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GEO 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT

Posted by riversidedan 
Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
sorry this isnt re MGs but is about cars. I own a 92 geo metro and the check engine light recently came on, looked under the hood but couldnt see anything wrong or out of place .....the timing belt cover has
replace belt at 85K writen on it and Im only at 81K any thoughts on this?

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refisk Avatar
Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA   usa
You need to find a code scanner and read the codes to see what caused the light to come on. If you have an Autozone or Advance Auto nearby they will read the codes for free (hoping to sell you repair parts).

Rick
jjgerding Avatar
jay gerding
Spring Hill, Florida, USA   usa
They can't read the computer on any car older than 1996. Mine has been on in my '95 S10 for about 3 years, and nothing has happened yet. I remember when the way to make them turn off was to press a button hidden somewhere under the dash.

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refisk Avatar
Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA   usa
Actually there are code readers for the older cars with a "Check Engine" light. If a car has a Check Engine light there is an OBD connector somewhere that the dealers used to diagnose troubles. Maybe Autozone and Advance don't have them any more, but the readers do exist. On all of my GM cars from that vintage you can also get the codes by shorting two pins on the diagnostic connector and "read" the codes by counting the flashes of the Check Engine light when you turn the key on. You need a manual that lists the codes though. In 1996 the guvmint mandated OBDII system took over.

A quick search turned up a page that describes how to get the codes on a Geo Metro. Turns out all you have to do is insert a fuse in a diagnostic terminal in the fuse block, and turn the key on and count flashes. This page tells you how to do it and what the codes mean.....

http://www.robietherobot.com/metro/errorcodes.htm

Rick
Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
In reply to # 2032642 by refisk Actually there are code readers for the older cars with a "Check Engine" light. If a car has a Check Engine light there is an OBD connector somewhere that the dealers used to diagnose troubles. Maybe Autozone and Advance don't have them any more, but the readers do exist. On all of my GM cars from that vintage you can also get the codes by shorting two pins on the diagnostic connector and "read" the codes by counting the flashes of the Check Engine light when you turn the key on. You need a manual that lists the codes though. In 1996 the guvmint mandated OBDII system took over.

A quick search turned up a page that describes how to get the codes on a Geo Metro. Turns out all you have to do is insert a fuse in a diagnostic terminal in the fuse block, and turn the key on and count flashes. This page tells you how to do it and what the codes mean.....

http://www.robietherobot.com/metro/errorcodes.htm

Rick

you are correct auto zone can only scan cars 96 and newer, thanx for the info



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 06:06PM by riversidedan.

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jewar Avatar
John Warlimont
Abbotsford,B.C., Canada   can
1971 MG MGB
1973 MG MGB GT
Dan:
My son had a bunch of sprints and fireflys and Suzuki swifts,which came my problem to keep running and through our aircare. First check the fuel cap, a bad or loose fuel cap will cause a fault light. second o2 sensor do the fuse test as described by Rick it will give you the indicator, lastly cat convertor plugged usually vehicle runs like crap, take air cleaner lid off engine running,hard accelerate raw fuel comes out of top of carb(single port injection) cat is plugged.Those are the leading three problems I have had, thinking it will be one of the first two. I have just got back from a west coast vacation and couldn't believe
how many of them are back on the road, got a lot to do with $4.50 a gallon, my son took a swift from BC to San Francisco a few years back and averaged 50 + miles to the gallon.
Hope that helps,John
Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
thanx for the replys and guess what pisses me off is they want $80 just find out whats wrong + part cost! a bit hard to cough up when being unemployed so damn long thats why I need to figure it out

BumbleB74 Avatar
William Milholen
Tidewater VA, USA   usa
Check some easy things first, like the air filter. I let one slide too far in a car once and it set off the warning light.....was fouling up the fuel/air ratio.

If your pollen has been anything like ours, that could clog anything up.

You need an OBD-1 reader, but often a volt meter will work just as well....assuming you know where to "plug" it into, and get the car into a fault check mode.

Most Haynes manuals will tell you how....or you can do a little searching on Google to find out. Works great on my '94 Ford pickup.



1974-1/2 Roadster, "Bumble Bee", Corvette Yellow - in shambles, wire wheels
1976 Roadster, un-named, Sandglow - "driver" condition (stock + 32/36 Weber DGEV, cast iron header, 25D distributor), bolt on wheels
Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
the car runs smooth so it cant be the cat, I dont think.....I wondering if I could buy an o2 sensor hook it up and see if the light goes off and if not take it back

jewar Avatar
John Warlimont
Abbotsford,B.C., Canada   can
1971 MG MGB
1973 MG MGB GT
Dan:
What you need to do is,run the blink codes with the test fuse.If i remember right it should have a fault for o2, it's pretty easy to do. You go to the interior fuse box and there is a empty slot if I remember right it is left hand side top, turn the ignition on and count the flashes, go to the book and check what it is indicating. If you take it to a shop thats all they are going to do, it doesn't have a OBD1 plug in which they probably think it does.I think I still have a manual if you get stuck.
John
refisk Avatar
Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA   usa
Go here and follow the instructions. Easy to do and you'll know exacty what's wrong.

http://www.robietherobot.com/metro/errorcodes.htm

Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
ok I think we got the fuse in the right slot turned on the key and am getting a constant .--- .--- .--- the info you gave me sez the code .--- is the 02 sensor but what does 13 mean on that page?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 06:54PM by riversidedan.
refisk Avatar
Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA   usa
According to the chart on Robie's website code 13 means a problem with the oxygen sensor circuit. It could be a broken wire or a bad O2 sensor. The Geo Metro uses a single wire sensor so it shouldn't be too expensive.

jewar Avatar
John Warlimont
Abbotsford,B.C., Canada   can
1971 MG MGB
1973 MG MGB GT
Dan:
As Rick says, the connector plug is often messed up, people cut them off and splice them, don't ask me why, if the plug connection is good replace the sensor. I think NGK makes them in Canada around $30. if I remember right.
John
S. Duerr Avatar
Steve Duerr
Bakersfield, CA, USA   usa
In reply to # 2033377 by jewar Dan:
As Rick says, the connector plug is often messed up, people cut them off and splice them, don't ask me why, if the plug connection is good replace the sensor. I think NGK makes them in Canada around $30. if I remember right.
John

If its a 3 cyl, ~ $20

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Oxygen-Sensor/_/N-9ixrp?vehicleIdForService=213866575&_requestid=358639

Dan burnett
puyallup, USA   usa
what happens if ya dont change the sensor right away?
refisk Avatar
Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA   usa
Computer usually goes into "safe" mode and you use a lot more gas. The car will run fine, but the mileage will suffer.

tomkatb Avatar
Larry Baygents
Dayton, Ohio, USA   usa
1963 MG MGB
My experience with codes for the o2 sensor is that in more than 50% of the cases it is something upstream of the sensor. Our 97 Buick had a EGR valve that needed cleaning every 4 years. Caused the o2 sensor code.

Look at the air cleaner.

I would likely try Seafoam first.

Oxygen sensors can be awful to get out.



L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit
dte948 Avatar
DAVE ENSIGN
CLAVERACK, NY, USA   usa
1961 MG Midget Conversion "MIDGET Aka Woodie"
GEO has a check engine light. Never new.

Dave



Midgets arn't hard to fix, there just easy to break!

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