check engine light

The Check Engine Light means that the Fuel Deliver/Engine Management/Emissions System is not happy.

You can visit an AutoZone Store -- or others, I' sure -- and have the codes pulled free of charge. I live in California, and I can pull codes myself with their scanner, but in other states they (the Autozone people) will pull the codes for you.

In any case, have the codes pulled and come back here with a report of what they are. I'm going to tak a huge leap of faith here and predict the code to be between P0440 and P0459, which boils down to a mis-installed gas cap in the vast majority of cases.

AutoZone (or you) can easily reset the light by using the scan tool. Just follow the directions on the display ...

Along the same lines as Jeff mentioned, you may also want to check to make sure the gas cap is on tight.

Seems silly, but (on some vehicles) if the computer fails to detect a vacuum (or pressure?) in the tank, it will turn the light on.

If the gas cap is not secure, remedy the situati> The Check Engine Light means that the Fuel Deliver/Engine

Might want to check O2 sensor, however, you have low milage.... might have to get a diagnostic for $40.....

Before he does anything, he needs to pull the codes and see what comes up.

Hi, Thanks for the responses. I am also in CA and Autozone will loan a code checker. So, I did that and got two codes. Both the same P0 442 Emission Control System Leak (small)

I erased them and will see if it comes back. I guess if it does I will have to take it to a shop. Al __ Arold "Al" Green

Had the same problem on my 2003 Tundra. A new gas cap fixed the problem.

Thanks, if the light comes back on I will try a new gas cap. Al __ Arold "Al" Green

The vast majority of codes in the range of P0440 to P0459 (or maybe only P0456) are rooted in a problem associated with the gas cap, and the vast majority of those are that the gas cap is not secure. All codes in this range have to do with the Emissions Control System -- which is the gas tank and related plumbing that deals with gasoline fumes. The Fuel Delivery System is a different set of codes, these codes have to do with components that keep fumes from escaping to the outside air.

You should be in the habit of tightening the cap all of the way, then three of four clicks of the ratchet, if there is one. All caps do not have a ratchet mechanism, but if yours does, then click it several times to be sure the cap is securely closed.

There can be issues with cracked vac hoses and stuff like that, but I seriously doubt that your '04 has problems with the vac hoses yet.

"Jeff Strickland" found these unused words:

Where is it that cheap? Last one I had (again bloody gas cap false reading - it WAS tight!) was $78 !!!

About what 'age' would that problem perhaps begin to surface? I've a late '02 Tacoma.

This time I'm planning to wait until I 'go to the big city' and find an Autozone!

Any other parts house any one know that will 'loan' a code reader?

Thanks!

I have a '94 BMW and a '93 Mazda, and neither of these is having any problems with vac hoses. I have an '81 Jeep that has no vac hose issues that I'm aware of, but that vehicle has been neglected of late, and it may have developed problems since I parked it. Bottom line, in sunny, Southern California, I can't think of a good reason to not expect the hoses to last at least 10 years, and in my limited experience that has actually worked out to be considerably more. Back in the Dark Ages, I had a '65 Mustang and the hoses on that car cracked much earlier, but they make rubber differently these days.

Most autoparts stores -- maybe only the national chains -- have a Tool Loaner Program. You should ask the one nearest to your house if they have a program, and if they include the OBD II Scan Tool. You can buy a scan tool for about $70, and get a good one at that price. You can spend both more and less, but I think the mid-range tool offers all of the features that normally aspired shadetree mechanics are likely to want.

In California, they loan the tool. In most of the other states, they use the tool for you.

The automobile mechanics brought a lawsuit here against A-Zone because they were doing the mechanic's job for free and the mechanics could not compete against the price. A judge ruled that there was no reason the cunsumer should be barred from knowing about his car, but he also ruled that A-Zone could not provide the information that the consumer sought. Bottom line, the consumer has to pull the codes himself in California, but A-Zone can provide the equipment needed to collect the information.

You can take the tool to the parking lot just by leaving your driver license inside the store. If you want to take the tool home, then they bill your credit card, then give a full refund back to the card when you bring the tool back.

I drove the truck today over 200 miles and the light did not come back on. Usually I am careful to make sure the gas cap is properly tightened. But, I will be more careful from now on. Thanks for the info. Al __ Arold "Al" Green

Good luck with it. If the Check light ever comes on, you can not assume the gas cap is the problem because tehre are literally thousands of triggers for that light. It is reasonably safe to assume the gas cap for any error in the range of P0440 to P0456 (or P0459, I gotta look it up again) is rooted in the gas cap. These codes can be turned off, and the cap screwed on tight, and see if the light comes on again, then look for other causes -- cracked hoses, that sort of thing. Of course, it is a good idea to actually start looking at the device that the code is screaming about.

If your truck has a ratcheting gas cap, then turn it at least 3 clicks on the ratchet mechanism. You won't harm the ratchet thingie by using it.