check engine light has been coming off/on the last few weeks. i don't think it is tied to the gas cap. when it comes on, usually the vsc light, and (i think) the abs light next to it comes on as well. last monday it happened the first time that i started the car in the morning. the car turned over, and then it cut off. i restarted, and the car seemed like it was going to die, so i gave it gas, and it stayed running. when i put the car in drive, the car couldn't accelerate. it just sorta rolled along. so, i pulled off into a parking lot, and turned the car off. when i re-started, it started right back up, and everything was fine. also, maybe once every other day i feel like the car loses power when i'm driving. it's only briefly, and then it kicks right back in. is this possibly a fuel pump issue? today, about 3 minutes from home, the check engine light came on, but not any other of the lights, and i didn't have any lack of acceleration issues.

and this may be un-related but there were a couple times a few weeks ago that i couldn't shift the car into reverse from drive, but this was the only time that this happened. any ideas???

 

Go somewhere, where they will scan the codes for free (Autozone, or a parts store) and find out what code it is that is making your CEL come up.

 

cool. i'll try that out.

 

i got it scanned. it's the throttle position sensor? is that an easy fix?

 

yep...should be an easy fix. remove and replace and adjust.

 

Which one? There are two TPS on the GS400. What is the exact code?
JPI

 

ahhh! i don't have the code. i didn't write it down. i ended up identifying a friend that works at firestone, and he ran the scanner and got the code, and called and got a price for a throttle sensor. there was also a code for the catalytic converter, but he said it's very possible that the tps issue was causing the cat converter code.

 

Why would a TPS malfunction would cause the cat to fail? If you have access to scope, I would check the wave pattern before and after cat.
JPI

 

okay. i'll do that. thanks.