Can anyone tell me why this light is staying on? I ask a friend who's a mechanic and he said it could be an oxygen sensor where i didn't close my gas cap tight enough but I always make it click 5 or 6 times.

I am going to call the dealer today and make an appointment to have it looked at but I was wondering if anyone here could shed some light on this for me. Thanks!!

Mitch

 

you need a code reader to find out the exact cause of the light.

 

If you cycle your key in the ignition 3 to 5 times (w/o starting the engine) you can get the code displayed in the odometer on the dash.

I just had P 0423 and P 0455 show up on my '01. I took the codes to the dealer and they said these were standard pressure or vapor leak codes in the tank or fuel filler areas and that if the gas cap gets removed before the engine is off or if the cap is loose, the codes can be triggered and the check engine light will come on.

In my situation, the cap had some rust residue on it. The dealer reset the codes and I replaced the cap with a new one. We'll see if it the codes come up again.

BTW... I was advised that you should NEVER tighten the cap more than 1 or 2 clicks... it doesn't make the cap tighter, it will only wear down the plastic mechanism faster and lead to possible failure.

 

04Dakota, the same thing happened to my 04. The malfunction indicator light came on the day after I took my truck home! After that it turned on 2 other times, for a day or two at a time. I took it in, turns out my computer was malfunctioning. They reprogrammed it, and I haven't had a problem since. That was back in April.