service engine light ! :(

[DierDesire824]

i was driving home from work today and there was like 2 - 4 inches of water on the roads its been pouring since late last night non stop and thunder storms

at first im almost home and the service engine light starts blinking i stopped at a friends house just to make sure it wasn't anything urgent and popped the hood and just took a brief look while it was running looking for anything out of place smoke smells slipping noises leaking


any suggestions what it could be need help immediatly


1997 Camaro Z28

[azkkn]

if it is obd2 then blinking usually means a misfire is occuring. it is possible that the opti is getting damp and may need to be replaced. also a blinking engine light is bad on an obd2 car. stop by a local auto parts store and see if they have a code scanner. its ok to drive as long as the light isnt blinking

[DierDesire824]

its just going steady it blinked for a few seconds im not sure wether its obdII or not how would i figure out


it isnt blinking now though its just a steady light i think i'll let it sit over night and then take it to a mechanic tommorow to let him check it out

[BadWS6]

Last time I drove my 97 in the rain it was the Opti that failed

[Joe 1320]

When everything dries out, I would suggest coating the inside of all the plug boots with dielectric grease to seal out any moisture. Many times it's the cap terminal to plug wire connection that gets moisture corrosion. btw, 96 and later is OBDII.

[wrd1972]

I had a constant SES light, ran the codes and it pointed to the EGR valve.
Simple replacement. I think it was code 32 or somthing real close to that.

[DierDesire824]

so take it to the mechanic to let him run the scan or just disconnect the battery to see if its still throwing the code

when its blinking that means its throwing the code right and then when it goes steady that means it has a code thrown in the history ?

[azkkn]

when it is blinking it means that the malfunction can cause damage to your engine, when its steady it means that it will not cause immediate damage, when it goes out, it means the problem is over, and the codes are stored in the ecu for a period of time. i think its 50 startups

[Joe 1320]

so take it to the mechanic to let him run the scan or just disconnect the battery to see if its still throwing the code

when its blinking that means its throwing the code right and then when it goes steady that means it has a code thrown in the history ?

You could take it to autozone and they will scan it for free. If you get the codes and post them, we can tell you more. If you disconnect the battery, the current code will get wiped and you won't know what the actual malfunction was. if you don't care and just want to reset the light, you can pull the fuse to the PCM in the fusebox and that will do it.

[DierDesire824]

no i just wanted to understand wether constant light means the malfunction is just on the harddrive of the computer and is not actually still happening was scarring me cause the car has to be driven to new jersey on april 14th when i head up there for a vacation and thats a 400 mile round trip for me maybe a little more so didnt want to change anything going wrong

just want to make sure it was anything severe before i change the oil and top off all my other fluids


so the light staying on means the problem is still existing ? sorry for being a pain im just overly worried about anything to do with my car lol

[Injuneer]

When the SES light is on, whether its blinking or constant, you have a problem. It is not just "just on the hard drive". The PCM runs constant or frequent spot checks on many of the engines sensors and operating systems. If it detects a failure, either of the device, or the desired results, it turns on the SES light. It is an "active" code. The light stays on until 1) the problem goes away, 2) you clear it with a scanner or by pulling the power to the PCM. But even if you "clear it", if the problem is still there, the light will come right back on as soon as the PCM runs that diagnostic again, and the system fails to pass.

Do not guess.... there are close to a hundred codes that you can set. Get is scanned ASAP. Virtually any decent auto shop should have an OBD-II scanner. You can even buy your own code (only) reader for $40 from Harbor Freight.

[DierDesire824]

thanks im getting scanned today at a mechanic or autozone ill post the results when i get home im at school right now and im not driving the car its sitting at home so as not to further any damage

[azkkn]

even though the engine light is on, it is still safe to drive to a shop or to get it scanned. its when it is blinking that you want to let off the throttle, pull over safely and shut her down.

[DierDesire824]

turns out the nearest autozone is a few counties away

so my dad called his bud that is a mechanic and im just going to take it their tommorow


hoping nothings majorly wrong

i mean like no change in rpms no louds i can hear in the drivers seat when idling no change in ride quality all guages look normal oil level was mid way but im planning on changing that this weekend anyway seeing as im like 300 from 3,000 since last time i changed my oil