03 lara check engine light

[knightbird123]

2003 solara 4cyl with 40,000 miles
I use 89 octane fuel for a 4cyl vvti


Where I am, the weather has been muggy, humid and rainy. I went out this morning and it was raining hard. My car always stays parked outside. I start up my lara and everything is perfect. I get on the road and drive it for about 1 mile, the check engine light appears on the dashboard. Ever since that drive, the check engine light has been lit however the temp guage and the engine seem to be running just fine. Everything seems to be operating normally but that light just stays on.

Im no mechanic but is there a possibility that this is an electrical problem due to moisture/condensation. I came up with this assumption because a while back the lane changing left/right signals stopped functioning.

[Mole]

you gas up lately ?

[knightbird123]

Yea, I did fill up recently. I put in 89 octane, Why, has the gas been spiked or something?

[Mole]

no... its prob b/c you didnt tighten your gas cap enough.

[Ruski]

did you top of the tank? ( added more gas then normal )
Can be bad gas, best thing to do is take it to your local auto store and get it checked my a OBD II Scanner and it will tell you the codes at that are causing the Light to come on

[knightbird123]

yes the last time I filled up I did top it off. Im going to check to see if the cap is on tight. Its just hard for me to believe that there is anything wrong with the car since im not hearing any knocking noises etc.....

[Ruski]

if you top it off that can be causing the code. get the codes checked

[knightbird123]

well how can I reset it to erase the codes and have that light disappear. I want to see if the light will reappear again.

[Mole]

if it's the gas cap CEL, it will turn off in a day or so.

[knightbird123]

So when the gas cap is not closed tight enough, meaning the cap isnt turned enough to hear the "clicks" then the check engine light may go on, is this correct?

[Midias]

So when the gas cap is not closed tight enough, meaning the cap isnt turned enough to hear the "clicks" then the check engine light may go on, is this correct?

yup

[(K)]

Disconnect the battery cable to clear codes.

Were you driving on the highway that one mile or on the street?

[knightbird123]

on a very long street

[(K)]

I was going to call P0420 on that if you were on the highway haha.

In either case, pull some codes (Autozone).

[SpeedySolara]

Just a few nights ago I was filling up while the car was on. A few blocks into my drive the CEL came on. It stayed on until the next day. I reset it and hasn't come on since. This may be another reason your CEL to come on, it seemed to have been mine.