CHECK ENGINE light blinking...What's up with that?
Bear Eats King...
Bear ****s Bone
Bear ****s Bone
Joined: September 5, 2011
Posts: 5,473
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne, Tx
Originally Posted by 2006mach1
In simple terms, a flashing MIL indicates that the vehicle's PCM is detecting a catalyst damaging event. The most common cause would be a misfire. During a misfire, raw unburned fuel is being dump into the catalytic converter. The CAT, then burns this excess fuel (doing its job), raising the internal temperature of the CAT beyond normal, which destroys the internal substrate inside the CAT. An overheating engine can also cause this due to the same reasoning, overheating the CAT with hotter than normal exhaust gas temps. Being that the CAT is a very expensive repair that the factory has to warranty for 8yr/80,000 miles, the factory does not want you to drive the vehicle with the MIL flashing for any type of extended time. Normal CAT temps run from anywheres between 800 and 1500 degrees Far. As far as the PCM monitoring misfires, it use crank and cam signals to detect misfires. For anyone that would like more info on Fords OBDII system, just go to http://www.motorcraftservice.com . A lot of good free info there, including owners manuals and OBD theory.
Accurate.
Thread Starter
Bullitt Member
Joined: January 17, 2011
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
The Results are In
For anyone that would like more info on Fords OBDII system, just go to http://www.motorcraftservice.com . A lot of good free info there, including owners manuals and OBD theory.
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
Swamp Donkey Man Cans
Joined: August 20, 2007
Posts: 4,367
Likes: 2
From: Massachusetts
For anyone that would like more info on Fords OBDII system, just go to http://www.motorcraftservice.com . A lot of good free info there, including owners manuals and OBD theory.
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
Bear Eats King...
Bear ****s Bone
Bear ****s Bone
Joined: September 5, 2011
Posts: 5,473
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne, Tx
Originally Posted by chief_charlie
For anyone that would like more info on Fords OBDII system, just go to http://www.motorcraftservice.com . A lot of good free info there, including owners manuals and OBD theory.
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
My God. the .pdf for 2012 cars is 246 pages long!
OK, I removed the OBD II Reader from the blister pack, read the directions, hooked it up, and scanned for DTC's. The reader did it's thing, and.......the results are in !
"NO CODES"
Maybe the reader isn't "sophisticated" enough to read them.....this is the one I'm using: Cen-Tech CAN OBD II Code Reader from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/can-obd...:referralID=NA
So, that's all I can do for now.
Still take it to the local Ford Dealer ?
Well my guess is Ford might be releasing a pcm update soon. I'm sure they know of this issue.
Now if you don't hold it in the rpms for 5 seconds does it still show up? If you just get on it and shift like you normally would while racing does it flash?
Bear Eats King...
Bear ****s Bone
Bear ****s Bone
Joined: September 5, 2011
Posts: 5,473
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne, Tx
Ok. The dealer has a device that plugs into your port. While you are driving you hit a button and it will record all the data that is present when you hit the button. Get them to put it in your car. Drive it. Get the light to flash and hit the button. They will then be able to look Bach and find the culprit
Thread Starter
Bullitt Member
Joined: January 17, 2011
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.
Charlie
Swamp Donkey Man Cans
Joined: August 20, 2007
Posts: 4,367
Likes: 2
From: Massachusetts
See Post #1. CEL only blinked yellow for a few moments, then stopped. Hasn't re-appeared throughout the drive home. Maybe 5 DOT 0 is right. I'm not driving the car hard enough. (I did discover there a lot more of the "pedal on the right" that I haven't used yet. Used a little more on the way home)....WOW !
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.
Charlie
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.
Charlie
Thread Starter
Bullitt Member
Joined: January 17, 2011
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Ok. The dealer has a device that plugs into your port. While you are driving you hit a button and it will record all the data that is present when you hit the button. Get them to put it in your car. Drive it. Get the light to flash and hit the button. They will then be able to look Bach and find the culprit
Bear Eats King...
Bear ****s Bone
Bear ****s Bone
Joined: September 5, 2011
Posts: 5,473
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne, Tx
Originally Posted by chief_charlie
NO. Only if you hold the throttle steady @ 5k. On the way home I ran through the gears up to 6k rpm and shifted, no light, no blinking
I'll call them tomorrow and see if they can set me up. Thanks
Bullitt Member
Joined: December 29, 2010
Posts: 294
Likes: 1
From: NY
Below is a boring excerpt from Ford OBD info. Might be the answer why you are unable to find a stored DTC with your scan tool. I would think your MIL flashed due to a misfire, maybe caused by hi rpm and a rough road/track even though the system has RRD (rough road detection) or a possible loose connection, but it did not set a code as it was not consistently misfiring and it failed to see it during two consecutive drive cycles. A drive cycle would not be just a switch of the key on and off either. The PCM would need to see a cool down. Might be tough to diagnose.
"This misfire threshold is designed to prevent damage to the catalyst due to sustained
excessive temperature (1650°F for Pt/Pd/Rh advanced washcoat and 1800°F for Pd-only high tech washcoat). If the misfire threshold is exceeded and the catalyst temperature model calculates a catalyst mid-bed temperature that exceeds the catalyst damage threshold, the MIL blinks at a 1 Hz rate while the misfire is present. If the misfire occurs again on a subsequent driving cycle, the MIL is illuminated."
"This misfire threshold is designed to prevent damage to the catalyst due to sustained
excessive temperature (1650°F for Pt/Pd/Rh advanced washcoat and 1800°F for Pd-only high tech washcoat). If the misfire threshold is exceeded and the catalyst temperature model calculates a catalyst mid-bed temperature that exceeds the catalyst damage threshold, the MIL blinks at a 1 Hz rate while the misfire is present. If the misfire occurs again on a subsequent driving cycle, the MIL is illuminated."
Mach 1 Member
Joined: January 14, 2011
Posts: 583
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
Charlie, just drive until the CEL stays on, or you get a limp mode. I've had a sh$tload of codes. I just reset them with my OBD reader/resetter. As someone else said, unless you trigger the limp mode, nothing serious is going on. You could spend every week at Ford chasing CEL warnings.
NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE ON THIS SITE! DO NOT USE PM FEATURE!
Joined: October 25, 2010
Posts: 5,279
Likes: 16
From: Dearborn, MI
On the way down to Monterey this weekend I had approx 130 miles and was working my way up the RPM "scale" and briefly held it at 5,000 for about 5-10 seconds when I saw a yellow flash at the bottom of the speedo. It was nighttime, so it caught my attention, but then it was gone.
I agree with you contacting your Ford dealer and let them know about this. If you need any further assistance, do not hesitate to PM me.
Deysha
Shelby GT350 Member
Joined: November 20, 2010
Posts: 2,382
Likes: 1
From: Sioux Falls, SD
Charlie, just drive until the CEL stays on, or you get a limp mode. I've had a sh$tload of codes. I just reset them with my OBD reader/resetter. As someone else said, unless you trigger the limp mode, nothing serious is going on. You could spend every week at Ford chasing CEL warnings.
Shelby GT500 Member
Joined: September 8, 2009
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 4
From: Lithia, FL
it was a back and forth pissing contest..So as I already stated it would have been better served to be taken to a PM....
Bullitt Member
Joined: May 15, 2011
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
From: Fremont, California
This is kind of off-topic but since excessive CAT temperatures are being discussed if a CAT is failing will while you're driving on the high way the car's exhaust pipe infront of you is glowing within the pipe (not the tip or exterior) and spewing some glowing sparks is the CAT failing?
Bear Eats King...
Bear ****s Bone
Bear ****s Bone
Joined: September 5, 2011
Posts: 5,473
Likes: 2
From: Cleburne, Tx
Originally Posted by Blackbird.
This is kind of off-topic but since excessive CAT temperatures are being discussed if a CAT is failing will while you're driving on the high way the car's exhaust pipe infront of you is glowing within the pipe (not the tip or exterior) and spewing some glowing sparks is the CAT failing?
most likely #1
Last edited by texastboneking; Sep 19, 2011 at 07:58 PM.
Swamp Donkey Man Cans
Joined: August 20, 2007
Posts: 4,367
Likes: 2
From: Massachusetts
This is kind of off-topic but since excessive CAT temperatures are being discussed if a CAT is failing will while you're driving on the high way the car's exhaust pipe infront of you is glowing within the pipe (not the tip or exterior) and spewing some glowing sparks is the CAT failing?
Bullitt Member
Joined: May 15, 2011
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
From: Fremont, California