[MR2] MK I engine check light

[DAVIES, BARRY S (BARRY)]

As was already suggested, check the codes, and yes, the code does get
retained after the light has gone out. 
>From your description though I'm going to leap ahead and guess it is an
oxygen sensor problem. I've experienced the same scenario - steady,
boring driving and the check engine light comes on. The ECU is looking
for periodic changes in the O2 sensor. If the sensor is lazy, or has low
output for only minor changes in rich/lean conditions, the ECU will set
the code. Car will drive just fine and pass emissions.
Cheers
Barry 

-----Original Message-----
From: mr2-bounces at mr2.com [mailto:mr2-bounces at mr2.com] On Behalf Of
felix at crowfix.com
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 4:25 PM
To: mr2 at mr2.com
Subject: [MR2] MK I engine check light

Over the last several days, my 1986 yellow engine CHECK light has come
on a few times.

1.  Just before downshifting from 2nd to 1st when a hill got really
    steep and it started lugging.  This was the first time, and it
    went out a second or two after I shifted.

2.  Just driving later that day, normal RPM around town, not
    accelerating, not lugging.  It went out after a few seconds, and I
    don't remember doing anything different, just watching it.

3.  Every 5 or 10 minutes this morning on a 2.5 hour freeway drive.
    Here I experimented a bit.  It seemed to come on only on boring
    steady traffic, after 5-10 minutes, and if I pushed in the clutch
    and resumed normal cruising, or let the speed drop 3-4 mph, it
    went out a couple of seconds later.  I was not able to make this
    happen by accelerating 3-4 mph, but there was enough traffic that
    it was only possible a couple of times, and it doesn't accelerate
    from 75 as quickly as it slows down :-) This was in between
    Sacramento and San Francisco, with the temp probably about 70.

Whenever the light came on, there was no other change in anything.
There is some corrosion on the battery, white stuff around one lug
(driver side, outboard; I forget what sign), but it's been there a
while.  No other lights, temp smack in the middle, oil fine.

-- 
            ... _._. ._ ._. . _._. ._. ___ .__ ._. . .__. ._ .. ._.
     Felix Finch: scarecrow repairman & rocket surgeon /
felix at crowfix.com
  GPG = E987 4493 C860 246C 3B1E  6477 7838 76E9 182E 8151 ITAR license
#4933 I've found a solution to Fermat's Last Theorem but I see I've run
out of room o

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