check engine light?

[bmorekirby]

my check engine light came off on the way to the grocery store, and was on half way home when i left? why would it come on and then suddenly go off? should i be worried? if it makes any difference it was 31 degrease outside, but i let it warm up for 10 minutes. if i got it checked out, would i still get a code, or do i have to wait for it to come back on?



thanks,
john

also, could anyone recommend a decent code reader for under $300?

[roadrash]

The CEL will automatically reset for certain codes. E.g., I'm pretty sure I remember it resetting for the P0420 (Catalytic Converter Efficiency) code. The code is still stored in the system, but the light goes off.

[bmorekirby]

so if the cel resets itself, do you think thiers anything to worry about. i've checked all the fluids, and listened to the engine and everything sounds ok. purrs like a 1.9ltr kitten ha ha. but do think that there might be missing something? should i be worried and get it checked out asap? i'm still new to bmw's, and working on cars in general, so please bare with me.

thanks,
john

[b.u.ti-ful]

You probably do not need to worry, but you can get the codes read at autozone for free - they will lone you the tool.

You can also buy a low end one for about $40 and it is pretty handy.

When you look up the code, it might clue you in to a problem that is becoming more permanent and you can get ahead of it.

[roadrash]

Whether it's OK or not depends on the fault code that was triggered. E.g., even though the CEL has gone out, the P0420 code means that you're probably going to need a new catalytic converter at some point.

So, find out what codes are stored. Many auto parts places (AutoZone, etc.) will scan codes for free.

[bmorekirby]

i'll stop by autozone saturday, and see what i find. i'll make another post on this thread when i get the results. thanks for your help gentlemen!

~john

[bmorekirby]

the damn check engine light when off just before i got to auto zone and they said it had to be on in order to read the code. i'll guess i'll have to wait till it comes on again.........

[HuGo]

How old are you?

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by bmorekirby

the damn check engine light when off just before i got to auto zone and they said it had to be on in order to read the code. i'll guess i'll have to wait till it comes on again.........

That's not true. An 02 sensor will go on and off until it fails completely.
The code is stored for x amount of cycles.

Originally Posted by HuGo

How old are you?

How is that relevant?

[Bozola]

This happened to my kid's ti. It would go on and off. For weeks. In the end it was the cam position sensor. It had faulted 240 times.
________
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[bmorekirby]

Originally Posted by HuGo

How old are you?

why does that matter? but if you have to know i'm 27.

[HuGo]

I was just wondering.

I don't think it matters how many degrease it was outside. Don't quote me on the whole degrease situation though.

Try this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Peake...motiveQ5fTools

[bmorekirby]

Originally Posted by HuGo

I was just wondering.

I don't think it matters how many degrease it was outside. Don't quote me on the whole degrease situation though.

Try this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Peake...motiveQ5fTools

ok, fair enough. thanks for the advice. yeah, i'm 27 and know nothing about cars. sad, i know. but i'm trying to learn as much i can about my ti, and this forum has helped a lot.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by bmorekirby

yeah, i'm 27 and know nothing about cars. sad, i know. but i'm trying to learn as much i can about my ti, and this forum has helped a lot.

Dude, you REALLY need to join BMW CCA NCC.

I mean like REALLY NEED TO JOIN.

We are having a DIY session at Eurotech Motorsports near Towson this sunday. Come by and check it out. No obligation. We can read your code for you for free, and tell you how to go about fixing it.

There could not be a better way (and cheaper, and easier) for you to learn how to work on your car. Come see.

[bmorekirby]

Originally Posted by MPWR

DIY session at Eurotech Motorsports[/URL] near Towson this sunday. Come by and check it out. No obligation. We can read your code for you for free, and tell you how to go about fixing it.

There could not be a better way (and cheaper, and easier) for you to learn how to work on your car. Come see.

sounds good, i will be there for sure. i've already printed out the the google directions.. i'll be the one with the black 1996 ti covered in salt. damn snow. ha ha what time does it start sunday?