check engine light

Yes;

I wonder if someone could help me out. My engine light came on on my 98 malibu so I started checking liquid levels, they were O.K. except for transmission it does not have a dip stick. I replaced spark plugs and air filter and still engine light is on. I disconnected the battery and still nothing. But disconnecting the battery gave me another very strange problem. The fuel gauge somehow passed the detant and now is on the other side. When I turn the engine on it tries to go up but detant keeps it from going up. As for the engine light, I downloaded the ECM codes but I don't know where to make the light flash (which light) that gives these codes. Could someone help me with these two problems ?

Thanks in advance

My '01 Malibu had the same problem, so I took it to my dealership and they put it on the "machine" and the code came up for the EGR valve. So they replaced this valve and now it works fine and the check engine light is gone. Hope this helps you.

can anyone tell me how to check the engine codes...I alsohave the check engine light on.
Also can someone post the ecm codes...
Can I get the codes using the famous paperclip method?

It would help if you guys gave some details like year and engine! Do you notice anything different on the car?

If the car is a 96 or newer you cannot get flash codes out of the computer, you cannot clear codes by dissconnecting the battery only way is to use a scanner hooked up to the DLC connector under the steering wheel.

When it comes to check engine lights there are over 200 different reasons the light comes on! Even with the code their is no magic answer on what will fix the car.

Most codes nowadays get triggered when the car exceeds a threshold of emissions, like leaving the gas cap loose you are letting gas vapors into the air. So a check engine light is turned on.

Good response flatrater. Gotta get it scanned.

I forgot the code # (have it at home), but it meant small evaporative emissions leak..I got a new gas cap..that didn't work..so what should I check next?

1998 Malibu 4cyl

The Fuel gauge on my Chevy mailbu went down below the dent when it was in service for getting the manifold replaced. It went past the dent which holds it and it was below, the sevice center plainly refused that they did not have anything do with that. It was fine when I dropped it there, they did not even touch my dash.

I noticed in other forums that this has happened to others also with Chevy malibu. Please let me know if there is a solution to this problem. I need to get the guage above the dent and make it go above the Empty mark. Now it lies down vertically pointing towards the ground. When I start the car it tries to go up but the dent won't let it go up. I am not sure how it got past the dent and came down.

Any help is appreciated.

PS: Never buy a malibu or any other Chevy car, its a maintenance nightmare. With my 98 malibu (40000 miles only) after the warranty period, I have replaced alternator and battery twice, replaced all tires, fixed coolant problems, replaced manifold. The A/C switch will go off automatically... and countless other problems...

I experienced the "flipped" fuel guage needle problem after the battery in my 1997 Malibu LS was disconnected by a tune-up shop.

So, believing that the battery disconnection caused the problem - I repeated that action - actually someone else handled the battery cable while I watched the fuel guage needle "bounce" every time the power cable was connected to and removed from the battery. By repeating this action several times I was able to arrive at a time when the battery was connected and the fuel guage needle was back in its "normal" position. A great simple cure that cost nothing.

Make sure that you know the UNLOCK CODE for your radio before you do this, because when you remove ALL electrical power from your radio (or CD player) it won't work again until you enter the proper UNLOCK CODE using the procedure described in your owner's manual.


The Fuel gauge on my Chevy mailbu went down below the dent when it was in service for getting the manifold replaced. It went past the dent which holds it and it was below, the sevice center plainly refused that they did not have anything do with that. It was fine when I dropped it there, they did not even touch my dash.

I noticed in other forums that this has happened to others also with Chevy malibu. Please let me know if there is a solution to this problem. I need to get the guage above the dent and make it go above the Empty mark. Now it lies down vertically pointing towards the ground. When I start the car it tries to go up but the dent won't let it go up. I am not sure how it got past the dent and came down.

Any help is appreciated.

PS: Never buy a malibu or any other Chevy car, its a maintenance nightmare. With my 98 malibu (40000 miles only) after the warranty period, I have replaced alternator and battery twice, replaced all tires, fixed coolant problems, replaced manifold. The A/C switch will go off automatically... and countless other problems...

The Check Engine light on my 1997 Malibu LS would occasionally illuminate when the car was started. And, strangely, the windows would not roll up or down, and the heater/air conditioning (HAC) panel LEDs were not on. Then, after a few moments of driving, the HAC LEDs would come on and the windows would work again, but the Check Engine light would remain ON. The next time the car was started, the Check Engine light would be OFF and the windows and HAC would work fine.

This didn't happen all the time but it was really annoying when it happened. Once, when the windows didn't start working after a few minutes, I was so frustrated that I smacked the dash with my closed fist right above the ignition switch - and the problem fixed itself!

I had already checked all of the connectors, the fuses, and everything else I could think of. And, I looked at the entire electrical schematic for the car in a Chilton Repair Manual to see if there was a common electrical circuit between the windows and the HAC. I couldn't find one.

So, the next time the problem happened, I immediately smacked the dash and it fixed the problem. But later, on my way to get a Smog Check the problem happened, and I couldn't extinguish the light after several blows to the dash. And they won't start the Smog Check if you have a Check Engine light.

So the next day the Check Engine light stayed off and I passed the Smog Check - which means that there weren't any "real conditions" to light the Check Engine light because they don't clear themselves automatically - according to several conversations I've had with mechanics and technicians.

So, anyone else have this problem? I tried squeezing the electrical connectors together on the ignition switch, but the problem still happens.

I have a 2000 Malibu (V6 3.1 Litre) and is a similar problem like maliburob's. Periodically, when I start my car, my fuel gauge needle & my temp. guage needle will not go up to where they are supposed to go. Sometimes it takes a few seconds, and other times it takes a minute or two for the guages to rise. Also, when this happens, my driving headlights, heater/airconditioning, light for my gear shift on dash, and my windows will not work. These won't work until my gauges (fuel and temp. gauges) go up to where they are supposed to be. Then all the other problems get fixed too (driving headlights, windows, etc.) and start working again. I know for fact it is not temperture related because this problem happens in either hot or cold weather, and happens whenever the car is cold or heated up. Once again it is periodic. Also, my service engine soon light and check engine lights will come on periodically. However, these lights don't always come on to coincide with the periodic problem. Sometimes these lights come on when the car starts up fine. Really weird. However, I do know it is electrical related because if it wasn't, the problem would happen consistently and it doesn't. So, if anyone can find where the wires for the driving headlights, fuel gauge, temp. gauge, light for gear selection on dash, windows, and heater/airconditioning go to and junction, then that may be the source of the problem. I took my car into the shop and had the engine codes checked and they found 1. evap purge control curcuit fault (Code=P0443), 2. evap system control L circuit low (Code=P0449), 3. cruise control inhibit circuit/cruise control lamp control circuit (Code=P1585). When they cleared all codes & ran tests, all codes tested fine! They ran the car and then checked for codes and none were found! Definitely intermittent problem...and I believe electrical. Maybe a ground? Who knows. Anyway, if anyone has any ideas or can lend any help it will be greatly appreciated.

Steel8ball-- Have you determined what the problem is? I have the EXACT same problem, in fact, I'm taking your description to my mechanic tomorrow.

So far they have changed my fuel filter and fuel pump and after just 3 days, the problem is STILL happening. Thanks, Linda

Linda559,

I'm 99% sure the problem lies in the dash. Sometimes when I push or wiggle the key, it fixes the problem, but other times when I do this, it don't help. Also, one time I fixed the problem by hitting the dash a few times. It is definitely an electrical issue. Nothing physical like the oil or fuel pump. Once again it is in the dash...possibly the ignition switch because when you turn the key, it activates things to start and some things are grouped together to turn on together, and other things are grouped together to turn on together, etc. So, when the problem does occur, it only affects certain things. On my car, there is no problem with the speedometer or RPM gauge, so by deduction, these come on with a separate switch. Maybe some sort of switch is the problem in the dash. It is truly ashame to find so many mechanics and not many with good electrical skills. Anyway, have your mechanic check the connections in the dash (ignition switch, etc.), and I'll put money on it he will find the problem there!

tke the car to Auto Zone and they will tell you why the check engine light is on and they will clear it for you all for FREE.

He Is No 1,

I know Autozone will do this for free, however, I had this done already (clearing the memory and being told what the codes were), and the codes were not the problem, it is just a symptom of the problem. I want to know what is the actual cause. The codes did not show the cause, just a symptom in this case. However, it is electrical and it is within the dash, but I do not know what within the dash. That is the point, not knowing the codes (symptoms) in this case.

As someone above mentioned, there is a million reasons the check engine light will come on. With my 97 LS it came on once because of an emission issue that cost next to nothing to fix, and the last time it came on it was because I needed to change the intake manifold gasket ($750), which has now gone bad again after only 20k miles and 12 months. My advice, if you're not mechanically inclined, is go pay the $70-$90 to a dealer you trust and let them check it out.

As for the flipped gas gauge needle (this has happened 3 times to me), get a small piece of wire, about the width of a paperclip, or even a bread twist tie, jam it through the hole where your trip is, and push the needle back around while the car is turned off. It works like a charm.

Lastly, I have had the battery die a few times on my Malibu (Arizona kills batteries) and have noticed that whenever the battery in the car dies, it flips the gas needle AND kills the battery in my keyless entry remote. Anyone ever heard of that before?

I have a 2000 Malibu (V6 3.1 Litre) and is a similar problem like maliburob's. Periodically, when I start my car, my fuel gauge needle & my temp. guage needle will not go up to where they are supposed to go. Sometimes it takes a few seconds, and other times it takes a minute or two for the guages to rise. Also, when this happens, my driving headlights, heater/airconditioning, light for my gear shift on dash, and my windows will not work. These won't work until my gauges (fuel and temp. gauges) go up to where they are supposed to be. Then all the other problems get fixed too (driving headlights, windows, etc.) and start working again. I know for fact it is not temperture related because this problem happens in either hot or cold weather, and happens whenever the car is cold or heated up. Once again it is periodic. Also, my service engine soon light and check engine lights will come on periodically. However, these lights don't always come on to coincide with the periodic problem. Sometimes these lights come on when the car starts up fine. Really weird. However, I do know it is electrical related because if it wasn't, the problem would happen consistently and it doesn't. So, if anyone can find where the wires for the driving headlights, fuel gauge, temp. gauge, light for gear selection on dash, windows, and heater/airconditioning go to and junction, then that may be the source of the problem. I took my car into the shop and had the engine codes checked and they found 1. evap purge control curcuit fault (Code=P0443), 2. evap system control L circuit low (Code=P0449), 3. cruise control inhibit circuit/cruise control lamp control circuit (Code=P1585). When they cleared all codes & ran tests, all codes tested fine! They ran the car and then checked for codes and none were found! Definitely intermittent problem...and I believe electrical. Maybe a ground? Who knows. Anyway, if anyone has any ideas or can lend any help it will be greatly appreciated.


lol.......my 2k malibu is in the shop for the same exact reason. p0449 code and the a/c and windows not working. they told me it's the ignition switch.

(97 Malibu) Would a bad ignition switch keep you from turning your key in the ignition? It hasn't happened a lot, but there have been a couple of times when I would put the key into the ignition and try to turn it and it wouldn't turn. Eventually after several tries, I was able to turn it.

I have had many of the problems described here. Gas gauge needle going below the dent, check engine light coming on, windows not working, etc. We bought this car for our daughter who graduates and goes to college in 2 years. After all of the problems we have had and the hundreds of dollars we have spent on repairs, I don't think I want her going thousand of miles away from home in this car.

Does anyone have any insights on the ignition issue?:banghead: [email protected]

I found that when my electric windows wouldn't work and neither would the fan, that it was indeed a problem with the ignition switch; and those problems stopped happening when it was replaced.

There were some times when the key wouldn't turn easily but either jiggling the key or turning it over solved this problem. It also occurred more frequently with copies of the ignition keys, rather than the original keys.

There are many online posts describing this vintage of Malibus as a lemon, both electrically and mechanically - specifically the brake system and the engine's problem with cooling system fluid leaking into the crankcase. All of these people can't be wrong, and there are some real horror stories.

If you can get away from the Malibu without a big financial loss I would do it ASAP, and get your daughter a smaller car with a great reputation for reliability. Most of the late 1990s Malibus appear to be a financial sink-hole that should be avoided.