Check Engine Light - It's OK !!!

[canthai55]

Saw an ad for a 2012 Colorado 4X4

Pictures very nice - as it was in person.

99,000 Km Clean as a whistle inside, outside, underneath. Very small weep from the front diff - not enuf to spend the money on to replace seal.

Fired it up - check engine light on. Opened fuel filler door, made sure cap was on tight and gasket good.

"Oh the sales lady said, all Chevrolet have this light on. Can drive no problem for a long time !"

555 Bye Bye

[Kwasaki]

Dam she didn't take bulb out. 55

[canthai55]

555 - could not believe it - so shared it here.

Truck very nice otherwise - and may be just a small thing, but I did not have the program for reading this model on my scan tool so don't know what it was.

And my basic OBD2 I left at home. You would think that someone selling a car would ensure that it is code free before it gets put on the lot.

BUT - TIT 555

[Crossy]

I still might be tempted to nip back with your ODB2, it may be something really simple and if it's as tidy as you say ...

 

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I still might be tempted to nip back with your ODB2, it may be something really simple and if it's as tidy as you say ...

 

Yeah if engine runs and sounds good could just be a bad oil light to oil pump connection. 

If you check oil level start up engine and take the oil filler cap off and some oil still splashes out that could tell some. 

[canthai55]

The Lady wants to have someone look at it. She will FB messenger when it is seen to.

If I go back I will bring my OBD 2 and see what is what.

We make a deal I will try to get the Colorado program if it not too much.

Then can use scan tool to check everything. It has a oscilloscope built in so can view data in real time. 

[canthai55]

21 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I still might be tempted to nip back with your ODB2, it may be something really simple and if it's as tidy as you say ...

It is nice for sure - especially for the year. and Low mileage.

But lucky for some it is a buyers market. I must look at 3 or 4 a week, all different shapes and sizes. Just to get a handle on where prices are going.

But same same in LOS - Sky Hi

Good thing I have sturdy boots 555

[NanLaew]

Does the car have any service history? Or maybe that's something that doesn't seem important here. When the tent guy made a quote over the phone for Mrs NL's CR-V sight unseen, he never asked. Even when he came to collect it, just walked around it, never even lifted the bonnet and said, "OK, deal!"

[OneMoreFarang]

Many vehicles have a scheduled service i.e. in max one or two years. Even if the vehicle was not used in that time the engine warning light will go on.

Edited July 8, 2021 by OneMoreFarang

[canthai55]

Until the codes are checked it is a moot point.

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Until the codes are checked it is a moot point.

At last, someone who knows how to use the word "moot"!!!

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Many vehicles have a scheduled service i.e. in max one or two years. Even if the vehicle was not used in that time the engine warning light will go on.

The engine light will go on or can go on? I've never had an engine warning light go on any of the properly serviced vehicles that I owned. Even the one that got parked up unused for 8 months.

 

The point I was making was the engine warning light coming on in a 9 year-old vehicle with a poor service history could be more indicative of a more serious issue than a bad connection or faulty sensor. Having said that, there are plenty of sensors on cars now that can set warning lights and as mentioned, the associated codes from an ODB scan should reveal the cause. Most of these sensors can be had on lazada but maybe there's not so many of those for Chevies these days?

 

Anyway, there should be some Chevy owners on the forum who will be happy to confirm that their dealerships and mechanics have said the warning light's not a problem and they've just kept on driving.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The engine light will go on or can go on? I've never had an engine warning light go on any of the properly serviced vehicles that I owned. Even the one that got parked up unused for 8 months.

 

The point I was making was the engine warning light coming on in a 9 year-old vehicle with a poor service history could be more indicative of a more serious issue than a bad connection or faulty sensor. Having said that, there are plenty of sensors on cars now that can set warning lights and as mentioned, the associated codes from an ODB scan should reveal the cause. Most of these sensors can be had on lazada but maybe there's not so many of those for Chevies these days?

 

Anyway, there should be some Chevy owners on the forum who will be happy to confirm that their dealerships and mechanics have said the warning light's not a problem and they've just kept on driving.

Obviously the warning light could indicate a small or major problem.

My point was that it could also be something harmless like it's time for an oil change.

 

I think anybody who buys a used car should be an expert, have an expert with them, or let the car check by an expert garage before they buy it. If the seller has nothing to hide then that shouldn't be a problem.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously the warning light could indicate a small or major problem.

My point was that it could also be something harmless like it's time for an oil change.

 

I think anybody who buys a used car should be an expert, have an expert with them, or let the car check by an expert garage before they buy it. If the seller has nothing to hide then that shouldn't be a problem.

Total agreement except that if the car still has the factory engine oil (and I am not saying this is the case here), the harm may have already been done. The owner the OP is dealing with says she's getting it sorted but that's relying on whoever she trusts to fix it. Her mechanic may simply have his own OBD2 and reset the fault code and NOT investigate or repair the cause.

 

No Chevy experts offering tips yet?

[Yellowtail]

If you reset the code and it doesn't come back on it's likely okay. 

 

[NanLaew]

37 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

If you reset the code and it doesn't come back on it's likely okay. 

 

On recollection, I had a check engine fault code on my pickup in the US reset a couple of times by the Dodge dealership. There was no obvious faults that could be detected such as rough running, vibration, sounds, throttle response, etc.. They showed me the diagnostics and the 5 engine and 2 powertrain issues that the manufacturer's fault code listed as sources. They all checked out OK. The truck was regularly serviced, maybe 3 years old, average mileage not a lot of stop-start driving involved.

 

Three weeks later, the transmission cratered as I was reverse parking at an Olive Garden for lunch. Got it towed to the transmission shop and the tech asked if I had experienced any transmission issues like odd noises or erratic or sticking gear shifts. The answer was no so then he asked me, "Did you ever get any 'check engine' lights?" with that look in his eye that he already knew the answer.

[Yellowtail]

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

On recollection, I had a check engine fault code on my pickup in the US reset a couple of times by the Dodge dealership. There was no obvious faults that could be detected such as rough running, vibration, sounds, throttle response, etc.. They showed me the diagnostics and the 5 engine and 2 powertrain issues that the manufacturer's fault code listed as sources. They all checked out OK. The truck was regularly serviced, maybe 3 years old, average mileage not a lot of stop-start driving involved.

 

Three weeks later, the transmission cratered as I was reverse parking at an Olive Garden for lunch. Got it towed to the transmission shop and the tech asked if I had experienced any transmission issues like odd noises or erratic or sticking gear shifts. The answer was no so then he asked me, "Did you ever get any 'check engine' lights?" with that look in his eye that he already knew the answer.

So what was the fault?

 

And why would the check "engine" light have you checking the transmission?

[NanLaew]

18 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

So what was the fault?

 

And why would the check "engine" light have you checking the transmission?

The transmission blowing up obviously. Rebuilt the transmission and it never had another check engine fault until I wrecked it maybe three years later.

 

No idea why that would have set the check engine fault but he said it wasn't unknown with certain makes and models to have transmission failures after 'false' check engine codes. Something to bring up with the truck manufacturer I guess.

[stubuzz]

When the engine light is illuminated, the car will enter a "Limp mode". This will allow the vehicle to get you home and to a garage. It is not recommended to continue driving until the cause is found and rectified.