99 Contour check engine light

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- Chuck
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sat, Aug 16, 2003 3:34 AM

My wife has a 99 Contour with the 4cyl. The Battery light has been on for 6 months or so. The Check Engine light has been on for several days. Everything looked ok during a visual inspection of the engine. I had to replace the battery 2 days ago. Now the Battery light comes on for a few seconds after engine start, but the Check Engine light still stays on. Does Ford have the engine codes like GM does (or used to)? I went to AutoZone several years ago and they had a list of the codes on her old car... Or... Should I just spend the money that I don't have right now and take it to the dealership?

Thanks...

Chuck

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- berkshire bill
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sat, Aug 16, 2003 10:21 AM

In your case the employees at the dealership might be easier on you than auto zone.

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- Andrew Rossmann
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sat, Aug 16, 2003 12:27 PM

Why did you run it for 6 months with the battery light on?? Depending on why it was on, you could have damaged parts due to either low or high voltage.

You could try disconnecting the battery for half an hour or so to totally clear the memory. Then see if the engine light stays off over several days.

Being a '99, you have ODB2, which has a standardized connector. Reading the code is not as simple as it used to be. I think AutoZone or one of those type of stores will read the code for you and tell you what it is. It's up to you to figure out how to fix it.

You may also want to check out

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There are forums where you can get help.

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- Niki
  
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posted
20 years ago

Sun, Aug 17, 2003 1:08 AM

Advance Auto Parts will tell you the engine code for free if you have one of those stores in your area. Something with the emission system is not right probably since the car drives fine. I know some of these have recalls on the catalytic convertors so check the code and check with a local dealer for recalls.

Best wishes