Momentary CEL flashes, brake pedal rumbles

[khill]

Since I got the car, I have noticed an infrequent (maybe once in a month) momentary blink of the CEL with even more infrequent accompanying symptoms. It doesn't appear to be associated with bumps or something like that, just a completely random occurrence that can show up cruising on the highway, parking in a space, or on a bumpy gravel road. The issue is just that, the CEL will blink for just a moment. There are no codes set or pending, nor usually any other symptom of a problem. There have only been two occurrences where something else happened with the CEL flash: Once was at 70mph (cruise on) on the highway where the CEL came on and the speedo just started going for broke, the needle made it to about 95 (no change in actual vehicle speed) before the CEL went out and the speedo went right back to 70. The other happened just an hour ago: braking for a stop light under normal conditions from about 35mph, as the speedo hit 20mph the CEL flashed and at the same time the brake pedal rumbled like ABS was in full swing, it was a lighter feeling since I wasn't jamming the pedal, but it was noticeable.

Anyone else ever have CEL flashes? Even heard of CEL flashes? I'm at a total loss of where to start here. There are never any codes left behind...


Thanks in advance,

Khill

 

[Blckshdw]

I haven't experienced the erratic speedometer needle, but I have experienced the ABS-like symptom. In most case, the CEL blinks so quickly that I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination. But there was one time in traffic where I happened to be looking at the DIC when coming to a stop and the CEL blinked once, at the same time the brakes pulsed. No codes on the Scangauge either, and it didn't do it again for months.

 

[khill]

I haven't experienced the erratic speedometer needle, but I have experienced the ABS-like symptom. In most case, the CEL blinks so quickly that I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination. But there was one time in traffic where I happened to be looking at the DIC when coming to a stop and the CEL blinked once, at the same time the brakes pulsed. No codes on the Scangauge either, and it didn't do it again for months.

That is exactly what happened to me today. And yeah, the first few times I did think the CEL flash was just my imagination.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Keep in mind fault codes generated by the brake system are not (P)powertrain. The majority of code reader under a couple hundred dollars can't read (B)body or (C)chassis codes. There are scanners that can read B and C codes but they tend to be expensive. Many independent garages have scanners that can read these codes. Of course dealers can too.

 

[Blckshdw]

Good point, I DID know that, I swear...

 

[Chickenhawk]

I too get a very brief flash of the CEL when I apply the brake pedal every few months. I replaced both brake light bulbs as a precaution and haven't had one since but it is only very occasionally anyway.

I wonder if it relates to the circuits connected to the brake pedal such as the cruise control or ABS.

By the way, I have two different scanners that read brake codes and neither have ever shown a code. Unlike emissions codes, brake codes are stored in history until erased, even if they go away.