Check engine light! *queue ominous music*

[infinity5]

Would running out of gas trip the check engine light? My car doesn't do stomp codes, at least when i tried, so this is going to all be poking in the dark.

I pulled out of my drive way to go to the gas station. I noticed leaving my street that giving the car gas didn't seem to have much of an effect. It felt like hesitation, or like the transmission was slipping. About 300 feet out on the open road the check engine light tripped. Except that one power-loss out of my driveway it didn't really feel strange once i got on the open road.

I just took it out in S4 around the neighborhood and it felt perfectly fine, no problems at all. Strange. I put gas it in from a gas can before hand.

I'm going to try the stop test one last time and then try a computer reset, maybe it was a fluke.

Oil is fine, coolant fine, temp fine, no drips, engine sounds okay except for the really loud valve tap on the passanger-side cylinder bank thats been there since forever..

spark plugs are pretty new. ignition coil boots are in good shape. all the lights work, acessories, AC works, no blown fuses.

I haven't done anything to the car lately.

[infinity5]

By the way, I did my intake manifold gaskets and replaced the PCV plate a few months ago.

Could a lack of fuel cause a lean condition that might trip an oxygen sensor code or something?

[gtopaul]

By the way, I did my intake manifold gaskets and replaced the PCV plate a few months ago.

Could a lack of fuel cause a lean condition that might trip an oxygen sensor code or something?

can certainly set off the check engine light due to a misfire condition (insufficient fuel). Unfortunately you'll probably have to reset the light because it probably won't go away.

Paul

[Bill R.]

there, or as you mentioned you can disconnect the battery. Its only on later OBDII cars that the light stays in memory until reset with a tool.

can certainly set off the check engine light due to a misfire condition (insufficient fuel). Unfortunately you'll probably have to reset the light because it probably won't go away.

Paul

[tim s]

& starved the sender since it is on the right, it started to run rough then gave an engine check light, i drove about 3 miles & the light went out.
after i leveled the car out the gauge said 1/4 tank.
i am more careful ever since.
tim s.

[theonew]

I often have trouble getting the stomp codes to display. Sometimes I have to try it four or five times. I've found that it seems to help if you have the fan in the off position when you turn the key as well as having any other electronic devices switched off. I've also had better luck not pressing the pedal down too quickly and making sure that I feel the click of the downshift button on each press.

[Qube]

If you were in Toronto, I'd 'Peake' it for you

[SharkmanBMW]

My 540i has not started 3 times after parking it on a flat after a small ascent up a steep slope in the driveway with a low tank of fuel... it takes 2 10 litres containers and a lot of cranking to get it to go... never had a check engine from it though.
This was when it showed I had about 40 kilometers left till empty - 24 miles

[infinity5]

thanks guys i reset the light by disconnecting the battery, put some fuel in it, and drove it around all day.

Everything is fine.

I looked at my bently and it said that one of the error codes was "lean mixture" which could be a result of extremely low fuel.

That also makes sense becuase right before i pulled over the engine was running a tiny bit hot. hotter than it has before. and since lean burns hotter.. it all kind of makes sense.

either way the problem is fixed