Check engine light not working after replacing bulb

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Mar 4, 2026 | 06:20 AM

Jsouz50

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Mountain Pass

Joined: Jun 2024

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Check engine light not working after replacing bulb

My check engine light won't turn on even after I replaced the bulb. I know for a fact it's out because whenever I started my truck that would be one of the lights on the dash that turned on to test itself. And I drove about 20 minutes with a very bad misfire (from what I believe is bad injectors) and it didn't go on. I already replaced the bulb, what else should I check?

1997 ford f250 HD 5.8L

Mar 4, 2026 | 07:58 AM

wwhite

Logistics Pro

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Check for a bad ground first, make sure it is good. Do other bulbs in the cluster work OK?
Then check for connectivity from the EEC plug to the bulb.

Mar 4, 2026 | 10:10 AM

rla2005

Fleet Owner

Joined: Oct 2005

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From: Kentucky

Does the Check Engine Light (CEL) turn on when you cycle the Key from the Off to Run position?

Mar 7, 2026 | 07:40 PM

Jsouz50

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Jun 2024

Posts: 114

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Quote:

Originally Posted by wwhite

Check for a bad ground first, make sure it is good. Do other bulbs in the cluster work OK?
Then check for connectivity from the EEC plug to the bulb.

I replaced the bulb which did nothing, so i swapped the socket the bulb sits in with my battery light. When I cycled the key the same thing happened, CEL doesn't work and my battery light worked fine. That being said I think I have an issue with the circuit board on my gauge cluster

Mar 9, 2026 | 10:05 PM

OldTrucksAreBetter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Nov 2021

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From: South MS

Did you happen to replace it with an LED type bulb? Some of the LED ones are sensitive to correct polarity, unlike the incandescent bulbs that came in your instrument cluster.