The Conservative Cave
Interests => Around the House & In the Garage => Topic started by: Gina on August 16, 2012, 07:12:12 AM
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Help! Ok, my van that I got in April :rant: turned on a MIL light (shows a little engine) when I read it it says that I have a loose gas cap or bad gas, etc.
I filled up with Shell gas on Monday and started having problems a day later it seems with the car cranking up and not running smooth. Then when I would accelerate I would get some light bucking. Also seems like my temperture is going up just slightly. Usually stays right at the mid point and not it is going up 3-4 notches on the indicator.
Do you think this is something serious? the book says to take it in if the light stays on with several uses on a few days. If it starts flashing then I may have some serious loss of power or damage to my catalytic converter.
Thoughts? :bawl:
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A malfunction indicator lamp (MIL), also known as a check engine light, is a tell-tale to indicate malfunction of a computerized engine management system. It is found on the instrument panel of most automobiles. When illuminated, it is typically either an amber or red color. On vehicles equipped with OBD-II, the light has two stages: steady (indicating a minor fault such as a loose gas cap or failing oxygen sensor) and flashing (indicating a severe fault, that could potentially damage the catalytic converter if left uncorrected for an extended period). When the MIL is lit, the engine control unit stores a fault code related to the malfunction, which can be retrieved with a scan tool and used for further diagnosis. The malfunction indicator lamp usually bears the legend check engine, service engine soon, or a pictogram of an engine. In the United States, specific functions are required of the MIL by EPA regulations.[1]
False triggering
Higher amounts of methanol/ethanol (or other additives) than the engine is equipped to handle may trigger the MIL(see E85). These burn differently from gasoline, and the EFI system may mistakenly interpret the oxygen sensor's readings as being incorrect. Oxygenated gasoline can cause this false triggering in early EFI systems.[citation needed]
I got that e85 shit :rant: Damnit! if it's bad gas what can I do?
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I'd LOVE to help, but every time I read one of your posts, my mind goes to the gutter:
Then when I would accelerate I would get some light bucking. Also seems like my temperture is going up just slightly. Usually stays right at the mid point and not it is going up 3-4 notches
:hyper: :naughty: :hyper:
Seriously, is there a gas additive that you could use?
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That is like the ee cummings poem, "she Being brand new"....
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I'd LOVE to help, but every time I read one of your posts, my mind goes to the gutter:
:hyper: :naughty: :hyper:
Seriously, is there a gas additive that you could use?
Then when I would accelerate I would get some light bucking. Also seems like my temperture is going up just slightly. Usually stays right at the mid point and not it is going up 3-4 notches
GAWD! It just comes out naturally doesn't it for me? :lmao:
Oopps did it again!
Damnit! I can't stop! :lmao:
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Seriously, the only thing I've heard of is K100, but it's not widely available.
You could posdibly try Stabil Auto, but I'm not a car expert. Then wait for your tank to empty, and never buy that again.
Or siphon the crap out and start over.
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e85 is not gas. Drain that crap from your tank or dillute it with 93 octane.
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e85 is not gas. Drain that crap from your tank or dillute it with 93 octane.
I didn't buy e85. I bought the regular unleaded gas with that 10% ethanol in it. I was saying my vehicle is one of those E85 vehicles that can use either or.
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How full is your tank?
Easiest thing to do is drain the tank and start with fresh gas. Find a local garage to do it for you... they probably won't change more than half an hour of labor. Or you could do it yourself. Your tank should have a drain plug (bolt) on the bottom somewhere (or you could siphon it into the neighbor's garden :whistling:).
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How full is your tank?
Easiest thing to do is drain the tank and start with fresh gas. Find a local garage to do it for you... they probably won't change more than half an hour of labor. Or you could do it yourself. Your tank should have a drain plug (bolt) on the bottom somewhere (or you could siphon it into the neighbor's garden :whistling:).
Sure I hate them anyway! :lmao:
It's only got about a 1/4 tank left. Just let it run out? should take 2 days or am I fixing to damage my 20th century automobile?
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Do you have a portable gas can? Go buy a gallon of fresh gas.
1/4 tank is about 3-4 gallons. I would siphon or drain the tank and start over. Just don't run it dry or you could damage the fuel pump.
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Do you have a portable gas can? Go buy a gallon of fresh gas.
1/4 tank is about 3-4 gallons. I would siphon or drain the tank and start over.
Question.
Okay, so it seems she put the wrong sort of fuel in there.
What if, instead of bothering with all of this siphoning sweat-and-toil, she just filled the tank full with the proper fuel, thinning out, and ultimately getting rid of, the improper fuel?
Would that work?
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Yes, a full tank of fresh gas should dilute the stuff that's in there now.
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Yes.
But that's no fun. :-)
I just wondered.
I never put the wrong fuel in a motor vehicle--I watch what I do--and so this is an experience I haven't had.
But to carry this on a little further, what if Gina had put diesel in there? Would that work, putting in the appropriate fuel so as to thin out the diesel?
One doesn't think the motor would work so well, but that ultimately the diesel would be gone, and everything back to normal.
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It should if you have a very small amount in the tank. I would probably drive it for a while and fill it up again repeatedly to continue dilluting the fuel in the tank until it's all gone.
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It should if you have a very small amount in the tank.
Thanks.
I'm one of these people who, even if in a hurry, reads the octane label of the gasoline I propose to use, at the service-station pump before I punch down the lever.
Also, when pouring in oil, before I tip the bottle over, I re-read the label to be sure it's the right oil--especially if I'm using someone else's car or truck.
So far nothing bad's happened, but nobody's perfect.
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I just wondered.
I never put the wrong fuel in a motor vehicle--I watch what I do--and so this is an experience I haven't had.
But to carry this on a little further, what if Gina had put diesel in there? Would that work, putting in the appropriate fuel so as to thin out the diesel?
One doesn't think the motor would work so well, but that ultimately the diesel would be gone, and everything back to normal.
Diesel - I wouldn't mess with the "thinning out." Drain, flush, and start over. Diesel's a long way from gasoline.
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I just wondered.
I never put the wrong fuel in a motor vehicle--I watch what I do--and so this is an experience I haven't had.
But to carry this on a little further, what if Gina had put diesel in there? Would that work, putting in the appropriate fuel so as to thin out the diesel?
One doesn't think the motor would work so well, but that ultimately the diesel would be gone, and everything back to normal.
I didn't put the wrong fuel in there!! :rant: I have bought gas there lots of times. I got regular unleaded.
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I didn't put the wrong fuel in there!! :rant: I have bought gas there lots of times. I got regular unleaded.
And you got the gas cap back on correctly? Sometimes you don't get the cap on just right and the vehicle gets all 'I am so unhappy".
Just another thought. Bad gas has been known to happen even if it is the right gas. Alcohol (e85) has a tendency to attract water. :hammer:
I vote try some fresh gas. I don't think I would get all concerned about draining the existing if you only have 1/4 tank.
You could also go bat those long lashes at the local dealer and ask him to read the computer code or find a friend with a reader. Depending on the vehicle they use to sell a key device that would let you do it yourself by counting the flashes of the CEL o MIL or whatever they are calling the idiot light now a days.
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And you got the gas cap back on correctly? Sometimes you don't get the cap on just right and the vehicle gets all 'I am so unhappy".
Just another thought. Bad gas has been known to happen even if it is the right gas. Alcohol (e85) has a tendency to attract water. :hammer:
I vote try some fresh gas. I don't think I would get all concerned about draining the existing if you only have 1/4 tank.
You could also go bat those long lashes at the local dealer and ask him to read the computer code or find a friend with a reader. Depending on the vehicle they use to sell a key device that would let you do it yourself by counting the flashes of the CEL o MIL or whatever they are calling the idiot light now a days.
EWWWW Autozone will do it for free and I don't have to bat or bounce anything :naughty:
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EWWWW Autozone will do it for free and I don't have to bat or bounce anything :naughty:
And what did they tell you?? :whatever:
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Rule of thumb: Don't ever gas up when the semi is delivering. It stirs up whatever's on the bottom of the station's tanks, whether it's water or solid contaminants.
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Wanna Tiger in your tank? :naughty:
I don't think you can get "free reads" at Autozone, at least not here or I'd suggest that. The dealers filed a class action lawsuit to prevent it, so now you have to 1. buy one. 2. know someone with a reader, or 3. go to the dealer who will be MORE than happy to turn off the light for $29.99, then tell you what it said and how to fix it. How convenient. :bird:
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Wanna Tiger in your tank? :naughty:
I don't think you can get "free reads" at Autozone, at least not here or I'd suggest that. The dealers filed a class action lawsuit to prevent it, so now you have to 1. buy one. 2. know someone with a reader, or 3. go to the dealer who will be MORE than happy to turn off the light for $29.99, then tell you what it said and how to fix it. How convenient. :bird:
Dealer? Not where I come from. We call them "stealers".
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Wanna Tiger in your tank? :naughty:
I don't think you can get "free reads" at Autozone, at least not here or I'd suggest that. The dealers filed a class action lawsuit to prevent it, so now you have to 1. buy one. 2. know someone with a reader, or 3. go to the dealer who will be MORE than happy to turn off the light for $29.99, then tell you what it said and how to fix it. How convenient. :bird:
I have always gotten them free. Just walk in and ask them. :p
I haven't gone yet to get it done. Will this afternoon. They will give me a printout of the code with the possible problems.
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It cost me close to $500 last month to get my engine light off -- but that's because the whole frickin' computer went bad :rant:
Had I taken it to a dealer to fix, it would have been about $1000 for the computer and re-programming. I went to a local guy I've gone to for years who was able to get the part from Philly and he had another local guy do the re-programming.
Then I had to drive it 100 miles before I could take it for inspection (it was due last month) for the computer to determine everything was running properly.
But it passed inspection finally!
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They put in a whole new engine in April before I took it off the lot because they couldn't find a ticking noise that drove me nuts that they couldn't hear. It's covered for 3 years if anything goes wrong with the engine. Gawd at least let it be the engine if something goes wrong! :overreaction:
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Gina, I would also get the fuel filter changed. A clogged filter will give you most of the symptoms you report.
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Gina, I would also get the fuel filter changed. A clogged filter will give you most of the symptoms you report.
Yup. I almost threw that in as well. I always liked a clear filter on the 'Cuda so I could see what was going on. I don't know if I could even find it on the G6 probably under a shroud somewhere.
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Ok, the Autozone thingy said
1) gas cap loose
or
2) cylinder 3 misfiring
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Ok, the Autozone thingy said
1) gas cap loose
or
2) cylinder 3 misfiring
(http://blippitt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/NYR-1-Car-with-Gas-Hose.jpg)
:-)
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Check your gas cap. It might be damaged or not sealing properly. A single cylinder misfiring (which would cause the symptoms you describe) is usually electrical caused by (in order of frequency) loose plug wire, bad plug wire or bad plug. If you or someone can identify the #3 cylinder make sure the wire isn't loose or damaged. At that point you will need a mechanic to pull/inspect the plug and test the wire.
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The ancient Egyptians had the answer...
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boXtqvcrpKM[/youtube]
Put the mighty men right in their places...