So my engine light comes on today, no biggie right? Just an emissions thing… well i have never had the engine light blink before… Then when I pull off to the gas station, my car is shaking, like it is going to stall.
So I run it for a few minutes with the gas cap off, nada. I look up in the book to see what blinking means - it’s not listed.
fyi, I have a 98 Acura (LS).
I am going to AutoZone tomorrow b/c I hear they do a free engine check or something… Does any one have any guidance that can help? I am kinda 500 miles from my mechanic at this point
ahh, i got it. That may be a little far, esp when autozone can also hook me up for free and they are a few miles away. But thank you SOOO much for the offer. If I were closer I would take you up. Also, thank you for the guess of what it might be. that puts me a little more at ease
Well if it’s blinking it means you have a misfire for sure. Light on steady = emission related problem, blinking light = engine misfire stop driving. On OBDII Acuras you can still get the computer to blink out the trouble code for you. Here’s a link that can walk you through it. Were they mention a special Acura tool you use a paper clip. Good luck. Oh yeah, by the way don’t run your car with the gas cap off it will just throw another code not fix the problem. www.iequus.com/assets/manuals/3173_ICCR_E_14JAN03.pdf
^ yep, blinking means that your in danger of harming other components. Misfiring and sending lots of raw fuel into you cats will overheat them and the will fall apart. Drive minimally
Check your plug wires, make sure none are loose or cracked. Then I’d pull plugs and change before taking it to a mechanic. Like everyone said flashing ses means misfires. The code should be a P030x, x being the cylinder # the miss occured in.
Wait, I’m not sure if what I said was GM specific or not, just get it scanned. :nuts:
I took it to a mechanic, who thought it was the spark plugs, but upon further inspection, that wasn’t it. So as of right now, he is letting it cool off completely before checking some valve thing. So he said it’s either a valve thing and i may not be able to get it fixed until Monday (I was suppose to drive back to CT today)
Or he said, worst case senario I need a new engine. He said he has never seen a Honda/Acura need a new engine with a misfire, but he isn’t sure until he checks some vavle thing.
Im taking it that he means Valve Lash. Problems with that are more common on the VTEC engines. It usually creates a loss in power not a misfire. Since you car is an 98 you have the OBD2 system which even intermittent problems (engine light flashing on and off) are stored in the ECU. You might have to take it to the dealer cuz they might have the only software to read it.
Usually worse case scenario is you need a new distributor. Since it houses the crank position sensor. Have your mechanic take the distributor cap off and look for an orangish dust. Usually makes it when the distributor is failing.
Well i do need a new head gasket, a few mechanics have told me that one. I couldn’t tell you if the car is eating coolant or not though. Although I love this advice. I am going to print this out and tell my mechanic about this. You guys rock!!
