Check Engine Light On?

Hi:
Do you remember what gaskets were replaced? Also, when you see smoke, where is it coming from the engine or exhaust? Lets run the codes here is a guide to help

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Please run down this guide and report back.

They said that it was the oil gaskets and the smoke is coming from the exhaust.

Ok:
If the oil is getting on the exhaust manifold, then it is coming from the valve cover gaskets. The parts are cheap, but the labor takes a little time. However, if it is dripping oil under the car on to the exhaust, it could be the oil pan gasket . It could also be an oil sending unit, oil filter... Take it to a different shop and ask them to specifically identify what is leaking. As far as the light, that is a different problem. Take it to a nationally recognized parts store and have them scan the computer for codes. If the light is on, there is a code in the computer. The code will identify why the light is on and the problem. Most parts stores will scan it for free.

Let me know.

Joe

The

Actually the valve cover gaskets are what they said they replaced when I took it to them to be fixed. My car wasn't holding oil and they said that the valve cover gaskets were leaking. I apologize that I didn't remember the name of what they fixed.

Ten days ago cel came on, took to Ford dealer. Replaced idle air control valve and reset KAM, replaced crankcase vacuum elbows at both valve cover connection. Retest on both replacements was good.
Picked up the car yesterday. As I drove I discovered I had to press hard on the gas pedal to get moving from a complete stop. Got home. Car sat for an hour and a half. Went out again. After about fifteen minutes of city driving check engine light came on again. Still have to press hard on the pedal before car accelerates and then goes fast. This morning same thing. Light was on from start and still pressing hard on pedal.

Good afternoon,

What is the code that is set?

Why were the other parts replaced? Were there codes in that system?

Roy

I can't answer the questions because I do not know what the codes were. Parts were replaced because they were supposedly the cause of the problem.

Can you check your receipt for the codes so I can help you?

Roy

We have a 2000 Ford Taurus. We have been having trouble with it since August, when we had the required maintenance done by a Ford dealership. The engine started running rough. They said that bad gas had caused the flexable fuel module to go out. We had that replaced, and they also replaced all of the spark plugs. It wasn't long until the same problem came back. We took it back again and they said that the engine had low compression in one of the cylinders and not to worry about it. We took it to a different Ford dealership and had them check it out. They said that the compression was lower in one cylinder, but not enough to hurt. They also put in a new spark plug and wire on the cylinder that had the lowered compression. They told us that it was OK to drive. We took the car to Little Rock, about 200 miles. On the way back, the engine got very rough and the check engine light flashed on an off. We parked it at a Ford dealership in Russellville. When we called them, they said that two of the cylinders had no compression at all, neither of them was the cylinder that the other Ford dealership had said was bad. They said that we would probably have to have the heads repaired and possibly have an engine job. What is your opinion?

My opinion would be to stay awy from the ford dealerships down there. What logic is there to replacing the plug and wire on a low compression cylinder? Bad gas caused the fuel module to go bad?? YIKES!!!

Sounds like you have a possible headgasket or head problem. If you like the car, look into having a jasper reman engine put in. First find an independent garage that is current in technology and get some better care than you're getting.

Engine Performance problem
2000 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive

I have a dohc v6 2000 ford taurus. The engine light comes on often, also it will flash at times. Autozone said it was a cylinder 1 misfire. I had this in the past, replaced coil packs and plug 10,000 miles ago. The light went off.Then 5000 miles ago it came on again saying the same thing also with poor engine performance. I replaced the EGR valve. The light went off. Now it is back on and off sometimes flashing with poor engine proformance, I had it checked for a vaccum leak, I hear a leak coming from what sounds like under the pentium. I hear it is common, is there another vaccum line under the intake?? Is it difficult to replace this gasket???

Flashing check engine light is an indication of a misfire
You should run an OBDII code reader and check for codes

Smoke test should reveal vacuum leak
Suspect intake manifold gasket

The car seems to run fine. I has been sitting for several years. I installed a new gas tank and complete fuel pump assembly. I can not get it to pass inspection. The failed report indicates the Catalytic Convertor Efficiency is not ready, Secondary air system not available, Heated catalyst not available, A/C Refrigerant not available, EGR flow not ready, Evaporative Emissions Control Systm not ready.

The o2 sensors, engine misfire, comprehensive component are all ready. There is a new battery in the vehicle and it has been tuned up. Initially I was instructed to drive the car to help reset the computer, but as I recall the light was coming several years ago when I initially stopped driving the vehicle. Any suggestions?

If have check engine light on
you will not pass inspection
need to scan for codes
on 2000 you can have two monitor not ready
and no codes and check engine light to pass emission inspection

if have check engine light on scan for codes and let me know

Hi all, and thanks for taking the time to read over my question. I have a 2000 Taurus Wagon, 3.0L OHV, 190 000km. Engine light on, one code, EVAP system slow leak. Unfortunately not the gas cap, but rather the EVAP canister purge valve, as found during a smoke test. A new valve is over $100. I'm just trying to keep the car on the road. I've heard that by driving it with the engine light on, that the computer won't go into closed loop, and will therefore use more gas. Others have told me that this is not the case. Will ignoring this problem and driving the car as is with the engine light on hurt my fuel economy?Thanks.

some codes will do what you say, unfortunately yours will use more fuel. what you can do is if you live in a dusty/dirty area, try cleaning the vent hose out either with air or vacuum and seeif that helps. you will need a scanner to shut the light off though tosee if it has.

Smells problem
2000 Ford Taurus Two Wheel Drive Automatic 126000 miles

My car had it's check engine light go on recently got it looked and 'fixed' light went off for a day or two and came back on. I had a pulley fixed and was told the air compressor is going, but now it has a burning smell after driving and some smoke coming from the engine... Help??

did the smoke start right after having the pully replaced? and if you were told the ac compressor is going out im wondering if maybe the compressor is locked up. start the car and see if you can pinpoint a area where the smoke is coming from and let me know

I have had a problem when the car starts up for the first time of the day. The engine rumbles and the rpm is around 2000. If I sit there and wait 1 min or so, the engine calms down and I am off and running - no issues. However, if I push it and try to gto right away, I trun the check engine light on and it states that #1 zone misfiired. The delaership has already replaced the sensor on the armature telling teh position of the piston in the engine and the coil pack has been replaced aloong with the spark plug and the wire to the spark plug.

What next?

Have they checked for a vacuum leak at the intake? Remember, steel expands when it gets hot. It may seal itself when it begins to warm up.

Engine Mechanical problem
2000 Ford Taurus Front Wheel Drive 54000 miles
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my empty light came on so i stopped and put half a tank of gas in my car. the gas came from a station i have used before. and about 5 minutes down teh road my check engine light came on. i have bought gas before & had teh lite come on. I go and put a better grade of gas in and teh lite goes out. do you think this is teh case with yesterday. i also had my oil change done after my lite had came on. they said i need a new airfilter. i get one tomorrow. could that have made teh lite come on?? Nikki

Hi there,

I would start with getting a scan done to see what the code is, don't second guess these things have the codes read and post your findings here.

Mark(mhpautos)

I have a taurs Se year 2000. I took the car to a mechanic because my car started stalling while driving in traffic. They checked car and said there is 3 misfires. They flushed the car becuase they felt that there must be carbon build up in the fuel system. Car showed up a check engine light on. I took it back and they said that it being the car has over 100,000 miles i need to change the struts and possibly coils. I only had struts changed because that is what the manuel had said that at 100,000 miles i should change them. The cars engine light is still on and now my mechanic is telling me that there is a problem with the intake and this is the reason it still stalls. What do i do could this be in association with my engine light being on?

Listen... If you want my opinion take it to a different shop. The engine miss is NOT caused be struts and coil springs. The first thing I would have checked was for a tune up. The plugs and wires may need replaced. As far as the intake, you could have a vacuum leak. However, because of the strut issue, I would recommend another opinion.

my 2000 ford taurus idle's up and down when i come to a stop. When it idle's down, it acts like it wants to cut off but it doesn't. It also has a miss to it when it idle's down. What could that possibly be?

If the check engine light is on, have the computer scanned to confirm the problem. Most parts stores will do it for free. To me it sounds like a bad Idle air control valve (IAC) or a simple vacuum leak.

Have it checked and let me know what you find.
Joe

I have a 2000 Taurus wagon with the 3.0 DOHC V6 Duratec engine. I bought it used last year and It has 138,000 miles on it.
About a month ago, the transmission started giving me problems by not shifting when the engine was cold. I took it to a local transmission shop and it was diagnosed to be the speed sensor, which was replaced for $350. I thought this was a bit steep, but I paid the bill and was on my way.
The next day, I was on my way to work, when the 'Check Engine" icon lit up. This had never happened since I bought the car 14,000 miles ago, so I went back the the repair shop, thinking maybe they neglected to connect everything back.
The mechanic ran the diagnostics and the codes P0172 & P0175 [System Too Rich (Banks 1&2)] showed up. He thought it was my O2 sensors, but he didn't see anything physically amiss. He reset the codes and said it could be a glitch in the system and if it came back, he'd investigate further. By the way, the original problem was corrected - it shifts normally now.
A couple days later, the 'Check Engine' icon came on again, so I decided to take it in for a thorough diagnostic checkup at a reputable engine specialist in my town. He ran it through the diagnostics and reported that the P0172 code popped up, further explaining that the O2 sensor was switching slowly, causing the icon to be tripped.
He said that it would cost between $300 and $600 to replace the sensors and that his advise was to just ignore the 'Check Engine' icon, that it wouldn't be detrimental to my engine. He did suggest running a couple tanks of gas with injector cleaner in it, he reset the code, & I was on my way.
Well, about three days later, the dreaded icon came on again! Now my questions (finally!!)...

1) Do you think it could be just a coincidence that the icon illuminated right after trans work was completed or could the trans shop have caused it? They stated that they dropped the trans for the speed sensor repair, but didn't disconnect the exhaust.
2) Why would the icon not come back on immediately? As I stated, it would stay off for a couple days before reappearing.
3) Is the price I received ($300-600) reasonable to replace the sensor(s) ? How many sensors are we talking about, which ones should be changed, and where exacxtly are they located? Can a mechanically-inclined person (me) change it/them or are there special tools/skills needed to complete the repair?
4) Or should I just take the last mechanic's advise and learn to live with a constantly lit 'Check Engine' icon?

One last note - the engine's performance doesn't seem to be affected by the icon being lit, but I did read that when it is lit, the engine's computer runs a 'limp program' that decreases gas mileage and increases emissions. Because of this, when the icon reappears every couple days, I disconnect the battery for a few minutes, which resets the code and the icon disappears for 2-3 days.

Sorry for being so lengthy, but I figure too much info is better than not enough!! Edit at will! And thanks...

Post is not too lenthy, but informative and necessary...Thank-you.

The tranny shop sounds like they did good. The second Specialist shop scares me. You do not ignore the CEL....ever. An intermittant problem and such can be trying and all, but it needs to be addressed.

While it is technically, possibly true damage is not going to happen to the engine it may affect other systems and your fuel miliage. I am not confident with their response.


Your first question is hard to answer, mostley becasue we don;t know the true cause yet. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't cause it. Since it went a week, I am more inclined to think they didn't cause it or it would have happened within a day. The harness may have been placed in a position that it may be damaged and causing part of the problem.

2-The particular self test may not runn right away. Self-tests or monitors sometimes run in sequence or the vehicle needs to be driven in a prticular way to make the test run. If it fails , it throws the light.

3-We can cross that bridge later and provide help if needbe.

4-Hell, no!!


First thing I would try is to get some electrical cleaner spray froma parts store and clean the Mass Air Flow sensor.

[quote:ab8d606d79="lev1017"]I have a 2000 Taurus wagon with the 3.0 DOHC V6 Duratec engine. I bought it used last year and It has 138,000 miles on it.
About a month ago, the transmission started giving me problems by not shifting when the engine was cold. I took it to a local transmission shop and it was diagnosed to be the speed sensor, which was replaced for $350. I thought this was a bit steep, but I paid the bill and was on my way.
The next day, I was on my way to work, when the 'Check Engine" icon lit up. This had never happened since I bought the car 14,000 miles ago, so I went back the the repair shop, thinking maybe they neglected to connect everything back.
The mechanic ran the diagnostics and the codes P0172 & P0175 [System Too Rich (Banks 1&2)] showed up. He thought it was my O2 sensors, but he didn't see anything physically amiss. He reset the codes and said it could be a glitch in the system and if it came back, he'd investigate further. By the way, the original problem was corrected - it shifts normally now.
A couple days later, the 'Check Engine' icon came on again, so I decided to take it in for a thorough diagnostic checkup at a reputable engine specialist in my town. He ran it through the diagnostics and reported that the P0172 code popped up, further explaining that the O2 sensor was switching slowly, causing the icon to be tripped.
He said that it would cost between $300 and $600 to replace the sensors and that his advise was to just ignore the 'Check Engine' icon, that it wouldn't be detrimental to my engine. He did suggest running a couple tanks of gas with injector cleaner in it, he reset the code, & I was on my way.
Well, about three days later, the dreaded icon came on again! Now my questions (finally!!)...

1) Do you think it could be just a coincidence that the icon illuminated right after trans work was completed or could the trans shop have caused it? They stated that they dropped the trans for the speed sensor repair, but didn't disconnect the exhaust.
2) Why would the icon not come back on immediately? As I stated, it would stay off for a couple days before reappearing.
3) Is the price I received ($300-600) reasonable to replace the sensor(s) ? How many sensors are we talking about, which ones should be changed, and where exacxtly are they located? Can a mechanically-inclined person (me) change it/them or are there special tools/skills needed to complete the repair?
4) Or should I just take the last mechanic's advise and learn to live with a constantly lit 'Check Engine' icon?

One last note - the engine's performance doesn't seem to be affected by the icon being lit, but I did read that when it is lit, the engine's computer runs a 'limp program' that decreases gas mileage and increases emissions. Because of this, when the icon reappears every couple days, I disconnect the battery for a few minutes, which resets the code and the icon disappears for 2-3 days.

Sorry for being so lengthy, but I figure too much info is better than not enough!! Edit at will! And thanks...[/quote:ab8d606d79]

HI
{1} I DONT THINK THEY ARE THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEM SPEED SENSOR DOSNT REQUIRE TRANNY REMOVAL ON YOU CAR

{2} ECM RUN A CHECK ON THE SYSTEM EVRY SO OFTEN CONDITIONS HAVE TOBE MEAT BEFORE THE ECM GET READY SO THAT TAKE TIME DEPAND ON THE DRIVING YOU DO MAY BE UP TO 50 MILES
{3}MAY BE IF THEY FIX IT WRIGHT 600 BIT HI
{4} NO NO NO NO


CHECK : YOUR FUEL REGULATOR
MAS AIR SENSOR
COOLANT
COOLANT SENSOR
THERMOSTATE
HIGHL\ UNLIKLY ITS THE O2 SENSOR

GOOD LUCK





























[

Paul, I had said that the idiot light came on the day after the transmission shop completed the repair, not a week later, but anyway, I inspected and cleaned the Mass Air Flow sensor as you suggested and reset the CEL 2 days ago - the icon came back on today. Now what? Should I replace the MAF sensor? In reference to my question #3:

Is the price estimate I received ($300-600) reasonable to replace the O2 sensors? How many sensors are we talking about, which ones should be changed, and where exacxtly are they located? Can a mechanically-inclined person (me) change it/them or are there special tools/skills needed to complete the repair?

Thanks......

I'll update this shortly, but here is somthing from another mod:
Having spent many years "under the hoods" of countless cars and trucks, I've had the opportunity to note quite a
few common vehicle problems. I've seen many DIY repair folks struggle to diagnose their cars and trucks. This will
be another continuing series in DIY Auto Repair. Hopefully, some of these problems, tips and fixes will help you to
quickly and accurately diagnose and repair your car or truck!

A recurring P0171 and P0174, System Too Lean Banks 1 & 2, have been a common problem with the Ford 4.0L
engines (VIN Code "E", Plastic Intakes) Not only are there recurring codes, other symptoms may include, stalling
when hot or cold, rough or erratic idle, excessive fuel consumption and misfire codes may also be present.
(P0300-306)

Common Causes:

1. The most common cause is the failure of the seals between the upper and lower intake assemblies. Resulting in a
gross vacuum leak, causing the above symptoms. Some very quick and easy ways to diagnose this issue are:

a) With a can of Carburetor Cleaner, spray around the mating surfaces of the upper and lower intakes. (Please use
caution while spraying! Do Not spray on hot exhaust manifolds!) If the idle "settles out" or increases there is a leak
at that point and the seals should be changed.

b) If you have a scan tool and can view O2 data stream then use the same procedure and "view" the O2's as you
spray. You should note that they both will go "fixed rich" for a short time. Indicating a leak at the seals.

2. The second most common cause, and this is not limited to the 4.0 engine, is a contaminated Mass Air Flow Sensor
or a M.A.F. that has failed completely (A good portion of the time it will not set a code!)

a) A quick fix for this is to remove the M.A.F and with some electrical cleaner or isopropyl and Q-tips, gently clean the
small coiled wires inside the M.A.F. If this does not cure the symptoms, then further testing is required.

Though there are other causes for these symptoms, these are the 2 most common. Additionally, it has been a trend
that the upstream O2 sensors fail when the vehicle is above 100k miles. They will usually not set a fault code and
can cause a wide variety of symptoms similar to the ones earlier described. Other symptoms may also be P0172,
P0175, Bank 1&2 System Too Rich.

Until Next Time

Chris

The price for the O2 sensor replacement sounds reasonable. Keep in mind your paying for not only labor and parts but an additional mark up on the part by the shop...Which is necessary for them to sta in business. IF your going after them, the front two would be the ones I would expect.

You'll need an oxygen sensor socket to replace them. Without knowing you and your capabilities or having the car in front of me I don't know how easy this would be for you. You'll certainly stand to save a fair amount of money if you can.
DON'T BUY UNIVERSAL SENSORS.

The O2 sensors produce a waveform pattern that can be evaluated with a quality scan tool, if the shop did this on their recommendation of the sensors replacement, then it would be a fair guess.