My cars engine service light came on over the weekend and I heard a small hole in the exhaust. What I need to know is how long I can drive with it like that?
First is it a Check Engine Light or a Service Engine Light? If it is a CEL then have the codes read and report back with the actural code like P0123. Some auto part stores will do this for free.
If it is a service engine light, your owner’s manual should be able to tell you want service is due, like oil change.
If the light is not BLINKING, then it should be safe to drive, but a hole in the exhaust can be dangerous to you as CO may find its way into the cabin. That's bad.
A Service Engine Light should not trigger due to a exhaust problem. An exhaust problem might trigger a CEL.
It is a CEL and thank you so much for the advice, I will will try get the codes read.
A what?
What model Dodge? Neon?, Intrepid?, etc.
Does it have L.E.D (little light up greem numbers) odometer numbers or regular black & white rolling numbers?
For black & white try this:
Try turning the key to “on” but not all the way to “start” and then “off” and repeat until leaving it “on” the third time through, (fairly quickly), like this:
On, off, on, off, on!
Wait a couple of seconds and the “check engine” light will blink a code or series of codes. Blink…pause…blink…blink (= 1-2 or 12) …pause …blink…blink…blink…pause…blink…blink (=3-2 or 32)…pause and then five blinks, pause and five more blinks(5-5 or 55). They are strung together and would be codes 12, 32, and 55. These codes are 2-digit codes unlike the ones discussed above.
Hint: It will almost always begin with code 12 and end with 55.
Try it if you want. You can still do the other way, too.
If you can do this we can interpret them if you post them here.
If you have LED, let me know. I have someting to try.