yup i think the previous owner took the check engine light (bulb) off to rip you off. you should remove the instrument cluster and replace the bulb. but either way i think u can still do an OBD-II diagnostics. sometimes a bad 02 sensor causes a fuel smell from the exhaust, or you can just remove and check the sensor. if its really black %26quot;like charcoal%26quot; you might wana get it changed, also checked the wires on it and make sure they're not torn or anything.
a few other things you can do is clean the throttle body and the iac valve. or you might have a vacuum leak. vacuum leaks can cause it to shake on idle also. good luck,!!!!What are the symptoms of a bad 02 sensor?
The O2 sensor is a device that is used for fuel management. It does so by monitoring the voltage that is generated by the device. It starts with .05 volts as its reference and monitors the switching above and below that voltage. .051 to .950 is rich and .049 to .005 is lean. This switching should take place almost every second and the more the better. This is how it manages the fuel. A scanner with live data will allow you to monitor the O2 and see if it is functioning as it should. An Extreme lean or rich condition may cause a poor idle quality but I doubt that this is your problem. Strongly suggest that you perform a compression test to first determine if you have a weak cylinder. Good LuckWhat are the symptoms of a bad 02 sensor?
You would have a check engine lite if any sensor is bad. %26quot;thinking %26quot; is not the proper method to determine problem. NEVER replace any part 'till you KNOW the problem. go here and maybe learn a bit.
http://www.autotap.com/technical_libraryWhat are the symptoms of a bad 02 sensor?
It sounds like it may be your O2 sensor because if it is not working properly, the engine cannot determine how much fuel to ingest which would cause rough idling.What are the symptoms of a bad 02 sensor?
Alot of the time shaky car is a misbalanced tire. Very simple fix and very cheap. Most shops will do it for under $50
