Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting OBD I - Help

First off let me say i have a 95 (OBD I). My CEL came on and off for about the past week, so i went to autozone to get the code pulled. However, they said that the CEL must be on constantly to get the code. Is this true??

One other minor question. The owners manual said that if the CEL comes on and goes off that the problem has gone away. Is this true as well?

read up and get the codes yourself and see what they are here

When pulling the codes yourself, I've found that a large Paperclip works as a great jumper wire between the connectors (see diagram for explaination)

if your CEL is going on and off then you might have bad O2 sensors...

From what I've heard, they do not need to be on. Codes are stored in your memory and are erased when the battery is disconnected. I'd have Autozone do the read anyways to see what happens.

They actaully tried to pull the code but couldnt. They couldnt pull the code because the light wasnt on at that moment. I thought the codes are stored, is this true for the OBD I

Yes, the codes are stored, even for OBDI. Here is all the info I have on the Jumper Trick for OBDI cars.

... 12
.. /--\
. |----|
.. 3456

|=|
STC

Imagine that the above diagram is the Test Connector. I know it's a rough sketch, but you'll get the idea if you know what it looks like.

1. Connect a large paperclip from Pin 2 to the Self Test Connector (STC).

2. Run a wire from Pin 4 to the Positive Battery Terminal (or use a Voltmeter or Test Light as shown on http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/).

3. Turn Key to the ON Position to begin the Self Test.

4. Your fan will turn on, first in a low speed, and then a high speed. This is normal.

5. Codes are flashed by the CEL light. If you're using a Voltmeter, or Test Light, you'll see the pulses or flashes on those devices.

To determine a code, add up the flashes between short pauses until a long pause is reached. That is the first digit.
Then, add up all the flashes for the next digit, and so on.
Each code is 3 digits in length, and repeats twice.

6. IIRC, a code of 101 starts the test. Then there is a long pause, and then the codes stored are displayed.

7. If you have an MTX, then you'll receive the 522 Code indicating that the Transmission is not in Park (duh!)

Use the Haynes Manual for more info, but remember that the Diagnostic Connector is located in the engine bay next to the Left Front Strut Tower. The Haynes Manual I have says that it was near the Front Right Spring - This is wrong!

-Edit- I made the diagram a little nicer, but look at http://www.troublecodes.net/Ford/ for a better picture.

I just got a cheapo code reader at Checker($35)now I can check code easily anywhere at anytime worth every penny.

I was thinking of getting one. Is it just a plug in??

why spend even $35 for the "reader"? It's only a thing that has an LED that blinks (you count the blinks to get the digits). Use a jumper and a circuit tester (light bulb) instead.

I used a circuit tester light (which I had), and read the codes in no time. I was soooo glad I hadn't wasted the $$$ on the EEC IV reader. Ah, good ole "176, 176".

Brent