Just a quick question. How long are codes stored for? I've had at least 5 instances of a flashing CEL in the last 6 weeks. After the flash, the light goes out and does not stay on solid. I have a generic OBD II scanner and I was only able to read a stored code once (P0300). The other times by the time I got my scanner the reader couldn't find any codes (I carry the scanner in the car now ).

I've had huge problems with this car, and I am just hoping when I bring the car to the dealership next week they will be able to see some of the codes with their scanner.

 

hmm... I thought codes stayed solid. I didn't think they were erased until you actually went in and did so yourself.

what kinda scanner you using?

 

EXACTLY! That is what is killing me. Shouldn't the light stay solid if a code was thrown? The car threw a p0300 and it was cleared in TWO driving cycles.

The scanner is an Actron Pocketscan. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary.

 

I would say bring it to a dealer and tell them you think it is throwing false codes. If you were truly throwing a code it would stay. I had a running lean code when my intake opened up at a seal and that code stayed on for 6 different trips.

If you have a misfire code, definitely bring it in.

 

misfire is one of the codes that happens then the cel clears of the cluster but is stored in the pcm

 

flash is a mis fire. solid is usually emissions. bring it to the dealer and tell them that the light was flashing. What else happened when the light flashed?

 

Forgive my ignorance, but would that mean the dealership should see all of the misfire codes then?

Just out of curiosity, you think there is any chance that the random misfire is related to any of my other problems? Short list would be oil smells like gas, metal flakes in oil, rough idle, and occasional white smoke from exhaust?

The car stumbled for a bit. That's all really. I've gotten flashes on acceleration and while highway cruising.

 

yea the dealership should see it...and all of those problems ur having could cause the misfires...sounds like u have a cracked ring land and ur getting blow by on ur pistons which is prolly coating the spark plug causing it not to get a full spark causing a misfire...IMO

 

that description of whats goin on with metal flakes and fuel smell sounds like ring land broken

 

this motor has 6000 miles on it. First motor blew in Dec. Lost the timing chain guides and apparently had a bunch of loose metal floating through the engine. The problem is my dealer refuses to acknowledge the issue...Even the DVM says there is no problem. I would put money on the fact that nobody has removed and checked the sparkplugs.

 

i would too..and i would be talking to a lawyer

 

I might give the dealer one more shot. They just dumped half the service dept (including the service manager). I'll give the new guy one shot to make it right. Plus I have a brand new issue this week. Everytime I drive over a bump (like broken pavement) my car shuts off. So, I am feeling 100% safe in this car.

 

I believe if the code does not reappear it will be cleared after 60 key cycles. I believe WOP had said that at one point in time...

 

this was cleared after two. Any chance there might be a faulty computer? Any simple way to test?

 

Yay for P0300's! I get random cylinder misfire codes out my ass with my Intense Stage 4 tune, yay! I'm in the same boat, every time I clear them, they come right back...

 

If the computer sees a condition in which it sees a problem, it is set as a pending code. After It sees it happening during the second trip, it will set it as a dtc, in the case of a misfire though, I think it will the first trip, but if it only happens once it will set it as a one trip failure, but will not elimunate a mil. After it being seen on a second trip fault, it is sent to history and it will clear itself after sometime 40-60 (depending on manufacture) complete warm up cycles. A generic scan tool I believe will not see history codes, only current codes. Hope that makes sense.

 

Yeah, only issue is I am bone stock

Makes perfect sense. So hopefully by the time the dealer gets me in I haven't gone through 60 warm up cycles...

 

the pcm will erase a code after a few ignition cycles, IF the code passes the pcm's checks.

 

well that's true, but if you do go for 60 warm up cycles and the code clears, your probably ok anyhow.

 

Unfortunately, I got the flashing CEL again today with a P0300 code.