Check engine light... again

ok, so that damn check engine light is on again, and an i have tried everything to fix it. However, i dont know what its on for , i researched online to try to figure out how to get it to spit out the error code. The places i read said ignition off-on three times.... so i do this and the third on it lights up like usual... nothing special. So what am i doing wrong? I insert the key turn the Ignition off-on-off-on-off-on and that should be it... right?


thanks

yep go off-on..off-on..off-on..the light will come on like normal then go out like normal, then a few sec. later it will blink out the code...every code is two digets and you have to carefully pay attention to the time in between each code because there will be either a long pause or short pause...a short pause means the second number of the current code is popping out and the long pause is just the space inbetween each code....and a code 55 just means "end of codes" it's not a fault.

SPOBI
The key off-on trick will only work with older engines.
Your profile indicates that your heep is a 1998, which is an OBD2 engine.
Anything with OBD2 must be read with a code reader.
Take the rig to an Advance Auto Parts or Autozone, and odds are their reader will tell you whats up.
How many miles on the rig?
What are the symptoms?
Could be as minor as a wet sensor, or as major as a faulting injector or O2 sensor.
HTH.

I work at a used car lot and we get this a lot on all sorts of different cars... the ol' check engine light.

Sometimes it's simple... like a bad tank of gas (maybe you just filled up)

Also, sometimes it's as simple as the gas cap not being on tight... gotta keep turning it so it clicks like 3 times and gets a good seal. It probably even mentions this in your owners manual.

Then a lot of times it's an oxygen sensor.

Disconnect your battery for a couple minutes and reconnect it. The light will go away (it resets the codes) and see if it comes back on again. Sometimes it doesn't.

bgcntry72 said:

SPOBI
The key off-on trick will only work with older engines.
Your profile indicates that your heep is a 1998, which is an OBD2 engine.
Anything with OBD2 must be read with a code reader.
Take the rig to an Advance Auto Parts or Autozone, and odds are their reader will tell you whats up.
How many miles on the rig?
What are the symptoms?
Could be as minor as a wet sensor, or as major as a faulting injector or O2 sensor.
HTH.

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right you are! just be careful when you go to Autozone or wherever.. they will read it for free.. BUT!! do not buy the parts he says you need immediately.. he is most likely NOT properly trained in sifting thru the diagnostic codes.. get the codes.. buy a quart of oil and thank him for his time.. and research the codes BEFORE you start throwing new sensors at the rig.. a visit to your dealership should help you get a better definition of what the error codes mean.. the parts guy could very well be right.. but you don't know that for sure....

sidriptide said:

right you are! just be careful when you go to Autozone or wherever.. they will read it for free.. BUT!! do not buy the parts he says you need immediately.. he is most likely NOT properly trained in sifting thru the diagnostic codes.. get the codes.. buy a quart of oil and thank him for his time.. and research the codes BEFORE you start throwing new sensors at the rig.. a visit to your dealership should help you get a better definition of what the error codes mean.. the parts guy could very well be right.. but you don't know that for sure....

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I agree with all but the stealership info.
$90 for 'diagnostics' does not sit well with me.
My local dealership wants to pull codes to sell me a taillight.
Get the codes, and tell us the symptoms, and then join up with the money you save.

cool, then to autozone i will go. It's got to be some part of the intake. I just put on a K&N and bored my TB. So its got to be something on that end. It will take me a week or so to get the jeep checked though, But I'll post the code when i get it.

Symptoms right now are nothing, Other than that light being on. There is no noise, or anything.

thanks

spazegun2213 said:

cool, then to autozone i will go. It's got to be some part of the intake. I just put on a K&N and bored my TB. So its got to be something on that end. It will take me a week or so to get the jeep checked though, But I'll post the code when i get it.

Symptoms right now are nothing, Other than that light being on. There is no noise, or anything.

thanks

Click to expand...

this might have been good info to post when you started the thread... let us know what the codes are when you get 'em..

bgcntry72 said:

SPOBI

Anything with OBD2 must be read with a code reader.

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97 was the last year the key on/off method would work. The code was displayed on the digital odometer. 96 XJ's (which is the first year of OBDII) would flash the code out, you'd just have to count the flashes; ...and don't blink. :laugh3: 98 and newer XJ's, you're S-O-L.

bgcntry72 said:

Take the rig to an Advance Auto Parts or Autozone, and odds are their reader will tell you whats up.

Click to expand...

This process has been made illegal in California and word has it that the rest of the country might be following soon due to the successful lawsuit against Autozone in Cali. All the ugly details can be found on the web.
If the Arnold the "Governator" has his way, this all might be reversed as he wants to disolve the California Air Research Board (C.A.R.B.)

JEEPZZ said:

This process has been made illegal in California and word has it that the rest of the country might be following soon due to the successful lawsuit against Autozone in Cali. All the ugly details can be found on the web.

Click to expand...

I've googled the hell out of this one, I can't find details, and I'm very curious here. Got a link or something?