what is the meaning of the engine check light?

[Lemon]

I have my engine check light on and off some time when I am driving... is that mean my engine is done?

[reSa]

probably not...there's a v6 FAQ with the engine check light codes. i dont know how to read it but maybe you do. cos i have the same problem. my mechanic friend said that since my light only comes on once in awhile it's probably a loose ground somewhere. but since i found oil in my spark plug wells i think that might have been the culprit. haven't seen my light go on in awhile. sorry i can't help much. but you can run a search on engine lights too. it should bring up a lot of useful info.

[Guest]

i dont think that oil in your spark plug wells will make your check engine light come on. run the codes on your car and read the corresponding number of flashes it gives you off the list, that will give you a good idea of what the problem is, and another thing, erase all the codes first, drive till a code comes up, then run for codes, you might just have old codes still sitting in the computer memory.

[Gro Harlem]

if the plugs are not firing b/c of oil clogging them up, then the CEL will trigger. <p>If your CEL is triggering intermittently, then it is most likely a ignition problem. If it isn't then its a fuel problem (clogged injector maybe).<p>Check to see if the plug wires are firing. Easiest way is if you have a timing light, see if the light shoots out light when you connect it to each plugwire. If that isn't it, pull the plugs and inspect their gap. It could also be your distributor cap or rotor. Water might be in there, or lots of corrosion causing it to miss.<p>And it could also be the o2 sensor, but less likely. The car would eat gas if the O2 sensor crapped out.

[Sonicxtacy02]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Gro Harlem:
if the plugs are not firing b/c of oil clogging them up, then the CEL will trigger. <p>If your CEL is triggering intermittently, then it is most likely a ignition problem. If it isn't then its a fuel problem (clogged injector maybe).<p>Check to see if the plug wires are firing. Easiest way is if you have a timing light, see if the light shoots out light when you connect it to each plugwire. If that isn't it, pull the plugs and inspect their gap. It could also be your distributor cap or rotor. Water might be in there, or lots of corrosion causing it to miss.<p>And it could also be the o2 sensor, but less likely. The car would eat gas if the O2 sensor crapped out.<hr></blockquote><p>what sensor listed on the engine code page corresponds to a sensor that tells when a plug is firing? I dont think thats a problem. 90% of our cars have the VCG problem... i've never seen an engine light regarding it.<p>Anyways, the most common culprits with intermittent CEL is the EGR system and the IAC/TPS sensor. If you want to find out what your particular code applies to, check the v6 FAQ, there is an easy how to procedure listed.

[David Coleman]

There's a huge writeup about it in the V6 FAQ, answering ALL questions regarding how to do it and what each code means.