Hey guys,

My service engine soon light came on yesterday; maybe cuz i'm at the mark for the 30k service, maybe cuz of something more serious... what's the cheapest place I can get it diagnosed? I know Midas charges something like $80-100, and the dealer charges $300 I think.

Any other options?

Thanks,
R

 

I thought you could take it to the dealer since you are under warranty.

 

^^
trueeeeeeeee

 

pretty sure most kragens or similar stores will read your codes for free... i dont know if all stores do it, but it seems to work for some

 

i was under the impression u can take it to dealer, but if the problem is one that is NOT covered by warranty (eg. lost fuel cap..which I did), then they charge u the $300 for "diagnosing" an out-of-warranty problem.

 

damn bro, your car is just fallng apart, LOL (body dmg, CEL..what's next?)
Just playing...
When did the CEL turn on and what was happening when it went on( I.e. was parked idling then CEL went on, or was driving on fwy, and CEL went on..etc..)

Also, did u remove the cats or accidently messed with the sensors?

 

i know bro, i'm trying to get it fixed up on all sides so i can rest easy again.

what's more, less than a month ago my transmission blew up and had to be replaced (under warranty, so no problem there.. but still, this car IS falling apart)

I THINK the light came on mid-drive after a car wash.. it's also possible that the light came on right when I turned my car on, and that I didn't notice, but that's less likely. keep in mind I've also got some body damage that may have allowed water into the engine bay? I washed my car by hand to reduce that risk but didn't eliminate it.

the light is solid, not blinking. And no, I haven't removed the cats or messed with any sensors..

thanks for the help

 

Buddy, my neighbor punched a hole in my front bumper and I never had a CEL from water in the engine bay -- I even power washed the engine bay and still never had any problems--well, some squeaks on my belts since they take forever to dry, but after they dried, no problems..
(only CEL for emissions since no cats)

Hm, my friend Ian has an OBDII reader -- maybe he can check the code for you

Also, at 30K miles, u shouldn't have any CEl probs.
where are you located ? (SM, FC, Bgame,SJ, SF etc..)

 

Im not sure if they still provide it but you can usually drive down to an autozone, put a $100 deposit to rent the tool, check your code in the parking lot, and return it to get your money back.

 

Call Bernardo over at Beshoff Infiniti in San Jose and see what he says. I think this is more a policy that varies from dealer to dealer. Beshoff is a very reasonable dealership.

 

this light is the equivelant of Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL), which used to be called Engine Check Light and requires diagosis.

 

damn, good call! saved me a red-faced visit to the dealer

it is indeed the 'service engine soon' light, and it's because of 30k maintenance. thanks everyone for the help.

 

There is no such light for maintenance. The normal maintenance reminder is shown through the NAV screen. Email me and we'll set up a time I will scan the code for you for free.

 

this is true,also comes on when oil levels are low..mine came on yesterday..checked oil ,was very low..added a quart and light went off..oil change is now scheduled..lol

 

for those of us w/o nav. THERE IS such a light