Check engine light triggered when hood of car was opened?

Tiny
MILLIEROCK2X
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 CHEVROLET SONIC
  • 1.8L
  • 4 CYL
  • TURBO
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 75,000 MILES
My car has been sitting for a while because it is showing the check engine light, engine power reduced light and the traction control light. Today I decided to start it up and just see if the lights were on and when I did it wasn’t on. So, I decided to go and drive it around and when I did I was expecting the light to come back on but it didn’t. So I went back home and I parked it and my dad came out and asked me to pop the hood and as soon as we popped the hood and lifted it up the engine power reduced light, check engine light and traction control light came right back on. I really don’t know what’s causing the problem anymore I've tried everything.
Sunday, September 17th, 2023 AT 12:04 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
MILLIEROCK2X
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
I also forgot to mention that I tried the remote starter on my car before I drove it around and it worked but after I got back and the hood was popped open the remote starter does not work. The headlights just flash once and then it goes off.
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Sunday, September 17th, 2023 AT 3:10 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,269 POSTS
Hi,

This is an interesting one. Because of that, what I recommend doing is to scan the can-bus. CAN stands for controller area network.

Basically, the different modules in the vehicle are tied together via a few wires. This type of scan will retrieve codes regardless of the module storing them.

Here is a link that explains how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/can-scan-controller-area-network-easy

I recommend starting with this. Otherwise, it becomes a guessing game. Let me know if this is something you can do or have done.

Let me know.

Joe
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Sunday, September 17th, 2023 AT 9:42 PM

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