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When the CEL comes on it means there is one or more trouble codes in the CM that indicate a problem with the emissions system. If you disconnect the battery and make the thing reset it cant not be tested at that time even though the light does go off for a short time. The car will NOT pass until the cause for the CEL to come on is corrected.You must have the car scanned for the code which will tell you which part of the system should be checked...Can be very simple or it can be complicated and expensive...You dont know at this time.
I have a "Check Engine" light lit up on my 97 Silverado...i'm assuming it's an o2 sensor...there's 4 of those farkers on my truck!!
The Check Engine light can be cause by a hundred different things, from a faulty cam position sensor, to minor misfires, to o2 sensors, to bad cats, to a thermostat not letting the engine come completely up to temp, to something as simple as an improperly seated cas cap.
Don't assume. Many places will run the codes for free (like AutoZone). Once you know the codes and what they stand for, you can check forums for your vehicle to get a better idea of what the REAL problem can be (if not explicit, like CPS fault or misfire on a cyl.). For eample, for one kind of car, a lean condition might usually be caused by a bad MAF, for another, it may be common that an intake boot has a crack. People used to dealing with your truck would know best what is the most likely culprit on your exact vehicle.
You can get that dash off in a matter of minutes, get behind the gauge unit and pull the bulb for the CEL. Either that or go find a shop that can overlook a few details. 9 times out of 10 the only thing wrong is a faulty sensor. No point in going through all those hoops to make a little light switch off when you can just remove it or find someone that will ignore it.
You can get that dash off in a matter of minutes, get behind the gauge unit and pull the bulb for the CEL. Either that or go find a shop that can overlook a few details. 9 times out of 10 the only thing wrong is a faulty sensor. No point in going through all those hoops to make a little light switch off when you can just remove it or find someone that will ignore it.
I'd take the bet that it's more like 1 in 10 occurrences that come from an actual faulty sensor. Actually, I'll slide you a little credit. When I dug into my F150 over Good Friday weekend, I had P0171, P0174, P1131, P1151, and P0340...that last one was from the camshaft position sensor magnet being broken off and sitting in the synchronizer. So, 1 of 5 codes is a little more in your favor than I initially guessed.
Anyway, anywhere there is emissions inspections, the bulb operation will be checked, so pulling the bulb will do no good.
If you can get someone to risk losing their certification over a CEL, you're really damn convincing and need to look into selling used cars for a living.
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