If the Light is FlashingThe following may prevent more serious damage toyour vehicle:• Reducing vehicle speed• Avoiding hard accelerations• Avoiding steep uphill grades• If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount ofcargo being hauled as soon as it is possibleIf 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 your vehicle.Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restartthe engine. If the light remains on steady, see “Ifthe Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is stillflashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealerfor service as soon as possible.If the Light Is On SteadyYou may 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 fullyinstall the cap. See Filling Your Tank on page 5-8.The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap hasbeen left off or improperly installed. A loose or missingfuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.A few driving trips with the cap properly installedshould turn the light off.Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?If so, your electrical system may be wet. The conditionwill usually be 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 5-5. Poor fuel quality willcause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stallingwhen you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitationon acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (Theseconditions may 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 turn off,your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer hasthe proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix anymechanical or electrical problems that may havedeveloped.3-41
