aichipre

I'm getting the check engine light every other time I shift from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th. Also I hear a sharp pop or snapping sound on ocassion after I shift. The last thing is the check brake light comes on every once in a while although the parking brake is not on. Any suggestions would be awesome.

TheGmKiller331

Thats odd.My only advice is to pull the codes and see what it says.Then go accordingly.

SpeedRicer

does it do it if you let off the throttle and just get back on it? or only when you shift? have you by any chance actually checked the brake lights?

mkspeed26

the e-brake is not fully disengaging is all i can think of now. does it shake a little or make a rattling noise in the rear when you get up to speed? i say pull the code

aichipre

It only seems when I shift. I added Berryman's Injector cleaner and the check engine light didn't come on until I filled up the tank without Berryman's. So I put another dose of it in the next time I filled up and now the light only comes on when using cruise control. I did check the brake lights and they are ok. Another thing I noticed is the engine seems to be getting really hot, especially down the center console. Is that normal?

TheGmKiller331

Sounds like your O2 sensors are bad.That popping youre hearing is a lean condition most likely.Are you getting on it when these shifts occur and the light comes on?If so that would explain it.Also at what RPM's?

aichipre

Thank you for suggesting the O2 sensor, I will have it replaced. Also I'm having a friend get the engine codes for me this week so I can find out what else could be going on. About the cracking sound, it seems to happen when the car jerks suddenly almost like the frame cracked because it sounds like metal. I just learned to drive a stick so sometimes I do the bucking thing when first at the stop light and that's when I hear the noise. Another thing is I was thinking of using synthetic oil but a friend mentioned that its not good to switch to synthetic on an older car that has been using regular because the synthetic will breakdown the gaskets and cause an oil leak?

roundman

not true about the synthetic oil, that's an urban legend if there ever was one!
the brake light is not just for the emergency brake being on, it is also wired into a pressure switch in the brake line to alert you to a problem with the brakes themselves, it has absoluetly nothing to do with whether or not your brake lights are working. you might want to check around your master cylinder and calibers/wheel cylinders for signs of brake fluid leaking although an internal leak between the front and rear sections of the master cylinder wouldn't be visible from the outside. there is a separate switch connected to the brake pedal that turns on your brake lights when you hit the brake pedal.

aichipre

I haven't gotten the computer codes yet but I have discovered a pattern. The check engine light comes on when the RPMs are at 2000 or more for about a minute. Once it goes under 2000 RPMs for several minutes then the light goes out.
Also the brake light comes on only when I brake hard enough to make the car's nose dip forward.
Last night I bought a K&N air filter and changed it out last night. It was my first time working on any car so it was fun, not that different from computers!

Milky

Check your plugs, that popping noise could be something not firing