129,900 miles: check engine light

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Scotter - 01 May 2006 22:39 GMT

Hey Fellow Mustangers -

At approx 129,900 miles my "check engine" light came on and stayed on.
Is this programmed into the computer to happen for all 96 Mustangs?
Or... is there the possibility of something serious wrong with my engine?
Either way I do plan on taking it in to the shop; I just want to know how
urgent it is.

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Scotter
96 GT vert
white/tan

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Hollywood - 01 May 2006 23:01 GMT

Not an easy question to answer.

First stop is autozone or retail parts shop. Get a codes
readout/printout.

I had several cars growing up where after 100k miles the check engine
light came on while no obvious problems were visible. Got a printout
and a dealer evaluation only to find absolutley nothing. Sometimes they
just flicker on and persist to annoy you.

Holly

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Backyard Mechanic - 02 May 2006 00:36 GMT

> Hey Fellow Mustangers -
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> engine? Either way I do plan on taking it in to the shop; I just want
> to know how urgent it is.

No, it's not programmed in.. it saw a fault.
May or may not be serious...

When you get the codes read out at autozone, wherever... bring them, not
the definitions, here... or alt.autos.ford

Helps keep the shops honest

Signature

Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

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Hawk - 02 May 2006 13:42 GMT

> Hey Fellow Mustangers -
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Either way I do plan on taking it in to the shop; I just want to know how urgent
> it is.

IMHO if all the fluids are at proper levels, gauges read normal, and it seems to
be running/shifting fine I wouldn't get too wound up about getting it in asap.
I'd bring it in when it was convenient.

(*>

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Backyard Mechanic - 02 May 2006 13:48 GMT

>> Hey Fellow Mustangers -
>>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> it seems to be running/shifting fine I wouldn't get too wound up about
> getting it in asap. I'd bring it in when it was convenient.

Meaning ... within a few hundred miles and NO LONG TRIPS before.

I'm betting this is something you can fix yourself if you've ever handled
tools... but we wont know until you bring the codes.

Signature

Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

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Hawk - 02 May 2006 14:15 GMT

>>> Hey Fellow Mustangers -
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> I'm betting this is something you can fix yourself if you've ever handled
> tools... but we wont know until you bring the codes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating starting out on a cross country trip with
the check engine light on. I'm just saying that it's probably not necessary to
drop everything going on in your life this instant to get it in. You could drive
it to work for a few days without any problem and bring it in when you have an
opening in your schedule.

(*>

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