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View Full Version : no longer a cel?


toad
07-19-2010, 01:41 PM
sorry if a repost, but i recently was driving back home from vacation when the check engine light came on. i was driving the wife's 2007 yaris sedan and it has approx. 94,000 miles on it. car was/is running fine and i stopped by the nearest garage to see if he had a scanner to check the code. he claims toyota(and other manufacturers) put codes in to remind you of service intervals for major stuff(ie. tune ups, etc.) and it wouldn't be a problem to drive the rest of the way home so long as the car wasn't acting funny.

anyways, i turned-down the scan because he wanted over $100 just to tell me the code and drove the rest of the 5 hours home. again, car ran fine and as i got into the car yesterday to go buy a scanner myself the cel is gone! is this normal for the light to disappear or is the problem resolved? should i still get the scanner just to see what code it did trip when the light initially came on? thanks!

swidd
07-19-2010, 02:13 PM
For future reference... Autozone/Advance Auto Part will look up codes for free.

127.0.0.1
07-19-2010, 03:03 PM
some MIL codes are based on thresholds and won't
pop the MIL until it lasts for a time period, or occurs
so many times in a row before staying gone for good.

temporary code like that sounds like:

low on gas and sucked some air

or

MAF needs cleaning

or

engine misfire...bad gas, or head gasket/electronics
-------------------------------------------------------
Get an OBD-II scanner and find out what the code was,
you can get pending codes if there are any...use swidds idea of autozone free scan

firemachine69
07-20-2010, 10:14 AM
Buy a scanner. Best hundred bucks I ever spent.

127.0.0.1
07-20-2010, 12:00 PM
Buy a scanner. Best hundred bucks I ever spent.


30 bucks on fleabay. if a code is all you want.

toad
07-20-2010, 02:18 PM
thanks for the help! i've got a coupon to get one for $40 so i think i'll just go ahead and pick it up just for my own piece of mind.

NH3R717
07-22-2010, 11:58 AM
Advanced Auto...

R2D2
07-25-2010, 03:16 AM
It takes 40 start cycles for the code to be cleared after the cel goes off (meaning the code is no longer active) so if you get a code reader soon the code may still be readable.

R2