Notices
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

check engine light

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 2, 2004 | 04:04 PM
  #1  
adsacu's Avatar
adsacu
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Southeastern Ma
Question check engine light

1997 f-250 hd 351cu

my check engine light comes on after 10 minutes of highway speed and only when outside temp is less then 40 degrees f.

i checked all vacuum lines andhave no leaks, but the one thing i found that i thought was odd was the egr inlet tube was cold. shuold it be hot to the touch?
 
Reply
Old Feb 2, 2004 | 04:24 PM
  #2  
underDAWG's Avatar
underDAWG
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 140
Likes: 0
From: DE
Just go to Autozone, have them to read the codes for you. It is free. HTH.

Later,
 
Reply
Old Feb 2, 2004 | 06:49 PM
  #3  
924x2150's Avatar
924x2150
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,420
Likes: 3
From: Langhorne, PA
Autozone may not tell you what you really need to know. Get a shop book and do it yourself. You are going to have to learn alot about that engine quickly. The codes won't always give away what the real failure is. Sometimes it takes a "human computer" to figure out what is wrong.

If any sensor is bad, it could be a dirty contact, a fault in the wiring, or a glitch in the engine processor. You need to understand the system because autozone employees probably don't, or are limited in the amount of time they will talk to you.
 
Reply
Old Feb 3, 2004 | 06:58 AM
  #4  
95BlackF150's Avatar
95BlackF150
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
autozone dunno how to count the beeps i took mine there and he wrote bunch of codes down that didn't exist so i ended up getting a piece of wire and doin it myself and with the help of a few people on here i found the codes
 
Reply
Old Feb 3, 2004 | 08:34 AM
  #5  
frederic's Avatar
frederic
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
It depends on the AutoZombie guy. Like with everything else, there are people who are really smart and helpful, and people who, well, are less smart and helpful. Just the way it is.

But using a paperclip and a 12V low-current light (or a 12V Radio Shack LED for $2) you can do it yourself.

Since all my vehicles are ford, I just gave in, spent the money, and bought a true scanner with an LCD display and didn't look back. While not difficult, I find counting light blinks a pain and its much easier to see "replace water temp sensor" on the display.
 
Reply
Old Feb 3, 2004 | 12:45 PM
  #6  
EPNCSU2006's Avatar
EPNCSU2006
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,555
Likes: 40
From: Concord, NC
Are '97 F250's OBD-II? I know the 150's are, but I am not sure about the 250's. If it is, a code reader or autozone will be the only ways to find out the codes. If not, the paperclip method will work fine.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
donbrown
1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
7
May 1, 2010 12:21 AM
90F250351
1999 - 2016 Super Duty
2
Sep 8, 2009 02:07 PM
2003f150xl
1997 - 2003 F150
6
Feb 3, 2009 10:12 AM
tenptbuck7mmmag
1997 - 2003 F150
1
May 6, 2008 10:18 PM
swampler
Modular V8 (4.6L, 5.4L)
2
Oct 18, 2004 11:50 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:22 PM.

story-0
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE
story-2
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

Slideshow: first look at the 810 hp 2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road!

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-12 12:50:07


VIEW MORE
story-3
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Everything You Need to Know about the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-07 17:51:06


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

Slideshow: 10 most surprising Ford truck options/features in 2026.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:17:22


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026

Slideshow: Here are the top 10 Fords coming to Mecum Indy 2026.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:49:49


VIEW MORE
story-6
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 worst Ford truck wheels of all time

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 16:49:01


VIEW MORE
story-7
Ford Super Duty: 5 Things Owners LOVE, 5 Things They LOATHE!

Slideshow: Ranking the 5 things owners love about their Super Duty and 5 things they don't

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 16:36:49


VIEW MORE
story-8
Every 2026 Ford Truck Engine RANKED from WORST to FIRST!

Slideshow: Ranking all 12 Ford truck engines available in 2026.

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 13:32:20


VIEW MORE
story-9
The Best F-150 Deal of Every Trim Level (XL through Raptor)

Slideshow: The best Ford F-150 deal for every trim level (XL through Raptor)

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-21 15:59:01


VIEW MORE