Check Engine Light Codes

[Lewis]

If you don't have a OBD II scanner' I suggest you get one, you can get one as cheap as 50 bucks like a Actron OBD II
Check Engine Light Codes or Service Engine Soon' Codes
http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/
OBD-II (Check Engine Light) Trouble Codes

 

[jasoncran]

lewis. from experience. I have a abs code on right on now, the above wont read that. just because you have a code doesn't mean you actually have that problem.the ability to see the data and what the sensors are doing is needful. very needful.
the code says its the passenger air bag switch, but it can be the wiring to that. or the module itself.it has to be ruled out.

 

[Lewis]

lewis. from experience. I have a abs code on right on now, the above wont read that. just because you have a code doesn't mean you actually have that problem.the ability to see the data and what the sensors are doing is needful. very needful.
the code says its the passenger air bag switch, but it can be the wiring to that. or the module itself.it has to be ruled out.

I know

 

[jasoncran]

it take training and experience to the problem solved at times

 

[tim-from-pa]

AutoZone is on the way to most of my city errands, so when I have such a light I just have them check it for free. Same with simple stuff I have them put on new wiper blades for free (In reality I hate to fiddle with them, but I use the excuse my hands are always "sore" so that I just seem like an old guy without dexterity any longer ) I'll change some car batteries yet. That's all I do any longer. The rest is too much trouble.

The last time at AutoZone he told me the gas cap was probably just loose, so I sealed the gas cap o-ring with my swimming pool o-ring lubricant and it went out. I also have a relative into mechanics with one of those testers, that is, if you can get a hold of him. But he did use it on various occasions when one car kept getting those lights.

I suppose $50-some is worth it if you will fix things yourself, some guys and gals here do. But for someone like me, AutoZone is good since it's free.

 

[jasoncran]

i have mixed feelings.for instance those cant deal with abs,srs(air bags). I can fix some of that and I will being doing that on my ranger. the switch to shut off the passenger air bag has set a code. I need the diagnostic flow chart to make sure but I did check some of it and it appears to be switch. with speed sensors and such on needs to see if it the sensors is working. you need that at times.

 

[Lewis]

When I get a code' I just scan it and see what's up. For instance' I am getting a check engine light every now and then, and I clear it with the scanner. It is a PO128 code which is a low coolant code or a bad thermostat, and or a bad cooling sensor sending module. Now in my case it is my thermostat going bad . But some things it can point right to' with out you having to look at more than one thing. Now if you want a scanner that can check your brake system also you are going to pay much more money.

 

[jasoncran]

po2018 can also mean mean that it wasn't put in the place right . I know I did that but I thought I did. I saw that the heater wasn't working right so I redid it and cleared that code. on my ranger I had its electronic theromostat lock up and the pcm never saw it. it overheated and I heard the gurgling but the temp gauge never showed it. I felt the lower hose and it was cold that is how I knew that it was overheating.

 

[Lewis]

Jason do you know the money that we save because we know something about cars ? I am mostly good with older vehicles, but the basics are still the same' even on the newer cars. But what separates them is all the ECU driven stuff' which does not scare me anymore.

 

[jasoncran]

I know.,rather then have spent 2000 on my ranger's ac I spent 700 dollars.

 

[Mike S]

AutoZone is on the way to most of my city errands, so when I have such a light I just have them check it for free. Same with simple stuff I have them put on new wiper blades for free (In reality I hate to fiddle with them, but I use the excuse my hands are always "sore" so that I just seem like an old guy without dexterity any longer ) I'll change some car batteries yet. That's all I do any longer. The rest is too much trouble.

The last time at AutoZone he told me the gas cap was probably just loose, so I sealed the gas cap o-ring with my swimming pool o-ring lubricant and it went out. I also have a relative into mechanics with one of those testers, that is, if you can get a hold of him. But he did use it on various occasions when one car kept getting those lights.

I suppose $50-some is worth it if you will fix things yourself, some guys and gals here do. But for someone like me, AutoZone is good since it's free.

I use that excuse myself sometimes, especially during the winter. I usually don't want to do anything on the vehicles in the cold weather. A consequence of now being near 70 years old, maybe?

Actually, when the weather is good, I don't mind doing what I can on the vehicles, and, I like you, borrow code scanners from AutoZone, even though I usually buy my parts at NAPA. Last week I replaced the rear leaf springs and shocks on my Chevy S-10. I've replaced the shocks before, but not the springs, but after 220,000 miles I'd finally overdone it by carrying too much weight in top soil.

Parts came to a little over $400, which is lot better than if I'd had the dealer or Midas do the job.

 

[tim-from-pa]

AutoZone is on the way to most of my city errands, so when I have such a light I just have them check it for free. Same with simple stuff I have them put on new wiper blades for free (In reality I hate to fiddle with them, but I use the excuse my hands are always "sore" so that I just seem like an old guy without dexterity any longer ) I'll change some car batteries yet. That's all I do any longer. The rest is too much trouble.

The last time at AutoZone he told me the gas cap was probably just loose, so I sealed the gas cap o-ring with my swimming pool o-ring lubricant and it went out. I also have a relative into mechanics with one of those testers, that is, if you can get a hold of him. But he did use it on various occasions when one car kept getting those lights.

I suppose $50-some is worth it if you will fix things yourself, some guys and gals here do. But for someone like me, AutoZone is good since it's free.

I use that excuse myself sometimes, especially during the winter. I usually don't want to do anything on the vehicles in the cold weather. A consequence of now being near 70 years old, maybe?

Actually, when the weather is good, I don't mind doing what I can on the vehicles, and, I like you, borrow code scanners from AutoZone, even though I usually buy my parts at NAPA. Last week I replaced the rear leaf springs and shocks on my Chevy S-10. I've replaced the shocks before, but not the springs, but after 220,000 miles I'd finally overdone it by carrying too much weight in top soil.

Parts came to a little over $400, which is lot better than if I'd had the dealer or Midas do the job.

Well, at 70 if you can still do that, more power to you, brother! I complain although I'm not that old yet at age 54. I just use it more as an excuse, but I DO know that I don't move quite as fast as when I was 20 or 30, that's for sure.

 

[Lewis]

I just don't have the patience, anymore, I noticed that when I put a timing belt in my now sold Ford Escort. But rather than pay big bucks to do a job that I can do. I will do it myself. Now I have a extended 2 year warranty on my Trailblazer' but it is 100 buck deductible. So like when I put an ignition switch inside the steering wheel column 2 weeks ago, not the key ignition switch, but the other one. The part was only 30 bucks, so why go pay 100 bucks when I can do it myself for 30 bucks. Now I am going to put in a thermostat and on this engine it is not easy to get to, but I am going to do it. I don't know why Chevy put that thermostat where they did on this engine, but they did. But the Vortec 4.2 inline 6 is a award winning engine, it has won 3 or 4 awards' so I am not complaining.

 

[Pizzaguy]

I have an ULTRAGAUGE, $80 with shipping, it plugs into the port and has a suction cup mount that I have stuck on the windsheild.

Great toy, great tool! I can see and clear codes, I can see PENDING codes, and I can watch any number of parameters that the car is seeing, from a list of over 50! It is easy to use and you can (with some reading) use it to learn a lot about cars.

 

[Lewis]

I have an ULTRAGAUGE, $80 with shipping, it plugs into the port and has a suction cup mount that I have stuck on the windsheild.

Great toy, great tool! I can see and clear codes, I can see PENDING codes, and I can watch any number of parameters that the car is seeing, from a list of over 50! It is easy to use and you can (with some reading) use it to learn a lot about cars.

Nice,I went over and checked it out' nice.
http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/

 

[Pizzaguy]

It's fun to use! And with some reading (usually online) you can learn a lot about the systems in the car.

I watch my O2 sensors, engine temp, intake temp, throttle position, timing advance and MAF most of the time. It is quite interesting to watch what is going on, you see what the ECM/PTCM sees!

 

[Lewis]

Hmmm' I might get one of those, that is much better than my Actron OBD II

 

[jasoncran]

pizzaguy, that is called pid data. I wonder. I may buy one of those myself. yes with the scan tools one can see pending codes but those are well something that used to be called soft codes in the ford terminology with the eec 4 days and obd I days with gm.

 

[Pizzaguy]

I have seen pending codes with it that went away before they became 'real' or 'immediate'.
Until I bought this toy, I had no idea what a "pending code" was, or that it existed at all.

Just beware that the specific codes you can read do vary a bit from car to car - but I think all the basic ones are there in all vehicles.
We had one guy on the forum who took his car in 2 or 3 times for rough running. No one could catch it doing it.

He bought the UG and just kept watching it. Then when the motor ran badly, he had set up all four pages with different parameters.... it jumped right out at him that the MAF and Throttle Position were jumping around - turns out the MAF was lying and the throttle body/ecm were trying to compensate. He found the wires to the MAF had green corrosoin on them from water intrusion. He cleaned the contacts with alcohol on the MAF and the plug using a firm toothbrush and it fixed the problem! But you had to be a little of a "car guy" and a bit electronics-savvy to catch it.

But he caught it!

 

[Mountain Man]

The goal of Automobile manufacturers is to get to the point where all you can do is drive a car and make the payments,for everything else you will have to go on bended knees to a dealership,they want to do away with all the independent shops as well...it has nothing to do with making a better product and everything to do with making as much money as they can off of the car after it is sold,and before anyone mentions government regulation they have a hand in writing that as well through their lobbyist in Washingtonat the rate its going Cars will once again become something that only the rich can afford.