Check Engine light came on this morning, please help

my GF's check engine light came on this morning for her 99 Accord
LX/4cylinder... she had bad hesitation, but the car idled ok, just
lost almost all low end power...

This happened about 6 months ago , and her brother told her it was bad
gas, took off her battery cables to reset the light, filled up with
super unleaded, and the light never came back on till now.

This morning, I pulled off the cables to reset the light, drove around
the block, the light came back on, I could feel a big power hit once
the light came on.. I reset the sparkplug wires, pulled the battery
cables off again, then drove straight to the gas station (she needed
gas anyway) to fill up with super... drove around for maybe 5 min, and
the light never came back on... she drove to work (25miles), and the
light never came back on...

what could this be? I was thinking O2 Sensor maybe.. as her car has
112k miles and it's never been changed, but I don't think I can pull
the codes once the light has been reset. Maybe I'll have to wait
another 6 months

anybody have an idea?

thanks a bunch
martin

 

-----------------------
Marty,

Use the owner's manual to see if all the idiot lights are working, (put
the park brake ON when you do the test) then check all the usual
suspects: Oil level, air filter, coolant filled in reservoir, gas cap
tight, etc. Any chance her timing belt has not been changed ??? Autozone
can read the codes and give you a (free?) hint at your next step.

'Curly'

---------------------

To REPLY: If there are a couple of underscores in my return address,
you must remove them to reply directly . . . . . . Thanks.

Regarding stage performances: When everyone else has finished playing,
you should not play any notes you have left over. -

 

My honda civc (cold now) needed the sensor chnage. If everything else
is fine ( radiator ok, etc.), then it probbly would be like what i
experienced. I am not good with cars; just sharign my experience.

 

Now 3 days in a row, the light will come on every morning, only 1 or
2x, once I reset the code (by pulling a certain fuse per the manual)
the code wont come on all day no matter how much the car is driven. I
put a jumper between the obd pins 8 and 13 to get the self
diagnostics, but the code would not flash for me, just stayed on
solid. Once I pulled the fuse to reset the code the car is fine.

My next trip is in the morning to the shop, only I hope the light will
come on for them before they use a scanner. The common condition all
the mornings including the time 6months ago when this first happened,
is it's cold outside maybe 40 or 50 degrees.

wish me luck