August 26, 20205 yr This is the first time I've had a check engine light come on on 10 years. I seem to recall on one of the old sites that taking it to Autozone, O'Reilly, etal was a pointless endeavor. I'd like to have an idea as to what's going on before taking it to a mechanic because I don't have one that I know well in this area yet.
August 26, 20205 yr What Autozone and O'Reilly's can do for you is hook up an OBD reader, which will tell you what codes your engine computer is "throwing." That then will give you a good idea as to why you have a Check Engine Light. They will look up the codes or you can do it/confirm the issue. Some vehicles have a sequence with the ignition switch that will give you some of the codes also. Sometimes there's just one or two codes, sometimes several, depending on the issue, and they may point directly to the problem or it may be more indirect. Post them here or google and we can kind of help with that. The mechanic will do the same thing, and may or may not share the results with you as part of their "diagnosis." A good garage, very old school but they do good work, is Marlow Automotive on Central https://marlowautomotive.com/ Kind of in your neck o the woods. Edited August 26, 20205 yr by TwiceHorn
August 26, 20205 yr 30 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said: Every man should have an OBD scanner. This. I have one that sends codes to to infotainment unit in the dash.
August 26, 20205 yr And if you are feeling froggy, the codes might indicate something relatively simple like an exhaust O2 sensor, which, if you can get to it easily, is kind of a plug n play solution fixed for $10-20 and your time.
August 27, 20205 yr Author 3 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said: Every man should have an OBD scanner. You're right. I'm doing this. And checking the gas cap.
August 27, 20205 yr Or just put some kind of little sticker over itBlack electrical tape...for a dash rattle, yeah that’s it.
August 27, 20205 yr 2 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said: You're right. I'm doing this. And checking the gas cap. Don't go too cheap on the OBD. Get one that allows you to reset the warning. You gonna have to read reviews to make sure the 'reset' function actually works. But tighten the gas cap first.
August 27, 20205 yr IMHO, 99% of the time it is emissions. Don't worry about it until inspection is due. Then get a man to use their code reader/buy one for $20 on Amazon and then pay an independent shop to replace some exhaust sensor for $400.
August 27, 20205 yr 12 hours ago, Al Czervik said: First off, make sure the gas cap is tight. Your mom's gas cap is tight.
August 27, 20205 yr Over 12 hours and 10+ replies without one suggestion to have the husband check it? Surly is slipping...
August 27, 20205 yr 14 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said: Every man should have an OBD scanner. Yeah, they are cheap and very useful. Mine was $50 and it will reset codes. Edited August 27, 20205 yr by kevwun
August 27, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, Native Horn said: Your mom's gas cap is tight. I tightened your mom’s gas cap.
August 27, 20205 yr 15 hours ago, Al Czervik said: First off, make sure the gas cap is tight. I've had this engine light on twice. Took off the gas cap, applied a light oil to the rubber gasket, put it back on. A day or two later, the light disappears.
August 27, 20205 yr That's worth a try. More of a dark oil, really. Keep the tube in your console. Your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend will have a new appreciation for your versatility.
August 27, 20205 yr 15 hours ago, Knoxtnhorn said: You're right. I'm doing this. And checking the gas cap. You don't want a dedicated scanner tool. You want an OBD2 bluetooth dongle and the Torque app. Leave the dongle plugged in and check everything from your phone, erase codes, use it as a heads up display on the windshield. All kinds of cool stuff. Edited August 27, 20205 yr by RPM dammit
August 27, 20205 yr That's just a Chinese plot to hack into your car so they can crash it whenever they want to
August 27, 20205 yr Me: Man, i wish we could go back to the days before cars had computers Car/tech nerds: Yeah, but you'd be giving up a lot of reliability, safety, performance, handling, gas mileage, plus polluting a lot more Me: Deal.
August 27, 20205 yr 1 hour ago, Irish Wrist Watch said: That's worth a try. More of a dark oil, really. Keep the tube in your console. Your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend will have a new appreciation for your versatility. Might be a stretch, butt, user name kinda checks out. Edited August 27, 20205 yr by Al Czervik spelling
August 27, 20205 yr 31 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said: I am amazed that I didn't type ODB. I usually do when discussing these things. Damnit
August 29, 20205 yr On 8/26/2020 at 5:51 PM, Knoxtnhorn said: This is the first time I've had a check engine light come on on 10 years. I seem to recall on one of the old sites that taking it to Autozone, O'Reilly, etal was a pointless endeavor. I'd like to have an idea as to what's going on before taking it to a mechanic because I don't have one that I know well in this area yet. On 8/27/2020 at 8:41 AM, kevwun said: Yeah, they are cheap and very useful. Mine was $50 and it will reset codes. Read the quoted post below, he is absolutely right. On 8/27/2020 at 12:02 PM, RPM said: You don't want a dedicated scanner tool. You want an OBD2 bluetooth dongle and the Torque app. Leave the dongle plugged in and check everything from your phone, erase codes, use it as a heads up display on the windshield. All kinds of cool stuff. I've had this version for about 5 years and it was money well spent. I use Torque on an Android too and it's great.
August 30, 20205 yr Author Update: Effing lulz. It was the gas cap. In my defense, I hadn't had to get gas in over a month. Check engine light popped on a few days ago. Filled up the tank yesterday and ta-da, the light went off. I honestly thought @Al Czervik was kidding. All good because I took the advice and ordered an OBD censor. We're going to be doing a lot of RV traveling in the near future, so it'll be good to have something to help out when away from home and our mechanic.
August 30, 20205 yr 2 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said: Update: Effing lulz. It was the gas cap. In my defense, I hadn't had to get gas in over a month. Check engine light popped on a few days ago. Filled up the tank yesterday and ta-da, the light went off. I honestly thought @Al Czervik was kidding. All good because I took the advice and ordered an OBD censor. We're going to be doing a lot of RV traveling in the near future, so it'll be good to have something to help out when away from home and our mechanic. <you're GD right gif from Breaking Bad> OBD on order=money well spent.
August 30, 20205 yr 32 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said: Update: Effing lulz. It was the gas cap. In my defense, I hadn't had to get gas in over a month. Check engine light popped on a few days ago. Filled up the tank yesterday and ta-da, the light went off. I honestly thought @Al Czervik was kidding. All good because I took the advice and ordered an OBD censor. We're going to be doing a lot of in , so it'll be good to have to help out when away from and our . fifm
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