Service Engine Soon Light

It could be a number of things. Best bet is to get the drivetrain OBD-II codes read and proceed from there.

Get the codes scanned

Hiya,

Thought that this light was brought on by a combination of running hours/miles driven/driving style and is just a reminder that the car is ready for a service, nothing wrong particularly. Light is reset by whoever services the car.

SOME cars do this but it's a supremely unpopular feature (it basically means that if you missed your last oil change, the car will fail a state inspection). The Escort doesn't do it.

Your thought would be wrong. The function of the service engine soon light is fully explained in the vehicle owners manual.

Generally the case.

More bad information.

Oh? Elucidate, oh wise one.

CEL based on mileage since last reset, as a reminder to go get periodic maintenance is a feature that HAS been implemented, but not recently and not (AFAIK) in any Ford vehicle. I know Nissan did it for a while. Probably others did it.

Fool. Pity Google Groups doesn't seem to have killfiles, otherwise :

Re-read the subject line.

A Service Engine Soon light has but one function, it has nothing to do with mileage, nothing to do with oil changes, missed or otherwise. Its sole purpose is to alert the vehicle operator that the on board emissions diagnostic system has detected a problem.

Well, since you mentioned "not recently" what possible relation could your blather have to a 2000 Ford Escort, especially since the definition of the lights function has been established since

Yeah, god forbid you should actually learn something or refrain from giving out bogus information.

Escorts fail state inspections on occasion, just like other vehicles. ;)

mike hunt

what type of "service"

Light is reset by whoever

Oil, filters, plugs etc and a general check over the whole car as determined by the miles covered and age of the vehicle as shown in the manufacturers service schedule.