If you're doing this process in an effort to pass an emissions check when the check engine light or service engine soon light is on or illuminated, continued reading to discover exactly how the check engine light reset procedure works.
You may switch off the check engine light making use of a scan device or by detaching your car's, truck's, van's or SUV's battery.
You may have already reviewed details explaining the best ways to shut off the check engine light or service engine light prior to a smog check. We 'd like consumers to comprehend that by turning off the check engine or service engine soon light, that all emissions data from your automobile's engine control module (ECM) will likely be deleted. The smog machine will know your car has been cleared and without set exhaust sensor data a 1996 and newer car's has no chance of passing a smog check.
While we believe the best way to solve the problem is to have your vehicle serviced, below follows the reset or "turn light off" options.
1. Using a Trouble Code Scan Tool
The easiest and most safe means to turn off the check engine light is by using an OBD II Trouble Code Scan Device. You might purchase a scan tool at your neighborhood car parts store. It can be used to recover stored trouble codes, clear problem codes and switch off the check engine light. It may also read live streaming engine data (on some models). The OBDII Scan Device approach of shutting off your car's check engine light just affects 1996 & newer model automobiles.
2. Battery Disconnect Approach
The battery detach approach may be effective on a number of automobiles. However, some late model automobiles will not clear problem codes by disconnecting the battery. On these cars trouble codes are kept in the ECM's ROM, and only a scan device will clear trouble codes and shut off the check engine indicator. Carry out the battery disconnect technique at your own risk! As part of the STAR program which began in 2012, ODBII codes are reviewed more closely and a smog shop may not be able to test your vehicle if the emission codes contain no information.
3. Service Your Vehicle
In many cases the amount of time and money spent attempting to hide an issue with your check engine light is better spent on solving the issue. By law smog check stations must test your vehicle and provide information on the trouble codes reported by the ODBII computer. Using this information you may be able to repair your vehicle at very low cost.