# The infamous engine light! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** tribute, mazda\ **Created:** [July 17, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971 "2010-07-17T04:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/1 "2010-07-17T04:14:29Z")
If u take your car 2 the shop to c y the engine light & ck fuel cap lights r on, should it take 4 visits & 500 with a new diagnosis & more $$$ every time. What is odd is, @ 1st the mechanics said this part will fix your problem but obviously it didn’t. My fuel cap light has come on again even after 2 evap parts have been replaced. What should I do? It’s a 2002 yr.Tribute ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/2 "2010-07-17T04:38:02Z")
Hv u rplcd th fuel cp yt? Tri tht nxt. (was my english to teenager translation ok? 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/3 "2010-07-17T04:53:56Z")
I will try that, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/4 "2010-07-17T14:35:27Z")
Maybe you could type English words not text message stuff. You are limiting the number of people who might offer an answer to those who like the text stuff or really want to wade through all that stuff and figure out what it means. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/5 "2010-07-17T14:41:27Z")
Thank you Mr Meehan. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/6 "2010-07-17T15:18:12Z")
Get the car scanned at AutoZone and post any codes back here for discussion. AutoZone will do this for you free. Count me in as someone who absolutely loathes the butchering of the English language, no matter if it’s textmessagese or the MTV BS. Car problems are enough of a headache without having to resort to a decoding machine. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/7 "2010-07-17T15:37:13Z")
Why do you care about the light if it runs okay?? ---
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/8 "2010-07-17T22:11:45Z")
No Auto-Zone in Hawaii! ---
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/9 "2010-07-17T22:18:30Z")
I really didn’t care, however in Hawaii u cannot register your car without an annual safety ck. SO with both the engine light & the check fuel cap light on, it would not pass the safety ck! It’s amazing that all the other responses I got only cared how I wrote the message, (but never giving me an answer 2 my problem) in the shortest way possible, not text-ed just short & 2 the point!!! ---
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/10 "2010-07-17T22:22:15Z")
U don’t even no how 2 spell,(TEXT MESSAGES)what a joke! I thought this was a help column… Who gives a rip if I make it short…!!! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/11 "2010-07-17T22:26:35Z")
Actually, ok4450 does know how to spell TEXT MESSAGES. He was referring to Textmessagese, the very odd written language of young people who rely far too much on their wireless devices. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/12 "2010-07-17T23:43:43Z")
Surely there is a car parts chain store there who can scan the car. Checkers, Schucks, Advance, somebody. They all perform this service for free. Without knowing what codes exist no one can help and it’s possible that your car could have mulitiple codes and multiple problems. At this point you have not provided any info about the car’s mileage, maintenance history, whether you bought this car new or used, or possibly how long the CEL was on before the car ever saw a shop. Yes, I do make typos and mangle the Queen’s English a bit now and then. The “textmessagese” was not a typo though. ---
**Author:** ![Ranck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Ranck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ranck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/13 "2010-07-18T00:48:18Z")
So what? I’ll tell you so what. OK4450 is a very experienced mechanic, while you are getting bent out of shape you failed to notice he’s trying to help. Why annoy someone who’s trying to do you a favor for free? Do what you like, but he just said he doesn’t like it, he didn’t refuse to help. Get the actual codes, the alpha-numerics, not the words. It will be something like P0103 or whatever. There may be several. Seems like the shop that’s been charging you and not fixing the problem owes you at least that info, though you may not want to trust them. ---
**Author:** ![shep42256](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@shep42256](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shep42256)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/14 "2010-07-18T00:53:58Z")
Thank’s! It not that I don’t trust them, it’s like their incompetent on my $$$ Aloha Yes, we have a checkers but I think I’ve asked them before ??? I’m pretty sure u have 2 buy their scanner $$$. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/15 "2010-07-18T03:18:47Z")
Remove one of the battery cables for a few minutes, the lights will go out, and go get your car “inspected” right then and there before they come back on… ---
**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/16 "2010-07-18T03:45:39Z")
Look calm down we only lurk here to help. Call any local store you want and ask for a free scan. The names we use are just the ones we know. Since you are in H go to the beach and relax. ---
**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/17 "2010-07-18T03:47:10Z")
Good as far as it goes but caddy you and I know this is not going to work. The tribute is a odb2 car I am pretty sure. This old school battery bump is not going to fly if they plug the puter ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/18 "2010-07-18T04:10:50Z")
Not into short forms, I can try, sry mod ndded cld b, never mind, some cars have a pump to pressurize the system and if the pump fails code shows, and may need the pump replaced, as in my old voyager. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/19 "2010-07-18T04:16:20Z")
It’s a SAFETY inspection, NOT an emissions test. I doubt there is any OBD-2 plug in. They just give the dash lights a visual… ---
**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971/20 "2010-07-18T04:23:51Z")
EPA requires a plugin for almost all states with a non clean air attainment status. That is a straight fail. This Check light may not pass the startup test it is hard to know with the $%$## stuff he posted and no codes. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-infamous-engine-light/51971.md?page=2)