# Service Engine Soon idiot light

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/service-engine-soon-idiot-light/39105>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** regency, oldsmobile\
**Created:** [November 6, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/service-engine-soon-idiot-light/39105 "2009-11-06T22:10:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jerachrome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@Jerachrome](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jerachrome)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/service-engine-soon-idiot-light/39105/1 "2009-11-06T22:10:42Z")

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I rescued a 1992 Olds 98 Regency Elite from a garage where it had sat undriven for over 3 years, with only 40K miles. When I replaced the dead battery it started right up. I added fresh gasoline and fuel injector cleaner. It runs just fine. The question is this: The Service Engine Soon light comes on and sometimes goes off. Is this a false negative that will go away after a few tanks of fresh gasoline? Or is it warning that should be heeded immediately?

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/service-engine-soon-idiot-light/39105/2 "2009-11-06T22:52:08Z")

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You can pull the diagnostic trouble codes yourself to determine what’s causing the Check Engine light to come on. Here’s a link. [http://freeautomechanic.com/diagnostictroblecodes5.html](http://freeautomechanic.com/diagnostictroblecodes5.html)

Tester