06 Cobalt SS Supercharged Code P0171 Shaky Idle/Acceleration Issues

Asked by prettypink Mar 14, 2016 at 03:29 AM about the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged Coupe FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hello! I have a 2006 Chevy Cobalt SS. It has a check engine light on. It was
flickering on and off for a few months but it's been steady on for 2 weeks.
Also, the last 3 days I have gotten a "Check Gas Cap" warning even though
the gas cap is on secure.

The car is not running as well as it used to. It seems to have issues when
I'm sitting idle and when I'm accelerating. Just kinda shaky?

I have heard it's my mass air flow sensor, 02 sensor, vacuum leak.....

I have an appointment with a mechanic this Wednesday. I believe he said it
would be $100 to diagnose the check engine light but I am trying to give
him as much information to get my car back to normal.

I also have an oil leak, but it's not that severe because I'm checking the oil
daily. The mechanic knows about the leak and agreed it's not that severe
but I will get the oil leak fixed as soon as I get the engine issue fixed. I just
want to make sure I'm prioritizing the issues with my car because money is
tight.

Thanks so much!

1 Answer

224,145

P0171 CHEVROLET - Fuel Trim System Lean Bank 1... Possible causes... - Intake air leaks - Faulty front heated oxygen sensor - Ignition misfiring - Faulty fuel injectors - Exhaust gas leaks - Incorrect fuel pressure - Lack of fuel - Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor - Incorrect Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) hose connection So I don't go to a shop for repairs, so I am not sure if he would still charge you for the diagnostics part if you were to have him work on the car, ask him on that, but he will do his own diagnostics to see what he thinks is wrong. And if there is any rust around the filler tube for gas, that could still cause a gas cap leak even tho you have it on tight, and still throw the code for that. So yes, get the engine running properly first.

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