hi folks,

didnt use my '97 GS for about 2 weeks. yesterday, i started the car and the "check engine light" came on it's got almost 80k miles on it. i never noticed anything drastically wrong with it when i was using it, so i dunno what possible problems could cause this i left it idling for a few minutes, but didn't notice any weird behavior. someone told me that some cars do this to remind the owner of an upcoming major maintenance, so just disconnect/reconnect the battery to reset. how true is this? could y'all tell some of ur experiences regarding the "check engine light" so i have an idea what i could possibly be dealing with? thanks

 

our cars have a Maintenance Required light so its not on to remind you of upcoming service.

for the light being on, there is no way to tell whats wrong unless you get the code(s)read. i would get a code reader(autozone reads codes for free i believe) or jump the 2 pin connect on the right side of the dash next to the glove box(its taped up with a rubber boot on the end of it) and read the codes off the check engine light. the latter is more involved so i would just get my hands on a code reader.

 

pull the code: http://www.c-speedracing.com/faq/06.php
check the code: http://www.c-speedracing.com/faq/05.php

 

thanx! i'll try that when i get home. btw, are the codes the same for all make/model cars? or do different manufacturers have different definitions for the codes?

 

If you use the jumper & flashing-light method, they're all different.

If you use a code-reader, all codes are a letter followed by 4 digits. P0001 thru P0999 are supposed to be the same for all makes, but there's subtle differences. Anything higher than P1000 can be COMPLETELY different. If you go to a parts store & have them read the code, get the code number. Sometimes their explanation for what it means can be kinda creative.

 

Guys, the Maintenace Required Light (MRL) is entirely different than the Check Engine Light (CEL). If, in fact, it is the MRL, it is not a big deal. The MRL comes on at pre-determined intervals to remind you to do scheduled maintenance (I believe every 7,500 miles). There is a MRL re-set switch under the dash (under the wheel on the right side; above the gas pedal). If, in fact, it is the CEL........then you likely have some other "issue" and you need to pull the code to decifer what is wrong and go from there. FYI - AutoZone will pull the code for free if you don't want to try and get it yourself.

 

i did the jumper/flash method and got 2 codes: 72 and 74. obd1 says those are misfires on cyl 2 and 4. i dont notice anything weird with the way the car runs so i just decided to disconnect/reconnect my battery...no more CEL. i hope it was just a glitch...

 

i had the same thing happen to my teg, so don't worry about it.