OK in a few days I am going on vacation and some of those days are to be spent with my honey...with one extra day for us to get married. Well my check engine light came on a few days ago and hasn't gone off. I checked my fuel cap and it was on properly. I am going to go get it checked I think some one told me once that Autozone will check it for free?

So my question is does anyone know if when this comes on and any of the codes found are super serious enough where I should worry for one week about my vacation and or wedding and driving the 45 minutes to see my honey? I've waited 4 long years to marry him and I can't have it screwed up because of some car trouble!! :angry: I don't have the extra money to get anything fixed this week with the wedding and all or rent a car? I have a way to the wedding I just wanted to really see him the other 2 weekends as well.

So if anyone can ease my mind about the check engine light it would help? I am taking it to Autozone tomorrow I just thought I would ask on here as well. Ok that's my silly panicking cause I miss my guy question. ;)

I did ask my honey tonight but it's been so long since he's been around a car. He was so cute trying to ease my mind and trying to help me.
~Spikeswife~

Is the check engine light yellow? or red?

If it is yellow, you can put it off for a while.

If it is red, does it stay on all the time? Or does it come and go?

If it stays on all the time, then it has set a code and can be determined by hooking up to a machine (the quick way) or there is another way depending on the type and model of car you have.

If it comes and goes, then the code is not set yet and it is purely guess work as to why it's on.

I don't think AutoZone does this for free. :( But it never hurts to try!

My ex was an auto technician. We owned and operated a shop for 10 years together. I still have Mitchell Repair on my computer and might be able to help you somewhat depending on the year and type of the car.

And hey, I fixed my clothes dryer all by myself today so right now, I'm invincible! lol

Hey girl, first of all congratulations on your wedding! :)

What kind of car is it? I have a dodge and my engine light came on about 2 years ago, girl it was on for like 2 months before I got it fixed! :eek: Not that Im recommending that, but just saying that mine was fine...:rolleyes:

The gas cap can be part of it, but if that is on tight then they may just need to reset the computer. is it a newer car? Mine, I took it to the dealership and they checked it on the computer and 'reflashed' it, resetting all the codes and the light went off. It was a fluke, and once it was reset it was fine. no mechanical trouble.

Still have it looked at, is my advice. Pray God will keep you safe and get you safely to see your man and to your wedding! I hope your marriage is blessed and your visits are wonderful. Let us know what happens. God bless~Aimee

it depends on the type of car u have for one thing....but my check engine light has been on in my truck for about three months now....check your oil and water and if they are ok and it is just a sensor most of the time u can go for awhile before HAVING to have it fixed but would be best to find out what it is.....my dads light came on in his caddy an it was the egr valve they say mine is an oxygen sensor ...u can remove positive battery cable and that will sometimes reset your computer ane the light will go off.....good luck and congrats on the wedding


Robin

I had this happen in my car and here in Kentucky, I took it to Auto Zone. They had a big sign on the window that they will check certain things for free. I went in and told them what was wrong and he came right out and put a scope inside the car underneath the steering wheel, sorry I am not mechanically inclined and it showed there was dirt in there. I took it to a gas station and the guy cleaned it out for nothing. Of course I got gas there.

It happens alot here in Kentucky with the dirt roads.

Three cheers to Auto Zone for checking this for free.

well never heard that about the yellow/red light. mine is just always red. ok you can either disconnect your battery cable and reset it and see if it comes back on or you can go to pep boys or something similiar and buy a code reader. my dad bought one and it cost $50.00. you stick it on the little prongy thing under the dash and it will read ther troublecode if there is one and it has a book that will tell you whats wrong. my car is a 2001 mazda protege and my check engine light came on and when we put the reader on it was the spark plugs that needed to be replaced. well we learned something bcause on a protege you have to change the spark plugs every 25,000 miles and mine was already at 100,000 miles. the majority of check engine lights can wait but it is probably better to take it in and have them put it on a machine (buying code reader is much cheaper). my first check engine light ended up being the catalytic converter and i was traveling at 70 mph on a busy california freeway when the car died because the converter went out. i thought nothing serious boy was i wrong it cost me 1700.00 in repairs. good luck and have a wonderful wedding.

My check engine light is on right now and has been on for a long time. I got it put on a machine and found out that it's the O2 sensor. Basically there is no oxygen getting to the engine or something like that, and you can drive your car like that pretty much forever, cause you will only loose good gas mileage. Getting it fixed soon though. So if I were you I would atleast find out what it is.

Well duh I guess make and model would help wouldn't it? I'm sorry just a little frazzled right now!! LOL It's 2001 Mazda Protege. with something like 43,000 miles on it. I bought it brand new in 2001. I get the oil changed regularly and all that good stuff. Was just wondering if it was something I could maybe put off for a week with out my engine blowing up or getting stranded on the interstate. The light has come on once before but that was cause of the gas cap not being tightened all the way. I checked it and it seemed fine this time. I was just worried cause in my owner's manuel it states a cause as maybe something "electrical" I know I won't know for sure which code or what it is till I have it looked at. I just really wanted to keep my plans for my vacation. That's all.

I think I had this similar problem with the truck I used to have but there was soooooo much wrong with it all the time I really don't remember!! :D

Thanks for all the replies and help so far. :D
~Spikeswife~

Please go to Auto Zone and have it tested for free as it will ease your mind. Trust me when I say I am the world's worst female when it comes to worrying about a car and I know this eased my mind. The car is still going strong at 250,000 miles also.

OK I just went to the Autozone website I really didn't know where it is here in town. But I entered some stuff about my car and it could be the sparks plugs also.... never gave them a second thought!! So anyway thanks to all and I'm going to go have them check it our first thing in the morning.

Well I definitly feel better now. So I'm getting to bed gotta get up early now!! :D Thanks everyone!!

I'm having to learn how to do so much myself with out a guy around. My brother's aren't here much, so it's just mom and me. We've been learning about fixing things and home remodling as well. :D But I guess that will make me a better person in the long run and also be able to get out there with my honey once he's home since his whole life he's built houses and done construction/carpentry type stuff.
Now to figure out where those little spark plugs go if that is indeed the problem and how to change them?! :eek:

Thanks again everyone. And I'll let ya know what it was.
~Spikeswife~

if auto zone will do it for free, i would have it checked out. But my son in law is a mechanic and this happened, it was a sensor, it will not hurt anything, but for safety and peace of mind, have it checked, congrats and good luck.

Mine has been on for a while too...I don't know what to do about it LOL

OK thanks everyone. I just got home from Autozone. The guy was so nice and helpful. When he checked it it came up that air was getting into my fuel line. So he made sure my gas cap was on tight and then cleared my light and said if it came back on for me to bring it back get it re-checked and that I might have to get my gas gap replaced. He also said that usually once it comes on once the next time it might take a bit longer to go off..but since they do the check for free for me to bring it back to get it checked again.

Ok so I'm set and now have to suck my pride up and tell my guy he was RIGHT yet again!! :D

Thanks everyone!!

~Spikeswife~

oh good i was just reading your post and was gonna tell you that mine's been on for awhile....but theres no problems w/the car............its just older.................but i'm glad you got it all taken care of............now you can go on w/you plans...........congrats btw!

:yay: Autozone helped!

Now, go have a wonderful wedding and wonderful visit with no worries! :)

Thanks everyone I will. I just DON'T need any last minute complications!! Waited WAY toooooooo long for this day. And he was trying to be all strong last night on the phone when I told him I might not be able to come down other than for the wedding. But I know him he was just as up set as I was. Not too mention he started hollering to everyone around him about the stupid light getting ideas off people himself!! :D

But I'm going to go get some well desereved and needed sun time. I have one more day to work then I'm vacation but I'm gonna get a head start today!!

Thanks to all again!! It's a big load off knowing now for sure. ;)
~Spikeswife~

That happened to me on my way home from seein my man...I had a rental truck and the light came on. 150 miles away from home. I just said OH well I gotta drive till it stops running. It ended up going off by itself so I guess it fixed itself.

Glad to hear everything is ok.... my guy is a mechanic & he often calls the lights on the dash dummy lights..... because most of the time they mean nothing but when most people see them they rush to the mechanic....

Now you know what the light was all about, next time you can check it out & possible fix it yourself.... :D :D

My check engine light stays on because I had the computer type carberator removed, and the old style put on. (88 SS Monte Carlo):D
I was told back when I had problems with my old carberator, that I could take the negative battery cable off for about 30 minutes, and that resets the computer. But I never did this, I just got an old style, that doesn't need the computer. Hope all works out for you
:thumbsup:

MY DAD OWNS AN AUTO DISMANTLING YARD AND IS ALSO A CAR RACER--MY EX WORKS IN AN AUTO BODY SHOP. NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN YOU NEED A TUNE UP, OIL OR WATER. IF YOUR CAR HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT SOMETIMES THE ENGINE AUTO LIGHT WILL STAY FOR NO REASON. AFTER CHECKING THE ABOVE THINGS YOU SHOULD TAKE IT TO A SHOP. HOPE I HELPED A LITTLE.:cool: