I recently replaced my spark plugs and coil packs. Now the check engine light is still on . The car will not pass inspection as long as it's on. How do I turn it off?

 

if you remove the positive lead from the battery(in the boot), turn on the lights for 2 min, turn off the lights, reconnect the battery. Your engine light should clear. This will not remove stored fault codes which may or may not clear after some run cycles. If the engine light relights right away you need to have the codes cleared and re-read after a run cycle and find out why. When you disconnect the bat, things like seat positions and radio stations programmed will be lost.

 

Places like Autozone/NAPA and PeP boys and Jiffy lube will clear the check engine light for free but usually will not clear fault codes. If a problem still exists, after a few run cycles the CEL will relight.

 

Actually, the folks doing the inspection should be able to clear the light for you before testing and it should stay off while they check the car for emissions and mechanical, That's how it would play in Utah,and if it relit during testing they would tell you the fault code causing the relight.

 

Thank you all for the information I'm going to give them all a try and see which one works and I will post and let you know! Thanks again!

 

Give this a try.......


1. NOTE: Steps 2 to 5 must be completed within 3 seconds for successful service mode resetting.
• NOTE: Ignition key in the OFF position.
Press and hold down the trip computer CLEAR/RESET button.

2. Continue to hold down the trip computer CLEAR/RESET button and turn the ignition switch to the ON position.

3. Release the trip computer CLEAR/RESET button.

4. Press and hold down the trip computer TRIP button located on the left-hand steering column multifunction switch.

5. Continue to hold down the trip computer TRIP button and press and hold down the trip computer CLEAR/RESET button.

6. Continue to hold down the trip computer TRIP and CLEAR/RESET buttons, RESETTING SERVICE MODE will display in the information and message center if steps 2 to 5 are completed successfully.

7. After 10 seconds the information and message center will then display SERVICE MODE RESET once the process is complete.

8. NOTE: If the information and message center does NOT display SERVICE MODE RESET, steps 1 to 8 must be repeated.
Release the trip computer TRIP and CLEAR/RESET buttons and turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.

You may be getting tripped up by the 3 second limit. They mean it, 3 seconds; sometimes I have to try 3 or 4 times to get the thing reset on our later stateside models.

 

Just turning off the light just before going for a test will not allow you to pass inspection. The inspections stations know that trick all too well and will be looking for the presence of code P11111 which means that the car has been driven long enough to successfully complete it's self tests. If they are not complete, code p1000 will be registered which will result in a failed inspection.

Changing the plugs and coil packs should not set a CEL. Find out what codes are registered and ask here what they mean.

 

In many regions there are different laws regarding clearing check engine lights.
It is probably illegal in some areas to just erase codes without repairing the fault.

NOT all NAPA, Autozone, O Reilly parts stores will just clear the DTCs. They will read them but might not be legally allowed to indiscriminately erase codes because you asked???

You can ask but they might not??

Get your own code reader and do what you want.

bob gauff

 

In addition to doing the hard re-set, I would recommend a 50-100 mile run to make sure you won't get a system not ready message.

 

That's the P1000 code referenced above.

 

oooh, I liked that one from Jim so much I printed it.