I have a 2001 Camry and a couple days ago the check engine light came on and then shortly after that I noticed that the tail light warning light came on too (the one under the fuel gauge). The indicator lights all seem ok and this light doesn't come on until I step on the brake, so in the morning I'll check the brake fluid levels to make sure they are good (I read this in a post earlier).

My question is this: Does the CEL make the Camry behave in a certain way? I owned a 93 Subaru Impreza for 13 years and when its' CEL came on, it would automatically go into "Limp Home" mode--it would run rough and get really bad gas mileage, etc. As soon as you cleared the CEL, everything would be normal again, performance-wise. Does the Camry do the same thing? it seems to be running smooth enough, but all of a sudden the gas mileage is way down.

PS. I laughed when I first read about Limp Home mode, but after finding it mentioned time and time again in Scooby forums, I decided it was legit!

 

The 'limp' mode will depend on what sensor is throwing the CEL.
Get the codes read and post back with what has popped up.
When the ECU does not or cannot get signal from certain sensors it goes into a default mode.
An O2 sensor code will effect MPG and performance.