Check Engine Light

Have vehicle scanned to determine problem and reset

another name is smog pump.this could cause light to come on.

If it is a diesel engine it could be the glow plugs.

There is a problem with the emissions system. You will need to have the computer scanned with a OBD2 scanner to determine where to start looking. Start by making sure all the required maintenance items have been performed, per the owners manual.

if your vehicle has computers, this can cause check engine light to come on,as a coolant leak ends up sending trouble message to computer

Code P0420 is a code for Catalyst efficiency. The computer is seeing the post Catalytic converter o2 sensor having too much activity. The Cat. should be cleaning the exaust of Hc, co, and Nox. The post cat o2 will read the o2 content in the exhaust and if it moves up and down too much or to high and low, the computer interperates that as the cat not ridding the exhaust of it's pollutants. This indicates that the converter is unable to preform properly. The problem could be a bad cat, o2 sensor (Pre- and/or post cat)or o2 sensor wires, or an air fuel mixture problem that has caused the cat to fail. Many other engine operating system failures can cause the converter to not work properly.

You need to have someone read out the code. there are 849 general codes and several hundred make-specific codes. Any garage will have an OBD-2 reader (if vehicle is 1997 or later) , but they'll charge you. You can pick one up at checker/kragen for about $100 and never pay to have it read again. Believe me, you will save the cost of the unit in about a month, and also help out your friends and neighbors.

Check the fuel rail valve to see if you have fuel going to the fuel rail. If you don't, there is a safety fuel shut-off switch located in the trunk around the left trunk hinge. Press the button and try to start the car again. (or you could save yourself some trouble and push the damned button first - LOL) I would say, push the black alarm reset button on or near the steering column. If you press the red button when the car is not running, it will go into valet mode and the red button will blink twice, repeatedly. The lights , going on and off are for the alarm. Telling you there has been an intrusion. Does your horn work? My car had the same problem and the previous owner took out the 25 amp fuse for the horn because the alarm kept going off.

Go to the local library and obtain a repair manual for any escort up to 1994. Your car has the OBD 1 which is easy to access codes from but you will need the key as there are many codes that can be stored. Basically you take a paper clip and short across the diagnostic link and the engine light will flash but again there is a procedure you need to follow. I have done it many times but not on an Escort; but is is not hard once you get the manual.

i have the same truck its nothing to wory about as long as its not staying on if it is just a sudden flicker when you accel, the CEL light is just a warn as a gas cap warning or one of your 02 censors is bad its a 60$ fix if you do it your self i hope this helps i also notice that i needed a new fuel filter these are just options im just trying to help

Many cars will keep a history of any codes that have been tripped since the last time the codes were cleared. Once codes are cleared by a scanner they are erased permenantly.

it doesnt necessarily mean its gas it can be your engine oil or some other type of oil. or tempt.

probaly because there is something wrong. If you don't have one already, get a Haynes or Chitlens Repair manual. They break down how to fix just about anything on the specified car. This will tell you how to check the ECM, or car computer. You will watch as the system gives you a set of blinking lights that are coded. You then take the number of long and short blinks ie. 4 long and 3 short, and go to the codes in the repair manual. It will tell you what engine part is sending a problem to the ECM, seeing as there are hundreds of different components that can go bad. Hope that helps. I had the same thing happen and I added more water to water reserve and light went out. the water was about one an a half inches below fill line on tank.

push the select then set button additional info : The above answer only applies if the perform service info is coming from the optional vehicle info system (which also shows open doors and broke tail lights etc) and not a dash light near the speedometer. If its the light near the speedo you have to get the code checked to find out what is happening, do the repair and reset the light. I believe you can rent a code reader from most local part stores and just reset the light but if there is a problem the light will just come back on again. An editorial: I hate all vehicles with black boxes and computers...which means almost all cars made in the last 20 years. I think the best thing to do is to buy a late model, drive it for two years and dump it. I sure wish I could afford to do this but I can't. Instead I drive 10 year old vehicles with 150000 miles on them and spend a lot of time trying to figure out stuff like this. I guess it keeps me out of the bars......

To the left of the hood latch is a cover for the plug in port where a diagnosis scanner can plug in. Pop out the cover and take it to autozone for a free diagnosis.

check your accelerator...

To locate a list of service engine codes for a 1996 Chevy S10 pickup truck, you can refer to the vehicle’s service manual, which typically includes a comprehensive list of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Additionally, online automotive forums, websites dedicated to Chevrolet vehicles, and resources like the AllData or Mitchell OnDemand databases can provide the necessary information. You may also find helpful information at local auto parts stores, which often have access to diagnostic tools and code references.

I guess I will answer this myself in the hopes the next guy will not have to spend as much time searching the internet as I did. I found this article. http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/generic/p0303-cylinder-3-misfire-detected.php And on a forum one guy found that after a HEAVY rain water had somehow traveled between the cowl and hood on his truck and settled on the well for plug #3. A bit of compressed air solved his problem I hope I am that lucky. Ron There can be a multitude of reasons why any given cylinder is misfiring. Some of the most common include: Faulty spark plug wire - (to see if this is the problem, exchange spark plug wire with another cylinder- if the trouble code moves from cylinder three to the new cylinder, your spark plug wire is the culprit) Faulty spark plug - (remove spark plug and examine for damage, and/or carbon deposits which would keep the plug from sparking) Faulty/improperly connected coil pack - (test coil pack for proper function according to your repair manual) Faulty Fuel injector - (Remove fuel injector from misfiring cylinder and exchange it with another cylinders' injector; if the problem moves from one cylinder to the next with the fuel injector, you have found your culprit)

pretty much instantly. As soon as the codes are cleared the check engine light goes off and vice versa, unless there still is trouble. In this case the codes won't clear until the trouble is repaired.

I'm guessing you have an 02 sensor before the cat and after the cat as standard, if both of them send the computer back the same emissions levels, then the computer says 'hey this is wrong, the cat is broken, I'm turning on the light'

you'd most likely be able to fool the computer into thinking that the cat is there by using resistors perhaps in line with the second oxygen sensor to make it believe it's picking up a much leaner reading than it really is.. it's all based on either resistance or voltage so you can alter what's returned to the ecu using some basic electrical principles..

I DONT KNOW FOR SURE BUT I DO KNOW THAT IF YOU DONT GET THE CAR REPAIRED YOU ARE INDANGER OF STARTING THE CAR ON FIRE THE CONVERTOR RUNS NORMAL AT 1500 DEG. WHEN IT GLOWS THERE IS A MAJOE PROBLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO RICH OR LEAN. PLAESE DRIVE THE CAR TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! sounds like the convertor has colasped internally. Check with the dealer to see if it is still under warranty. On most cars the emissions systems carry a longer warranty than drivetrain parts. Do this now......if the metal is glowing it could spark a fuel line and then there would be a real problem.

By taking the car somewhere to have the problem(s) fixed that are causing the codes.

There are several ways. You can disconnect the battery, wait a little while and then reconnect it; take it to a place that has a code reader (like Autozone); turn the engine on and off several times.

The main point is that if you haven't fixed what caused the light to come on, it will turn on again. If you take it to a place like Autozone, they will tell you what is causing it to turn on.

Check the EGR solenoid or some sort of EGR sensor. Most cars have these nowadays.

could be bad wiring, sensor holder or pick up.

Hey Michael==Make sure the cooling fans are working properly. It varies with the make of car. GoodluckJoe

There is a switch that controls the brightness of the dash illumination. You can adjust them from bright to dim and off all together. Be sure the switch is not in the off position. The dash illumination has its own fuse, check that also.