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when the "service engine soon" light is on?
My car is a 2002 Nissan Altima. Every year like clockwork if the stupid light is on they tell me it won't pass. Then I take it to the mechanic he does something and turns it off. Then I take it back, and voila it passes! What is he doing to make it go off? Can I turn it off myself and save some $$$?
On the other hand, my husband's 1995 Nissan p/u passes every time with flying colors. No engine light on EVER!!!
I change my oil religiously and the car is in tip top shape. I has over 144K miles on it and is mostly driven on the highway to and from work (rural area hardly any traffic). It is housed in the garage and I lovingly take care of it.
Why does the light keep coming on?
What your mechanic is doing to turn it off is resetting the computer that tracks CEL incidents/diagnostic codes.
The reason why it won't pass when the CEL is on is because it's very often an emissions issue that causes it to go on. Your husband's truck is the last year before the OBDII era, which began in 1996. In essence, your car has a considerably more rigorous self-diagnostic system than your husband's car does. All the emissions place has to do to test your car is plug their computer into your car's computer (which they won't even bother to do if your CEL is on -- CEL = automatic test failure), and your car will tell the inspector whether it has passed. With your husband's truck, they have to actually test the emissions coming out of the tailpipe.
Change the spark plugs, air cleaner and the Ox sensor, the vehicle must be running rich at times and when the code comes on the smog station can not pass it until the light is reset.
I've dealt with this issue for years. My car spits out a trouble code of something like "running rich in bank II" and I've had 3 mechanics look at it, and none have been able to get the light to stay out permanantly. One even said he did all he could and thinks the computer is failing. That was 3 years ago. Whatever. So I just gave up since the car runs fine, but every year come inspection time, I have to go through the ritual of disconnecting the battery cable to reset the light, then drive just enough miles that it sets the car back to "ready" status, and hope the light doesn't come on in the meantime. Good times.
You can have Autozone or someplace pull the trouble code, but if you get some generic code back like mine, it may not tell exactly what the issue is, and you can spend money replacing things in hopes it works...oxygen sensor, PCV valve, mass airflow sensor...blah, blah and the light may still come back on.
when the "service engine soon" light is on?
My car is a 2002 Nissan Altima. Every year like clockwork if the stupid light is on they tell me it won't pass. Then I take it to the mechanic he does something and turns it off. Then I take it back, and voila it passes! What is he doing to make it go off? Can I turn it off myself and save some $$$?
On the other hand, my husband's 1995 Nissan p/u passes every time with flying colors. No engine light on EVER!!!
I change my oil religiously and the car is in tip top shape. I has over 144K miles on it and is mostly driven on the highway to and from work (rural area hardly any traffic). It is housed in the garage and I lovingly take care of it.
Why does the light keep coming on?
Well, there is a code set when the light comes on, if you have never tuned the car, it is probably due for a set of plugs and an O2 sensor, this work will pay for itself in gas savings.
But to answer your question directly, apparently the Texas inspection requires the CEL to not be on.
If you don't want to spend the money - probably not much money if my guess is correct - to fix the underlying problem, you can just go to your mechanic and turn the light off immediately before inspection time.
Well, there is a code set when the light comes on, if you have never tuned the car, it is probably due for a set of plugs and an O2 sensor, this work will pay for itself in gas savings.
But to answer your question directly, apparently the Texas inspection requires the CEL to not be on.
If you don't want to spend the money - probably not much money if my guess is correct - to fix the underlying problem, you can just go to your mechanic and turn the light off immediately before inspection time.
"Immediately before inspection time" won't be enough -- the OBDII reader will be able to tell it's been recently reset. It has to be driven a certain number of miles and/or undergo a certain number of ingition on/off cycles before it will return to a ready state.
There is a world of difference between the message "service engine soon" which is telling you to bring the car to your dealer for an oil & filter change, and a MIL (malfunction indicator light, usually in the form of an engine block icon) which is telling you that, at the very least, you have an emissions problem.
There is a world of difference between the message "service engine soon" which is telling you to bring the car to your dealer for an oil & filter change, and a MIL (malfunction indicator light, usually in the form of an engine block icon) which is telling you that, at the very least, you have an emissions problem.
Why doesn't the world understand that?
You beat me to it!
Service Engine Soon = oil change
Lube place changes oil and resets the computer...generally done by using your factory radio head set.
Here is some more info on checking codes and readying the ECM your self:
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That was 3 years ago. Whatever. So I just gave up since the car runs fine, but every year come inspection time, I have to go through the ritual of disconnecting the battery cable to reset the light, then drive just enough miles that it sets the car back to "ready" status, and hope the light doesn't come on in the meantime. Good times.
