Check Engine Light on - advice/help?

[23109VC]

UPDATE- I got the codes.

P1128 / P1130

took car out for a drive - maybe went 15-20 miles... it was very hot outside, maybe 90degrees... no reallyhard driving.

i was a mile from home and noticed the check engine light was on. i have no idea when it popped on, i just know when i noticed it.

the car is running exactly the same as it did the last few days. no weird noises, no sounds, no nothing. i pulled over a hundred yards from home, stopped car, pulled out the key, let it sit for a few seconds, then started it back up - everything seemed normal. the CEL did not go away.

it's still there. is there any way I can easily figure out WHAT CEL code this is w/out goign to the dealer?

i don't want to drive it if it is something really really bad, but the nearest dealer is a good 40-50 miles away.

is driving it with the light on asking for something catastrophic / $$$ to go wrong?

any suggestions? thank you. this is a bummer in that I JUST got the car, but I'm optimistic that it's osmething not that bad. the car drove fine, made no weird noises...etc...

or is a CEL going on a big big red flag that the car is about to detonate?

should I run out and get that extended warranty now??

[Lil bastard]

If it's not flashing, annihilation is not immenent! Go to a Pep Boys or AutoZone, they can lend you a scanner to retrieve the codes, then report them back here.

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by 23109VC

it was very hot outside, maybe 90degrees...

Ha! I hope you were kidding. That's winter temps for Houston :dance:

CE lights (not flashing) are usually emissions related, meaning oxygen sensors or the MAF sensor. If it ever flashes, pull over and call a tow truck.

Worst problem you'll have if it's an emissions sensor is diminished performance or fuel economy if the computer can't sort it out and compensate.

If the code is oxygen sensor-related, replace all four at the same time so they are equally as sensitive. If it's the MAF, you can try cleaning it before you spring for a replacement.

www.oxygensensors.com is a great place to get replacements for the best price.

[23109VC]

OKAY - the check engine light is NOT flashing.

I went out and started teh car and the idle is not terribly erratic, but it seems to be ever so slightly oscillating...at low rpm i can see the needle kind of bumping up and down - but VERY minor.

since i got the car it was making a noise that sounds like air whistling..imagine the sound that an inner tube would m ake if air was seeping out of it - that sound has been intermittently coming from the back left intake area. when it was at the dealer they said they heard it, but lcaimed to not know what it was, and since at that time tehre were no CEL, they said they din'dt do any further inspections. they did say they felt it was intake related..but that was as far as they went.

i wonder if i have some kind of vacuum leak?

my other BIG question - since the engine light is NOT flashing, is it okay to drive the car? i'm not planning on taking it for any hardcore driving, but if i want to go to autozone/pepboys to get the code read - or if I want to drive it to the dealer, vs having it towed... is that okay?

my closest dealer is a good 40 mile drive.

[fatmike]

I've noticed that an annual bottle of Techron seems to make a noticeable difference in how my car runs.

I have nothing to offer on the noise you mention -- that does sound odd though.

[Lil bastard]

loose or split vacuum hose or failing MAF or AOS

[23109VC]

so assuming it is a vacuum leak, failing MAF, or AOS - is it okay to drive it like this?

can the car be further damaged, or can I do engine damage driving it any further?

I'd have to drive 30-40 miles to get to either the dealer or an independent Porsche mechanic. to go to Pepboys tomorrow to get the code read is only a mile or so... they are very close.

i just don't want to worry that if i drove it a mile, or the 30 miles to a dealer - that I might cause further damage or hurt the engine or other $$ item. if the car will not get damaged - but just not run smoothly - that's fine.

is an AOS expensive? I've seen posts on the MAF - not cheap, but not horrible. i would think a vacuum leak is cheap, it's just that it might cost labor to find it...

that hissing noise is audible from the drivers side and if you get down the ground, under the car you really hear it. i tried to take a video of it to record the sound, but my digital camera did not pick up the sound very well. you can hear it great with your ear, but the camera doesn't seem to record the hissing. so the video would be worthless to post...

if i can get a better sound recording, i'll post a video of the noise. if i ge the code read tomorrow, i'll post that.

THANKS!!