-HELP-1995 Cavalier (4 Door) CEL Question...

[001Stunna]

Everytime after driving for a while ill see the Check Engine Light "CEL" turn on n sometimes it goes off on its own and sometimes i have to turn the car off and then back on for it to go off....any1 know what causes this...ive already checked the gas tank sealer if it wasnt put on properly but that didnt do anything...ive heard that u can reset your cars system by unhooking the battery for 1 hour and then puttin it back on and leaving the car for 10-15 mins for everything to be reset but im not sure if this can cause any damage to the cars programming...if any1 knows any way to fix this or tell me what causes it would be greatly appricated

PS..Car is a 95 Chevy Cavalier, 4 Door, 2.2 L, 4 Speed Automatic, Front Wheel Drive

[001Stunna]

i read that there is a code u can do with pressing the gas pedal to have your car show youn wants wrong somehow...any1 know if this is true...

[leseuldaniel]

If it keeps coming back, something is wrong. I have a sunfire 97. Your cheapest bet is having the code scanned at your mechanic, approx.. 25$. He'll tell you what it is. I can be about 20 different problems, O sensors, gas cap, anti-pollution, injectors, etc..etc...etc...

Sorry, I can't help you more, and I doubt anyone can give you a sure answer. Mine stopped doing that after I swichted to premieum and using an injector cleanor once in a while.

[001Stunna]

thanx for all of that still

whats weird is that its not like itll stay on forever till i turn off the car n bak on again...its on for a while then it turns off...and then when it feels like it it goes bak on again..has a mind of its own lol

[001Stunna]

i read that there is a code u can do with pressing the gas pedal to have your car show youn wants wrong somehow...any1 know if this is true...

...

[JohnnyABC]

I had the exact same problem with my '95 cavalier 2.2L earlier this year.

I had to bring it into the local GM shop as most private mechanic's code readers are for 1996+. Anything older would require special code units particular for the vendor.

It was something sticking near the alternator. Open the hood, have someone turn on the engine and listen near the alternator for a clicking sound. If you hear it's a matter of the mechanic taking apart the part and putting it back together. No new parts were needed but the code reader needs to be attached while the mechanic works on it. After I paid attention the "clicking" and the possibility of a stuck part, I noticed that the engine light sometimes went off when I went over a bump or pothole.

I ended up going twice to a GM dealer. Once to get the code read, a second time after my mechanic-buddy told me he couldn't fix the the problem without the reader attached.

Total price was $60 for the code reading, and $150 to fix it (which included another code reading by default).

Some other notes:
- I watched from the bay window, it took about 1/2 hour to do the repair, the other 60 mins the GM mechanic had a coffee break, and did a number of other things unrealated to my car
- When I brought the car in the Salesman tried to convince me that I may need an engine overhaul, new transmission, new spark plugs, etc since I knew about the clicking sound I pointed to it and told him to start right there
- It took a couple mechanics to figure out I was right, neither had seen this before
- No new parts were needed, just some loosening and tightening