Just curious if anyone knows much about the service engine output. had my car shortly and since I started driving it I see the service engine light comes on intermittently. I'd say 3/4 of the time it comes on and sometimes dont. I figure somethin like the 02 is funkin out on me with voltage fluctuations or somethin. Cant really think what else could be causing it. Maybe an idle control motor or somethin needs cleanin? Don't have the low down on the bowties yet.

 

Grab a paperclip, bend it into a U-shape. Slip it into the ALDL, jumpering pins A and B, they're usually the two on the upper right corner. Put the key in the ignition and turn it to the run position and the service engine light will start flashing. Count the flashes, it'll flash then pause and flash again. It should light up then go off for a second then light up and flash twice, indicating a code 12. It'll flash code 12 three times. After the code 12 it'll flash out another code. Each code will be repeated three times. Write them down on a notepad and then post them here and someone can tell you what they mean.

Since the light is coming on intermitently it means its not a full time problem. Could be EGR, O2 sensor, or something else... but the codes will point you in the right direction. If you have a GM shop manual you can translate the codes and they give you flowcharts and diagnostic procedures to fix the problem.

 

BTW the ALDL (assembly line diagnostic link) is the diagnostic connector under the drivers side of the dash. It'll be behind a small rectangular cover or next to the fuse block. Hard to miss, its a rectangular plug in with about 20 slots, but only about 5 of them have pins.

 

Yea I seen that little output hidin there under the dash. Didnt feel like shellin out 30 bucks for the scanner flinky. Got a Ford one but I'm tryin not to spend all my dough on this car. I've got a haynes manual for it Not sure but dont think that will give any info. I'll have to try that out though. I think the EGR has been changed because there was an old on in a box in the trunk.

I'll check it out though. Thanks for the info

 

you can also build a cable really cheaply (I did it with spare parts from around my house ) and hook it up to a laptop for real time monitoring (winaldl) . http://winaldl.joby.se/ This works much better then the paperclip because you can see the actual conditions leading up to the service engine light, as well as create a log of all sensor data and review it later.

 

That'd be sweet if I had a laptop

 

I just got a laptop out of the dump hahah sure, it's only a pentium 166, but it works great.

 

HEHE My first powerful computer was a Acer P1 166 with 16 megs of ram w00t! 8XCD and 1mb video.

 

if you were closer i'd give you my laptop... BTW, how are you liking the thirdgen?

 

I'm having fun with it. Gives me a whole new world of things to do and invent. I still like my Mustang but honestly was getting bored with it.

I think the interior and exterior style are cool and kinda dig the laid back seating and low center of gravity. My cars are supposed to be competing against each other and yet they are so different.

If I wasnt so lazy I could run one of the towers out of the garage door on a cord.

 

Mine does that one or two days a month, but it's getting worse. For me, it's the ESC circuit. Probably a bad connection somewhere or dead ESC module.

 

Just for the record...whats ESC circuit?

 

ESC = Electronic Spark Control

If you have a 2.8L, you don't have this equipment as it is only used for systems with a Knock Sensor(3.1L in 3rd Gens)

Pull the code the old fashioned way from the ALDL and post the code, we can tell you what to check out from there.