My girlfriend was driving for me (i was stuck on my new Blackberry) and it was raining. Then my car decided to throw a CEL so i pulled over to check what the code was on the dashboard but it says that there's no codes. i called my buddy who is a mechanic and he said something (couldn't understand what he said) could have been wet and just wait for it to dry out and the CEL should go out. anybody have any experiences with this? we didn't drive through any major puddles or anything btw.

 

If by "check what the code was on the dashboard" you mean using the instrument cluster diagnostic mode, then you will not be able to review any real DTCs.

The IHEC (Integrated Hybrid Instrument Cluster) diagnostic mode mostly just tests the instrument cluster and can display some body and chassis DTCs (Bnnnn and Cnnnn codes), it cannot/does not display power train codes (Pnnnn, except one, P1197 which is an odometer error and this emissions system related).

Click here to read more about it.

You need to get a real OBD2 scan tool to read the code, or go by most any FLAPS and they will usually read the code for free. Get the code from them not just the description, often they are "confused" as to what the codes really mean.

If it was water intrusion related it may indeed go away by itself.

 

^ what he said, there is a $50 dollar scan tool on ebay, mac tools had one just like it, pretty much same thing. I would buy that. Yeah auto zone and all them scan for free, but you have to take time out your day to run it by, pray they know what they are doing, then take it to a repair shop for their opinion. Spend the money, get a cheap scanner that pulls codes, then anytime one flashes, you can check it at your leisure.

Edit: the mac one i bought looks pretty much like this: obd 2 reader

 

ahh i see. i thought it read all the codes. ill just have my buddy read it with his obdii scanner. thanks for the help cliffy/ blueblooded. oh btw, my local autozone told me they dont loan out the scanners anymore because they got sued by somebody who messed up their car with a scanner or something... might be a bunch of bs but good thing i have a back up plan