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The first of these vehicles started around 1982 and were few, then they gradually became more and more.
Now,understand that the CEL is a tool to use to keep your vehicle from tearing itself apart.
While pulling the bulb or taping over it makes you not see the problem, it is still there.
I've told this story before, but here goes again.
This guy cames to me,cause his engine won't run, I take a look, he has tape over the check engine light. I asked him about it and he said it and he said it came on about a year ago and some moron had told him that it was nothing and to tape over it.TO make a long story short, the codes pulled were everything,but the oldest ones had to do with the spark timing and O2 sensor circuits, had they been repaired, the cost would have been a few hundred dollars.
But since he decided to tape over it and run,the repair cost was a new engine and catalytic converter,about $4,000.
See, the spark timing had advanced the timing and created a problem with fule mixture as well as eventually burning a hole in a piston,that took out the O2 sensor which eventually clogged the catalytic converter until the vehicle wouldn't run anymore. That's when it came to me.
Then he had to make the decision to junk the vehicle or replace the engine,O2 sensor, EGR valve and catalytic converter.
So that little piece of tape let him run for about 9 months,but cost him,bigtime.
So,if you want to ignore the check engine light, more power to you, but if you live near me, you will be seeing me, one way or another. LOL!
A lazy oxygen sensor was one thing that brought the check engine on on occasion and the other was the EGR valve. I changed the oxygen sensor. The EGR valve was difficult to get to but I found that by removing the vacuum pipe and putting a pipe on the onto the EGR valve and sucking it a number of times, the car would go for months without the check engine light coming on again. Seems like the EGR valve was sticking at times and moving the diaphragm up and down freed it up.
I have a problem that some of you experts out there can possibly help me with. I recently added a bottle of Wynn's Exhaust control to my car and lo and behold, the "service engine soon" light came on. I definitely believe that this is directly related to the additive since the light has only come on when I changed brands of gas (ie: Esso to Petro Canada) I'm wondering how I can clear this code as I'm about to trade the car in and it looks pretty bad when the SES light is staring the dealer right in the face!! How much is a code scanner (I think I've seen them at Canadian Tire)? Will disconnecting the battery do it? Is there a fuse that I can remove on the 96 Saturn SL1? Thanks for your help
Cheers
Todd
BTW -I found an OBD II scanner at Canadian Tire for C$249.00. I'm sure the problem will go away after a tank of gas, so I don't think it's worth the expense (OTOH It might be useful in the future. Do 2001 models use OBD II or are we at OBD III?.
Thanks again!!
Todd
Todd
After checking the net for info, I found this board. Does anyone know where I can find the actual contents of TSBs. I have checked nthsa, and alldata, but these sites only have title and summary info. Any suggestions?
Anyway, I think it's an interesting subject and worthy of discussion. I think automobile computers are keeping pace with computer development in general and we must not underestimate them. I've even read that some car manufacturers are installing unbeknown to the owners, "black boxes" into cars to plot the drivers actions, speed of vehicle, and so forth just before an accident. Big brother is watching you!
They could just as well have been describing the operation of the memory of a modern automobile computer.
(that's why your car may run rough for a few miles after disconnecting the battery...it needs time to re-learn the drivability parameters). Note that a mfg can design any kind of system he desires so it's possible that not all vehicles adhere to this design...try it and see but wait long enough for any voltage stored in the computers internal capacitors to bleed off so that power is indeed removed from the memory.
Al
Erik
http://www.batauto.com/Chrysler.html
http://www.batauto.com
Erik
Thanks,
Jarvus
Erik
Thanks,
jarvus
Thanks,
jarvus
http://www.batauto.com/obd2.html
It's probably a powertrain code so click on OBD2 "P".
A bunch of us are reviewing a bunch of these scanners to see which,if any would be able to provide easy use and good info for folks.
I, along with a bunch of other mechanics have a list of links for the scanners at this page under Scanners and Diagnostic Tools heading.
Hope this helps.
I love it! That is a great way to describe it.