the protege let me down yesterday. i was on my way home from work sitting at a traffic light in rush hour traffic and she stalls on me and the CEL comes on. and wouldn't you know the light turns green and there i am looking like a tool with traffic backing up behind me. i put it into park and started her back up and she ran just fine. any ideas why she stalled on me and should i be worried about it? by the way if you haven't gathered it already it's an automatic.

 

probably because the car is an automatic and only women drive auto's.....the cars advanced electronics determined that you (while high on estrogen content) are a male and and was confused about how to perform. Thusly shutting off in traffic and causing everyone behind you to call you a "tool".

This is just my theory....OBDII is real complex though.

p.s. did you check the air in your tires??

 

check your headlight fluid....

 

hahaha, sorry Matt

 

Go to Autozone and have them pull the code...

 

Actually my car used to like kicking back and forth in traffic. I thought it must be all the suv exhaust.
Turned out I had a bad maf. You should get the code checked anyway. If it says o2 sensor bank one then its your maf.

 

i was sitting behind a truck that was putting out some wicked diesel fumes

 

sorry man, it does sound like a MAF issue, check the wiring connection (especially if you've added an intake)