Hey guys,

I was stopped at a light and randomly the service engine light came on. The car drives and feels fine. One thing that i noticed was that my navigation system was reminding(notification) me to change my oil and filter. Its just that last time i changed my oil i forgot to inout that into the nav. Could that be the cause of the service engine light. I reset it in my nav but the light is still there.

 

It usually means the the on-board diagnostics have detected a fault. There should be a code stored in the computer that a service shop can read and identify by plugging a device into a data port. Many times it has to do with emission control functions but sometimes it has to do with engine management systems. One simple thing that can cause a fault indication is if the gas cap isn't on tight, since it's supposed to be a sealed system. I don't have the nav system so I don't know if an oil change warning will light that light or not.

 

I checked if the gas cap was closed, and it was.

 

If it was the gas cap don't worry it's a pretty common occurrance. It'll take a day or two for the system to clear the code. The code will actually reset, if this is the case, after a certain number of miles, but I don't remember off the top of my head. Just drive it around and if the you're still throwing the CEL light after a few days have a diagnostic check performed.

 

I went to the dealer and he said that i was some emmison code but he needed more time to do some more test. He asked if i had put new gas in, which i had. but the light did not come up immediately after the refill. it took nearly 2 days for it to come up.

Any other ideas

Thanks

 

Had mine come on.. drove around and drove around... still was on... made appt. Went by Auto Zone and had them look the code up and it was the gas cap.. they cleared it. On a new tank of gas.. no new lights....

If its going on and off though... you need to get it to the dealer now. Thats what they said.. if its flashing... stop driving.

Its got nothing to do with the NAV.. thats for your info only and has nothing to do with the diag system,

EZ

 

BUMP

Yeah, SES light came on for me today randomly. my car is stock and I filled gas last week. I had not driven the car all week. I went to work and there was no issues. After work, on my way home the light came on. No idea why. I am pretty sure my gas cap was tight. Went to the dealer and the mechanics were already gone for the day. I didn't consider going to like AutoZone to get the code checked...DOH! I'll wait till tomorrow and see what happens. Car feels fine driving wise.

 

SES is still on. I tried to get it checked out by a dealer but they weren't taking any more appointments for the day and they sounded like they were booked monday. Anyone know if the light will go away on its own if its just a gas cap issue?

 

Unplug your battery and the code should reset itself. If their is an issue it will remain. Leave it unplugged for about 10 minutes. This is harmless, just as if you were changing the battery. You can also have the gas cap on but not tight and it will do this. Make sure the cap clicks when you tighten it. If you disconect the battery it should reset if there is nothing wrong.