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Check Engine Light and Inspection

J

Jack Ryan

Golden Member
Disclaimer: I don't know a lot about automobiles.

Wife has a 97 mercury sable with well over 100,000 miles. For a few years now the check engine light has been on but the car continues to run acceptable. We used to live in PA, where the state inspection was done at a shop. They only needed to "clear" the computer and drive for 5 miles or so with the engine off. Which it did. But not long after leaving the shop, the light would come back on. (I am told the computer is saying there is a "misfire". Two diff shops have tried to fix it without luck. Car still runs ok and gets my wife to work.)

Now we live in DE, where the inspection is done at the DMV. Apparently, a check engine light is an automatic failure. On the second try, we did the old disconnect the battery deal to clear the computer, but then we were told that we had to "drive 100 miles before the computer had all the values the inspection looked for".

I have a handful of questions, mainly, of what my options are for inspection (have until the end of the year).
-First question is does anyone know if "100 miles" was some arbitrary number he came up with or if 100 miles really is the standard?
-To bypass that part of the inspection, they want $700. (I wasn't sure if that was for a year or more). Isnt there a tool I can use to hook up to the computer to clear that stuff myself? (if so would that help me at all or would it be the same as disconnecting the battery)
-What exactly is a "misfire"?

I don't feel like trying a shop again to fix it, although I would pay a shop to do the inspection for me (not sure if delaware allows that). I will continue trying to get about 50-75 miles on the car before the engine light comes back on and see if I can get through inspection then, but we have been avg 30 miles before the light comes on.

Thanks for your time.


-- It is the torque converter
 
Originally posted by: KMDupont64
Disclaimer: I don't know a lot about automobiles.

Wife has a 97 mercury sable with well over 100,000 miles. For a few years now the check engine light has been on but the car continues to run acceptable. We used to live in PA, where the state inspection was done at a shop. They only needed to "clear" the computer and drive for 5 miles or so with the engine off. Which it did. But not long after leaving the shop, the light would come back on. (I am told the computer is saying there is a "misfire". Two diff shops have tried to fix it without luck. Car still runs ok and gets my wife to work.)

Now we live in DE, where the inspection is done at the DMV. Apparently, a check engine light is an automatic failure. On the second try, we did the old disconnect the battery deal to clear the computer, but then we were told that we had to "drive 100 miles before the computer had all the values the inspection looked for".

I have a handful of questions, mainly, of what my options are for inspection (have until the end of the year).
-First question is does anyone know if "100 miles" was some arbitrary number he came up with or if 100 miles really is the standard?
-To bypass that part of the inspection, they want $700. (I wasn't sure if that was for a year or more). Isnt there a tool I can use to hook up to the computer to clear that stuff myself? (if so would that help me at all or would it be the same as disconnecting the battery)
-What exactly is a "misfire"?

I don't feel like trying a shop again to fix it, although I would pay a shop to do the inspection for me (not sure if delaware allows that). I will continue trying to get about 50-75 miles on the car before the engine light comes back on and see if I can get through inspection then, but we have been avg 30 miles before the light comes on.

Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

wtf, they want a bribe to "bypass" that section of the inspection?

or is there something i don't know?
 
You're going about it all wrong. The check engine light is on because something is wrong with your engine. Clearing the computer is not fixing anything.

Just take the car in and have the code pulled. It's probably the O2 sensor or something similar.

As far as I know, the ECU has no way to tell whether the engine is misfiring or not. But a misfire is just that, a cylinder that failed to ignite for whatever reason. You can usually tell when this is happening because the engine will sound a little different(an exhaust pulse will not happen), and if it's really bad will run like sh!t and you will have no power.

You should want to fix the check engine light anyway. If it really is a sensor that's out of range, you'll probably see an improvement in fuel economy.
 
quakefiend420: I dont know if it was just the inspection guy wanting cash (I would have given him $20 bucks if that was the case) or if it was a DE policy. (My wife went)

Eli: So is getting a shop to clear the code different than disconnecting the battery? I tried the "fix it" route, and it didnt work out too well.
 
Originally posted by: KMDupont64
quakefiend420: I dont know if it was just the inspection guy wanting cash (I would have given him $20 bucks if that was the case) or if it was a DE policy. (My wife went)

Eli: So is getting a shop to clear the code different than disconnecting the battery? I tried the "fix it" route, and it didnt work out too well.
Click to expand...

No - Either way, you will clear the code temporarily. What do you mean it "didn't work out too well"? Did you take it to a competent mechanic?

If it's a misfire, or a common O2 sensor - your probably getty sh1tty gas mileage as well. And if the lights on all the time and ignored, it may mask a more serious problem.

Bottom line - fix it right.

Eli: Yes, newer cars can detect a misfire BTW
 
Originally posted by: SuperSix
Originally posted by: KMDupont64
quakefiend420: I dont know if it was just the inspection guy wanting cash (I would have given him $20 bucks if that was the case) or if it was a DE policy. (My wife went)

Eli: So is getting a shop to clear the code different than disconnecting the battery? I tried the "fix it" route, and it didnt work out too well.
Click to expand...

No - Either way, you will clear the code temporarily. What do you mean it "didn't work out too well"? Did you take it to a competent mechanic?

If it's a misfire, or a common O2 sensor - your probably getty sh1tty gas mileage as well. And if the lights on all the time and ignored, it may mask a more serious problem.

Bottom line - fix it right.

Eli: Yes, newer cars can detect a misfire BTW
Click to expand...

It can tell you which cylinder, as well.

 
you can buy a code reader for under 100 bucks. Mine was 60. You can use it right before the inspection to clear teh code .. it wont come back when tehy test it. as long as you dont do 3 restarts or something, it wont recheck for everything.

Once you get a code reader, post the code here, we can help you fix it.
 
Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy
you can buy a code reader for under 100 bucks. Mine was 60. You can use it right before the inspection to clear teh code .. it wont come back when tehy test it. as long as you dont do 3 restarts or something, it wont recheck for everything.

Once you get a code reader, post the code here, we can help you fix it.
Click to expand...

Autozone will hook up a code reader for free, but he was already told it was a misfire.

 
i don't understand...

they told you that you have to drive it for 100 miles with the light off? how do they know? can't you reset it before going back in?
 
I talked with my current shop, I am just going to bring it in and have them try to fix the issue.

I was told by them that there are certain values in the computer that are only available after driving the car awhile (hence the 100 miles comment). These values get reset when the codes are cleared. I am hoping that the two jokers that looked at it before were just idiots (or maybe I was the idiot).

Now the question becomes, if it is the "O2 sensor" that people have mentioned, what is that going to run me?

Also, how hard is it to do?
 
Ok, shop called and said this code was saying there is a problem with a part inside the transmission. Shop talked to their "transmission guy" and said 2400 to rebuild. I don't think I have ever heard of a transmission guy saying "Oh yeah, we can fix that for a couple hundred."

Regardless, this car looks headed for the graveyard.
 
So the car runs and drives fine, and has for years with the light on, and they're telling you the tranny is shot? Sounds a bit... suspect to me. Get a second opinion. Take the car to autozone and get a free code readout and post back the error codes. But yeah, tranny repairs are always spendy. Even moreso in a front wheel drive car... they are a serious pain to remove!
 
Same reason we finally got rid of our 90 Accord... it wouldn't pass inspection on a technicality (our speedo was shot) and we weren't going to fork over yet more money for an old car... while people in California can drive around with busted Pimp My Ride candidates without worry... what's up with that ?

It's time to grab another car.
 
This isnt to solve your problem, but just to share. My "Check Engine Light" recently came on and the culprit was the gas cap.
 
My check engine light is always on now. It says emissions. Mechanic told me not to worry about it.

That $700 to bypass thing...thats gotta be a bribe. No way is there a "bypass state laws for money" option.
 
Ok, the code is P1744 -- Torque convertor control fault.

Things worked fine while they were testing it and they suspect that the torque converor "slips" while driving which causes the check engine light. This would explain why we can drive the car fine for the most part.

That $700 thing may be an emissions waiver that you can apply for. $700 seems steep, I will call them today to see whats up.
 
torque convertor always slips, its like two props inside a donut full of oil, its a viscous coupling, there is no mechanical contact..

unless its a lockup, which is possible. then at speed/cruise the propeller like deals inside lock up, less loss that way.. efficency++



my describing skill is the suck for automatics. lol
 
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