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I mentioned this in another thread but thought it worthy of mentioning again. Two friends, with no prompting other than "why's that danged light on?" told me that automakers set it up that way. Both are highly qualified mechanics and both worked at GM related dealers. Different times, different dealers and they didn't know each other.
Each said that the program chip was designed to set the light off at a random period after the vehicle hit a certain range of miles after the warranty period expired. The idea being that your average Joe-owner would bring it in to get checked and they'd find something to fix and then reset the light. They also said it could be something that actually needed fixed but chances are you'd notice the problem anyhow if you paid attention to the way your car ran.
Their solution? Disconnect the light. If it passed the next emissions inspection you were cool. If it didn't, then you had a real problem and they'd track it down the old fashioned way.
Just from personal experience...I had a '90 Caprice, light came on at 75k. The car ran right and I just disconnected the light. Passed every inspection for the next five years with flying colors. My '90 LeBaron started bucking like a mad mule and I tracked it down to a bad O2 sensor. Replaced the sensor and car runs fine....check engine light never came on, not once.
Check engine light can mean alot of different things with the Oxygen sensor being the most common problem. If you have the engine checked they can get a computer code that will tell you. If they get no code;reset by disconnecting the battery to clear the code. then see.
So if the manufacturer deliberately put this in the chip to get you to come in on more regular visits I guess the fix is either remove the bulb or replace the chip with an aftermarket one?
Never heard of a check engine light on for spark plugs. It's usually something like an 02 sensor or a TPS sensor or something. It can also be for a pressure loss in the fuel tank.
I mentioned this in another thread but thought it worthy of mentioning again. Two friends, with no prompting other than "why's that danged light on?" told me that automakers set it up that way. Both are highly qualified mechanics and both worked at GM related dealers. Different times, different dealers and they didn't know each other.
Each said that the program chip was designed to set the light off at a random period after the vehicle hit a certain range of miles after the warranty period expired. The idea being that your average Joe-owner would bring it in to get checked and they'd find something to fix and then reset the light. They also said it could be something that actually needed fixed but chances are you'd notice the problem anyhow if you paid attention to the way your car ran.
Their solution? Disconnect the light. If it passed the next emissions inspection you were cool. If it didn't, then you had a real problem and they'd track it down the old fashioned way.
Just from personal experience...I had a '90 Caprice, light came on at 75k. The car ran right and I just disconnected the light. Passed every inspection for the next five years with flying colors. My '90 LeBaron started bucking like a mad mule and I tracked it down to a bad O2 sensor. Replaced the sensor and car runs fine....check engine light never came on, not once.
Having been a mechanic for over forty years, and several of those years at a GM dealership, I can tell you, without question, your friends were either pulling your leg, or they don't have a clue what they are talking about. That is the most ridiculous statement I have every heard.
As far as disconnecting the light to pass smog, that is the first thing the tech will check, and if the light is on, or not working, the test is over right now. The second thing is, if the light is on, there is a problem in the computer system, and there is no chance the vehicle will pass an emission test.
You, nor anyone else every passed an emission test with the system not functioning. Simply an untrue statement on your part.
You, nor anyone else every passed an emission test with the system not functioning. Simply an untrue statement on your part.
Son, tell me how, over the course of ten years with the light being disabled, that the vehicle passed emissions? I have the records filed away. The car lasted fifteen years and died at a demo derby. If that isn't enough, the old man had an '86 Caprice wagon with black electrical tape over the light. It too passed every single test. I stand by my statements without reservation.
A waste of time for one backed with actual knowledge, to argue with one backed with pure BS. it didn't happen, end of story.... Don't bother even responding, I'm done with the subject....
A waste of time for one backed with actual knowledge, to argue with one backed with pure BS. it didn't happen, end of story.... Don't bother even responding, I'm done with the subject....
California has much stricter inspection requirements than Pennsylvania does it not? Perhaps your extensive knowledge doesn't apply here? If you'd drop your high hat you may see that not all state's tests are the same. Some counties here don't even have emissions inspections. I'm afraid your California emissions knowledge applies as much here as my real estate license applies in your state.
Seems to me the only thing they should be looking at first is whether or not actual emissions are off, and only then should they be checking lights. Isn't the whole point, emission levels and whether or not they pass muster?
My mother-inlaw had someone disconnect the battery so she could get her car inspected and when they hooked it up to the computer it told on her.
They wouldn't inspect it till she came back with a paper showing she had the problem fixed. She spent $300.00 at the local Ford Dealership and they still didn't find the reason the light was on.
Son, tell me how, over the course of ten years with the light being disabled, that the vehicle passed emissions? I have the records filed away. The car lasted fifteen years and died at a demo derby. If that isn't enough, the old man had an '86 Caprice wagon with black electrical tape over the light. It too passed every single test. I stand by my statements without reservation.
That Caprice wagon passed because it was a 1986 vehicle and an OBD0 system car. My cars are all '92-'95 vintage cars and they have OBD1 computers running them. As long as my cars pass the sniffer test, I could get away with disconnecting the check engine light if it were on. But for any car that is made for the US from 1996 onwards, it's run on an OBD2 car computer system. They are tamper proof and for an inspection, the car's computer is hooked up directly to the inspection station's computer and the car computer reports the check engine faults into the state's system. OBD2 vehicles don't usually get the sniffer test, they only get their car computers aka ecu's plugged into a scanner.
In terms of pulling the check engine light codes, probably the most accurate reading of the problem would be at a dealership or an independent garage that specializes in that marque of car.
So jmarquise, what kind of car do you have? What is the year and mileage of it?
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