I have a 2k SE, I've only had it a few weeks. About a week ago my Service Engine Soon light came on. I checked the gas cap and lo and behold, the guy at the gas station hadn't tightened it at all. I tightened it, SES light remained on.

I unplugged my battery overnight, and the SES light went off, as expected.

Two days later, I am driving home, nothing out of the ordinary, and the light comes back on. It was right about at a 1/4 tank of gas, and the weather here has been about 20F.

Car drives fine, no effects whatsoever other than the appearance of the light.

Seems to me that I have to take it in for service. My question is, can I drive this car this weekend without fear of damaging it? Should I at least take it to autozone and get the code read?

 

i would take it in to get the code pulled and reset. at least you know what the problem is and if its the gas cap again then you know nothing else like an oxygen sensor has gone bad.

 

Similiar things happened to me too. First time the SES light came on, i got it checked(b/c under warranty). The second time it came on(right after my 30k maintenienc) I was like WHAT THA HECK!!!. I called the dealer and they said they would check it out for $87. Just to check costs that much... i was outraged.. so after chatting with the technicain, he said he would check it out and if all they did was reset it, they wouldnt charge me. Good news..

 

O2 sensor.

 

Well I took it in to Autozone and the code is 0420.... something about the catalytic effeciency below threshold. The guy reset the light too. I drove it on saturday and sunday without the light coming back on.

So does this look like an ECU reprogramming issue or an O2 sensor?

 

P0420 = Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1). Sounds like it might be a bad precat. Although I didn't think the pre's went bad so it could be that O2 sensor. Keep driving it and see if it comes back on. This is an emmisions only problem you will not damage the car by driving it. If you have to get an emissions test where you live you will have to get it fixed before you take the test. This is if the light comes back on of course. The emissions warranty is like 80k or 100k miles and this item is cover under that warranty no matter how many owners the car has had.