Engine light on
 

Hey guys,
I juss bought a rx8 and the engine light went on....I went to the dealer and they say its a recall on some catalytic convertor temp. malfunction. Was wondering if anyone knows about it....
Thanks
Nish

WAS THE code P0240? if so that's a cat failure code. it may be just a software glitch but more than likely you have a cat converter that is failing. if they drop the exhaust and look in the cat they should be able to see it broken up inside. dont let them just clear the code or flash the pcm and send you on your way. make them look at it.

Same happened to me...Cat converter, replaced under warranty. Guess its an inherent problem like the mileage and the door that always, always smacks my ass, and not in a good way.

CEL light went on the day I drove it home (10/23/04). At the dealer on 10/28/04, the car failed emmisssions. The M-Flash was performed and the Cat converter was also replaced. It's been fine since.

reset
 

I have a quick question for all you rotary god's...which I obviously am not one.

I ignored the air pressure light for a lil while...bout a week and a half to be exact, now my check engine light is on, I filled up the tires to exactly 32 psi and the light went away, however the check engine light is still on. I'm wondering if you all know a way of getting rid of the check engine light? Or perhaps does reseting the ecu turn of the light, and how would you do this.

Any help would be great.

-Chris

I did attempt to search first, on reset, and got caught up in morgans thread about a new car.

The two aren't related, so it really depends on what lit up the CEL. If it's something as simple as a loose gas cap, the light will turn off after X amount of power-off/power-on cycles once the problem is corrected. If the problem doesn't correct itself, the light won't go away... so if you want to play home mechanic, you can get a CanScan tool and pull your own codes and reset the light yourself. CanScan also lets you pull pending codes, so you can see problems before they become problems. Barring all of that, you'll need to go to the dealer to reset the CEL.

Damn, I have to goto the dealer? I really don't like them, I heard someone once say that If I unplug the battery for long enough that resets the ecu? Will that also take of the CEL?

-Chris

and how much do one of those canscan tools cost?

If might clear the code... not sure though, but wouldn't you like to know what the code is? And if it's a condition that's not getting better (like a failing cat), the light is just going to come back on again.

I bought this canscan tool for $140:
http://www.ghg.net/dharrison/canscan.htm

Perhaps someone on the list with a scan tool lives near you? The guy who developed it is also in Texas...

checking my gas cap now, however I've had serious problems with the local mazda dealer so I'm trying to prevent going to them, how do I get one of those scan things, and how much do they run.

-Chris

Mazda dealer here never wants to check it for me they tell me to setup an appointment and I have to work all the freakin time, so I just prefer to leave their rudeness alone.

sorry I didn't see your link, does anyone know what are the possibility's of what is happening the car doesn't seem to be running any different.

-Chris

Wow you from the burbs...familiar with lombard? used to live out that way.

-Chris

well ignoring the tpms light for too long might actually light the cel. i could be wrong. but even if it was or it was your gas gap it can take many on/off key cycles to clear the CEL. it has to turn on /off a number of times with out having the problem that caused the cel.

whats the build date of your car and have you had it in for service recently. if so did they flash the pcm?

I haven't flashed the pcm yet, just got the letter in the mail, the mazda guy pretty much refused service so I've been getting the services done outside mazda.

-Chris

p.s. the check engine light has come and gone for the life of the car this time it seams on longer but I just might be overreating.

i bought the car sept of 03

well how do you reset the whole computer...this might reset everything.

-Chris

I read somewhere on this forum the following:

There are two reset procedures, one for the NVRAM and the other for the KAM. Neither will erase your radio presets.

1) With the key in the off position, press and hold the odometer reset button and turn the key to on. Continue to hold the odo button until the odometer reads "TEST" and then release.
2) Turn the key to off and repeat step one.

This will reset the entire PCM except the KAM which contains the sensor profiles amongst other things. You can reset it with the familiar procedure:

1) Turn the key to on
2) Depress the brake pedal rapidly 20 times in a row until the oil pressure gauge sweeps to halfway and back again.

I do not know if this is what you are looking for, but please be careful.

Will the first step realease the CEL? This is some interesting news.

-Chris

I'm not sure. Like I said, I saw this posted here somewhere. Let me see if I can find out who posted it. Sorry I don't know. :(

Ok...cool...anyone with any info please let me know, to be more specific I need the light off for just this weekend :D

-Chris

explain. in detail.

Instead of buying a canscan, why don't you go to an AutoZone and have them pull the codes. They will do it for free. If it is something that needs attention then a trip to the dealer is not wasted time.

I've never had my pcm flashed to that new standard you all are always talking about...the mazda dealership told me it wasn't necessary when I took them the TSB, but I dunno, just trying to get rid of the CEL. The CEL has come and went since I had the car and mazda juat tells me as long as it isn't flashing no biggie so i dunno.

-Chris

You NEED to get to a different dealer, period!

Well thats cool, however I need this fixed by Saturday, and I work tomrrow, I dunno what to do all I want to do is reset the CEL does anyone know the way to do this, or perhaps is autozone able to do it?

-Chris

I just read something on the internet about disconnecting the battery for 15 min...during that period while disconnected press brak a few times which will cause all electrical power to be gone and then in-turn clear all the memory.
Is this right or does it make sense?


-Chris

Well the first one didn't work, car was kinda hard to start after that...lol. I will try the 2nd in a min.

-Chris

I said be careful...

lol, true you did...now I'm in the process of disconnecting the battery for 15 min, while pressing the brake a ew times in between.

-Chris

Well that seems to have done the trick gonna drive up and down the road for a bit.

-Chris

Chris,
I'll say this as nicely as possible: You sure are hard-headed. It is imperative that you find out what's wrong with your car. Because it seems to run well doesn't mean all is well. Find out what was causing your CEL before something gets damaged.
Don't get me wrong, I've been driving around with a nail in my tire for more than a week even though I have the equipment to fix it, so I acknowledge my lack of room to talk.
Take care of your car man!

mwa ha ha...never....yes I am hard headed...however I only needed to clear it for Saturday...special reasons...I don't think I'll have to worry about my CEL after then that is for sure.

-Chris

Yes you can continue to drive the car. If the engine light were flashing then you would need to get off the road right away and have them tow the car. After a few start/shut-off cycles the CEL will go away if it was because of the gas cap, I will go along with the CEL is there because of the loose gas cap. Drive and be happy, all is well.

Lane

I had that same problem a when my 8 was just 700 miles old... it light was coming on and off until car was re-flashed... since then... light has been off for last 6000 miles... do make sure that you always keep gas cap tight...

There are probably a lot more knowledgable people here but let me post my thoughts.
Check engine light is not a big deal. I've been driving my maxima for the last year with that light going on and off. Most of the time the problem is oxygen sensor but your car is too young to have a problem like that. Gas cap is another option and now that you say it was loose, most likely it was the problem. I am not sure if the newer cars are the same but disconnecting the battery would reset the computer and take care of the light. If the problem still persists that light would show up again. Anyway, set up an appointment for whenever you have time just to be sure. Drive it and I bet it goes away until that time.

I just threw a cel last week (was flashing prior to that) and code came up "random misfire".
They diagnosed it all and ultimately replaced the spark plugs (130.00 holy sh*t) under warranty. They had 3 extra rental cars available and told me to come in a half hour after I called them and were nothing but courteous and professional. I wouldn't sweat a check engine light for a few days.
Good luck and keep positive......
Gary
Also I am having my doors dyna-matted under warranty at a local auto accessory shop due to the squeaky styrofoam safety triangles that get cold and the dealerships are restricted from removing. It costs about 200.00 and covered by special authorization if you are under 12,000 miles.
Contact me if you require more info.............. :)

drove with a cel for a while. No biggie. Usually is the gas cap or something stupid like that. Possibly a bad sensor. As long as the car runs fine and normal, it is not a matter to worry about TOO much. Just get it checked out and all will be well. Now, as stated earlier, if that cel was flashing-ruh roh.

Thanks for all the helpful and nice posts. I am already feeling better...that is, until the car breaks down. ;)

My 8 threw the CEL New Year's Eve. The computer said the shuttle valve in the intake manifold was stuck open, but the tech checked it and it wasn't. They had to change the shuttle valve sensor switch ($93) below it. Glad it was under warranty because he had to take out the alternator and some more just to get to it. He said it was OK to drive it as long as the light wasn't flashing.

If the CEL is something serious, your car might actually end up in limp mode until the service tech tests and resets it. By limp mode, I mean your gas pedal wont do anything much to rev the engine past 2000 and the car will most likely not exceed 10mph. Or so I've heard. :D

I had a CEL appear last Friday night - live 60 miles from the dlrshp. They told me to go ahead and drive as long as nothing blinks. Took it in Weds, they found "Unstable coolant temp", reflashed, gave me a rental, bought me a good coffee, free zoom-zoom sticker, compared zoom-zoom ring tones on our phones, let me kiss my car goodbye for the overnight stay. All is goooood now!

That is service!

except unstable cooling temp code i think iss the false code that is thrown because of a software glitch. and then they "flashed" him with code that might not get rid of the glitch.

any way CELS go away after x amount of drive cycles without the problem being noticed again. dont fret too much

a CEL will stop being illuminated after 40 duty cycles of no faults.. after 80 duty cycles the code will clear from the memory of the PCM

^^^^oooo you learn something new every day:D

QUOTE "A new flash is set to come out this week..." UNQUOTE
 

As some may know, I have had a recurring CEL on my dear baby 8 that has been annoying the ever-loving sanity out of me. I took her in, gave her to the dealer, kissed her goodbye... yadda.

I come back today to the dealer to see if my car is done. They say (bear in mind, this is from the dealer's mouth. I am also not trying to flutter any hearts. More or less... looking for some divine confirmation if this is true)

"There is a 'new' flash set to come out this week" Mazda just has to send it to us and we can get your car reflashed and hopefully fixed.

Once again, I am not trying to instigate anything. I posted earlier about this and zoom44 informed me a new one was indeed coming out. Hooray!!! Information for the masses.

Indeed the latest and greatest flash is included in WDS level 35.2(P-2)

Be sure the dealer is at this WDS level before they re-flash your car.

This is the latest "N" and after 3 months of corrupted files I really need to hold back endorsing this until I see a few miles on a car.

You guys are smart. I need some men like you around my house so you can fix things for me. :)

lol.. too bad you're in California... god I hope my girlfriend isn't reading this :p wait, she doesn't like car stuff.. now where were we? :D hehe

Sounds like this may be the answer to my problems as well.

Level of what? I want to call and ask my dealer, but I wanna know how I should phrase my question to insure I am getting the latest and greatest!