# Check engine light



## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

When the battery goes dead for a long enough period of time, the computer will loose voltage and the stored codes.

If you drive it around and the issue was not a one time blip, the code will hit again and it should be serviced. 

Anything with oil control in the description should not be ignored.


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## phantasm72 (Jul 19, 2010)

thanks
I wouldn't ignore a check engine light, unless I knew it was for something trivial.
I was just curious to know that since the light is no longer illuminated, if it would come back on if there indeed was something wrong, or if it would just stay off because it no longer registers even though something is wrong
But from what I have been hearing, its the former


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## RWolff (Jan 27, 2013)

Ive always ignored those stupid check engine lights on both cars Ive owned that have had it, never had a problem, it's just another idiot light designed to scare drivers into taking it into the garage and spending hundreds on "diagnostic tests" and unneeded parts they change out in the hopes of hitting the right one that turns the light off.
Mine has come on at times and stayed off at other times, no reason or cause, both cars had over 200,000 miles on them and I still have my current one a 94 Old Cutless wagon, the light comes on now and then and goes off for long periods. It's started up perfectly every time, even in below zero temperatures, not once has it malfunctioned or let me down and needed a tow.

If there was anything serious it would have conked out years ago since I've had the car now for about 8 years, and 200,000 miles proves the light is a joke. 
If I could pull the bulb out easy I would.


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## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

RWolff said:


> Ive always ignored those stupid check engine lights on both cars Ive owned that have had it, never had a problem, it's just another idiot light designed to scare drivers into taking it into the garage and spending hundreds on "diagnostic tests" and unneeded parts they change out in the hopes of hitting the right one that turns the light off.
> Mine has come on at times and stayed off at other times, no reason or cause, both cars had over 200,000 miles on them and I still have my current one a 94 Old Cutless wagon, the light comes on now and then and goes off for long periods. It's started up perfectly every time, even in below zero temperatures, not once has it malfunctioned or let me down and needed a tow.
> 
> If there was anything serious it would have conked out years ago since I've had the car now for about 8 years, and 200,000 miles proves the light is a joke.
> If I could pull the bulb out easy I would.


This is not the best advice to give. Being that you have a '94, you have OBD1. You can easily check your code with a paperclip just to see what it is. Your light could be on due to something simple, where-as the poster above may have a different, more serious issue.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

The check engine light..........what a cash cow that little feature has been for the manufactures and repair shops alike.


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## polarzak (Dec 1, 2008)

kwikfishron said:


> The check engine light..........what a cash cow that little feature has been for the manufactures and repair shops alike.


I agree with you 100%. I had a stalling issue on an older OBD1 vehicle many years ago, and the code read as something (can't remember now) and the dealer wanted to charge me big bucks to fix it. Having worked on cars before OBD1 was invented, and knowing a small garage out in the country, I went to him for his opinion. With the car running, he tapped the Mass Air Flow sensor with a screw driver, and the car stalled. The MAF was not the condition code stores in the OBD1. 
Went to the wreckers picked up a MAF for $15.00 and the car never stalled again and the Check Engine light was on for another 50k miles or more.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

Question number one everyone missed - what the heck is the car in question?
Question number two is - apparently, it's a reasonably new vehicle with alleged variable timing actuator malfunction. IF THAT IS THE CASE, and it is really bad, you will be forking much more than $400 and in observable future.


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## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

One of the nice things about newer cars is that if whatever set the light doesn't repeat in some number of engine starts, the light goes out.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Make, model and year of car please.

Exact code # if you remember.

Any drivability problems?


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