Check engine light after extreme cold

[mcdo3920]

So this cold in the midwest is awful. Started the truck about 50 minutes before we left for daycare/work because the air temp in northern Minnesota is -40 right now! Anyways, all sorts of alarms started going off. The tire pressure, washing fluid and finally the check engine light came on. All of my fluid temps were in the norm. The accelerator was a little sluggish when I first hit it but it got back up to normal after about 50 yards. The check engine light didn't pop until I was on the highway. It's a 2014 1500 with the 5.7.

Hopefully something minor is just iced up but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about what it could be? If it is something serious, I'm sure I would have noticed it on the 30 minute drive. There's been tons of cars that have broken down in this cold but my truck has been a tank up until this point. It does fine in the -20-25 stuff. I'm stuck at work now but on my lunch break I'll take a look and see if there's any fluids leaking then I'm gonna take it to the auto parts store and see if they can read the code for me.

 

[Old Fart]

Cold weather makes everything act up. Was the truck plugged in?

 

[Fitzreefer]

Add air to the tires if the system says they are low. Figure you drop 1 lb of pressure for every 5 degrees F it goes down and vice versa. Open your gas cap and reseat it to see if the check engine goes away. The cold may likely have shrunk the cap seal. If it persists, take it in to get it scanned. If evap code, probably the gas cap.

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[mcdo3920]

Cold weather makes everything act up. Was the truck plugged in?

It wasn't, I actually haven't needed a block heater so far. Mine didn't come with one either as far as I know. I might invest in one now though, good lord.

 

[Guyfromthenorth]

Odds are it'll be fine once warmed up, we see regular -40's and -50s where I live (these are NOT windchill numbers, windchills go down to -80's here). I've lights pop on in those temps, as long as it's not the dreaded RED engine light (usually oil pressure problems) you'll be fine and it'll go away once temps warm up.

I have had the throttle body light come on in the cold, it was ice inside the port on the sensor. No biggie, it cleared itself but did make the truck sluggish for a bit. I sprayed some TB cleaner in to help free up any gunk inside and it never came back. I'd recommend some isopropyl gas line antifreeze in your tank with the next fill up. Odds are you have some water in there freezing up making things a little unhappy in the cold.

EDIT: My trucks have always been plugged in during the winter (block heater). You can void your warranty if you don't (where I live, not sure if that's universal), and it does help alot but won't necessarily heat the sensors and you can still pop codes. At least you would know your oil isn't cement though.

 

[GrumpyOleMan]

Also, how full was your fuel tank? that cold might have altered the pressure in your tank enough to trigger a sensor.

 

[mcdo3920]

Add air to the tires if the system says they are low. Figure you drop 1 lb of pressure for every 5 degrees F it goes down and vice versa. Open your gas cap and reseat it to see if the check engine goes away. The cold may likely have shrunk the cap seal. If it persists, take it in to get it scanned. If evap code, probably the gas cap.

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Yea, the tire pressure dropped to 29 on the front 2. I'll fill those up after work. I'll try re-seating the gas cap here in a bit and see if that does anything. Thank you!

 

[mcdo3920]

Odds are it'll be fine once warmed up, we see regular -40's and -50s where I live (these are NOT windchill numbers, windchills go down to -80's here). I've lights pop on in those temps, as long as it's not the dreaded RED engine light (usually oil pressure problems) you'll be fine and it'll go away once temps warm up.

I have had the throttle body light come on in the cold, it was ice inside the port on the sensor. No biggie, it cleared itself but did make the truck sluggish for a bit. I sprayed some TB cleaner in to help free up any gunk inside and it never came back. I'd recommend some isopropyl gas line antifreeze in your tank with the next fill up. Odds are you have some water in there freezing up making things a little unhappy in the cold.

EDIT: My trucks have always been plugged in during the winter (block heater). You can void your warranty if you don't (where I live, not sure if that's universal), and it does help alot but won't necessarily heat the sensors and you can still pop codes. At least you would know your oil isn't cement though.

Thanks man, I'll go buy some iso-heet. I'm sure that will help a lot actually. Yea, the windchill is the real killer. We are used to sub-zero temps in northern Minnesota but it hasn't been this cold in like 20 years. I don't know how you guys in Ontario deal with this crap! I'm definitely going to invest in a block heater this summer.

 

[Old Fart]

It wasn't, I actually haven't needed a block heater so far. Mine didn't come with one either as far as I know. I might invest in one now though, good lord.

Definitely worth it if your weather hits -40s. My usual rule of thumb is the truck gets plugged in when the temps hit -20C or -4F.

 

[WilliamS]

That light could be a million things. from o2 sensor heaters to fuel trims. The air being that cold could even throw off the intake temp sensor as well calculated heat up time for the oil or radiator. This is here the cheap $4 obd scanners come in handy.

More than likely its nothing that needs attention, it is just mad for being that cold out.

 

[DAK2]

Windchill does not affect inanimate objects only flesh

 

[mcdo3920]

Also, how full was your fuel tank? that cold might have altered the pressure in your tank enough to trigger a sensor.

I've been keeping it at least half full, it was 3/4 full this morning.

 

[Old Fart]

Windchill does not affect inanimate objects only flesh

I don't think he was talking windchill values...actual temps. At least it is where I live.

 

[PoMansRam]

That light could be a million things. from o2 sensor heaters to fuel trims. The air being that cold could even throw off the intake temp sensor as well calculated heat up time for the oil or radiator. This is here the cheap $4 obd scanners come in handy.

More than likely its nothing that needs attention, it is just mad for being that cold out.

^ This.

As long as it's not a *flashing* check engine light, which indicates a cylinder misfire, you're generally OK to drive until you can read what the code is.

With as cheap as a basic OBDII/CAN code reader is today, everyone should have one.

 

[U&A]

It wasn't, I actually haven't needed a block heater so far. Mine didn't come with one either as far as I know. I might invest in one now though, good lord.

With temps like that you should have a block heater and a heated battery blanket.

Insurance and peace of mind.

My battery blanket gets plugged in at home and work full time when temps drop below 20. Block heater is going in ad soon as we get out of this cold spell.


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[mcdo3920]

The ISO HEET must of done the trick. I got home after work last night and the engine warning turned off. Temps have gone up to 13 today and it feels like a heat wave so I'm sure that helped too. I'm going to invest in a heated battery blanket and block heater come spring time. Thanks to all who gave their opinion, this site is an great resource.