Why did my car shake and the check engine light flash while stopped at a light?
What you experienced was almost certainly a misfire event and the cause may be recorded as a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) in the engine controller’s memory. Most failures that are significant enough to cause MIL illumination will record a trouble code and its environmental/ data information from the moment, even if the MIL is no longer lit. Onboard Diagnostics work constantly to keep the MIL off, looking for a reason to turn the CE light out if the condition hasn’t been seen again recently, eventually even erasing trouble codes if all’s good. I can only speculate on the nature of your event, but a thorough scan to retrieve codes and freeze frame data of the moment will often shed some light on the situation.Misfires come in many flavors, ranging from slight loss of performance in a single cylinder, to one or more holes being completely dead. Your description of shake at an idle implies a power imbalance, which usually involves complete loss of performance, but just one hole.Barring an at-home scanner being available, rolling the ignition key from LOCK to RUN three times, then leaving it in the RUN position at the end will initiate the customer code-read feature, spilling any matured codes stored in the PCM through the instrument cluster’s odometer window. All codes will be four digits in length, beginning with the letter P, such as P0123. DTC information can be found at OBD2-OBDII Engine Light Trouble Codes Definitions, Description and Repair Information online.One-trip failures - those that have not quite matured - will not be displayed in this feature, but will show up on a high-end scanner if present.If only a single cylinder misfire code is retrieved, pull the coil and spark plug to inspect for signs of flashover - black marks on the upper spark plug insulator and inner coil boot that will not scratch off with a fingernail. Flashover is pretty common on coil-on-plug ignition systems and the cure is to replace both the boot and spark plug together. Worn plugs tend to incite this sort of situation as spark will always seek the path of least resistance.If your DTC list includes an injector control circuit code that matches the cylinder of misfire, chances are good that the injector is at fault. The injector may test as completely normal when cooler, but will go to an open circuit once heated, either naturally or with a heat gun.
What does this warning light mean on my car dashboard?
immobiliser warning lamp. If it flashes the engine will not start , switch ignition off , remove ignition key, wait approximately 2 seconds, switch ignition on try to start engine again, if immobiliser warning lamp still flashes try again using the spare key,if immobiliser warning lamp still flashes--- system fault present.
Why does my check engine light come on after getting gas?
As many have mentioned, it's not simple to answer without more information. There are a number of emmisions fault codes that can occur when fueling for a variety of reasons. Heres a few-Various leak codes. The fuel tank isn't just a can with a pipe in from the filler neck and a pipe out to the fuel line to the motor. There is also also ventilation system that corrects for tank pressure changes allowing air to enter when needed while keeping fuel vapor from escaping, and can pull that fuel vapor into the intake system of the engine.The most common leak issue is a loose or misplaced filler cap that causes a major leak code. Next is a failed seal on the fuel filler cap causing a minor lack code. After that you have the charcoal canister shutoff valve sticking open due to a mechanical failure or due to debris from the charcoal canister caused by impact, consistent over filling, or age. Next would be the purge valve sticking open or closed. Finally hard system leaks such as a cracked hose or seal at the level sensor assembly.Overfilling can affect the charcoal canister by degrading the charcoal filter and causing the valve to stick. This system was only designed for vapor and not liquid fuel.As the fuel tank is semi flexible, the weight of the fuel will normally distort the tank and allow for some leaks due to dried or failed seals to be fuel level dependent.Finally there are the weird ones… found a low-jack transmitter installation gone awry. The installer screwed the mount through the floor under the seat into the fuel tank. Once he realized fuel was leaking on the ground he pulled the screw out, out some sealant on it and screwed it back in the hole. The customer only got a minor leak code when they had a full tank and the weight pulled the tank down off the screw.Found couple plastic tanks cracked at a seam. Also found issues due to distortion and swelling of the plastic tank from E85 and MTBE. There were a few metal tanks with braised hose junctions that separated. One tank actually collapsed and crushed due to a stuck shutoff valve and a bad sensor.Good luck.
Is there a way to reset the dashboard service lights on an Audi A5 without using a diagnostics machine?
I think you might be able to, although I haven't worked at Audi in a couple years.Start with key off, engine off. Hold down the "0.0" button. Keep holding that button down, turn ignition on without starting engine. Let go of "0.0" button and then press the "set" button. If that doesn't work, try the buttons in the opposite order. If it still doesn't work, you'll need to have it cleared by Audi. Hope it works!
What are the causes for a check engine light coming on after fueling and after a while it goes off?
I suspect that your car has a sensitivity to air in the fuel, created when you fill the car up.Some cars have issues with the tank cap being sealed too tightly creating a partial vacuum in the almost full tank, which the fuel pump has a hard time overcoming.The flow meter senses issues with the volume of fuel and the engine management light can be lit until either the fuel lines are free of air or the vacuum has been resolved.Have you ever tried gently loosening the fuel filler cap and driving it for a few miles. This is not totally recommended as a permanent solution but works for diagnostic purposes.Other issues such as exhaust (tail pipe) co2 sensor impurities glazing onto the sensor surface can also cause issues like this as well. The newly burned fuel gases eventually cleans the sensor causing it to read ok again.A diagnostic code reader might help you, and they are fairly cheap for basic read outs nowadays.Let me m know if this helped.
Why would my oil light still be on? I just had my oil changed and it has been reset.
The oil light does NOT measure how much oil there is in the engine…the idea that it measures the amount of oil is a very common misconception.It measures the oil PRESSURE…how efficiently the oil is being pushed around into the parts of the engine that need it.If you don’t have enough oil - then the light will certainly come on because there isn’t enough pressure. But if (for example) your oil pump is failing - then there may be insufficient pressure even though there is plenty of oil.So just because you had the oil changed - doesn’t mean that there isn’t a serious problem here.Since lack of oil pressure prevents oil from getting everywhere it’s needed - you probably have parts of your engine that are wearing out because they aren’t being properly lubricated.This is VERY damaging to your engine - so it’s essential that you get this fixed before you drive the car much further. Every mile you drive with that light on is doing long-term damage - and it’s the kind of damage that spells “New Engine” rather than “Quick fix”. Some car manufacturers (BMW is one of them) recommend getting your car towed to the dealership rather than you driving it there if the oil light comes on.To be fair - there are other possible reasons why the light might come on - maybe the oil pressure sensor is busted - maybe the wire broke or shorted or something - but because the engine may be seriously damaged if it really is the oil pump - then you MUST get this fixed ASAP.It costs maybe $500 to replace the oil pump ($100 parts, $400 labor) - but that’s a lot better than maybe $5000 to replace the entire engine a month or so from now.
Why is my engine coolant light on and my coolant is full?
It is very possible your engine temperature is way up beyond the normal range. That is probably the reason why the coolant light is illuminated to call your attention…If your radiator is filled with coolant, it is possible that either water pump has failed or the water hoses are kinked or collapsed, restricting the coolant to flow!Over heating is also possible if the fan blades are not moving /turning to draw cold air and cooldown the radiator coolant… This is either a fan driven motor or a fan that is mechanically linked to the water pump?The non-rotating fan can be cause by a defective fan motor or the thermostat that controls its operation…The engine over heating can also be caused by a broken drive belt on a mechanically stalled propeller fan..Or belt driven cooling fan…
I have a 2003 Nissan Maxima. The "service engine soon", "SLIP", and "TCS off" lights are on and it is hard to start. What does this mean?
Traction control tells me their is an issue with either the computer, or you might have had a wheel speed sensor separate. Hard to start has way too many possibilities, and depending on how integrated the systems are it could be one issue, or severel underlying issues. I have a feeling there may be more than one issue. The bottom line is you need to be informed. The best way to start tackling this is to stop by an auto parts store and have them plug in their OBD to at least let you know which codes are being thrown (it is free). The code will come with a set of numbers/letters and also a brief description of the issue. Similar to this.