Check engine light
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,829
Likes: 45
From: Las Vegas Nevada
Check engine light
I get an intermittent check engine light on my 96 coupe. The car is a Calif.
VIN. It seems to be caused by the fuel system. Does the management
system expect a Calif fuel (ethanol or MTBE or whatever) and is it
able to read the difference in the exaust gas? It doesnt happen often, but
I would like to understand what is causing this.
If I by a code reader, will it give me any data for this? Thanks.
VIN. It seems to be caused by the fuel system. Does the management
system expect a Calif fuel (ethanol or MTBE or whatever) and is it
able to read the difference in the exaust gas? It doesnt happen often, but
I would like to understand what is causing this.
If I by a code reader, will it give me any data for this? Thanks.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
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From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Re: Check engine light (vettman96)
Just for giggles, make sure your gas cap is on tight enough. Do you do the three clicks?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,238
Likes: 0
From: walled lake MI
Re: Check engine light (vettman96)
check here for how to fetch codes
http://www.c4vettes.com/ecm.htm
or, go to your friendly parts store and borrow a diagnostic tool for free.
hopefully this will narrow down the problem. i highly doubt CA fuel will cause a code to go off. an intermittent problem can be caused by a number of things, and are usually the hardest to track down.
anyway, intermittent or not, the codes are stored in your ECM even if the light goes out, so hopefully you'll figure it out, with a little help from your CF friends.
http://www.c4vettes.com/ecm.htm
or, go to your friendly parts store and borrow a diagnostic tool for free.
hopefully this will narrow down the problem. i highly doubt CA fuel will cause a code to go off. an intermittent problem can be caused by a number of things, and are usually the hardest to track down.
anyway, intermittent or not, the codes are stored in your ECM even if the light goes out, so hopefully you'll figure it out, with a little help from your CF friends.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: St. Cloud Minnesota
I'm new to owning a 1996 coupe and yesterday the engine light came on. I called the dealer (service department) and he said the same thing about the gas cap being loose...what does that do? If it wasn't the gas cap being loose, am I causing unforseen damage by driving it around town until I can get it in the shop or borrow a scan tool?
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 0
From: Mobile AL
St. Jude Donor '05
Environmental laws require the gasoline system to be closed, that is, not open to the atmosphere. The computer checks to see if the system is pressurized, if it's not, it throws a code to indicate a problem. Sometimes the code it throws is completely irrelavent to the problem, but is the first thing a dealer will ask you to check. On the other hand, my '96 was throwing that code and it drove us all crazy. Turned out to be the CPS (crankcase position sensor). Good luck.
