is done, and another little light comes on. Now its time to change me oil. Coincidence, or did someone reset the computer wrong?
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
This is the real Check Engine Light Conspiracy. It happens way too often.
Get a different mechanic.
This happens all the time with incompetent mechanics. Look at the list of things that could be wrong with your engine that will cause the check engine light to come on (from my post above), especially vacuum leaks, which can be very difficult to track down.
Now remember, that's just the stuff that can cause the light to come on that will trigger an O2 sensor code. Your mechanic looked up the code that said "O2 sensor" and stopped there. He doesn't realize that O2 sensors rarely go bad, but they often indicate that the combustion process isn't happening the way it's supposed to.
So (sorry to say it this way) you replaced an O2 sensor that didn't need replacing, and there is still something wrong with your car. It could be the gas cap is loose. We've covered that here, and it really does happen. But it could also be one of the other things I listed above. You could go back to your mechanic and try to get him to actually go through the troubleshooting process, but I doubt he'll give you a refund on the price of your sensor, even if he finds the real problem. (He should, but getting him to do it will be a bear)
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
The oil change light is probably just on an odometer timer. They won't reset it unless they change your oil.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
But you can reset it yourself, if you're not blindly following the oil company convention of every 3000 miles.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
Sometimes the instructions to reset the change oil light are in the owner's manual, and sometimes they aren't.
BTW, if you are implying that the "oil company convention of every 3000 miles" is just a scam to get you to change oil more often. Sorry. I can give you dozens of cases of first hand experience where oil that was changed at 7000 miles was WAY too long to wait. Mazda 323's used to snap the camshaft if the oil degraded too far. It meant repacing the cylinder head. Mazda's original service recommendation was "not more than 7500 miles," which caused a lot of warrantee work. But customers who'd let it go 8000 miles had to pay for it themselves.
Once that started happening, I started to really notice the changes in oil quality that happen after 3000 miles. It really is significant.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
How hard is it to clean out an EGR valve, and does that help?
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Depending on driving conditions, you could probably go past 3000 in many cars. And with synthetics, you can usually go to 10,000, though most car companies in the past have not recommended that.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester:
quote:Originally posted by SteveRogers: Tante, you realize that was me, right?
I suspected, but wasn't sure. You are adorable!
Thank you.......I think.....
Posted by dean (Member # 167) on :
My check engine light has come on and gone off intermittently for more than a year. I took it to autozone, and they said that their thing that checks the computer was too new for my car, or my car was too old for it or something. (My car is a 94 Escort.) So I checked all the fluids (or rather my boyfriend did). Still goes on and off. So then my car started giving off a foul-smelling smoke, so I took it to a mechanic for that, and I asked them to look into the check-engine light, where they said that they couldn't diagnose THAT unless it was on, and it's never stayed on more than like two or three minutes, and only then if I happen to be driving like eighty in the middle of the night.
I have resigned myself to not-knowing.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
you drive eighty in the middle of the night??? Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
"Depending on driving conditions, you could probably go past 3000 in many cars. And with synthetics, you can usually go to 10,000, though most car companies in the past have not recommended that."
You could, but why? From what I've seen, after 3000 miles there is a dramatic change inside the engine. Before that, the oil may discolor, but after 3000, the metal parts begin to be coated with a slime that is actually particulate from blow-by. What happened in the mazda was that the particulate reduced the clearance in the bearings, until they clamped solid, and snapped the camshaft. That usually happened at around 7000 miles.
But that's catastrophic failure. In the meantime, you're accumulating shmutz in the ring lands, the oil galleries, and valve guides, that at the least changes tolerances, and at the worst is abrasive.
My rule of thumb is to change the oil at 3000 miles, but if I don't get around to it, I absolutely change it at 4500 miles. That's as far as I'll go. Oil changes are cheap, engines are expensive.
As far as cleaning the EGR valve: from what I've seen, EGR valves usually fail because of high temperature galling on the valve stem. It is exposed to exhaust gases after all. I imagine the passages could clog with soot if the fuel isn't burning right, and that would be worth cleaning out. I've never seen it happen, but I'm sure it could.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
In my owner's manual for my Pontiac it recommended 5000 and absolutely not past 7500.
I usually changed it around 5000-6000 miles and put over 128000 miles on it with nary an engine problem, ever. We got rid of the van because the transmission went out, but the engine still ran like a dream. I think the 3000 miles is a conspiracy by the oil change companies to get me to spend more money with them.
And oil changes aren't cheap, unless you do it yourself which I just don't have the time or expertise to do.
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
Oh my. First: When I was in Virginia, I had that same problem (gas cap loose). However, since I am now not able to read the computer using a paper clip anymore, I had to take it in. The mechanic came out with his computer, plugged it in, and read the code. We tightened the cap and the code cleared. He was also kind enough to ummm delete the history (He asked and I said to do it). Which, at least in the area I lived in, was illegal to do.
Second: I agree with Glenn on the oil issue. Viscosity of the oil is the first thing to go over time (and metal shavings doesn't help any). I however, do wait till about 4000 miles to change the oil. I use Valvoline Durablend and FRAM oil filters. I use nothing else.
Oh, and uh, I have had my oil changed at a dealership (They were doing a safety inspection, required by law in VA) and it cost me a whopping total of 20 bucks.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
quote:In my owner's manual for my Pontiac it recommended 5000 and absolutely not past 7500.
Yes, but if you read further, you'll note that the driving conditions mentioned by your manual would mean that you'd have to drive like a grandma everywhere in order for this to be necessary. We're talking no hard accelleration (like coming out of a toll booth and trying to merge into traffic), no long trips, no nothing. It's rediculous.
Normal driving requires you to change the oil at 3000 miles. In fact, my GM owners manual for my Cavalier recommends changing the oil at 5000 miles, but then gives a list of driving conditions that, if met, necessitate an oil change at 3000 miles (like driving in cold weather... Hello! I live in WISCONSIN!).
It's not some kind of lame conspiracy. If you've ever changed your own oil, or even watched somebody do it, you'd notice the huge difference between new oil and old oil, and the difference between oil changed at 3000 miles and oil changed at 5000 miles.
Posted by dean (Member # 167) on :
Well, the speed limit is seventy, so eighty is not unreasonable considering that there's virtually no one around and the few people I see pass me doing ninety.
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
By the way, I'm talking as a former ASE certified Master Auto Technician.
The difference I've seen is not in the oil, but in the residue I found in countless engines as soon as I pulled off the valve cover. As soon as the car hits ~3000 miles, that residue begins accumulating.
Prior to that, the metal is actually clean. The difference is very noticeable, but most people don't change oil often enough, or in enough cars, to really be able to see the difference.
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(I'm the newbie and you have a post count of ONE. Presumptuous!)
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