"Check Engine" Light Question - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

dennizxxx · 02-17-2005, 09:05 AM

Hi Everyone,

Own a 99 boxster with 26000 miles.....this past december I took it ot my authorized POrsche dealer for an oil change and yearly maintenance.

Today my CHECK ENGINE light came on on my way to work!!!!!!!

I know that there is a big maintenace scheduled for 30 000 miles, and have heard "myths" that some dealers "programme" a check engine light to appear when it comes close to the time of the maintennance..

First off any truth in that???

Second off, i know the check engine light can be ANY number of reasons, but my car is in pristine condition, oil is fine, brakes are fine, runs perfectly....any ideas??

Is my only choice to go back to the dealer and have them charge me and arm and a leg, just to turn off the light??/

thanks

dennis

Adam · 02-17-2005, 09:28 AM

My mazda has had a CEL on for over 50k miles and runs fine. I don't see why everyone freaks when a CEL comes on. I had a CEL blink in my boxster for a few sec then it went away several months back. It runs better than ever now. If you feel that it is running differently than before then I would have it checked out. If it seems to run fine I would wait and see if it goes away on it's own but that's probably because I live 2 hrs away from my dealership.

RandallNeighbour · 02-17-2005, 10:54 AM

Check Engine Light = Blinking? Stop the car immediately. Huge problems!!!

Check Engine Light = Illuminated? Check the following:

1. Gas cap - Needs to be on good and tight.
2. Oil Filler cap and Radiator Fluid caps - ditto, must be on tight.
3. There are hundreds of other reasons the check engine light comes on. Do get it checked out by someone with a Porsche System Tool 2 though... dealerships have them and they tell you why it's on... and can use it to turn it off.

If you have a mass airflow sensor out or O2 sensor out, your engine will starting running like crap and you could do damage to it. If it's nothing, the dealer shouldn't charge you much to reset it.

dennizxxx · 02-17-2005, 11:47 AM

thanks guys...not that I am freaking out about it.....( the CEL is not blinking)..it just annoys me, seeing that orange light..on the dash..it eats away at me...I know I have problems....

ANyway,,

I will prob get it checked out....hopefullit is something minor...

CAn the light go off by itself though??? i thought it would always have to be turned off by a dealer???

Alienz · 02-17-2005, 12:57 PM

My light came on last weekend, it's a mood buster. Then all of a sudden, it turned off last monday. I don't know why or how. But this is the second time in almost a year this happened to me.

Adam · 02-17-2005, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Check Engine Light = Blinking? Stop the car immediately. Huge problems!!!

Yeah, I know this usually means that something is severely wrong, but it only blinked for a few sec then it went away on it's own and never came back. I think the computer probabbly just went wacko for a few sec because I have had no ill effects since then. *knock on wood* Should I ask the mechanic to do a computer diagnosis when I take it in for the 15k checkup?