This is rather odd. Sometimes,after driving a few miles, the check engine light comes on. When you turn the car off and back on it will stay off for a brief period and come back on. When I hit a good bump it might go off for a split second. I can't figure out why it does that. I have another problem as well but will do a different post for it.

 

It might help if you provided even a little information, like what kind of car this is or which engine it has, it's age and mileage, stuff like that.

Beyond that, there are two possible ways of dealing with a check engine light:

1) Look at it and scratch your head while making wild guesses as to what it could possibly be.

2) Hook up a code reader and retreive the error codes that are stored in the computer.

Personally, I'd opt for the latter.

 

Now that I have awakened a bit, I'll provide some more info. I have 182,000 on the V-6 in my Sebring. I can't get a code on the OBD I system.

 

If the check engine light is on, there should be a code. If you can't read it, then either your reader is faulty or the engine computer has major problems. Make sure the engine computer has a good ground and power supply.

 

The code reader worked fine on my other car. Would there be other issues,i.e., suddenly slowing down like I let off the gas? I will check for proper ground and power.

 

Try the "key dance". On-off, on-off, on. Something may come out on the odometer readout.
And yes, if there's a power or ground failure with the computer, the engine will definitely be affected.
If you browse the forum here you'll probably pick up that many of the problems with that engine seem to have their origin in the distributor.

 

It may be an old fashioned way to check but I got two codes. I got a code for the engine coolant temperature sensor and rear O2 sensor. The "key dance" worked. I had forgotten about that method.

 

Rear O2 meaning down stream.