V70 Engine Light comes on at acceleration ...

My 1997 850GLT occasionally flashes a warning light for a fraction of a second, usually when I'm accelerating. I think it's the alternator light, and I'm assuming the belt is slipping a bit. But if your Check Engine light is coming on, I doubt that it's a belt, since that light is usually emissions-related. Of course, getting wet could encourage a belt to slip.

Last question first: should you be concerned? No. The "check engine" light is there to announce something wrong that affects emission control (although several mfr's have piggybacked things like automatic transmission controller codes onto it). As long as the engine seems to run okay, it is safe to drive normally even with the check engine light on solidly. A few failures can cause the engine to run so rich that the catalytic converter can be damaged in long high speed hill climbs, but that's about the limit of it.

We can only guess why the light is momentarily coming on, but whatever it is only annoys you at this point. My guess is it will eventually get worse so the light stays on more and more, and then you can get it checked out. It will be easier (cheaper) to repair when the indications stay there.

Mike

Cool! Thanks to both of you for your input on this.

Actually, I assume it's the 'engine check' light - as it does not actually have any such text, but a little icon/image of an engine.

Great to know that it's not about to blow up! Indeed, I'll sit tight with it and wait to see if it gets worse/more-steadily-ON ... and then take it to my mechanic.

Thanks again.

Yours,

Allan Shearer

My warning light that flashed on occasionally finally stayed on long enough for me to get a good look at it. It wasn't the alternator light, but rather the cooling system light. Apparently when the coolant was changed recently, some air may have been trapped in the system causing the level to drop later. I added about half a pint of water, and the problem is fixed.

The next day after I posted this, the light behaved itself. Hasn't flickered ON ever-since. So, I think it might just have been the fact that I had just washed the car and likely got one of the belts wet, so the alternator or other component was slipping.

Allan