newbie, check engine light
 

I just got a '97 base Millenia. My mechanic said it needed $800 before I bought it, turned out to be $1800--water pump, timing belt, heat sensor, oil leak, alignment--check engine light was on, lots of other stuff. Got it back last Thursday, it drove great, love it much more than the '97 626 I crashed last month. Last night, came back from the city by bus, picked up the car at the station & much to my dismay the check engine light was back on. I was stuck, though, late at night, no other way to get home, nothing bad happened. Today, had to go about 40 miles, light still on. Stopped for gas on the way home, when I started it up again the light was off. The only thing I can think of is that it was raining last night, maybe something got wet? Does that make sense? My mechanic was sure the engine would be fine now. Any ideas?

YIKES!!!!! The CEL is on again this afternoon! Happy Thanksgiving...

RE: newbie, check engine light
 

The check engine light GENERALLY, not all the time, monitors pollution control equipment that may not effect the cars obvious performance, so you may have something wrong with the PC eqipment. Get the codes from the computer and that will tell you why it is/was on.

RE: newbie, check engine light
 

clarify this statement. wrong information is worse than no information.

RE: newbie, check engine light
 

Thanks for the responses. I went to autozone, they came up with 2 things, cylinder #5 misfire and knock sensor problem. I called my mechanic (90 miles away), and he said okay to drive, come in Monday. Lo and behold, after the autozone guy gave me my printout and I went back out and started the car, the CEL was off. Drove another 100 miles, no CEL. What's going on????

RE: newbie, check engine light
 

How you doing milly, well the cyl 5 misfire could explain the knock sensor..Now if your knock sensor is bad it would start to retard timing and make your car misfire and it woud also effect gas milage. I think whats going on with the light going on and off everytime you drive for a certain period of time you computer will reset and you drive for a little bit longer it will rethrow the cel...well let me know what happens