I got my car washed yesterday, and for the first time ever, I get a flashing check engine light with restricted perfomance. I got 2 cylinder misfire codes, a random misfire code, intermittant ambient temp fault code, both engine banks lean, and a code about a fuel injector circuit. I cleared them all and the car drove fine.

Today, my car drove fine for about 3 miles, then I get restricted performance and a flashing check engine light again. Randomly, restricted performance will go away and the car drives fine. But when it reappeared about 3 mins later, I have so little power that it is dangerous to drive. I restarted my car, which did nothing. No check engine light codes. Checked my code reader while driving, and while restricted performance and the check engine light were flashing, and again no codes. The code reader says the check engine light is on while its flashing, but finds no codes.

What could this be? A flashing CEL can mean misfires, but why am I not getting any codes? Could this be bad gas? Water in the gas tank? Where do I start? I cleaned my MAF sensor about 2 months ago, and replaced a bad coil about 3 months ago.

 

Many of the engine faults are '2 trip' meaning that the DTC will not be logged in the module until it happens 2 times with the key off in between. You might try to see if you can check for 'PENDING CODES' as some scanners have this option.

bob gauff

 

I checked pending codes and didn't get anything either. Could bad gas, water on the engine from the car wash cause this problem?

 

Flashing MIL is indicative of a misfire on many of the cars I have worked with. Usually by the time the light is flashing though, a DTC is stored. You posted that you had misfire codes. If this happened right after washing the car, I would bet that there is water down in the spark plug holes swamping out the spark. If its just regular water, it will go away soon. Coolant isnt as easy to evaporate and clean out of there.

 

I have literally just pulled over and am typing this on phone as we speak in a parking lot. I now have every cylinder misfiring!!!! What is this?!

 

I would pull all of the plugs and coils and spray everything out with compressed air or at least let it all dry out

good luck

 

My car is show the RP message and CEL but not flashing. The issue is the breather hose that goes from the valve cover to the intake. It is broken.

 

That should eventually cause lean A/F codes if it severe enough

 

UPDATE:

I unplugged my battery. Did nothing. Touched the positive and negative leads together, and now the codes are GONE! One screw that holds down the cover for the coils must have fallen out, b/c it is no where to be found. Water must have been able to enter the area for the coils that way.

 

I should think that the washing may have spmething to do with it. After you cleaned the MAF the other day, you may have left it exposed when you were done, I have found that this engine design makes taking the filter box off difficult, maybe messing with MAF is the issue, your problems all seem to fall into line with an airflow/ sensor poblem.

I have found that the effects of poor gas are: rough idle, raspier sound, and a >5% reduction in power. Also, idle RPM may be affected, (mine has changed, not in a bad way, but I'm trying to find a correlation between fuel and idle RPM)

Maybe you left the MAF exposed to water or damaged it whilst cleaning, that's what I think.