How do i get rid of a check engine light?

Question

1997 chevrolet lumina 3.1L
i dont want to spend money to fix the problem... so is there a simple way to get rid of the light. i already tried unpluging the battery. ive heard of pressing on the gas or brake a certain number of times....not sure. Help please! serious answers only

Answer 1

you can take it to auto zone ,and they will scan it free and tell you what it is,and clear it off for you,but it will come right back,it may be something simple to repair,id take it and get it scanned,and at least see whats causing it to stay on,it may be a real simple thing to repair,other wise it will remain on until the bulb burns out,or the problem is fixed,good luck on it.

Answer 2

greetings...GM is very picky about M.I.L.'S.(malfunction indicator lamps), being delt with by joe blow. they want you to have to go into the dealership.$$$ before doing that heres a couple of suggestions. diconnecting the battery works about 05% of the time on vehicals between 82 and 91. vehicals 91 and up usually require a pgm tester to deal with mils. what you can try is removing the fuse that acutually feeds the ECM(computer). normally under the hood but possibly under the dash you will find a 10 amp fuse marked ECM. locate the fuse. remove the positive cable from the battery. remove ECM fuse. leave undone for approximately two minutes, then reconnect. install the fuse first, then the battery. turn the ignition switch on, but dont start. watch the mil. along with other dash indicator lights, the mil should be on. make sure all accessories are off..radio a/c..ect..then start the vehical. if the light stays on you definately have a hard code and will require service facility for diagnosis and repair. if the light go's out for a minute and then comes on, check and make sure your gas cap is correct and on properly. also peek under the hood making sure all visible connectors are connected..no broken pigtails or wires...that sort of thing. and finally if the light stays off then you've properly reset a default code, which usually occurs when the vehical is running without the gas cap on. if the light returns within 15 start cycles you have a faulty sensor which will require service. good luck

Answer 3

only a proper OBD2 scan tool can erase the code.
but only until it comes back.
if it is gas cap loose tighten it and that code will clear soon by itself. THERE IS NO MILEAGE service lamp (pre 96s).
anything corrected will auto clear. ( nice huh).
pulling battery will not clear it, By design. stored in flash memory dont you know.

tape lamp , pull lamp. no matter , smog test will fail.

if you have no smog tests (outside metro fed smog ring?)

then , if this lamp is flashing? then it is serious an will most likely cause the CAT to die and may clog up.
in which case , car looses power .
also car my go to Limp Home mode and suck gas like crazy.
so ignoring it is fooly.
I might be very serious, are you not curious?
get the codes pulled and post them.

you'd be amazed at all the great help you can get. here

if you are in CA. you will have to pay $20 ( peoples republic and all that jazz) at AZ to pull codes. some silly statelaw, they think your are scamming state or some such rot.
I dont know left there 20 years ago , never to return.


Try the gas cap ,TIGHTEN IT , first.
that's the only free one.

hope this helps you and all the vast numbers of others in same boat.
BTW this applies to all cars sold USA since 1996 and 1/2.
97+ for sure.

it is a blessing as the new computers are vastly smarter and will save money when the dumb mech starts thowing parts at your car. Now he can throw 2 parts instead of 10. HaHAHAHA
just pray the EGR code dont pop up.
open wallet cry.

Answer 4

the ONLY way to get rid the light is to fix the problem.
OR remove the bulb, in which you will fail the smog inspection, with the light on, you've already failed.

Goto an Autozone of Aamco, they will read the code for you for free. it could be something easy like a loose gas cap, or misfire (which a bottle of fuel injector cleaner can fix), or a bad oxygen sensor.

the code can ONLY be erased by a scantool, or remove the battery cable for 3 hours and hope it is removed, however once you start the engine, and problem is still existing, the light will come right back on.

Answer 5

If the light came on just after filling up the tank replace the gas cap. Usually disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes will reset the computer on just about any GM car. You could have a legitimate problem.

Answer 6

Get or borrow a code reader, but the light will come back on after you pass a certain mileage milestone again, like 500 or 1000 miles, you better at least find out what the problem is, because if it is something like a transmission you are going to spend more the longer you wait.

Answer 7

I'm guessing that you have had the code read and know what the problem is. Other than fixing the problem, you could remove the bulb, or just put some black electrical tape over the light. Good luck to you with the car.

Answer 8

If you don`t fix the problem now expect more problems in the future that will only cost more. Could be something as simple as a loose or bad gas cap.

Answer 9

You got an Autozone around there? All you do is go in, tell them your check engine lights on... they bring out a small machine to see what the problem is and hook it underneath your dash. besides finding out why it's on, it also turns your check engine light off. It's free and takes about 2 minutes, if that. Good luck with it!

Answer 10

try a mechanic ot just put tape over the light