Engine Alarm!!!!!

[Stylish]

I check the gas cap twice and it's closed tight. I told OnStar if I need to stop the car and call to have it picked up on a flat bed truck but they told me that it's not necessary and I can drive my car for a day or so t check if the Engine Light is turning off or not.
If not, then I have to take it to a dealer.
Actually I drove like 10 miles after the Engine light ON and there was nothing unusual in the car. All gauges were fine and the car sounds normal like always. I even hit the gas to see if there is any difference than before Engine Light but nothing is different at all.

[Verio]

Originally Posted by Scott@Bjorn3D

Trying to figure out if you just slammed me.

I didn't slam you...

If my engine "alarm" or any engine light for that matter came on, I'd want it fixed, under warranty. Why drive around a car if there might be an issue?

In my VW the Engine light started flashing (means don't drive at all, have it towed) come to find out it was just a cylinder misfire because something came loose. Car still drove fine, but until I pulled that code I had no idea. The B5.5 forum people were telling me to do this and that, and so on.

You ask an opinion on a forum with very vague information, and you'll get 50 different opinions. Most of them probably wrong. Let the professionals do their job.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Scott@Bjorn3D

Trying to figure out if you just slammed me.

Sure seemed like it.

Originally Posted by radz282003

Please keep comments respectful.

Originally Posted by CamaroScotty

Scott is correct.

This happens on just about all GM cars and trucks, and has been for years.

You CAN drive it.

If there is a serious issue that warrant NOT DRIVING, the engine light will FLASH and you should NOT drive your car!

That's the way I allways understood it.

Originally Posted by 96rss/ls6

Hey here is another thing that could be causing it and I had no idea. I thought I knew about all there is to know about these new engines but one of my buddies who is a master tech said when you pump gas , once the pump cuts itself off do not keep pumping that last little bit in because it will mess up the carbon cannister and set off this same light. I had no idea. Maybee this is common knowledge, but ive built many of these engines and never heard anything like this

Never heard of that.

Originally Posted by Stylish

I check the gas cap twice and it's closed tight. I told OnStar if I need to stop the car and call to have it picked up on a flat bed truck but they told me that it's not necessary and I can drive my car for a day or so t check if the Engine Light is turning off or not.
If not, then I have to take it to a dealer.
Actually I drove like 10 miles after the Engine light ON and there was nothing unusual in the car. All gauges were fine and the car sounds normal like always. I even hit the gas to see if there is any difference than before Engine Light but nothing is different at all.

It has taken up to 2 days for my light to turn off after leaving the cap off or loose.

[PQ]

BTW, don't know if I'd trust the onstar readings. Look at my 'remaining oil life'. Mileage says 2155 and has remaining oil life 83%. Huh?









Vehicle Maintenance


Remaining Oil Life: 83%

Mileage: 2,155

No required maintenance due at this time.

Based on oil life and mileage readings, next required maintenance estimated at 13,500 miles.









Well, this was a pain in the ass post. lol

[PQ]

Hey Verio, I'll be watching my account.








I kid.

[carfansince73]

Originally Posted by irpq11

BTW, don't know if I'd trust the onstar readings. Look at my 'remaining oil life'. Mileage says 2155 and has remaining oil life 83%. Huh?

My Honda has a maint minder like GM's. I routinely go over 5K miles between oil changes with the last one being over 6K miles. With just over 40K miles, that thing runs as smooth as the day I bought it. I know the dealer service depts must hate these oil life monitors because I no longer go 3K miles between oil changes. I bring it in when the car says so.

[2010cantwait]

Yes, this is an issue ever since 1996 (or 97) when OBDII became standard for all vehicles- doesn't hurt car at all to drive it.

[Verio]

Originally Posted by irpq11

Hey Verio, I'll be watching my account.








I kid.

LOL I'm gunna stealz your Onstar... you just wait

[Stylish]

I think I found the problem.

I tried to start my car from the key remote but it didn't. I think yes that is related to the Engine Light.

[RottNCrzy]

Originally Posted by Stylish

I check the gas cap twice and it's closed tight. I told OnStar if I need to stop the car and call to have it picked up on a flat bed truck but they told me that it's not necessary and I can drive my car for a day or so t check if the Engine Light is turning off or not.
If not, then I have to take it to a dealer.
Actually I drove like 10 miles after the Engine light ON and there was nothing unusual in the car. All gauges were fine and the car sounds normal like always. I even hit the gas to see if there is any difference than before Engine Light but nothing is different at all.

OK your car must run multiple trips with no malfunction before the light will go off. So onstar is right to tell you to drive it for a few days. The computer must run all tested a few more times and detect no problems before the light will reset on it's own. But if you are worried just go see the dealer and let them pull codes for you and reset the light.

[MikeZ28]

If only car manufacturers would allow owners to actually READ THE CODE themselves, there wouldn't be so much guesswork and needless trips to dealerships about the mysterious check engine light. At one point EPA was going to make owner-accessible diagnostics part of the OBD spec, but EPA caved to the politically-powerful carmakers and dealership lobby.

[Sack Rat 2SS]

There is a note right on the gas cap saying to secure cap one click or the engine warning light may come on. And, as said above it takes several cycles or drive events for the system to resolve the loose cap issue.

[CWI]

Originally Posted by irpq11

BTW, don't know if I'd trust the onstar readings. Look at my 'remaining oil life'. Mileage says 2155 and has remaining oil life 83%. Huh?









Vehicle Maintenance


Remaining Oil Life: 83%

Mileage: 2,155

No required maintenance due at this time.

Based on oil life and mileage readings, next required maintenance estimated at 13,500 miles.









Well, this was a pain in the ass post. lol

This is my third vehicle with Onstar, and third with oil life monitoring system. First was a Duramax diesel. It was nearly 12,000 miles before the change oil light came on. I called my service dept and explained I was in Florida at the time and on my way back to Oregon, should I stop and get the oil change right away? He said not to worry about it even though it would be another 3000 miles before I got there, again he said it would not hurt anything, not even the warranty.
Each month, you get a vehicle diagnostic report from Onstar. One of the cool features on the report is a bar graph showing you oil change history where you can see how much remaining life was left each time the oil life monitor gets reset. It also has graphs showing average speeds and total miles driven in certain time frames. After two years on my Colorado it's interesting to look back at the charts.

Originally Posted by RottNCrzy

OK your car must run multiple trips with no malfunction before the light will go off. So onstar is right to tell you to drive it for a few days. The computer must run all tested a few more times and detect no problems before the light will reset on it's own. But if you are worried just go see the dealer and let them pull codes for you and reset the light.

This sounds correct, usually it takes a set number of ignition cycles without the same sympton before the check engine light will go out on it's own. The code stays in the system for a set number of cycles. The same thing happened to my Colorado a long time ago, when I took it to the dealer, the code said loose gas cap.

It is possible with these cars also, the possibility of bad sensors. I haven't seen other members here with the problem, but. According to John Fitzpatrick when I spoke with him about my car being stuck in QC back in May, he said the only problem was with the gas tank but he didn't know the exact problem. We speculated about just this thing and he did not dissagree. Something to keep in mind.

[fishbern82]

Originally Posted by Stylish

I think I found the problem.

I tried to start my car from the key remote but it didn't. I think yes that is related to the Engine Light.

So what your saying, "is that when you used the remote to start your car it did nothing?"
Dose your cruise work?

When i got my HHR it would not start at the dealer with the remote, well it was late and the shop was closing, so he told me to take it home and see if it work again. I tried the next morning and nothing, so i made appointment. On my way to the dealer i went to use the cruise control and it didn't work ether. Once i got it there and they hooked up the computer to it, it just flashed a transmission code. they reset it and that fixed my Remote start and Cruise control.
I've had the car for almost 2yrs now and it's never happened again.

P.S I didn't have a engine lite on.