I just bought a 2000 v6 mustang and the service engine light is staying on where should I start to clear this. It has 60,000 miles on it I hope this isn't one of those lights ford has to turn off
I just bought a 2000 v6 mustang and the service engine light is staying on where should I start to clear this. It has 60,000 miles on it I hope this isn't one of those lights ford has to turn off
60,000 is where o2 sensors are said to die but rarely do, but 99% of check engine lights in my experience have had to deal with emissions. Hook it up to a computer and if you see somthing about left bank lean or rich, you'll know its a o2 sensor.
On most cars you can “short” certain pins on the diagnostics lead (connector) to get the computer to flash out a code corresponding to the problem. Often, the “check engine” light will flash a certain sequence (like Morse code) which you can then cross reference in the shop manual for your car to determine what the problem is. Most good shop manuals will tell you this procedure.
Note: this technique usually only gives you a general and/or vague idea of where the problem lies, but it at least will prevent an unsavory mechanic from replacing/charging you for work that isn’t needed if you know the approximate cause.
More sophisticated diagnostic pinpointing will require the use of a shop computer.
BTW, a good shop manual is the single best investment you can make in any vehicle you own, in my opinion. Forget whatever $60 doo-dad you planned on buying and get a good shop manual first.
go here http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/dtcodes.htm and try using the in dash test function. it is capable of reading out some(i doubt all) trouble codes and the site lists what the numbers mean near the bottom of the page. good luck