1998 Ford Windstar 3.0 Check Engine Light - Helppppppppp

98FordWindstar · 06-05-2009, 01:51 PM

Hey everyone im new here and would appreciate any feedback you may have. I have a 98 Ford Windstar and we recently worked on it of course disconnecting the battery. Well we went for inspection a few days later of course failing for the emmssions "not ready". Well we took there advice and filled it up 3/4 of the way and drove it and tried to get the emmissions to show ready. We put about 400 miles on the vehicle and all the sensors are ready but the check engine light now wont come on when we turn the key halfway. The check engine light worked before we disconnected the battery, I am 100% positive of that. I also doubt that the bulb would happen to blow the same time we removed the battery and reset the emmissions. Did we not drive it enough??? The only thing we have changed on the vehicle since the check engine light worked is the gas cap wich usualy would make the engine light come on if anything. We have until saturday to get it back to the inspection so I would really appreciate any ideas someone may have. THANK YOU in advance, Thomas.

canuck623 · 06-05-2009, 03:10 PM

Does the light come on for a few seconds then go out when you start the vehicle? It should also be on when the key is in the run position with the engine not running. If the light does not come on check fuses, also make certain all the grounds at the battery are tight. Including the small ones to the body/frame. If all that checks out you may have damaged the PCM when you hooked the battery back up. Was the key off or on when you did that?

98FordWindstar · 06-05-2009, 04:20 PM

The engine light will not come on at all period. We had the keys out of the ignition when we took the positive off the battery. The check engine light worked perfectly, what we did was we took the positive off the battery to reset the codes because we had fixed the minor things that were causing the check engine light come on. For example we tightened one of the spark plugs and fixed it so we wanted to reset the codes before we took it for inspection. Now everything is saying ready but check engine light will not come on at all. It should work fine because it did a day or so ago, its almost like the bulb for the check engine light blew but that would be a major quincidence(spell check).

cjones · 06-07-2009, 12:55 PM

does the AirBag light and fuel gauge work?? if not, check fuse #14 5Amp in the IP fuse block.

if so, test the 'check engine' light by:
key OFF, disconnect PCM.
key RUN engine OFF, ground pin #2 PK/LG wire at PCM harness. does 'check engine' light light up?? if not, then it's either the bulb or the circuit that is bad.