Engine Light Comes On,BUT.......

[06T200]

Wow, 19mpg? I see 26-29 in mine on average. Fla must have a heavy foot!

[petrified.rabbit]

odds are if it was raining that hard, and then got that hot. you had moisture on your spark plug wires that set the light.

once the engine warmed up or the steam left under the hood, and dried out, the slight misfire went away and the light went out.

most check engine lights will go out after 2 drive cycles without the issue.

[FlaAveo5]

i drive like an 'old lady' light and careful. never any 'gunning it'. As others have told me, 'in the city the 06 Aveo says on the buyers sticker 20mpg in the city, so your getting 19,whats the problem'..i could have sworn it was in the mid 20's in the city. It is ALL city driving.

[FlaAveo5]

I found out,by having the car scanned for codes, that it is a short in my brake light system/relay. The problem I have been having trouble with the shifter for like 2 years. But now it is making the 'engine light' come on. Thats why the shifter hasnt been shifting out of park for many months, the brake relay has a short in it. Now to the point it is bringing on the engine light. I am taking it in tomorrow to my mech. to get it fixed. As I was told, as least it isnt your cat. convertor! That is beyond expensive! I know that. As the guy at Advance Auto said, 'hey its a short in a wire, thats cheap to fix, it isn't an engine problem or a sensor gone bad, or the catalytic convertor'. So..I am going to get the short found tomorrow, and get it fixed! Tired of using that damn emergency hole next to the shifter. They told me when I had my timing belt/water pump work done, 'its just a short in a wire, it will take an hour to fix, if that,...bring it in' its a cheap fix. So I pray it is!!!! At the time I had the timing belt/water pump work done, the damn thing WAS working. Well now I have no brake lights at all...I dont need a ticket for them not working, from some cop!

[JB_Fraser]

You never mentioned the CEL code number that you had read from AutoZone,
Sounds like you have a bad brake switch which will cause brake light issues and shifting from park problems.
CEL light could be intermittent issue as Rabbit suggested.

Cheers

[FlaAveo5]

i dont have the code number, the guy at Advance Auto scanned it and then cleared the CEL light. I forgot to ask for the number. I saw it, but couldnt see it clearly. He told me there is a short in the brake relay switch. The brake lights dont work and the shifter doesnt shift. It hasnt been shifting for months. I thought the lights still worked. I checked them in a few tall black trucks. They were working. Now they were not, when he scanned them and the CEL light was on. So I didnt get the number. It is at teh mech. now. They called like an hour ago, said it was fixed. I TOLD them it is nOT just repalcing that stupid $13 plunger/relay switch,I have another one still in the box, on the floor on the passenger side. I told them, that THEY told me months ago it was a short in the brake wire someplace, and the code said it was a short in the brake relay solenoid switch. So I said, 'find the SHORT'. 'You give a two year warranty on parts and labor, so I will be back in 1 day, or 2 weeks, or 3 months, depending on when the switch decides not to work, and you can keep fixing it over and over and over for free. And if I get any tickets, YOU can pay for them. Your boss told me it was a short, the Scanner said it was a short, it is a short not the stupid easy switch out of that brake interlock switch. I have replaced it 13 times. It isnt broken'. So they are now 'doing more work', looking or the short. I am tempted to call, but they are looking for the short. So it could be another hour or all day. It has been only 1 hr, since I dropped it off. Thats how I knew it was just replacing that relay. I am sure they have a scanner, to look for a code there. The mech. that did my timing belt/water pump is gone, so it is new mechs.

The boss, Marty isnt there yet, but will be there this afternoon. SO...if I go get it, and they say it is just the switch/relay..I will tell Marty that, and tell him that WHEN it breaks again,I will bring it back and sit there and he can keep fixing it, till they find the short. If my replacing it 13 times doesnt fix it, and I keep being told it is a short in the brake wire someplace, an easy fix, well...fix it! Dont do the most simple repair. So I have yet another new relay switch under the dash. Now if they just tape up the short, or replace the bad fuse, or whatever, THEN it will be fixed.

[FlaAveo5]

Ok I JUST wrote a long detailed letter to post here, and it didnt post. so I logged in again,to TRY and get an answer. I'll make this short. I took the car in, they replaced that stupid 'brake relay switch' under the dash, and charged me $85 for it, $54 for the part, and WE all know it costs $13 at Chevy! And the rest was the hour to install it!
I told them it is NOT that! It is a short, that THEY told me it was a short causing it to fail. I have replaced that relay 13 times myself. It is not that. It broke the next day, 15 hrs later. I called them told them, they said to bring it back and they will fix it. But I cant do that every week I need to freaking work.

SO...how has ANYONE else fixed this problem with their Aveo? REALLY fixed it, for good. I have seen videos on YouTube, guys are soldering all the wires together in the fuse box in the engine, in a white plastic 'tray', that has like 13 wires in it? And bypassing the fuses? And others are bypassing the fuse all together, to get the brake lights to work, and let the shifter stay locked, and use that emergency hole to unlock it. I am at that point. I would love to do that! But I dont understand how to run wires to make the brakes work when i step on the brake pedal. Is it a short? is it something else? It is a common problem,in the first generation Aveo. So...how has anyone else fixed theirs? What part was the real problem, or where was the short found, so i can find it and fix it myself! Or tell them where to look. ID there such a place as a 'automotive electrical specialist',...that CAN find a short??? That has special tools to scan every wire FAST??? I dont know. If that is the problem, it seems to be hard to find.

So..can anyone tell me how you fixed your brake light/shifter problem,...maybe I can lead these guys to the right place to look, and get it fixed! OR is there such a place as an automotive electrical specialist? That can find a short FAST,and not cost the price of the car? Thanks for any help.