Quick CEL/Inspection Question

[Dylan]

Hi guys, had a quick question..

Car is 1996 Zetec with CTA Intake and 132K miles, Check Engine Light was on for months, went off for a few days, came back on for a few days, went off for a few days and came back on. Codes were the following:

P0401 - EGR Flow Insufficient
P0113 - Intake Temp. Sensor I Circuit High

I am used to getting the P0113, and it usually goes away with a quick cleaning of the MAF sensor. So yesterday I cleaned it, pulled Fuse 11 under the hood for 15 minutes to reset the computer, and drove around for a while. The light came back on after the computer had cycled, but went off today. My question is, will the car report these codes when its checked out for inspection now that the light is off? Seems to me it shouldn't, given the computer turned the CEL off for a reason? Really need the car inspected, got a ticket on Saturday for it. Thanks in advance for any help!

Best,
Dylan

 

[Devanmc]

No, codes will not show up when scanned. Only if the CEL is on, does the PCM store a Code to be read.

 

[Dylan]

Haha, I thought so. In fact, I thought I KNEW so.. As soon as the CEL turned off, I drove it straight to Valvoline so as to not waste precious CEL-free mileage. I got there at like 5:30 and they close at 6:30 and the 2 employees were sitting on tires when I pulled in. I ask him if they're open and he says yeah, and I ask for an inspection and he says he only has one other guy there, and can't do it right now, haha. 3 people for an inspection? What, 1 to step on the brake pedals, and two to make sure they're all lit? I told him that was too bad, cause my CEL is only off for brief moments and he said it'd probably just fail anyway. I then asked him why the computer would bother turning off the CEL in the first place and he said "Well, I don't know."

Anyways, thanks for the reassurance, man.

 

[alex894]

Some codes are stored in the PCM even if the CEL is off.

Just clear your CEL with your code reader right before your inspection and you should be good for a bit.

 

[striker2]

i will warn you that doing so will probably set a P1000. this code means that not all of the checks have completed but it will not set the light. some places will not let you pass the inspection with this code in memory and will tell you to come back after you drive it for a bit.

i would replace the IAT sensor and probably replace the DPFE sensor as well.

 

[alex894]

oh...

 

[amc49]

Yup, here in Texas, they will turn you down if two of the readiness sensors have not passed yet, there's like 5 or so after you wipe the memory clean. Some pass quick but some take like couple of days to pass. Just went through the same CEL going off by itself problem with my boy's car. EGR has been bypassed since it has trouble even with a new valve and DPFE sensor. Very sporatic, sets light after like one week then I got mad and pulled the EGR hose. Light on all year because no EGR went off by itself one day before inspect, he went for inspect thinking it would pass and they told him had codes, wouldn't pass. I think the system wipes the CEL after 250 keystarts as if the problem was intermittent, light stays off long enough to register the code and comes back on. Put back on the hose, wiped code and drove till all monitors passed and got inspected. Hose now yanked again, left on car will refuse to idle when freezing temps out.

 

[Dylan]

I just brought it in, maybe 3 keystarts and ~5-10 miles after the light turned off and passed inspection, and the CEL came back on as I was pulling out. I am pretty sure you fail in NY for a P1000, so I guess the PCM didn't report anything even though the light came right back on.. I will definitely have to revisit this EGR thing in the future.

 

[mcgarvey]

Absolutely not true about that any stored code will trip a MIL. Codes can be current, pending, or history. Only current codes will turn on the light. In NJ at least a current or pending code = fail.