[Check Engine Light] any affiliation with my tires?

On some cars, the tire pressure will set off the engine light. I know this has happened to my spare tire pressure.

 

sounds like my dad's truck. engine light came on. took it to autozone to find out it's an O2 sensor. the mechanic replaced it ($150 parts and labor) and it passed inspection. 2 weeks later it came out again. took it autozone and it was different O2 sensor. if that's all it was for you, then you got screwed.

 

I have to look at the receipt, but that sounds right. I think it was more than one.

Yeah, I got hosed. I don't think it was malicious (shop owner is a family friend) but I will be sticking to oil changes only for this shop for a while.

 

Go out there with a couple of your Asian goons and go HAM on them ninjas if you don't get your money back. Maybe you will get a couple of pitbull puppies out of it.

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=6598348&postcount=21

 

I'll admit I have an unhealthy obsession with ToyCen/TexasStake starting threads but I mean FOR CRYING OUT LOUD how many consumer related threads can one guy make ABOUT TIRES on his car without figuring out these things for himself?

 

Had a Lexus that had the CEL that started coming on. Decided to buy me one of those scanners off of Amazon. Best money ever spent. Not because I can pull my own codes for free (you can do that at Autozone...don't think anyone's mentioned that yet)...but it sorta pushed me into learning how to work on a car. After pulling codes from said Lexus, found out that it was an injection coil, which was easily replaced (for around $50). Dealership probably would've been at least a couple hundred bucks. Only problem with the Lexus is that the light kept coming on because the coil kept burning out (probably bad spark plug wires). But I eventually gave up on it and traded it in on the day the registration was due. /csb

Have used the scanner with a few friends' cars to help them. Extremely useful tool.

 

This happens. What's more, they fail rather easily when coming into contact with fluid or oil so I'm told, so if you have a leak near them, apparently they can be fragged this way. If the leak that caused them to fail isn't fixed, they can fail again immediately. Or maybe that's just the story they use to justify telling everyone that, how would I know... could be the Johnson Rod.


I have a 2003 camry with an engine light on for a while now. Shop says it's the catalytic converter, but I see a lot of talk online (must be true right?) where CC's rarely fail (?) and to check for exhaust issues, starting with the valves and following all the way through to the muffler. Bleh.

 

Can I borrow that scanner?

 

I have the same issue with a similar Camry. After many trips to autozone to check and reset the code, I just ignore it now. The car is so old and has so many miles it's not worth putting the money into it. I just use it as a work commuter. But getting it inspected was a pain, I had to bypass Travis co and go to hays co where they don't care

 

I'd say take it to AutoZone and get an OBD scan done on it. Be ready to pay out the wazoo for it though. You get a huge bill, but it's totally worth it.

 

So this has become an "OBD scanner at Autozone" thread.

My 2003 Corolla was failing first at the sensor. Got it replaced like ima_.

Then it was the catalytic converter, and that was $500. Got it replaced.

Then the check engine light came on again, and the scanner said there was a leak in the oil and that it was hosing the converter.

I sold it to Don McGill and got me a 2013 Camry.

 

Go buy an odb2 scanner. They go for under $20 online.

 

An alien attack is imminent.

 

BEFORE YOU SPEND THE MONEY ON AN OBD SCANNER...

on many cars you can check the codes with a simple procedure.

Put the key into the ignition and move the key from Run to Off to Run to Off to Run within five seconds. It does not always work the first time. (Run is JUST before Start). The code will show up in the odometer.


some cars vary slightly, so google it. This worked for my 05 Dodge Grand Caravan

 

Another tip: make sure you know which light is coming on. Some cars come equipped with both "Check engine" and "Service Engine" or "Service Vehicle" lights.

The "Check Engine" usually indicates an immediate issue that needs to be addressed (i.e. - component failure).

The "Service Engine" or "Service Vehicle" light usually indicates the vehicle has reached mileage for it's next scheduled maintanence (i.e. - oil change, tire rotation, etc).

 

Let me know what trouble codes this returns and I may be able to give you a better idea of the problem. Engines are pretty easy to understand.

 

I forgot to add - you can also google the OBD code to see what the problem is

 

Not uncommon for 1 O2 sensor to fail and have others fail right after. some vehicles have up to 4 O2 sensors,

 

Best way to get a high dollar repair job is to ignore a check engine light, the cause being a failed O2 sensor, the fuel mixture being too much on the rich side, and this in turn causing the catalytic converter to fail. This happened to me in very little time after the check engine light came on in just a few weeks.

 

It's already been beaten to the ground, but take it to autozone. It's fast and free.