ok i have my check engine light being weird. (OBD1) It has been comming on pretty much every day the past 3 days. BUT when i shut the truck off, and turn it on, theres no CEL.

Ill drive another 20-30 miles then the CEL will pop back on. Turn the truck off then on, and no CEL.

Ive tried (no joke) 9 different garages today, and NONE of them would scan it, unless i dish out 70+ bucks........

One person said i have to unhook something, and hook up a "prong" to that hook up, and the CEL will flash, and thats how i can tell the codes. Is this true? is there something cheap i can buy that can read the codes?

Im VERY sterm about keeping my truck in top running condition, and i have a big camping trip comming up (8-9 hours one way...going to Northern Maine) and i cant have this thing break down when im 100 miles deep into the wilderness. with NO ONE except my parents thats around.

Any help would be great.

 

Autozone will read the code for you - and they do it for free...

 

I said its OBD1, they wont read it, they have only OBD2 readers

 

what does your data link plug look like? dunno about the dodges, but on the obd1 gms I had, there were only 2 wires in it. you could use a paperclip or something to short these 2 pins out, and it would flash the codes out on the CEL. Worked every time on my 3 berettas, 2 camaros, and an S-15. I believe this was written right in the Haynes manuals for these cars.

Like I said, I dunno if it's the same for all obd1 vehicles or not, but worth a try I guess.... On my cars, I think the pins were both at the very right side of the connector, either beside or above each other...

 

I have two connectors under the driver dash area, and they are at the right side....are these the hook ups? i Dont have anything else where it can hook up.

 

Do you mean you have 2 different plugs? it must be one of them.... I know on my ram(obd2), the port is directly under the ashtray. how many pins can you see in the plugs? my obd1 gms only had 2. In fact, if you look at the cheap obd1 code readers at walmart etc., they only have 2 pins on them. So they are basically just a jumper wire in a box IMO...

edit: found this pic.... the top plug is obd1, the bottom obd2. If yours looks like the top one, I'm pretty sure its terminals A and B that need shorted....

 

all you have to do is cycle the key on and off 3 times fast and leave it on and it will blink your code for you, just count how many times the light blinks, say if its code 32, it will blink three times, long pause then blink 2 times....at the end it will blink 55 i think

 

chevys are different and youll prob short something out

 

http://www.freeautomechanic.com/diag...blecodes8.html

 

Use the Key dance as dakota ram suggested. Its the cheapest and easiest way. It is a little difficult at first but I can read them off my 1994 really well now. I would bet you will get 12, 37, and 55 as I always get these. 12-battery disconnected within 50 start ups, 37 TCC and tranny temp guage, and 55 is the last number of the sequence. From your symptoms I bet it you will also get code 32 which is the EGR.

The shops can scan for codes but it is not your on the self code reader like Autozone has. There is a connector under the hood to drivers side of the PCM. There is another one under the dash. I don't even think it is a universal connector, different brands had different ones. My boss at the shop I used to work at scanned the codes on my truck once so I know it can be done.