check engine light issues

[sublime5446]

hey i've been having an issue with the check engine light coming on. it appears to be malfunctioning cause the car has not given me any real problems. i haven't noticed any kind of trend or anything like that, it just seems to come on randomly sometimes. I did however notice yesterday what seemed to be a slight 'knock' in the engine when i opened the hood. I have no idea what it may be.. the car isn't scheduled to be serviced for another 900 miles so i was hoping to get some trouble shooting ideas to try and fix it before it gets serviced.

Also, the driver side corner tail light isn't working.. it's only the one side and it's only the small corner section, the bigger rear section works fine. I'm assuming they are separate bulbs for both sections.. so is it just simply a burnt out bulb or might it be something more complicated?

it's a 1999 Camry LE V6 model if that helps at all...

[Mike Gerber]

You need to have the OBD2 code(s) read and then report back hear. Autozone and many other auto parts stores do this for free. Call around to auto parts stores in your area and ask them if they do this. When you report back here with the code(s), also include the mileage on the car.

As far as the light being out; check or replace the bulb first. If that doesn't solve the problem then open up the loom of wires in the trunk by the driver's side trunk hinge and check for frayed or broken wires inside there. This is a common area where the rear wires break. Repair what you find. You can determine what color wire to check first by looking at the color of wire on the back side of the socket where that bulbs goes.

Mike

[new echo owner]

It is probably just a bulb, since it is on the body, and the other ones are working.

Lets take a guess on what code it might be, P0171, P1135, or the infamous P0440, P0441, P0446, because the gas cap was loose?

N.E.O.

[sublime5446]

i don't think its the gas cap.. i had that happen before, and the engine light went off shortly after i tightened it. But i haven't even filled up in a week or so... cant be 100% sure but i'm almost positive it isnt because of gas cap. I did tighten it right when i noticed the light came on though, but so far it's still on. Forgive my lack of knowledge with this but i'm not sure what all these codes are.. could someone please try and explain it a little for me.. thanks.

[sublime5446]

Originally Posted by Mike Gerber

When you report back here with the code(s), also include the mileage on the car.

105,400 miles

[new echo owner]

Don't worry about those codes, I had just put those up for speculation.

Anyway, you will need to retrieve the code(s) from the ECM, the engine computer, to properly determine what the cause may be. As far as a loose gas cap, the light don't always just turn off after you have tighten the cap. And the way the system is set up, you could have filled up a week or so ago, if you have left the cap loose, it may not turn on the light until a later time when the ECM has test the system and found that it is not functioning.

I guess there are some stores that will pull the codes for you for free, so you might look into that. Until you have the codes, whatever answers you will get are probably speculation, like I did with those codes. There are many codes that will turn on the CEL without affecting vehicle operation, either way, finding out the codes is still a good idea instead of waiting until your service is due.
N.E.O.

[sublime5446]

thanks for your help. So to find this out i just need to go into Autozone or something and tell them about the problem with the CEL and that i need to find out what the codes are for it??? And then they should be able to diagnose the problem? sorry like i said i have pretty much no knowledge of stuff like this...bare with me =/

[new echo owner]

They can retrieve the codes, but I would not depend on them for diagnosing it. After you get the codes, post them on here, then we can give you some suggestions or speculations on what the cause maybe. Or whether it is something that needs immediate attention, repairs that you can make or whatever.

Call the place up first to see they do that at all, there were some posts mentioning that Autozone no longer scan codes for free. Or if you like to learn a little bit about your car, get a OBDII code reader or scanner, which will give you some insight into what you car is doing.

N.E.O.