Check engine light

Check engine light

Author
Discussion

Parisianviper

Original Poster:

25 posts

208 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
Hello everybody,

Yesterday , while coming back from the Deauville American Film festival, after a 130 miles cruise on the highway in sixth, a check engine light came on.
The car is running fine. Should I buy a scan tool to read the trouble codes, or should I wait to see if it goes away (after 3 good trips, the service manual says it may go away).
The car is a 2001 RT/10 , 15K miles, high flow filter, 3,55 gears, high flow cats. Mods were done more than 5000 miles ago except for the gears.

Should I worry?

Viper

10,005 posts

280 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
for the sake of 50 euros it maybe worth buying a unit for your own peice of mind, if the problem isnt solved/fixed i guess the light will come back on anyway,

personally i wouldnt to drive it to far without knowing what the problem is

Edited by Viper on Monday 3rd September 19:37

Parisianviper

Original Poster:

25 posts

208 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
I've sent an email to Chuck Tator, but you're probably right.
Thanks.

Atlanticvipers

309 posts

220 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
Had you just filled up with fuel ? Is the check engine light the engine symbol ? If so it is a good chance it is the exhaust emmisions sensor that has tripped the light. This is very common on american cars due to the fuel not burning smoothly and for use of another word "farting " hence why the light trips. If you are at all worried have the vehicle checked with a scan tool as soon as possible. If you think this could be the cause and you dont have a scan tool and believe there is nothing wrong with the car and you want to extinguish the light .Disconnect the battery for 5 minutes then connect up this will erase the light if it is a minor fault ie an emmisions trip. I OR ATLANTIC IS NOT LIABLE SHOULD YOU TAKE THIS ADVISE THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION !!!!!!

Edited by Atlanticvipers on Monday 3rd September 22:11

Parisianviper

Original Poster:

25 posts

208 months

Monday 3rd September 2007
quotequote all
Hello Atlanticvipers,

No the tank was about 3/4 full when the light came on (the engine symbol).
I will order a scan tool to be on the safe side.

Viper Wizard

368 posts

231 months

Tuesday 4th September 2007
quotequote all
Hi Eric,

I've just e-mailed you back but for everyone here, Roe Racing sell an inexpensive scan tool for the Vipers and it works good. cool

www.roeracing.com

Viper

10,005 posts

280 months

Tuesday 4th September 2007
quotequote all
i have the roe one, but any odb2 tool will be fine

Parisianviper

Original Poster:

25 posts

208 months

Wednesday 12th September 2007
quotequote all
My scan tool read a 0432 code.
Here's the answer from chuck Tator:
In my diagnostic book for code P0432 is says for possible causes:
Exhaust leak
Catalyst efficiency DTC does not reoccur
Engine mechanical problem
Catalytic converter
Upstream O2 sensor older then downstream O2 sensor

I would check for a exhaust leak and then clear the code. Then see if it comes back?

viper paul

2,485 posts

281 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
quotequote all
It was intesting working with my local Viper tech on the Justin problem, it would seem that the car does not check every item everytime its switched on and certain criteria has to be met before the ECU will perform tests, such as in the emmission test water temperature has to be set as well as other items which is interesting.

Thats why the check engine light could be set on Justin then rest with the DRB or the Roe tool and the fault would then go away, sometimes for hours, weeks or even months, unless the criteria was met then the ECU would not perform the relevant test.

On Justin the fuel pump/sender was completely loose as it had been cross threaded when assembled the pump could be pulled up and down and the sealing ring was also damaged with a big split and was going hard with age.

Just thought I would pipe up, just because you have cleared a code it does not mean it won't come back perhaps not today but perhaps sometime.

The French Viper could even be caused by bad fuel and the 0" sensor reading going to pot especially if its got an aftermarket exhaust.

Hope this helps anyone in the future with some fault finding, and if anyone needs some wheel arch rivets I have some and an air riveter for that size as we had almost all the rear arches off.

Have also sent off my fuel cap for chroming will let you know how it turns out.

Phoenix Viper

747 posts

251 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
quotequote all
Hi Tech info there el presidenti.
Please keep us posted on the chrome gas cap I want to do that.
PV

N GTS

735 posts

260 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
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Hey Paul, if you find all that interesting, get yourself a manual, it tells you all that in there, re open closed loop conditions etc, also info on the OBDII and trouble codes, various re-set conditions etc! It's my bible, read a chapter before bed :-)
You can get through dealers or find fantastic deals on ebay if you want one.

Chesta

256 posts

265 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
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Paul, YHM

Parisianviper

Original Poster:

25 posts

208 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
quotequote all
Thanks for the info Paul, but I had no intention to merely clear the code. The idea is to find the cause, and I'll start with Chuck's advice, that is to check for exhaust leaks in the cat area. Then I'll go on to other probable causes.
I'll keep you posted with my findings.

viper paul

2,485 posts

281 months

Thursday 13th September 2007
quotequote all
Now I would always clear the code first and see if it returns, the Viper is quite sophisticated and asumtion is never good, lets id the fault and do a definate fix.

In Justin's case thre garages had looked at the problem over 9 years..............no one had fixed it.............just my 10 cents.

The Chrome gas cap is going to be so cooooooooool