colinnwn

Hi all,

A friend has asked me to look at her 2005 Scion tC that had a flashing CEL, and is now solid. Her car also has the low tire light on, and has trouble starting if it sits for more than a day.

I haven't purchased an OBD2 scanner yet, because all my Nissans you can read the codes without a scanner. You just turn a little screw on the ECM and the CEL flashes the OBD2 codes out. I searched Google and these forums but wasn't able to find anything.

Is there a way to read Scion CEL codes without an OBD2 scanner? If not, I guess I'll go to Autozone, but I really don't like doing that. Man I am going to bite the bullet and get a ScanGauge soon.

Thanks.

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DanielNC06

at Harbour Freight or Cummins Sales, u can pick a reader up for 40$..real simple..gives the code name that u can reference in its manual. and u can clear them with it.

colinnwn

I'd rather use that $40 towards my ScanGauge, but I can't order it fast enough to help her. Guess I'm stuck with AutoZone's free service. It's too bad more manufacturers don't have a way to read codes without a gauge for those times when you are in a pinch. My 2001 Pathfinder still has it, but I am not sure newer Nissans have this feature either.

rrimportracer

if it was flashing and now solid, it was the maintenance required light and not the CEL. meaning its time to change the oil and reset the light

colinnwn

She told me it was the CEL, so hopefully you are right and it is really the oil change light. Is there a way to reset it after an oil change without an OBD2 scanner? I don't think scanners even have a MX reset function. Surely you don't have to have the Toyota maintenance tool to do it?

draxcaliber

hahaha, yeah, make sure it isn't the "mait. req." light that is just a reminder to change the oil. versus the check engine light, which is alittle light that looks like an engine on the dash.

to reset the mait. req. light, just hold down the button next to the odometer while starting the car, and hold it down until it flashes a line of dashes at you, and the more the dashes disapear, the longer you set the tire for.

to reset the TPMS, hold the button in the glove box until it flashes and resets.

Tc4Eva

It tells you how to reset the maintanence light in the owners manual. No tool required.... Well unless you count the car key as a tool lol

BlackKnight

Take it to Autozone, Advance Auto, or Carquest and have the Codes read.
If it is the CEL blinking like that then it got solid I would not drive it anymore until I read the Codes to see what is going on.
I have seen CEL do that before and have serious problems that caused my friends engine to seize.

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colinnwn

Too late for that if it is the CEL light. This girl has been driving around for a month with it solid on. Generally for CELs auto companies say if it is flashing try to drive no farther than 50 miles, at no faster than 45 mph or about. If it is solid on, they generally tell you to pull over as soon as safe and turn car off, because it could be signaling an emissions problem that could destroy your expensive catalytic converter.

What happened to your friend's car? That is pretty wild it caught something that seized the engine. Was it temp or oil pressure related? Most cars have separate idiot lights for those.

We'll see soon for her, she is supposed to bring the car over today.

senseiturtle

There are people on this very site, who've been driving for years with a CEL because they did a header swap. I wrote up a huge fix-it thread that was successful for many, but not everyone.

If your CEL is flashing, then there's catastrophic engine damage in progress. Pull over immediately. It has nothing to do with emissions at that point.

If it's just ON, then you need to pull the code whenever it's convenient. Something's up with the emissions, but it could be something as simple as a disconnected sensor or even a lose gas cap.

If it's the maintenance required light, then just turn it off. It's a simple mileage reminder. It blinks on startup just before the set mileage, and then goes solid. Turn it off by holding down the odometer stick while turning the car on.

If it's the tire pressure light, fix your tire issue, and then press the sensor reset in the glove box.

senseiturtle

Colinnwn - Check your PM's.

I'm in Dallas for the next few weeks, and I have a scangauge with me.

colinnwn

Well despite this girl asking me for like 3 weeks to look at her car, and I've told her to bring it over any time, she just flaked out the day she finally committed to bring it over. She's gonna take it to the dealer. Whatever. Thanks for all the help.

"If your CEL is flashing, then there's catastrophic engine damage in progress. Pull over immediately. It has nothing to do with emissions at that point."
Interesting, I'm pretty certain it is the exact opposite on Nissan and GM cars. But I still can't imagine what the engine computer sees that is catastrophic and causing immediate engine damage. Pretty much the only 2 things that can do that are low oil pressure and high temp, and most cars have separate idiot lights to the CEL for that. Most times the immediate attention CEL indicator signals the engine is running rich or misfiring above a tolerable threshold, to where the raw fuel in the exhaust can overheat and melt the catalytic converter.