2005 Suzuki XL7 - CEL mystery

My car has been in two shops, still problem exists and not sure why. Check Engine Light comes on and stays on. Driving up a hill or with accelerator being used more than normal driving, such as on a hill or initial takeoff, it will start flashing. I have pulled over and let it rest a few minutes and restarted. Also have kept going a few times when this would not work and it ended up going back to steady. Temperature gauge ok.

A flashing check engine light normally means “pull over immediately and call a tow truck.” When the light comes on there’s a code that’s stored. A good mechanic should be able to figure out what’s causing the code. I’m no mechanic but you’ll probably get better help if you can post the code. Auto Zone will scan it and tell you the code for free. Whatever you do, don’t let the problem persist, you could damage your engine.

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Flashing mil = SEVERE misfire

There’s not much mystery here, in my opinion

If these 2 shops can’t figure it out, then their diagnostic skills are quite poor, especially when you consider the problem can be easily duplicated

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Could be nothing but worn out spark plugs. They start misfiring under load. Hills and calling for fast acceleration create a lot of load.

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