On Tue, 8 Aug 2000, Jeremy Trudeau wrote:
> I have a 98 dak with the 318 and my check engine light came on because
> while off roading, the hose that feeds into the evap canistor came
> disconnected. This has happened before, but I took it to my dealer to
> get it shut off. Now that my warranty has expired, I do not want to
> spend the money to have the dealer shut off the check engine light. Does
> any one know how to do this? Do I need a PCM scanner to do so? Any help
> is appreciated.
>
Jeremy,
No problem; you can "reset" the computer yourself. The dealer just
hooks up a scanner and tells the computer to clear out the codes
(simplified explanation), but since the codes are stored in volitile
RAM, they can be erased by cutting power to the computer. (Sort of
like unplugging an alarm clock and plugging it back in again so it
flashes 12:00.) :-)
Anyway, all you need to do is to disconnect the negative cable
from your battery, then stick your key in the ignition and turn it to
"start". (It won't start, but this should ensure that any residual
current is drained out of the system.) Then, re-connect the negative
battery cable and the check engine light should now be gone. Just as
a word of warning, this will also reset the clock and erase any radio
station presets you may have programmed, so don't be alarmed if that is
the case.
-Jon-
.---- Jon Steiger ----- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@twistedbits.net ------.
| Affiliations: AOPA, DoD, EAA, NMA, NRA, SPA, USUA; Rec & UL Pilot - SEL |
| '92 Ram 150 4x4 V8, '96 Dakota V8, '96 Intruder 1400, '96 FireFly 447 |
`------------------------------ http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ ----'
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