OK, got my car tuned up about 1000 miles ago. The Check Engine light had been on. Previously, when I first bought the car, the owner had taken it to Satan to fix the CE light, they found it was a vacuum leak. Fixed it, but it soon came on again. Tune-up cleared it.

Anyway, after last tune-up, a little over 1000 miles later, CE light comes on. Specifically, the car sat for about 8 hours, then I got it to pick up my son and gf. CE light on. We went to toys-r-us, got in car and CE light off. Got in this morning to drop son off and CE light is still off.

Now, normally, I let my engine warm up before driving, last night, when CE light came on, I didn't wait as long as I normally do. COuld this be the reason for the CE light?

I do understand that the CE light can't properly be diagnosed without the proper tools and that the CE light could mean several things...just wondering if anyone has any ideas...

Thanks..

You can do the key dance to find out about the CEL. Or you can take it to Autozone for a free CEL check up.

yes either try this
http://www.asog.net/wheatking/PCM.HTM

or got to autozone and they will tell you the codes for free, then come back and tell them to us and we will help you fixit

The best way to get rid of a CEL is to unscrew the light. That solved all of my problems. :)

Jay

Thanks for the page Mcgyver...I'll be heading to a shop to get it checked.

Funny thing though...it was off untill yesterday when I was on the freeway to Sacramento...was on all day yesterday...then about 6pm I was back in SF and picked up my son and it was off...off this morning too...

Yep the ECU only checks for problems under certain conditions, I know that if I remove the EGR system in my car I wont get a CEL because I only go on short low speed drives, but as soon as I get on the highway and start cruising the CEL will come on becuase I have met the conditions for it to check for problems.

ECU's cant live with them, cant live without them!!!

could be as simple as your gas cap not being all the way on or it could be the evap system. LEt us know whta they tell you.

Or it could be a matter of the heater wire on the front O2 sensor is failing. The thing that I got from this was that you let the car sit for awhile, went to run an errand, got the light and then it went out later. The exhaust gases probably heated up the sensor enough for the CEL to go out. But will more than likely come back after letting the car completely cool down.

It's probably worth the $70+ to get a new O2 sensor and install it.