Aug 26, 2023
New puzzler time. This one was sent in by a loyal listener years ago. We are bringing it back. This listener was from Arkansas. Here we go.
This is how it went.
"Years ago, my father and I set out on a trip to Oklahoma City from our home in Arkansas. At the time we were driving his brand new Chevy S-10 pickup. My father drove the truck and I rode shotgun. It was mid-July. And all was well until around 7:30 p.m. That's when my father noticed that the check engine lamp was just beginning to glow very faintly.
Dad asked me what the problem was and I didn't know. Anyway, I looked over the other instruments and everything seemed to be fine. So we drove on. And as we did the check engine light got brighter.
Being a new vehicle we pulled over and raised the hood to check things out. All the engine vitals looked good. Everything seemed okay. And the lamp was now out when we pulled over. The light went out when we were pulled over. So we closed the hood and, got back inside and started driving and noticed the check engine light was back on. So, we figured it was probably okay, as the truck was new.
We drove on. And as we neared Oklahoma City, the lamp dimmed and went out completely.
Now, there was never anything wrong with the truck at all. Everything was actually perfect with this brand new truck. The light had seemingly come on for no reason at all."
So the puzzler this week is, what was happening? What was making the check engine light come on if there was not anything wrong with this engine and there was nothing wrong with the light itself?
So what was it?
Good luck.
Okay. Chevy S-10. They are driving to Oklahoma City from Arkansas around 7:30 at night, and the check engine light was beginning to glow. But when they stop and open the hood, everything looks good and the light is off.
When they got back in and started driving again, the light came back on. They decided that since it was new, they would just drive on to their destination. As they neared Oklahoma City, the lamp dimmed and then went out completely.
What is happening?
Well, they were driving west. And at 7:30 pm. the sun was going down. The sun was at such an angle as it was setting that it was shining through the vent on the top of the dashboard where the defroster is and illuminating the dash right behind the check engine light. That's why when they stopped and opened the hood, the light went out. And as the approached the city, the sun was almost set, so the light went out again.
