[968Syncro]

http://jalopnik.com/...-must-be-banned





"It's pretty easy to dismiss the "check engine" light as just stupid, because, well, it is. I suppose if you thought that the cause of smoke coming from under your hood had something to do with the floor mats, then, sure, the "check engine" light is handy, but beyond that, it's useless. But that's not the real problem. The real problem is that the "check engine" light is a tool for the propagation of consumer ignorance about their cars. Which is why it needs to die. Now."



.... ....

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[ds968]

Agreed. 99% of the time it's triggered by an O2 sensor going bad, or your gas tank cap not secured... not many other failures that cause it to light up.. .09% is because you did not follow the prescribed method for disconnecting and reconnecting your battery. And the remaining .01% happens when your timing belt snaps.. but you really won't need the "check engine" light to diagnose that problem <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/glare.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> Disconnect the damn light if it can be done. Useless thing, IMO.

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[Chris Vais]

You know, I never could figure out what the damn check engine light was for. Everytime it goes on, I stop the car and check to see if the engine is still there. Haven't been disappointed yet. Am I missing something?

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[DaveN]

I think the check engine light has great purpose, it just needs to be re-badged. It should read "get out your ODB reader and view the fault code that triggered this warning light", or something a little bit shorter than that <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> It is an indicator that something is wrong with the car (not necessarily the engine) in general and does require attention.

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[wmuldowney]

Or, what if it wasnt "check engine" or "get out the OBD" and instead was.....wait for it......The damn OBD code to begin with!!!!!!!!



Just sayin'

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[968Syncro]

[quote name='Chris Vais' timestamp='1326994982' post='120699']

Everytime it goes on, I stop the car and check to see if the engine is still there.

[/quote]

Hey Chris, that reminded me of an episode of Candid Camera I saw as a kid, where they removed the engine and coasted into a service station, only to watch the befuddled service techs try to diagnose why the car wont' run. Here it is:

http://www.hiddencam...oenginecar.html

Amazing what you can find on the Internet.

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[Kim]

Dan - what causes the other 0.9% of the time that the light is on? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rock.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[ds968]

oh, crap..damn mathematicians ! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/glare.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> well, I know what I meant to say, 99.9 % , and that's what's really matters, right ? must have been a computer glitch that resulted in the error.. yeah, that's it ! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/mellow.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[DaveN]

The tech was certainly there. My 93 Jetta ODO display does that in "tech mode"

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[rhudeboye]

[quote name='Chris Vais' timestamp='1326994982' post='120699']

Every-time it goes on, I stop the car and check to see if the engine is still there. Haven't been disappointed yet. Am I missing something?

[/quote]



& 968Syncro hidden cam video



<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/laugh.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/laugh.png" class="smilie" alt="" /> i really shouldnt laugh this loud in the work place.

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[craigawoodman]

But is can be useful and annoying. When the engine temps get too hot on a race track and you are concentrating on the car in front - it does help (along with the oh crap I now have to short shift). If it comes on - it does usually mean there is a problem that needs to be looked at. Pehaps there should be two lights - the engine symbol (i.e. something is not quite right with the engine - get it looked at) and the Check Engine light - which is for the 0.1% where it is - Stop you are going to kill me event.

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[Gotter]

Mine came on just yesterday after a traffic-filled 115 mile drive from Fayetteville to Charlotte. Ran into a couple pockets of stand-still traffic, temp started to climb a little (but not even passed the top white line), then came back down after getting up to speed. Near the end of the trip, the blasted check engine light came on. I parked 5 miles later, thought maybe it'd be off this morning - but it wasn't. No fluids on the ground, had to fill my coolant up a little after the drive from yesterday, but everything else seems fine. No sluggishness, loss of power, weird smells or ANYthing. Gas cap is seated and tight....



I wonder how many things are linked into the light. What are all the possible things that could set it off? Anything oil has a dedicated light, as do brakes, airbag...

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[Chris Vais]

A bad oxygen sensor, failing <acronym title='mass air flow'>MAF</acronym>, knock sensor, an intermittent misfire will all cause a the Check Engine Light to come on based on my experience.

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[DaveN]

Oil level sensor as well, not terribly reliable and will trigger light.

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[Gotter]

No knocks, and oil is fine.... has it's own sensor anyways, doesn't it? Maybe <acronym title='mass air flow'>MAF</acronym> or O2... I cleaned the <acronym title='mass air flow'>MAF</acronym> about a year ago, but had D1RSC installed, so maybe gets dirtier quicker. Thanks guys. Tried a blink test, but wouldn't blink for me.

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[ds968]

Driving home tonight the check engine light made an appearance, stayed on for about ten minutes, then turned off and stayed that way for the rest of the drive which was another 15 minutes or so.. If it comes back on tomorrow I suppose a blink test is in order first , and then follow that up with the Durametric tester to identify what's causing the fault code.. Guessing it's the O2 sensor but not sure why the check engine light did not just stay on ??

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[968Syncro]

[quote name='ds968' timestamp='1408505933' post='161357']

....... but not sure why the check engine light did not just stay on ??

[/quote]

One example is the ABS system warning. If the ABS relay is faulty, or there is a possible problem on the wheel sensors, or the speedo sensor, then the check engine light will flicker like the girls and materialistic enticements in Amsterdam. But then a weak auxiliary light on the right will also flicker showing "ABS". Oil level is the same way, I've seen it come on; but then after turning off the car and waiting some time, it may not come on again. Seems I've seen this only during a quick start, right after turning the engine off, one a very hot day, or a very hot run. I also wish there was a reason why the "check engine" main light doesn't stay on.

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[ds968]

Interesting that the big " ! " light did not come on - that one seems to light up up in tandem with most other warning lights, many of which are for innocuous issues ( fluid levels, etc. ). So it scares the crap out of you as if the engine just suffered some catastrophic failure, yet when the check engine light is on, there is no trace of the idiot light ...so is one to assume the problem must not be very important ..?

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[968Syncro]

Dan, sorry, my mistake I think, I thought the "!" was the check engine light. Probably can ignore what I wrote, I've never seen the check engine light.

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[Lear35A]

[quote name='ds968' timestamp='1408505933' post='161357']

Driving home tonight the check engine light made an appearance, stayed on for about ten minutes, then turned off and stayed that way for the rest of the drive which was another 15 minutes or so.. If it comes back on tomorrow I suppose a blink test is in order first , and then follow that up with the Durametric tester to identify what's causing the fault code.. Guessing it's the O2 sensor but not sure why the check engine light did not just stay on ??

[/quote]

I had this go on for awhile. The CEL would come on and then go off somewhat randomly. The code it threw was 23 "Oxygen Regulation/Stop." After going crazy checking all the usual stuff again and again, I put in an accurate fuel pressure regulator and found out I was down to 30 psi at idle! The spec for the Stage 3 D1R SC is 53. (It's a wonder the engine ran at all.) Readjusted the fuel pressure regulator and haven't seen that CEL since.

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