CHECK ENGINE light just came on
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CHECK ENGINE light just came on
1997 F-150, 4.2L, only a little over 88K miles on truck, very clean. Nothing has ever gone wrong, but a couple days ago when I was driving the CHECK ENGINE light came on flashing. After stoping and restarting it, it is still on only this time is illuminating all the time (not flashing). The truck still runs fine; no signs of any problems. I heard a suggestion from someone saying I should disconnect the battery for about 20min then reconnect it to reset the computer and make the light go away. Do you think there is just a little bit of dirt in a sensor, or do you think something needs to be replaced? I'm sure whatever it is, its an easy fix like a worn out sensor, I just need to diagnose the problem before I can go any further. What steps should I take?
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Go to autozone they will scan your OBD (computer) for free. Get the code from them, come back here and I'm sure theirs a lot of nice guys here willing to help you out.For the moment nobody's esp is working, your gonna need that code before anyone will let you look up that skirt
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: St Louis
Get the flippin' thing read BEFORE resetting it, otherwise you're just wasting your time.
Just don't let the monkeys at the auto parts stores try to diagnose it. If you do, we don't want to hear any complaining about their wrong guesses....
Steve
Just don't let the monkeys at the auto parts stores try to diagnose it. If you do, we don't want to hear any complaining about their wrong guesses....
Steve
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Really not a good idea to just reset it without knowing what gone wrong. Check engine light is there for some reason. Best thing, yes, go to autozone, probably depends which state you're at, but here in california, i don't think autozone staff can still diagnose it for you. They will lend you their OBDII Scanner for a deposit of $180.00 and they will give you the whole amount back when you return their scanner, so really won't cost you anything. It's amazing how easy it is to use, will give you
code(s) and description. You can then start from there.
code(s) and description. You can then start from there.
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Original 1776 Washington
Guess Im the black sheep of the bunch. The suggestion I made was a easy double check method & no money spent but "IF" there is a problem, it "will" resend the code. From what Ive seen, these OBD computers seem sensitive. Reason being, just dropping the stock tailpipe from behind stock muffler sets the check engine light off & vice-versa. Even leaving the gas cap off from what Im told, sets the check engine light. Once the computer acknowledges the code & sets the light, it will continue to show it until the computer is reset, so turning the engine off will not make it go away. To each there own.
Originally Posted by metal13x
1997 F-150, 4.2L, only a little over 88K miles on truck, very clean. Nothing has ever gone wrong, but a couple days ago when I was driving the CHECK ENGINE light came on flashing. After stoping and restarting it, it is still on only this time is illuminating all the time (not flashing). The truck still runs fine; no signs of any problems. I heard a suggestion from someone saying I should disconnect the battery for about 20min then reconnect it to reset the computer and make the light go away. Do you think there is just a little bit of dirt in a sensor, or do you think something needs to be replaced? I'm sure whatever it is, its an easy fix like a worn out sensor, I just need to diagnose the problem before I can go any further. What steps should I take?
Last edited by fordjunkyNC; Nov 28, 2006 at 08:41 PM.
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From: Louisville,Ky.
If you can get it scanned for free, then it isn't saving any money.
Diagnose, then reset to see if it returns.
Diagnose, then reset to see if it returns.
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True, there are cases when the light is tripped and it might be fine. It is still worth the 15 minutes to be sure. My luck, I would be miles from home and it would crap out and then have to pay a shop for a simple sensor swap.
The one mistake I made going through Iowa with my 97 F150, I put 85 Ethanol in by accident. I am just so used to grabbing the cheap gas. Anyway the light came on , it ran ok but alot of "pinging" and poor gas mileage. I stopped at a dealer since that was all there was and they said both o2 sensors were bad. It was kind of an important trip and had no choice but to have it fixed to the tune of $350. I later realized it was the enthanol that tripped the code. Now I don't know if that would have fried the sensors or if they just pulled the code and assumed they were bad....
If I were at home, I could have done it myself probably in the area of $100
Whatcha' Gonna Do?
The one mistake I made going through Iowa with my 97 F150, I put 85 Ethanol in by accident. I am just so used to grabbing the cheap gas. Anyway the light came on , it ran ok but alot of "pinging" and poor gas mileage. I stopped at a dealer since that was all there was and they said both o2 sensors were bad. It was kind of an important trip and had no choice but to have it fixed to the tune of $350. I later realized it was the enthanol that tripped the code. Now I don't know if that would have fried the sensors or if they just pulled the code and assumed they were bad....
If I were at home, I could have done it myself probably in the area of $100
Whatcha' Gonna Do?
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Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Original 1776 Washington
What little I know about Ethanol is it takes more of it to equal gasoline. I seriously doupt they fried the O2 sensors. The company I work for buys new vehicles & runs some type of cheapass gas that we have brought in to fill our fuel stations (company use only). They ping if we get on it any & these vehicles still run for years but I woundnt burn that junk in my truck, what ever it is. I personly have never or have I heard anyone breaking down from bad oxygen sensors. I had one on my 91 stang (A9L computer)that that went bad from the wiring had melted onto the header & grounded out, but it never ran any different. I found it when my AF gauge that I had wired to both my O2 sensors by a 3 way switch showed no reading on one side.
Last edited by Racerguy; Nov 30, 2006 at 12:02 AM.
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ok guys, just got it checked at 2 different autozones (for 2 opinions), they both scanned and found "cylinder no. 3 misfire." I have the code, but not here with me. One employee asked me if the truck has been running rough, and I said "no, it seems to run fine," he then said something along the lines of "well, it probably misfired once or twice that caused it to trip the computer." This seems like a logical diagnose. Anyways, both recomended: first, use some seafoam and/or fuel injector cleaner, then check and/or fix the spark plugs and wires. This all seems to make sense in that the truck has about 88K miles on it and I am going to assume that the plugs have never been changed. What do you guys think? Am I on the right track? Again, thanx for the help.