 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / General Car Topics / March 2006SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
I've got a 97 GMC Suburban w/139k miles on it. Just getting home from a trip today when on the way home, the orange 'service engine soon' light came on towards the left side of my dash. I checked the fluids, all guages look fine and no engine noise with the engine running fine. I had a GM product once where when this light came on, as I recall there was a reset button on my EGR valve that reset the warning light. Guess I'm hoping to hear from those with some experience with this light and maybe some advice other than taking it to my dealer (since our particular local dealer REALLY hands it to you when you take service work in there. TIA for any advice. Chris Could be carbon in your EGR, but run the codes on it and that will direct you. > I've got a 97 GMC Suburban w/139k miles on it. Just getting home from > a trip today when on the way home, the orange 'service engine soon' [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Chris sounds like you need to find a good independant garage No reset button, get the problem fixed and a scanner must be used to erase the code. > I've got a 97 GMC Suburban w/139k miles on it. Just getting home from > a trip today when on the way home, the orange 'service engine soon' [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Chris >No reset button, get the problem fixed and a scanner must be used to erase >the code. Not true, while you can use a scanner to read and reset code. It will clear itself from memeory after about 50 start and runs and the light will go out too as soon as it is repaired and there is no new error code being set. The light comes one when a code is set during a run cycle not because of a past fault recorded in its memory A new fault has to be detected to cause it to light come on even if it is a repeat of a past one, it is still considered new if it is redetected during a run cycle. As far as changing the O2 sensors, warm the truck up a little bit first, not enough so you burn yourself but just a min or two. I couldn't get my sensor out for anything, was at the point where it was getting ready to round off. Fired the truck up for a min or so and was able to get it out a lot easier, just need that exhaust to expand a little for you. The 97 GMCs have a good scanner setup. Go to the nearest Car parts store like Auto Zone, and they will scan it for free. What usually goes wrong at that mileage is the O2 sensors go bad. There are up to 4 of them on that year depending on whether you have a Vortec engine or not. If it is a Vortec, it will say it on the engine plastic cover in the center top of the engine. Vortecs have a dual exhaust setup, with 2 catalytic converters. They have 4 oxygen sensors, 2 before the two converters, and 2 after. The after ones are heated electrically to respond faster when cold. The heating coils burn out, and it sets a code. You won't be able to tell any difference when it is running. The rear O2 sensors are just a check on how the emissions are working. The sensors are mounted on top of the exhaust pipe, and a bit of a pain to do, but not too bad as long as the pipes are cold. They cost about $49 at a discount house, so check around before you buy. The dealer will rip you about $200. I had to use a box end wrench with a dead blow plastic hammer to get mine off. They go back in easy with some anti seize compound on the threads, only don't get any on the sensor itself. Be careful of the wire routing so it is in the original clips, and don't break them. >The 97 GMCs have a good scanner setup. Go to the nearest Car parts >store like Auto Zone, and they will scan it for free. What usually goes [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Be careful of the wire routing so it is in the original clips, and >don't break them. With the weather being cool, is this something I can put off until spring? Engine seems to be running just fine at present. No you really need to know the code, autozone will scan it free then post back the code. >>The 97 GMCs have a good scanner setup. Go to the nearest Car parts >>store like Auto Zone, and they will scan it for free. What usually goes [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > With the weather being cool, is this something I can put off until > spring? Engine seems to be running just fine at present. ====== ====== > "cover" <coverlandNOSPAM914@yahoo.com> wrote in message > > With the weather being cool, is this something I can put off until > > spring? Engine seems to be running just fine at present. ======= ======= > No you really need to know the code, autozone will scan it free then post > back the code. ======= ======= Shep, why can't he put it off till spring? Why does he "really need to know the code"? Just Curious. And.....I disagree. If the OP's statements are all FACT....then put er off till spring if you want. ~:~ MarshMonster ~:~ ====== ====== > I've got a 97 GMC Suburban w/139k miles on it. Just getting home from > a trip today when on the way home, the orange 'service engine soon' [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Chris ======= ======= My advice is to pull the negative battery cable off for about 5 minutes and do a repost if the light EVER........ comes back on. or...... worry about it. ~:~ MarshMonster ~please post $39 to my paypal acct. for initial diagnosis......... follow ups will be charged at $79 p/hr~ Thanks a lot for the advice guys. As it turned out, following my out of town trip where the light came on, after setting home for the weekend, I started it up and the light was out. If it comes back on, I'll be getting right after it but again, thanks very much... As I thought about letting it go until the weather gets better, I thought better of that just in case that might somehow control the burn but anyway... Thanks for all the replies. had the same thing happen on my '05 K2500HD, with less than 3k on the odometer, drove right into the dealer, waited 30 minutes for service....the only problem was the gas cap was not sealed correctly, the lanyard for it had got in the way and got stuck in the threads.....a very simple solution. > Thanks a lot for the advice guys. As it turned out, following my out > of town trip where the light came on, after setting home for the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > thought better of that just in case that might somehow control the > burn but anyway... Thanks for all the replies. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.