Check Engine Light

[yukisho]

Well my check engine light started to come on a few days ago. I finally found the time to get the car down to get codes ran on it. Problem is that their machine just brings up an error message. Now the light doesn't come on at the same time every time. It could be 5 minutes after driving the car or 30 minutes. The tech said that it could be a bad ground since the car does have 158k on it. Now if that's the case where am I to start looking for it. And I already checked the fuses, their good.


Now here's my other problem. I replaced the thermostat a few weeks ago cause it was bad. Now the temp gauge never goes past the N on NORMAL. I don't know if it is running hot or if that's normal. Instead of getting a 192 I got a 180 like a few people suggested it. Now was that wrong or what. I am confused on this and I don't want to go buying parts I don't need.

 

[toyman]

Well my check engine light started to come on a few days ago. I finally found the time to get the car down to get codes ran on it. Problem is that their machine just brings up an error message. Now the light doesn't come on at the same time every time. It could be 5 minutes after driving the car or 30 minutes. The tech said that it could be a bad ground since the car does have 158k on it. Now if that's the case where am I to start looking for it. And I already checked the fuses, their good.

The battery to engine ground. LH side front of engine. The battery to chassis ground is just forward of the battery.

Now here's my other problem. I replaced the thermostat a few weeks ago cause it was bad. Now the temp gauge never goes past the N on NORMAL. I don't know if it is running hot or if that's normal. Instead of getting a 192 I got a 180 like a few people suggested it. Now was that wrong or what. I am confused on this and I don't want to go buying parts I don't need.

With the 180* T-stat reading around the N would be correct.

 

[pirotec354]

Well with the cel, you could check that yourself. Theres a little connector on the back side of the passanger strut tower. That is the data link connector. Pull the cover off of it. The larger connection is a 6 terminal connector used to provide access to the PCM. The smaller connection is a single pigtail connector which is used to ground terminals on the 6 terminal connector when initiating self-tests or accessing diagnostic trouble codes.
The larger connector will have four slots on the top row and two in the bottom row. Take a jumper wire and stick one end of it in the left slot on the bottom row of the larger connector. Stick the other end on the smaller connector(pigtail). Mind you do this with the key off.
After you do that go inside the car and turn the key on. IIRC the check engine light will flash four times and then pause. If thats not right somebody please correct me. But after that it will start flashing codes. For example If it were a code 223, it would flash twice, pause, flash twice again, pause and then flash three times. And then it would repeat that code again. Record the codes as they flash and if you want you can post them back and i can tell you what they are.

And with the thermostat, you should be ok. I think its just not rading as hot because you have a lower temp t-stat. I would suggest if your worried about overheating to get an aftermarket water temp gauge so you can get an exact reading. Hope this helps you.

-Justin

 

[desertcox05]

the nimrods that you took the car to obvoiusly don't know what they're doing. the OBD2 port under your dash doesn't work because you have a OBD1 computer. if you have a haynes manual, it will tell you the paper clip method, and give you what the codes mean too.

 

[Itkix]

I'd go buy a obd 1 code reader the digital one I tried that count the flashing lights and I had them all wrong, The code reader comes with a book that tells the codes and how to perform the test, worth the thirty bucks.

 

[yukisho]

Alright, will do that. Thanks for the help.