My car sputters and the Check Engine Light starts flashing after it rains.
when its dry outside this doesnt happen.
My car has 125000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
When the Check Engine Light flashes, this can mean that the catalytic converter may be flooded with fuel and that a fire hazard exists. Because your car is sputtering, I believe this condition exists for you. When a car sputters or misfires, the motor is not completely burning the fuel in the cylinder and it is pumping the raw fuel into the catalytic converter. This can literally light it on fire.
With a condition that only exists when it rains, I would be looking for exposed wiring someplace. Most likely under the car. This would most likely be oxygen sensors, but it could be any harness that is somehow exposed to the rain. When this occurs, the water shorts out the reference signal to the computer and random symptoms ensue.
I recommend having your engine misfiring issue inspected by a professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
A blinking check engine light will show up on your dashboard is almost always correlated with engine misfires. A misfire means that the engine is dumping uncombusted fuel into your car`s exhaust system. Engine misfire is a serious issue because it can quickly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter.
Volkswagen Jetta Check Engine Light
If the check engine light in your VW Jetta starts twinkling, that means that the problem needs abrupt attention and your VW should be brought in suddenly. This blinking light usually indicates a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be dumped into the exhaust system.
Finally, as mentioned above, if your oxygen sensor is going out you may experience engine performance problems such as sputtering and surging. The sputtering is caused when the engine control unit puts too much air in the combustion chamber.
A sputtering engine may just mean you need to have your fuel filter replaced. All vehicles have a series of vacuum hoses that create the fuel pressure. If one of them leaks or is damaged in any way, you will lose significant fuel pressure. The vehicle`s exhaust system can greatly impact the engine`s performance.
A flashing CEL indicates a severe problem, one that requires immediate car repair. In other words, if your check engine light is flashing, pull over and call a tow service. Continuing to drive your car with a flashing CEL can cause irreversible damage to internal components.
What a Blinking Light Means. It could be overheating or an oil pressure issue. It could also be a problem with the brakes or fuel line, belt, hoses, etc. By far, though, the most common is a misfire in the engine that can damage the catalytic converter.
If you`re ever riding on the highway and smell something harsh from your car, that could be a quick sign that your O2 sensor is failing. If you ever begin to pick up on some changes like bad powertrain performance, engine misfires, or loud noises, that could be a symptom of your O2 sensor probably having issues.
One of the most common causes of a sputtering engine is an issue with the vehicle`s fuel system—the filter, pump, and injectors. These three critical components work together to ensure fuel flows smoothly from the fuel tank to your engine`s fuel injectors, and then pumps into the engine evenly.
Sign #3: Sputtering Performance
If the oil is too old, it will have built up high levels of particulates that may have clogged the oil filter. A clogged oil filter will not let oil pass through as it should, and this can affect the engine`s ability to maintain consistent speed.
A loose gas cap is one of the most common reasons for the check engine light to go on. Check that your gas cap is screwed on securely and that it`s in good condition. If you have a tank of bad gas in the car, your check engine light may come on.
Sometimes, the check engine light comes on to let you know that there`s a problem with the car`s internal diagnostic mechanism. That means the system could be “finding” a problem that doesn`t exist, or it could be that loose wire systems are creating a false positive in the system.
Misfires don`t simply go away – they need to be addressed immediately. Even if they don`t get worse, they certainly won`t get any better unless you take the car to a mechanic.
Signs that an engine Is misfiring include slower acceleration or shaking during acceleration; the engine also might hesitate or briefly lose power. At idle, the engine might vibrate more than usual and run unevenly. Misfires can occur when an engine is cold or warm, and they can occur intermittently.
If the check engine light is flashing on your Volkswagen, you need to pull over immediately and turn off your car, especially if accompanied by oil or temperature warning lights. A flashing check engine light spells trouble. If you continue to drive you`ll risk serious – and expensive — damage to your engine.
A solid check engine light indicates a problem that needs to be addressed but is typically not urgent. A flashing check engine light indicates a severe problem that requires immediate attention to avoid further damage.
If your check engine flashing then stops, you could be facing a problem of a faulty mass airflow sensor. A MAF sensor plays a crucial role in measuring the flow of intake air entering the engine, transmitting the signal to the ECM to calculate and adjust the appropriate amount of fuel and ignition timing.
2021 VW Jetta Check Engine Light Flashing
Other mainly common reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, faulty emissions control part, damaged oxygen sensor, or defective spark plugs to name a few.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Car won’t start. The check engine light, battery light, and oil change light are coming on. I tried jumping the car and nothing happened. Why won’t my car start?
ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If sometimes your vehicle will start with the new alternator and sometimes it won’t, then there is a loose connection in your charging system. Check all of the wires to the alternator and to the battery. Make sure that the battery cables are clean and tight. Make sure that the wires to the starter are clean and tight. A loose ground to the ignition system will cause the vehicle to not crank over. Check all of the ground wires from the battery to the starter. Make sure that they are clean and tight. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your no start situation, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you.
Car started to slow down and then the check engine light, battery, and engine oil light came on. What could cause this?
ANSWER : Hi there. It is possible that the battery cable came loose or the wires to the oil pressure sensor has came loose or failed. Check the battery cables and make sure that the terminals are tight and clean. Check the wires to the oil pressure sensor and make sure that they are connected and not broken. If everything looks good, then the oil pressure sensor may have failed. Plus, check the computer for codes and see what is stored. This will lead you to the part that could have failed. I recommend replacing the oil pressure sensor then checking to see if the lights will go out. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your vehicle, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you with the warning lights that came on.
Was driving on the expressway and my car started shaking, check engine light turned on, oil light turned on and off
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Shaking and vibrating typically comes from a misfire, or poor engine performance. A lack of oil will absolutely contribute to these symptoms and amplify them, if not cause them to begin with. You want to turn your attention to the cause of the oil leak. If external (you can see the leaking oil), then you will want to trace the leak to the component which has failed. If the leak is internal (or the engine is consuming oil), the leak will be harder to find. It will also explain the poor engine performance due to excess oil in the combustion chamber. A head gasket is one of the main components that will fail and cause these issues. It is however not common for a vehicle this age to have these kinds of problems. You will also want to scan the computer, and see what codes are triggering your check engine light. These diagnostic tools will help you determine what system(s) is to blame for the malfunction. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Car goes into limp mode when the check engine light and VSA light comes on
ANSWER : The lights that you have on and the vehicle going into fail safe mode is an indication you have a major system failure that will require computer to be tested for codes first. There are many possible codes it can be so the additional testing will be needed to isolate the cause of the problem.
Check engine light refuses to go off after engine replaced
ANSWER : Hello there, you have a long series of issues going on with your 2013 Hyundai Sonata. If you keep getting a repeating oil light on than there is likely a fault in that system.
Since this fault has lasted after the engine was replaced it could be a oil pressure sensor, wiring harness fault, ECU fault, oil pump, oil strainer clogged, or low oil pressure.
To diagnose this issue properly you need a complete vehicle inspection to start from square one and identify the root cause of all this.
Service Engine soon light began flashing on and off on 2010 Nissan Sentra… Car started sputtering, … now all dash lights are o
ANSWER : Hi there – the security system is now active, but this sounds more like the car battery has died (sputtering, then dead engine). Have the car battery checked, possible something electrical left on overnight, or battery is just old? Try a second (known working) key fob as well. Key fobs have batteries which fail over time as well, but unlikely they both fail at once. I would recommend having an Electric Problems Inspection completed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, to diagnose this problem, get an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
The VSA (!) light is on, engine light flashing, and it feels like the motor or car is shaking.
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The VSA (vehicle stability control) warning light is telling you there is an issue detected with the system. The vehicle should be driven as minimally as possible. The issue may be directly related to the VSA system, or it may be related to one of the input sensors. The easiest way to help determine the problem is to scan the vehicle for diagnostic codes. They will point you in the right direction. Your owner’s manual will also have more information about the system. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department.
Gas cap notification and check engine light came on after getting gas. Car started to sputter and stall out.
ANSWER : Hi there. When the fuel cap is not securely fastened to the tank, it can create vacuum issues inside the tank; which triggers the error code to be stored in the ECU. The error will then trigger the check engine light until that code is reset by a professional digital scanner. If you’re still having sputtering or stalling issues, you should contact a professional mechanic to complete an engine sputtering inspection. This will allow them to diagnose what’s causing this problem and reset any error codes to hopefully correct the issue your Chrysler 300 is experiencing.
