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Clearing "Check Engine" Codes

CherBear

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
Recently my O2 sensor went bad. I replaced it with a nice shiny new one.
I was told if you want to "clear" the code, you have to either:
1. remove one of your battery terminals and wait for about 15 minutes. (yes i know this does work)

2. remove one battery terminal, and then turn on your lights for a few seconds.

I know that the 1st option is sort of the standard, but i tried option 2 and it seemed to work. The weird thing is that i was working on a buddy of mines jeep and tried # 2 and it didnt work...

Any thoughts?
 
When I replaced mine the check engine light went out the first time i started it after the install, it cleared itself.
 
Recently my O2 sensor went bad. I replaced it with a nice shiny new one.
I was told if you want to "clear" the code, you have to either:
1. remove one of your battery terminals and wait for about 15 minutes. (yes i know this does work)

2. remove one battery terminal, and then turn on your lights for a few seconds.

I know that the 1st option is sort of the standard, but i tried option 2 and it seemed to work. The weird thing is that i was working on a buddy of mines jeep and tried # 2 and it didnt work...

Any thoughts?

It will depend on the year!To "clear" the codes requires a different step.
 
I suppose i should have been more specific.
I know very well that i can use a scanner to remove them
How ever i needed to reset the engines computer.
 
Remove both battery terminals and touch them together for 15 seconds. Then re-install onto the battery. This should wipe all the codes out of it. If the light comes back on, you still have a problem.
 
to clear the codes just get a code scanner and do it. take it to autozone if you don't have a scanner and they'll do it for free.

They won't do it anymore... I had one "manager" that said he would do it for me even though they aren't supposed to, but when I went back, he was not there, and they would not do it... Stoopid!

But after the problem is fixed, the CEL usually clears itself...
 
Just make sure you are not due for an emissions test real soon. Clearing the codes can reset the I/M readiness tests to 'not ready'. You have to do a fair amount of different types of driving to get the I/M readiness tests 'ready' again. Light should go out on its own in a few trips if the problem is solved...
 
Thats weird, I have had Autozone clear codes out several times recently....

Maybe it's a local thing... They gave me some nonsense reason like "Our policy won't let us do it anymore because then if you have to take it to a mechanic, he cant see what the problem codes are..." The one manager that said he would do it was because I looked at him like he was from Mars and said "It's my car, if I want the codes clear, that's my choice." But, as I said, he was not there when I went back, and they would only say "company policy" after that no matter what my argument was. My codes cleared themselves almost instantaneously anyway, but it was my 97... Not sure if or how fast other years clear their own codes...
 
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