How to read engine ceck light??? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

kevintomb · 09-09-2009, 06:28 AM

My wife just called, said the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is on, in our 2003 camry, I tried using SEARCH (( but it wont work for some reason )) and I need to find the procedure for reading what code is up and how to reset it. She says the car seems to be running perfectly.

***RningOnFumes*** · 09-09-2009, 06:32 AM

First make sure it's not the Maintenance light, then go to Autozone or similar auto parts store and have them pull the codes for free. Lastly report back to us in this thread.

kevintomb · 09-09-2009, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RningOnFumes

First make sure it's not the Maintenance light, then go to Autozone or similar auto parts store and have them pull the codes for free. Lastly report back to us in this thread.

Not sure how to tell the difference....im not near car now...wife is driving it.

Redline_Me · 09-09-2009, 06:53 AM

It says maintnance required and the check engine one looks kind of like and engine.

kevintomb · 09-09-2009, 07:00 AM

okay just called her quickly...its the ENGINE light....so its check engine. Isnt there some sequence of like turning the key and so on that will reveal the code without having to go to an autp parts store ???..

Just about every car ive heard of has a way of resetting and reading the error codes through a few simple procedures by the driver himself.?

***RningOnFumes*** · 09-09-2009, 07:17 AM

the OBD1 had various ways to connecting t1 to t2 or something making the Check engine light itself tick a certain amount of times. You would then have to translate that into the codes, then look those up-- lol.

Cars now have the OBD2 where you just hook it up to a reader and the readers out now will not only give you the code, but it will interpret them for you ie, give you a gist of what part of the engine is wrong. Then it can reset it for you. I don't remember a way around this.

If the car is running fine, you might be able to get away with just pulling the battery cable out for few minutes and then re-attaching it. If the light doesn't come on again in a short time, you don't worry about it. Now that I think about it, ask her if she properly tightened the gas cap.... that has often pulled up a code and it might disappear on it's own.

...I say you just have her drive to the auto parts during her lunch....

kevintomb · 09-09-2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RningOnFumes

the OBD1 had various ways to connecting t1 to t2 or something making the Check engine light itself tick a certain amount of times. You would then have to translate that into the codes, then look those up-- lol.

Cars now have the OBD2 where you just hook it up to a reader and the readers out now will not only give you the code, but it will interpret them for you ie, give you a gist of what part of the engine is wrong. Then it can reset it for you. I don't remember a way around this.

If the car is running fine, you might be able to get away with just pulling the battery cable out for few minutes and then re-attaching it. If the light doesn't come on again in a short time, you don't worry about it. Now that I think about it, ask her if she properly tightened the gas cap.... that has often pulled up a code and it might disappear on it's own.

...I say you just have her drive to the auto parts during her lunch....

Cool....well she cant..too far..a trip, but thanks for the help. She said its running perfectly, just that it came on. I will relay all that to her...

Redline_Me · 09-09-2009, 07:26 AM

if it's still on when she gets back then go and have it checked out to see what code it's throwing.

holimont · 09-09-2009, 06:42 PM

If I remember right, the gas cap was the culprit on my 99. Tighten the cap a few clicks and the light will reset after three engine off/ start engine cycles.

workerant · 09-09-2009, 09:56 PM

do not clear the error code. Just read.

Cost me $200 when I stupidly clear the code.

***RningOnFumes*** · 10-03-2009, 03:43 AM

TTM77, what happened in your case?

AlmightyCamry777 · 10-03-2009, 06:18 AM

Dear Kevintomb: i carry around iun my trunk, a cheapo OBD II scanner. It cost me $30 and paid for itself already. I bougt it from harborfreight.com and allows you to diagnose the code (usually, easily fixable) and to reset the God$#%^#@ piece of sh$%t. Buy it and you are the hero of the day! http://www.harborfreight.com/

Losio · 10-03-2009, 07:01 AM

Wanna kill 2 birds ... get KIWI MPG - trip computer and OBD2 scanner/resetter in one small package (2.5"x1.5").

***RningOnFumes*** · 10-03-2009, 07:26 AM

Both of your suggestions are quite good, but you haven't read the situation correctly. At the time (OP hasn't updated us), the car is being driven by his wife and she quite far away. The assumption is that she doesn't quite have the mechanical knowledge to do any sort of on the fly problem solving. The easiest solution was to head into an auto parts store for a free read and that couldn't be done.

So I suspect that he is waiting for his wife to get back home, at which point, your suggestions would be great.

Now for the OP to update!! lol