Check Engine light ?

mikealdcorn

New Member
Dec 13, 2003
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I recently purchased my 99 mustang gt from a auction and the check engine light is on. My car hesitates a bit when drivin almost like a miss. I checked if it wasn't firein on all cylinders by unhooking each coil pack and the car ran worse so i knew it was firin on all cylinders. I was wondering what could be wrong with my car and how do i check the engine codes my self?
 
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you need an OBD2 scan tool. you can pick them up at a lot of parts stores for around $100, supposedly AutoZone will pull the codes for you for free (dont have one here in town yet). when they pull the code they will give you a number that represents the problem, or at least a way to start diagnosing the problem
 
Go to AUTOZONE, SCHUCK'S, JIFFY LUBE, etc and have them pull the codes for you. It's free. Have the codes read and proceed as necessary. I had schuck's to pull and read the codes for me. Then I took the car to JIFFY LUBE to have the code cleared. My SES light came on due to my Timing Adjuster being set too high. I'll back it off and see what happens.
 
mikealdcorn said:
I recently purchased my 99 mustang gt from a auction and the check engine light is on. My car hesitates a bit when drivin almost like a miss. I checked if it wasn't firein on all cylinders by unhooking each coil pack and the car ran worse so i knew it was firin on all cylinders. I was wondering what could be wrong with my car and how do i check the engine codes my self?

Your car can miss and still be firing on all cylinders. Pull the plugs and see what they look like, also check the gap.
 
Up hear in canada we don't got autozones. We got canadain tires that charge 100bucks to get the codes checked. Thats why i was wonderin if there was some other way to check them your self with out buyin a tool or something.
 
not anymore, that was one of the reasons the manufacturers agreed to use ODB2. see if theres a local community college in your area, or have a mechanic buddy who can pull the codes for you. when i went to school here i would pull codes for anyone who stopped by with a MIL, it was good training. it might be a fuel injector problem, check to make sure everything is tight. is the car pure stock, what mods? did you do anything to it right before you set the light off?
 
I would change the plugs, reset the computer by disconnecting the battery and see if that fixes the problem. I had a miss in my Expediton and pulled a No. 7 cylynder misfire code. Turned out it was a fouled plug so I changed them out. Might be your problem too.
 
i bought it with the check engine light on and the low coolant light was on too. I noticed a small coolant leak today not sure wear from though. I hope its nothin serious. I'll just goto canadain tire and get them to pull the code for me i guess that will narrow the problem. They charge 100 bucks though thats what sucks. I wish saskatchwan had a autozone that pulls code for free.
 
Buy a code reader or something like Autotap. Then you can read (and clear) the codes yourself. It will cost a lot less than paying $100 per trip too. With the Autotap, you can probably read everyone else's codes for $10-$20 and pay for the cost of your autotap... :nice:

Autotap also has the ability to monitor and record (real time) any PCM input, spark timing, fuel injector pusewidth, fuel trims, etc., which all comes in handy for trouble shooting problems. I haven't had any need to take the car to the dealership since I got mine. Now I just diagnose and fix it myself. :D