How do you disable a warning light in the dashboard?

( snipped-for-privacy@myself.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Read fault code. Identify problem. Fix problem. Reset code.

We noticed.

As I said, the "pros" have had a go at this a few times, and failed. Without knowing a reliable mechanic in the bay area I am not going to pay anyone else. It is obviously not that much of a problem, as it has worked for 3 years and lots of thousands of miles, and the emisions are fine. The car only needs to do a few hundred miles once or twice a year, so I am fairly confident that it will be fine. It would be cheaper to take it for a test a few times than get someone to have another go at fixing it.

If you can actually give me a way to "Read fault code. Identify problem. Fix problem. Reset code." fairly eaily, I shall give it a go.

( snipped-for-privacy@myself.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Some pros.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to use a rental/taxi?

Fault code readers are dirt cheap. 'Merkin cars have been on the OBD standard for years.

Yeah I know. But what do you do if you do not know a good one?

Not cheaper than a bit of wire. The trips tend to last 2 weeks, including a trip from san fran to tahoe and back.

What do you mean by dirt cheap? I found [1] for 129 and [2] for $139. Quite a bit before I start fixing the problem, and more than I have spent on fixing a car for a few years.

[1]

Pull the instrument panel out and remove the bulb. Shouldn't take more than an hour at most.

the normal sequence of the light ? does it or is it supposed to illuminate when the car is started and extinguish after a few seconds, if so by taking the bulb out it wouldn't follow the normal sequence thus become a failure anyway, that's if the law for the Smog Test is the same one that's applied to our ABS check light sequence.

Tske to Ford Dealer. Pay $$.

The message from snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) contains these words:

Stick a bit of tape over the lamp.

( snipped-for-privacy@myself.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Over here you can get a fault code reader for about £15-20 from Halfords.

That is brilliant - I don't know if there is an annual award for best car maintenance bodge, but if there was that would win it!

That's what I'd do. Much simpler than hoicking out the panel.

I've tsk'd to Frord, sorry Ford dealers once or twice. Coincidentally it's usually been in response to their requests for payment.

Hi,

here I'd take it by the local auto parts store where they'll read the code for free (helps them sell parts)... I'd then consult my haynes manual to see what the code means and take it from there.

some are ridiculous or just go away.

if you drive with the gas cap loose it'll give you a code... likewise filling it up with the engine running.

just make sure the cap is on TIGHT and it goes away.

if you put a quart of 10/40 oil in a saturn S type it'll cause an error... something about the lifters getting to "hard" and tossing of the timing a bit... change the oil (twice... 3000 miles apart) and it goes away until you grab the wrong bottle again :-}

some stuff isn't to hard.

ttyl

akia

Won't help with a statuary emissions check. They look for the lights test at startup. If no light an automatic fail.

I'm sure the OP could rig up a simple timer from Radio Shack ;-)

Nah they'll be a reason for it. It might be a loose wire on a sensor or so.

It may also fail if the light doesn't come on then extinguish.

Hmm.

Has it been a problem pretty much since the car wasn't in regular use?

That would work.

Hmmm.

That would be pretty dumb I'm afraid. It would be akin to chopping off your ear if you don't hear an alarm clock.

Today, then (good morning if you're in the Bay area, my in-laws are relatively close).

I can think of some suggestions. The most practical approach is to ascertain what the fault code is (something like

whilst over the top, will help). Or take it to an autoshop and ask them to read the fault code. There's usually a fee. You just need to know the code number... Once armed with this you need to establish what it is; Google can help provide the Ford codes and their meanings.

Here's where some experience helps. Sometimes a certain code can point to any number of things: we had a faulty TMAP sensor code flagged up. I reasoned that it was the TMAP since it had been rubbing on our strut brace but the dealership also reckoned it could be a leak in the vacuum pipe. That's a simple check (TMAP sensors are the better part of $200). So I'd recommend you get on some Ford, Mondeo or Contour forums and benefit from the wealth of experience out there.

Phew. Long answer. Usually, it's the simple things that fail if not the cheap stuff. Good luck and happy hunting.