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non-working temp gauge, non-working fuel gauge + CHeck Engine light on = ? - Page 2

post #16 of 24
5/10/09 at 1:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NightOwl View Post
You are a lucky man and should buy lottery tickets. I have two friends that this happened to. One took his car to a mechanic when the "Check Engine" light came on. It was a faulty switch and he's since driven about 100,000 km with that light continuously on. It only makes his passengers nervous till he explains it.
The other never bothered to have it checked. Two days later his engine seized (faulty oil pump). $5,000 for a rebuild.
It may be nothing, but it should be checked. At least then you can make an informed decision.
Pretty much this. I've got my own idiot light that I ignore, but it's because I already know my air/fuel mix is wrong due to a faulty sensor. I also know that wrong air/fuel mix will do nothing but rob a little performance; it's not something that's going to destroy my powertrain. It's fine to ignore the light if you know what it is. It's very dangerous to ignore the light otherwise.
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post #17 of 24
5/10/09 at 3:10am
Sorry, guys, IMHO (and experience) only NightOwl probably got it right.

It is simply a short. Either in the dashboard's circuit board on the rear of the panel or in the ground plane / wiring leading to it, especially if it's an '88. And double-especially if it's an '88 GM vehicle.
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post #18 of 24
5/10/09 at 10:56am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG POPPA View Post
You may have popped a fuse? You may have a faulty temp sensor and it should be pretty close to the thermostat. What kind of vehicle do you have? Went to school for Auto electronics and emissions. Have a few ninja tricks to help you out. We can even reset the computer painlessly to make sure you have a code.
'88 Nissan Sentra, coupe. Engine is a bit tricky, it's a mix between an 85, 88, and 89 Just had it rebuild from spare parts and my old engine, which was itself a frankenengine, for too much money.

Everything is actually running great except for that light / sensors issue. There's a couple things that need work but they aren't engine related.
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post #19 of 24
5/10/09 at 12:26pm
You can always disconnect the battery for a few minutes and reconnect it to reset the computer. I can hook it to my scan tool to check the code(s). No big deal. If it is a temp sensor out of range? To replace it is a few minutes.
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post #20 of 24
5/10/09 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG POPPA View Post
You can always disconnect the battery for a few minutes and reconnect it to reset the computer. I can hook it to my scan tool to check the code(s). No big deal. If it is a temp sensor out of range? To replace it is a few minutes.
OBD1 no scan tool to check codes. Need to jump diagnostic pins with paper clip or wire and count the CEL blinks to come up with a code.
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post #21 of 24
5/10/09 at 4:39pm
I do have the nissan connector on my scan tool. Can read OBD 1 and 2. Not a biggie.
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post #22 of 24
5/10/09 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 
Woah I didn't even notice you live in Seattle. :-O I might get your help if I have trouble getting the code(s), if you're up for it
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post #23 of 24
5/10/09 at 6:40pm
PM me, I live in Greenwood.
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post #24 of 24
5/11/09 at 3:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanTheMiataMan View Post
on OBDII cars always go to Autozone or whatever and have them pull the CEL then google the CEL number to see if it is something critical or not.

ODBII - (95-96ish and newer)
Unless you live in California, in which case the BAR has put a stop to that.

This is a pre-obdII Nissan? You don't need any special tools, just a phillips head screwdriver.
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