Service_Engine_Soon_Light_ON


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Old 12-16-18, 02:07 PM
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Service_Engine_Soon_Light_ON

16 Dec. '18

Hi All:

I have a 1998 Ford Escort LX with very low milaege (83,000+ original miles).

PROBLEM: the "Service Engine Soon" light came on about 2 weeks ago

HISTORY: I took the car in for 3 month oil change (a new place). They did
the oil change AND checked other things as well. They told me there was an
oil leak and transmission leak. I told them there is NO leaks in this car (i've
seen none underneath AND i service my car regular). Also, I put some gas
treatment into my tank to clean the fuel injectors after the oil change.

About a week after the oil change, I noticed the "Service Engine Soon" light
came on and has stayed on (constant, not flashing). I do not notice any leaks
under my car since the oil change.

WHAT TO DO: i'd like to DIY if I can. How should I begin diagnosing ?
i'm kind of a newbie, BUT I replaced my signal flasher last March '18 , and
I'm really willing to learn how to DIY electrical stuff in car.

Any replies to help me get started would be great!

Thanks,
Brian
 
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Old 12-16-18, 02:10 PM
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Autozone [and others] will hook up their code reader to your car for free. That is pretty much the first step in determining what is wrong. What codes it shows tells where to start.
 
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Old 12-16-18, 04:08 PM
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Here's a thread from just last month on the same subject, and whose responses may be helpful:

Properly resetting the "Service Engine Soon" light after the fix...
 

Last edited by Vermont; 12-16-18 at 04:32 PM.
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Old 12-17-18, 04:26 AM
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What codes it shows tells where to start.
Mark's key words were "where to start". The codes often only point you in the right direction, so don't automatically buy a part or parts based on the code before you do a little research.
 
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Old 12-17-18, 09:33 AM
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"Service Engine Soon" sounds more like a reminder than an alert.

Maybe the "new place" guy failed to reset a reminder after doing the oil change.

Check the owner's manual to see if you have that feature and how to reset it.

On my vehicle a combination of "start" and "trip odometer" button pushes resets the maintenance reminder.
 
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Old 12-17-18, 09:34 PM
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thanks, i'll check my owners' manual (I have to remember where the owner's
manual was online - I linked with it last March when I replaced my flash relay)
 
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Old 12-17-18, 09:53 PM
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thanks - I'll get over there tomorrow to hook the code reader (Auto Zone)
thank you , and i'll let you know what the results are
Brian
 
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Old 12-17-18, 09:58 PM
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thank you. i'll remember that the results of the code reader
only lets' me know where to start
 
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Old 12-18-18, 01:11 AM
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Maybe the "new place" guy failed to reset a reminder after doing the oil change.

Check engine would have nothing to do with any kind of service reminder, like oil change or tire pressure, etc.

Could be as simple as not having tightened the gas cap to who knows what. Get the code, look them up and see what you have, it's the first step to finding out what set the code in the first place!
 
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Old 12-18-18, 03:37 AM
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I don't know that a '98 would have had the oil change "service engine soon" reminder capability.
 
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Old 12-18-18, 09:12 AM
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Here's a video that shows how to reset service reminder in a '97 Escort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZvu_j0wL1k
 
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Old 12-19-18, 08:00 AM
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Check Engine

The Sevice Engine Soon light is the same as a Check Engine light on many cars, that is is has detected a problem with the many systems monitored in the car. Often emmissions related. Often temporary or intermittent. Since your car is otherwise running well, it is not likely a problem.

Some simple things to first do, and rule of the most common issues:

Reset the warning light per the video noted. You can undo the battery connection for 10 minutes and reset the codes as well.

Check the oil and transmission fluid level to make sure that level is full, it is odd that a garage would say you have leaks when you say there are none. Check your air filter, make sure its clean or new (can lean out the fuel mixture if clogged, that would trigger the light to go on). Check the coolant level (your car has a low coolant sensor, the light would go on if coolant was low).

Make sure your gas cap is on tight, and look at the engine bay for any sign of small hoses cracked or disconnected. Fill the tank full with gas, and take the car for a good highway run. Sometimes a fuel system cleaner can dislodge some gunk and clog things up. (Feul system issues trigger emmissions faults).

See if the light comes back on in due course. If so, then the code reader will be necessary to narrow down where the system fault is.
 
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Old 12-20-18, 03:38 PM
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I got the code P0455 AND - guess what - i forgot to tighten my gas cap !!!!
P0455 is a gross evaporative emissions warning, so I'm sure the loose gas cap
was the cause !

I reset the SES light, and I'll bet it doesn't turn bk. on again anytime soon

If you have different opinion, i'd welcome any alternative diagnostic approaches

brian
 
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Old 12-21-18, 02:42 AM
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A loose gas cap is probably the most common reason for the check engine light to come on and should always be the first thing to check. Not sure why we didn't mention it earlier Glad you were able to fix it without having to spend money.
 
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Old 12-21-18, 04:30 AM
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Could be as simple as not having tightened the gas cap
I did, back in post #9!


Yea I know need 25 characters!
 
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Old 12-21-18, 05:11 AM
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Not always .
 
 

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