Does anyone know how to pull the codes when your check enging light comes on?? I know how to on all the Toyota cars & trucks and I'm wondering if the Ford Trucks work in a similar fassion. Does Ford have your check engine light come on when you get close to 50k?

 

Buy a Chilton or Haynes manual for your truck they will explain the different On Board Diagnostic systems that are in use. Since you are psoting on this forum, I would assume your truck is a '97 or later, if this is so, then you use the OBD II system. This is a much more sophisticated system than the type used prior to 1994. OBD II codes require a "Scan Tool" to retrieve the information. Unlike the old style that could be read with a $29 tool from most auto parts stores or even using a plain old voltmeter, these codes are much more extensive and provide greater detail of the failure. Basic code readers for this system start at around $150 and will not read ALL of the codes and retrieve information on the engine only. The next level up begins at around $300 and is a 2 part system requiring a specific cartridge and wiring connector for your make of vehicle ($200 for tool and $100 for cartridge & harness). No, there is no "service reminder" that comes on at around 50,000 miles - as far as I know. I would guess that the most common code is for an Oxygen sensor, but since different vehicles have different numbers of Oxygen sensors (3 on my truck) there would be no way of pinpointing the specific sensor. Not to sound flip, but I would take the truck to a professional that can read the codes and interpet the result. For example, an Oxygen sensor might send a code for being "low" or "high"; one situation might suggest a failed sensor and the other might mean a bad connector or broken/shorted wire.

 

Actually, there is a few different codes for each oxygen sensor (four on my truck). The code will tell you the position of the faulty O2 sensor and the problem with it (low/high voltage, slow response). Check [link:www.batauto.com/Pcodes.html|OBD2 Pcodes] (powertrain) at [link:www.batauto.com/main.html|BatAuto.com] for a list of codes and their meanings.