What is the prodcedure to clear the CEL (check engine light)? I searched but to no avail.

 

A) disconnect your battery

B) get a CEL reader/clearer software with cable like I did

C) go suck up to you local autoparts store employees and ask them nicely to use their OBD scanner

 

just so i'm clear, any one of the above is fine. you don't need to do all three

you probably should invest in the software. it's good to know what the codes are before you clear them.

 

A) I tried this method and it did not work.
B) I should do this
C) I went to Checker but their scan tool would not connect to my car.

 

I got the Auto Enginuity scanner and software for PocketPC, along with the bluetooth module. Resetting the CEL works for me. The monitoring is also way cool. Well worth the money.

I bought a cheapo from Pep Boys and it's pretty useless, refuses to believe any codes exist and won't switch off the CEL (presumably because it doesn't see it as being on) It's the actron CP8135 - Stay away from that one.

 

i'm using the autoenginuity software software too, although i'm using the laptop version. works great.

i ran a group on here for the software a while back. we bought a bunch between the people here and rennlist. there's bound to be someone in your area that got one.

 

weird that disconnecting the battery didn't clear it. is it a flashing cel or a solid one?

 

I guess I lied. Its actually the PSM and ABS light.

 

ohhhh... that may not be good. time for a trip to the dealer my friend. software won't clear those.

i did have my ABS light come on recently. i ran the gas down to nothing, and the ABS light came on. pulled off and filled it up and it was still on (not that i was expecting it to turn off or that the gas had something to do with it). After a few choice explatives, it shut off about 5 minutes later. strange.

 

ABS/PSM lights....sounds like...MAF. Not always of course, but that would be my initial guess. Disconnecting the battery will reset, but they will come right back on if the MAF is blown. Are you running aftermarket intake? You may have to get a new MAF.

 

Disconnecting the battery will not clear an OBD II code. You need to read the codes with a scanner and clear them out. You will want to know what caused the light anyway...Post up the code it gives (should be something like P0XXX) and your exact car details and maybe someone here can help you diagnose it.

 

Clearing them might not make the CEL go away, reason the light comes on is because something went awry. You might have to repair/replace a part in order to do it correctly. Sometimes the CEL comes on because of a small evap. system leak other times its more serious. You MUST find out the trouble code and decipher its causes of why that code came up. If you choose to clear it write it down and then clear it. If the same code comes back in 2 seconds or 2 weeks you might wanna get that problem looked at by a technician. This goes for ANY warning light ie. CEL, ABS,PSM etc.
This is just what I go by.

Bajo

 

disconnecting the battery will make the light go out if the problem isn't permanent (ie the motor goes out of parameter for a split second but then resumes normal operation)

 

Correct. OBDII, as I am aware, has the ability for hard and soft set codes. The soft set, the ones that can be cleared from the ECU by disconnecting the battery. Soft codes are non-critical, intermittent, fluctuations the ECU catches. Some don't even set off the CEL, but will be there when you scan for codes.

 

when my abs light came on i had my local german auto repair shop change the brakes and sensors and all has been well.