ginch

Well after almost 3 years of ownership I finally get the dreaded CEL on my way home today. Car runs great so not sure what it might be. Will get the code read this weekend and report back. Hopefully its not going to cost too much to sort out. If its just a sporadic fault will it reset itself within a period of time?

Thanks in advance!

Derek

boman993

Even if it's a random fault, it will still require you to reset/clear the CEL with a OBDII reader. Post the code once you get it scanned. I ended up buying one when I got my first CEL last year and keep it on hand just in case. At least you'll know what you're up against ~ and if it's minor, you can clear it on the fly (SAI codes for example).

Slow Guy

Not necessarily. Some codes will clear themselves after a few starts/runs w/out the error, the error will still show up in the history but it won't trigger the CEL (unless it returns). It's still a good idea to read the codes so you know what your dealing with.

FabianS

Bummer buddy. Hopefully it's just a little hickup.

ca993twin

Bill is correct. The code can clear itself if the triggering conditions were transient and have gone away. Get the code read while it is still active, just so you know what you are dealing with. Cheapie readers are $30. I wouldn't clear it until I knew what it was, and then I'd wait a bit to see if it will clear itself.

skywachr

A hiccup is exactly what I would use to describe as the event to throw a CEL on a fully warmed up slow moving and running car about once a year. Was your choice of the word intentional? I can't figure out what causes this on rare specific situations like driving slowly but non lugging in a parking lot looking for a space.