This is topic Battery AND check engine lights just came on..help please! in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners .
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Posted by jaehow23 (Member # 11230) on
:
Ok, so I'm going to address 2 problems, I am new to all of this so please be patient with me: (2004 mustang GT)
1st- the other day I was about to head to work and when I started my car, the battery light was on, and stayed on. As I drove off and on to the freeway I noticed the light got dim and then flickered a bit then went away totally all under acceleration. It didn't come back on until the car was turned off and sat for a bit, and again under acceleration it would go away. The next day the light came on for a few seconds then went away and was gone for a full day after that. Today it came on again, and even under acceleration it won't go off. Idk what to check or suspect the problem to be
2nd- first off, I do have an off road H-pipe and I do have MIL eliminators. But I was told I have an exhaust leak (getting it looked at tonight) when I first installed the eliminators I didn't unplug the negative terminal so the light didn't go off right away, I had someone plug up a tuner and shut the light off that way. a couple days later the MIL light came back on for about half the day, then went off, and has been off for a little over a month. I'm not 100% what an exhaust leak sounds like but there is a sound when i accelerate that I can't really describe, lol. But that sound has gotten louder over the past week or so. My question is, can an exhaust leak be bad enough to make the check engine light come on?
any help to these two questions is highly appreciated, as always. thanks guys.
Posted by Carlosx97 (Member # 11748) on
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Taking the positive/negative off the battery can throw a CEL, You wouldnt think you maybe got your alternator going out on you? or your battery low on charge? i know when my battery was low if i would have everything turned on and hit the window buttons up to their max i could see everything dim. then when i got a new battery they dont do it anymore.
[ March 26, 2012, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: Carlosx97 ]
Posted by jaehow23 (Member # 11230) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Carlosx97:
Taking the positive/negative off the battery can throw a CEL, You wouldnt think you maybe got your alternator going out on you? or your battery low on charge? i know when my battery was low if i would have everything turned on and hit the window buttons up to their max i could see everything dim. then when i got a new battery they dont do it anymore.
I just picked up the batter last summer. But I do have subwoofers and everything with no capacitor, so it could be the battery..
Posted by cemelevu (Member # 10601) on
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take the alternator in to have it checked. as far as an exhaust leak causing a check engine light yes.
Posted by stangin' (Member # 514) on
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if you have a voltmeter, test what voltage your battery is putting out when its running. if its under 12v while running, you're alternator is dead.
a big exhaust leak can cause the check engine light to come on. a leak sounds a little like a pulsating hissing sound when you get on it. what you need to do is get under the car and tighten up all of your exhaust bolts and see if it helps.
Posted by jaehow23 (Member # 11230) on
:
&fq quote:
Originally posted by stangin':
if you have a voltmeter, test what voltage your battery is putting out when its running. if its under 12v while running, you're alternator is dead.
a big exhaust leak can cause the check engine light to come on. a leak sounds a little like a pulsating hissing sound when you get on it. what you need to do is get under the car and tighten up all of your exhaust bolts and see if it helps.
I'll check all of that tonight
Posted by stangin' (Member # 514) on
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don't forget to reset everything by disconnecting the neg. cable. also whenever your battery light comes on. it means you're driving off of the battery. it will eventually drain and you'll be stranded. keep this in mind.
btw, with the car off, the battery should read close to 12v. if its 8-9, you're battery is either drained or about to die.
[ March 26, 2012, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: stangin' ]
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