CEL blinking on and off randomly and car hard to start

[Simadowna119]

my car is showing a CEL every once and a while but it doesnt stay on long each time it does it. and also yesterday morning and then again this morning it acted like it didnt want to start and probably takes me 5 minutes to start it... but then in runs fine no problems starting or driving for the rest of the day even if i let the engine cool down all the way...


so the CEL is random so i cant really check for codes can I? any tips on what i should do?...

 

[steve]

If it's not a capacitor leaking related problem then the CEL code should be stored and you should be able to read it using a logger or by the normal methods using the diagnostic connector.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-tuning-ecu/319844-1g-code-reader-cel-code-reader.html

 

[Simadowna119]

Ok well ill try to see what codes its throwing. the CEL is off now and not coming back on for now atleast and the car started fine this morning...

thanks for the tip, hopes its not the ECU cause i just put a new one in 6 months ago.

 

[steve]

You mean you just put an ECU in, I doubt it was really new.

The point being that unless it was rebuilt properly it was likely just a timebomb.