Calling all DC techs:

This is a weird one... I was working on my car tonight, with the engine idling... The gas was low, but showed 1/16th of a tank +/-... While the engine was idling it started to sputter...

Assuming I was running out of gas, I pulled out of the garage to drive over to the station to fill it back up...

With the car sputtering like it was running on two cylinders, and now hearing the fuel pump sucking air behind the seat, I noticed the CHECK ENGINE light come on and then start flashing repeatedly...

I made it over to the gas station and re-filled the car, but the sputtering continued for the few blocks back to my house. I then shut down the car for a few minutes and then re-started the car and took it for a drive around the block... The mis-firing stopped, but the CHECK ENGINE light is now remaining to stay on...

Does anyone have an idea why the CHECK ENGINE light is still illuminated, and if so, do you know how to turn it off without having to take it to the dealer and resettng the ECU ???

 

Dude....try disconnecting the battery for 5 mins, then reconnecting it - I found that on my E46 BMW, doing this, the ECU had to "re-set" itself after a few clicks of normal driving.

Worth a try, besides, keeps the knuckle draggers at the Stealership away from your ride !!

XFYRED

 

I agree with XFYRED....disconnect the battery for 5 - 10 minutes and the check engine light will go out the ECU will reset itself, but doing this will also erase any codes that are stored.

 

I'm not sure but sucking air might be similar to a loose gas cap. The check engine light should go out after a few restarts.

 

If you ran out of gas you may have had the dirt from the bottom of the fuel tank sucked into the engine and this is the problem. Worth getting your dealer to check it out.

 

My engine misfired from launching too hard, and the dealer had to update my ECU with some updated software. If your engine misfired too, it may very well be the same thing. Good thing was after I had this done, the car ran better than before the misfire.

 

Thanks for the info... The check engine light reset itself after a few miles...

 

Check your Air Filters! I'm dealing with issue as we speak. I had to remove the Air filters, and slap the dirt out of them so that I could drive home from work. It happens to me all the time, especially if the filters are more than six-months old. You need to keep a small tool-kit in your car. These cars will leave you stranded when you least expect it.

Tool-kit I ride with:
Small Led flash-light
Screwdriver & torx tool set
Wrench/Spanner set

 

WTH, an almost 8 year thread? This HAS to be a record!

 

This is a very common and serious issue. This Thread will never die!

 

Hahahahahahahahaha....hahahahahahahahaha!

Choke...gasp!

 

If there is that much dirt getting in there, you need to either clean or replace the filters more often, this is the first I have ever heard of this, especially with how protected they are in the OEM airbox. How would you like breathing through a straw filled with dirt?