check engine question

bvav22

New Member
Jul 1, 2004
93
0
0
Michigan
can not having the smog pump hooked up to the mid pipe cuase the check engine light to come on? Becuase i am in the middle of putting my exhuast system together, and i current run bbk shorty headers, with a pypes off road x pipe, and the smog is not hooked up. after about ten to fifteen minutes of driving my check engine light comes on. i figure that either the smog pump had something to do with it, or the head being to much for the current spark plug wires that i have, one actually slipped out when driving before....
 
Don't just wonder, dump the codes.

Dump the codes and see what the computer says is wrong…Codes may be present in the computer even if the Check Engine light isn’t on.

Here's the link to dump the computer codes with only a jumper wire or paper clip and the check engine light, or test light or voltmeter. I’ve used it for years, and it works great. You watch the flashing test lamp or Check Engine Light and count the flashes.

See http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/

index.php


index.php


IF your car is an 86-88 stang, you'll have to use the test lamp or voltmeter method. There is no functional check engine light on the 86-88's except possibly the Cali Mass Air cars.

attachment.php


89 through 95 cars have a working Check Engine light. Watch it instead of a test lamp.

attachment.php


Codes have different answers if the engine is running from the answers that it has when the engine isn't running. It helps a lot to know if you had the engine running when you ran the test.

Trouble codes are either 2 digit or 3 digit, there are no cars that use both 2 digit codes and 3 digit codes.

For those who are intimidated by all the wires & connections, see http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16153 for what a typical hand scanner looks like. Normal retail price is about $30 or so at AutoZone or Wal-Mart.

Or for a nicer scanner see http://www.midwayautosupply.com/pc-7208-90-equus-digital-ford-code-reader-3145.aspx – It has a 3 digit LCD display so that you don’t have to count flashes or beeps.. Cost is $30.