Have you had an issue with your Chevy check engine light flashing then stopping? In this article, we are going to be looking into this topic to help you understand what it means when this happens and if you need to take any corrective action.
The check engine light is a message that needs to be taken heed of any time it appears on your dash panel. It’s a way for your car’s onboard diagnostics to tell you that something in the engine needs attention. There are various levels in which this sign shows up though.
The first is when it is constantly on which is described as a soft or low-level issue. The second level is when it flashes on and off at a slow rate. This is described as an intermediate problem that does not necessarily need to be attended to immediately.
The third level is when the light flickers rapidly. When this happens, it indicates a serious issue that needs to be handled with immediate effect. You need to park your Chevy and call in a tow truck. What does it mean when the check engine light flashes and stops though?
Why is my Chevy Check Engine Light Flashing then Stops?
The check engine light on your Chevy will flash 10 times then stop when either of your emission systems is not ready. Your car checks all of the systems as you drive and when the emissions systems are not fully ready, the light will flash and then eventually stop after several driving cycles.
What Does it Mean When My Check Engine Light Flashes Continuously?
There are several reasons why this may happen. We will look into these reasons in this section of the post to establish what you need to look at and how you can possibly fix the issue.
As already stated in the intro, there are several ways in which the check engine light appears and each one of them means a `different thing.
The first way that the check engine light appears is as being constantly on without flashing. When this happens, it’s a sign for you to have the engine looked at by a trusted mechanic in order to establish what the problem is.
This instance is not usually an emergency but something that you just need to take note of and take care of within a reasonable timeframe. The second instance is when the check engine light flashes slowly.
This can be described as an intermediate-level issue that needs to be addressed but not an actual emergency. When you see this and the constantly on check engine light, it means that you need to drive to the nearest mechanic so that it is properly diagnosed and fixed.
The third way that the check engine light shows up is when it rapidly flashes. This is a high-level warning sign and you need to immediately stop your vehicle and have it towed to a shop where it can be looked at and fixed. These are the 3 levels of the check engine light that are actually warning signals.
What Does it Mean When the Chevy Check Engine Light Flashes then Stops?
This is the question that this article seeks to answer and we will be looking into this next. Not to be confused with the high-level warning where the check engine light is flashing continuously, you can have a situation where the light flashes about 10 times then stop. When you see this happen it Is not a cause for concern.
When you start and drive your vehicle, it runs some diagnostics of every system on the car. Some components of the various systems take longer than others to initiate.
When the diagnostics encounter a component that has not yet been initiated, it can show up as faulty causing a temporary activation of the error message. In this particular case, it will be showing that one or more of the emission systems is not yet ready.
Why is my Car Shaking and Check Engine Light Flashing?
Another situation that you may encounter is one where the car is shaking and the check engine light is flashing. When you experience this, it’s an indication that your engine is misfiring. Misfiring is when one of the pistons is not firing meaning that combustion of air and fuel is not taking place.
This results in unburned fuel being dumped into the exhaust system and an increase in hydrocarbon emissions. When not taken care of quickly, misfiring can lead to major and costly engine damage. Bad spark plugs will also cause the check engine lights to flash as well.
These may also be the cause of your engine misfiring and should be inspected when you see the check engine light start flashing.
Conclusion on Chevrolet Check Engine Light Flashing then Stops
There are several reasons why you will get the check engine light to start flashing. You need to be able to observe whether it is an actual issue to do with the engine or it’s a diagnostic process that your car is going through in order to take the correct course of action.
Thomas is a retired Chevy Auto Technician, Father to two incredible daughters. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help you solve and find reliable information on Chevrolet vehicles.
