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A CEL can be very serious (unlikely) or it can be something almost non existent. There are hundreds of problems that can throw a code and activate the CEL. One of the most common we dealt with at work was people putting gas in the car with the engine running, and trying to squeeze in all they could get. This caused the engine to run rich for a few seconds, which would show up as a rich mixture and usually a misfire. The OBDII system is extremely sensitive, and seems like it has gotten moreso over the last few years. It would be interesting to see what codes are stored, if you have a scanner and the service manual, but if not, try disconnecting the battery overnight. That will wipe out everything. When you reconnect the battery, you will be starting from the beginning. If the light does not come back on, it was probably a momentary problem that no longer exists. If it does, then the problem is still there, and you should have it checked.

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So the CEL has been on since you bought it and you have just ignored it?

No, I've brought it in twice so far, both times it was the knock sensor, they clear it, tell me it's ok and a few days later it turns back on.

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Time to buy a code scanner so you can get the code before them and see what it might be. Either way this is the third trip for a problem that is now not fixed and might be a lemon law condition so you might be able to get out of that car and into another. I would contact one of the Chevy support people here on this forum and see if they can make a dealer actually fix it this time.

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No, I've brought it in twice so far, both times it was the knock sensor, they clear it, tell me it's ok and a few days later it turns back on.

OK so I guess the code was cleared at the time that OnStar ran the check.... OnStar runs the check once a month, it's not a constantly on thing, just a snapshot of the systems once a month.

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The sensor might be a bit too sensitive, or if the CVT is geared a bit too high that could do it as well. You might try some higher octane gas but that shouldn't be necessary. That kind of defeats the purpose of a high mpg vehicle. It seems to me that this car needs to be sorted out a bit more. They will probably discontinue it, or completely redesign it before they ever get all the bugs out of it.

That OnStar thing is scary. I really don't want someone spying on my car. There must be some way to disable that. Even the base model has it. I have disabled both the air bags and ABS on my Malibu. Fortunately it doesn't have OnStar. There must be some computer geek out there who knows how to permanently disable it.

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The sensor might be a bit too sensitive, or if the CVT is geared a bit too high that could do it as well. You might try some higher octane gas but that shouldn't be necessary. That kind of defeats the purpose of a high mpg vehicle. It seems to me that this car needs to be sorted out a bit more. They will probably discontinue it, or completely redesign it before they ever get all the bugs out of it.

That OnStar thing is scary. I really don't want someone spying on my car. There must be some way to disable that. Even the base model has it. I have disabled both the air bags and ABS on my Malibu. Fortunately it doesn't have OnStar. There must be some computer geek out there who knows how to permanently disable it.

On Star can indeed be TOTALLY disabled if one chooses to do so. Why though, would you (or anyone for that matter), 'disable' air bags and ABS? Probably 2 of the greatest safety features ever !! And as far as someone spying on you,,,,it's un-avoidable. Just ask the NSA.

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The sensor might be a bit too sensitive, or if the CVT is geared a bit too high that could do it as well. You might try some higher octane gas but that shouldn't be necessary. That kind of defeats the purpose of a high mpg vehicle. It seems to me that this car needs to be sorted out a bit more. They will probably discontinue it, or completely redesign it before they ever get all the bugs out of it.

That OnStar thing is scary. I really don't want someone spying on my car. There must be some way to disable that. Even the base model has it. I have disabled both the air bags and ABS on my Malibu. Fortunately it doesn't have OnStar. There must be some computer geek out there who knows how to permanently disable it.

I sure hope you are wrong, for me it's about the closest thing to being the perfect basic transportation that's presently made. I think some of the issues are that the quality control was still being worked out on the early build date cars and some is that the engineering and technology is different than what some of the owners are used to and they aren't the adaptable type. It's one of those cars where you either get "it" or you don't. I can't imagine how the Geo metro would have been treated if the forums like this existed back then cause they were crap in comparison but there is now a cult following, the small percentage of them that are left fetch premium prices. Now if the Elio actually makes it to market that might be the perfect one.

The up and coming cult car seems to be the Saturn's... I swear there are more of them on the roads now than when they were still being built.

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The 'Knock Sensor' not only alerts the user to a possible ignition problem but also adjusts the timing to try to correct the problem. A faulty sensor is even worse as it will constantly adjust the timing to resolve a non existent problem resulting in reduced performance. This sensor should be replaced ASAP and not just cleared each time. If the 'Check Engine' light came on due to, say, a loose gas cap, well, then no big deal and do a reset.

I would push to have it replaced as it is not a big or costly job as it is a module threaded into the engine block. In the meantime check for performance loss or increased engine noises when the light comes on.

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My 3 cylinder 55 horsepower Metro hatch was the best vehicle I have owned to date! Bought it used for $2500 from a photo copier sales place with 70,000 miles on it, ran it for another 100,000+ (broken speedo cable that never got fixed) without a serious issue besides rust. It eventually became such a rusted piece of garbage that I had to replace it because it wasn't worth putting another set of brakes into it. It was also finally using enough oil that I was having catalyst issues (1 quart every few thousand miles). If I could have gotten that level of longevity out of my Spark I would have been very happy. Spark went in for service this morning with a 4 page list of issues and only one of those was the AC recall, took 45 minutes to write everything up.

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