NEED HELP ASAP!! CEL flashed,car stutter ?

Question

1998 auto LS

intake/headers/cat/exhaust

last tune up 15k ago, new wires, new plugs

last oil change just 300 miles ago mobil 1

Hello guys, I need a answer within 8 hours, im at work now and need to drive home 40 miles....

I was comming off a ramp going 40 or so, slowed to 25 then accelerated and the car began to stutter and make sounds like boom boom boom... low sound though

then the CEL flashed, now the cel has been on due to a front 02 sensor... but now it flashed.

First thought was its the tranny ..!! c**p

But anyway i was close to a gas staion, he said he had no time to look at it but it was a MISFIRE....

so then i drove the car to work (1 mile from station) half way there i got to above 40 and the car worked like new... issue was gone.... turned car off, started it... worked fine and CEL was NOT FLASHING...

any ideas? and how soon should i fix this issue??

thanks guys!

Answer 1

Yes a flashing CEL indicates a misfire condition. It can be caused by many things, some can be temporary like a chunk of carbon getting lodged between the spark plug electrodes, which could be likely if you have a bad O2 sensor. Have the codes checked and it will probably have stored a code for the specific cylinder that is misfiring and you can check that plug, plug wire and injector. It's only a serious problem if you feel the misfire. good luck.