No Check Engine Light On, But Still Scan for Code?

If my Buick lesabre Is performing oddly or not acting Right and the no "Check Engine light" hasnt come on. is it possible that if i scan my car for codes at a shop, that it might show some codes?

If my Buick lesabre Is performing oddly or not acting Right and the no "Check Engine light" hasnt come on. is it possible that if i scan my car for codes at a shop, that it might show some codes?

Yes, that is possible. Not all codes illuminate the SES light.:shakehead

Not exactly sure.
I belive I read something like the problem must exist for at least 15 seconds duration before it will store a SES light on permanently depending on the code.

There are other systems that will not even set a code that will cause problems.. Fuel delivery and such.

Perhaps you may want to post a discription of your odd performance and we could bounce back some possibilities.

How many miles on the car?
What kind of car.. Year, Model?

Have you replaced the battery recently?

You can get the codes read for free usually at a parts store.


Good Luck.

well my car has about 148k miles and its a buick lesabre 1993. i have made a thread about the problems im having..."terrible mpg".

through the suggestions on that thread i still believe that something is wrong. i was thinking that scanning my car at a shop would show that something is out of timing?sensors bad? i dunno anything. its so bad that i dont even like to drive my car to anymore because its just eating up gas and its eating holes in my pocket putting 20$ in my car every day and a half. 20 dollars gets me around 7 gallons or 7.344325453546 :)

My commute is around 55 miles daily (highway only) , both my job and home are by the freeway exits. there not even close to a mile combined distance.

I have one of those code readers but its not digital. it costed 40 dollars and it works by me counting the service engine soon light. electronic one might be more precise :/

If my Buick lesabre Is performing oddly or not acting Right and the no "Check Engine light" hasnt come on. is it possible that if i scan my car for codes at a shop, that it might show some codes?

Not only that it may pick up a past or present or history code.
But a good engine scanner will also give a lot of sensor data readings that may point to the problem.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.