Diagnostics...Codes...????
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 542
From: Shrewsbury, MA
Diagnostics...Codes...????
Hey guys,
I am totally confused here. i figured since the auto zonehas the free diagnostic check ill go and give that a try. so i went to the auto zone on park ave 4 those of u from this area and his scanner said "Linker Error" and it wud not work. so then i went to the 1 on lincoln street to see if that one would work. he plugged it in and it wud not give ne codes. i figured wtf...i have an "SES" light on and the "BRAKE" lights both on. the SES light comes on when u hit the gas, once the car is warm and at idle it goes off, but when u hit the gas again it comes back on. also, the engine has a ping/tick to it. it seems to get faster and louder as the gas gets closer to WOT. it passed emissions around a year or so ago, so im like wtf. then w/ the BRAKE light i know i need new brakes cuz they suck and when i pull up the e-brake its really easy to pull up and it dusnt hold, but then sometimes its really hard to pull up and i think it shud hold(never tried to hit the gas while this happened). and then i dunno if this is related i think its just that salt is in the wheel or sumthin cuz i drive it thru the NE winter, but theres a squeak from what sounds like the left side, maybe the front left rim area. i dont know if its related but im thinkin is the BRAKE light on for either i need new brakes and its tellin me that, that the e-brake is stuck/was stuck on so now my brakes r all worn down, or that the brakes r rubbing causing the squeaking???? i havent the slightest clue. please help me out here guys...
thanx in advance 4 all ur help.
oh, and God bless all the men and women in the armed forces, hopefully no1 has to lose a loved one and every1 can come back safe to their lives and their families. BEST OF LUCK.
jake
I am totally confused here. i figured since the auto zonehas the free diagnostic check ill go and give that a try. so i went to the auto zone on park ave 4 those of u from this area and his scanner said "Linker Error" and it wud not work. so then i went to the 1 on lincoln street to see if that one would work. he plugged it in and it wud not give ne codes. i figured wtf...i have an "SES" light on and the "BRAKE" lights both on. the SES light comes on when u hit the gas, once the car is warm and at idle it goes off, but when u hit the gas again it comes back on. also, the engine has a ping/tick to it. it seems to get faster and louder as the gas gets closer to WOT. it passed emissions around a year or so ago, so im like wtf. then w/ the BRAKE light i know i need new brakes cuz they suck and when i pull up the e-brake its really easy to pull up and it dusnt hold, but then sometimes its really hard to pull up and i think it shud hold(never tried to hit the gas while this happened). and then i dunno if this is related i think its just that salt is in the wheel or sumthin cuz i drive it thru the NE winter, but theres a squeak from what sounds like the left side, maybe the front left rim area. i dont know if its related but im thinkin is the BRAKE light on for either i need new brakes and its tellin me that, that the e-brake is stuck/was stuck on so now my brakes r all worn down, or that the brakes r rubbing causing the squeaking???? i havent the slightest clue. please help me out here guys...
thanx in advance 4 all ur help.
oh, and God bless all the men and women in the armed forces, hopefully no1 has to lose a loved one and every1 can come back safe to their lives and their families. BEST OF LUCK.
jake
Administrator
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 71,110
From: Hell was full so they sent me to NJ
I read this post last night and got about 1/2-way through it before I gave up... very hard to read.
If the "BRAKE" light is on, you have two possible causes. 1) the e-brake switch is stuck "on". 2) you have uneven pressure between the front and rear braking circuits. Leak in either front or rear brakes, fluid low, etc. The "BRAKE" light is not run through the PCM so you aren't going to get any "codes" on a PCM scan.
As to the SES light... there are maybe 30 codes that will turn on the light. Some of them will result in poor operation, some are due to things that don't show up as increased emissions or poor driveability. As you realize, the only way to be sure is to get it scanned, otherwise you are just guessing.... sort of like the average "dealer".
. Since it comes and goes with engine load, it might be the EGR system, or EEC canister purge solenoid.
But that's just a guess with about a 1 in 15 chance of being correct.
If the "BRAKE" light is on, you have two possible causes. 1) the e-brake switch is stuck "on". 2) you have uneven pressure between the front and rear braking circuits. Leak in either front or rear brakes, fluid low, etc. The "BRAKE" light is not run through the PCM so you aren't going to get any "codes" on a PCM scan.
As to the SES light... there are maybe 30 codes that will turn on the light. Some of them will result in poor operation, some are due to things that don't show up as increased emissions or poor driveability. As you realize, the only way to be sure is to get it scanned, otherwise you are just guessing.... sort of like the average "dealer".
. Since it comes and goes with engine load, it might be the EGR system, or EEC canister purge solenoid.But that's just a guess with about a 1 in 15 chance of being correct.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 542
From: Shrewsbury, MA
sorry that it's hard to read and thanx for the help man.
so do u think i shud check the fluid on the brakes? how would i go about doing this and is there nething else i can do to check? a link or some direction of how to do it wud b great cuz im deff. no mechanic
thanx again,
jake
so do u think i shud check the fluid on the brakes? how would i go about doing this and is there nething else i can do to check? a link or some direction of how to do it wud b great cuz im deff. no mechanic
thanx again,
jake
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 472
My Toy truck has had the brake light come on twice in five years now. First time was worn out, stretched parking brake cables that didn't have enough tension to let parking brake on warning switch release. Fixed siezed up rear parking brake levers and new cables solved that prob. Last week it was low fluid in the resevoir. Oops, three times -- after replacing front pads, master cylinder was over full of fluid and tripped brake light until I siphoned some fluid off.
Hope your prob is something simple like these (OK, parking brake cables were real PITA)
Hope your prob is something simple like these (OK, parking brake cables were real PITA)
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 542
From: Shrewsbury, MA
yeah, i may just take it to a mechanic. but i guess u dont learn nething if u never try....so if ne1 cud help me out things to do/check and lead me in the right direction of doing it, i might take a stab at it.
jake
jake
Administrator
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 71,110
From: Hell was full so they sent me to NJ
If you don't know how to check the brake fluid, I would recommend you take it to a reputable brake shop. If you find the fluid is low, you will need to refill and go through an extensive "bleeding" procedure. If the fluid is OK, you need to look for leaks in the brake system.... again, unless you know what you are doing you need a pro to look at it.
On the codes, get it scanned. Find a friend with AutoXray, a ScanMaster, TTS DataMaster, FreeScan or Diacom. That will allow you to find the code. You will still need the correct connector to mate the OBD-I scanner to your OBD-II diagnostic connector. But with a ScanMaster its as simple as touching the right pin in the connector.
On the codes, get it scanned. Find a friend with AutoXray, a ScanMaster, TTS DataMaster, FreeScan or Diacom. That will allow you to find the code. You will still need the correct connector to mate the OBD-I scanner to your OBD-II diagnostic connector. But with a ScanMaster its as simple as touching the right pin in the connector.