Check engine light

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Jul 12, 2024 | 03:31 PM

Alby0260

Thread Starter

1st Gear

Joined: Jun 2024

Posts: 1

Likes: 0

Check engine light

I clear my check engine light by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes then re-connecting it and it clears the light from the dashboard. This lasts for several weeks and several hundred miles then re-occurs. Any thoughts?

Jul 12, 2024 | 03:41 PM

Travlee

Race Director

Joined: Jul 2015

Posts: 15,987

Likes: 2,667

From: Frisco, TX

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alby0260

try actually figuring out what the root cause of the code is, then resolve the issue. instead you are ignoring it, and possibly causing more damage

Jul 12, 2024 | 03:43 PM

C5 Diag

Moderator, Tech Contributor

Joined: Sep 2013

Posts: 15,434

Likes: 3,981

From: Cape Coral, Florida

Well you need a scan tool to see what the code is…sorry but we can’t guess what it is !!!…it will be a “P” or Powertrain code that you’ll have…when it comes back on take the car to your favorite auto parts store and they will tell you what the code is but DON’T let them sell you any parts that may fix it…trouble codes are not “part numbers” !!…I will move your post to C6 Tech…it helps you if you fill out your profile..all I see is you live in the U.S…at least let us know what year the car is.

Jul 12, 2024 | 03:46 PM

1 MEAN66

Racer

Joined: Aug 2023

Posts: 337

Likes: 74

From: New York

If the light keeps coming BACK ON IT IS STILL BROKE!!!!!!!! may it is even a different code each time, or the same code each time. These are things you should "WANT TO KNOW"!

Jul 12, 2024 | 03:58 PM

Vettelagged

Pro

Joined: Apr 2022

Posts: 523

Likes: 253

From: Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Disconnecting the battery is not the way to make a check engine light go away, fixing the problem is. After you disconnect the battery, the car has to go through a "drive cycle". These vary from car to car but basically you have to put the car through certain conditions/parameters. If your state requires a state inspection, the emission system will tell the inspector "NOT READY". At this point he'll tell you to pound sand until you go through the drive cycle.

Someone above stated not to buy anything from a parts house based on the OBDII code, I second that.

If the code tells you the O2 sensor is reading faulty... DO NOT REPLACE THE O2 SENSOR. Something else is causing that to read faulty. That's not to say O2 sensors don't go bad but usually something else is the cause.

Jul 13, 2024 | 03:58 PM

Dave S

Retired & lovin' it!

Joined: Mar 2005

Posts: 4,472

Likes: 546

From: Jackson NJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alby0260

There's some on-board problem & shutting off the CEL won't make the problem go away....it may just get worse. If you're not mechanically inclined, go to any "big box" auto parts store (AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc).
They will read the error codes at no cost & you can come back here with the code info. Folks on the Forum will then guide you thru what needs to be done.

Last edited by Dave S; Jul 13, 2024 at 04:01 PM. Reason: added more...

Jul 14, 2024 | 10:11 PM

JackDidley

Race Director

Joined: Sep 2003

Posts: 16,836

Likes: 337

From: Database Error Indiana

I get a CEL on the dash at random times. It could go 2 weeks or 2 months or more between events. Its always for a small evap leak. I will fix it when I find the actual cause.

Jul 15, 2024 | 10:16 AM

PMPerformance

Melting Slicks

Joined: Oct 2022

Posts: 3,311

Likes: 1,906

From: Ulta Vista, AZ

Like all have said, run the code and try to figure out how to fix the problem.

Code readers are cheap. Just buy one so you have it.

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Jul 15, 2024 | 03:56 PM

John Harry

Melting Slicks

Joined: Nov 2007

Posts: 2,277

Likes: 550

From: Pittsburgh PA

St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vettelagged

Disconnecting the battery is not the way to make a check engine light go away, fixing the problem is.

Wait, you mean putting a strip of black electrical tape over the light is wrong??

Jul 16, 2024 | 01:46 PM

#10

1 MEAN66

Racer

Joined: Aug 2023

Posts: 337

Likes: 74

From: New York

The reason the black tape doesn't work any more is that the bulbs are brighter -now a days- and can still glow around the edges of the tape.

Jul 16, 2024 | 09:27 PM

#11

Spaceme1117

Safety Car

Joined: May 2016

Posts: 4,633

Likes: 1,818

From: Erlanger, Kentucky

Guys. This is a post by a bot. I've been seeing a lot of posts on forums like this. This is what AI is being used for.

Just joined. One post. Very non specific post that could be in regards to any car.

Jul 16, 2024 | 11:52 PM

#12

sirdano

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 2015

Posts: 2,279

Likes: 226

From: Round Rock Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceme1117

So why do they do that ????

Jul 17, 2024 | 09:03 AM

#13

1 MEAN66

Racer

Joined: Aug 2023

Posts: 337

Likes: 74

From: New York

bot ? = ?????

Jul 17, 2024 | 09:18 AM

#14

Spaceme1117

Safety Car

Joined: May 2016

Posts: 4,633

Likes: 1,818

From: Erlanger, Kentucky

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirdano

So why do they do that ????

Honestly, I don't know. Maybe data mining, testing out their bot software, who knows why.

Just be careful and cautious when you see a brand new post by a new member. Vigilance.

Jul 17, 2024 | 10:58 AM

#15

PMPerformance

Melting Slicks

Joined: Oct 2022

Posts: 3,311

Likes: 1,906

From: Ulta Vista, AZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirdano

So why do they do that ????

How else does AI learn how to answer questions?

Jul 19, 2024 | 12:14 AM

#16

stevecrf13

Intermediate

Joined: Jul 2020

Posts: 32

Likes: 2

From: CT

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1 MEAN66

The reason the black tape doesn't work any more is that the bulbs are brighter -now a days- and can still glow around the edges of the tape.

Just happened to come across this and had to share that it actually is possible as it was done to my car (by a previous owner, I removed it). When I went to check out the car there was no CEL but when I plugged in my scan tool it showed the MIL was on. We thought maybe the bulb had burned out. After I bought the car this past winter I took the dash apart when we put it away. I held the gauge plate to the light to see if I needed to order a certain color LED and found that I could not see the outline of the MIL. I looked at the back and someone had nicely cut a little piece of tape to fit over the outline. Took it off and I could see it again. Pretty shady of whoever did it to try and hide it, always bring a scanner when you check out a car! It's a bit of trouble to get to this point too just to try and hide the issue...