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EVERYTHING will make the check engine light come on! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You can try checking basics like distributor, plugs, air filter and stuff like that but you NEED to find out what the computer is saying the problem is. The only relevant thing you can do, since you don’t have tools, is find the oil leak. Look around the valve covers, both ends of the block, check around the filter, etc.
I think if the codes are pulled you will at most find some misfire codes, but you still need to get it done somehow. It might be worth your time and money to take another car, or however you need to get there, and buy yourself a scan tool. It’ll pay for itself in convenience alone.
He’s correct, a flashing CEL indicates a misfire that is damaging to the cat. I suspect a complete loss of spark intermittently in one or more cylinders. That could easily set a flashing CEL. If unburnt fuel is being exhausted and either burning in the manifold or cat, or just passing through the catalyst… well that’s just all kinds of bad. Check all of the spark components: plugs, wires, distributor, coils, whichever it has. I would say timing jumped based on what the engine was doing, but your symptoms are intermittent so that doesn’t work.
“I think if the codes are pulled at most you will find some misfire codes” is unsubstantiated and honestly a bit nieve and irresponsible. I’m not trying to be harsh but what you described indicates to me that there is a possibility of catastrophic engine failure. You need to get this car to a mechanic…..end of story
[quote=”LeoTheLion89″ post=41139][quote=”spelunkerd” post=41133]How long did it continue to run after the CEL started flashing? Are you saying it took three quarts to bring the oil level back up to full? Gotta hope the shaking was not secondary to a spun bearing or major secondary damage. Good luck.[/quote] drove it a block blinking as thats the only place to pull over. after 1/2 to 3/4 oil it filled 4 of the 5 dots[/quote]
Do you mean it was low by 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon, or 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart? Many new vehicles don’t have a red oil light, they use the flashing CEL to urgently tell the driver to shut the engine off. Does your vehicle include a red oil light on the dash?
[quote=”thisisbuod” post=41164]”I think if the codes are pulled at most you will find some misfire codes” is unsubstantiated and honestly a bit nieve and irresponsible[/quote]
Looking again, you’re right, I shouldn’t have said that with such certainty. Apologies. I still think there will be misfire codes due to the flashing CEL but I know there could be much worse codes than that along with them.
So to sum it up you have five basic options
1. Buy a scan tool.
2. Limp your car to an auto parts store.
3. Have it towed to a mechanic.
4. Find someone who will come out to your house and pull the codes.
5. Start throwing parts at it until its fixed or you’re broke, which ever comes first.
But if you really want to try to diagnose it without doing any of the options listed above i would start with a power balance test so you can determine the exact cylinder or cylinders that are misfiring. Then from there is just a long process of elimination starting with spark and fuel. but as mention before without a code there’s not a whole we can do to help you since none of us can look at the car.
Here’s a video
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAOmUjAjNjE[/video]
I have never worked on an impala so i don’t know the ins and outs of the engine but for my Chevy i usually just disconnect and reconnect the fuel injectors one by one since the fuel rail is very easy to access on my vehicle. but so long as you can either disconnect fuel or ignition to one specific cylinder at a time you should have no problem performing this test. just remember to be safe anytime you’re working with either the fuel or ignition systems.
@spelunkerd: i added 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart sorry i did not specify that. I think it has a oil light im not sure but i know my Daewoo does. You would think a Flashing CEL that the Message Center would say something but it never did.
@LJ11194: I dont have money for even a entry level scan too ATM. Im lucky if i can get a 2 quarts of oil. I might just get the towed to the shop even though its not far from me. I dunno if its wise to “limp” it to the shop maybe i can push it with the S10? possibly.
@380gb: I dunno if i can “Limp” it to a auto part store as i stated before, I dunno if NAPA scans codes thats where i always go but id still have to “Limp” it there and ill have someone follow behind me as i drive slow with the flashers going.I think all it needed was oil. I added that oil yesterday checked the air filter i could check it but i cant replace it. i just started it let it run. CEL shut off after 3 ignition cycles
Sorry to take so long to get to this one. Yes low oil can cause a misfire and the CEL to remain on. Mechanical issues like low oil pressure can cause a misfire and worse yet ruin your engine. Now that you’ve found the source do what you can to keep the oil topped off so that it doesn’t happen again in the future. In the mean time here is a video of how oil pressure works that might give you a better understanding of what happened.
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