Just when I thought I was done writing about cars, yet another vehicular issue arose. After replacing our totaled Eclipse, we had to address the “Check Engine Light” on our other car, a Honda CRV.
The car: 2002 Honda CRV
It’s a 2002 Honda CRV with about 100,000 miles. Trade-in value is about $6,000. The Check Engine Light (CEL) came on back in November. I took it to my mechanic, whom I’ve done business with for about three years. I’ve been pretty happy — he’s always seemed like an honest guy. He told me it needed a new catalytic converter and oxygen sensor for a total of $2,200. Gulp.
I told him I’d have to think about it. He cautioned me that it wouldn’t pass emissions testing without the repairs. Luckily, it’s not due for inspection until August, giving me nine months to figure out what to do.
Would you:
- Put $2,200 into a seven year-old car?
- Get another opinion?
- Sell the car?
- Diagnose the problem yourself?
The tool: Actron OBD-11 Code Reader
Opting for #4 might seem like do-it-yourself-brain-surgery, but it’s really not that bad. Bring on the OBD-II code reader. For about $50 you can buy a device that reads the same codes that the mechanic sees when he checks your engine, and ta-da! it can reset the engine light.
Every time you start your car’s engine, it does a power-on self test (POST). The POST checks hundreds of subsystems and sensors to make sure everything is working. If there’s a problem, the CEL lights up. Many of these problems are intermittent or are caused by some unusual innocuous event. The POST is smart enough that if it doesn’t see the problem again in the next several (e.g. forty) times you start the engine, it will turn off the CEL. If the problem persists, then the CEL stays lit, and you should take action. The car’s computers also monitor the engine while you’re driving, and error conditions can turn on the CEL, too (not just the POST).
I bought an Actron OBD-II reader for about $50 through Amazon. There are more complicated (and expensive) readers that let you check timing and monitor signals in real-time, but I just wanted the codes. My goal was to work better with my mechanic; I wasn’t planning to do the repair myself.
The device is simple-as-pie to use. All cars sold in America are required to have an OBD connector. It’s located under dash near the steering wheel. Put the key in the ignition, turn it to “on” (don’t actually start the engine), and plug in the reader. It will power on and start reading the codes stored in the OBD system.
Once you’re read the codes, write them down, and then press erase. This resets the codes and turns off the CEL. Next time you turn on the engine, if the POST finds a problem, it will turn the CEL back on.
In the next post, I’ll tell you what the scanner found and how I resolved the problem.
Related posts: How to Reset Your “Check Engine Light”: Success!
Disclaimer: No position in any company mentioned in this post.
Image credits: All photos are my own.
Carnivals: This post was included in the The Last Carnival of Personal Finance of the Year! hosted at Gather Little by Little and the 99th Money Hacks Carnival hosted at 20s Money.
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The Last Carnival of Personal Finance of the Year!
on Dec 28th, 2009
@ 9:17 am:
[...] from Science and Money presents How to Reset Your “Check Engine Light”: OBD-II Code Readers, and says, “How I saved $1,800 and became the most popular person in my [...]
Sunday Links - Amateur Asset Allocator
on Jan 3rd, 2010
@ 10:32 pm:
[...] How To Reset Your “Check Engine Light” by Science And Money. My check engine light comes on every 5,000 miles to remind me to change the oil. Problem is, the guys at the shop don’t reset the light half the time. It’s annoying to no end. [...]
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on Jan 6th, 2010
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[...] presents How to Reset Your “Check Engine Light”: OBD-II Code Readers posted at Science and [...]
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on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 8:07 am:
[...] How To Reset Your “Check Engine Light” by Science And Money. My check engine light comes on every 5,000 miles to remind me to change the oil. Problem is, the guys at the shop don’t reset the light half the time. It’s annoying to no end. [...]
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on Jan 7th, 2010
@ 12:58 am:
[...] from Science and Money presents How to Reset Your “Check Engine Light”: OBD-II Code Readers, and says, “How I saved $1,800 and became the most popular person in my [...]
Sonia Murray
on Jan 10th, 2010
@ 11:23 am:
The Check Engline light will come on if you don’t replace or tighten the gas cap after filling up. I’ve done this a couple of times. If you go to AutoZone one of their very helpful people will use a gizmo under the dashboard to turn off the Check Engine light for you – takes just a couple of minutes and they didn’t charge me. Needless to say, that’s where we buy any parts we need.
Helen
on Jan 10th, 2010
@ 11:33 am:
The “gizmo” is the OBD code reader. But good to know that AutoZone will do it for free. I buy parts there, too, but had never asked about the check engine light. Thanks.
Steve
on Jun 3rd, 2010
@ 2:58 pm:
Other auto parts stores will do it as well. It’s funny because I’ve been charged $69.95 to “hook the computer up” by a mechanic. I paid it because I assumed (as they intended) “the computer” was some multi-thousand-dollar specialty device. What a scam
Helen
on Jun 3rd, 2010
@ 7:42 pm:
Steve:
The handheld gizmo I bought is an inexpensive consumer-oriented tool. A good garage will have larger (more expensive) versions that are much more capable. For example, some have an oscilloscope built in to look at the engine timing. Plus, it’s not just the device you’re paying for, but the skilled mechanic to interpret the results. After all, owning a stethoscope doesn’t make you a physician.