[cammyjim]

1998 Camry XLE 6 cyl./Auto - 85,000 miles, all fluids topped, but Engine Check light remains on.

April 2, 2020.
Hello Fellow Toyota Fans!
Low mileage, been taking it in for service, the last oil change was last December 2019.
The day before yesterday Tuesday, after getting gas at Costco, on my way home I noticed the ENGINE check light came on.
Last December when I took it to Toyota for an oil change, they were supposed to top off all liquids, including,
(1) Automatic Transmission Fluid, (ATF)
(2) Engine oil change, and (SAE 5W-30)
(3) Engine Coolant,
(4) Maybe the windshield wiper wash fluid, or maybe not.
When I returned home, I left the engine OFF, for a few minutes before I checked the fluids.

The A.T.F. reservoir was below the MINIMUM HOT LINE, so I filled it up to the MAXIMUM HOT LINE. Re-started the engine, light still on.
I then filled up the Engine coolant, and also the windshield reservoir.
I unloosened, and re-tightened both the ENGINE OIL CAP, and the GAS CAP.
Re-started the engine, drove to the post office and to the grocery store, was on the freeway, to try and get the engine hot, but the darn dummy light still remains ON, when I returned home again.
PLEASE, was I very wrong to have thought all these years, that all Toyota engines and transmissions last for a few hundred thousand miles?
VERY LOW MILEAGE.....85,000 miles, and now I am very worried that this may end up costing me the only money that I have left in all of my life's savings, just to fix this problem.

Silly question, and in the realm of, "Stranger things have happened," but before I input all my AM/FM radio stations in my radio again, and seeing that all ATF, and Coolant fluid levels are ideal, and within range, AND IF, by dis-connecting and re-connecting my car battery, make it default again, can this reset my dummy gauges, and will no longer see this annoying, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT? Ha, I told you it was silly. I am NOT a mechanic, just a fifteen year disabled, rare tumor cancer patient on very a low SSDI income.

Thank you for any feedback, or suggestions, I desperately need all I can get.
Stay Safe, Wash your hands, Try to Stay Healthy!
CammyJim

 

[BMR]

You can try resetting the check engine light by disconnecting the battery positive cable for a moment. Another way is to pull the “EFI” fuse in the fuse block under the hood, which is easier, and the radio won’t lose its presets.

But the CEL will probably return. Before you reset it though, it would be best to get the error codes read. Most auto parts stores will do that for free, unless you’re in California. If you are, a simple basic code reader is cheap these days, like $20.

 

[Tripleguy]

Without reading the error codes its throwing there's no way to tell. It is emission related as that is what the CEL is for. You can still drive the car, you just can't pass an emission check without diagnosing and fixing the issue. Nothing you did would affect the reason the CEL is on. Relax and drive it for now.

 

[SF_Panda]

Nothing you did would affect the reason the CEL is on.

Only caveat to the above is if the gas cap wasn't fully tightened after you stopped to fill up--that's one of the most common reasons for 'false positive' CELs. If that's the case, then hopefully after you tighten the cap and reset the light as described above, it may not come back on. If it does come back on--it could be something very cheap or very expensive. The CEL on my Camry recently came on and it turned out to be nothing more than a couple of corroded rubber hoses in the evap system--took all of $20 to replace. Here's hoping this turns out to be a similarly minor repair.

 

[ajkalian]

The A.T.F. reservoir was below the MINIMUM HOT LINE, so I filled it up to the MAXIMUM HOT LINE. Re-started the engine, light still on.

The transmission fluid need to be checked with the engine warmed up and running. It will always show low if the engine is turned off.

Oil is just the opposite, engine off, let it cool down, then check.

Chances are your transmission is overfilled now, but will have nothing to do with the CEL codes.

As others have said, you are flying blind without knowing exactly what codes are stored.

.