my check engine light (2000 olds.bravada) has been on for a while(evap system).the light has recently started to flash ittermitenly.what could this mean? thanks for your time.
if it’s flashing, you have a misfire and are causing engine damage by driving it. The check engine light is not a suggestion. It’s a message telling you that something needs to be fixed. Go get it fixed 
Flashing CELs mean there is a problem and the car should be be driven until it is determined what the problem is.
You may have learned a lesson on why it is important to get repairs done even if you don’t think that they’re that critical. With the CEL on for the evap system, you wouldn’t know if it was also starting to throw codes for something like a bad O2 sensor at the same time, unless you were constantly scanning the computer. Then that next problem could lead to another, then another, then next thing you know, your CEL is flashing at you for a class A misfire and you’re actively damaging your car while you believe it is still just an evap system problem.
a red light generally means STOP. on a CEL a FLASHING light means you are about to lunch your engine, STOP right now, dont drive it anymore and dont even think of going down to the store just one more time or you will be buying a new engine!
How do you know the cel was for evap? what did you do to solve that problem? how have you decided that THIS cel is related to the earlier evap issue?
I’m with everybody else on this. When the check engine light is flashing, it means the engine is misfiring and you are doing serious damage to the engine and catalytic converter by continuing to drive it in that condition. The problem, or at least the misfire, needs to be corrected immediately to avoid catastrophic consequences to your car. If the shop is more than a few blocks away, I would consider having the car towed there. Since it’s a Bravada, you will need to flatbed it due to the AWD system.
I think you meant to say that it shouldn’t be driven…
BC.
It means that your original problem, which would have only cost you a couple hundred dollars tops to fix, is now going to cost you several hundred dollars more, if not thousands of dollars.
BC.
If you’ve been driving it with a flashing CEL, it means it’s time to start shopping for a new engine or a new vehicle