"Check Engine" light troubleshooting.

[Mustang_Cougar]

A few days ago I posted about an odd experience where a warning light (shaped like a gas pump with "rain drop" looking doodads above it) went off in my '98 Ranger. After doing some searching online, I found that it is a warning light for contaminated diesel fuel. That's all fine and good, since I don't have a diesel and it quickly went away on it's own.

However, yesterday my "Check Engine" light went off for the first time (truck has ~84k miles). Getting a little paranoid, I started through the basics (ie, cheapest fix): Drove all the old gas out (it was from a gas station, WaWa, that I rarely use), replaced the gas cap, poured in a 20oz bottle of Techron, filled it up with a tank of Chevron Supreme, and manually reset the warning light.

If this doesn't fix the problem, where/what should I look at next? Oxygen sensor? EGR valve? Cat?

BTW: I'm doing my darndest to avoid taking it to Ford, so any opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

M_C

 

[eljefino]

That's pretty weird.

Nothing ford makes in a diesel (except maybe overseas) could even have a remotely similar wiring harness to your ranger. So it's not like there's a plug hanging under the hood where the diesel filter/water collector would be.

And if they did make a diesel truck overseas, there would be enough other differences, like not being US OBD-II, that they'd invent a whole new harness.

Same for someone goofing at the assembly line and putting in a "mask" for a diesel truck by accident. The light could be in the same place for a gas truck to indicate low washer fluid or whatever.

You can pull the code for the check engine light, that's easy enough if you can reset it, unless you simply disconnected the battery. Codes like "P0300- random misfire" you can just hope won't come back (due to bad gas) or do a tuneup if you think you're due.

If you have no scantool autozone and other parts stores will lend you one on the idea that you'll be back to buy some parts.

 

[porcupine73]

Dude I think you need an ODBII code scanner. A lot of auto parts places such as AZ will read the codes for free (hoping you'll buy what you need to fix it from them).

There are a lot of reasons the CEL/MIL would come on and reading the codes will give some good hints about where to look.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

Here's some of the stuff I've found on Usenet:

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Gauge light that isn't in manual

I had an interesting light come on today in our '98 Ranger 4x4. I know that the instrument panel is shared among models, at least the Ranger and Explorer and I don't know what else.

Just to the lower right of the speedometer, I found a yellow lamp that is a gas pump with what looks like three or four raindrops to the right of the pump. This is one of those type of cluster lights that has to be backlit in order to be seen. It didn't stay on long, and it could even have been the sun hitting it at an odd angle. This was tje first time in 41K miles that I had seen it, and I couldn't find it in the owners manual in the panel checklist.

I know that the diesels have a light that warns of water in fuel (although it says that in so many words, at least on our F350), but I have never seen a similar warning on a gas engine.

Was the '98 dash used in some diesel applications for non-US production
ranger/explorer vehicles?

Just curious...

michelle

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I saw something about this light a few months ago somewhere else. The question was never answered though. I have looked though my owners manual (98 ranger) and through both ford service manuals and found no mention of it anywhere. The only thing i could think of it being is for the electric rangers. Im pretty sure they use the same dash and instrument cluster. if you ever find out post the answer i would be interested in knowing what its for as well.

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[FowVay]

Maybe the light is telling you that you left the gas cap off.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

No, there's actually a seperate light for that too.

 

[got boost?]

take it autozone and have it read for free.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

Well I got a few things accomplished...

1) The code was P1401 (EGR high voltage limit), so I replaced the EGR position sensor. Reset the light, added a new air filter, oil cap, PCV valve & serpentine belt. No CEL yet!

2) Went to Ford, asked them about the other light. Service manager looked at the bezel, claims he's never seen one light up and doubts there's a bulb behind it. Of course, even so he didn't know what it was or which Ford model used it. Anyway, I pointed out to him that even though my Ranger is 2WD, it has a bulb in the dash for the 4WD idiot light. Didn't believe me, so I turned the ignition to Run and shazaam: All gauge lights come on, including 4WD.

Thank goodness for the internet, as otherwise I'm sure I'd be out several hundred dollars at the Ford dealership.

 

[Gary Allan]

When you turned on the ignition to light up all the bulbs to show the service manager ...did the "little man" with the "raining fuel nozzle" light up too???