So today around like 4:30 I filled my tank up...and drove home....I never noticed the chek engine light being on. So i got home and an hour later I started my car and noticed that the idleing problem that i have had for a while now (the idle drops low sometimes and starts making rattling sounds) was getting worse. So I popped the hood and unplugged the plug from the MAP sensor. AND FOr some odd reason dont ask why...I STARTED THE ENGINE with the plug disconnected. THe engine started but sounded like it wanted to die, i quickly turned it off iin like 2 seconds. I then went bak and plugged it bak in. I turned on the engine again and everything was fine. BUt then i noticed that the check engine light has come on. I opened up the s2k manual and it said that the engine light may come on if u forget to turn the feul cap after a fill up. So i turned it a few more times, but i just dont know wat caused the engine light to come on. Im almost 100% sure i turned the cap atleast 3 clicks when i filled up earlier today. Anybody ever experienced this before??

 

You unplugged an engine sensor (MAP in your case) and started the engine. This will almost always throw a CEL. You need to pull the "BACK UP" fuse under the dash for a few seconds to reset the light.

 

Im not a car expert...so i dont know wat a CEL is exactly. but did i mess up anything though? I only ran the car for like 2 seconds. Should i take into the shop? or just reset the light and drive normally

 

CEL = Check Engine Light. Or also known as Malfunction Indicator Light. No, you didn't screw anything up.

 

Some sensors will turn on a CEL if unplugged with the key on, starting the engine isn't required. The MAP sensor is one of them.

 

Thanks alot guys

Where can i find the bakup fuse that Xviper's talkin about??

 

Look at the legend on your kick panel. It'll tell you which fuse this is.

 

Alternatively, you can just wait. Once you rectified the problem (lack of signal from MAP sensor), the ECU needs to go through several start and run cycles (3-5)before it will clear the code itself. That's what I did when I got a CEL after I forgot the plug in one of the sensors to the valve cover after a valve adjustment.

 

This happened exactly to me. All you have to do is disconnect the battery for a few mins. then reconnect the battery and the check engine light should go off.

 

There is no need to go through this and lose the radio code at the same time. Pulling the "BACK UP" fuse for no more than 30 seconds will do the same thing and you won't need to re-enter the radio code.