If the Light Is FlashingThe following can prevent more serious damage toyour vehicle:• Reduce vehicle speed.• Avoid hard accelerations.• Avoid steep uphill grades.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park the vehicle.Turn the engine off, wait at least 10 seconds and restartthe engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If theLight Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,follow the previous steps, and see your dealer/retailerfor service as soon as possible.If the Light Is On SteadyYou might be able to correct the emission systemmalfunction by considering the following:Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install thecap. See Filling the Tank on page 6-7. The diagnosticsystem can determine if the fuel cap has been left off orimproperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap allowsfuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving tripswith the cap properly installed should turn the light off.Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?If so, your vehicle’s electrical system might be wet. Thecondition is usually corrected when the electrical systemdries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.Have you recently changed brands of fuel?If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. SeeGasoline Octane on page 6-5. Poor fuel quality causesthe engine not to run as efficiently as designed. Youmight notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling whenyou put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation onacceleration, or stumbling on acceleration — theseconditions might go away once the engine is warmed up.This will be detected by the system and cause thelight to turn on.If you experience one or more of these conditions,change the fuel brand you use. It will require at leastone full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.If none of the above steps have made the light turnoff, your dealer/retailer can check the vehicle. Yourdealer/retailer has the proper test equipment anddiagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electricalproblems that might have developed.3-55
