Will the "Check Engine" light eventually burn out?

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 02 Apr 2017, 08:10

I have intermittent small evap codes pulling on my car. I think it's due to gas cap or other fuel tank vent hoses, but honestly I'm not that worried about it. My CEL will go off an on. But every time I check it with my OBD reader it's always the same. I bought a new supposedly OEM gas cap from Volvo, and it does t have the little hanger to go on the fuel door like my old one. Yet, dealer swears this new one is the "current OEM" - pfff. I get large evap leak with the new one. Pulled the battery cable to reset the CEL. Installed the old gas cap. about 3 weeks later CEL on again for small evap leak. So much for the new cap. I was going to return it but I just put it down in the sore tire well in case I ever screw up and lose my main cap.

Anyway, my CEL has been on for a few weeks now and it's annoying. Will it ever just burn out? Not that I want that to happen. I still regularly check it with my code reader just to make sure I'm not missing anything. Plus 98 Volvos are emission test
Exempt in PA because they never show ready to test. I'd just like to not see that orange light on all the time. It's annoying.

Post by **scot850** » 02 Apr 2017, 10:12

There are a couple of options. The first one is just to fix the issue.

2nd one is to either remove the bulb or stick a piece of black tape over the bulb.

The 2nd option however does not protect you from issues in the future.

The minor leaks are usually a bad hose somewhere in the system.

Neil.

Post by **850 LPT** » 02 Apr 2017, 18:31

Yes they will burn out, I know because it happened to me years ago. It was a major pain because I needed to replace it to pass emissions.

101 · Post by **101** » 03 Apr 2017, 06:18

I would vote to fix the issue. Either trace the EVAP lines and check the motley collection of rubber elbows and hoses in the system, or have a smoke test run on the EVAP system.

Yes, continuing EVAP codes are a pain in the a$$, but if the bulb burns out you might miss more serious OBD2 codes in the future, such as misfire and O2 sensor codes. Not addressing those could lead to more serious engine damage later on.

Post by **oragex** » 03 Apr 2017, 06:37

easy way. put a small square piece of electric tape in front of it

Post by **abscate** » 03 Apr 2017, 09:17

oragex wrote: ↑03 Apr 2017, 06:37 easy way. put a small square piece of electric tape in front of it

Im sure you mean trapezoidal to correctly subtend the CEL from the driving position, but maybe we should leave it here before someone really nitpicky comments further....