Check Engine Light always on, Computer broken

[explorerfriend]

Alright so my check engine light has been on for at least the last 60,000 miles (i've got 145,000 now). When my dad took it to the dealership back then they said it was some computer not working and he forgets what it is exactly. ford then said they would replace it for like $350 or we coud leave it and just not know if there was a problem and they said the car would get slightly less mileage and performance with it broken.
I now want to know what exactly has been causing the check engine light to remain on because im getting about 13-14mpg in the city and have engine idle and hesitation problems. eventually i will run seafoam through and manually clean the tb but i want the security of knowing when the light is really on. Is it the pcm or ecu? could i just buy one off ebay(like $50) and replace it? i don't want to shell out $300 to the dealer. thanks a lot!!

 

[aldive]

It determine the source of the CEL illumination, you need to read the trouble code(s).

Good luck ....

 

[explorerfriend]

does anyone know if pep boys or napa do free code readings?? I do not know that there are (or have been) codes, or if my x will give any codes due to the broken computer. but it's worth a shot.

 

[IZwack]

i think advanced auto does.. call around eh

 

[trucku]

Autozone does it for free

 

[IZwack]

ah that must be it!!! autozone!!
i always get autozone and advanced auto mixed up.. most car parts places use the color red as their color - it just makes things confusing, luckilly Napa choses blue

 

[mynameisaric]

i bet Ford just wanted money. get your codes read at autozone. they arent the brightest there, so bring your codes back here and tell us what they are. we'll try and help you out. the codes will be PXXXX(x = number)

 

[explorerfriend]

thanks so much guys im just mad autozone (or advance) moved themselves from our area. not sure which one either, i agree. too much red. but i found another autozone, and will make the drive this weekend to try and pull some codes. but i'm quite glad i shelled out the $10 for the Haynes Repair Manual, very helpful plus all the undesired codes one could ever receive. thanks again

 

[ExplorerDMB]

you can actually find all the codes on here. If you go to the EEC-V section there is a thread by me in the stickies that deal with codes. There's a link to a chart!

-Drew

 

[SoBeLover]

ah that must be it!!! autozone!!
i always get autozone and advanced auto mixed up.. most car parts places use the color red as their color - it just makes things confusing, luckilly Napa choses blue

In our area both AutoZone and Advanced Auto do free code readings

 

[BrooklynBay]

I only have AutoZone where I live. They just opened an Advanced Auto Parts store in Philadelphia where my in-laws live during the summer.

 

[explorerfriend]

So i made my trip to autozone to pick up some seafoam and etc. along with getting codes pulled.

Well its gotta be brocken. he tried to connect to the comp. and it would never do so. just a constant "Please Wait".

so now that i am sure its broken, do you all have any recommendations as to getting it in working order again? would a used ebay comp. replacment from another x work in my x? What would I need? thanks for everyone's help!!

 

[ExplorerDMB]

See if your cigerette lighter is working. If it isn't - then you probably have a blown fuse (the Data Link Connector and the Cig Lighter share a fuse). If it does work, then you have an issue. Is the connector that the guy is plugging into to get the codes is under the dash or under the hood?

-Drew

 

[explorerfriend]

thanks dmb for the fuse idea. never thought of that. the lighter does work and he plugged it into the one under the dash. the check engine light is always on so i don't know if it could be a blown fuse since it still lights up?..

 

[aldive]

Since you have a '95, are you trying to hookup an OBD II device?

Are you one of the early OBD IIs?

Good luck .....

 

[explorerfriend]

aldive, i don't know much about obdII or I devices, but there is a plug under a pop out cover that the guy hooked it up to. i can't find one under the hood.


but i have another problem. i just cleaned my IAC, TB, and O2 sensor. and right now the IAC valve is making a terrible howl. I looked around on the site and tried just taking the filter off, and cap off, but that made it worse. the filter was a bit shredded so i took a layer off, would that do anything. But is the check engine light computer and the computer that learns the idle etc. the same? could it be letting in too much air now that its cleaner, but the computer won't limit the flow because it's broken?? could that be possible???

 

[aldive]

IACs do go bad and make the sound you describe.

I have tried cleaning them with poor results; a new IAC has always worked for me.

Good luck .......

 

[explorerfriend]

alright, well it's funny because it made the howl sound after i cleaned it. too bad. but anyway on to getting a new one. okay so is it okay that i continue driving it and also getting an oem from rockauto.com is sufficient right? also which one do i want? there are so many of the same looking ones all at diff. prices? thanks! rockauto.com

 

[aldive]

I always go with OEM Ford IACs; but thats just me. I am sure others are just fine.

Good luck .......

 

[explorerfriend]

So i read over another IAC cleaning thread and they used carb cleaner and also had a whine problem, and well i def. used a carb body cleaner to clean mine out. was that wrong? another thread says to use electrical cleaner because there is a sensor. whooops!! i wonder if the carb cleaner made the wine? i re cleaned it (no test yet) and am gonna wait a day before i spend the $75 for a new oem one.