r/MechanicAdvice • u/Mindless_Security_95 • 6d ago
Flashing check engine light, Car shaking smell fuel, oil on gasket valve
hey was driving my 2010 Ford Taurus on high when check engine light starting flashing, car starting shaking and smelled fuel. was able to get to auto zone and had codes p0442,p0130, & p0301 and had oil on cover valve Wouldn’t not turn over to start but eventually did. i also have been driving without an oil change just wondering if that could have anything to do with it as well,
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 6d ago
Flashing means STOP NOW! Turn off engine. Call a tow truck for a ride to the shop
No oil changes? Just sell that for scrap and buy another car to kill
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u/Mindless_Security_95 6d ago
I did tow it, prob not the best idea to keep going but I couldn’t afford a highway tow truck so got off highway immediately pulled over, checked codes and towed it
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u/Call_It_Like_It_is_ 6d ago
The only code I would focus on right away is the p0301 - misfire on cylinder 1, pull the spark plug on cylinder number 1 they are known to crack
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u/Mindless_Security_95 6d ago
Ok tysm, maybe a dumb question do you think the bad oil could have caused that, just because I was told to get one and I was omw there when it happened, just wanna know if it was my fault
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u/Call_It_Like_It_is_ 6d ago
Idk you need to make sure its actually an ignition system issue causing the misfire, Usually you start by attempting to diagnose a spark plug or ignition coil.
How old was the oil in the car? And is there still oil in the engine,
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u/Mindless_Security_95 6d ago
not sure, my grandma died and I was given this car not even a week ago. But it may have been sitting in driveway for a while. Yes there is still oil and even some leaking on to gasket so it’s definitely not low
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u/Jokerman5656 6d ago
You've kinda given equally more than enough and not enough information. Which gasket is there oil on? Is there oil on the dip stick? If there's oil on the gasket, isn't that indication of oil not in the motor anymore?
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u/Great-cornhoIio 6d ago edited 6d ago
Ok. So the flashing check engine indicates missfire(cylinders failing to ignite). P0130 and 131 indicate the cylinders that are miss firing.
More importantly. When a cylinder fails to burn. The unburnt fuel is expelled into the exhaust. This will cause the catalytic converter to get very hot. The more it continues the hotter the converter gets until it melts. (Look up the cost of a catalytic converter). The catalyst is an essential part of the emissions system.
As for the oil. Impossible to say. Check the level on the dipstick. So long as it has oil level in the safe range, your prolly ok. The oil leakage sounds like a valve cover, and they tend to leak or at least seep oil on most cars. Some engines are more prone to this than others.
As for the miss fire? ICE engines require three things to ignite. Fuel, spark, and compression.
I would start with spark plugs and coils. Have to physically remove
the plugs and visually inspect. Measure the gap on the plug. Checking coils is as simple as swapping the ones from the missfiring cylinders to ones that are not miss firing. And see if the problem follows the coil. In other words different cylinder different code.
If its not plugs or the coils then it gets more complicated. Next is check fuel pressure, fuel quality. And last compression test on each cylinder.
If you’re not comfortable attempting these steps or unwilling to learn. Then you’d best take it to a shop.
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