Chuck engine light

[Slither]

Me sevice soon/chuck engine light is on. Soonest me hit dealership is a Saturday. But get this folks they can't run a diagnostic on a Saturday only weekday. I don't know when I'll find the time off work to take me V in on a weekday...

Is it ok to keep driving til May (snicker) when I have some time off? I don't think I can damage the motor as long as theres oil and coolant - what you folks think?

[gottafly]

Mine went on a while ago. According to the manual, the most likely cause was some sort of transient emissions problem, or a loose gas cap. It is supposed to reset itself after some indeterminate number of driving cycles.

I took it in for service and they reset the light and asked me if I had left the gas cap loose. Also, I apparently didn't wait long enough to allow it to reset itself - not enough driving cycles apparently. Said they would charge me for resetting it if I came back with the same thing again.

According to the service guy, the only time you have to worry is if the check engine light is flashing. Then, you are supposed to pull over and have it towed. There is apparently no issue with driving around with a non-flashing check engine light.

[Slither]

Thanks I'll think I'll leave it for time being... I haven't noticed any driveability problems like Caramilk (another thread.)

I did try unscrewing/screwing gas cap again but to no avail.

[Ever Victorious]

Solid CEL lights usually mean either the gas cap was not tightened properly or there is a problem with an emissions-related system (MAF, O2 sensor, TPS, etc.)... Unless your O2 sensor is completely fried and causing your car to run way too rich or, worse yet, way too lean, then there is no harm in driving the car the way it is.

In all my years of CEL-equipped cars I've never had it be a gas cap issue. In fact, every CEL I've ever had on an OBD-2 car has been a MAF failure.

[Elmojo]

Hmm, that's strange.My V doesn't have a chuck engine light, only a check engine light. I guess that means you need to pull your engine out and throw it away?!I've heard of companies pushing to replace rather than repair, but this is a bit drastic.

Anyway, thanks for the checkle, err... chuckle, I needed it.

Elmojo

[marleyfan]

But get this folks they can't run a diagnostic on a Saturday only weekday.

This has never made any sense to me. Both the Nissan and Pontiac dealerships (for my Vibe) operate on a reduced service schedule on Saturday. Don't the vast majority of people work Monday to Friday? Why are the mall's so busy on Saturday? Because that is when people are available to go there. Why does the car service industry not recognize that Saturday is when people can actually go see them with the least inconvenience? Many dealerships will not do ANY guarantee work on Saturday. You are forced to bring your car in when you can least afford to do so. Drives me crazy

[BBISHOPPCM]

Yes... I believe GM has a "Replace Engine" light... Hyundai and Kia have a "Pull over/Pull Plates" light.

[Jemdawg]

Maybe on older Hyundai's...

My parents have an Elantra and a Sonata, they both have CELs, as does my brother's Accent. They are all within 4 years old.

Whenever I had this problem on my old Sentra it was the gas cap, otherwise it can usually be a number of minor problems. In short, you can probably wait it out as long as nothing funky is going on with the car, but I'd say that you try to arrange something as soon as you can, if you can.

[Ever Victorious]

Yes... I believe GM has a "Replace Engine" light... Hyundai and Kia have a "Pull over/Pull Plates" light.

Actually, Jem, I think this was his way of saying the whole car is a throwaway. Which may have been true before, say, 2000... but very far from the truth now.

(Bishop, do I need to point out again that my Hyundai has 33,000 miles and has not been to the shop once, yet my Versa was there 5 times in less than 8,000 miles?)

[Jemdawg]

hahaha

I guess I'm a little slow when I go 17 hours with no caffiene. Although, I must agree, Hyundai has come quite a long way since the 80s. My Dad's '06 Sonata is a wonderful car, with a very peppy V6.

[BBISHOPPCM]

I know, the Koreans have done everything in their power to prove they are as good if not better than the Japanese automakers, and have done a great job of it. It was only meant as a joke, my grandmother bought a new Excel in 1993 and it lasted 9 years and 80,000 miles without any maintenance outside of oil changes. The car only died as a result of my uncle slamming into a parking barrier, cracking the transmission housing in the process.

[marleyfan]

I had an '88 Excel. What a pile of garbage that was. It left a very bad taste in myh mouth for any Korean made car. I know they have come a long way but I'm not at the point where I'll consider the Hyundai's or Kia's quite yet.

[Slither]

Thx gottafly/EV et all. Slither's chuck engine light went out today all by it's lonesome. Cause unknown. It was on for about a week. I played around with the gas cap once Monday night per your suggestion.

[Ever Victorious]

Well, since emissions problems don't generally clear up on their own, it was probably the gas cap and, as gottafly suggested, it just took driving a specified distance before it went off.

[kc5f]

The CEL in my Probe came on at about 22,000 miles. They checked it, everything was OK and they reset it. A week later, the same, and then again. Finally I ignored it. When I sold it at 240,000 miles, the light was still on. (It did go off at about 200,000 miles, but when I took it in for annual inspection, they said the computer showed the CEL was burned out and they had to replace it!)