Hey guys,

Well after 70,000km in my '03 sunfire thought it would never happen but it did-my check engine light is on. It came on while I was driving and it's staying on. There's no difference in the performance what so ever but I have a feeling it's emissions related. Does anyone here know how I can check for codes or anything, I know on my '93 grand am if I short the A and B terminals in the OBD port I can get the code but I doubt that will work in my sunfire. I'm stumped as to why now, can an oxygen sensor, egr, or cat be going or gone bad already?. Has anyone experienced this problem yet and should I be worried. Dealer wants $100 to hook up to scan tool which is BS!!!
Any idea's as to what it might be would be greatly apprieated

Thanks guys

All cars 1996 and never had OBD II On board diagnoitics #2.
If the computer sees a fault occur two times it will set a check engine light, some cases just one time. Now the CEL had a code, you need that code to find the problem.

Go to Autozone and they will scan the computer for free and tell you the code.

Post the code here and it should be easier to diagnose. Currently trying to guess what is wrong is like predicting the weather two weeks in advance, impossible.

- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

My 03 Cavalier just did the same thing, and no drivability problem either. In my case it was a code P0440, Emiss. canister. It turned out to be my fuel cap was bad. You should pick up a pocket scanner, and keep it in the glove box, Along with the code book. cost about 75.00

If you hook up and AFR gauge or a header it might mess up the 02sensor from the install of them. If you have them. Autozone does it for free. I have an AFR gauge and it draws curent from the 02 sensor which causes a slow read code.


Quote: no ofence man but if you have so much experience in all that why does your car look like crap?

sapporo wrote:My 03 Cavalier just did the same thing, and no drivability problem either. In my case it was a code P0440, Emiss. canister. It turned out to be my fuel cap was bad. You should pick up a pocket scanner, and keep it in the glove box, Along with the code book. cost about 75.00

Mine came on yesterday and it was the exact code I believe. I have AutoTap on my laptop from when I had my trans am. I cleared the code and it hasn't come back.

I tried clearing mine too, but then it came back on about 90 miles later. I read some where that the fuel cap is related to this emiss canister. their is a direct code for a bad cap, the only thing i could figure is, maybe it couldn`t pin point the problem, so just threw out code 0440

My light has not come back on. So that is good.

Go to local "Autozone" they check it for free, tell you codes, and what possibly could cause the "Check Engine" light to show up. Very nice people (well, at least they pretend to be)

Autozone's scanner is a universal one. I work at Saturn, and alot of people call here because they went to Autozone, and got their codes read.

I haven't gotten any calls for the ecotec yet, but it would tell them that for the old 1.9L SOHC that it needed a new camshaft position sensor. Guess what? The engine didn't have one, nor did it ever come with one.

So, I would bet your life on what a parts store says about diagnosing a car. Not to mention they aren't even ASE certified to diagnose engine problems. They might be ASE certified in parts, which is not the same as being a certified tech.

Alot of times on ecotecs, the CEL is set off by the heated O2 sensor behind the catalytic converter. Which is an emmisions issue.

If thats the problem, either the cat is going bad, the sensor is bad, or you've done what I did and put a hole through the cat. Which worked fine for about 15k miles, then set off the CEL.

I forgot to add that ecotecs, at least in saturns, have a real issue with the 1st position O2 sensor going bad.

Since the engine is the same, I'm pretty sure the sensors are the same.

Make sure you your fuel filler cap clicks at least three times when you put it back on the fuel filler neck after refuelling your vehicle. In fact, don't even be afraid to crank on it hard a couple of times (giving off 12 to 24 obnoxious clicks). Your filler cap can take it.