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Old Nov 17, 2003 | 03:15 AM
  #1  
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Code Readers?

I am wondering how good of an investment these are? I know that it will only tell you the code, so you would have to figure that out...but, at least the dealers I have called, it is $100 just to diagnose. 100 DOLLARS!!! I found one that finds universal and factory codes, can remove the check engine dummy light, and has a big enough display my great great grandma can read.

Any ideas on if they are worth?

Garrett
PS, my damn check engine light is on...wondering why! LoL
 
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Old Nov 17, 2003 | 09:37 PM
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how often do you need to diagnose your truck though? Thats the question you should be asking yourself.
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 09:32 AM
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What the heck is a code reader? (I figure it reads codes) Just my guess.


Also, have you changed your oil lately? It might be that. Or something like that...
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 01:19 PM
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Naw..its a dummy light that came on once the mods started to... Turns out Im running rich, because of a missing sensor. I talked about it in another thread.

Garrett
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 09:13 PM
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All vehicles come with code readers in them. You should be able to get your odometer to flash the codes, which you could then decipher with the Chiltons manual. I think we went over this before with the tach thing. Remember, hold your trip meter button in and turn on the ignition. This will run through all your diagnostics. You'll need a Chilton's to decipher what it is your actually reading. It works, really.
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 09:15 PM
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Also, you can remove the dummy light by disconnecting and reconnecting your battery. Easy.
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 09:18 PM
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Nope...The light will come back on if the error still exists. I have disconncted my battery (with the stereo upgrades and re-installs) since it came on to know that doesn't work. Also, for some reason, and maybe it is because I alrewady have a TACH, the tripometer trick doesnt work with me. I tried it and no luck. I didnt hear about the diagnostics, but I will give it a shot.

Thanks for the info Tom.

Garrett
 
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Old Nov 22, 2003 | 09:25 PM
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I have a tach and I tried it and it worked. Try it a few times. That odometer reads out all kinds of stuff I cannot interpret without the manual. It runs through about 30 diagnostics.

Try it with your key off and hold the trip button in. Then also try it with your key on and hold the trip button in, then start your truck. Try it a bunch of ways. Maybe I'll walk out to my truck and repeat the process and figure out exactly how to do it.

Last weekend, my friends dodge check engine light came on and we ran it through basically the same diagnostic thing. It flashed 2 codes. He had the Chilton manual in his trunk. We looked up the codes in the manual and it said that the o2 sensor was bad and that there was an intake vacuum leak. We check all around the intake and saw a melted hose behind the manifold.

We replaced that with spare hose that we had in the garage and he went to the auto store and bought a new o2 sensor. We replaced that and it fixed it. The check engine light has not come back on since and the car runs much much better.

Tom
 
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Old Nov 23, 2003 | 12:06 AM
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Thats awesome..I will have to fiddle with it tomorrow.

Thanks Tom,
Garrett
 
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Old Nov 23, 2003 | 12:39 AM
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I finally got the tach trick to work. I was wondering what all that other junk was though. There is a certain way you have to do it. I found that it works if you press the trip/reset button before you do anything else... then put the key in, turn it until all the accesories come on (lights, ac, etc.).. then the trip meter will flash all zeros, before it goes to your mileage readout, turn the truck on. Then you have to keep pressing the trip button until it says "tach" and reads somewhere around 800.
 
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Old Nov 23, 2003 | 02:12 PM
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And the codes were spitting out before it went to tach mode?
 
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Old Nov 24, 2003 | 07:05 AM
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Yes, before and after. But you can't understand them without the Chiltons manual.
 
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