Code Readers?
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale Az is home, St
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
Any ideas on if they are worth?
Garrett
PS, my damn check engine light is on...wondering why! LoL
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale Az is home, St
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
Garrett
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,887
Likes: 0
From: Florida
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.
Thread Starter
|
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Scottsdale Az is home, St
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
Thanks for the info Tom.
Garrett
Trending Topics
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,887
Likes: 0
From: Florida
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
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
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: Texas
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.