Ahhhhhhhh...... CA Smog with Speed Density SUCKS!

Yeah... there's a check engine light alright. It just doesn't DO anything.

My '89 has a little spot on the dash for a "Check Engine" light to be - on the bottom-right, below the main gauge cluster - but there's no lighting components behind it at all. Dunno if it just never had any, or if some prior owner ripped it all outta there somehow...

What kind of info are you looking for?

Yes... there is a light (or rather a connection for one). No, it does not function on an 86. What else can we help with?

Do you have a Haynes or Chilton manual with an electrical diagram? If I recall correctly, there are separate diagrams for the EEC pin-out for the A9L and one for the SD EEC.

Usually, the rule of thumb for Ford is 10 years. I have however, gone to various dealerships and found that they still have vehicle part and wiring diagrams, still on computer.

Dunno... Yours is the first time I've heard of this particular issue coming up. I mean... Any idiot (yes, even those that work for the DMV) should be able to look at your dash and see that there's no freaking light. lol

Perhaps it's because all of the California 88s were mass air?

Pop your hood. Tell them to identify and POINT to your mass air meter. When they cannot, tell them to look in their book. Ask them how it is a mass air car can possibly run without a meter THEN ask them if their book might POSSIBLY be in error.

Once complete, have them refer to the 87 section of the same book. Ask them if they're able to find any similarities between the two.


After you have completed the above steps, smack your forehead with the flat portion of your hand and say something to the effect of, "Holy Chiz-Net!!!! Imagine that!"

Provided your particular DMV attendant still has SOME remaining brain cells (regardless of the amount of legalized herb and Aids medication they've taken), they should appear enlightened as their stupid asses come to the conclusion that they must be at least 20% smarter than the equipment that they're working with in order to be effective.

Individual thought is NOT required when applying for state jobs in California.

This may help...

Copied from mustang88GT:

I have not finished it yet but I put the bulb in and it works. There are wires that you can tap into and run to the self test connector. The reason I have not run the wires yet is because I am tripping 2 codes because I did not run wires for the secondary fuel pump or speed senor yet for the MAF conversion... but it should be real easy to do here is

Adding a "Check Engine" light
Another difference between the speed density and MAF cars is that MAF cars have a "Check Engine" light in the dash to alert you to possible serious problems and it makes reading out self test codes much easier. The MAF cars have the "Check Engine" light located in the light panel on the lower right of the instrument cluster. Speed density cars don't have this window, but there is a "Check Engine" position for a light in the tachometer face, though there is no bulb installed. The wire from the EEC to the bulb (via the flex connector) is also missing.
In the '88 harness (not sure of other years), there is a tan and a black/blue wire connecting up to the 'Check Engine' circuit on the instrument cluster flex circuit. For MAF models, the tan wire hooks to the EEC STO/MIL line and the black/blue is for the lamp test out when you start the car. I don't know what these are connected to in an '88, but the test out feature does not work, and the STO/MIL line at the EEC-IV and self test connector is yellow/black. The wires connected to the check engine lamp probably end at some open connector somewhere, but I couldn't track it down, so I cut the tan and black/blue wires off the flex connector and ran a new wire to the STO/MIL wire on the self test connector under the hood (you could also tap in by the EEC-IV, but it was easier for me to go through the firewall. You can get a bulb socket from the HELP! rack at the local parts store, put in a N194 bulb, and voila, you now have a working check engine light.