My Check Engine light is on and it's my wife's fault.

"Go Hawkeyes" (joehawkeye)
12/02/2013 at 08:48 • Filed to: None

I'm blaming it on her because she was the last one to drive my truck. She drove it to work last Wednesday so I could get the oil changed in her car. It sat in the garage until this morning when I went to leave for work. The battery (new this summer) was dead. And when I got it started the Check Engine light came on.

I should turn this post into a rant about the ridiculousness of an idiot light that tells me exactly nothing but I'd rather be angry at my wife for breaking my truck. Sometime this morning I'll hopefully have a few minutes to take it to the mechanic shop across the street from work to see how much it's going to cost me.

DISCUSSION (22)

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 08:51

Check the gas cap.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 08:53

About to be on sale. Nice code reader from Amazon.

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David E. Davis > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 08:54

Was she kind enough to fill your truck while she drove it?

505Turbeaux > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 08:54

using this logic...you did let her drive it, so I wouldn't point the dirty end of the stick her way so quickly. If you own a car newer than 96 it is well worth the 20 bucks to get a bluetooth OBD2 scanner and a free app on your smartphone to use it with

oldirtybootz > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 08:55

She probably left a light on and it drained the battery. The check engine is most likely for low voltage.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/02/2013 at 08:57

I'm tempted to buy that, although I don't know if it can read Land Rover codes.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/02/2013 at 08:58

96 and up, and it should. Would they be any different from Ford or BMW codes?

Go Hawkeyes > David E. Davis
12/02/2013 at 09:00

No. Already tried the gas cap trick.

Go Hawkeyes > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
12/02/2013 at 09:01

That was the first thing I did. No luck.

505Turbeaux > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/02/2013 at 09:01

if it's OBD2, they all use the same protocol for the engine management fault codes.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > 505Turbeaux
12/02/2013 at 09:28

Was thinking more for the ABS scanning, I already have a cheap ODBII scanner.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 09:32

Are you a newly wed? Because it's never the wife's fault.

At least that's what I've learned.

505Turbeaux > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/02/2013 at 09:33

yeah no that wont work for that system. My Ethos will do it on LR but none of the cheap ones sync up with that system

BoumboQC > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 09:41

Get a 10$ bluetooth ebay OBD II reader.

Most of the time it's nothing dangerous.

An O2 sensor heater going bad, flue evap system... etc.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > 505Turbeaux
12/02/2013 at 09:45

Okay, thought so. Not really worth it then, for me at least.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/02/2013 at 10:08

Are the LR codes unique or are they Ford based?

eovnu87435ds > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 10:25

Just a reminder, if you check things like the gas cap or other quick fixes for the CE light, the light doesn't go away instantly. Sometimes it can take up to 50 miles of driving.

I know that sometimes my car can throw certain codes depending on how I drive. If I clear the code, and it comes back, I know its an issue. You can clear your code by pulling one of the battery terminals off for 10 minutes or so. If it stays off, I wouldn't worry about it. If it comes back on a day or so later, then it's time to read the code and investigate. (Autozone and most other auto part stores will print your CE codes for free)

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/02/2013 at 10:30

That's what I have to look into, I'm not sure. I don't think Ford used any of those WABCO ABS units in their cars.

Go Hawkeyes > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger
12/02/2013 at 10:47

Oh it's only her fault on here. I've held my tongue at home.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 11:09

Hahaha. Smart move.

desertdog5051 > Go Hawkeyes
12/02/2013 at 18:29

Autozone, O'reillys, Pep Boys etc will all read the codes and tell you what the problem is. Shit happens. Your wife is most likely not the culprit.

efme > Go Hawkeyes
12/10/2013 at 09:56

there must be a way to read the codes even without a reader too.