LABachlr

My check engine and TCS light came on today out of the blue. I checked the oil, anti-freeze, and temp and they are all fine. I turned off the engine, waited a few minutes, and then turned it on again, and the TCS light did not come on again, but the check engine light still lit up. The only work I have had done lately is the transmission a few months ago.

Any ideas what could cause this?

I did some googling, and some people who had the same problem were able to get a code. Where do I get the error code, or does a mechanic have to get it for me?

Is it OK to drive to a mechanic or should I not drive it at all and tow it?

Thanks.

ANC297

iTrader: (2)

If you turn TCS off, the light will appear on the gauge panel. However when you turn the car off and back on again, TCS is automatically turned back on, therefore turning the light on the panel off.
Maybe you hit the button by accident?

LABachlr

Maybe. Thanks. I'm going to get the code from the CEL from Autozone tomorrow and them post back. Hopefully it will be a simple problem. If it's the tranny, could that be why the TCS light came on as well?

01tl4tl

the warning lights are just that- to get your attention

could be a trans issue-- OP has a recent acura replacement trans and any mechanical thing is subject to failure- usually in the first few months of use, and while in warranty

LABachlr

You called it, Tom. The tranny started acting up today. Happened in the evening, so I will bring it down early Monday morning. They were shocked that it acted up so soon, as the '08 tranny is supposed to be a solid one. Apparently not all of them.

01tl4tl

the warranty replacement trans are made from used hard parts like gears and new soft parts like the clutch packs
the old replaced units go to the shop to be taken apart and reused as able in other units

Then they are hastily assembled by a low paid person ,,,hard to imagine any potential for failure there~
The replacements made since sometime in 05 come with a new designed outer case with better oil flow,, but not fixing the prob completely

Enjoy that loaner car~

01tl4tl

of course they were shocked!
would you rather hear: oh yeah about 1 in 10 takes a crap in a month- sorry dude

LABachlr

LOL. Tom, you're funny.

Well, guess what. I had a blonde moment (I'm not blonde, but I had a moment). Normally I would have you guess what happened, but even though I fixed the situation, the problem still exists.

The last time I got gas, I forgot to put the gas cap back on. I left it in holder in the little door and closed it. I read that a loose gas cap could cause the engine light to go on. So, I put the cap back on and made sure it was fully on.

I then took the car out for a drive to test it. The lights usually come on when I accelerate. So that's what I did. I accelerated...and they came on again. Does it take a little while for things to get back to normal after having the gas cap off for a day or two, or should it go back to normal right when you put the cap back on?

LABachlr

Well, I think it's correcting itself. I was driving today and when I first turned on the car, the TCS light was no longer on, but the engine light was. Then, as I was driving, the engine light went off. I was very happy about that. I decided to see if she was bluffing, so I called her bluff and accelerated pretty rapidly. The engine light stayed off. Very cool.

Has anyone experienced this before? Am I right in my assumption? Tom, have you?

totaledTL

I have heard that a loose cap could cause a CEL but haven't experienced it first hand. What about the transm.- you said it acted up- ?

01tl4tl

oh yeah the loose gas cap trick-mechanics love this one~
it fools the computer big time into thinking the sealed system isnt holding pressure
thats why it says 3 clicks of the cap too- its spring loaded and clicks like it torque wrench when its tight enough

For this one, go ahead and reset the ECU by pulling CLOCK fuse, #13 or 12 iirc on passenger side foot area or edge of dash (when door open)
pull it for a minute then replace- that forced a master reset and relearn-

if if was just that gas cap it will clear it-
may take a few days as you drive it off ---and it learns there is no fuel pressure leak

01tl4tl

you dont have to do the master reset- you can just drive it normal a few days and if that was the prob it will self clear

LABachlr

Perfect. Thanks, Tom. The light came on again when I accelerated last night, but did not when I accelerated this morning. As you said, it will probably take a few days to self-correct itself. That's the last time I leave the gas cap off. And the crazy thing is, I never do that. I don't remember any other time when I did that. I must have been really tired or preoccupied.

TotaledTL, the tranny is no longer acting up. Just the lights are a bit sporadic.

01tl4tl

Everyone-
with scorching temps in many parts of the country

Make sure to fill the gas tank ONLY to the 1st shutoff of the pump
That allows room in the tank for expansion and vapor action under heat

The road sends heat up to the tank as well as the car metal is all hot, and the exhaust system contribution..

If you `top off` by overriding the shutoff- its very possible for raw liquid fuel to go thru the overflow vent tube and into the charcoal cannister-
thats supposed to trap expanding fuel vapors and at engine start it will pull the vapors into the system to be burned in the cylinders

If the cannister is soaked with fuel- it absorbs it- its charcoal (not bbq charcoal)
and then its ruined
Point of the story is the car will run funny, so especially with the heat of summer dont top off the tank
but DO put the cap back on and turn till it makes 3 clicks
anything more isnt actually turning it tighter- its a spring loaded torque limiter

LABachlr

Wanted to let everyone know that it eventually corrected itself. One thing that was surprising was that the dealer told me that the throttle assembly needed replacing, a $600 job. That's why the lights were coming on, according to them. Not the case. It took a while, but within a few weeks, the lights stopped coming on.

Thanks again, Tom. You saved me an unnecessary $600 expense. You rock.

01tl4tl

the dealer and especially the service Writer ~who lives by selling~~
would read the codes and see them as diagnosis- not clues as we all know they are!!

I wonder what they would have said when that didnt fix it, or if they suspected gas cap and would install a TB and drive the car overnight to reset the ecu for you.
all that for only 600 wow~ a deal~

I accept paypal donations for advice on love, spiritual needs and automotive probs lol

01tl4tl

I would go speak in person with the service MANAGER and tell them whats occured

If tech or writers are pulling bs, the manager needs to hear about it from you
Its called fraud when they do unnecessary repairs