Hi everyone, complete newbie here. I tried searching "scraping" on the 2001-2005 forums, but I couldn't find a thread on a metal scraping noise under the hood that happens only sometimes when I accelerate, around 20-30 mph. I also have another issue with a check engine light maybe due from turning the key for way too long at startup.

2001 Honda Civic LX, 195k miles, 3rd owner, no accident history on carfax, just bought it a week ago

Took it to the mechanic while I was checking it out and they raised it and said the stabilizer on the driver's side is a bit loose but it's fine, and then they checked underneath the hood and said the steering fluid has some condensation but it's not leaking so it's fine too.
When I was waiting for the registration, I had to wait a week before I could get the plates and pick up the car an hour away, so it had been sitting out there for a while in the heat. Took a few turns on the key to ignite (sputtering noises), but it roared to life and I drove it home.
Noticed within a few days that if I sometimes press the gas pedal around 20-30 mph, it would make a metallic scraping sound which would stop once I took my foot off the pedal. I don't think it accelerated when the metallic scraping noise happened. I would let the car go for a few seconds and then try the gas pedal again and it didn't make the sound anymore and accelerated fine. Should I be concerned??

Now this is where I reveal I'm a complete newbie and this is the first car I've ever owned (I've only ever lived in cities with public transport, and I only need a car for the next six months).
SO today I accidentally turned the key for way too long before I realized the car was idling and the ignition was making another different scraping sound. I started driving and then I noticed the check engine light was on (not flashing). The car starts normally with no problems if I'm careful about listening for the noise and watching the dashboard.
I just checked the pinned cooling thread and noticed a few symptoms: slow acceleration but that was there from the start and a pressurized coolant system when I took it to the mechanic while checking out the car, but the temperature on the car engine was only slightly below the middle line after 45 min of driving home. I checked a few other threads from searching "check engine light," but there doesn't seem to be relevant threads. Is the check engine light a result of me turning the key for way too long or is there a cooling issue that I need to see a mechanic about?

Thanks in advance.

 

The scraping could be the dust shroud for the front brakes if they lie close to the rotor it's possible they make contact in some situations , or the rear drums brakes which don't do a lot of the stopping and the brake shoes may ride the drums . Auto zoo can read the codes and erase them for you , they have sales clerks not technicians so you don't have to buy something they recommend . U-TOOB has many videos on a variety of vehicles .