Check Engine Light

Disconnect the negative battery cable for 10 seconds.

Don't know what year, make or model you have but if you continue to drive that vehicle with the service engine flashing it may do serious damage to the catalytic converter(s).

Best to start off with hooking it to a scan tool. Verify which/how many cylinders to prevent you from wasting your money on "possible causes". Also there might be other codes that can guide you to the cause( I.E. sensor malfunction). You can perform a tune up, to rule out wires/cap, etc., it Might be time for it anyway. Also check if the plenum gasket is blown. Next would be to check the fuel pressure for a faulty pump/regulator, clogged fuel filter. these would be a good place to start. From there I would start checking compression/leak down. Using these I've found a broken exhaust vavle spring as the cause of a misfire on a sohc v6 explorer. Good luck

most times ford puts a chart in the owners manual for newer cars and trucks i would look there

It's a common error especially after the battery has been disconnected or gone completely dead. It usually means that the computer needs to be reset. You may need to take it to the dealer or a knowledgeable shop.

http://www.mobileinformationlabs.com/1WiringCodes$12.95.htm

If you are referring to the Service Engine Soon/Check Engine Soon light it can only be safely shut off with a code scanner. All cars manufactured after 1996 have OBD-II computer systems and they all work pretty much the same. You can purchase a scanner for under $100.00 at auto parts stores or even get the scan done free at major auto parts stores like Advance Auto or PepBoys. Do not try disconnecting the battery to clear the code because it will erase the trouble code and it will likely come on again if the problem isn't fixed. Disconnecting the battery will also erase system settings made by the computer for the engine to run properly and will take quite a while to reset. In the meantime your car will not be running at optimum perfomance and may even run rough. If you ignore the light you may do serious damage to your engine or emissions system that is expensive to fix. Don't put it off or you may regret it. Good luck.

In handbook. If you can describe the light and post it on here i might be able to shine some light on it for you. Hope this helps

water could have gotten into the spark plug holes. water + spark= no good. Only a few spark plugs could be firing, take them out, and check for water.

you need to replace the the keypad on the door....the membrain has cracked and is letting moisture in.....if you leave the headlights on auto you will find they will go on and off too

Any time you have to reset the ECM, all you have to do is disconnect the negative battery cable for about 15 seconds--if you've replaced the sensor--I just had to do that twice--the first one apparently was bad so I had to buy another one and now that fault is gone.

Have vehicle scanned to determine the problem

it resets every time you turn your car on. i have a 01 eclipse and the dealer told me that.

You need to read the manual that should have came with the machine, or go on the manufacturer's website for information and to, possibly, download a user guide.

Have vehicle scanned to determine the problem

If coolant is rusty or dirty - yes

If the light comes on "steady" it means that the computer has detected a fault but that you can probably wait to take care of it at your convenience... hopefully within a few days.

If the light is BLINKING, it means that something more serious is wrong and you need to take care of it NOW.

The check engine light (service engine soon) comes on and stays on when a problem is detected by the self diagnosis system of your vehicle. Generally, the problem is in the emissions or something that is affecting the effectiveness of the emissions, but other causes can trigger the light to come on, too. To determine the cause, the vehicle will need to be taken to AutoZone or a shop that has an OBD2 scanner, or for 1995 and earlier models, an OBD1 scanner, While a scanner will not give you the magic answer, it will give you a code that narrows down the problem area.

P0320 Ignition/Distributor Engine Speed Input Circuit Malfunction (cam sensor)

WHENEVER the check engine light comes on, ALWAYS connect a code scanner to figure out why. The light is on to tell you that the computer has detected a "fault" and it wants to tell you all about it.

Did you find the problem with your truck? I have the same problem with my 02 (5.3 l), but it happens only when I have the truck in 3rd gear and happens regardless if tow/haul on or off. Never happens when in overdrive. My mechanic checked the codes and found misfires but found everything in working order. He re-calibrated the crankshaft shaft sensor a few weeks ago. Don't know yet if that cured it or not though...

From 1989 on, the maintenance required light is turned off using a DRB-II Scan tool that most professional shops and the dealer have.

Or, if you are Cheap,,,er, I mean Cost Effective orientated, like me and wish

to spend the cost of a service call bill for other things, a strategically

placed piece of black electrical tape makes the light "disappear" too.

if you disconnect your battery cables and leave them disconnected overnight, the check engine or maintenance light usually goes off unless there is really something going on in your vehicles system. i did this for my van twice and it works just fine. i was told that the maintenance lights come on at different mileage intervals just as a vehicle precaution for maintenance, and usually there is nothing wrong.

The computer has detected a problem with the emissions controls or something that effects emissions. Fix ASAP. It also can detect when you have not put your gas cap on tightly. The absence of a vacuum in the gas tank will cause the check engine light to come on as well. -Voice of experience. Possibility: When my Bravada had a "check engine soon" light come on it was because the O2 sensors were bad. The next time it came on was because when I had the fuel tank replaced the mechanic forgot to plug a sensor above the tank back in.

if you can not locate the coding for the vehicle's OBD-II then you can take the vehicle to somewhere that offers free OBD readings, such as "advanced auto parts" stores.... they can attach the reader, get the codes, look them up, and tell you what's wrong... right there, for free.

If the problem was correctly fixed by a mechanic or yourself the check engine light should go out after a few cycles (on/off of running). A mechanic usually shuts the light off with diagnosis tools after the work is completed to check that it does not come on again due to the same error as there is no way to permanently shut the light off. If it is still on the repair done may not have been needed or there are more issues that need attention.