25 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHFlashing CEL after car Wash... then nothing.
Reported or suspected cause
spark plugs and coil packs
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
I've had the flashing CEL and solid CEL - the problem was the spark plugs and coil packs.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Once the vehicle is running, the OBDII system is continuously checking the above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching for engine misfire, and monitoring fuel demands.
Leading evidence: 'spark plugs and coil packs' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'spark plugs and coil packs' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I haven't had this issue since I changed coils at 60K service...
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
After replacing all the spark plugs, rubber o-rings, and a cracked coil pack, everything returned to normal and the car ran much better.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Once the vehicle is running, the OBDII system is continuously checking the above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching for engine misfire, and monitoring fuel demands.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Once the vehicle is running, the OBDII system is continuously checking the above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching for engine misfire, and monitoring fuel demands.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Once the vehicle is running, the OBDII system is continuously checking the above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching for engine misfire, and monitoring fuel demands.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
25 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
Just b/c the CEL goes away doesn't mean the code is gone.
Took the P Car (2000 C2 coupe, 54K miles)through a touchless car wash this AM (temp about 27F). Pulled out onto the highway and it felt like a cylinder was missing. Then a flashing CEL.
Kept the revs low for about 1/4mile and then the CEL went out and everything was fine. Drove it around a while with no ill effects.
Any guesses on what would cause that?
--Dale
Water getting to your coil packs - probably one of them is cracked?
You should have pulled over with a flashing CEL - it's only safe to keep driving with a static CEL lamp
I can assure you from experience that a flashing CEL is no bueno. Even if it is a short period of time and does not return you need to get it checked out.
Or Autozone to use one of their free loaner OBDII units
Or Harbor Freight to buy yourself one, as I did this week.
Of course by the time I got home, wifey reported that the CEL had gone out on the Boxster
but I'm still going to check it out this weekend any way.
And at least I got a new toy while I had a valid excuse
Solid CEL? Then not nearly as bad. But still you will want to get it checked out. Why in the hell would you drive 25K miles with a CEL in the first place?
Since most CELs deal with emissions and not engine vitals, I have ignored it. I read many years ago that even if a sensor gets out of it paramaters just for a split second, it trips the CEL. I had the codes read on mine and it was all emissions related so I let it go on and off as it pleases.
Call me stubborn but these cars give out CELs like they are going out of style.
I was getting ready to pull over and then it went out. I though it strange that even if someting got better, it would have stayed solid. Weird.
The car sat all day and ran fine on my way home after work.
I'll check the codes tonight and post.
If it was water ingress effecting a cracked coil-pack, then the resulting misfire would have triggered a CEL.
When the water evaporated due to engine heat, and the cracked coil-pack stabilized, the misfire and CEL would go away, but the fault codes will hopefully still be available via OBDII
Flashing CEL conditions are those classed as 'severe problems', and the flashing is there to discourage further vehicle use.
Misfire would classify as a flashing CEL event - it falls under OBD 'continuous monitoring' which includes Misfire, Fuel System, and Comprehensive Components (CCM)
Once the vehicle is running, the OBDII system is continuously checking the above components, monitoring key engine sensors, watching for engine misfire, and monitoring fuel demands.
The OBD system can turn off the CEL if the condition no longer exists - i.e the 'enabling conditions' are no longer present and the vehicle has gone through any specific 'drive cycle' for that fault code, with no further fault being detected.
Or the fault can be repaired, and the CEL reset using an OBDII compliant reader.
The 'drive cycle' is a specific mode of vehicle operation that provides conditions required to set all readiness monitors applicable to the condition.
The purpose of completing an OBDII drive cycle is to force the vehicle to run it's onboard diagnostics.
Emissions based CELs (steady CEL light) also capture freeze frame data for the vehicle operating conditions at that time. (RPM, speed, air flow, load, fuel pressure etc)
The flashing CEL does NOT fall into this category, as it's not an emissions based issue.
Steady CEL issues are indicative of one of the 'non-continuos monitors'.
These include EGR system, O2 sensors, Cats, evaporative system, O2 sensor heater, secondary air system, heated cat, A/C system.
I haven't had this issue since I changed coils at 60K service... which I did in 3/2007.
(I broke one of my own pet-peeve rules for this website by not putting the final resolution into this thread until now).
I've had the flashing CEL and solid CEL - the problem was the spark plugs and coil packs. After replacing all the spark plugs, rubber o-rings, and a cracked coil pack, everything returned to normal and the car ran much better.
The owners manual does state that a flashing CEL is bad, something along the lines of... your motor is guaranteed to blow and drive the crank shaft through your heart.
WOW, I am glad my car never had that problem. I couldn't have waited 21 months for a resolution.
Just kidding!
Glad you found the source of the problem.
That (the crankshaft through your heart) is the preferred outcome. Usually it only "toasts" your engine and you are not personally injured.
However, after you tell your wife the engine exploded and you need to spend $14,000 for a replacement engine, you will wish the crankshaft HAD gone through your heart! That would be a much quicker and much less painful death!
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
