I have a 1999 2.5 boxster, and ever so often my CEL comes on, and then goes away after a day or so. Sometimes I will go several hundred miles, and then it comes back. WTF
When the car computer senses a fault in the emission system the warning light comes on. After a number of drive cycles if the fault is not detected again then the computer turns the light off.
There are a 100 reasons for the light to come on. You need to have the falt code(s) read out to determine why the light is on.