Just started my car and teh Check Engine Light came on. What are some of the possible reasons? Would like to hear your experience with this issue.

Thank you!

 

There are way to many to list but if you don't have a code scanner, go to Autozone and they will read the codes for free. Once you get the code let us know what it is.

 

ok, thanks.

 

Here is an easy one, make sure the gas cap is on correctly.

 

On most cars, the CEL most likely means something is wrong with the emission system. As for the Xfire, it's most likely more complicated than previous cars. Pulling the code will narrow it significantly. I'm still going to bet that one of the O2 sensors is detecting something off.

 

Thanks to all for your replies, they are appreciated.

 

A loose gas cap is would be the one you would hope for, but I have seen questions like this and then people go start replacing parts blindly or go and get the light turned off and think that fixed the problem. It the problem was just a one time glitch the light will turn off by itself after a few drive cycles. It is alwasy best to just pull the codes ASAP. If you wait too long one fault can cuase more codes to be stored and then it is harder to know what the real cause is. My daughter had me look at her car once, it was running rough and she said the CEL was on for a couple of months. I hooked up my code reader and there was a whole list of codes. After writing them down I cleared the codes and went for a drive. I barely got out of the drive way before the CEL came on and i pulled right over and pulled the codes again. this time I just got one code for a misfire. I checked and found a bad spark plug wire. After replacing the wires all was good and no other codes.

 

3 months in storage, take it out since I go to the dealership on Sat on the lugnuts thing, and the check engine comes on. Never saw that before. The radiator fan inmediately turns on with a howl. I pull the engine cover, the electrical connection to the TB/MAF is unplugged, so I reconnect. The radiator fan stops turning on. My plan is to disconnect the neg post of the batt tomorrow, sit for about 10 minutes to clear itself then restart-basically a reboot. Funky smell too. Any other ideas? No codes shown so I assume just an unplugged connection fault and a stored memory.

 

I think ya'll worry too much. I had the same problem with my '04; it came on and went off many times. The code, as I recall, was too non specific to address without spending big bucks to identify the exact cause.

My tech explained that, as long as it didn't flash, the problem(?) was probably insignificant.

So, I elected to apply the ostrich principal and placed a piece of black electrical tape over the icon. That was at 44K miles. I sold it last year with 82K miles.

Was the CEL on? Who knows..............

Don

 

the state of california, in all of it's wisdom, has a consumer law that forbids retail outlets, ie autozone or o'relly, from doing free scans.
i just bought a scanner at autozone for $60.00 and it reads all the codes.
stay safe

 

Oh, I'm not worried, it's just a bit annoying to see, and with the radiator howl it was odd is all.

 

I have to point out the huge glaring flaw in covering the CEL with tape:

How are you going to know if the CEL starts flashing if you are no longer able to see the light anymore? You might have started off with a loose gas cap code, and then switched over to a cylinder misfire code that burns a hole in your piston without you ever knowing.

I'm glad I didn't buy that car from you.

BC.

 

Dear BC,

How much would you be willing to spend to diagnose and fix a problem which had absolutely no effect on the driveabiity of the car? Clearly, more than me.

A serious issue will exhibit itself dramatically. The simple fact that I drove it uneventfully for more than 40K miles attests to my thesis.

If indeed a more serious issue is diagnosed, will the cost to repair it outweigh the money I saved by doing nothing?

Are you also preparing for the apocalypse?

Don

 

Are you also preparing for the apocalypse?

Yes, that is why I am stocking up on Crossfires.